LOTR: Where Did The White Tree Of Númenor in Minas Tirith Come From?
Often seen as a symbol of Minas Tirith, Aragorn, Gondor, and Men in general, the White Tree of Númenor has an ancient lineage; older than the Sun, the Moon, Ents, Men, Dwarves, or even the Firstborn Elves of Middle Earth. In the Lord of the Rings film trilogy, there are several references to the White Tree of Númenor, including the design of Aragorn’s livery when riding out to the Black Gate. This livery is also adorning the soldiers guarding the White Tree in the courtyard of Minas Tirith, which is also referred to as “The Tree of the King”.
This design is the livery of the heir of Elendil, which is recognizable by a flowering White Tree with seven stars above the branches. There is also a crown above the tree, but this design is not shown in the films. It is likely not shown because the crown in the livery design is not used again until after Aragorn rules as King of Gondor, after the events of The Lord of the Rings.
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From the information presented in the film, there is a clear association between Aragorn, his ancestors, and the White Tree. But why did the heirs of Elendil adopt the White Tree for their sigil in the first place? The answer lies far to the West of Middle Earth, with two lands on the western side of the sea. To tell the story of the White Tree we begin at the city of Tirion in Aman. Here live two different sects of elves called the Vanyar and the Noldor, who loved Telperion, one of two of the eldest trees in history, more than anything in the world, save the stars.
Then Yavanna (a goddess who cares for the flora and fauna) made the Vanyar and the Noldor a tree. This tree was like Telperion in all attributes (except it did not produce its own light) and was
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