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  • Updated 17 February 2005
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Cats of Queen Berúthiel

The spying servants of Tarannon’s Queen

"He is surer of finding the way home in a blind night than the cats of Queen Berúthiel."
Aragorn's description of Gandalf
from The Fellowship of the Ring II 4
A Journey in the Dark

Berúthiel was Queen to Tarannon Falastur, the twelfth King of Gondor. Their marriage was a loveless and childless one, and Berúthiel spent much of her time in her austere chambers, with her ten fabulous cats. Nine of these were black, and Berúthiel sent them out to spy for her, while the tenth was white, and watched over the other nine. The Queen was feared and reviled in Gondor, and at last her husband the King banished her from the realm. She was last seen aboard a ship, with all her cats, sailing away into the southern seas.


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