| Gondorian | |
| Morwen | |
|---|---|
| Biographical Information | |
| Location | Gondor |
| Language | Westron |
| Family | |
| House | House of Húrin |
| Parentage | Belecthor I |
| Siblings | Orodreth |
| Physical Description | |
| Gender | Female |
Morwen was the daughter of Belecthor I. She appears in Tolkien's manuscripts for The Heirs of Elendil (a document used in constructing the timeline of the Realms in Exile for the Appendices). When Morwen's nephew, the Steward Ecthelion I, died childless, her grandson Egalmoth became the 18th Ruling Steward.[1] Morwen does not appear in the published Appendices to the Lord of the Rings.
Morwen may have been named after the Morwen of the First Age, who was the daughter of Baragund of the House of Bëor.
Genealogy
Etymology
Morwen means "Dark Maiden" in Sindarin (from mor, "dark" and the female suffix -wen, "maiden").[2]
Other versions of the legendarium
There are several drafts of the Heirs of Elendil manuscripts, identified sequentially with the letters A through D by Christopher Tolkien. In a note in Manuscript A (the earliest manuscript), Morwen is the sister of Belecthor I and grandmother of Egalmoth, creating a genealogy which has a generation too many. This error likely came as a result of how quickly Tolkien drafted the dates and genealogies in this early manuscript. In Manuscript B, Morwen's role is revised, and she becomes the sister of Orodreth, continuing to appear as such in the later manuscripts.[3]
References
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "VII. The Heirs of Elendil", p. 205
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Appendix: Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names", entries mor, wen
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "VII. The Heirs of Elendil", pp. 205, 219-220