The Arda 300

[Morwenna]

This is exciting!

And how great to have two guitar gods--blues gods at that--playing together!

Every week I look forward to these. And I love getting closer and seeing characters that I'm more familiar with. The top 100 isn't far away!

[Voronwë the Faithful]

It is exciting, isn't it?

[Dân o Nandor on Anduin]

#120 Caradhras the Cruel (n) – mountain
[TG:30,EoA:11,Wik:18,RF:10,JT:21,MD:5,LR:6,H5:6,H6:12,H7:12,H9:2,H12:6=139pts,63indx.pgs]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Caradhras
Yes, this admittedly pushes the limits of those entities that display a hint of sentience in order to make my list. But stone-giants in The Hobbit, and the Fellowship questioning whether the Enemy’s arm could unbelievably have grown long enough to affect a mountain, leaves the possibility marginally open. Furthermore, it has an epithet that at least denotes sadistic sentience. Nonetheless, it chimes in at #120, well short of the top-100.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4lonhZKrj4

#119 Daeron, Minstrel of Doriath – sinda minstrel
[TG:32,EoA:4,Wik:9,RF:11,JT:21,MD:1,DK:3,LR:1,Sil:3,CoH:1,UT:4,H2:10,B2:5,H3:10,H4:2,H5:4,H6:2,H7:6,H10:2,H11:4,H12:4=139pts,100indx.pgs]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Daeron
Well, he did invent the Cirth alphabet, and was one of the greatest minstrels ever, so deserves his place, if not higher.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOTr_4Zs_Us

#118 Eärnur, 33rd and last King of Gondor – gondorian dúnadan king
[TG:51,EoA:5,Wik:8,RF:18,JT:42,LR:2,Sil:2,UT:4,H8:2,H9:2,H12:4=140pts,29indx.pgs]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Eärnur
Oh, Eärnur, what were you thinking? I guess you were hoping that… “We, are, coming… home!” But, in reality, you told your men, before embarking… “We’re off to the Witch, we may never, never, never, come home…”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aao1kuf8GEs

#117 Durin I, the Deathless – dwarf king
[TG:39,EoA:10,Wik:3,RF:9,JT:15,DD:19,JR:7,LR:6,Sil:1,Let:1,UT:6,H3:2,H5:2,H6:4,H7:6,H9:2,H11:4,H12:6=142pts,96indx.pgs]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Durin_I
He’s of course the last Durin that will appear, though far from the last Dwarf.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsOrty4RmSA

#116 *Ælfwine of England – old-english mariner
[TG:50,Wik:7,HC:1,MD:29,JG:1,JR:8.DK:2,H2:10,H3:2,H4:6,H5:8,H9:6,H10:8,H11:2,H12:2=142pts,212indx.pgs]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Aelfwine
Here he is, the last asterisked character. Tolkien started writing the story of this 9th-century Englishman about 1920, and never gave up. He wrote about him well past LotR, and included his story in the ‘Notion Club Papers’ framework. By all accounts, he was to be the ultimate conduit of the tales of Tolkien’s mythology, having discourse with such luminaries as Pengolodh the Wise, and Dirhaval composer of the Narn. His influence is illustrated in David Oberhelman’s ‘Oral Tradition’ entry in Drout’s Encyclopedia, who cites Flieger as expressing Ælfwine as being “a transmitter of lost poetic traditions and legends”; and extensively uses Wynne & Hostetter to back up the fact that Ælfwine employs a verse form “that is probably a Sindarin equivalent to Old English alliterative verse”. Garth and Rateliff also greatly note the importance of Ælfwine. But of course it is Kane who states “In his foreword to the first volume of [HoMe] Christopher admits that it was an error that there was no ‘framework’ for The Silmarillion, but claims that “in the latest writing there is no trace or suggestion of any ‘device’ or ‘framework’ in which it was to be set” (BoLT1,5). This is not entirely true. Although no ‘framework’ is described in the later version of the Quenta Silmarillion itself, there are similar attributions in other “Silmarillion” texts… Christopher evidently concluded that the best solution to this confusion was to eliminate any reference to the context of all the works. Although this decision is understandable, I believe Christopher would have better served his father’s interest to retain (and perhaps even, where necessary, further expand upon) this ‘framework’, and it appears from the doubts that he expressed when he first began [HoMe] that he might agree”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5MAg_yWsq8

#115 Gwaihir the Windlord – eagle lord
[TG:49,EoA:5,Wik:3,RF:16,JT:7,MD:1,DD:30,DK:2,LR:2,H5:4,H6:2,H7:6,H8:2,H9:8,H10:2,H11:2,HoF+:2=143pts,39indx.pgs]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Gwaihir_the_Windlord
After Gwaihir, one eagle remains (for Steve Miller to honour).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ID0qsqr3j00

#114 Ossë, Lord of the Inner Seas – maia
[TG:32,EoA:4,Wik:6,RF:14,JT:12,MD:2,DD:13,JG:1,DK:1,Sil:3,CoH:2,UT:4,H1:8,B1:5,H2:2,H3:2,H4:4,H5:4,H9:2,H10:6,H11:14,H12:2=143pts,191indx.pgs]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Ossë
Only a good woman keeps this madman in line…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6z0KbJz-asY

#113 Anárion, 2nd King of Gondor – gondorian dúnadan king
[TG:43,EoA:5,Wik:15,RF:12,JT:16,MD:3,DD:15,LR:5,Sil:5,Let:1,UT:10,H7:4,H8:4,H9:4,H12:4=146pts,96indx.pgs]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Anárion_son_of_Elendil
His older brother will appear much later, but Anárion will always be remembered as one of the 2 Pillars of the Argonath.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkVT2GD9sbM

#112 Bard the Bowman, 1st King of (new) Dale – northman king
[TG:53:,EoA:10,Wik:5,RF:14,JT:11,MD:1,DD:21,JG:1,JR:5,HC:1,LR:2,H6:2,H7:2,H12:2,HoF+:20=150pts,32indx.pgs]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Bard_the_Bowman
Hobbit characters don’t do quite as well on this list, maybe as they should, since the novel had no index. But I think some of them, including Bard, were nudged ahead slightly by Jackson since I first did this list.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnJqZkY67JI

#111 Imrahil, 22nd Prince of Dol Amroth – gondorian dúnadan ruling-prince
[TG:51,EoA:16,Wik:16,RF:9,JT:16,DD:12,LR:7,Let:1,UT:4,H8:8,H9:6,H12:4=150pts,86indx.pgs]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Imrahil
He’s the Ruling Prince of Dol Amroth! (Not the Lord, formerly known as a Prince…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8BMm6Jn6oU


glossary:

*=as in CT's indexing in UT (ie. characters not appearing in Hobbit/LotR/AdvTB/Sil)
@=guest at Bilbo’s Farewell Party
(f)=female (n)=neutral

POINTS - for ENTRIES: TG=Tolkien Gateway,EoA=Encyclopedia of Arda,Wik=Wikipedia,RF=Robert Foster’s Complete Guide to Middle-earth,JT=J.E.A. Tyler’s Tolkien Companion,DD=David Day’s A-Z of Tolkien; for INDICES: LR=Lord of the Rings,Sil=Silmarillion,UT=Unfinished Tales,HX=History of Middle-earth Vol.X,Let=Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien,HC=Humphrey Carpenter’s Biography,JG=John Garth’s Tolkien and the Great War,JR=John Rateliff’s History of The Hobbit,DK=Douglas Kane’s Arda Reconstructed; for both ENTRIES & INDICES: MD=Michael Drout’s Tolkien Encyclopedia; for NAME-LISTS: CoH=Children of Húrin,B1 or B2=the ‘Qenya & Gnomish Lexicons’ from Book of Lost Tales Vols.1&2,FoG=the ‘Fall of Gondolin’ from BoLT Vol.2,LoE=the ‘Line of Elros’ tree & list from UT; MISC: HoF+=votes from the Hall of Fire thread that initiated this project + a composite of selected favourite character lists.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Nice to see "the artist formerly known as ..." make the list. He is a great musician, eccentric though he may be.

I was kinda hoping that Ælfwine would make the top 100, but this seems about right. I'm flattered to have such a prominent mention in the description. I do think that the published Silmarillion would be much improved if some patina of the framework had been maintained.

I'm curious to see whether the top Dwarf will be Thorin or Gimli. Probably Gimli because of the lack of an Index in The Hobbit. But time will tell.

[Morwenna]

He may have made the list, but the video is "blocked in my country for copyright reasons."

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Mine too, Morwenna, but I was still happy to see him included.

Almost time for more fun, hopefully! Last batch before the final 100!

[Dân o Nandor on Anduin]

#110 Meneldil, 3rd King of Gondor – gondorian dúnadan king
[TG:39,EoA:72,Wik:8,RF:3,JT:15,MD:2,LR:1,Sil:1,UT:4,H8:2,H12:4=151pts,24indx.pgs]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Meneldil
Meneldil may be a bit of an anomaly. Nearly half his points derive from the Encyclopedia of Arda, because of his lengthy entry devoted to the historical ramifications of his line securing a separate Kingship in the South. Regardless of this, and when & how his line laid legitimate claim to Gondor, Meneldil’s legacy can’t be denied. He was the last of the kings to be born in Númenor, and his line was given authority to rule what became the greater kingdom, which only Aragorn II could eventually reclaim. (He may not have gone by the nickname ‘Men’, but to the early kings of Arnor, Gondor would have been viewed as the land down under…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvmZpyaXdaU

#109 Eorl the Young, 1st King of Rohan – rohirrim king
[TG:23,EoA:4,Wik:5,RF:12,JT:20,DD:19,MD:4,LR:11,Let:1,UT:20,H7:4,H8:4,H9:2,H12:4,HoF+:20=153pts,111indx.pgs]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Eorl_the_Young
Eorl is a character who benefits slightly from points I awarded to votes garnered in the initial HOF thread that inspired this list. I believe it was one MithLuin who cast her vote for Eorl as a character vitally important to the Story that is the legendarium. (And he had white horses…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3t-xorsgd8w

#108 Balan ‘Bëor the Old’, 1st Lord of the First House of the Edain – 1st house adan lord
[TG:34,EoA:8,Wik:9,RF:8,JT:14,DK:2,MD:1,Sil:7,CoH:4,UT:8,H1:2,H3:4,H4:8,H5:8,H6:2,H7:2,H8:2,H9:2,H10:4,H11:18,H12:6=153pts,159indx.pgs]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Bëor_the_Old
The Young and the Old, appear back to back, as both fall just short of cracking the top-100.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4HI1_LTWIk

#107 Curufin the Crafty, 5th son of Fëanor – noldo prince
[TG:52,EoA:2,Wik:19,RF:12,JT:21,DK:2,Sil:4,UT:2,H2:2,B2:1,H3:10,H4:8,H5:6,H10:2,H11:4,H12:6=153pts,202indx.pgs]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Curufin
The twins Amrod & Amras appeared back at #155 & #154, while the eldest 4 sons of Fëanor all make the top-100. Curufin may not quite rank there, but his son definitely will. (And he is generally counted the baddest of the 7 sons…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dt_8aDOJvtM

#106 Bombur, companion of Thorin Oakenshield – dwarf adventurer
[TG:93,EoA:1,Wik:5,RF:7,JT:7,DD:18,JR:21,LR:1,H6:2,H12:2=157pts,58indx.pgs]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Bombur
He scores the most points so far from Tolkien Gateway, and will do so until we reach Radagast. Yes, Hobbit characters get buoyed somewhat from the movies, but they are also deprived from a lack of index. Only 2 dwarves from Thorin’s company now remain, apart from Thorin himself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY-IBij70Zk

#105 Brandir the Lame, 6th Chieftain of the Haladin – 2nd house adan chieftain
[TG:55,EoA:1,Wik:21,RF:9,JT:37,DK:1,Sil:3,CoH:2,UT:8,H2:6,H4:4,H5:2,H11:8=157pts,107indx.pgs]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Brandir
If Nienor had known Túrin was her brother, would things have been any different between her and Brandir? Not likely, but he certainly would have hoped…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXhjbqDbgDE

#104 Huan, Hound of Valinor – canine hunting/guide-dog
[TG:29,EoA:19,Wik:12,RF:17,JT:21,DD:18,MD:6,JR:1,DK:1,JG:1,Sil:4,H2:6,H3:6,H4:4,H5:2,H6:2,H10:2,H11:2,HoF+:5=158pts,151indx.pgs]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Huan
He’s not the last canine we’ll see, and it’s too bad he doesn’t appear higher. (I also couldn’t choose Zep’s Black Dog over this classic…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzQ8GDBA8Is

#103 Ecthelion of Gondolin, Lord of the House of the Fountain – noldo lord
[TG:75,EoA:7,Wik:11,RF:4,JT:7,Sil:3,CoH:1,UT:4,H1:2,H2:6,B2:7,FoG:5,H4:2,H5:2,H8:2,H11:2,HoF+:20=160pts,37indx.pgs]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Ecthelio ... e_Fountain
7 Lords of the 12 Houses of Gondolin have already appeared, so 4 remain after Ecthelion. (And as we’re still outside the top-100, I’ll let the last of the pioneers, the Chairman, chime in…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkHkMH5uxrA

#102 Gurthang, black-sword of Túrin Turambar – meteoritic sword
[TG:31,EoA:10,Wik:30,RF:15,JT:25,MD:2,DK:2,Sil:7,CoH:5,UT:10,H2:4,B2:6,H3:2,H4:4,H5:4,H11:6=163pts,56indx.pgs]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Gurthang
Only 2 entities of questionable sentience remain after Gurthang, but they can both be classified as being alive. This sword, crafted from a meteorite, is attributed a brief spurt of dialogue, and so, I think, deserves its place; though it can be safely said that no mineral entities make Tolkien’s Top-100. (Gurthang can be substituted for Andúril in this piece…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIaPIy4Mddg

#101 Arvedui, 15th and last King of Arthedain – arnorian dúnadan king
[TG:55,EoA:15,Wik:13,RF:19,JT:48,MD:1,LR:2,Let:1,UT:4,H8:2,H12:4=164pts,35indx.pgs]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Arvedui
Because of prophecy, he was crowned with a spike right through his head. Because of circumstance, he was drowned, and washed-up, left for dead…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZtqdY5rWr4


glossary:

*=as in CT's indexing in UT (ie. characters not appearing in Hobbit/LotR/AdvTB/Sil)
@=guest at Bilbo’s Farewell Party
(f)=female (n)=neutral

POINTS - for ENTRIES: TG=Tolkien Gateway,EoA=Encyclopedia of Arda,Wik=Wikipedia,RF=Robert Foster’s Complete Guide to Middle-earth,JT=J.E.A. Tyler’s Tolkien Companion,DD=David Day’s A-Z of Tolkien; for INDICES: LR=Lord of the Rings,Sil=Silmarillion,UT=Unfinished Tales,HX=History of Middle-earth Vol.X,Let=Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien,HC=Humphrey Carpenter’s Biography,JG=John Garth’s Tolkien and the Great War,JR=John Rateliff’s History of The Hobbit,DK=Douglas Kane’s Arda Reconstructed; for both ENTRIES & INDICES: MD=Michael Drout’s Tolkien Encyclopedia; for NAME-LISTS: CoH=Children of Húrin,B1 or B2=the ‘Qenya & Gnomish Lexicons’ from Book of Lost Tales Vols.1&2,FoG=the ‘Fall of Gondolin’ from BoLT Vol.2,LoE=the ‘Line of Elros’ tree & list from UT; MISC: HoF+=votes from the Hall of Fire thread that initiated this project + a composite of selected favourite character lists.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

I would have liked to have seen Bëor make the top 100. After all he is the oldest human (or at least named human) in the legendarium.

[Dân o Nandor on Anduin]

The question then becomes who, in the top-100, would you displace? Which we can follow up on...

Since my favourite radio station just had their annual Top-500 Memorial Day Classic Rock Song Countdown, I’ll post the songs that so far overlap with the list here, attempting to prove I’m nearing the mark (and some do come pretty close)…

#295 Gilraen - Mother/Pink Floyd - song #210
#293 Nerdanel - Magic Man/Heart - song #299
#282 Vardamir Nolimon - Dreamer/Supertramp - song #500
#285 Hirilorn - Sweet Leaf/Black Sabbath - song #485
#281 Durin III - New Year’s Day/U2 - song #455
#275 Amlaith of Fornost - Separate Ways/Journey - song #369
#274 Argeleb I - Don’t Stop Believing/Journey - song #31
#271 Thuringwëthil - Bat Out Of Hell/Meat Loaf - song #391
#269 Tar-Ciryatan - Freewill/Rush - song #416
#268 Alcarin the Glorious - Glory Days/Bruce Springsteen - song #215
#264 Bill Ferny - Bad Company/Bad Company - song #33
#262 Oropher - Paradise City/Guns N Roses - song #297
#258 Tarannon Falastur - Heart Of Gold/Neil Young - song #158
#251 Frealaf Hildeson - Back In The Saddle/Aerosmith - song #190
#249 Malach Aradan - Born To Be Wild/Steppenwolf - song #37
#241 Tobold Hornblower - Smokin/Boston - song #319
#236 Elfhelm - Can’t You See/Marshall Tucker - song #136
#235 The Old Took - Old Time Rock & Roll/Bob Seger - song #85
#233 Silmarien - Beautiful Loser/Bob Seger - song #342
#230 Draugluin - Werewolves of London/Warren Zevon - song #259
#224 Haldir of Lórien - Walk This Way/Aerosmith - song #28
#223 ‘Moneybags’ Master - Money/Pink Floyd - song #16
#216 Queen Beruthiel - Cat Scratch Fever/Ted Nugent - song #321
#215 Tar-Minastir - Immigrant Song/Led Zeppelin - song #150
#214 Quickbeam - Trampled Under Foot/Zeppelin - song #486
#206 Elanor the Fair - Eleanor Rigby/Beatles - song #364
#204 Felarof - Beast Of Burden/Rolling Stones - song #350
#201 Tar-Ancalime - Killer Queen/Queen - song #166
#198 Paladin II - Magic Carpet Ride/Steppenwolf - song #168
#191 Romendacil I - Never been any Reason/Head East - song #300
#189 Tar-Atanamir - 2112/Rush - song #99
#188 Uldor the Accursed - Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap/ACDC - song #189
#187 Nimrodel - Ruby Tuesday/Rolling Stones - song #394
#186 Watcher-in-Water - Black Water/Doobie Brothers - song #132
#185 Ancalagon the Black - Fire/Jimi Hendrix - song #368
#184 Rian - Rhiannon/Fleetwood Mac - song #135
#183 Rúmil of Tirion - School/Supertramp - song #102
#178 Haleth the Hunter - Foxy Lady/Jimi Hendrix - song #84
#177 Mardil Voronwë - Maggie May/Rod Stewart - song #101
#176 Vána - Houses of the Holy/Led Zeppelin - song #244
#174 Dori - Purple Haze/Jimi Hendrix - song #44
#173 Malbeth the Seer - I Can See For Miles/Who - song #397
#172 Barliman Butterbur - Hotel California/Eagles - song #3
#169 Castamir Usurper - Southern Man/Neil Young - song #313
#164 Farmer Maggot - Jesus Just Left Chicago/ZZ Top - song #473
#163 Angrod - Iron Man/Black Sabbath - song #110
#161 Saeros - Run Like Hell/Pink Floyd - song #245
#160 Ar-Adunakhor - Evil Ways/Santana - song #308
#156 Ori - Turn The Page/Bob Seger - song #10
#151 Aegnor - Babe I’m Gonna Leave You/Led Zep. - song #229
#150 Kili - Whole Lotta Love/Led Zeppelin - song #68
#149 Tar-Meneldur - Limelight/Rush - song #79
#148 Beregond - I’m your Captain.../Grand Funk R.R. - song #268
#147 Arien - Here Comes The Sun/Beatles - song #39
#145 Eldacar - In The Air Tonight/Phil Collins - song #58
#144 Lobelia S.B. - Lola/Kinks - song #149
#143 Eärnil II - Fortunate Son/CCR - song #76
#142 Eönwë - I’ve Seen All Good People/Yes - song #398
#140 Oin - Misty Mountain Hop/Led Zeppelin - song #442
#139 Fili - Blue Collar Man/Styx - song #155
#137 Elladan - Stay With Me/Faces - song #378
#133 Eriol - Where the Streets have no Name/U2 - song #218
#131 Mouth of Sauron - Paint It Black/Rolling Stones - song #246
#130 Tar-Palantir - Love to change the World/10yrs After - song #357
#127 Tar-Aldarion - Under My Thumb/Rolling Stones - song #318
#126 Thror - In My Life/Beatles - song #143
#123 Mîm - Breakdown/Tom Petty - song #322
#121 Lórien - Enter Sandman/Metallica - song #385
#120 Caradhras - Rock Of Ages/Def Leppard - song #242
#119 Daeron - Listen To The Music/Doobie Brothers - song #272
#117 Durin the Deathless - Too Much Time On My Hands/Styx - song #421
#116 Aelfwine - Come Sail Away/Styx - song #67
#113 Anárion - Refugee/Tom Petty - song #121
#109 Eorl the Young - Lucky Man/Emerson, Lake, & Palmer - song #407
#105 Brandir the Lame - With Or Without You/U2 - song #344
#101 Arvedui - Jumpin Jack Flash/Rolling Stones - song #174

And by the way, the groups/artists that had the most songs (counting solo acts + songwriting credits) in that list were…

26 Led Zeppelin
20 Beatles
19 Rolling Stones
16 Pink Floyd
16 Van Halen
15 Eagles
13 AC/DC
12 Who
12 Bob Seger
12 Tom Petty
11 Lynyrd Skynyrd
11 Aerosmith
10 Rush
9 Doors
9 Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
9 Queen
9 ZZ Top
9 Boston
8 Eric Clapton/Cream
8 Supertramp
8 Fleetwood Mac

We'll see what this list produces.

Next: the Top 100...

[Voronwë the Faithful]

The question then becomes who, in the top-100, would you displace?

None, I'm sure. But I've never let a logical fallacy get in my way before.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

(Gurthang can be substituted for Andúril in this piece…)

Could you imagine a cold voice suddenly emerging from Anduril telling Aragorn that it would gladly drink his blood? That would be quite a development!

[Morwenna]

(Gurthang can be substituted for Andúril in this piece…)

Could you imagine a cold voice suddenly emerging from Anduril telling Aragorn that it would gladly drink his blood? That would be quite a development!

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Should be about time for the final 100 to begin, no?

[Dân o Nandor on Anduin]

Yes, sorry! (The Stanley Cup has been hoisted, so my time should be undeviatingly devoted to the final stretch!)

We’re now in the Top 100 characters of the Legendarium; and those that remain, I have no doubt are the Giants of Arda! (The accompanying secondary list I hope also approaches its respective top-100). Enjoy!


#100 Barahir, 7th Lord of the First House of the Edain – 1st-house adan lord
[TG:42,EoA:20,Wik:11,RF:10,JT:13,MD:1,DK:1,LR:3,Sil:6,CoH:1,UT:6,H1:2,H2:12,H3:10,H4:6,H5:4,H6:2,H7:2,H8:2,H10:2,H11:6,H12:2=164pts,172indx.pgs]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Barahir
He was the father of Beren One-Hand, leader of his band of outlaws, and, oh yeah, had a Ring that survived as an heirloom to Aragorn..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qdpWykfMnk

#99 Tulkas Astaldo, the Valiant – vala champion
[TG:41,EoA:4,Wik:6,RF:17,JT:11,DD:15,MD:3,DK:1,JG:2,Sil:4,H1:10,B1:8,H2:2,H3:2,H4:10,H5:6,H6:2,H10:14,H11:2,H12:2,HoF+:2=164pts,193indx.pgs]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Tulkas_Astaldo
He was the last of the Valar to appear in Arda, and is also the last non-Aratar Vala to appear on this list.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBUJztI884M

#98 Nienna, Mistress of Tears – vala queen
[TG:36,EoA:23,Wik:19,RF:14,JT:9,DD:9,MD:4,DK:1,JG:1.Sil:3,UT:4,H1:14,B1:8,H2:2,H4:6,H5:2,H10:8,H12:2=165pts,111indx.pgs]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Nienna
The sister of the Fëanturi is the first to appear of the Aratar, the most exclusive club in Arda. Having said that, all 9 members of the Fellowship, all 3 Elf Ambassadors, as well as the entire immediate family of King Thingol, have yet to appear – exclusive clubs in themselves! (This mistress of grief & sorrow, is also acquainted with pity & courage, and was the teacher of Gandalf, no less: sing for the laughter, sing for the tears…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_3l7H0wSXQ

#97 Gloin, father of Gimli, and companion of Thorin Oakenshield – dwarf adventurer
[TG:87,EoA:2,Wik:3,RF:9,JT:6,DD:20,MD:3,JR:17,LR:3,Let:1,UT:4,H6:6,H7:4,H8:2,H12:2=169pts,109indx.pgs]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Gloin
6 dwarves make the top-100. Gloin’s son will appear much nearer the top, likewise for the next dwarf appearing below. (This could have been sung for all of Thorin’s companions, but of course literally only applies to Balin and Thorin himself: of mountain-tops, rooftops, egos, & break-ups…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqPmOhvbi_A

#96 Caranthir the Dark, 4th son of Fëanor – noldo prince
[TG:38,EoA:3,Wik:9,RF:19,JT:56,MD:1,DK:2,Sil:4,H2:2,H3:4,H4:8,H5:4,H6:2,H10:6,H11:8,H12:4=170pts,101indx.pgs]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Caranthir
The 2 Elves with the epithet of ‘the Dark’, appear here back to back. (If Caranthir had the opportunity to dance with his mother Nerdanel late in life, he may not have been so dark…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlvjznOEWjk

#95 Eöl, the Dark Elf – sinda smith/inventor
[TG:39,EoA:28,Wik:25,RF:19,JT:35,JR:1,Sil:4,CoH:4,UT:2,H2:2,H3:2,H4:2,H5:2,H11:4,H12:2=171pts,68indx.pgs]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Eöl
Like Húrin & Thingol, the immediate family of Eöl all make the top-100, although none near the top. Forging Anglachel would have to be at the top of his (mainly notorious) claims to fame. (He took whatever he wanted, including Aredhel…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HF3LnTkiWxY

#94 Olwë, 2nd King of the Teleri – falmari king
[TG:32,EoA:12,Wik:6,RF:8,JT:36,DD:13,DK:2,Sil:4,UT:4,H1:10,H2:6,H4:10,H5:12,H10:7,H11:4,H12:6=172pts,91indx.pgs]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Olw%C3%AB
With the exception of Tulkas, everyone in this batch of 10 have one or more family members that will yet appear. (Though Olwë waited as long as he could for his brother, he could hear the ocean’s roar, and had no time to pack his bags…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqgyD_yTWCU

#93 Thrain II, father of Thorin Oakenshield – dwarf king
[TG:54,EoA:2,Wik:12,RF:11,JT:26,DD:27,MD:4,JR:14,LR:2,UT:6,H6:4,H7:2,H8:2,H9:2,H12:4=172pts,92indx.pgs]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Thrain_II
Thrain’s life was certainly one filled with anger, struggle, and righteous cause. Unfortunate was his fate, but his claim to fame is of course passing on the map & key to Gandalf.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gR9JMwzxybE

#92 Laurelin the Golden, younger of the Two Trees of Valinor (n) – tree
[TG:18,EoA:4,Wik:4,RF:11,JT:20,MD:5,DK:3,JR:2,LR:3,Sil:2,UT:8,H1:18,B1:17,H2:8,B2:5,FoG:8,H3:6,H4:10,H5:8,H6:4,H10:6,H11:2,H12:2=174pts,139indx.pgs]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Laurelin
I have one last disclaimer: while we’re done with handbags, statues, mountains, & swords, and all other entities of questionable sentience; 2 trees still appear. They, of course, being the Two Trees of Valinor! However, their scores only reflect references to their individual identities, as all indexed references to the ‘Two Trees of Valinor’ were discounted. Arien the Maia, Mistress of the Sun was back at #147, but the Sun itself will not appear on this list, though it was a fruit of Laurelin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Nnl1LhJj78

#91 Goldberry the River-daughter, wife of Tom Bombadil (f) – water-spirit?
[TG:36,EoA:12,Wik:4,RF:7,JT:2,MD:88,DD:18,HC:1,LR:4,Let:1,H6:2,HoF+:3=178pts,38indx.pgs]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Goldberry
Nearly half her points come from being the 2nd character to appear on this list with an entire entry in Drout’s Encyclopedia devoted to her (the 1st being Old Man Willow).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LVC9eW9Q4E


glossary:

*=as in CT's indexing in UT (ie. characters not appearing in Hobbit/LotR/AdvTB/Sil)
@=guest at Bilbo’s Farewell Party
(f)=female (n)=neutral

POINTS - for ENTRIES: TG=Tolkien Gateway,EoA=Encyclopedia of Arda,Wik=Wikipedia,RF=Robert Foster’s Complete Guide to Middle-earth,JT=J.E.A. Tyler’s Tolkien Companion,DD=David Day’s A-Z of Tolkien; for INDICES: LR=Lord of the Rings,Sil=Silmarillion,UT=Unfinished Tales,HX=History of Middle-earth Vol.X,Let=Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien,HC=Humphrey Carpenter’s Biography,JG=John Garth’s Tolkien and the Great War,JR=John Rateliff’s History of The Hobbit,DK=Douglas Kane’s Arda Reconstructed; for both ENTRIES & INDICES: MD=Michael Drout’s Tolkien Encyclopedia; for NAME-LISTS: CoH=Children of Húrin,B1 or B2=the ‘Qenya & Gnomish Lexicons’ from Book of Lost Tales Vols.1&2,FoG=the ‘Fall of Gondolin’ from BoLT Vol.2,LoE=the ‘Line of Elros’ tree & list from UT; MISC: HoF+=votes from the Hall of Fire thread that initiated this project + a composite of selected favourite character lists.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

"Space Oddity" for Goldberry? I'm missing something. I could almost see it for Tom himself, but the River-daughter? Enlighten me.

I do like "Band on the Run" for Barahir.

I wouldn't have pegged you as a hockey fan. You learn something every day!

Looking forward to the following entries. So exciting!

[Dân o Nandor on Anduin]

I'm from Canada. Being a hockey fan is a constitutional requirement.

Glad you appreciated Band on the Run. McCartney's Blackbird (from the same concert I believe) started us at #300 for Roäc, so I thought it particularly appropriate.

As for Goldberry & Space Oddity, I decided in my summary to stop giving my suggestive hints at the connections. I see now that was premature.

(1) "Ground control to Major Tom" I thought could loosely be translated to mean Goldberry as the caretaker/calming influence in the House of Master Tom.
(2) the stage prop in the video (the large lit-up blue earth), I thought a neat representation of Goldberry as 'water-spirit' of Arda in the Third-Age: "Planet Earth is blue" = Middle-earth is blue to the River-daughter.
(3) as you point out, all the 'spacey' references can still apply to Tom.
(4) Space Oddity is a perennial top-100 classic rock-song, and I have another picked out for Tom, so I thought Goldberry was the ideal choice.

Now I've got to go to TORN and reply to all of sador's comments...

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Can't wait to see what you have picked out for Tom. But I would guess I will need to wait a while! (I'm guessing about 15, but I'm sure that is way off.)

[Dân o Nandor on Anduin]

I’m making a few changes to expedite this process. The #’s 101, 100, 99 (Arvedui, Barahir, Tulkas) were the last characters to be in a 3-way tie, and were ranked according to their number of indexed pages, as I’ve been doing all along. As there are only a half-dozen or so characters left in 2-way ties, and the separation in points is becoming substantially larger, I’ll be ceasing to double-check my initial calculations, nor will I be noting the # of indexed pages. Ties will be decided by simply adding the points from those sources that produced the number of indexed pages.

Furthermore, points derived from the sources LotR, Silm, & CoH will be displayed as a total (LR/SL/CH), as will the points derived from UT and all of HoMe (UT/HM), saving me from going through them all again, as I’ve been doing. At this point not much is open to change, so best we move ahead…


#90 Finduilas, Princess of Nargothrond (f) – noldo princess
[TG:27,EoA:9,Wik:22,RF:17,JT:22,DD:16,MD:1,DK:1,JG:1,LR/SL/CH:7,HM/UT:56=179pts]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Finduilas_of_Nargothrond
I’ve said it many times, but characters in the story of Túrin do well on this list primarily because it was a story that meant the most to Tolkien, as far as the number of times he rewrote it, culminating in CT’s Children of Húrin. (This song is of course from the perspective of Gwindor…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uw18eQxsT_M

#89 Dain II Ironfoot, Lord of the Iron Hills & King Under the Mountain – dwarf king
[TG:79,EoA:3,Wik:11,RF:14,JT:23,DD:19,MD:1,JR:15,LR/SL/CH:3,UT/HM:14=182pts]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Dain_II_Ironfoot
Jackson probably bumped him up a few notches, via Tolkien Gateway, but he still gets the requisite points from the mainstays on the list, especially Rateliff, Day, Foster & Tyler. Whether he’s deserving of the #4 Dwarf on this list is of course open to debate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wEADoybjfk

#88 Huor, brother of Húrin & father of Tuor – 3rd house adan soldier
[TG:44,EoA:32,Wik:11,RF:16,JT:8,DK:3,LR/SL/CH:8,UT/HM:43,HoF+:20=185pts]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Huor
What can be said of Huor, other than he fought the good fight, and fathered one of the greatest of men…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjOQBQjUnPY

#87 Dior Eluchíl, 2nd King of Doriath – sinda king
[TG:34,EoA:9,Wik:7,RF:19,JT:26,DD:24,MD:1,DK:3,LR/SL/CH:11,Let:1,UT/HM:52=187pts]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Dior_Eluchíl
His place is certainly secure due to circumstance and lineage, but his life was brief, Doriath during his kingship being on the eve of destruction…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3VcFC9ZCV0

#86 Idril Celebrindal, Princess of Gondolin (f) – noldo princess
[TG:29,Wik:3,HC:9,RF:20,JT:14,MD:4,DK:3,JR:1,JG:1,LR/SL/CoH:8,Let:1,UT/HM:94=187pts]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Idril_Celebrindal
The mother of Eärendil probably deserves to rank even higher. She saw the building of the tunnel out of Gondolin; she married Tuor, lived at the Havens, and her fate is said to be that she & Tuor eventually passed into Aman. Whether she was the Sleeper-in-the-Tower-of-Pearl is another debate, but she certainly displayed magic at every turn…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aENX1Sf3fgQ

#85 Beorn, bee-keeper of the Carrock – northman werebear
[TG:56,EoA:12,Wik:11,RF:8,JT:17,MD:41,DD:20,JR:10,LR/SL/CH:1,Let:1,UT/HM:8,HoF+:3=188pts]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Beorn
He’s a Hobbit character, who principally relies on Tolkien Gateway, Rateliff, Day, and Drout’s entry by John Walsh to supply his points. But it would be a shame if he didn’t make the top-100, animal that he was...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vstNm5xzuKM

#84 Orodreth/Arothir, 2nd King of Nargothrond – noldo king
[TG:39,EoA:22,Wik:13,RF:26,JT:22,DK:2,LR/SL/CH:8,UT/HM:58=190pts]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Orodreth_of_Nargothrond
The reason Tolkien Gateway is given a large percentage of the points on this list can be seen right here with Orodreth. His entry begins that he was the son of Angrod, in rightful contrast to CT's Sil; but TG always gives the history of all versions. (And since his real name is Arothir…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXcasFsWfEU

#83 Elros Tar-Minyatur, 1st King of Númenor – númenórean king
[TG:53,EoA:7,Wik:10,RF:14,JT:10,MD:2,DD:30,LR/SL/CH:11,Let:1,UT/HM:53=191pts]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Elros_Tar-Minyatur
The brother of Elrond chose the fate of Men…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bt8EbgqxOy8

#82 Míriel Serindë, 1st wife of Finwë and mother of Fëanor (f) – noldo queen
[TG:44:,EoA:2,Wik:5,RF:8,JT:17,MD:20,DK:6,LR/SL/CH:3,Let:1,UT/HM:26,HoF+:60=192pts]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Míriel_Serindë
Little is said about Fëanor and the absence of his mother in all his ensuing deeds, except for that said by Míriel herself upon her deathbed. Could a case be made that he always resented her fateful decision?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqLjhuHlij8

#81 Durin’s Bane, the Balrog of Moria – maia balrog
[TG:76,EoA:37,Wik:44,RF:3,JT:2,MD:2,JR:2,LR/SL/CH:9,Let:1,UT/HM:10,HoF+:7=193pts]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Durin%27s_Bane
The percentage of points he gets from the 3 online sources is astounding, but they offset the few points he gets from traditional sources. (I have to go with 2 song entries here; the first is my logical choice, #177 on the recent Memorial-Day top-500 classic-rock-song list that I listened to, and appropriate with lyrics, title, & everything; but the second is a tribute to the facilitator of this list, and is a damn good song in its own right, no pun intended. I even discarded a Doors song that is a perennial top-100…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1smfdddO9SA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrwJVaE5ugc


glossary:

*=as in CT's indexing in UT (ie. characters not appearing in Hobbit/LotR/AdvTB/Sil)
@=guest at Bilbo’s Farewell Party
(f)=female (n)=neutral

POINTS: TG=Tolkien Gateway,EoA=Encyclopedia of Arda,Wik=Wikipedia,RF=Robert Foster’s Complete Guide to Middle-earth,JT=J.E.A. Tyler’s Tolkien Companion,DD=David Day’s A-Z of Tolkien,HC=Humphrey Carpenter’s Biography,JG=John Garth’s Tolkien and the Great War,JR=John Rateliff’s History of The Hobbit,DK=Douglas Kane’s Arda Reconstructed,MD=Michael Drout’s Tolkien Encyclopedia,Let=Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien,LR/SL/CH=Lord of the Rings, Silmarillion, Children of Húrin,UT/HM=Unfinished Tales, History of Middle-earth,HoF+=votes from the Hall of Fire thread that initiated this project + a composite of selected favourite character lists.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

I would have thought that Míriel would have been a top 50 character, though I will take solace from the belief that without my input, she wouldn't even be in the top 100. Less important than Henry the Balrog? The character that brought both Fëanor and Death into Arda? Oh well.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Finally, got to go through the musical choices. Some good stuff there. Friend of the Devil is funny. I'm just glad you didn't go with Pink Floyd's "Mother" for Míriel.