Castamir the Usurper
Castamir the Ursurper is a is a fictional character in J.R.R. Tolkiens universe of
Middle-earth.
The aptly named "Usurper", usurped throne of Gondor from Eldacar, ruling from 1437 to 1447 of the Third Age, until he was violently deposed.
The great-grandson of the unremarkable king
Calmacil, Castamirs line was not in the throne, but his royal background had made him the Lord of Ships under the previous king,
Valacar. His lineage and influence left him in a position to challenge the current king, Eldacar, who was only half Gondorian. As King
Valacar's only son, Eldacar was the legitimate heir to the throne, but his half
Rhovanion lineage angered citizens who believed that pure Númenorean blood must be maintained. Capitalizing on what became outright protest of the current king, Castamir was able to incite rebellion and besiege Eldacar within the city
Osgiliath in 1437. The city was set on fire by Castamir's troops, destroying the famed Dome of Stars. Shortly thereafter, Eldacar fled the city and into exile in Rhovanion, to the north. With the defeat of the king, Castamir seized the throne.
For ten years Castamir ruled Gondor with an iron fist, while Eldacar quietly regained power. Castamir ruled cruelly, and committed many foul deeds, including executing Eldacars own son, Ornendil. At first the Gondorians tolerated Castamir because of his pure Númenorean blood. Then, in 1447, after a decade under the wicked rule of the Usurper (as Castamir was now called), the people of Gondor rallied around the true king, Eldacar. Castamir was slain by Eldacars forces at the Battle of Erui, the decisive battle of the Kinstrife, as this period came to be known. At the Crossings of Erui, Eldacar personally slew Castamir.
Though Castamirs influence should end there; sadly, it does not. Remenants of his forces, and his surviving sons, retreated from the Battle of Erui to the port of Pelargir and escaped by ship to Umbar, far to the south. These descendants of Castamir became the so called "Corsairs of
Umbar", fierce pirates which terrorized the ports of Gondor with the help of the men of
Harad. They were perhaps the greatest threat to Gondor for nearly 400 years, commanding massive fleets of ships. There most infamous exploit was the Raid of Pelargir in 1634, in which a Corsair armada sailed up the river Anduin to the port of Pelagar, deep in Gondorian territory. This raid coincided with the young king Minardils visit, who was slain in by the Corsairs as they attacked.
They remained a significant threat until 1810, when King Telumehtar retook Umbar for Gondor. In this battle the last descendants of Castamir were finally slaughtered. So great a victory was this, that forever after
Telumehtar was known as Umbardacil, which literally means "Victor over Umbar". Thus, the influence of Castamir comes to an end.