Ciryatur

From Tolkien Gateway
Ciryatur
Númenórean
Biographical Information
PositionAdmiral
LocationNúmenor
BirthMid-Second Age
Physical Description
GenderMale

Ciryatur was the commander of the Númenórean fleet sent by Minastir, the heir[1][2][note 1] of Queen Tar-Telperiën, to aid Gil-galad in the War of the Elves and Sauron, which arrived in S.A. 1700.[3]

Ciryatur had divided his forces and sent a great part of them directly to[3] Lindon[4]. When the fleet arrived in Lindon, Gil-galad’s Elves had been beaten back to the river Lhûn and were holding the line of the river together with a Númenórean force that had been stationed on the shores of Lindon earlier after Gil-Galad feared that Sauron would invade Eriador. Reinforced by the fresh forces from Númenor the Elves of Lindon and the Númenoreans defeated the forces of Sauron at the river Lhûn and drove them back to the south-east. The forces of Sauron were further decimated in a battle at the Sarn Ford at the river Baranduin.[3]

Sauron was driven further to the sout-east to Tharbad at the crossings of the river Gwathló where he was reinforced by more of his troops that had come at his orders from the south-east. But Ciryatur had sent a strong force to the small Númenórean harbour of Vinyalondë[5] at the mouth of the Gwathló. This second Númenórean force appeared in the rear of Sauron's army at the Gwathló. In the ensuing Battle of the Gwathló, the host of Sauron was completely routed and Sauron himself barely escaped. A final battle in eastern Calenardhon stripped Sauron of all but a tiny bodyguard. The Dark Lord retreated into Mordor and plotted vengeance upon the Númenóreans.[3]

Etymology[edit | edit source]

Ciryatur is a Quenya name. Its meaning is not glossed, but Paul Strack suggests that it means "Ship Master", being a compound of cirya ("ship") + suffix tur ("master")[6] — an appropriate name for an admiral. It is in fact possible that this is the name of his position rather than his real name (cf. Ohtar).

Notes

  1. His aunt Queen Tar-Telperiën only surrendered the sceptre in Second Age 1731. In addition the chapter XVIII Note on the Delay of Gil-galad and the Númenóreans in The Nature of Middle-earth mentions "the great host of Minastir" instead of "the great host of Tar-Minastir".

References

  1. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The Line of Elros: Kings of Númenor", entry X Tar-Telperien
  2. J.R.R. Tolkien, Carl F. Hostetter (ed.), The Nature of Middle-earth, "Part Three. The World, its Lands, and its Inhabitants: XVIII. Note on the Delay of Gil-galad and the Númenóreans"
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn", "Concerning Galadriel and Celeborn"
  4. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Second Age", entry for the year 1700, p. 1083
  5. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn", "Appendix D: The Port of Lond Daer"
  6. Paul Strack, "Q. Ciryatur m.", Eldamo - An Elvish Lexicon (accessed 28 July 2022)