Why did the Dunedain return to the north?

[Maeglin]

RotK, Homeward Bound:

"But better times are coming. Maybe, better than any you remember. The Rangers have returned."

Why did the Rangers bother to return to the North? Why did they not stay with their Kinsman, Aragorn, the new king, and stay in the country that rightly belongs to them?

 

[BlackCaptain]

Didn't someone make refferences to the fact that the Rangers protected the Shire? There still have to be SOME bad guys in the world. And people had been expieriencing bad times in the North during the war cuz all those Rangers came down. I may be wrong though

 

[Gil-Galad]

Well,King Elessar was in Gondor.He was able to take care of the near lands,but for the restoring of the northern teritorries he needed men he could trust.The Rangers were his closest men,so he could trust them.What is more, they had enough experience with the Northern matters,so they were the only men King Elessar could trust.

 

[Inderjit S]

Because they wanted to return to their home-land. Why else? Aragorn claims his heart is in the North, and he returns there. (for a time)

Gondor doesn't 'belong to them'. The belong to Arnor, they had been protecting it for hundreds of years. Isildur had decreed that he would be high-king over Arnor and Gondor but committed Gondor in the rule of Meneldil and his descendants.

This claim was waived by the Gondorian council after the death of Ondoher. (Earnil, captain of the ships at Pelargir and Captain of the Southern Host that defeated the Haradrim at the River Poros) who claimed that Isildur relinquished his claim. In any case, the descendants of Isildur were held by little worth (or scorned, by say Denethor, though he was the ruler and a proud man. Boromir had this intrinsic pride when he first talks to Aragorn and is corrected by Bilbo) though some still remembered them, but Arthedain was of little account to most of the people of Gondor, though Eärnur could not forgot the ties of kinship.

Aragorn was of course accepted as King for several reasons. Gondor wanted a King, (naturally) he had rescued Gondor and led the march to Mordor, and it was accepted that his claim to be the lawful descendant of Isildur (Or Elendil) and thus had the right to the kingship. (He was also descended from Ondoher, through his daughter Fíriel, who married Arvedui.) The line of Isildur was accepted as a legitimate claim for kingship, not just the line of Anarion as Denethor, Boromir (on Isildur's actions after the Last Alliance) "before he committed to him (Meneldil) the rule of the South Kingdom" and the Gondorian council.

The Rangers belonged in Arnor because it was their homeland, not Gondor.

 

[Saermegil]

The Rangers belonged in Gondor because it was their homeland, not Gondor

Inder, I think you meant something else instead of the first Gondor, but I don't know what you meant.I have nothing else to add to an otherwise interesting and information-packed post of yours.

 

[Inderjit S]

Yes, sorry I meant Arnor not Gondor.

 

[Huan the Hound]

Wouldn't you assume that in a regime change like Aragorn managed that you might want to keep some of the men (kin) most loyal to you around for some period of time? Seems a little naive of Aragorn to send all Dunedain packing simply because Eriador (Arnor) is there home... Hmm, but then again, Aragorn does a lot of things based on feeling and trust. However, the precedent that the men of Numenor set is that trust only gets you so far, and that power struggles, politiking, and revolt within a group of even very noble men is fairly common, if not likely.

Were any of the Dunedain elevated to the stature of prince in the North? In the sense that Faramir and Imrahil (and maybe others) were considered Princes of Ithilien and Dol Amroth respectively?

Fairly unrelated, what are we to expect happens to Imladris when all the elves have departed?

 

[Flammifer]

Were any of the Dunedain elevated to the stature of prince in the North? In the sense that Faramir and Imrahil (and maybe others) were considered Princes of Ithilien and Dol Amroth respectively?

I think we must assume that the Lords of the respective other parts of Gondor such as Lebennin and Erech etc. just went back to rule their lands under the protection of the crown Gondor. In the case of a Lord dying in the WotR the person with the most legitimate claim to the lordship would then take over.

Fairly unrelated, what are we to expect happens to Imladris when all the elves have departed?

Well even though Elrond departs with a lot of his household, it is said that a few of the High Elves still lingered in Rivendell after his departure, including the Sons of Elrond, Elladan and Elrohir. After forsaking his realm in Lorien, Celeborn then goes to dwell in Rivendell also, before he finally tires of life in mortal lands and takes ship to Valinor. The final fates of Elladan and Elrohir are unknown (the decree was that when Elrond finally tired of the sorrow of Middle-earth his children had the choice of either staying in M-e and becoming mortal, or departing with their father and living unto the end of the world in Valinor). Cirdan seemingly also took the last ship to Valinor ("I will remain here until the last ship sails").

 

[Vardarianna]

RotK, Homeward Bound:


Why did the Rangers bother to return to the North? Why did they not stay with their Kinsman, Aragorn, the new king, and stay in the country that rightly belongs to them?

Wouldn't you assume that in a regime change like Aragorn managed that you might want to keep some of the men (kin) most loyal to you around for some period of time? Seems a little naive of Aragorn to send all Dunedain packing simply because Eriador (Arnor) is there home...

As with much of the 4th Age after the war, things are left vague. I doubt Aragorn 'sent' the thirty rangers anywhere they didn't want to go. Halbarad was slain, and he may have been laid to rest in the south, or maybe some of his kinsmen brought his body back north to his family. I would speculate that most of the rangers returned north to their homeland and may have been the de-facto representatives, and military and law enforcement protection under King Elessar. I would also speculate that maybe a few stayed in Gondor to serve their king there was well.

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

Nothing to add here, except to remark again on the youth of so many members in these early threads -- for example, @Maeglin, now a veteran teacher with a doctorate and a family, was 15 at the time he posted his question. 😊

 

[Vardarianna]

Nothing to add here, except to remark again on the youth of so many members in these early threads -- for example, @Maeglin, now a veteran teacher with a doctorate and a family, was 15 at the time he posted his question. 😊

Wow!

I was ... 9 when he asked the question!