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Similar to the question "How did Faramir know that Aragorn was the King in the Houses of Healing?". How was it verified that Aragorn was indeed the rightful king of Gondor and not an impostor. I.e., anybody could've walked into Gondor and claim they're the rightful king and here to claim their ancestral throne.

I assume that, contrary to the question I linked, it didn't suffice for a hobbit or even Gandalf to say "he's the king". Even ancestral records or a family tree, specially without e.g. DNA proof, should not be sufficient as anybody could say "Here are the records, I am Aragorn, I am the king".

So, how was it ensured that Aragorn was indeed who he claimed to be?

Shade
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    "Denethor II declared that he would not bow to a descendant of Isildur (years before, he had seen "Thorongil" as a rival to his father's favor). Aragorn healed Faramir, Denethor's last heir, winning him the immediate recognition of Faramir as rightful heir to the throne; his humility and self-sacrifice gained him the hearts of the inhabitants of Gondor's capital city. Aragorn's healing abilities...were a sign to the people of Gondor of the identity of their true king; "The hands of the King are the hands of a healer, and so shall the rightful king be known."" https://tinyurl.com/7pp8w6mw – Valorum Dec 05 '22 at 10:51
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    I think by the time of the Return of the King it was virtually irrelevant if he was actually an imposter or not, because by that point no one wanted to try and contest his claim. He looked the part, he won several major military victories (something the Gondorians loved), he had all the backing of anyone who really mattered. – just_happen_to_know Dec 05 '22 at 17:02
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    You can’t expect to wield supreme executive power just ’cause some watery tart threw a sword at you! – jeguyer Dec 05 '22 at 18:07
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    In a world where there are witnesses alive for thousands of years, the issue is very different from the real world. – lvella Dec 06 '22 at 14:06
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    Faramir mentioned the Star of the North, the Sword Reforged in his welcome, and of course the victory and healing hands: "Here is Aragorn son of Arathorn, chieftain of the Dúnedain of Arnor, Captain of the Host of the West, bearer of the Star of the North, wielder of the Sword Reforged, victorious in battle, whose hands bring healing, the Elfstone, Elessar of the line of Valandil, Isildur's son, Elendil's son of Númenor. Shall he be king and enter into the City and dwell there?" - and the fact that Aragorn led the Dúnedain of the north. – Eugene Dec 07 '22 at 00:57
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    @just_happen_to_know: Nothing Isildur's like the appearance of Isildurness. – einpoklum Dec 07 '22 at 18:41
  • I don't recall any protestors chanting "stop the steal" while Aragorn was being proclaimed, so either there were none, or Tolkien didn't think they were worth mentioning. Either way, the only other people with a claim to rule Gondor were Faramir (silver medal) and Imrahil (bronze). Since they backed Aragorn, there were no other claimants with any cred. – Simon Crase Dec 08 '22 at 23:59
  • @SimonCrase Must resist the thought that maybe Anarion had a secret second marriage to a vertically-challenged Gondorian aristo called Lady Fallohide. – Daniel Hatton Jan 25 '23 at 11:16

2 Answers2

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Pretty much everything points to Aragorn being the legitimate heir to Isildur and the thrones of Gondor and Arnor:

  • He has the ring of Barahir, passed down since the First Age and through the Kings of Arnor and Arthedain.
  • He has the reforged Narsil, the shards of which were passed down through the same Kings.
  • Elrond, a widely trusted and respected loremaster, who knew Isildur personally, can confirm the above, as well as Aragorn's direct lineage.
  • He can heal wounds effectively using athelas. "The hands of a King are the hands of a healer".
  • He found a sapling of the White Tree, as the King was prophesied to do.
  • He released the ghosts from their oath, as only a King of Gondor could do.
  • He commands the Rangers of the North as their chieftain, known to be the remnants of Arnor.
  • The Steward of Gondor (Faramir) and the Prince of Dol Amroth (Imrahil), the two primary Lords of the Kingdom, both declared him the rightful King.

That's about as watertight as you can be for the situation, and Elrond's records alone should have been enough.

Tolkien didn't write anything about any specific legal proceedings. Presumably in the law of Gondor at the time it is sufficient for the Steward (or a council including the aforementioned Steward and Prince) to be satisfied that the King had returned.

For discussion of how a "legitimate claim" actually relates to getting to be King, see this answer. It's above all a political matter, rather than a legal one.

OrangeDog
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    "It's above all a political matter, rather than a legal one." -- Excellent point! Too many people dive into the minutia of legality and forget that this is, in the end, a real-world problem with real people having real lives. All the powers of Gondor accepted Aragorn -- including the people of Minias Tirath " 'Shall he be king and enter into the City and dwell there?' And all the host and all the people cried yea with one voice." – Mark Olson Dec 05 '22 at 14:41
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    All good points, but realistically I suspect the strongest point in Aragorn's favour is that he turned up with a rock hard army and defeated the foes of Gondor in their hour of need. Kingship is about might before anything else. – Jack Aidley Dec 05 '22 at 19:03
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    @JackAidley the question is about verifying the legitimacy of the de jure claim. For discussion of how to de facto become king, see the linked answer. – OrangeDog Dec 05 '22 at 19:31
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    @OrangeDog: I don't agree that legitimacy is a de jure matter for Kings. Kings make their own legitimacy through power; it was ever thus. – Jack Aidley Dec 05 '22 at 19:32
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    @JackAidley True in our world, but I think that Realpolitik type of reasoning doesn't fit so well with Tolkien and particularly with Aragorn, who is presented as a model of ideal kingship. – DLosc Dec 05 '22 at 19:36
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    Elrond, while he certainly did have all the info, was not available for Gondorians to consult until after the venue for the coronation was booked. But what about Gandalf? IIRC, he was already in Middle-Earth at the time of the fall of Arnor. Did his eyewitness testimony as to the genealogy matter? – Daniel Hatton Dec 05 '22 at 20:06
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    @JackAidley Not entirely clear: I've seen it argued that, in England, throughout the Wars of the Roses and the Jane Grey/Mary I affair, what happened on the battlefield only confirmed succession decisions that had already been made in the legislature. – Daniel Hatton Dec 05 '22 at 20:12
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    @JackAidley I think the people of Gondor are going to be a little more concerned with actual legitimacy than is average for people of their time. Having endured centuries without a king, and been proud of never changing the title of "Steward" to "king" in that time, they are unlikely to accept someone on purely pragmatic grounds no matter how grateful. Boromir: "How many hundreds of years needs it to make a steward a king, if the king returns not?" Denethor: "Few years, maybe, in other places of less royalty. In Gondor ten thousand years would not suffice." – DJClayworth Dec 05 '22 at 20:13
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    I don't intend to have a lengthy argument in the comments, but thank you for all your comments those who have replied to me. In any case, I upvoted this answer as is. – Jack Aidley Dec 05 '22 at 20:28
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    @JackAidley and others discussing the relevance of legitimacy vs force and politics: Bret Devereaux, a very readable academic historian blogger, has various relevant posts — probably most relevantly, this one: “…no ruler can hold a kingdom by force of arms alone. […] The key factor is legitimacy. To the degree that people regard someone (or some institution) as the legitimate authority, the legitimate ruler, they will follow their orders mostly just for the asking.” – PLL Dec 05 '22 at 20:59
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    I would add - fulfilled the prophecy of Malbeth the Seer: Whose shall the horn be? Who shall call them from the grey twilight, the forgotten people? The heir of him to whom the oath they swore. – richardb Dec 05 '22 at 22:05
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    How could you tell the Sword Reforged from any other sword? A fancy hilt could be put on any blade. Aragorn asked Frodo to draw Sting to see if there were Orcs near, instead of drawing Anduril. – FlaStorm32 Dec 06 '22 at 01:40
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    Speaking of tokens supporting Aragorn's claim to the throne, there is also the scepter of Annúminas. – lfurini Dec 06 '22 at 06:13
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    @FlaStorm32 Elrond can confirm that it is, and Gondor probably has a drawing of the hilt somewhere in the archives. – OrangeDog Dec 06 '22 at 09:25
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    @lfurini he didn't get that until after he was crowned. – OrangeDog Dec 06 '22 at 17:05
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    @FlaStorm32 A sword that shone with the light of the Sun (Anar) and the Moon (Isil) must be rare. The knowledge might be inferred from the name Narsil or preserved in Gondorian legends. – Eugene Dec 07 '22 at 01:11
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    Nobody has mentioned, Gandalf effectively vouching for him (at a minimum). Gandalf was an "angel" and could have worked invisible "magic" if necessary. (I don't think for a moment that it was). – nigel222 Dec 07 '22 at 10:31
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    @nigel222 it's mentioned in the question – OrangeDog Dec 07 '22 at 10:32
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    @nigel222 Almost no one in Middle-Earth knew what Gandalf or the wizards really were. Only a few Elves (Elrond, Galaldriel, Cirdan, and based on 'Last Writings', probably Glorfindel). – suchiuomizu Dec 07 '22 at 16:04
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    @suchiuomizu Yes, I know that. Gandalf was, however, highly regarded by others. But my point was mostly that his he might (reluctantly, subtly) have used his abilities to smooth Aragorn's path, without anybody being aware that he was doing do. Indeed, it would almost certainly have been counter-productive if they had known. He was a "friend in high places" that even Aragorn didn't know he had. Literally, a sort of guardian angel. – nigel222 Dec 07 '22 at 16:35
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Before the Ring was destroyed, he didn't need to prove his identity, because he made a point of not laying claim to the throne while Sauron was at large.

‘.. this City and realm has rested in the charge of the Stewards for many long years, and I fear that if I enter it unbidden, then doubt and debate may arise, which should not be while this war is fought. I will not enter in, nor make any claim, until it be seen whether we or Mordor shall prevail. Men shall pitch my tents upon the field, and here I will await the welcome of the Lord of the City.’

He did of course enter the Houses of Healing, but he did not claim the throne before Sauron's defeat.

After Sauron's defeat, it is easy. A lot of powerful elves can confirm his identity, and everything about him checks out as explained by OrangeDog's answer.

James Hollis
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