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Numenorean Heraldry

Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2022 6:25 am
by Mithril Bib
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Re: Numenorean Heraldry

Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2022 6:16 am
by caedmon
Ok, this makes more sense than what I got on the discord channel.

You should also look up the Numenorean Design thread ( viewtopic.php?f=7&t=3152 )


The Numenorean design we have from Tolkien can be broken into representational and geometric motifs.

Most of that is built on the basic building blocks of arc lines and scrollwork (I use scrollwork instead of spiral work to differentiate it from Celtic/Saxon/Scandinavian interlace spiralwork. I won’t get into it now, but it’s different)

The representational work we have are overwhelmingly plant/flower motifs, with some potentially nautical (compass rose) patterns, a couple helmets, the throne of Gondor, the white tree, and maybe the Mordor Flying Corps Insignia (Black Numenorean?). The Lost Road mentions a carpet with interlaced birds, but we have no pics of that.

The non representational stuff are usually borders. They can be consecutive scrollwork patterns, wavy lines, curvilinear ellipses (eye shapes), and half circles, or complex arc line patterns.


As for distilling that down to heraldry… that’s interesting will have to think about that.

Re: Numenorean Heraldry

Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2022 7:35 pm
by Cimrandir
My question is did Númenor have the sort of culture that had enough of a focus on family lineage or political divisions that would express itself as personal heraldry? Elves yes, that's very well attested. But from what I understand, Númenor was a little more cohesive (y'know until that whole Shadow corruption business). I could see maybe a symbol for the royalty and one for Númenor as a whole but I'm not sure if there was enough focus on families and houses to need to develop a personal coat of arms. I'm not that knowledgeable about pre-fall Númenor though and maybe it's one of those things that the Professor never wrote about.

Of course, this is all my personal opinion and if you do want to personalize your impression with your own coat of arms, I look forward to seeing what you come up with!

Re: Numenorean Heraldry

Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2022 11:33 pm
by Elleth
Hunh. I'd never considered that about the carpet.

... maybe? If so, it might explain why it was worth salvaging from Numenor. (am I remembering that right? That the carpet was brought by Elendil to Middle-earth from Numenor?)

We know there's Elvish heraldry... and we hear about suns on Rohirric shields, and if memory serves the Tree banner of Gondorians and the Swan of Dol Amroth. ...and Saruman's hand and Mordor's eye on orc shields for that matter.

... so we know at least at the level of sovereigns there's heraldry, and the fighters of that sovereign generally seem to display that symbol.

I could imagine that because the Prince of Dol Amroth has a recognizable charge, other families of lesser rank - at least in Gondor - do as well. But I can't think of any examples off hand.