#arendelle

this fan art is gorgeous. i can’t wait to see my girl again 🤍

Hello Anon and thank you for your question!

There are basically two main but wildly opposing theories about the age of the Kingdom or Arendelle:

1 - It is a "young" kingdom formed less than a century before Frozen. This is supported by some of the novels making references to Runeard and his people "arriving in Arendelle and building themselves a castle".

Excerpts from the Frozen II The Junior Novel Prologue and Dangerous Secrets, ch. 6.

2 - It is an "old" kingdom many centuries old. Some of the novels make references to Aren of Arendelle, a legendary hero and ruler from "the time before time" who settled by the Arenfjord with his people and founded the kingdom. This idea which is very much in line with the history of Arendelle's real-life Nordic neighbours Norway, Denmark and Sweden. Several books and comics make references to ancient relatives of Anna and Elsa and there being at least "ten rulers of Arendelle" who would not exist without it being a kingdom centuries old.

Excerpt from Polar Nights, ch. 10.

A list of known royals and relatives of Anna and Elsa from our 2023 project "Anna and Elsa’s lost family members".

The idea of Runeard as "the founder and builder of the castle" seems to originate around the time of the release of Frozen II and related novels (Forest of Shadows and Dangerous Secrets). Both novels contain some vague references about Runeard and his role in the construction of the castle and possibly in the founding of the kingdom itself (it's not said directly). It's very likely that Runeard's role in Arendelle's history was more fleshed out in some early draft of the movie script but as changes were made, these details were watered down and only traces remain in some books.

In the later novel Polar Nights, nothing is mentioned about Ruenard's connections to Arendelle's past and instead, Aren is credited as the ruler of "Arendelle of old", suggesting Arendelle did in fact pre-date Runeard's rule.

In the anthology-novel All is Found, in the chapter A Midsummer's Song and Dance, there are some references to Runeard being responsible for building the castle but nothing is said about him being the founder of the kingdom.

Our takeaway from this conflicting information is that Disney authors and editors have not been given clear instructions about how to treat the history of Arendelle. It's also impossible to say whether the filmmakers will preserve any of these ideas in Frozen III and Frozen IV.

Below, you will find links to our previous articles on the matter. To make a long story short, depending on the source, Arendelle could have formed as a kingdom as late as the mid/late 18th century or as early as the 6th century AD or even earlier! It depends heavily how you choose to interpret the very limited information we have about Arendelle's history.

Annals of Frozen

Anna and Elsa’s lost family members

Arendelle’s family tree!

Frozen: The History of Arendelle (in collaboration with geekritique)

How old is Arendelle?

Arendelle: Speculations about history

Once Upon A Time + Costumes

Princess Ingrid of Arendelle's white & silver dress in Season 04, Episode 06, 08, 09 & 11.

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

We continue into the Frozen realm (Anna is sooooo pretty I can't). Kristoff is still processing Olaf's comment: "it's my first day [as a husband] give me a break" which definitely means they're already married. I wish I had clearer pictures to see their wedding rings.

Oh Sven, always messing with the magic winter wonderland, are you?😂 At least it cheers Kristoff up!

Ok so we know from Josh Gad and his hilarious new song called "Samantha" that Olaf's arc in this movie will be about finding love... even better, MARRYING someone at first sight (so he doesn't remember what happened with Hans haha). The "I'm gonna marry the next person I meet" made me laugh so hard.

Anna is looking for her sistern probabky thinking "oh no where did she go again???" but is relieved when she sees her 🥰

Again THEY'RE SO BEAUTIFUL. No steam coming from their mouths, and they don't seem to be cold.

We finally get a full view of their backs. Elsa has again a twi sided cape, while Anna's train mimics her coronation one while evoking spring. She also seems to have ribbons or crystals in her hair descending from her bun.

AAAND HERE'S WHERE MY THEORIES BEGIN. Okay, so first of all, we're introduced to this new Snow Queen who looks like a mix of Evil Elsa from scrapped concepts and Ingrid from OUAT (both supposed to remind us of the evil Snow Queen in Andersen's tale, which I think they're going for here)

Is this the new family member they teased us about? We can't know yet. It's not Iduna (unless she has been cursed when she died?), and I doubt it could be Rita, Anna and Elsa's lost grandmother, who is blonde. This is where I will evoke the very first questions Jennifer Lee showed us when F3 was announced:

WAS THERE A FIFTH SPIRIT BEFORE?

What if this woman WAS the fifth spirit long before Elsa, gifted with ice powers but who turned evil and was therfore imprisonned in this realm? This would show us what Elsa would have become if she had embraced evilnessn making it an interesting conflict.

WHY ARE THERE CASTLE RUINS IN AHTOHALLAN?

Maybe because this woman inhabited it before. Elsa is her successor.

DO WE STILL NEED TO BEWARE THE FROZEN HEART?

During the D23, Kristen bell (voice of Anna) and idina Menzel (voice of Elsa) sang a reprise of "Frozen heart", Frozen 1's introduction song... before adding new lyrics, clearly referencing this new evil character:

Both: Cursed and cold a heart betrayed. Perceiving and defining. She sends an invitation. From the Northern Lights so shiny. Elsa: She comes for a heart, pure and clear. Anna: Weakened by all, it end so clear. Elsa: The hours is late. Both: And she draws near. We are counterparts. The curse in Frozen heart.

Cursed and cold a heart betrayed. She was betrayed before and turned evil, probably abdicting her role as the fifth spirit.

She sends an invitation. From the Northern Lights so shiny. She's the one INVITING the sisters in her realm with the bird/snowflake.

She comes for a heart, pure and clear. Maybe her heart was frozen, she survived but needs a loving heart (Anna's heart? who knows)

"We are counterparts". Elsa and this woman. The fifth spirit balancing nature's forces, and the one who destroys it.

WHO'S HYPED? I AM!!!!

I'll end this post on this marvelous shot of our two sisters, with Elsa protecting Anna and Olaf daydreaming about Samantha.

Speaking of Samantha, it can't be a simple joke either. My other theory is that, since Elsa CAN'T create Olaf's lover (since they would be siblings) this other snow queen might create Samantha to trick Olaf. At the end, Samantha would turn nice and would join Frohana, and maybe the movie would end on Olaf and Samantha's wedding 😂 After all, Olaf says (still as a joke, but still) "I will marry the SECOND person I'll meet", which could be this evil snow queen companion, Samantha!

After becoming engaged to Agnarr, Iduna began spending more time in a court of ponies — where her reindeer features stood out. Her antlers and chest tuft went from attributes she took pride and found beauty in to consistent sources of undesired attention, building resentment within her. Eventually, she opted to spare herself the grief by shearing her antlers and excess fluff off.

Since many in pony society do not know much about reindeers, let alone that they can be winged, Iduna is thereforward able to pass as a pegasus. She felt relief when both her daughters closely resembled ponies, and hoped they may never feel the isolation she felt borne of her differences.

Also, a bit about reindeer-pony babies and the features they exhibit. Pony genes are pretty strong!