Ermon
| Ermon | |
|---|---|
| Man | |
 | |
| "Murmenalda - the awakening of the first Men" (Elmir and Ermon on the far right) by David Greset | |
| Biographical Information | |
| Location | Murmenalda Palisor Gorfalong |
| Language | Ilkorin[1] |
| Family | |
| Parentage | None (awoke at Murmenalda) |
| Children | Unknown (ancestor of Ing) |
| Physical Description | |
| Gender | Male |
| Gallery | Images of Ermon |
Ermon was, along with Elmir, one of the first two Men to be awakened at Murmenalda, according to the early legendarium in some of the outlines for the continuation of The Book of Lost Tales.[2]
History[edit | edit source]
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Ermon and Elmir were awakened by an Elf called Nuin, one of the Ilkorindi, who, against the warnings of the wizard Tû his lord, liked to wander far from his home in Palisor all the way to Murmenalda, and in one of these wanderings he stumbled upon the sleeping bodies of Men, the second children of Ilúvatar.
There, after waking Ermon and Elmir, Nuin taught them speech, and they, alone of all Men, witnessed the Sun rising in the West and setting in the East; sometime after, the rest of mankind awoke as well, and Nuin, Ermon and Elmir taught them speech in return - and the race of Men "grew in stature, and gathered knowledge of the Dark Elves".
Afterwards, a servant of Melko called Fankil turned most Men against the Elves, and in the first war between Elves and Goblins, only the people of Ermon fought on the side of the Elves. Following the war, Men were scattered in all directions, some of them heading for "eastern deserts and the southern forests", but some Men, especially Ermon and his folk, went west, along with some of the Ilkorindi.[2]
Ermon, accompanied by an Elf called Tareg, eventually arrived to the river Sirion in the northwest of the Great Lands, where they met the exiled Gnomes, who were about to prepare for a war with Melko. There, they joined forces with them, and, at a place called Gorfalong, fought a great battle with Melko and his forces, many of whom were Men corrupted by him.[3]
Ermon's eventual fate is unknown, but he evidently left descendants, since in one outline, Ing King of Luthany was said to be one of them.[4][note 1]
Etymology[edit | edit source]
The name Ermon might be in Ilkorin, according to Christopher Gilson, but its meaning is unclear.[5]
Genealogy[edit | edit source]
Inspiration[edit | edit source]
The character of Ermon might have been inspired by Askr, the first man created by the gods (out of ash-tree) in the Norse mythology.[6]
Notes
- ↑ According to another text, Ing was the descendant of both Ermon and Elmir.
References
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part One, "X. Gilfanon's Tale: The Travail of the Noldoli and the Coming of Mankind", p. 236
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part One, "X. Gilfanon's Tale: The Travail of the Noldoli and the Coming of Mankind", p. 237
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part One, "X. Gilfanon's Tale: The Travail of the Noldoli and the Coming of Mankind", p. 240
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "VI. The History of Eriol or Ælfwine and the End of the Tales", p. 305
- ↑ Christopher Gilson, "His Breath Was Taken Away: Tolkien, Barfield, and Elvish Diction", in ’Tolkien Studies, Vol. XIV (eds. David Bratman, Michael D.C. Drout, Verlyn Flieger), p. 37
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part One, "X. Gilfanon's Tale: The Travail of the Noldoli and the Coming of Mankind": "Notes and Commentary", note 9, p. 245
