Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2017 May 21

= May 21 =

Numenore
In the Lord of the Rings universe, how much longer is the natural lifespan of Numenorian descendants than that of ordinary Middle-Earth people? I know that Numenorian descendants live quite a bit longer than other people (and remain healthy almost until the end of their lives), but how much longer? 2601:646:8E01:7E0B:D59A:538D:811D:EC99 (talk) 02:14, 21 May 2017 (UTC)


 * I half-remember reading somewhere in canon that they initially lived around 300 years or three times the span of other Men. Royals lived a bit longer, in the first two thousand years.  For the longevity of Dúnedain in the Third Age, you could look up the kings and stewards of Gondor.  —Tamfang (talk) 03:02, 21 May 2017 (UTC)


 * Wow, 300 years or more? So if a Numenorean was born in 1885 or thereabouts (note that I am deliberately mixing the LOTR universe with the real universe, and also with the Command & Conquer universe -- see below), and of course if he has the sense to lie about his age when needed, would he be able to take part in: (a) World War 2; (b) the first NATO-Soviet war, as depicted in Command & Conquer: Red Alert; (c) the space race between the USA and the USSR; (d) the Vietnam War; (e) the Iran-Iraq War; (f) the Bosnian War; (g) the series of Russo-American wars depicted in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2, Command & Conquer: Yuri's Revenge, and Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3; (h) the Great War on Terrorism; and/or (j) the Tiberium Wars, as depicted in the Command & Conquer Tiberian series? 2601:646:8E01:7E0B:D59A:538D:811D:EC99 (talk) 05:40, 21 May 2017 (UTC)


 * This article goes into great detail about this very issue, backed up by quotes from Tolkien's writings. I don't have that long a lifespan as to want to read the whole thing, but the gist of it seems to be that Tolkien's ideas about it evolved. Clarityfiend (talk) 06:34, 21 May 2017 (UTC)


 * Thanks! I've looked up Aragorn's lifespan, and the article says he lived for 210 years (!) -- so, if this is typical of the Dunedain, then a Dunadan born in 1885 would still be in his prime years when the War on Terrorism began, and would (assuming he was never KIA'd during any of his battles) still be alive at the end of the last Tiberium War (although he'd be starting to show his age a little by that point, but would still be generally in good health).  Now, one final question: Is there reason to believe that Jean Thurel, the oldest soldier to ever remain in active service, was actually a Dunadan? 2601:646:8E01:7E0B:D59A:538D:811D:EC99 (talk) 04:27, 22 May 2017 (UTC)


 * Aragorn is described as being exceptionally long-lived, as he is the last descendant of the ancient kings. If you look at the life spans of the stewards of Gondor (noble Numenorians, but not of royal blood) you will find that the last few before Denethor reached an age of about 100 years only. Wymspen (talk) 13:17, 22 May 2017 (UTC)


 * He also ended his life deliberately. He could have lived longer if he had wanted to. Clarityfiend (talk) 21:32, 22 May 2017 (UTC)


 * It's highly unlikely, btw, that any Dúnadan of Aragorn's time is not descended from Elendil. —Tamfang (talk) 07:43, 23 May 2017 (UTC)


 * That may be the case if you are using the term specifically of the Dunedain or Arnor, of which Aragorn was the chieftain. However, they were much more numerous in Gondor (though probably less racially pure), and included the descendants of those who settled in Middle Earth before the arrival of Elendil - like the princes of Dol Amroth. Wymspen (talk) 11:09, 23 May 2017 (UTC)