Read on Twitter
Alright ladies and gents, you didn’t ask for the Fall of Numenor but I’m giving it you anyway. Strap in and grab some popcorn and handkerchiefs because this one is a real tear jerker. Here we go:
To understand the Fall of Numenor we first need the context of it’s origin and purpose.
Numenor was a beautiful and immense island that was gifted to the Edain. The Edain were the houses of men who faught alongside the Elves against the evil Melkor (the original dark lord) and the dark forces of the world which included the men of the east.
After defeating Melkor and ending the 1st Age, the Edain were rewarded for their suffering with the beautiful island, and their first king was Elrond’s twin brother Elros. (Elrond and Elros were half elf/half man and Elros chose to live as a man while Elrond chose the former)
The Edain populated Numenor and set up a worship place to Illuvatar the (god of the Tolkien universe) on the mountain. They became tall and prominent, their life spans were extended (hundreds of years) and as generations went on they became arguably stronger than even the elves.
As time went on the Numenorians began to get spoiled and discontented (as men tend to do in times of plenty). They started to become jealous of the Elves for their earthly immortality and ungrateful with in unrivaled prosperity and hundreds of years of their own life spans.
It’s important to note here that the destiny of man is to die. Death in the Tolkien universe was a gift given to men because they were the favorite children of Illuvatar. Their destiny was to leave earth, not be bound to it like the elves were.
Yet the kings of Numenor began to resent and reject the gift of Illuvatar. They feared death, and coveted immortality; this was the beginning of the Downfall.
During the reign of the 25th king of Numenor Ar-Pharazon, this resentment came to a head.
During the reign of the 25th king of Numenor Ar-Pharazon, this resentment came to a head.
During the reign of the 25th king, Sauron had once again risen in Middle Earth. he hated the prosperity of Numenor and the Elves, and called himself “king of men” and “lord of the earth.”
This action infuriated the King of Numenor, so he assembled an army and marched on Mordor
This action infuriated the King of Numenor, so he assembled an army and marched on Mordor
To Ar-Pharazon’s surprise, Sauron took his fair form, ventured out from his fortress, and surrendered immediately to the king. The humbled dark lord was taken back to Numenor as a personal prisoner of Ar-Pharazon. Unfortunately for Numenor, this was exactly what Sauron wanted.
Sauron spent years twisting the mind of the king. He went from prisoner to advisor, and lied about the nature of death and the gift of Illuvatar. Sauron claimed that the true god was Melkor(Morgoth) not Illuvatar, and only he could grant them immortality like the elves.
Sauron eventually convinced the king to attack the Undying Lands (where the Valar reside and the Elves go after death as they are bound to the earth) to seize Valinor and take immortality for themselves (which of course was not possible because it was against Illuvatar’s will)
Ar-Pharazon and his massive army upon arrival were immediately met with punishment from Illuvatar. The earth opened up and swallowed Numenor whole into the ocean. Ar-Pharazon and his soldiers were consumed and imprisoned underground, forced to remain until the end of the earth.
Numenor was destroyed. The ruins of the island lay at the bottom of the ocean. Ar-Pharazon and his army ironically achieve their quest for earthly immortality in a dark prison underground until the end of the earth.
Elendil, the leader of those Numenoreans who remained faithful to Illuvatar and refused to listen to Sauron escaped to Middle Earth and founded the kingdoms of Gondor in the South and Arnor in the North
The Fall of Numenor is one of the most interesting and lesser known lessons on human nature in the Tolkien Legendarium. It has everything from the consequences of ungrateful envy and the insatiable appetite of man, to the rejection of the will of their souls purpose.
Like our own existence, the Men of Numenor’s destiny lay beyond their world. Their souls fate belonged outside of Arda (the earth) in a place they had to have faith in.
In their rebellion and stubbornness they reject the will of their creator and are destroyed by their envy.
In their rebellion and stubbornness they reject the will of their creator and are destroyed by their envy.
