Unfinished Tales

by J. R. R. Tolkien

  VI Tar-Aldarion

  He was the eldest child and only son of Tar-Meneldur, and he was born in the year 700. He ruled for 192 years, and surrendered the sceptre to his daughter in 1075; he died in 1098. His ‘right name’ was Anardil; but he was early known by the name of Aldarion, because he was much concerned with trees, and planted great woods to furnish timber for the shipyards. He was a great mariner and ship-builder; and himself sailed often to Middle-earth, where he became the friend and counsellor of Gil-galad. Owing to his long absences abroad his wife Erendis became angered, and they separated in the year 882. His only child was a daughter, very beautiful, Ancalimë. In her favour Aldarion altered the law of succession, so that the (eldest) daughter of a King should succeed, if he had no sons. This change displeased the descendants of Elros, and especially the heir under the old law, Soronto, Aldarion’s nephew, son of his elder sister Ailinel. 5

  VII Tar-Ancalimë

  She was the only child of Tar-Aldarion, and the first Ruling Queen of Númenor. She was born in the year 873, and she reigned for 205 years, longer than any ruler after Elros; she surrendered the sceptre in 1280, and died in 1285. She long remained unwed; but when pressed by Soronto to resign, in his despite she married in the year 1000 Hallacar son of Hallatan, a descendant of Vardamir. 6 After the birth of her son Anárion there was strife between Ancalimë and Hallacar. She was proud and wilful. After Aldarion’s death she neglected all his policies, and gave no further aid to Gilgalad.

  VIII Tar-Anárion

  He was the son of Tar-Ancalimë, and he was born in the year 1003. He ruled for 114 years, and surrendered the sceptre in 1394; he died in 1404.

  IX Tar-Súrion

  He was the third child of Tar-Anárion; his sisters refused the sceptre. 7 He was born in the year 1174, and ruled for 162 years; he surrendered the sceptre in 1556, and died in 1574.

  X Tar-Telperien

  She was the second Ruling Queen of Númenor. She was long-lived (for the women of the Númenóreans had the longer life, or laid down their lives less easily), and she would wed with no man. Therefore after her day the sceptre passed to Minastir; he was the son of Isilmo, the second child of Tar-Súrion. 8 Tar-Telperien was born in the year 1320; she ruled for 175 years, until 1731, and died in that same year. 9

  XI Tar-Minastir

  This name he had because he built a high tower upon the hill of Oromet, nigh to Andúnië and the west shores, and thence would spend great part of his days gazing westward. For the yearning was grown strong in the hearts of the Númenóreans. He loved the Eldar but envied them. He it was who sent a great fleet to the aid of Gil-galad in the first war against Sauron. He was born in the year 1474, and ruled for 138 years; he surrendered the sceptre in 1869, and died in 1873.

  XII Tar-Ciryatan

  He was born in the year 1634, and ruled for 160 years; he surrendered the sceptre in 2029, and died in 2035. He was a mighty King, but greedy of wealth; he built a great fleet of royal ships, and his servants brought back great store of metals and gems, and oppressed the men of Middle-earth. He scorned the yearnings of his father, and eased the restlessness of his heart by voyaging, east, and north, and south, until he took the sceptre. It is said that he constrained his father to yield to him ere of his free will he would. In this way (it is held) might the first coming of the Shadow upon the bliss of Númenor be seen.

  XIII Tar-Atanamir the Great

  He was born in the year 1800, and ruled for 192 years, until 2221, which was the year of his death. Much is said of this King in the Annals, such as now survive the Downfall. For he was like his father proud and greedy of wealth, and the Númenóreans in his service exacted heavy tribute from the men of the coasts of Middle-earth. In his time the Shadow fell upon Númenor; and the King, and those that followed his lore, spoke openly against the ban of the Valar, and their hearts were turned against the Valar and the Eldar; but wisdom they still kept, and they feared the Lords of the West, and did not defy them. Atanamir is called also the Unwilling, for he was the first of the Kings to refuse to lay down his life, or to renounce the sceptre; and he lived until death took him perforce in dotage. 10

  XIV Tar-Ancalimon

  He was born in the year 1986, and ruled for 165 years, until his death in 2386. In his time the rift became wider between the King’s Men (the larger part) and those who maintained their ancient friendship with the Eldar. Many of the King’s Men began to forsake the use of the Elven-tongues, and to teach them no longer to their children. But the royal titles were still given in Quenya, out of ancient custom rather than love, for fear lest the breaking of the old usage should bring ill-fortune.

  XV Tar-Telemmaitë

  He was born in the year 2136, and ruled for 140 years, until his death in 2526. Hereafter the Kings ruled in name from the death of their father to their own death, though the actual power passed often to their sons or counsellors; and the days of the descendants of Elros waned under the Shadow. This King was so called because of his love of silver, and he bade his servants to seek ever for mithril.

  XVI Tar-Vanimeldë

  She was the third Ruling Queen; she was born in the year 2277, and ruled for 111 years until her death in 2637. She gave little heed to ruling, loving rather music and dance; and the power was wielded by her husband Herucalmo, younger than she, but a descendant of the same degree from Tar-Atanamir. Herucalmo took the sceptre upon his wife’s death, calling himself Tar-Anducal, and withholding the rule from his son Alcarin; yet some do not reckon him in the Line of Kings as seventeenth, and pass to Alcarin. Tar-Anducal was born in the year 2286, and he died in 2657.

  XVII Tar-Alcarin

  He was born in the year 2406, and he ruled for 80 years until his death in 2737, being rightful King for one hundred years.

  XVIII Tar-Calmacil

  He was born in the year 2516, and he ruled for 88 years until his death in 2825. This name he took, for in his youth he was a great captain, and won wide lands along the coasts of Middle-earth. Thus he kindled the hate of Sauron, who nonetheless withdrew, and built his power in the East, far from the shores, biding his time. In the days of Tar-Calmacil the name of the King was first spoken in Adûnaic; and by the King’s Men he was called Ar-Belzagar.

  XIX Tar-Ardamin

  He was born in the year 2618, and he ruled for 74 years until his death in 2899. His name in Adûnaic was Ar-Abattârik. 11

  XX Ar-Adûnakhôr (Tar-Herunúmen)

  He was born in the year 2709, and he ruled for 63 years until his death in 2962. He was the first King to take the sceptre with a title in the Adûnaic tongue; though out of fear (as aforesaid) a name in Quenya was inscribed in the Scrolls. But these titles were held by the Faithful to be blasphemous, for they signified ‘Lord of the West’, by which title they had been wont to name one of the great Valar only, Manwë in especial. In this reign the Elven-tongues were no longer used, nor permitted to be taught, but were maintained in secret by the Faithful; and the ships from Eressëa came seldom and secretly to the west shores of Númenor thereafter.

  XXI Ar-Zimrathôn (Tar-Hostamir)

  He was born in the year 2798, and he ruled for 71 years until his death in 3033.

  XXII Ar-Sakalthôr (Tar-Falassion)

  He was born in the year 2876, and he ruled for 69 years until his death in 3102.

  XXIII Ar-Gimilzôr (Tar-Telemnar)

  He was born in the year 2960, and he ruled for 75 years until his death in 3177. He was the greatest enemy of the Faithful that had yet arisen; and he forbade utterly the use of the Eldarin tongues, and would not permit any of the Eldar to come to the land, and punished those that welcomed them. He revered nothing, and went never to the Hallow of Eru. He was wedded to Inzilbêth, a lady descended from Tar-Calmacil; 12 but she was secretly of the Faithful, for her mother was Lindórië of the House of the Lords of Andúnië, and there was small love between them, and strife between their sons. For Inziladûn 13 the elder was beloved of his mother and of like mind with her; but Gimilkhâd the younger wa
s his father’s son, and him Ar-Gimilzôr would fain have appointed his Heir, had the laws allowed. Gimilkhâd was born in the year 3044, and he died in 3243. 14

  XXIV Tar-Palantir (Ar-Inziladûn)

  He was born in the year 3035, and he ruled for 78 years until his death in 3255. Tar-Palantir repented of the ways of the Kings before him, and would fain have returned to the friendship of the Eldar and the Lords of the West. This name Inziladûn took, because he was far-sighted both in eye and in mind, and even those who hated him feared his words as those of a true-seer. He also would spend much of his days in Andúnië, since Lindórie his mother’s mother was of the kin of the Lords, being sister indeed of Ea¨rendur, the fifteenth Lord and grandfather of Númendil, who was Lord of Andúnië in the days of Tar-Palantir his cousin; and Tar-Palantir would ascend often to the ancient tower of King Minastir, and gaze westward in yearning, hoping to see, maybe, some sail coming from Eressëa. But no ship came ever again out of the West, because of the insolence of the Kings, and because the hearts of the most part of the Númenóreans were still hardened. For Gimilkhâd followed the ways of Ar-Gimilzôr, and became leader of the King’s Party, and resisted the will of Tar-Palantir as openly as he dared, and yet more in secret. But for a while the Faithful had peace; and the King went ever at due times to the Hallow upon the Meneltarma, and the White Tree was again given tendance and honour. For Tar-Palantir prophesied, saying that when the Tree died then the line of the Kings also would perish.

  Tar-Palantir married late and had no son, and his daughter he named Míriel in the Elven-tongue. But when the King died, she was taken to wife by Pharazôn son of Gimilkhâd (who also was dead) against her will, and against the law of Númenor, since she was the child of his father’s brother. And he then seized the sceptre into his own hand, taking the title of Ar-Pharazôn (Tar-Calion); and Míriel was named Ar-Zimraphel. 15

  XXV Ar-Pharazôn (Tar-Calion)

  The mightiest and last King of Númenor. He was born in the year 3118, and ruled for 64 years, and died in the Downfall in the year 3319, usurping the scepte of

  Tar-Míriel (Ar-Zimraphel)

  She was born in the year 3117, and died in the Downfall.

  Of the deeds of Ar-Pharazôn, of his glory and his folly, more is told in the tale of the Downfall of Númenor, which Elendil wrote, and which was preserved in Gondor. 16

  NOTES

  1 There are several references to the greater life-span of the descendants of Elros than that of any others among the Númenóreans, in addition to those in the tale of Aldarion and Erendis. Thus in the Akallabêth (The Silmarillion p. 261) it is said that all the line of Elros ‘had long life even according to the measure of the Númenóreans’; and in an isolated note the difference in longevity is given a precise range: the ‘end of vigour’ for the descendants of Elros came (before the waning of their life-span set in) about the four hundredth year, or somewhat earlier, whereas for those not of that line it came towards the two hundredth year, or somewhat later. It may be noted that almost all the Kings from Vardamir to Tar-Ancalimon lived to or a little beyond their four hundredth year, and the three who did not died within one or two years of it.

  But in the latest writing on this subject (which derives, however, from about the same time as the latest work on the tale of Aldarion and Erendis) the distinction in longevity is greatly diminished. To the Númenórean people as a whole is ascribed a life-span some five times the length of that of other Men (although this is in contradiction to the statement in The Lord of the Rings Appendix A (I, i) that the Númenóreans were granted a span ‘in the beginning thrice that of lesser Men’, a statement made again in the preface to the present text); and the difference of the Line of Elros from others in this respect is less a distinct mark and attribute than a mere tendency to live to a greater age. Though the case of Erendis, and the somewhat shorter lives of the ‘Bëorians’ of the West, are mentioned, there is no suggestion here, as there is in the tale of Aldarion and Erendis, that the difference in their expectation of life was both very great and also something inherent in their destinies, and recognised to be so.

  In this account, only Elros was granted a peculiar longevity, and it is said here that he and his brother Elrond were not differently endowed in the physical potential of life, but that since Elros elected to remain among the kindred of Men he retained the chief characteristic of Men as opposed to the Quendi: the ‘seeking elsewhither’, as the Eldar called it, the ‘weariness’ or desire to depart from the world. It is further expounded that the increase in the Númenórean span was brought about by assimilation of their mode of life to that of the Eldar: though they were expressly warned that they had not become Eldar, but remained mortal Men, and had been granted only an extension of the period of their vigour of mind and body. Thus (as the Eldar) they grew at much the same rate as other Men, but when they had achieved ‘full-growth’ they then aged, or ‘wore out’, very much more slowly. The first approach of ‘world-weariness’ was indeed for them a sign that their period of vigour was nearing its end. When it came to an end, if they persisted in living, then decay would proceed, as growth had done, no more slowly than among other Men. Thus a Númenórean would pass quickly, in ten years maybe, from health and vigour of mind to decrepitude and senility. In the earlier generations they did not ‘cling to life’, but resigned it voluntarily. ‘Clinging to life’, and so in the end dying perforce and involuntarily, was one of the changes brought about by the Shadow and the rebellion of the Númenóreans; it was also accompanied by a shrinking of their natural life-span.

  2 See p. 280, note 26.

  3 The figure of 148 (rather than 147) must represent the years of Tar-Amandil’s actual rule, and not take the notional year of Vardamir’s reign into account.

  4 There is no question but that Silmarien was the eldest child of Tar-Elendil; and her birth-date is several times given as Second Age 521, while that of her brother Tar-Meneldur is fixed at 543. In the Tale of Years (Appendix B to The Lord of the Rings), however, Silmarien’s birth is given in the annal entry 548; a date that goes back to the first drafts of that text. I think it very likely that this should have been revised but escaped notice.

  5 This is not in agreement with the account of the earlier and later laws of succession given on pp. 268 – 9, according to which Soronto only became Ancalimë’s heir (if she died childless) by virtue of the new law, for he was a descendant in the female line. – ‘His elder sister’ undoubtedly means ‘the elder of his two sisters’.

  6 See p. 271.

  7 See p. 273 and note 28 on p. 280.

  8 It is curious that the sceptre passed to Tar-Telperien when Tar-Súrion had a son, Isilmo. It may well be that the succession here depends on the formulation of the new law given in The Lord of the Rings, i.e. simple primogeniture irrespective of sex (see p. 268), rather than inheritance by a daughter only if the Ruler had no son.

  9 The date 1731 here given for the end of the rule of Tar-Telperien and the accession of Tar-Minastir is strangely at variance with the dating, fixed by many references, of the first war against Sauron; for the great Númenórean fleet sent by Tar-Minastir reached Middle-earth in the year 1700. I cannot in any way account for the discrepancy.

  10 In the Tale of Years (Appendix B to The Lord of the Rings) occurs the entry: ‘2251 Tar-Atanamir takes the sceptre. Rebellion and division of the Númenoreans begins.’ This is altogether discrepant with the present text, according to which Tar-Atanamir died in 2221. This date 2221 is, however, itself an emendation from 2251; and his death is given elsewhere as 2251. Thus the same year appears in different texts as both the date of his accession and the date of his death; and the whole structure of the chronology shows clearly that the former must be wrong. Moreover, in the Akallabêth (The Silmarillion p. 266) it is said that it was in the time of Atanamir’s son Ancalimon that the people of Númenor became divided. I have little doubt therefore that the entry in the Tale of Years is in error for a correct reading: ‘2251 Death of Tar-Atanamir.
Tar-Ancalimon takes the sceptre. Rebellion and division of the Númenoreans begins.’ But if so, it remains strange that the date of Atanamir’s death should have been altered in ‘The Line of Elros’ if it were fixed by an entry in the Tale of Years.

  11 In the list of the Kings and Queens of Númenor in Appendix A (I, i) to The Lord of the Rings the ruler following Tar-Calmacil (the eighteenth) was Ar-Adûnakhôr (the nineteenth). In the Tale of Years in Appendix B Ar-Adûnakhôr is said to have taken the sceptre in the year 2899; and on this basis Mr Robert Foster in The Complete Guide to Middle-earth gives the death-date of Tar-Calmacil as 2899. On the other hand, at a later point in the account of the rulers of Númenor in Appendix A, Ar-Adûnakhôr is called the twentieth king; and in 1964 my father replied to a correspondent who had enquired about this: ‘As the genealogy stands he should be called the sixteenth king and nineteenth ruler. Nineteen should possibly be read for twenty; but it is also possible that a name has been left out.’ He explained that he could not be certain because at the time of writing this letter his papers on the subject were not available to him.

  When editing the Akallabêth I changed the actual reading ‘And the twentieth king took the sceptre of his fathers, and he ascended the throne in the name of Adûnakhor’ to ‘And the nineteenth king...’ (The Silmarillion p. 267), and similarly ‘four and twenty’ to ‘three and twenty’ (ibid. p. 270). At that time I had not observed that in ‘The Line of Elros’ the ruler following Tar-Calmacil was not Ar-Adûnakhôr but Tar-Ardamin; but it now seems perfectly clear, from the fact alone that Tar-Ardamin’s death-date is here given as 2899, that he was omitted in error from the list in The Lord of the Rings.