A brooch in the shape of a silver star emblazoned with rays, worn by the Northern Dúnedain on their left shoulders. It was carried by Aragorn in his time as Thorongil in the south, and was the source of that name, which means 'Eagle of the Star'. When the Grey Company came to Aragorn's aid in the War of the Ring, they, too, wore star-brooches of this kind. The exact meaning of the brooch is unclear: it may be a badge worn by all Rangers, or it may denote some rank or order. Whatever its meaning, some years after the War, Aragorn conferred one of these Stars on Samwise Gamgee.
The Star of the Dúnedain is not to be confused with the Star of the North Kingdom, the Elendilmir that was worn by Valandil the son of Isildur and his royal descendants.
Notes
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III 2957 was the beginning of Aragorn's adventures as Thorongil and it seems that he bore the Star of the Dúnedain with him: '...and [he] wore a silver star upon his cloak' (The Lord of the Rings Appendix A I (iv)). The fact that Aragorn's fellow Rangers also bore the Star strongly implies that this was an older tradition, but we have no specific reference to this emblem before the appearance of Thorongil.
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- Updated 11 August 2015
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