Akallabêth pt. 1 (Silmarillion Study, Part 18)
Episode Notes:
You’re listening to Tea with Tolkien, a podcast for the Hobbit at Heart.
Pull up a cozy chair and join us as we chat about the works and faith of J.R.R. Tolkien, and strive to carry a little piece of Middle-Earth into our own daily lives.
We're on Part 18 of our Silmarillion Read-Along. We'll be covering the first half of Akallabêth today, stopping right before the reign of Ar-Pharazon begins.
Full Chapter Notes: Guide to The Silmarillion: Akallabêth: The Downfall of Númenor
Quote of the Week
"“...Yet it seems that you desire now to have the good of both kindreds, to sail to Valinor when you will, and to return when you please to your homes. That cannot be. Nor can the Valar take away the gifts of Ilúvatar. The Eldar, you say, are unpunished, and even those who rebelled do not die. Yet that is to them neither reward nor punishment, but the fulfilment of their being. They cannot escape, and are bound to this world, never to leave it so long as it lasts, for its life is theirs. And you are punished for the rebellion of Men, you say, in which you had small part, and so it is that you die. But that was not at first appointed for a punishment. Thus you escape, and leave the world, and are not bound to it, in hope or in weariness. Which of us therefore should envy the others?”
Akallabêth: The Downfall of Númenor
Akallabêth Glossary
Rothinzil: the name given to Earendil’s ship Vingilot by Men
Avallónë: the haven upon the Isle of Eressëa, whose tower is the first sight a mariner beholds as he comes close to the Undying Lands
Númenórë: the land made for the Edain by the Valar; located between Middle-Earth and Valinor.
Dúnedain: the Sindarin term for the Númenóreans.
Andúnië: the chief city and haven of Númenor
Meneltarma: “Pillar of Heaven”, a mountain in the middle of Númenor, on which the temple to Eru Ilúvatar was built.
Armenelos: the city built at the foot of Meneltarma, ‘fairest of cities’.
Isle of Eressëa: The Island made for the Eldar
Úlairi: the Ringwraiths
Rulers of Númenor:
Númenor had 25 Rulers over the span of over 3,000 years. I've created a little handy reference chart for these (below).
And now let's just into Akallabêth:
Akallabêth begins with exposition on the coming of Men under the dominion of Melkor, the voyage of Earendil, the downfall of Melkor, and the descendants of the Edain.
After the downfall of Morgoth, the Valar forsook the men of Middle-Earth for a time and summoned the Eldar to return to the West, and most of them went and dwelt in the Isle of Eressëa.
A land was made for the Edain which was neither part of Middle-Earth nor Valinor. The Valar called it Andor, the Land of Gift; the Edain called it Anadûnê (Westernesse) and Númenórë in the High Eldarin tongue. They also called it Elenna (Starwards).
The Beginning of Númenor
The Edain began a great journey to this land and their arrival marked the beginning of the people of Númenor.
While the Númenóreans were still mortal, they were given a long span of years. For example, Elros lived 500 years.
“Thus the years passed, and while Middle-earth went backward and light and wisdom failed, the Dunedain dwelt under the protection of the Valar and in the friendship of the Eldar, and they increased in stature both of mind and body.”
The Númenóreans spoke the Elvish tongue as well as the High Eldarin tongue of the Blessed Realm.
The Númenóreans became great mariners but the Valar forbade them from sailing too far west of Númenor lest they would try to sail all the way to the Blessed Realm, and they were content with this rule for a time.
The Númenóreans, instead, sailed ever more Eastward to Middle-earth, where they came as teachers and bringers of hope. They were revered by the Men and even called gods.
“Then the Men of Middle-earth were comforted, and here and there upon the western shores the houseless woods drew back, and Men shook off the yoke of the offspring of Morgoth, and unlearned their terror of the dark. And they revered the memory of the tall Sea-kings…”
Obsession With and Fear of Death
Despite their long lives, the Númenóreans grew to fear death and wondered how they might escape their fate.
“For though the Valar had rewarded the Dunedain 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 Earendil…”
The Númenóreans murmured against their mortality and the Ban, asking why they should die when the Valar and the Eldar would not? Why should they not go to Avallone? Why should they not even travel all the way to Valinor?
The Eldar told what they heard to the Valar and Manwë was grieved. He sent messengers to speak to them:
“The Doom of the World,’ they said, ‘One alone can change who made it. And were you so to voyage that escaping all deceits and snares you came indeed to Aman, the Blessed Realm, little would it profit you. For it is not the land of Manwë that makes its people deathless, but the Deathless that dwell therein have hallowed the land; and there you would wither and grow weary the sooner, as moths in a light too strong and steadfast.”
“To which they answered: 'You know that he has a fate apart, and was adjudged to the Firstborn who die not; yet this also is his doom that he can never return again to mortal lands. Whereas you and your people are not of the Firstborn, but are mortal Men as Ilúvatar made you. Yet it seems that you desire now to have the good of both kindreds, to sail to Valinor when you will, and to return when you please to your homes. That cannot be. Nor can the Valar take away the gifts of Ilúvatar. The Eldar, you say, are unpunished, and even those who rebelled do not die. Yet that is to them neither reward nor punishment, but the fulfilment of their being. They cannot escape, and are bound to this world, never to leave it so long as it lasts, for its life is theirs. And you are punished for the rebellion of Men, you say, in which you had small part, and so it is that you die. But that was not at first appointed for a punishment. Thus you escape, and leave the world, and are not bound to it, in hope or in weariness. Which of us therefore should envy the others?”
The Númenóreans were not pleased with the answer of the Valar; the messenger of Manwë had spoken to Tar-Atanamir, the thirteenth king of Númenor, and he gave little heed to this counsel. Instead he sought more power and glory, even going so far as to demand tribute from the Men of Middle-earth.
Atanamir was the first of the Númenorean kings to hold onto the throne until death took him; in the past, the King would relinquish the throne to his heir when they came of age. Atanamir, instead, clung to his life and his kingdom until he was witless and without all joy.
His son and heir, Tar-Ancalimon, was of the same mindset as his father and under his reign the people of Númenorbecame divided.
The King’s Men: the greater party, of like mind with the king and estranged from the Valar and Eldar
The Elendili, the Elf-friends: the lesser party, who wished to remain loyal to the Valar and in friendship with the Eldar.
In this time the Bliss of Westernesse was diminished. “For the kings and their people had not yet abandoned wisdom, and if they loved the Valar no longer at least they still feared them. They did not dare openly to break the Ban or to sail beyond the limits that had been appointed… But the fear of death grew ever darker upon them, and they delayed it by all means that they could…”
The Númenóreans sought to discover a way to bring people back from death, or to prolong life, but they only achieved the art of preserving bodies after their death.
After Tar-Ancalimon, the practice of offering the first fruits to Eru was neglected and few came to Meneltarma anymore.
The Númenóreans made settlements upon the shores of Middle-earth.
“But they appeared now rather as lords and masters and gatherers of tribute than as helpers and teachers.”
The Rise of Sauron
Around this time, Sauron arose again in Middle-Earth and grew in power. He hated the Númenóreans.
“Already in the days of Tar-Minastir, the eleventh king of Númenor, he had fortified the land of Mordor and had built there the Tower of Barad-dur, and thereafter he strove ever for the dominion of Middle-earth, to become a king over all the kings and as a god unto Men.”
There is a reference to the making of the Rings of Power, which were created around 1500ish of the Second Age by the Elves under the direction of Sauron; Sauron himself forged the One Ring around 1600. This occurred while Tar-Telperiën was Queen of Númenor, and the War of the Elves and Sauron began in Middle-earth during her reign as well (but she did not intervene).
Since this chapter is about the Númenóreans, it doesn’t go into their creation.
Sauron enslaved nine great lords of Númenorand they became the Úlairi, the Ringwraiths, and he used them to assail Númenor along its shores.
The Shadow Grows Deeper
When the twentieth king of Númenor, Ar-Adûnakhôr, took the throne he named himself Lord of the West (a direct attack upon the Valar) and he forbade the use of Elvish speech in Numenor. He ruled from 2899 - 2962.
Ar-Gimilzôr, the 23rd ruler of Númenor, was “the greatest enemy of the Faithful”. His rule lasted from 3102 - 3177 S.A. He neglected the White Tree.
The Elendili were essentially cast out from Numenorean society and many of them went to the kingdom of Gil-galad (which was in Middle-earth, in Lindon).
The King’s Men desired to sever all ties between the Númenóreans and the Eldar.
Ar-Gimilzôr took Inzilbêth as his Queen, though she was secretly one of the Faithful. Theirs was an unhappy family life, to say the least!
They had two children:
Inziladûn, the oldest, was of like mind to his mother
Gimilkhâd, the youngest, was favored by his father.
Inziladûn became the 24th ruler of Númenor and took the name of Tar-Palantir. He returned to many of the old traditions of Númenor, tending the White Tree, going to the temple of Eru, but 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.”
And his brother continued to lead the people in rebellion against the Valar.
Tar-Palantir had one daughter and no son. His daughter was named Míriel.
Gimilkhâd had one son, Pharazôn, who was much like his father: restless and eager for wealth and power.
Míriel was the rightful heir to the throne of Númenor, but Pharazôn married her against her will and took the sceptre from her. This was wrong for two reasons: first, because he married her against her will; second, because they were cousins. Míriel’s name was changed to Ar-Zimraphel.