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The Fall of Númenor: And Other Tales from the Second Age of Middle-earth

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The Fall of Númenor: And Other Tales from the Second Age of Middle-earth

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Highlights & Notes

Later some of the Noldor went to Eregion, upon the west of the Misty Mountains, and near to the West-gate of Moria. This they did because they learned that mithril had been discovered in Moria.

[Of Galadriel it is said that she] was strong of body, mind, and will, a match for both the loremasters and the athletes of the Eldar in the days of their youth. Even among the Eldar she was accounted beautiful and her [golden] hair was held a marvel unmatched … and the Eldar said that the light of the Two Trees, Laurelin and Telperion, had been snared in her tresses… . From her earliest years she had a marvellous gift of insight into the minds of others, but judged them with mercy and understanding… .11

The Valar, having taken counsel, determined to offer the Edain a means of being removed ‘from the dangers of Middle-earth’.3 The Valar, aided by Maiar who were primordial spirit beings ‘of the same order as the Valar but of less degree … their servants and helpers’,4 brought into existence the island of Númenor.

This was the beginning of that people that in the Grey-elven speech are called the Dúnedain: the Númenóreans, Kings among Men.

But one command had been laid upon the Númenóreans, the ‘Ban of the Valar’: they were forbidden to sail west out of sight of their own shores or to attempt to set foot on the Undying Lands.

The chief feature of Númenor were the cliffs… The whole land was so posed as if it had been thrust upward out of the Sea, but at the same time slightly tilted southward. Except at the southern point, already described, in nearly all places the land fell steeply towards the sea in cliffs, for the most part steep, or sheer. These were at the greatest height in the north and north-west, where they often reached 2,000 feet, at the lowest in the east and south-east.

If the Númenóreans were not lustful, they did not think the love of men and women less important or of less delight than did other Men. On the contrary they were steadfast lovers; and any breaches in the bonds and affection between parents, or between them and their children were thought great evils and sorrows.

Nimloth was the ancestor of what would become known as the White Tree of Gondor and memorialised as a symbol of the line of Kings and Stewards of Gondor.

Durin is the name that the Dwarves used for the eldest of the Seven Fathers of their race, and the ancestor of all the kings of the Longbeards.

Sauron was ‘greater’, effectively, in the Second Age than Morgoth at the end of the First. Why? Because, though he was far smaller by natural stature, he had not yet fallen so low. Eventually he also squandered his power (of being) in the endeavour to gain control of others. But he was not obliged to expend so much of himself. To gain domination over Arda, Morgoth had let most of his being pass into the physical constituents of the Earth – hence all things that were born on Earth and lived on and by it, beasts or plants or incarnate spirits, were liable to be ‘stained’… . Sauron, however, inherited the ‘corruption’ of Arda, and only spent his (much more limited) power on the Rings; for it was the creatures of earth, in their minds and wills, that he desired to dominate.

Seeing the desolation of the world, Sauron said in his heart that the Valar, having overthrown Morgoth, had again forgotten Middle-earth; and his pride grew apace.

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, and when they had departed they called them gods, hoping for their return; for at that time the Númenóreans dwelt never long in Middle-earth, nor made there as yet any habitation of their own. Eastward they must sail, but ever west their hearts returned.8 During all of this time, Sauron continued to bide his time and wait his moment. He looked with hatred on the Eldar, and he feared the Men of Númenor who came back at whiles in their ships to the shores of Middle-earth; but for long he dissembled his mind and concealed the dark designs that he shaped in his heart.9

Galadriel became aware that Sauron again, as in the ancient days of the captivity of Melkor [Morgoth],1 had been left behind. Or rather, since Sauron had as yet no single name, and his operations had not been perceived to proceed from a single evil spirit, prime servant of Melkor, she perceived that there was an evil controlling purpose abroad in the world, and that it seemed to proceed from a source further to the East, beyond Eriador and the Misty Mountains.

In any case, Galadriel was more far-sighted in this than Celeborn; and she perceived from the beginning that Middle-earth could not be saved from ‘the residue of evil’ that Morgoth had left behind him save by a union of all the peoples who were in their way and in their measure opposed to him. She looked upon the Dwarves also with the eye of a commander, seeing in them the finest warriors to pit against the Orcs. Moreover Galadriel was a Noldo, and she had a natural sympathy with their minds and their passionate love of crafts of hand, a sympathy much greater than that found among many of the Eldar; the Dwarves were ‘the Children of Aulë’, and Galadriel, like others of the Noldor, had been a pupil of Aulë and Yavanna in Valinor.

Galadriel and Celeborn had in their company a Noldorin craftsman named Celebrimbor … said to have been one of the survivors of Gondolin, who had been among Turgon’s greatest artificers… . Celebrimbor had ‘an almost “dwarvish” obsession with crafts’; and he soon became the chief artificer of Eregion, entering into a close relationship with the Dwarves of Khazaddûm, among whom his greatest friend was Narvi. Both Elves and Dwarves had great profit from this association: so that Eregion became far stronger, and Khazad-dûm far more beautiful, than either would have done alone.

In the year 750, Celebrimbor established in Eregion a brotherhood of Elven master craftsmen called the Gwaith-i-Mírdain, the People of the Jewel-smiths.6 It is written in The Silmarillion that they ‘surpassed in cunning all that have ever wrought, save only Fëanor himself; and indeed greatest in skill among them was Celebrimbor’.7 Narvi was a Dwarvish craftsman whose workmanship, in collaboration with Celebrimbor, would be discovered by the Fellowship of the Ring when they sought a way through Moria. They are confronted by closed and hidden doors whose presence is eventually revealed by the light of the rising moon together with graven emblems of the Houses of Durin and Fëanor, ‘wrought of ithildin that mirrors only starlight and moonlight’, together with the inscription ‘in the elven-tongue of the West of Middle-earth in the Elder Days’: ‘The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter … I, Narvi, made them. Celebrimbor of Hollin drew these signs.’8 The signs and inscription were evidence of the supreme fortune that had once been possessed by the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm, as Gandalf explained: ‘The wealth of Moria was not in gold and jewels, the toys of the Dwarves; nor in iron, their servant. Such things they found here, it is true, especially iron; but they did not need to delve for them: all things that they desired they could obtain in traffic. For here alone in the world was found Moria-silver, or true-silver as some have called it: mithril is the Elvish name. The Dwarves have a name which they do not tell. Its worth was ten times that of gold, and now it is beyond price; for little is left above ground, and even the Orcs…

A new shadow arises in the East. It is no tyranny of evil Men, as your son believes; but a servant of Morgoth is stirring, and evil things wake again. Each year it gains in strength, for most Men are ripe to its purpose. Not far off is the day, I judge, when it will become too great for the Eldar unaided to withstand. Therefore, whenever I behold a tall ship of the Kings of Men, my heart is eased. And now I make bold to seek your help. If you have any strength of Men to spare, lend it to me, I beg.

‘When either way may lead to evil, of what worth is choice? Let the Valar rule under Eru! I will resign the Sceptre to Aldarion. Yet that also is a choice, for I know well which road he will take. Unless Erendis.

Sauron’s choice of Mordor for his stronghold was likely based on its geographic location. It was enclosed within a naturally defensive, three-sided and roughly rectangular wall provided by two great mountain ranges: to the north was the Ered Lithui or Ash Mountains; to west and south was the Ephel Dúath, also known as the Mountains of Shadow or the Outer Fence, within the north-western escarpment of which ran an additional lower ridge ‘its edge notched and jagged with crags like fangs that stood out black against the red light behind them: it was the grim Morgai, the inner ring of the fences of the land.’2 Almost encircled by these mighty barriers in the north and to the east lay a high, desolate plain, the Plateau of Gorgoroth a name derived from the Sindarin word gorgor (‘horror’, ‘dread’), and dominated by the towering presence of Mount Doom, or Orodruin (‘burning mountain’),3 ‘a huge mass of ash and slag and burned stone, out of which a sheer-sided cone was raised into the clouds.’4 The lands all about were scarred from its violent volcanic eruptions, ‘which were not made by Sauron but were a relic of the devastating works of Melkor in the long First Age.’5 This frightful prospect was to remain for many years, even until the Third Age:

As a site for the fortress of Barad-dûr, the Dark Tower, Sauron chose the end of a long southern spur of the Ered Lithui that ran down into the northern part of the Plain of Gorgoroth. There, during a period of 600 years and long-hidden from the Eldar and Edain, Sauron raised a mighty structure, a ‘vast fortress, armoury, prison, furnace of great power … which suffered no rival, and laughed at flattery, biding its time, secure in its pride and its immeasurable strength.’7 In both the Second and Third Ages, Barad-dûr represented ‘the dreadful menace of the Power that waited, brooding in deep thought and sleepless malice behind the dark veil about its Throne … like the oncoming of a wall of night at the last end of the world.’

‘The chief power (of all the rings alike) was the prevention or slowing of decay (i.e. “change” viewed as a regrettable thing), the preservation of what is desired or loved, or its semblance – this is more or less an Elvish motive. But also they enhanced the natural powers of a possessor – thus approaching “magic”, a motive easily corruptible into evil, a lust for domination. And finally they had other powers, more directly derived from Sauron (“the Necromancer”: so he is called as he casts a fleeting shadow and presage on the pages of The Hobbit): such as rendering invisible the material body, and making things of the invisible world visible.’

In conversation with Frodo Baggins about Bilbo’s Ring in the spring of Year 3018 of the Third Age, Gandalf the Grey succinctly summarized the history of the forging of the Rings of Power: ‘In Eregion long ago many Elven-rings were made, magic rings as you call them, and they were, of course, of various kinds: some more potent and some less. The lesser rings were only essays in the craft before it was full-grown, and to the Elven-smiths they were but trifles – yet still to my mind dangerous for mortals. But the Great Rings, the Rings of Power, they were perilous.’

Now the Elves made many rings; but secretly Sauron made One Ring to rule all the others, and their power was bound up with it, to be subject wholly to it and to last only so long as it too should last. And much of the strength and will of Sauron passed into that One Ring; for the power of the Elven-rings was very great, and that which should govern them must be a thing of surpassing potency; and Sauron forged it in the Mountain of Fire in the Land of Shadow. And while he wore the One Ring he could perceive all the things that were done by means of the lesser rings, and he could see and govern the very thoughts of those that wore them.

Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky, Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone, Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die, One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie. One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

‘The Doom of the World,’ they said, ‘One alone can change who made it.

The Nazgûl were they, the Ringwraiths, the Enemy’s most terrible servants; darkness went with them, and they cried with the voices of death.8

The Downfall [that will follow] is partly the result of an inner weakness in Men – consequent, if you will, upon the first Fall (unrecorded in these tales), repented but not finally healed. Reward on earth is more dangerous for men than punishment! The Fall is achieved by the cunning of Sauron in exploiting this weakness. Its central theme is (inevitably, I think, in a story of Men) a Ban, or Prohibition.

There are three phases in their fall from grace. First acquiescence, obedience that is free and willing, though without complete understanding. Then for long they obey unwillingly, murmuring more and more openly. Finally they rebel – and a rift appears between the King’s men and rebels, and the small minority of persecuted Faithful.

Thus Ar-Pharazôn, King of the Land of the Star, grew to the mightiest tyrant that had yet been in the world since the reign of Morgoth, though in truth Sauron ruled all from behind the throne.

Isildur and Anárion were borne away southwards, and at the last they brought their ships up the Great River Anduin, that flows out of Rhovanion into the western sea in the Bay of Belfalas; and they established a realm in those lands that were after called Gondor, whereas the Northern Kingdom was named Arnor.

Speaking of the Seeing-stones, Gandalf said: ‘The palantíri came from beyond Westernesse, from Eldamar. The Noldor made them. Fëanor himself, maybe, wrought them, in days so long ago that the time cannot be measured in years. But there is nothing that Sauron cannot turn to evil uses… . Perilous to us all are the devices of an art deeper than we possess ourselves… .’8 In the last days of the Second Age ‘the Exiles of Númenor established their realms in Arnor and in Gondor; but ere many years had passed it became manifest that their enemy, Sauron, had also returned’.

But it was not so. Sauron was indeed caught in the wreck of Númenor, so that the bodily form in which he long had walked perished; but he fled back to Middle-earth, a spirit of hatred borne upon a dark wind. He was unable ever again to assume a form that seemed fair to men, but became black and hideous, and his power thereafter was through terror alone.11 He came in secret, as has been told, to his ancient kingdom of Mordor beyond the Ephel Dúath, the Mountains of Shadow, and that country marched with Gondor upon the east. There above the valley of Gorgoroth was built his fortress vast and strong, Barad-dûr, the Dark Tower; and there was a fiery mountain in that land that the Elves named Orodruin. Indeed for that reason Sauron had set there his dwelling long before, for he used the fire that welled there from the heart of the earth in his sorceries and in his forging; and in the midst of the Land of Mordor he had fashioned the Ruling Ring. There now he brooded in the dark, until he had wrought for himself a new shape; and it was terrible, for his fair semblance had departed for ever when he was cast into the abyss at the drowning of Númenor. He took up again the great Ring and clothed himself in power; and the malice of the Eye of Sauron few even of the great among Elves and Men could endure.12 [Sauron’s] anger was great when he learned that Elendil, whom he most hated, had escaped him, and was now ordering a realm upon his borders.13

It was hot when I first took it, hot as a glede, and my hand was scorched, so that I doubt if ever again I shall be free of the pain of it. Yet even as I write it is cooled, and it seemeth to shrink, though it loseth neither its beauty nor its shape. Already the writing upon it, which at first was as clear as red flame, fadeth and is now only barely to be read. It is fashioned in an elven-script of Eregion, for they have no letters in Mordor for such subtle work; but the language is unknown to me. I deem it to be a tongue of the Black Land, since it is foul and uncouth.What evil it saith I do not know; but I trace here a copy of it, lest it fade beyond recall. The Ring misseth, maybe, the heat of Sauron’s hand, which was black and yet burned like fire, and so Gil-galad was destroyed; and maybe were the gold made hot again, the writing would be refreshed. But for my part I will risk no hurt to this thing: of all the works of Sauron the only fair. It is precious to me, though I buy it with great pain.