| This article is about the son of Amandil, 18th Lord of Andúnië. For the 4th King of Númenor, see Tar-Elendil. |
Elendil (Quenya: "Elf-friend"[2] or "Star-lover"), also known as Elendil the Tall/the Fair or Voronda ("The Faithful"), was a man of Númenor and the father of Isildur and Anárion who led the survivors of its Downfall to the shores of Middle-earth where they founded two Realms in Exile: Arnor and Gondor. Thus, Elendil became the first King of both realms and held the title of first High King of the Dúnedain, making him supreme overlord of all exiled Númenóreans in the lands east of the Great Sea. Elendil was killed alongside his friend, the High King Gil-galad, by the Dark Lord Sauron at the Siege of Barad-dûr, in the War of the Last Alliance in the late Second Age.
Biography[]
Life in Númenor[]
Elendil was born in 3119 of the Second Age in Númenor, son of Amandil, Lord of Andúnië and leader of the Faithful (those who remained loyal to the Valar), who maintained a strong friendship with the Elves and preserved the old ways against the practices of Ar-Pharazôn and Sauron. For this Sauron hated Amandil, and by extension Elendil, the most out of all the Númenóreans.[3] He was married to an unnamed Númenórean woman no doubt of the same upbringing and noble blood to which they had two sons: Isildur and Anárion. It is not known whether she followed him to Middle-earth after the Downfall of Númenor.[3]
When Ar-Pharazôn and Sauron were preparing their assault on Valinor, Amandil told him to gather the Faithful in Rómenna and escape to Middle-earth. Elendil did as his father bade, and gathered the Faithful and their wives and children in 9 ships, and waited just off the coast.[3] With them, they took the palantíri, the "Seeing Stones" that were given to the Lords of Andúnië by the Elves of Tol Eressëa, and a seedling of Nimloth, the White Tree of Númenor.
When the Downfall came, the great wave that devoured Númenor was coming towards Rómenna when a great storm came out of the West, snapping the sails of his ships and tossing them around in giant waves, and carried him all the way to Middle-earth.[3] With the Downfall, Elendil and his children became the sole surviving descendants of the House of Elros.
Elendil with his men during the Last Alliance, as seen in The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Founder of Arnor and Gondor[]
Elendil's four ships were separated from those of his sons and arrived in Eriador. As he landed Elendil proclaimed in Quenya: Et Eärello Endorenna utúlien. Sinome maruvan ar Hildinyar tenn' Ambar-metta - "Out of the Great Sea to Middle-earth I am come. In this place will I abide, and my heirs, unto the ending of the world." His heir and 38th-great-grandson Aragorn spoke these traditional words again when he took up the Crown of Gondor at the beginning of the Fourth Age.
Elendil was welcomed to Eriador by the Elven-king Gil-galad and in SA 3320 he founded the Kingdom of Arnor, building the city of Annúminas as his capital. The five ships carrying Elendil's sons landed further south, where Anárion founded the city of Minas Anor in Anórien, and his son Isildur founded Minas Ithil in Ithilien. They ruled the new realm of Gondor jointly as its Kings from their capital city of Osgiliath. Across the realms towers were built for the palantíri, with which the two kingdoms kept contact.[4]
Last Alliance of Elves and Men[]
Elendil (front) fighting Sauron with Gil-galad on Orodruin's slopes, by Kip Rasmussen
Isildur taking the One Ring, after his father and Gil-galad are slain - by Ralph Damiani
In time Sauron returned to Mordor and began to rebuild his power. In SA 3429, he attacked seizing Minas Ithil. Isildur went north to take counsel with his father, leaving Anárion in charge of the defence of Gondor. In SA 3434, Elendil and Isildur returned south together with the Elven High King Gil-galad and their combined armies, in the Last Alliance of Elves and Men.
After defeating Sauron's armies and advancing into Mordor itself, the armies of Elves and Men settled into a siege of the main tower of Sauron: Barad-dûr. During this siege Anárion was killed. After seven years of siege, in SA 3441 Sauron came out to personally do battle with his enemies. Elendil, together with Gil-galad, overthrew Sauron, but they were both killed in the process, and Elendil's sword broke when he fell.[5]
Isildur used his father's broken sword to cut the One Ring from Sauron's hand. Vanquished, Sauron's spirit fled. Isildur built a hidden tomb for his father on the summit of the hill of Amon Anwar,[4][6] the midpoint of Gondor. Later, with the creation of the Kingdom of Rohan, the Steward Cirion had Elendil's casket moved to Rath Dínen in Minas Tirith.
Elendil's dying body is held by his son, Isildur
Legacy[]
Leading the remnant of the Faithful Númenóreans to Middle-earth, Elendil established strong regimes there and created the great alliance that put an end to Sauron's power for over a thousand years. His bloodline and spirited leadership survived in the Dúnedain of the North and South of Middle-earth, that would in turn sire the brave and heroic Men that would help bring a final end to Sauron in the War of the Ring.[7][8]
Aragorn's battle-cry in the The Lord of the Rings was "Elendil!".
The Oath of Elendil[]
In Quenya:
Et Eärello
Endorenna utúlien
Sinome Maruvan
ar Hildinyar tenn' Ambar-Metta
Translation:
Out of the Great Sea to Middle-earth I am come.
In this place I will abide, and my heirs, unto the ending of the world.'"
This oath was sung an age later by Aragorn II Elessar, during his coronation at the end of the War of the Ring.
Description[]
Elendil was nicknamed "the Tall", because, even by the lofty Númenórean standards, he was exceptionally tall, at 2.5 rangar or around 7'11.[9] He was known as the greatest warrior of all the Dúnedain and the sword Narsil and the great horn Windbeam were his heirlooms.[10]
Etymology[]
Elendil meant either "Elf-friend" or "Star-lover" in Quenya. It was originally conceived when Tolkien was reading Angelo-saxton texts, and came across the word Elendel; and to him it seemed a name of surpassing beauty, and could not resist putting it in the Legendarium.
In adaptations[]
The Lord of the Rings film trilogy[]
Elendil has a brief appearance in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring at the Battle of the Last Alliance, played by Peter McKenzie. Unlike in the books, Elendil is killed by a blow from Sauron attempting to do battle, instead of in a duel with him alongside Gil-galad. Instead, Isildur alone deals the fatal blow to the still-living Sauron by cutting off his fingers with the broken blade of Narsil, and with them the One Ring. Another deviation is Elendil's height; he is shown to be near the same height as most of his troops.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power[]
An alternate Elendil is a major character in Amazon Studios' series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, portrayed by Lloyd Owen. The setting precedes the Fall of Númenor and is thus before Elendil's reign in Middle-earth. He is altered as a character, having no exceptional height, and being barely familiar to the Queen as if he were not the son of the Lord of Andúnië.
Elendil begins the series as a captain in Númenor's Sea Guard, and father of Isildur, Anárion, and Eärien. On the high seas, he discovers a ruined raft with the unconscious forms of Galadriel and Halbrand, whom he takes back to the royal palace in Armenelos and presents to Queen-regent Míriel. Galadriel demands passage back to Middle-earth, and nearly incites hostility before Halbrand intervenes and arranges an agreement for a period of three days to be given for consideration of their request.
Elendil informs Galadriel he is to keep guard over her
Míriel summons Elendil to return privately, and questions him about his motives in bringing Galadriel to Númenor, to which Elendil replies that it was the sea's will, then charges Elendil with ensuring Galadriel does not attempt to leave the island before a decision has been reached. This Elendil does, and is initially met with resentment from Galadriel before he reveals himself to be an Elf-friend, and a speaker of Quenya. Upon learning of the existence of Númenor's Hall of Lore, Galadriel asks to travel there, and Elendil accompanies her, and shows her that the hall was founded by Elros himself.
Elendil then returns to Armenelos and meets Isildur and Eärien for dinner, where he learns of Eärien's acceptance into the builder's guild, and of Isildur's wish to defer the sea-trials to become part of the Sea Guard, and rather meet his brother Anárion in the west of the island. Elendil warns Isildur against this, expressing the belief that he and his family must move on with the times, or lose their future.
Elendil departs Armenelos
Soon afterwards, Elendil accompanies Galadriel to an audience with Míriel, in which Galadriel demands Númenor's backing to save the Southlands from Sauron. Upon Míriel denying this, Galadriel demands an audience with Tar-Palantir, which prompts Míriel to put the Elf in prison. After eventually agreeing reluctantly to leave Númenor alone, Elendil escorts Galadriel to her boat. It is just then that the leaves of Nimloth begin to fall, causing Míriel to rethink her decision, and command that an army be sent to return with Galadriel. Elendil is put in charge of recruiting volunteers, of which Isildur becomes one of the first, though Elendil initially bars him from going, focusing instead on training the volunteers with Galadriel's help. Though Kemen partly sabotages the mission, burning two of the five ships allotted to go, Elendil leads the new troops in departing Númenor ten days after Míriel's announcement. Towards the end of the voyage, Elendil speaks briefly to Galadriel after the latter meets Isildur, and reveals that his wife perished by drowning after Galadriel inquires.
Upon landing in Middle-earth on the east bank of the Anduin, Elendil leads the Númenórean cavalry through what will one day be known as the Morgul Vale into the Southlands, coming to Tirharad at daybreak just in time to save the surviving villagers besieged by Adar. Though Elendil is pulled off his horse, Halbrand saves him with a timely spear throw, and Isildur rushes to his side. The Númenóreans make short work of the remaining Orcs, and afterwards celebrate with the villagers, introducing Halbrand as the Southlanders' rightful king. Elendil speaks to Isildur outside the village, comforting his horse Berek by speaking Sindarin, causing Isildur to wonder. Elendil promises to teach his son how to replicate the feat, but the two are startled when Orodruin suddenly erupts and take cover as ash blankets the Southlands.
Elendil looks for Isildur in the eruption's aftermath
Elendil helps lead Míriel back to the camp on the opposite side of the Ephel Dúath, though he realizes she was blinded by the ash, and is soon brought news that Isildur is believed to have perished saving the Queen Regent. After being tended to at the camp, Míriel announces her intentions to soon return to Middle-earth, grieving and angering Elendil. He still continues to faithfully aid Míriel however on the voyage back to Númenor, and reaffirms his commitment to the cause of the Faithful.
The Lord of the Rings Online[]
In The Lord of the Rings Online, Elendil appears in several flashbacks depicting the War of the Last Alliance. His ultimate fate is more accurate to the books than to the films: he and Gil-galad seen battling and defeating Sauron at the cost of their lives, with Elendil dealing the killing blow.
Gallery[]
House of Elros[]
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| Tar-Ancalimon |
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Translations[]
| Foreign Language | Translated name |
| Amharic | ዐለንዲል |
| Arabic | ألينديل |
| Armenian | Ելենդիլ |
| Belarusian Cyrillic | Элендзіл |
| Bengali | এলেন্দিল |
| Bulgarian Cyrillic | Елендил |
| Catalan | Eléndil |
| Chinese (Hong Kong) | 伊蘭迪爾 |
| Georgian | ელენდილი |
| Greek | Ελενδιλ |
| Gujarati | ઍલેન્દિલ |
| Japanese | エレンディル |
| Hebrew | ילינדיל |
| Hindi | एलेन्दिल |
| Kannada | ಎಲೆನ್ಡಿಲ್ |
| Kazakh | Эленди (Cyrillic) Elendil (Latin) |
| Korean | 엘렌딜 |
| Kurdish | Elendîl (Kurmanji) |
| Kyrgyz Cyrillic | Элэндил |
| Laotian | ແອັແລັນດິລ |
| Macedonian Cyrillic | Елендил |
| Marathi | एलेन्डील |
| Mongolian Cyrillic | Елендил |
| Nepalese | एलेंडिल |
| Pashto | ېلېندیل |
| Persian | الندیل |
| Russian | Элендиль |
| Sanskrit | एलेन्दिल् |
| Serbian | Елендил (Cyrillic) Elendil (Latin) |
| Sinhalese | ඒලෙඳිල් |
| Tajik Cyrillic | Елендил |
| Tamil | ஏலெந்தில் |
| Thai | เอเลนดิล |
| Ukrainian Cyrillic | Еленділ |
| Urdu | ےلےندیل |
| Uzbek | Елендил (Cyrillic) Elendil (Latin) |
| Yiddish | עלענדיל |
| King of all the Dúnedain | ||
| Preceded by Ar-Pharazon |
Elendil | Succeeded by Isildur |
| SA 3320 - SA 3441 | ||
| High King of Gondor and Arnor | ||
| Preceded by None |
Elendil | Succeeded by Isildur |
| SA 3320 - SA 3441 | ||
| King of Arnor | ||
| Preceded by None |
Elendil | Succeeded by Isildur |
| SA 3320 - SA 3441 | ||
| King of Gondor | ||
| Preceded by None |
Elendil | Succeeded by Isildur |
| SA 3320 - SA 3441 | ||
| High Kings of Arnor & Kings of Arthedain | |
|---|---|
| Arnor | Elendil • Isildur • Valandil • Eldacar • Arantar • Tarcil • Tarondor • Valandur • Elendur • Eärendur |
| Arthedain | Amlaith • Beleg • Mallor • Celepharn • Celebrindor • Malvegil • Argeleb I • Arveleg I • Araphor • Argeleb II • Arvegil • Arveleg II • Araval • Araphant • Arvedui |
| Reunited Kingdom | Aragorn II Elessar • Eldarion |
| Kings of Gondor |
|---|
|
Elendil | Isildur & Anárion | Meneldil | Cemendur | Eärendil | Anardil | Ostoher | Rómendacil I | Turambar | Atanatar I | Siriondil | Tarannon Falastur | Eärnil I | Ciryandil | Hyarmendacil I | Atanatar II Alcarin | Narmacil I | Calmacil | Rómendacil II | Valacar | Eldacar | Castamir the Usurper | Eldacar (restored) | Aldamir | Hyarmendacil II | Minardil | Telemnar | Tarondor | Telumehtar Umbardacil | Narmacil II | Calimehtar | Ondoher | Eärnil II | Eärnur | Aragorn II Elessar | Eldarion |
References[]
- ↑ Unfinished Tales, "The Disaster of the Gladden Fields", "Appendix: Númenórean Linear Measures"
- ↑ The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 156 (to Robert Murray, S.J.)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 The Silmarillion, Akallabêth (The Downfall of Númenor)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Silmarillion, Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age
- ↑ The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B: The Tale of Years (Chronology of the Westlands), "The Second Age"
- ↑ The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book One, Chapter II: "The Shadow of the Past"
- ↑ The Atlas of Middle-earth, The Second Age, "The Realms in Exile"
- ↑ The Atlas of Middle-earth, The Second Age, "The Last Alliance"
- ↑ Unfinished Tales, "The Disaster of the Gladden Fields", "Appendix: Númenórean Linear Measures"
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. VII: The Treason of Isengard, chapter XVI: "The Story Foreseen from Lórien"