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The White CouncilRe: Rules of successionTolkien and Inklings Discussion |
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The White CouncilRe: Rules of successionTolkien and Inklings Discussion |
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Posted by Martin Read on December 22, 1999 at 08:45:04 In Reply to: Rules of succession posted by Sonny Ross on December 22, 1999 at 05:39:29:
: : I don't think a family so honored as Hurin's would be restrained by the disgrace of an ancestor. Social convention seems to prevent that. And Tolkien says that the Stewards kept their bloodline largely pure. : Agreed. It is very unlikely that the House of Stewards had some disgrace that prevented them from ascending the throne, for that same disgrace would preclude them from holding the Stewardship. It would, however, help to explain why they never took the ultimate step and claimed the title of king. If they were related to the Royal House, as is stated, (even if not particularly closely) surely they could have claimed the title legitimately, as there were no others with a better claim available? What impediment stood in their way? They had certainly been kingmakers in the time of Earnil's accession. Tolkien was hoist by his own petard, by wishing to make the line of the Stewards very noble but also wishing to prevent them from assuming royal dignity. A stain on their origins would make this scenario more understandable. Such a stain on their house would not affect their assumption of the Stewardship, as this was not based on popular acceptance but, initially at least, on royal appointment. In the real world Henry Ist's named successor his legitimate daughter Matilda (mother of Henry II) placed great faith in the military support of her bastard half-brother Robert Earl of Gloucester. She could do this with some degree of confidence because although the son of the late king he was barred from the succession by his illegitimacy. The kings of Gondor would be able to do the same with the Stewards if they knew of some disbarrment which would make them unable to usurp the throne. If the royal connection of the House of Hurin was via an illigitimate liason this would be a possible explanation of the position they found themselves in.
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