The War of Wrath had concluded, and Beleriand had been submerged beneath the seas. Alongside the conflict, many significant figures also met their demise. The surviving Firebeard and Breadbeam dwarves, having abandoned their ruined homes in Belegost and Nogrod, relocated to Khazad-Dum, joining their kinsmen under Durin’s care. The surviving Noldor, Sindar, and Green Elves united under the rule of King Gil-Galad in Lindon. In the aftermath of the war, many Elves returned to Aman with the assistance of Cirdan. Those Elves who remained in Middle-earth turned their gaze eastward, encountering the Nandor Elves who had not participated in the great Elven migration of earlier times. The Nandor Elves shared distant kinship with the Noldor Elves but were more closely associated with the Green Elves.
Referred to as the Silvan Elves, these kin from the West were embraced and acknowledged their arrivals as leaders. Amdir ascended as the king of Lothlórien, while Oropher became the king of the Woodland Realm. Both of these Elves had fled from Doriath during the First Age. Thus, the Elves and Dwarves established new settlements at the outset of the Second Age and began shaping a fresh order in various regions.
Meanwhile, the Numenoreans, rewarded by the Valar, started living under the leadership of their first king, Elros, on the island of Numenor. The Isle of Numenor was not the sole gift bestowed upon the Edain by the Valar. They were also granted a long lifespan. The Numenoreans enjoyed a longer life span than other Edain. Elros, who led Numenor for 410 years, would later be known as Tar-Minyatur. Elros played a pivotal role in the island’s development, laying its foundations. Upon Elros’s passing, one of his four children, Vardamir, succeeded him. However, Vardamir had no interest in ruling or governing; hence the throne passed to his son, Tar-Amandil. Amandil, who ruled Numenor until the year 590 of the Second Age, then passed the throne to his son, Tar-Elendil.
Tar-Elendil was the first individual to open Numenor to the outside world. Setting sail with his ships, he journeyed to Middle-earth, reaching Lindon and encountering the Noldor king, Gil-Galad. However, the development of relations between the Elves and the Numenoreans would fall upon his grandson, Tar-Aldarion. When the time came, Tar-Elendil passed the throne to his son, Tar-Meneldur. During those times, women were forbidden to ascend the throne, so all daughters were considered princesses and held temporary positions. However, Tar-Elendil’s daughter, Silmarien, married Elatan, an influential figure in Numenor, and suggested that their child, Valandil, become the Lord of Andunie based on the idea that it would eventually lead to the continuation of the Numenorean race in Middle-earth.
Thus, Valandil became the Lord of the Andunie region, located in the northwest of Numenor, where its inhabitants would play a pivotal role in ensuring the survival of the Numenorean lineage by escaping Numenor in the future.
Tar-Elendil and Tar-Meneldur, during their visits to Middle-earth, encountered not only the Elves but also the descendants of their ancient ancestors, the people of the Beor and Marach lines. Despite their initial linguistic differences, they eventually began communicating in a common language that would later be known as Westron. However, the Numenoreans did not extend their friendship to every Edain in Middle-earth. They did not establish good relations with those descended from the House of Haleth, whom they perceived as aggressive.
Tar-Aldarion, the son of Tar-Meneldur, married Erendis. As much as they loved each other, Aldarion’s heart belonged to the seas, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. He frequently embarked on voyages with his ship, likely heading for Middle-earth. It was known that Tar-Aldarion forged a friendship with Gil-Galad. His love for the sea and absence at home wounded his wife, Erendis. As a result, Erendis took her daughter, Aranel, and left the city, residing in a distant village. While living a rustic life with her daughter, Aldarion returned one day, declaring that his daughter would be the rightful heir to Numenor’s throne, overturning the established laws. Subsequently, he set sail again, departing Numenor.
When the time came for Aldarion to depart from this world, his daughter Aranel ascended to become Numenor’s first ruling queen, taking the name Tar-Ancalime. However, during her reign, Numenor’s relations with the Elves, especially Gil-Galad, weakened. Perhaps due to jealousy or viewing her father’s friendships with his allies in the East as detrimental, Ancalime reduced the aid provided to Gil-Galad. In due course, Aranel, or Tar-Ancalime, needed to find a suitable spouse for herself, a union that would be politically motivated. Consequently, she chose Hallacar, a nobleman. They bore a child named Anarion.
Ancalime enacted a law that prohibited servant women from marrying. By the year 1280 of the Second Age, Ancalime passed the throne to her son, Anarion. Anarion had two daughters and a son. However, the daughters declined the throne. Following Anarion’s reign, his son Tar-Surion succeeded him. He, in turn, was succeeded by his daughter, Tar-Telperien. The peaceful days of Numenor, spanning 1500 years, came to an end with Telperien’s passing. Having refused marriage, Telperien remained childless. With no heir, the throne passed to Tar-Minastir, the son of her brother Isilmo, in the year 1556.
Tar-Minastir made the decision to involve Numenor in the turmoil emerging in the eastern lands of Middle-earth, transforming Numenor into a significant part of a grand narrative.
Sources and Further Information
- Tolkien, J.R.R & Tolkien, Christopher. “The Silmarillion,” Houghton Mifflin Company (2004)
- Tolkien, J.R.R & İpek, Çiğdem Erkal “Translator”. “Yüzüklerin Efendisi,” Metis Yayınları (2007)
- Tolkien, J.R.R & Tolkien, Christopher. “The Children of Húrin,” HarperCollins (2007)
- Tolkien, J.R.R & Tolkien, Christopher. “Beren and Lúthien,” Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (2017)
- Tolkien, J.R.R & Tolkien, Christopher. “The Fall of Gondolin,” Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (2018)
- Orta Dünya – Legendarium Türkiye, YouTube
- Yüzüklerin Efendisi – Orta Dünya, YouTube
- Nerd of the Rings, YouTube