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ThroughoutThe Lord of the Rings, many stories are unfolding, one of which is the story of Arwen and Aragorn. Through their story, much is learned about Arwen, daughter of Elrond, who is Lord of Rivendell. But one thing that isn’t shown in the films is that Arwen isn’t an only child.
Arwen is the youngest of three children to Elrond and his wife, Celebrían of Lothlórien (who is the daughter of Galadriel). She has twin older brothers, who were born over a century before her. Although the twins’ roles inThe Lord of the Ringsmovies aren’t mentioned, they actually have a crucial role to play in The War of the Ring. In addition to providing a pivotal role, much like Arwen, they are also linked to Aragorn’s life.
Who Are Elladan and Elrohir?
Elladan and Elrohir are the oldertwin brothers of Arwen, who were born in the year TA 130. While much isn’t known about their past before Arwen was born, they are the descendants of two royal elf houses, the House of the Eldar and the House of the Edain, which many significant elves have been a part of in the past, particularly ones found inThe Silmarillion.
When they were born, Elrond took great care in selecting their names, making sure both referenced that the twins were half-elf. Elladan can be translated to “Elf-Númenórean,” while Elrohir means “Elf-Knight.” In addition to these meanings, both names can mean “Elf-Man.” It was important to Elrond that the names of the twins made it known that they were descendants of both men and elves.
Elladan and Elrohir can trace their elvish ancestry back to some very important elves in Middle Earth history, especially when looking at their mother’s family. They are directly descended fromCeleborn (their maternal grandfather), who comes from royal elvish blood.
On the other hand, they are also blood-related to human royalty through Elrond’s twin brother, Elros. Elros’ descendants lead directly toIsildur and Aragorn.
Where Were Elladan and Elrohir During The War Of The Ring?
With such a high status being related to royalty through both of their parents, it’s a surprise Arwen’s brothers aren’t even mentioned inThe Lord of the Ringsfilms, especially when they played such pivotal roles in the books. So where were they during the War of the Ring?
Unlike many of the great heroes of Middle Earth, Elladan and Elrohir’s primary roles lie outside of warfare. Although the two are great warriors in their own right and later fight alongside Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli inmany of their battles, their responsibilities are a bit different. The twin brothers were tasked to prepare the route for the fellowship to take after the Council of Elrond.
While this may seem like a small task at first glance, it holds great importance. AlthoughThe Fellowship of the Ringfilm depicts the group leading Rivendell immediately afterthe Council of Elrond, the members of the fellowship actually spent a significant amount of time in Rivendell before departing. This allowed Elrond to send his twin sons to prepare the road for the nine before their journey began. This included scouting the path and finding the best route to take.
But this wasn’t the only significant task the twins took part in during the war against Sauron.
InThe Return of the King, Elladan and Elrohir join Aragorn before he ventures to findthe King of the Dead. They met with Aragorn to deliver a message from Elrond conveying information about the Paths of the Dead and a prophecy that said the Dead Men of Dunharrow would fight for the heir of Isildur when called upon.
Over the land there lies a long shadow,
The Tower trembles; to the tombs of kings
doom approaches. The Dead awaken;
at the Stone of Erech they shall stand again
Whose shall the horn be? Who shall call them
from the grey twilight, the forgotten people?
The heir of him to whom the oath they swore.
From the North shall he come, need shall drive him:
he shall pass the Door to the Paths of the Dead.
Not only do the twins deliver the message from Elrond about the prophecy, but they accompany Aragorn through thePaths of the Dead. After this, Elladan and Elrohir continue to travel and fight alongside Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas, taking part in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields and the Battle of the Black Gate.
Once Aragorn claims victory for Gondor, this is when the twins leave his side. They travel to Lothlórien, where Arwen is staying with Galadriel, to deliver the news to their sister and accompany her back to Gondor.
How Are The Twins Linked To Aragorn’s Past?
Not only do the twins help Aragorn with the King of the Dead, but they are linked to his past as well. Much like their father, both Elladan and Elrohir have known Aragorn since he was a young boy.
Elladan and Elrohir knew Arathorn II, Aragorn’s father and a Ranger of the North. They would often ride with the Rangers and aid them in battles against orcs, with allowed them to become close to Arathorn. When Arathorn was killed by orcs, they were there fighting alongside him.
After Arathorn’s death, Elladan and Elrohir guidedAragorn and his mother to Rivendell. Aragorn’s mother was a Dúnedain, and as such it was tradition to raise her child in Rivendell. There Aragorn could be raised safely while protecting his identity from anyone who would want to harm Isildur’s heir.
Later in Aragorn’s life when he joined theRangers of the North, Elladan and Elrohir began to spend a lot more time with him. They mentored him in fighting and taught him wilderness skills, which explains why Aragorn is such a good tracker. This led them to becoming close friends with Aragorn.
Once Aragorn joins the fellowship inThe Lord of the Rings, the twins don’t see much of him until later when they help with the Paths of the Dead. After Arwen and Aragorn marry, Elladan and Elrohir returned to Rivendell. Whether they chose mortality like Arwen is unclear, but one thing is for certain, they remained in Rivendell long after Elrond set sail for the Undying Lands.
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is one of the most iconic names in entertainment. The franchise started with novels from J. R. R. Tolkien before being adapted onto the big screen by Peter Jackson in one of the most critically-acclaimed film trilogies of all time. There have also been numerous The Lord of the Rings video games of varying quality.
