Downfall of Númenor

2010-01-23T18:35:05Z

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{{stub}}
{{Youmay|an event of Arda|"[[Akallabêth]]" the fourth chapter of ''[[The Silmarillion]]''}}
{{events
| image=[[Image:John Howe - Drowning-of-Numenor.jpeg|300px]]
| event=The Downfall of Númenor
| othernames=The Drowning of [[Númenor]]
| location=Primarily Númenor, but affected the shores of [[Middle-earth]]
| date= [[Second Age 3319|S.A. 3319]]
| result=Destruction of Númenor, exile of the [[Faithful]]
| partof=The [[Changing of the World]]
| participants=[[Númenóreans]], [[Valar]], [[Eru]]
| description=Catastrophe that caused Númenor to sink into the [[Great Sea|Sea]]
| references=
|}}

The '''Downfall of Númenor''' was the utter destruction of the island of [[Númenor]], a divine punishment for King [[Ar-Pharazôn]]'s assault on the [[Undying Lands]].

[[Elendil]], son of the leader of the Faithful during the reign of Ar-Pharazôn, his sons and his followers had foreseen the disaster that was to befall Númenor, and they had set sail in nine ships before the island fell. His father [[Valandil]] the [[Lords of Andúnië|Lord of Andúnië]], imitating [[Eärendil the Mariner]] decided to go West to warn the [[Valar]] about the King's plans.

[[Image:Darrell Sweet - The Fall of Numenor.jpg|thumb|left|''The [[Downfall of Númenor|Fall]] of [[Númenor]]'' by [[Darrell Sweet]]]]
[[Manwë]], chief of the Valar, called upon [[Ilúvatar]], who destroyed the [[Great Armament]] of [[Ar-Pharazôn]] that had landed on Aman by crushing it under stones; he also broke and changed the world, taking [[Aman]] and [[Tol Eressëa]] from the world forever, changing [[Arda]]'s shape from flat to round so that no sailor would seek the [[True West]] again. Númenor was covered by great waves and sank into the abyss, killing its inhabitants.

New lands formed in the West, islands rose and hills were formed. However the coastline of Middle-earth was not much affected, other than [[Tolfalas]] was drowned a bit, and the lands around it formed the [[Ethir Anduin]].

==Survival==
Just a few people, the [[Faithful]], still uncorrupted by Sauron managed to escape the catastrophe; they fled Númenor by ship, carrying some gifts that the Dúnedain had received from the Valar and the Elves in times of peace. These were the [[Palantíri]], the [[Ring of Barahir]], the [[Sceptre of Annúminas]], [[Narsil]] and a fruit of [[Nimloth the Fair]] stolen by [[Isildur]]. They were led by [[Elendil]] the Tall and his two sons, Isildur and [[Anárion]].

They landed in [[Middle-earth]] and met the colonists who were in the settlements of those lands among the [[Middle Men]]; the followers of Elendil united them by establishing two kingdoms which came to be known as as the realms of Exile: [[Gondor]] in the south, and [[Arnor]] in the north. The culture of Númenor became the dominant culture of Middle-earth (thus, [[Westron]], a descendant of the [[Adûnaic]] language of Númenor, became the [[Common Speech]]). The sadness and the shock from the loss of their island home always remained in the hearts of Kings of Númenórean descent.

They were dismayed to discover that Sauron, although greatly diminished and bereft of shape, had survived the Downfall and returned to Middle-earth with the [[One Ring]] to continue troubling its inhabitants.

Meanwhile some of the [[King's Men]] had established other realms in exile to the south; of these the [[Haven of Umbar]] was the chief and continued to reign the lands there. These were known as [[Black Númenóreans]].

==Legacy==
After its fall Númenor was called ''[[Akallabêth]]'' or ''[[Atalantë]]'' in [[Quenya]], meaning "the Downfallen", ''[[Mar-nu-Falmar]]'' ("Land under the Waves").

[[category:Events]]
[[de:Númenor#Der_Niedergang]]
[[fi:Númenor#Númenorin_häviö]]

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Downfall of Númenor