Elros Tar-Minyatur

Elros was the son Eärendil the Mariner, the great hero of the First Age, and his wife Elwing. He was the twin brother of Elrond and both were Half-elven. The Valar gave Elros and his brother the choice to become mortal Men or immortal like the Elves. While Elrond became an Elf, Elros chose to be a Man. He would become a lord of the Edain and the first King of Númenor, taking the name Tar-Minyatur.

History

Elros and Elrond were born in the Havens of Sirion during the darkest days of the First Age, when the forces of Morgoth controlled most of Beleriand. When the twins were just four years old, the Sons of Fëanor, bound by their Oath, assaulted the Havens since they desired the Silmaril held by Eärendil. Elros' father was at sea, and Elwing barely escaped with the Silmaril, but the twins were captured. Maedhros and Maglor, the only Sons of Fëanor to repudiate their deeds, protected them through the end of the First Age.

After the War of Wrath and the destruction of Beleriand, the twins chose their race and fate. Elros, having chosen Manhood, was now by right a lord of the Edain. He led his people across the Great Sea, guided by Star of Eärendil his father, to the land the Valar had prepared for the Edain as a reward for their struggle against Morgoth. They arrived at Elenna, a large island in the western part of the Great Sea, soon after the beginning of the Second Age. Elenna was the closest of mortal lands to the Blessed Realm, though Men were forbidden to go any further west than Elenna. However, the Valar gave the Edain substantially longer lifespans than most Men had, and Elros and his descendants had the longest lives of all the people.

Elros became the first King of the realm of Númenor in the year 32 of the Second Age. He took a royal name in Quenya, Tar-Minyatur, thus setting a tradition of Quenya being the royal language of the isle, even though the common tongue was Adûnaic. He brought with him the Ring of Barahir, the Axe of Tuor, and Thingol's sword Aranrúth as family heirlooms. Throughout his reign the kingdom received gifts from the Elves of Tol Eressëa, including flowers from the gardens of Yavanna and a seed from Celeborn. This was the beginning of the Númenóreans' long friendship with the Elves of the West, a relationship that would define the future of Númenor.

Tar-Minyatur had four children: three sons, Vardamir Nólimon, Manwendil, and Atanalcar; and one daughter, Tindómiel. After living five centuries, and ruling Númenor for 410 years, Tar-Minyatur died and his son Vardamir Nólimon took up the Sceptre of Númenor as Tar-Vardamir. But because Elros had lived so long, Tar-Vardamir was already old, and was thus only a titular King: he immediately surrendered the Sceptre to his son, Tar-Amandil.

Etymology

Elros' name may mean "Elf of the Spray", based on a tale from his early childhood. The Sons of Fëanor abducted Elros and his brother Elrond, but when Maedhros found them they were playing in a forest waterfall. In The Silmarillion, however, editor Christopher Tolkien interprets Elros as meaning "Star-foam".

Elros' royal name, Tar-Minyatur, is Quenya for "High First-Lord" (from tar "high", minya "first", tur "master, lord"). All the Kings after Elros who took their names in Quenya also used the prefix tar- in their royal names.

Genealogy

                                 Eärendil = Elwing
                                          |
                              ____________|____________
                             |                         |
                             |                         |
                      ELROS TAR-MINYATUR            Elrond
                             |
         ____________________|_________________
        |              |           |           |
        |              |           |           |
Vardamir Nólimon   Tindómiel   Manwendil   Atanalcar
        |
        |
   Tar-Amandil

Preceded by: none

1st King of Númenor II 32 – 442

Followed by: Tar-Vardamir

See Also

• Twins