Elendil

2012-10-30T20:54:20Z

213.84.207.158: /* Portrayal in adaptations */

{{disambig-two|the [[High King of the Dúnedain|High King]] of [[Gondor]] and [[Arnor]]|earlier [[King of Númenor|King]] of [[Númenor]]|[[Tar-Elendil]]}}
{{numenorean infobox
| image=[[File:The Lord of the Rings - The Motion Picture Trilogy - Elendil.jpg|250px]]
| name=Elendil
| othernames=''Nimruzîr'' ([[Adûnaic|A]]), "The Tall", "The Fair", "The Faithful"
| titles=[[High King of the Dúnedain|High King]] of the [[Reunited Kingdom|Two Kingdoms]]: [[Kings of Arnor|King of Arnor]], [[Kings of Gondor|King of Gondor]]
| position=
| realm=[[Rómenna]], [[Númenor]]; [[Arnor]]; [[Gondor]]
| affiliation=The [[Faithful]]; [[Last Alliance of Elves and Men]]
| language=[[Sindarin]] and [[Quenya]]
| birth={{SA|3119}}
| birthlocation=[[Númenor]]
| rule={{SA|3320}} - {{SA|3441|n}} (121 years)
| death={{SA|3441}}
| deathlocation=During [[Siege of Barad-dûr]]
| age=322
| house=[[House of Elros]]
| parentage=[[Amandil (Lord of Andúnië)|Amandil]]
| siblings=
| spouse=
| children=[[Isildur]] and [[Anárion]]
| gender=Male
| height=7'11"
| hair=Brown
| eyes=
| clothing=
| weapons=[[Narsil]]
| steed=
}}{{Pronounce|Elendil.mp3|Ardamir}}
'''Elendil''' was the father of [[Isildur]] and [[Anárion]], a survivor of the [[Downfall of Númenor]], and the founder and first King of [[Arnor]] and [[Gondor]]. Elendil was also known as '''Elendil the Tall''' the tallest of Men who escaped the Downfall (mentioned to be almost 2.5 [[rangar]] tall, 7'11" or 2.41 m)<ref>{{UT|Linear}}</ref> and '''Elendil the Fair'''.

==History==
Elendil was born in [[Númenor]]. He was the son of [[Amandil (Lord of Andúnië)|Amandil]], [[Lords of Andúnië|Lord of Andúnië]] and leader of the [[Faithful]] [[Númenóreans]]. Like his father, Elendil maintained a strong friendship with the [[Elves]] and preserved the old beliefs in [[Ilúvatar]] and reverence for the [[Valar]]; he stood against the barbarous practices of [[Ar-Pharazôn]] the King and [[Sauron]] his advisor. On the advice of his father, who foresaw the coming destruction of Númenor, Elendil put nine ships off the eastern coast and loaded all his people and possessions aboard them.<ref name="Akallabeth">{{S|Akallabeth}}</ref>

When the catastrophic [[Downfall of Númenor|Downfall]] occurred in {{SA|3319}},<ref name="SA">{{App|SA}}</ref> Elendil, his sons Isildur and Anárion, and their supporters fled to [[Middle-earth]], sailing east in the nine ships. 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 [[White Tree of Númenor|Nimloth]], the White Tree of Númenor.<ref name="Akallabeth"/>
[[File:Ted Nasmith - The Ships of the Faithful.jpg|left|thumb|''The Ships of the Faithful'' by [[Ted Namsith]]]]
The ships became separated during the tumultuous voyage to Middle-earth; while Isildur and Anárion landed in the more southerly lands near the haven of the Faithful at [[Pelargir]], Elendil and his people arrived at the northwest near [[Lindon]]. For this reason there were two kingdoms of the Númenóreans in exile, [[Arnor]] in the north and [[Gondor]] in the south.<ref name="Rings">{{S|Rings}}</ref> After Elendil finally landed in Middle-earth, he proclaimed in [[Quenya]]: "''Et Eärello Endorenna utúlien. Sinome maruvan ar Hildinyar tenn' Ambar-metta''" ("Out of the [[Belegaer|Great Sea]] to Middle-earth I have come. In this place I will abide, and my heirs, unto the ending of the world"). His heir and great-grandson by 39 generations [[Aragorn|Aragorn II]] spoke these words again when he took up the crown of Gondor as King [[Aragorn|Elessar]] at the beginning of the [[Fourth Age]].<ref>{{RK|VI5}}</ref>

Elendil lived in Arnor, where he founded the city of [[Annúminas]]. His son Anárion established the city of [[Minas Anor]] in [[Anórien]], and Isildur founded Minas Ithil in [[Ithilien]]. Across the [[Anduin]] the city of [[Osgiliath]] was built. In both realms were built towers for the ''palantíri'', with which the lords kept contact.<ref name="Rings"/>

In the Downfall of Númenor the evil lord Sauron lost his shape but returned to Middle-earth as a shadow and a black wind over the sea. It came to [[Mordor]], next to Gondor, where Sauron wrought a new guise.<ref name="Akallabeth"/> In {{SA|3429}} Sauron attacked, seizing Minas Ithil. Isildur fled north to his father, leaving Anárion in charge of Gondor. In {{SA|3434|n}}, King Elendil and Isildur returned south together with the Elven High King [[Gil-galad]] and their combined armies, and fought in [[War of the Last Alliance|War of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men]]. At the end of the long siege of [[Barad-dûr]], in the year {{SA|3441|n}} of the Second Age, Sauron came out to personally do battle. Gil-galad and Elendil fought Sauron and cast him down, but were both slain,<ref name="SA"/> and Elendil's sword [[Narsil]] was broken when he fell. His son Isildur used the broken sword to cut [[the One Ring]] from Sauron's hand. However, despite the urgings of [[Elrond]], Isildur chose not to destroy the Ring at [[Mount Doom]] and was eventually betrayed by the Ring in the [[Disaster of the Gladden Fields]], slain by [[Orcs]].<ref name="Rings"/>

==Legacy==
Elendil was a great warrior, a wise king, and a heroic figure among the [[Dúnedain]] and other [[Dúnedain|Men of the West]]. Isildur built a hidden [[Tomb of Elendil|tomb for his father]] on the summit of the beacon hill of [[Halifirien]]. Its presence was considered great enough to hallow the entire hill, hence its name (''Halifirien'' means "holy mountain" in [[Rohirric]]).<ref name="Cirion">{{UT|Cirion}}</ref>

After the founding of [[Rohan]], the [[Steward]] [[Cirion]] moved Elendil's remains to the Hallows of [[Minas Tirith]].<ref name="Cirion"/>

==Etymology==
Elendil's name actually means "Devoted to the Stars" in [[Quenya]].

For the [[Dúnedain]] it was intended to signify "[[Elf-friend]]" ([[Adûnaic]] ''[[Nimruzîr]]''), since they tended to confuse the Quenya element EL for both "Elf" and "star".

==Portrayal in adaptations==
In the opening exposition of [[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]], Elendil is played by [[Peter McKenzie]]. Unlike in the books, Elendil is killed by a blow of Sauron, instead of having a part in destroying him with Gil-galad. Instead, Isildur deals the fatal blow to the still-living Sauron by cutting off his fingers and with them, the ring of power.
{{References}}
{{seq-start}}
{{seq-head
| race=numenorean
| house=[[House of Elros]]
| born={{SA|3119}}
| died={{SA|3441}}
}}
{{seq
| prev=Position created
| pvac=None
| prow=3
| list=1st [[Kings of Arnor|King of Arnor]]
| dates={{SA|3320}} – {{SA|3441|n}}
| next=[[Isildur]]
| nrow=3
}}
{{seq
| list=1st [[Kings of Gondor|King of Gondor]]
| dates={{SA|3320}} – {{SA|3441|n}}
}}
{{seq
| list=1st [[High King of the Dúnedain|High King]] of the [[Reunited Kingdom|Two Kingdoms]]
| dates={{SA|3320}} – {{SA|3441|n}}
}}
{{seq-end}}
[[Category:Characters in The Silmarillion]]
[[Category:Dúnedain]]
[[Category:Faithful of Númenor]]
[[Category:House of Elendil| ]]
[[Category:House of Elros]]
[[Category:Quenya names]]
[[Category:Quenya nouns]]
[[Category:Rulers of Arnor]]
[[Category:Rulers of Gondor]]

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Elendil