SWG Re-Read - "Akallabêth" Discussion Post

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Akallabêth

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Welcome this fortnight's chapter discussion!

Important: This is not a spoiler-free zone. It is hard to discuss any chapter in depth without referring to things that happen in later chapters. Proceed at your own risk! Furthermore, it’s perfectly fine to jump in, even if you haven’t participated in previous discussions. We don’t bite!


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Summary

After Morgoth has been shut from the World, the fate of the Children of Ilúvatar is decided. Some men, who were on Morgoth's side, have fled into the east and there mingle with mortal peoples that have neither had dealings with the Valar nor with Morgoth. The Eldar are summoned to return into the West. Those who follow the summons live in Tol Eressëa. For those Men who fought on their side, the Valar have a reward in store. They are taught by Eönwë and receive wisdom and longer lifespans than ordinary mortals, and the Valar make a lang for them that is neither in Middle-earth nor in Valinor, but between them, a little closer to Valinor. The Valar call it Andor, the land of gift, and Men call it Elenna, Anadûne, or Númenórë. When it is ready-made, Eärendil rises as a beacon and a guiding star. The Edain set sail towards the newly-made country, following the star. They build cities and havens and slowly spread across the beautiful and fruitful island. In its middle there is a high mountain named the Meneltarma, Pillar of Heaven, upon which is a hallow. At its feet the tombs of the Kings are built, and the capital of Númenor, Armenelos, is nearby upon a hill. There Elros, Eärendil's son, King of the Dúnedain, builds his tower and his citadel. Unlike his brother Elrond, who has chosen the life of the Eldar, Elros has decided to be mortal. They had a choice in the matter because they are descended from Eärendil.

The Dúnedain enjoy the friendship of the Eldar, who bring to them many gifts. Being protected from danger by the Valar, they become mighty in crafts and knowledge. They come to love ship-building and become great mariners. They are only permitted to sail so far west that they can still see the coasts of their own island and are forbidden to attempt reaching the Blessed Realm. Initially they obey. They roam the seas and explore the world. Some land in Middle-earth and bring corn and wine as well as knowledge to Men there. In some places, mortal settlements spring up upon the western shores that follow the example set by the Númenóreans as well as is possible. But the Númenóreans never stay long, because their hearts are drawn back westwards.

As time passes, they become ever more obsessed with the idea of prolonguing their lifespan. They begin to grumble against the Ban of the Valar that forbids them to sail further west and are angry that they must die. Some suggest that they should break the Ban and taste the bliss of Valinor, even just for one day. These words the Eldar report to the Valar, who send messengers who admonish the King and all others who will listen to them. According to them, going into Valinor will not make mortals live longer, but rather the opposite. The life of Men must end because Ilúvatar has given to them the Gift of Death, whereas the Eldar have life everlasting because that is how they were made. It is not meant to be a matter of envy. The Númenoreans are not convinced.

This happens in the time of Tar-Atanamir, the thirteenth King of Númenor. Over 2000 years have passed since the making of Númenor. So far, the Kings of Númenor passed their sceptre on to their heirs when those have reached their prime, and let go of life willingly when they grew old. Tar-Atanamir breaks with that tradition, clinging to life and the sceptre even when he grows feeble with age and loses his wits. His son, Tar-Ancalimon, is of like mind. In his days, a division arises between those who follow the ways of the Kings and those who want to maintain the friendship of the Elves. The two parties are named the King's Men and the Faithful or Elf-friends. Even the latter cannot escape the fear of death.

Because the Númenóreans do not yet dare to break the Ban of the Valar, they continue to sail east. They no longer come as teachers and helpers to the Men of Middle-earth, but to gather tribute. They now make their own harbours in Middle-earth, setting up colonies. In Númenor itself, Men try to cheat death, attempting to delay it or undo it. As they do not succeed, they at least embalm their dead so that their flesh remains incorrupt. More and more tombs are built. The old rites of ascending the Meneltarma to do homage to Ilúvatar are neglected.

The Elf-friends still send help to Gil-galad in Middle-earth. Sauron has by now fortified the land of Mordor and built his tower of Barad-dûr. He wants the lordship of all Middle-earth. The Elves who still live in Middle-earth oppose him, and the Elf-friends are allied to them. Therefore Sauron hates the Númenóreans and worries that they might contest his power in Middle-earth. He does not dare to attack them, so he withdraws from the coasts.

The situation in Númenor grows more dire when the twentieth King takes up the sceptre. He no longer takes a Quenya name, but ascends the throne in the name of Ar-Adûnakhôr, which means Lord of the West. This name is usually reserved for the Valar.

The twenty-third King, Ar-Gimilzôr, persecutes the Elf-friends. They are resettled from the western shores, where most of them live, towards Rómenna in the east of Númenor. Many Elf-friends still sail to Middle-earth from there. The kings now that, but do not mind as long the Elf-friends stay there. The lords of Andúnië are also of the Faithful party, but do not declare their allegiance openly because that would rob them of their chance to influence the king's decisions. Ar-Gimilzôr marries Inzilbêth, a lady of Andúnië. They have two sons. The older, Inziladûn, is an Elf-friend like his mother; the younger, Gimilkhâd, is more like his father. When Inziladûn becomes King, he takes the Elvish Tar-Palantír and tries to repair the wrongs of his predecessors. But his own brother rebels against him. Even when Gimilkhâd dies at the relatively young age of 198, his son Pharazôn continues his work.

Tar-Palantír dies. His heir is his daughter, Míriel. Pharazôn marries her against her will although they are closely related, and takes the kingship from her. He names himself Ar-Pharazôn and renames Míriel Ar-Zimraphel. He is eager for wealth and power and is furious about the rumours that he hears about Sauron, who calls himself King of Men. Ar-Pharazôn wants that title for himself and decides to challenge Sauron. He has a great store of weapons made and many ships of war built and sails east. They land in Umbar. All have fled from the fleet of the Númenóreans. Ar-Pharazôn and his army march into Middle-earth for seven days. They set up the king's pavilion and throne upon a hill. Ar-Pharazôn sends forth heralds to demand Sauron's oath of fealty.

Sauron realises that he cannot win against the Númenóreans in open warfare, so he pretends to obey and swears allegiance to Ar-Pharazôn. He is taken as a hostage to Númenor, but he is so clever that within three years, Ar-Pharazôn has made him his chief councillor. Sauron turns the hearts of the Númenóreans wholly against the Valar and also against the Elf-friends. He promises Ar-Pharazôn that Melkor will deliver him of the guiles of the Valar and of death. Ar-Pharazôn begins to worship Melkor, first secretly and then in public. Many of his subjects follow him. Amandil of Andúnië withdraws to Rómenna to give succour to the Elf-friends dwelling there. Sauron turns Ar-Pharazôn against Amandil, but he is still held in honour by many of the people so they do not move against him. However, Amandil is dismissed from the King's council.

It is now forbidden upon pain of death to go to the Meneltarma. Sauron attempts to get Ar-Pharazôn to cut down the White Tree, but the King believes that the fortune of his house is bound up with the tree. Amandil hears of Sauron's purpose and speaks about it with his son Elendil and grand-sons. One of them, Isildur, sneaks into Armenelos and the citadel, which the Faithful may no longer enter. He manages to steal a fruit of the White Tree, but on the way out he is assaulted and wounded. He reaches Rómenna and gives the fruit to Amandil, who plants it in secret. Isildur lies ill from autumn to spring and comes close to death, but when a shoot grows from the fruit of the White Tree, he arises and suffers no more from his wounds.

Sauron and the King do not know who went to the Tree, but Sauron can now convince Ar-Pharazôn that it must be felled. He also convinces him to permit the building of a Temple to Melkor in the middle of Armenelos. It is a gigantic building and crowned with a silver dome, which soon turns black because of the smoke from its altar of fire. Sauron kindles it with the wood of the White Tree, which burns with great smoke and a reek. A cloud hangs over Númenor for a whole week before it slowly passes into the west. The fire and smoke never cease. People are sacrificed to Melkor in the Temple. Most of the victims are of the Faithful parties, accused of rebellion, treason and other crimes. Most of these charges are false, but not all.

Instead of making death depart, people now die faster, and of new causes. Sauron continues to teach the Númenóreans according to his schemes. Unrest rules in Númenor, where people murmur against those who are in power, and are brutally punished. The Men of Middle-earth are hunted and enslaved or sacrificed to Melkor. Ar-Pharazôn grows old and realises that his death is not far away. Therefore Sauron suggests to him that he must wrest Valinor from the Valar, because there is no death in the Blessed Realm. Amandil hears of this, and decides that he must sail west to warn the Valar and beg for help, in spite of the Ban. To protect his family from the King's wrath, he pretends to sail towards Middle-earth but turns around. He has advised Elendil to build a fleet of his own and prepare to leave Númenor in haste. Elendil builds ships and fills them with heirlooms, including scrolls of lore, the Palantíri which were given to them by the Eldar, and the young shoot of the White Tree. He waits for some sign that his father's mission was succesful, but it never comes.

The Valar no longer protect Númenor from the wrath of the elements, and there are storms of rain and hail and harsh winds. Númenórean ships no longer enjoy safe passage upon all waters, but sink. In the evening, clouds in the shape of eagles with lightning under their wings come from the west, blocking out the sunset. At first, the Númenóreans are terrified, and some repent. But others say that the Lords of the West have struck first, and they will now strike back. The lightning increases, and people are killed by it. The dome of the Temple is struck, but the Temple itself is unharmed, and Sauron stands upon the top, defying the lightning. After that, the Númenóreans call him a god. They do his bidding and no longer care about the warnings the Valar send, even when the earth quakes and smoke issues from the Meneltarma.

At last, the armada of the Númenóreans sails west. There is no wind, but they have many slaves to row. All falls silent. The fleets pass Tol Eressëa and land in Aman. Ar-Pharazôn almost turns back when he looks upon the shores and sees the majesty of Taniquetil, but he hardens his heart and goes ashore. There, he claims the land for his own, unless anyone fights for it. His army camps about Túna, where the Eldar have fled.

Manwë calls upon Ilúvatar, and the Valar lay down their government of Arda. Ilúvatar himself changes the fashion of the world, bending and breaking it. A great abyss opens between Númenor and the Blessed Realms. Fire bursts from the Meneltarma, and Númenor is swept down into the abyss by the waters. Falling hills bury Ar-Pharazôn and his mortal warriors; they lie imprisoned in the Caves of the Forgotten until the Last Battle.

Elendil and his sons and followers are protected from the first surge by the land, and when the great wave drowns Númenor, they survive it upon their ships, which are carried away by the storm towards Middle-earth. After many days, they are cast ashore. They later found the kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor in Middle-earth.

Sauron is also swept into the dark by the great wave, but because he is a Maia, his spirit is not killed and escapes back to Barad-dûr.

The Exiles of Númenor believe that the Meneltarma still rises above the waters as an island, and some try to find it. But they only find new lands, and those who sail furthest at last return where they set out. Thus they realise that the world is round, and that they can neither find a trace of their island nor reach Aman. But it is said that there is still a Straight Road for the sake of the Eldar in Middle-earth. Sometimes, a mariner will accidentally sail upon it, but it cuts through Ilmen, where mortals can no longer breathe. Thus these mariners may glimpse Avallónë upon Tol Eressëa, or even Aman, but it will kill them.


Our Favorite Quotes

~ “That land the Valar called Andor, the Land of Gift; and the Star of Eärendil shone bright in the West as a token that all was made ready, and as a guide over the sea; and Men marvelled to see that silver flame in the paths of the Sun.”

~ “Then the Edain set sail upon the deep waters, following the Star; and the Valar laid a peace upon the sea for many days, and sent sunlight and a sailing wind, so that the waters glittered before the eyes of the Edain like rippling glass, and the foam flew like snow before the stems of their ships.”

~ “For in those days Valinor still remained in the world visible, and there Ilúvatar permitted the Valar to maintain upon Earth an abiding place, a memorial of that which might have been if Morgoth had not cast his shadow on the world. This the Númenóreans knew full well; and at times, when all the air was clear and the sun was in the east, they would look out and descry far off in the west a city white-shining on a distant shore, and a great harbour and a tower.”

~ "And thence at times the Firstborn still would come sailing to Númenor in oarless boats, as white birds flying from the sunset. And they brought to Númenor many gifts: birds of song, and fragrant flowers, and herbs of great virtue."

~ “Now this yearning grew ever greater with the years; and the Númenóreans began to to hunger for the undying city that they saw from afar, and the desire of everlasting life, to escape from death and the ending of delight, grew strong upon them; and ever as their power and glory grew greater their unquiet increased. For though the Valar had rewarded the Dúnedain with long life, they could not take from them the weariness of the world that comes at last, and they died, even their kings of the seed of Eärendil; and the span of their lives was brief in the eyes of the Eldar.”

~ "In all this the Elf-friends had small part. They alone came ever to the north and the land of Gil-galad, keeping their friendship and lending the aid against Sauron; and their haven was Pelargir above the mouths of Anduin the Great. But the King's Men sailed far away to the south; and the lordship and strongholds that they have made have left many rumours in the legends of Men."

~ “And sitting upon his carven throne in the city of Armenelos in the glory of his power, [Ar-Pharazôn] brooded darkly, thinking of war. For he had learned in Middle-earth of the strength of the realm of Sauron, and of his hatred of Westernesse. And now there came to him the masters of ships and captains returning out of the East, and they reported that Sauron was putting forth his might, since Ar-Pharazôn had gone back from the coasts; and he had taken now the title of King of Men, and declared his purpose to drive the Númenoreans into the sea, and destroy even Númenor, if that might be.”

~ “And men saw [Ar-Pharazôn's] sails coming up out of the sunset, dyed as with scarlet and gleaming with red and gold, and fear fell upon the dwellers by the coast, and they fled far away. But the fleet came at last to that place that was called Umbar, where was the mighty haven of the Númenoreans that no hand at wrought. Empty and silent were all the lands about when the King of the Sea marched upon Middle-earth.”

~ “And Sauron came. Even from his mighty tower of Barad-dûr he came, and made no offer of battle. For he perceived that the power and majesty of the Kings of the Sea surpassed all rumour of them, so that he could not trust even the greatest of his servants to withstand them; and he saw not his time yet to work his will with the Dúnedain. And he was crafty, well skilled to gain what he would by subtlety when force might not avail. Therefore he humbled himself before Ar-Pharazôn and smoothed his gontgue; and men wondered, for all that he said seemed fair and wise.”

~ “Then he spoke to Elendil and the sons of Elendil, recalling the tale of the Trees of Valinor; and Isildur said no word, but went out by night and did a deed for which he was afterwards renowned. For he passed alone in disguise to Armenelos and to the courts of the King, which were now forbidden to the Faithful; and he came to the place of the Tree, which was forbidden to all by the orders of Sauron, and the Tree was watched day and night by guards in his service. At that time Nimloth was dark and bore no bloom, for it was late in the autumn, and its winter was nigh; and Isildur passed through the guards and took from the Tree a fruit that hung upon it, and turned to go. But the guard was aroused, and he was assailed, and fought his way out, receiving many wounds; and he escaped, and because he was disguised it was not discovered who had laid hands on the Tree.”

~ “But Isildur came at last hardly back to Rómenna and delivered the fruit to the hands of Amandil, ere his strength failed him. Then the fruit was planted in secret, and it was blessed by Amandil; and a shoot arose from it and sprouted in the spring. But when its first leaf opened then Isildur, who had lain long and come near to death, arose and was troubled no more by his wounds.”

~ “But Sauron caused to be built upon the hill in the midst of the city of the Númenóreans, Armenelos the Golden, a mighty temple; and it was in the form of a circle at the base, and there the walls were fifty feet in thickness, and the width of the base was five hundred feet across the centre, and the walls rose from the ground five hundred feet, and they were crowned with a mighty dome. And that dome was roofed all with silver, and rose glittering in the sun, so that the light of it could be seen afar off; but soon the light was darkened, and the silver became black.”

~ "But it is most like that you shall fly from the Land of the Star with no star to guide you; for that land is defiled. Then you shall lose all that you have loved, foretasting death in life, seeking a land of exile elsewhere. But east or west the Valar alone can say."

~ “It is said that Amandil set sail in a small ship at night, and steered first eastward, and then went about and passed into the west. And he took with him three servants, dear to his heart, and never again were they heard of by word or sign in this world, nor is there any tale or guess of their fate. Men could not a second time be saved by any such embassy, and for the treason of Númenor there was no easy absolving.”

~ “And out of the west there would come at times a great cloud in the evening, shaped as it were an eagle, with pinions spread to the north and the south; and slowly it would loom up, blottig out the sunset, and then uttermost night would fall upon Númenor. And some of the eagles bore lightning beneath their wings, and thunder echoed between sea and cloud.”

~ “Now the lightning increased and slew men upon the hills, and in the fields, and in the streets of the city; and a fiery bolt smote the dome of the Temple and shore it asunder, and it was wreathed in flame. But the Temple itself was unshaken, and Sauron stood there upon the pinnacle and defied the lightning and was unharmed; and in that hour men called him a god and did all that he would.”

~ “Thus the fleets of the Númenóreans moved against the menace of the West; and there was little wind, but they had many oars and many strong slaves to row beneath the lash. The sun went down, and there came a great silence. Darkness fell upon the land, and the sea was still, while the world waited for what should betide. Slowly the fleets passed out of the sight of the watchers in the havens, and their lights faded, and night took them; and in the morning they were gone. For a wind arose in the east and it wafted them away; and they broke the Ban of the Valar, and sailed into forbidden seas, going up with war against the Deathless, to wrest from them everlasting life within the Circles of the World.”

~ “[Ar-Pharazôn's] heart misgave him when he looked upon the soundless shores and saw Taniquetil shining, whiter than snow, colder than death, silent, immutable, terrible as the shadow of the light of Ilúvatar. But pride was now his master, and at last he left his ship and strode upon the shore, claiming the land for his own, if none should to battle for it.”

~ "Then Manwë upon the Mountain called upon Ilúvatar, and for that time the Valar laid down their government of Arda. But Ilúvatar showed forth his power, and he changed the fashion of the world; and a great chasm opened in the sea between Númenor and the Deathless Lands, and the waters flowed down into it, and the noise and smoke of the cataracts went up to heaven, and the world was shaken."

~ “In an hour unlooked for by Men this doom befell, on the nine and thirtieth day since the passing of the fleets. Then suddenly fire burst from the Meneltarma, and there came a mighty wind and a tumult of the earth, and the sky reeled, and the hills slid, and Númenor went down into the sea, with all its children and its wives and its maidens and its ladies proud; and all its gardens and its halls and its towers , its tombs and its riches, and its jewels and its webs and its things painted and carven, and its laughter and its mirth and its music, its wisdom and its lore: they vanished forever.”

~ “But when the devouring wave rolled over the land and Númenor toppled to its fall, then [Elendil] would have been overwhelmed and would have deemed it the lesser grief to perish, for no wrench of death could be more bitter than the loss and agony of that day; but the great wind took him, wilder than any wind that Men had known, roaring from the west, and it swept his ships far away; and it rent their sails and snapped their masts, hunting the unhappy men like straws upon the water.”

~ “And Sauron, sitting in his black seat in the midst of the Temple, had laughed when he heard the trumpets of Ar-Pharazôn sounding for battle; and again he had laughed when he heard the thunder of the storm; and a third time, even as he laughed at his own thought, thinking what he would do now in the world, being rid of the Edain for ever, he was taken in the midst of his mirth, and his seat and his temple fell into the abyss. But Sauron was not of mortal flesh, and thought he was robbed now of that shape in which he had wrought so great an evil, so that he could never appear fair again to the eyes of Men, yet his spirit rose out of the deep and passed as a shadow and a black wind over the sea, and came back to Middle-earth and to Mordor that was his home.”

~ “And even the name of that land perished, and Men spoke thereafter not of Elenna, nor of Andor the Gift that was taken away, nor of Númenórë on the confines of the world; but the exiles on the shores of the sea, if they turned towards the West in the desire of their hearts, spoke of Mar-nu-Falmar that was whelmed in the waves, Akallabêth the Downfallen, Atalantë in the Eldarin tongue.”

~ “Thus it was that great mariners among them would still search the empty seas, hoping to come upon the Isle of Meneltarma, and there to see a vision of things that were. But they found it not. And those that sailed far came only to the new lands, and found them like to the old lands, and subject to death. And those that sailed furthest set but a girdle about the Earth and returned weary at last to the place of their beginning, and they said: 'All roads are now bent.'”

~ “And tales and rumours arose along the shores of the sea concerning mariners and men forlorn upon the water who, by some fate or grace or favour of the Valar, had entered in upon the Straight Way and seen the face of the world sink below them, and so had come to the lamplit quays of Avallónë, or verily to the last beaches on the margin of Aman, and there had looked upon the White Mountain, dreadful and beautiful, before they died.”


Alternate Versions

~ Initially, Tolkien appears to have given little thought to what happened to those Men who fought alongside the Valar in the War of Wrath. “The Earliest 'Silmarillion'” and “The Quenta” both state that the Valar judged that earth should be for Men, and the Eldar should return into the West and dwell on Tol Eressëa, or else slowly fade. No special reward is given to the mortal allied to the forces of Valinor. (2; 3) The Gate to the West is only always open to the Elves, but sometimes Men pass through it and reach Tol Eressëa. This is rare, but not forbidden. Ælfwine, in-universe compilator of the Book of Lost Tales, manages it as late as the early Middle Ages. (1; 2; 3) He suffers no punishment for it; in one version, he even is allowed to marry Naimi, a niece of Vairë, and they have a son, Heorrenda. (1)

~ On his journeys, Ælfwine passes the island of Eneadur and sails with a mariner from that island. The inhabitants are called the Ythlings, “people of the wave” (OE yth). Whether their sea-craft and their name have anything to do with the later Númenóreans is hard to determine, but Christopher Tolkien suggests that it might be a first hint of things to come. (1)

~ "The Earliest Silmarillion" and the "Quenta Noldorinwa" end their account of events in Middle-earth when the greater part of the Elves remove to Tol Eresseä. Aside from the prophecy about the end of the world and a brief mention of Ælfwine, no further information is given about the following ages (2; 3). “The Earliest Annals of Beleriand” end with Elrond Half-elfin ruling “in the West of the World”. It isn't stated whether he is a ruler of Elves or of Men. (4)

~ It is unclear when the first account of the Fall of Númenor was written, but it must have been in existence when Tolkien embarked on the quest of writing a time-travel story while C.S. Lewis wrote a space-travel story in the mid-1930s. The original outline already contains most elements that are present in the later story, and on the whole follows the same plot though many details are missing. However, there are also some notable differences. Atalantë is already given as the name of the island in legend afterward, but its name before the Downfall is given as Númar or Númenos. The Númenóreans are permitted to come to Tol Eressëa until the Downfall. It appears that both Faithful and Morgoth-worshipping Númenoreans escape the drowning in great numbers, and the death-cult and tombs only appear when the Númenoreans have already founded their new kingdoms in Middle-earth. Instead of a “Straight Road”, there is a whole (insubstantial) plane of air that continues to be straight when the world curves underneath it, which some of the exiled Númenóreans can faintly see. They build flying ships to sail on it, but these ships can only sail in the lower air, not in Ilmen. The Elven King who rules the remnant of the Eldar in Middle-earth is called Agaldor, later amended to Amroth. (5)

~ The first version of the “Fall of Númenor” mostly follows the outline, fleshing it out a little. The names of Númenor and Andúnië appear, although the latter is said to be a name of the entire island, not just its westernmost haven. Fionwë (Eönwë) comes among the faithful Fathers of Men in order to teach them. The loremasters of Númenor attempt to find a way of prolonging the Númenóreans' lives; spies are even sent to Valinor. The last king and queen of Númenor are named Angor and Istar. They “fall like stars into the dark” after their attempted assault on Valinor; only the mortal warriors that have come with them are buried under fallen hills in and lie imprisoned in the Forgotten Caves. Morgoth makes people believe that the Downfall was a natural cataclysm which has nothing to do with the attack on Valinor. King Angor himself has told some of his followers to build ships and sail east if his attack is not victorious; other ships belong to the Faithful party (not yet so named). However, the achieving of embalming the dead, and building great tombs full of treasure, more beautiful than the houses of the living, is still only mentioned after the Downfall. There is an interesting bit of information concerning the purpose of these tombs: The exiled Númenóreans believe that there is a land of shades, in which the ghosts of the dead and their possessions continue their existence. This land is supposed to be in the West, and ruled by the Valar. Some dead people were also buried in their ships, and sent on a westward journey, for that reason. The living still manage to build ships that can sail in the air, but only the air of breath. They also sail around the world. Alliance between the Númenoreans and the Elves only occurs after the fall of Númenor. Elrond is mentioned as an Elf of Middle-earth. Amroth, King of Beleriand, wrestles with Thû and is slain; his people drive Thû into a dense forest, where he hides. (6)

~ In the second version of “The Fall of Númenor”, the names of Andor and Vinya are given to Númenor by the Valar. Númenor is the name chosen by its inhabitants at the height of their pride. Andúnië is now a city and haven rather than a name for the island. Here, Elrond is the first king of Númenor and builds his high place in the heart of the land in the city of Númenos. It is still explicitly permitted for the Númenóreans to sail to Avallónë and even to dwell there for a while. Sauron no longer comes to Númenor more or less randomly, but is summoned there by Tar-kalion, the king. Instead of going to Middle-earth himself, Tar-kalion sends messengers and many ships. Sauron surrenders to the messengers and is brought by ship to Númenor, but just before they arrive, the sea grows unquiet. A wave sets Sauron's ship upon a hill in Númenor. After this dramatic entrance, Sauron immediately begins preaching to the Númenóreans and beguiling them with signs and wonders. He convinces both Tar-kalion and his queen, Tar-ilien. It is stated that Sauron could not have come to Númenor if he had not been invited.
Elendil first appears. He is a king who “arises in Beleriand” after the Downfall of Númenor. He makes alliance with the king of the Elves, who is now named Gil-galad, “who was descended from Fëanor”. (7)

~ While Lewis not only finished his Out of the Silent Planet but wrote two sequels to it, Tolkien abandoned his The Lost Road. It was meant to end with the time-travelling characters witnessing the Downfall of Númenor after stops among the Anglo-Saxons and the Lombards, but Tolkien found that he didn't care to write the middle stuff, being only interested in writing about Númenor. The Númenor chapters of The Lost Road are indeed the longest (though still incomplete). Above all, it offers a glimpse into life in Númenor towards its end: the sense of fear and mistrust, the danger of imprisonment if one is so much as suspected of being an Elf-friend as experienced by the father and son who were supposed to reappear throughout history. We learn that Númenóreans come of age at around 50: Herendil, the son, is said to be “four twelves”, and is only “on the cusp of adulthood”. At the end of the completed chapters, Elendil reveals to his son that he is a leader of the Elf-friends. Although The Lost Road was abandoned, this idea remained. (8)

~ Tolkien returned to his time-travel idea with "The Notion Club Papers." In it, a group of Oxford men from the 1980s discuss, in two parts, ways to travel in space and in time, primarily in true dreams. The second part is intimately connected with "The Drowning of Anadûnê." In it, Lowdham has a connection with Eärendil and has "ghost-words" in Adunaic and Avallonian (Quenya) show up randomly. There is also the explicit connection of the previous with the Atlantis-Atalante legend, Sauron's appearance (though there is no sign of him crashing ashore), and Aelfwine's connection to the legends of Númenor and Beleriand. (9)

~ "The Fall of Númenor" has a third draft, written in the early 1940s. Christopher says that does little to alter the narrative though it is improved in detail. Elros is king of Númenor rather than Elrond, though Elrond's choice to be counted among the Eldar can be reversed if he so chooses. The section about Gil-galad and the Last Alliance is not found in FN3. (10)

~ The first draft of "The Drowning of Anadûnê" is an entirely new work, related in some aspects to the "Fall of Númenor" but with many differences. Chief among them are the fact that the Eldar have no role, and almost seem to not exist (at the very least, they are confused with the Ainur), that the Ban on sailing west out of sight of Númenor now exists, and that the world is already round. Armadil (Amandil) appears, along with his fruitless voyage west. This is plainly the precursor to the "Akallabêth," down to some exact phrasing. (11)

~ The second draft has about three-fifths of its text in "Akallabêth" (though its beginning is not found there). The Eldar reappear and pretty much all of the names are Adunaic. The actual Cataclysm that destroyed Númenor is very different: Pharazôn's fleet sinks into the Abyss, as do Númenor and Valinor (as Tol Eressëa does not exist), with the Avalôi now living in secret places. (12) There were many changes to wording used in the final form of DA (and thus approaching even closer the Akallabêth), but several significant enlargements were made as well. One of them is of Ar-Pharazôn's expedition to Middle-earth. Another is a passage similar to the conclusion of the work in the Silmarillion, but the world is round as it has been and not as a result of the Downfall. The Straight Road can no longer be seen by the Númenorean exiles. (13)

~ There are a further three Sketches of this material, varying in details with each other and with the previous texts. (They were probably written before Adunaic appeared.) However, Christopher Tolkien comes to the conclusion that the differences were delibrate and part of the way JRRT tried to express the mode of transmission of the Númenor story, in which FN is Elvish, "Drowning" is Mannish, and Akallabêth a mix of both. (14)

~ The final text of the Akallabêth was likely made around the same time as the "Grey Annals", in the late 1950s, though the first draft was made years earlier. As stated previously, Akallabêth is composed primarily from "The Fall of Númenor" and "The Drowning of Anadûnê", to the point where much of the text is the same, though expanded in Akallabêth. There were also editorial changes made to better make it fit with the rest of the Silmarillion.

The first four paragraphs come from Fall 3, with the rest of the material (with some interjections) from "Drowning." In a passage ommited from Unfinished Tales (and also the published narrative), the staggered migration to Númenor took upwards of fifty years and was done with Elvish help, and ended when Círdan refused to provide ships and guides. It is also in these drafts that the reworking and enlarging of the line of kings begins (and is indeed related to Appendix B). The addition of a rider of much of the detail of the later days of Númenor, including the conflict between Ar-Gimilzôr's son and Míriel (Ar-Zimraphel)'s forced marriage. The material starting from Sauron's arrival in Númenor had few changes made from the first draft, and they are mainly editorial in nature. (15) The first draft implies that Pengolodh told the tale to Aelfwine, but Note 1 says that in the Unfinished Tales "The Line of Elros", Elendil is stated to have written it. (15, Note 1)

~ The rider inserted dealing with Míriel's marriage to Ar-Pharazon has other versions. In all of them, Amandil has a brother Elentir. The first one has Míriel willingly marrying Pharazôn, and for political reasons (chief being speaking against Pharazôn's opinions) the Faithful were forced to move, though they were not yet otherwise bothered as Pharazôn was once Amandil's friend. The second, which Christopher says is mostly illegible, has Elentir bethrothed to Míriel, but the plot of the story is unintelligable. The third ends before much is said, though Míriel will soon be bethrothed to Elentir. The fourth version states that Pharazôn persecuted the Faithful because they supported Míriel, which implies that Míriel's love for him is no longer present. (16)

~ More details about Númenor can be found in the Unfinished Tales. “A Description of the Island of Númenor” offers a good overview not only of Númenor's geography and botany, but also some economy and customs. We learn that in the days of Númenor's bliss, there were three holy days on which great crowds ascended Mount Meneltarma in white robes. Only the King was permitted to speak there and offer prayer, praise and thanksgiving. At other times, people could climb the mountain individually. It is stated that all Númenóreans, male and female, loved horses and riding. Their horses were treated and trained well, and in some cases they could be summoned by thought alone. Goods are mostly transported by sea, so there are few paved roads. No gold, silver or jewels were mined in Númenor, so everything made from them was either brought in by the Eldar who came to visit, or in later days from Middle-earth. Copper and iron could be found in Númenor. Although there were weaponsmiths at all times, they only worked for the preservation of the craft and swords were ritual objects only. Archery, however, was a popular sport. The Númenóreans also loved swimming, diving, rowing and sailing, and held contests in all these fields. (17)

~ The story of Aldarion and Erendis gives little new “historical” information, but is nonetheless interesting because it introduces further details about everyday life and paints a vivid picture of life in Númenor on the height of its glory. Númenóreans now appear to come of age at 25, even when they are of the line of the kings (and thus blessed with a much longer lifespan). “Aldarion and Erendis” also reports the beginnings of the friendship between the Númenóreans, Gil-galad and Círdan. It contains a passionate speech by Erendis to her daughter Ancalimë about a woman's lot. Ancalimë later becomes the first ruling queen of Númenor. (18)

~ After the publication of The Return of the King, Tolkien felt that he had to offer some account of the Second Age, including the history of Númenor. His summary can be found in Appendix A to The Lord of the Rings, along with a list of kings (20) Appendix B also offers a timeline (21). The list of kings given in “The Line of Elros” (published in Unfinished Tales) records the dates of the rulers of Númenor in their (presumably) final version, after much edition and emendation. It also records noticeable events that happened during the reigns of the individual kings or queens, which sometimes offers interesting insights into the rise and later decline of Númenor. It is also clearly stated that Númenóreans – or their nobility, at any rate – originally had five times the lifespan of ordinary mortals, but that they matured as quickly as others and, once they had reached an old age, would “decay” just as quickly. The dynastic record corrects some chronological inconsistencies that could be found in Appendix A of The Lord of the Rings, and introduces a missing king, Tar-Ardamir. Previously, although Adûnakhôr was said to be the 20th ruler of Númenor, if one actually counted the names one would come out at 19. However, there is also new confusion. For instance, Tar-Minastir is stated to ascend the throne in 1731, but the fleet he sends to Middle-earth is said to arrive there in 1700 according to the “Tale of Years” in Appendix B of The Lord of the Rings. (19; 21)


Food for Thought

~ Why do you think Tolkien made Tol Eressëa out-of-bounds for Men when he initially was happy to let Elf-friends (both those from Númenor, and Ælfwine) come there?

~ Why do you think the Valar thought Men would be content with only glimpses of the Undying Lands and not yearn for it? Is this more proof for the idea that Elves and Men should not intermingle?

~ Do you think the Elves of Lindon had any contact with Númenor before the Númenoreans began sailing to Middle-earth?

~ Why do you think the idea of ships that could fly through lower air disappeared? Do you regret their loss?

~ Do you regret the loss of Númenor's modern technology as mentioned in The Lost Road, e.g. metal-clad ships that could travel without the wind (and without rowers), skyscrapers, or darts that could be fired accurately across several (!) miles? Why do you think Tolkien no longer used these ideas in later versions?

~ What do you think happened in Andúnië when Amandil and his household removed to Rómenna? Would there have been a power vaccuum, or would the lordship have been given to somebody else?

~ Which version of the story of Tar-Míriel do you prefer?

~ How reliable do you think the account of the Fall of Númenor is, considering its in-universe editorship?

~ Do you find the table of kings (either from the Appendices of The Lord of the Rings, or from the Unfinished Tales) indispensable, or boring and unhelpful, or something in between?


Works Cited
(1) The Book of Lost Tales 2. “The History of Eriol or Ælfwine and the End of Tales.”
(2) The Shaping of Middle-earth. “The Earliest 'Silmarillion'”, 19.
(3) The Shaping of Middle-earth. “The Quenta”, § 19.
(4) The Shaping of Middle-earth. “The Earliest Annals of Beleriand”, 250.
(5) The Lost Road and other Writings. “The Fall of Númenor”, (i) The original outline.
(6) The Lost Road and other Writings. “The Fall of Númenor”, (ii) The first version of the Fall of Númenor.
(7) The Lost Road and other Writings. “The Fall of Númenor”, (iii) The second version of the Fall of Númenor.
(8) The Lost Road and other Writings. “The Lost Road”, The Númenórean chapters.
(9) Sauron Defeated, Part Two: The Notion Club Papers.
(10) Sauron Defeated, Parth Three: The Drowning of Anadûnê, (i) The third version of "The Fall of Númenor
(11) Sauron Defeated, Parth Three: The Drowning of Anadûnê, (ii) The original text of "The Drowning of Anadûnê"
(12) Sauron Defeated, Parth Three: The Drowning of Anadûnê, (iii) The second text of "The Drowning of Anadûnê"
(13) Sauron Defeated, Parth Three: The Drowning of Anadûnê, (iv) The final form of "The Drowning of Anadûnê"
(14) Sauron Defeated, Parth Three: The Drowning of Anadûnê, 17 The theory of the work
(15) The Peoples of Middle-earth, Part One: The Prologue and Appendices to The Lord of the Rings, V The History of the Akallabêth
(16) The Peoples of Middle-earth, Part One: The Prologue and Appendices to The Lord of the Rings, V The History of the Akallabêth, Note on the Marriage of Míriel and Pharazôn
(17) Unfinished Tales, Part Two: The Second Age. “A Description of the Island of Númenor.”
(18) Unfinished Tales, Part Two: The Second Age. “Aldarion and Erendis. The Mariner's Wife”.
(19) Unfinished Tales, Part Two: The Second Age. “The Line of Elros: Kings of Númenor” and Notes.
(20) The Lord of the Rings. Appendix A. “I: The Númenórean Kings”. (i) Númenor.
(21) The Lord of the Rings. Appendix B. “The Tale of Years”. The Second Age.


Please note: We don't know everything and it's perfectly possible that we missed something. These summaries and questions are by no means supposed to be complete and exhaustive. If you have looked further into this particular topic or would like to discuss something that we've overlooked, please share it!

Also, please don't be afraid to talk amongst yourselves. We don't want this to be an echo chamber or for us to be lecturing to you. We want this to be a discussion among the community as a whole - everybody's got something to contribute!

Finally, don't forget to rec your favorite fanworks related to this chapter in the Fanworks Rec Post.

“Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age” is due December 14.