White Tree of Gondor
Encyclopedia
In J. R. R. Tolkien
's high fantasy
universe of Middle-earth
, the White Tree of Gondor stood as a symbol of Gondor
in the Court of the Fountain in Minas Tirith
.
The White Tree also appears as a motif
upon Gondor's flag
and throughout its heraldry
combined with the seven stars of the House of Elendil
and the crown of the King.
, at great personal risk, managed to steal from Nimloth
the Fair, the White Tree of Númenor
, before it was destroyed at Sauron
's insistence. He suffered many wounds at this mission, and he came near death, but when the first leaf opened in the spring, Isildur was healed of his wounds.
This sapling was brought to Middle-earth on Isildur's ship, and it was eventually planted in Minas Ithil before the house of Isildur. But when Sauron returned to Middle-earth, he launched a sudden attack that captured Minas Ithil, and he destroyed the White Tree.
. This tree died in 1636 during the Great Plague.
1640 by King Tarondor. This one lasted until the year 2872 and the death of the Ruling Steward
Belecthor II.
At this time no seedling of the tree could be found as the tree had rarely flowered after the line of the Kings had failed and therefore no fruit was produced. It was left standing after its death "until the King returns".
became king he discovered (with Gandalf
's help) a sapling of the White Tree upon the slopes of Mindolluin, high above the city, which he reverently planted in the Court of the Fountain. The dead tree was removed from the court but was placed in the Tombs of the Kings with all the honour that would normally be accorded a fallen monarch. In June of T. A.
3019 the sapling was already laden with blossom.
's The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
(2003). However, in the film we momentarily see a single blossom of "hope" on the previously dead tree during the Siege of Gondor and the imminent arrival of Aragorn on the Black Ships. At the time of the crowning of Aragorn the previously dead tree has returned to life and is in full blossom.
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's high fantasy
High fantasy
High fantasy or epic fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy that is set in invented or parallel worlds. High fantasy was brought to fruition through the work of authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, whose major fantasy works were published in the 1950s...
universe of Middle-earth
Middle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....
, the White Tree of Gondor stood as a symbol of Gondor
Gondor
Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth by the end of the Third Age. The third volume of The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, is concerned with the events in Gondor during the War of the Ring and with...
in the Court of the Fountain in Minas Tirith
Minas Tirith
Minas Tirith , originally named Minas Anor, is a fictional city and castle in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings. It became the heavily fortified capital of Gondor in the second half of the Third Age...
.
The White Tree also appears as a motif
Motif (art)
In art, a motif is an element of a pattern, an image or part of one, or a theme. A motif may be repeated in a design or composition, often many times, or may just occur once in a work. A motif may be an element in the iconography of a particular subject or type of subject that is seen in other...
upon Gondor's flag
Flag
A flag is a piece of fabric with a distinctive design that is usually rectangular and used as a symbol, as a signaling device, or decoration. The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed by a flag, or to its depiction in another medium.The first flags were used to assist...
and throughout its heraldry
Heraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
combined with the seven stars of the House of Elendil
House of Elendil
In J. R. R. Tolkien's literary works, the House of Elendil is the House from which the Kings of Arnor and Gondor were descended. The House of Elendil was born out of the ashes of the House of Andúnië which in turn was descended from the Royal House of Númenor, the House of Elros, thus making the...
and the crown of the King.
First White Tree
The first White Tree of Gondor came from a fruit that IsildurIsildur
Isildur is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He appears in the author's books The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales....
, at great personal risk, managed to steal from Nimloth
Nimloth
In the fantasy world of J. R. R. Tolkien, Nimloth, Sindarin for "white blossom", was the name of the White Tree of Númenor. Nimloth was a seedling of Celeborn, which was a seedling of Galathilion, which was created by Yavanna in the image of Telperion, one of the Two Trees of Valinor.When the...
the Fair, the White Tree of Númenor
Númenor
Númenor is a fictional place in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings. It was a huge island located in the Sundering Seas to the west of Middle-earth, the main setting of Tolkien's writings, and was known to be the greatest realm of Men...
, before it was destroyed at Sauron
Sauron
Sauron is the primary antagonist and titular character of the epic fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.In the same work, he is revealed to be the same character as "the Necromancer" from Tolkien's earlier novel The Hobbit...
's insistence. He suffered many wounds at this mission, and he came near death, but when the first leaf opened in the spring, Isildur was healed of his wounds.
This sapling was brought to Middle-earth on Isildur's ship, and it was eventually planted in Minas Ithil before the house of Isildur. But when Sauron returned to Middle-earth, he launched a sudden attack that captured Minas Ithil, and he destroyed the White Tree.
Second White Tree
Isildur escaped the capture of Minas Ithil, taking with him a sapling of the White Tree to Minas Anor where it was planted in the citadel courtyard in memory of his slain brother AnárionAnárion
Anárion is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. His name is derived from Anar, which means "Sun" in Tolkien's invented language of Quenya...
. This tree died in 1636 during the Great Plague.
Third White Tree
A third sapling was planted in T. A.Third Age
The Third Age is a time period from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. The history of Middle-earth is to be taken fictionally as a history of the real Earth....
1640 by King Tarondor. This one lasted until the year 2872 and the death of the Ruling Steward
Stewards of Gondor
The Stewards of Gondor were rulers from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium of Middle-earth.-Overview:Steward was the traditional title of a chief counsellor to one of the Kings of Gondor. The office of Arandur first came into existence during the reign of King Rómendacil I...
Belecthor II.
At this time no seedling of the tree could be found as the tree had rarely flowered after the line of the Kings had failed and therefore no fruit was produced. It was left standing after its death "until the King returns".
Fourth White Tree
When AragornAragorn
Aragorn II is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, one of the main protagonists of The Lord of the Rings. He is first introduced by the name Strider, which the hobbits continue to call him...
became king he discovered (with Gandalf
Gandalf
Gandalf is a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. In these stories, Gandalf appears as a wizard, member and later the head of the order known as the Istari, as well as leader of the Fellowship of the Ring and the army of the West...
's help) a sapling of the White Tree upon the slopes of Mindolluin, high above the city, which he reverently planted in the Court of the Fountain. The dead tree was removed from the court but was placed in the Tombs of the Kings with all the honour that would normally be accorded a fallen monarch. In June of T. A.
Third Age
The Third Age is a time period from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. The history of Middle-earth is to be taken fictionally as a history of the real Earth....
3019 the sapling was already laden with blossom.
Genealogy
Film
The finding of the sapling is not seen in Peter JacksonPeter Jackson
Sir Peter Robert Jackson, KNZM is a New Zealand film director, producer, actor, and screenwriter, known for his The Lord of the Rings film trilogy , adapted from the novel by J. R. R...
's The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is a 2003 epic fantasy-drama film directed by Peter Jackson that is based on the second and third volumes of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings...
(2003). However, in the film we momentarily see a single blossom of "hope" on the previously dead tree during the Siege of Gondor and the imminent arrival of Aragorn on the Black Ships. At the time of the crowning of Aragorn the previously dead tree has returned to life and is in full blossom.