#iorlas

[ao3statistics]

Lord-of-the-Rings-Event Week: Day 1: Boromir

Welcome to my LotR charts event!

Date of creation: 10.05.2024

I expected the Aragorn numbers, ngl, but his brother...? Not so much.

I assume no guarantee or liability for the completeness, correctness and accuracy of this chart despite my best efforts.

Includes fanfictions in all languages available on Ao3, NOT English only.

Percentages were rounded up or rounded down to natural numbers for easier comprehension.

The results for female and male OC's were added up.

Poly ships were included.

Also, these had me laughing:

More charts will follow. :)

Want to have a chart for different pairings, headcanons etc. in your favourite fandom? Send me an ask!

[frodo-with-glasses]

'Avuncular' seems like a very Lord of the Rings-y word!

BOY does it! For those who don't know, Merriam-Webster defines avuncular as:

"suggestive of an uncle, especially in kindliness or geniality"

"of or relating to an uncle"

In layman's terms: uncle-related or uncle-ish. There's a lot of that going on in this book, and a lot to talk about!

Of course the epitomical example in LotR is Frodo and Bilbo. Now, pedants (like myself) will point out that they aren't technically uncle and nephew, but cousins; Frodo is Bilbo's first and second cousin, once removed on both sides. If I recall correctly—correct me if I'm wrong—Frodo never actually calls Bilbo his uncle in the books, nor does anybody else. It seems to be something the movies made up to fit their relationship into a neat little box and avoid unnecessary confusion in the audience. But given that Bilbo falls into the category of "too old to be a peer, not close enough to be a father, floating in-between in a vaguely mentorlike (but not particularly responsible) state", I'd say he definitely counts for the "uncle-ish" definition of avuncular.

The next uncle that comes to mind is 100% literal: Theoden! Fun fact, avuncular comes from the Latin word avunculus, which specifically means "maternal uncle" (as opposed to the paternal equivalent: patruus, according to one website). So, since Eowyn and Eomer are the children of his youngest sister, Theodwyn, Theoden actually fits the ancient definition as well! Appendix A tells us that Theoden "loved his sister dearly"—which I interpret to mean that he played favorites among his siblings and she was it—and that he took Eowyn and Eomer as his own after their parents died in quick succession while they were young. So, once again, he is both their uncle and kinda their dad.

The next uncle that comes to mind is Iorlas. To my knowledge, he is only mentioned ONCE in the book, but because I am obsessed with Beregond and Bergil and their family (and just have a general affinity for overthinking minor characters anyway), you BET I remembered him. Based on context clues, we can assume a few things about Iorlas: a) he is likely a maternal uncle as well, since everyone on the paternal side has a name that starts with "B" (Baranor, Beregond, Bergil); b) he might live in Lossnarch, which Bergil mentions as the place his grandfather lives; and c) he has a good relationship with his nephew. Bergil mentions him immediately upon hearing how old Pippin is, which to me says that Iorlas is a pretty constant fixture in Bergil's life, and is an adult that Bergil really likes. My personal headcannon is that Bergil idolizes Uncle Iorlas and thinks he hung the moon; only because he thinks Dad hung the sun.

And FINALLY, to round out this discussion of uncles in LotR, I will end with a mention of the uncle that I wish got to happen: Frodo, for Sam's kids. You can't tell me there wouldn't have been a lovely bit of poetic symmetry to Frodo getting to raise and mentor the little Gamgees in the exact same way Bilbo had done for him. I can't really see Frodo ever getting married and having children himself—like Bilbo, he seems to be an eternal bachelor, and I'm pretty sure if he wanted to get married he would have done it by now—but there's no doubt in my mind that he would have loved and nurtured and spoiled the heck out of all thirteen of Sam's little munchkins if he ever got the chance. Which is why the Magnolia AU exists. Because thinking about Frodo telling stories to an enthralled audience of little Gamgees (a few individuals of which are vying with each other for the coveted story-listening spot on his lap) just makes my heart feel whole.

WORD ASK GAME!

[arofili]

men of middle-earth ☀ misc. dúnedain ☀ headcanon disclaimer

          Baranor was a man of Gondor, originally descended from the people of Ithilien who then settled in Lossarnach when that land was overrun by orcs. He was a soldier, his work bringing his family to Minas Tirith, where he and his wife Pethriel had two sons, Iorlas and Beregond. Iorlas became a merchant in the city, while Beregond followed his father’s footsteps and joined the ranks of Gondor’s soldiers as part of the Third Company of the Citadel.           When the periannath Peregrin Took arrived in Minas Tirith and swore his service to Steward Denethor II, Beregond was assigned to show him around the city. Beregond’s young son Bergil quickly took a liking to Pippin and took him to the Great Gate to watch as warriors from the Outlands gathered to reinforce the city’s defenses against the impending siege.           During the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, Beregond was stationed as the sentinel at the gate of the Citadel when Pippin rushed to tell him that Denethor was attempting to burn his catatonic son Faramir alive. Beregond, who greatly admired Faramir, was distraught by this news and knew at once that his duty to protect his liege-lord was more important than remaining at his post. He ran to save Faramir and was forced to kill three of his fellow guards who would have prevented him from his noble task. When Mithrandir came to the rescue, Beregond warded off any attackers as Faramir was pulled from the pyre, and blocked Denethor in his attempt to kill his son with a knife. After Faramir was at last out of immediate danger, Beregond elected to stand guard over him in the Houses of Healing, and was present when he awoke.           Beregond served under the command of Imrahil of Dol Amroth at the Battle of the Morannon, where he was nearly killed by a troll, but Pippin killed the monster before he could be slain. Upon the coronation of King Elessar, Beregond was brought forth to receive judgement for leaving his post and killing Denethor’s guards upon hallowed ground. The usual penalty would have been death, but the new King showed mercy as his deeds were done out of love for Faramir, and instead Beregond was exiled from the White City. Yet though he could not return to his home, Aragorn granted him the position of Captain of Faramir’s Guard, the White Company, and Beregond brought his family with him to Ithilien, the land of his ancestors where Faramir now ruled as Prince.           In Ithilien, Beregond’s wife Fondil bore him a second son, Borlas. In his adulthood, Borlas married the orchard-worker Orosser, and together they had two children of their own: a daughter, Sammareth, and a son, Berelach, who served in the King’s Ships under the rule of Elessar’s son Eldarion.

[frodo-with-glasses]

What are your headcanons for the rest of Bergil's family? When I was younger I always imagined that maybe his mom was pregnant when she was sent away during the war, and then after she came back Bergil had a little sister. I think Iorlas is his mom's brother? and his grandfather in Lossarnach is his mom's dad. Iorlas and Beregond get along great. No idea what Beregond's side of the family looks like aside from "dad exists". Any thoughts? ~meg

Okay so I DID write an answer to this a couple days ago when you first sent it, Meg, but then tumblr ate my reply and I was too frustrated and busy and in pain to try to write it again. BUT I'M BACK!! LET'S TALK ABOUT MY FAVORITE GONDOR FAMILY!

Oh dude I am so glad to hear I'm not the only one who headcanons that Bergil has a baby sister! I dunno what it is about Beregond, but he just gives me "has a daughter" vibes, y'know? Like dads who've only raised boys are one way, but dads who've raised girls just have something different about their personalities, and I think Beregond has that.

Originally I thought that Bergil's baby sis was just a couple months old when the women and children had to leave Minas Tirith, but I think I like your take on it even more...just the constant anxiety thrumming in the back of Beregond's mind like "my wife is with child and I have to get out of this war alive so I can meet my new son or daughter" is just.....mmm. *chef's kiss* Tasty tasty angst, you love to see it.

*hums under my breath* Gotta go, gotta get the job done, gotta start a new nation, gotta meet my son—TAKE THE BULLETS OUT YO GUN—

I think it's a safe guess to say that Iorlas is Bergil's maternal uncle. Families in LotR tend to pass down similar names (Baranor, Beregond, Bergil...Eomund, Eomer, Eowyn...Arathorn, Aragorn...you get the drift), so everyone on the paternal side of the family—that is, Beregond's side—probably has names that start with B.

.......Which then gives us a bit of a clue what Beregond's wife's name might be!! It probably starts with "Io"! And their daughter's name might too. 8-D

(LotR language nerds, what's a good feminine suffix for a Gondorian name?? Asking for a friend. Totally don't need it for fic writing or anything *cough* And don't say Ioreth, that one's already taken.)

It's also probably a safe bet that the maternal side of the family comes from Lossnarch. Beregond was probably born and raised in Minas Tirith, and when he got married, his wife came to live with him in the city.

ABSOLUTELY Beregond gets along great with his in-laws, how could he not?? :-D Bergil seems to speak of Iorlas as if he's a constant fixture in his life, so Uncle Iorlas probably comes to Minas Tirith pretty often. Maybe on business? Perhaps he has a job that requires a lot of travelling, like a postal courier? And sometimes Beregond and Bergil and the whole family to go Lossnarch to visit the grandparents too. Bergil thinks Uncle Iorlas is the coolest guy ever (second to Dad).

As for Beregond's side of the family...I dunno. I feel like if he had any brothers on active duty, we would've heard about it. But I also doubt that Beregond was an only child, given how most ancient cultures tend to place value on large families. Maybe he only had sisters?? Would explain a bit about him, actually. If his father and mother are still alive, said father was probably too old to be of any use in the City when the war started, and both of them left with the other refugees early on.

......I don't know why I feel like Beregond's mother is dead. Probably just because most of the women in LotR are either dead or missing. I really do feel like she's not around anymore, even though I have absolutely no evidence to substantiate it.

But I can DEFINITELY tell you 1000% that there was a heckin' baby boom in Gondor after the War of the Ring—it is an observable trend that humanity's first response in the aftermath of wars and other widescale tragedies is, for SOME REASON, to procreate—so Bergil very likely had a new baby sibling within a year or two after the Ring was destroyed. Hahaha giggidy

[lucifers-legions]

For tthe Christmas ask game!

I'd like to order a #5 and a #7 for both Iorlas and Erchirion.

😊🎄

Thank you for asking about Erchiorlas! These answers are more for a modern AU, but I think their personalities would be similar in my fic, as well.

5. Iorlas is definitely a procrastinator, and he's also kind of an impulsive buyer. But somehow he still manages to get something that he knows people will like or will use, even if it may not necessarily be personal or "the perfect gift." He doesn't even attempt to wrap his gifts--he sticks a bow on top and calls it a day. For the most part, he buys his gifts, but he does woodworking occasionally and used to make Christmas gifts when his nephews were younger, and he makes wooden decor for his sister's garden.

Erchirion is a perfectionist and a planner. He makes lists of possible gift ideas for everyone and keeps notes of past conversations for any hints they may drop of what to get them. There are dates in his calendar for when he has to have everyone's gifts narrowed down to at least 3 choices, when he goes out shopping or shops online (though he always shops during sales), and when he has to have the gifts at least ordered. He's probably the best at wrapping gifts out of the 4 kids, although Lothiriel might disagree, and he prefers to curl ribbons with scissors rather than use a bow. He uses a different wrapping paper for each person and a different ribbon color, as well.

7. I feel like Iorlas might be more interested in snowboarding or perhaps ice hockey, though he wouldn't be good enough to compete. But he would only do it for fun anyway, rather than for a career. Iorlas would build snow forts and have snowball fights with Bergil and Borlas when they were kids, and he'd take them sledding. Someday he wants to buy a snowmobile and have Erchirion ride on the back of it; Erchirion keeps trying to talk him out of it.

Something tells me Imrahil made all of his kids learn how to ski. He just brought them all to the White Mountains every winter and they learned to ski, so Erchirion has gotten fairly good at it; but again, it's not something he would want to do professionally. Erchirion tried to teach Iorlas how to ski, but while he's got the hang of handling a hockey stick, for some reason the ski poles are just too weird for him.

Thank you again for the ask!

Christmas/Yule Ask Game

HEADCANONS MASTERLIST

[anghraine]

Dear, do you have Baragond headcanons? Apart from Bergil, he has another son called Borlas (from The New Shadow). Bergil has an uncle, Iorlas, whon Kate said could be a brother-in-law. Do you have thoughts?

I actually don’t have many, though I can think of some because he’s a sweetheart <3

I remember that he had a younger son, who presumably was evacuated with the others to Lossarnach, while Bergil remained behind in Minas Tirith. (Poor little Borlas, can you imagine?) I expect the family is from Lossarnach (and ofc ultimately Ithilien) so Borlas may even have gone to some family homestead.

I’m inclined to think Iorlas is Beregond’s brother-in-law and not his brother, though either is possible, and I assume Borlas was named for him (recycling components rather than whole components is pretty common). Mostly it’s because of the ages.

Beregond presumably is (or was) married, with at least two children, one of whom is ten. We know that early to mid-twenties is considered inappropriately early for a woman of their people to marry, and the men are pretty much always older. So, supposing that he’s typical (and Beregond is pretty much Gondor’s resident Everyman Hero), Beregond would have likely married at ~30 or older, and then would be at least 10-12 years older than that. Iorlas is twenty-nine, quite young for a Gondorian. If he’s Beregond’s brother, there’s a large age gap. OTOH, Beregond’s wife would likely be younger and Iorlas could be her younger brother.

Otherwise, hmm. I think Beregond himself, and probably his father (Baranor), was born in Minas Tirith—he’s got a grandmother in Lossarnach though. He’s fairly content in his life, I think, despite the terrible circumstances; he likes the military life, likes his post, he’s got a good marriage and family, admires the Lord Steward and as terrible as Mordor is—right there, every day of his life—he can’t quite believe that they’ll ever prevail. He’s engaging and has quite a lot of friends with whom he mostly agrees. His most unpopular opinion is that he admires Lord Faramir more than Lord Boromir (which in Minas Tirith is kind of like being the Star Wars fan who likes Luke more than Han). 

He wasn’t ever a Ranger, but he has several cousins who were. He’s only seen the furthest parts of it, but he’s still drawn to it—he’s fond of gardens and woods, and passing by the dead Tree isn’t the same at all. Still, he’s a decidedly urban creature, not someone who wants to live out in the provinces. Not yet. He thinks that if he survives the war, perhaps he’ll retire to Lossarnach. Or—perhaps—if all goes well—if Ithilien is resettled someday— 

He thinks wistfully of that, now and then. Not often; he’s too down to earth to waste too much of his time on might-bes. But he would have been profoundly delighted to be appointed to the White Company at all—much less Captain. He serves proudly and loyally. I think he’s a bit anxious about serving a foreign lady, a shieldmaiden, but also idolizes Éowyn the Wraithslayer.

When she comes to Ithilien, he’s very stiff and Gondorian at first, but he ensures that if there’s any talk about her heritage, no one breathes a word of it in Emyn Arnen, and she values his courage, duty, and faithfulness. She frankly has more to do with the administration of Ithilien than Faramir, often preoccupied with national affairs (e.g. as Aragorn’s chief advisor and even more after the restoration of the Great Council, of which he is head—or as regent himself when Aragorn is at war or in Arnor). Beregond ends up more or less directly serving and consulting with her and becomes her most trusted advisor.

[faramireowyn-blog]

Surfed the internet, found him. First thought that it is Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth. Yes, his nephew will be the best forever BUT HE IS SO CUUUUUTE OMGOMGOMGOMG But then read that it's Iorlas NOOOO Ah, okay, I won't think BECAUSE IT'S IMRAHIL AND NO ONE ELSE

[thenamegarden]

Iorlas

Gender: Male

Pronunciation: EE-or-lahs; EE-or-las

Origin: Literature

Meaning: Old leaf; Old joy

Ranking in the US top 1000: Not ranked