34 What brought on the sinking of Numenor? (Tolkien)
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This article is from the Tolkien FAQ, by William D.B. Loos loos@hudce.harvard.edu with numerous contributions by others.
34 What brought on the sinking of Numenor? (Tolkien)
The Numenor story was Tolkien's re-telling of the Atlantis legend (the
tale publshed in _The Silmarillion_ was entitled "The Akalabeth", which may
be translated as "Downfallen"). Numenor was an island far to the West, a
"land apart" given to the heroic Edain (humans) of the First Age who had
aided the Noldor in the wars against Morgoth (see LFAQ, General, 1). [The
Line of Kings of Numenor was descended from Elrond's brother Elros, who
chose to be mortal; it led indirectly to Elendil the Tall, first King of
Arnor and Gondor, and thus eventually to Aragorn son of Arathorn.]
The theological situation was the "standard" one of a Ban and a Fall.
The Numenoreans, despite having been granted a longer lifespan than other,
humans, nevertheless had to remain mortal. They had also been ordered not to
sail West to the Undying Lands (Valinor). After awhile (perhaps inevitably,
as their power and wealth grew) the Numenoreans began to envy the Elves and
to yearn for immortality themselves (so as to enjoy their situation longer).
They managed to convince themselves that physical control of the Undying
Lands would somehow produce this result (it would not have); however, they
also retained sufficient wisdom not to attempt any such foolish action.
Significantly, the more obsessed they became with death the more quickly it
came as their lifespans steadily waned.
Near the end of the Second Age King Ar-Pharazon the Golden pridefully
challenged Sauron for the mastery of Middle-earth. The Numenoreans won the
confrontation (see LFAQ, Humans, 2) and took Sauron to Numenor as a prisoner.
Still wielding the One Ring, he swiftly gained control over most of the
Numenoreans (except for the Faithful and their leaders, Amandil and his son
Elendil). As King Ar-Pharazon's death approached ("he felt the waning of
his days and was besotted by fear of death"; RK, p. 317) Sauron finally
convinced him by deception to attack Valinor. This was a mistake. A great
chasm opened in the Sea and Numenor toppled into the abyss. (Tolkien had a
recurrent dream about this event; in LotR he gave it to Faramir, who
described it in "The Steward and the King".) (See also LFAQ, General, 2).
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