The Shadow Falls on Númenor (Second Age 1800 - 3255)
This post is a part of our Book Club reading of The Fall of Númenor: And Other Tales from the Second Age of Middle-earth: January - April 2023
Order the book from Amazon or Blackwells if you don’t already have your copy.
Learn more about this book club here.
The Fall of Númenor Book Club Notes: Part Seven
The Shadow Falls on Númenor: "From about this time onward the Númenoreans…" through "Ar-Pharazôn the Golden seizes the sceptre" (pg. 146 - 172)
C. 1800: From about this time onward the Númenoreans begin to establish dominions on the coasts. Sauron extends his power eastwards. The shadow falls on Númenor.
From this point on, they made permanent settlements along the coasts of Middle-earth. Their yearning for immortality also increased.
1869: Tar-Ciryatan Becomes the 12th King of Númenor
“The first sign of the shadow that was to fall upon them [had] appeared in the days of Tar-Minastir, the eleventh King…”
Ciryatan was restless of heart and forced his father to yield the sceptre before he was willing. He also oppressed the men of Middle-earth by demanding tribute from them.
2029: Tar-Atanamir the Great Becomes the 13th King of Númenor
Tar-Atanamir was the first King of Númenor who spoke openly against the Ban of the Valar, claiming that the “life of the Eldar was his by right.”
The Númenoreans murmured amongst themselves concerning the Ban and their mortality, and the Eldar reported these sentiments to the Valar.
Manwë sent messengers to the King who advised them regarding their fate, saying that Eru alone could change the Doom of the World.
The King and his men responded that they envied the deathless because a “blind trust” is required of them, and that they do not want to be parted from the earth.
The Messengers of Manwë insisted that Death was meant as a gift from Iluvatar, and that the plans of Iluvatar will be revealed to men and not the Valar.
“The love of Arda was set in your hearts by Iluvatar, and he does not plant to no purpose.”
Atanamir did not give heed to this counsel.
Atanamir was the first of the Númenorean Kings to cling to his life and the sceptre until he was witless. Thus, he is called the Unwilling.
Sauron hated and feared the Númenoreans, and his plots against them slowly began to take shape.
2251: Death of Tar-Atanamir. Tar-Ancalimon takes the sceptre. Rebellion and division of the Númenoreans begins. About this time the Nazgul or Ringwraiths, slaves of the Nine Rings, first appear.
2251: Tar-Ancalimon Becomes the 14th King of Númenor
Under the reign of Tar-Ancalimon, the people of Númenor became divided into two factions: the King’s Men and the Elf-friends (Elendili, the Faithful).
The bliss of Númenor was diminished in this time but they had not yet fallen wholly into shadow.
In this time, the Númenoreans became obsessed with recalling or prolonging life; but they only achieved the ability to preserve dead bodies.
The Númenoreans became even more restless, desiring pleasure and wealth more than ever.
The usage of the Elven-tongues was abandoned by most, though still used in an official capacity out of fear that it might bring bad fortune.
In this time, Sauron had reclaimed the remaining Rings of Power and distributed them to the peoples of Middle-earth: seven to Dwarves, and nine to Men.
The Rings were used to govern the hearts of their bearers.
The Dwarves proved more difficult to corrupt and they mainly used the rings to gather wealth. Ultimately most of the Dwarven rings were consumed by Dragons, but Sauron did recover some.
The Men who received the Nine became mighty, but miserable.
The Nine became thralls of Sauron, entering into the realm of shadows and becoming invisible to all except Sauron.
These men were called the Nazgul, the Ringwraiths, the Úlairi.
Three of these were men of Númenor.
2280: Umbar is made into a great fortress of Númenor.
2350: Pelargir is built. It becomes the chief haven of the Faithful Númenoreans.
The Númenoreans made their first settlements in Middle-earth where they persecuted the lesser men.
The Elf-friends (Faithful) settled North-west, where their primary home was Pelargir.
In this time, Sauron extended his dominion eastward.
Sauron sought to specifically bring about the downfall of Númenor.
Sauron gave himself the title: The Lord of the Earth.
In this time, as Sauron’s dominion grew more fierce, many Elves fled from Middle-earth.
To the people of Middle-earth, Sauron was “both a king and god…”
2386: Tar-Telemmaitë Becomes the 15th King of Númenor
2526: Tar-Vanimeldë, a Queen, Becomes the 16th Ruler of Númenor
2637: Tar-Anducal (Herucalmo) Usurps the Throne after his Wife’s Death, Denying the Sceptre to his Son.
2657: Tar-Alcarin Becomes the 17th King of Númenor and rules for eight years after his father’s usurpation.
2737: Tar-Calmacil (Ar-Belzagar) Becomes the 18th King of Númenor
In his time, the name of the King was first spoken in Adûnaic.
2825: Tar-Ardamin (Ar-Abattârik) Becomes the 19th King of Númenor, the last to use a Quenya royal name.
2899: Ar-Adûnakhôr takes the sceptre.
2899: Ar-Adûnakhôr Becomes the 20th King of Númenor.
In this time, the lives of the Kings waned, but they hardened their hearts.
He was the first to take his royal name in the Númenorean tongue: Ar-Adûnakhôr, Lord of the West.
“This name seemed ill-omened to the Faithful, for hitherto they had given that title only to one of the Valar, or to the Elder King himself.”
The usage of the Elven-tongue was banned, though still taught by the Faithful in secret.
The Faithful were persecuted and the Eldar ceased to visit Númenor.
2962: Ar-Zimrathôn (Tar-Hostamir) Becomes the 21st King of Númenor.
3033: Ar-Sakalthôr (Tar-Falassion) Becomes the 22nd King of Númenor.
3102: Ar-Gimilzôr (Tar-Telemnar) Becomes the 23rd King of Númenor.
He was considered the greatest enemy of the Faithful thus far.
In his days, the White Tree was unattended, the Elven-tongues forbidden, the Eldar banned from Númenor, and the Hallow of Eru neglected.
“He revered nothing, and went never to the Hallow of Eru.”
The chief dwelling of the Faithful in this time was Rómenna.
The Lords of Andúnië were highest in honour after the house of the Kings.
Gimilzôr was wed to Inzilbêth of the house of the Andunie, who was in secret one of the Faithful. They had two sons: Inziladûn, who took after his mother, and Gimilkhâd, who took after his father. The laws required the sceptre to pass to their eldest, Inziladûn, against his father’s wishes.
3175: Repentance of Tar-Palantir. Civil war in Númenor.
3175: Tar-Palantir (Ar-Inziladûn) Becomes the 24th King of Númenor
He returned to the tradition of taking his Kingly name in Elvish.
He repented and sought to return to the friendship of the Eldar and Valar.
He resumed visits to the Meneltarma and tended the White Tree.
In the end, he was too late.
“But his repentance was too late to appease the anger of the Valar with the insolence of his fathers, of which the greater part of his people did not repent.”
Gimilkhâd, his brother, lead the King’s Men in his opposition.
After his death, his son Pharazôn continued to lead the men in opposition of the King.
Pharazôn was the nephew to the King and a man of great stature and influence.
The daughter of Tar-Palantir was named Zimraphel, or Míriel in the Elven-tongue.
Tar-Palantir died and the sceptre should have passed to Míriel, but Pharazôn married her against her will and claimed the sceptre for himself.
He called himself Ar-Pharazôn (Tar-Calion in the Elven-tongue) and Míriel was called Ar-Zimraphel.
3255: Ar-Pharazôn the Golden seizes the sceptre.
Tar-Míriel was rightfully the 25th Ruler of Númenor but the sceptre had been taken from her in marriage by Ar-Pharazôn.
Tar-Míriel briefly reigned in his absence after Pharazôn embarked to assault Valinor.
3255: Ar-Pharazôn Becomes the 25th King of Númenor.
Pharazôn was the proudest of all Kings of Númenor, calling himself Pharazôn the Golden and desiring the kingship of the entire world.
The leader of the Elf-friends in this time was Amandil, of the Lord of the Andunie, and he spoke out against Pharazôn. Because of this, the Faithful were persecuted; the Lord of Andunie were stripped of their titles and wealth.
Amandil was commanded to live in Rómenna.
Back to the Waldman Letter:
The Downfall of Númenor is a second fall of man which brings about the reshaping of the earth. It is the result of an inner weakness of Men and Sauron’s exploitation of that weakness.
“Reward on earth is more dangerous than punishment… Its central theme is (inevitably, I think, in a story of Men) a Ban, or Prohibition.)”
“Their reward is their undoing - or the means of their temptation.”
Tolkien outlines three phases in their fall:
Acquiescence, obedience that is free and willing.
Then, unwilling obedience.
Third, rebellion.
