The Lord of the Rings: This character’s name foretold the end of the saga from the beginning

Actor Viggo Mortensen is now integral to the character of Aragorn, the oh-so-merited warrior and savant of Middle-earth. But did you know Lord of the Rings author JRR Tolkien named it with prophetic significance?

Aragorn comes from Middle English (also called Middle English), “ara” meaning “noble” and “gorn” meaning “courage, bravery” or “honorable”. Thus, Tolkien indicates in his notes that Aragorn means “brave king” or “honorable king” in Sindarin, reflecting the fate of the character promised to rule Gondor and Arnor.

But Aragorn also goes by many aliases throughout his life. Thus, he is Thorongil (= Star Eagle) when he engages in the battle with Sauron’s forces prior to The Lord of the Rings. When the Fellowship arrives, it is presented to the hobbits as “Great Steps”.

Elsewhere, Galadriel names him “Elessar Telkontar” as ruler of the United Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor upon his enthronement. Only with this newly acquired title of king is he finally freed to marry Arwen, Elrond’s daughter.

J.R.R. Tolkien was very precise in naming his characters to give them a personality or character trait from their names. As evidenced by the real meanings of the names Gandalf or Frodo.

These hidden meanings add depth to the British novelist’s work and contribute to one of the most important Lord of the Rings sagas of the 20th century. Let’s not forget that Return of the King celebrates its 20th anniversary this year!