The Other Realm(s): Lesser Numenorean Lands in Middle-Earth

 There's an interesting scene in Return of the King, where you have Aragorn, the rightful ruler of the Reunited Kingdom, flanked by the ruler of Rohan on one side... and the ruler of Belfalas on the other.

We know that the fief of Belfalas was 'virtually independent' by the time of LOTR but unquestionably loyal to the Stewards; it also seems to be the heart of the most populous part of Gondor, rather than the empty fields and ruined towns of Ithilien and Anorien.  We know that their ruler is given the title of "Prince", and that they rule from Dol Amroth - which (likely) built rather late, around the latter days of the Kings of Gondor.  

Even more interesting, they are the receiving end of another set of beacon-hills, just like the more famous one on the other side of the White Mountains, to Rohan.  Everything points more and more to Belfalas being almost a state by itself... and a closer read discovers that, in fact, it is (and there might be more...)

Cirion and Eorl gives some very interesting information about the land of Belfalas; it was settled, in fact, prior to the arrival of Elendil and the fall of Numenor, by a family of Faithful Numenoreans that were related to Elendil (presumably on the distaff side).  

It should be noted that Elendil did not intend for a divided realm; he was the ruler as High King (of which, before Aragorn, there were only two - Elendil and, briefly, Isildur).  The main realm of Arnor was called so because it was intended to be the heart of his realm-in-exile; Gondor itself was a fief, an extension, governed jointly by his two sons.  However, he also - as High King - gave himself the power to bestow a Princedom, which in Cirion and Eorl it is mentioned that he grants to ruling family of Belfalas.  This is interesting for a number of reasons, one of which being that, as such, they would be beholden to the High King, not to a separated kingdom such as Gondor.  Having said this, there is no indication of any sort of bad blood between Belfalas and Gondor over the millennia.  But it does open the doorway for other realms.  

Were there other Principalities?  We know that the Faithful Numenoreans were said to be the only Numenoreans from Pelargir to Lindon, and there is one very significant Numenorean settlement along that coast - the port of Lond Daer.

Lond Daer was originally Vinyalonde, the first attempt at a permanent settlement by the Numenoreans in Middle-Earth.  It failed after attention to exploration of the coasts languished, but the Numenoreans eventually returned.  We know the full name is Lond Daer Enedh, the Great Middle Haven, which implies that the rebuilt port was made after Pelargir was constructed.  There was also a series of forts established up the course of the Gwathlo, to the start of the Great Fens  (An aside on the Great Fens - for some reason it is never really added to maps, but the upper course of the Gwathlo being marshes makes the existence of the crossing at Tharbad all the more significant).  Considering that there was a significant shipbuilding industry there, it is hard to imagine that it wouldn't have attracted significant Numenorean families, especially from Romenna.  

As such, one would imagine that when Elendil arrived with his ships at Lindon to establish a new realm in the north, he would have done a similar action to what he performed at Belfalas - grant some sort of title such as Prince to the ruler of Lond Daer.  In fact, it is likely that the realm known as Minhiriath was probably considered their territory.

We know that in later days that the separated realm of Cardolan laid claim to the land.  I would speculate that with the end of the title of High King and the separation of the two realms, that Minhiriath would have rejected the authority of Arnor, as their title was considered to 'coeval' to their king.  The issue might have eventually been settled by warfare, which might be clue into why one of Arnor's kings had an unnatural death and why the northern realm went into decline.  In the end, the absorption of the nobles of that realm by Cardolan might have infected the latter with the idea that they were not truly subject to the rule from Annuminas.  When a second son became ruler, they may have convinced him to go a separate way.

In the end, the desolation of the Great Plague probably terminated their role in history as one of the Princedoms, leaving an empty land dotted with homesteads and hamlets and of little importance in the grand scheme of things.  However, it should be noted that, when talking with Barliman in Bree after the war was over, Gandalf specifically mentioned the possibility of resettlement in the area.

One last note:  Tharbad is not included within this realm.  Its special designation, and its relation to the implied Great Succession Crisis at the start of the Third Age - is something I plan to examine in a future post.