Ing

Ing was a king of Leithian in earlier versions of J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium.
==History==
Ing was King of Leithian, and his people were called the Ingwaiwar. Ing was descended from Ermon, one of the two "Fathers of Men" mentioned in The Book of Lost Tales and, probably due his ancestry, Ing was friendly with Elves of the Great Lands. For this reason, when they were defeated after the "First Faring Forth", Ing welcomed the Elves in his realm.The History of Middle-earth, Vol. II: The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, chapter VI: "The History of Eriol or Ælfwine and the End of the Tales"
After some time, Eärendel came to Leithien to seek the help of Ing. In order to reciprocate the help given to him, Eärendel gifted to Ing the limpë, a drink that give immortality, and blessed his progeny. Hearing the tales of Eärendel about Tol Eressëa, Ing and many of his people sailed there. However, in his wrath, the Vala Ossë sent a storm that blew them eastward; only Ing survived to the resulting shipwreck.
After the departure of Ing, Leithian became an island and suffered seven invasions by Men of the Great Lands, the sixth of which was by the Men of Rûm, who did not even believe that Elves were real. This invasion caused the fleeing of most Elves of Leithian. After three hundred years, the descendants of Ing in turn invaded the island and during this times the few Elves remaining in Leithian learned Old English, the Ingwaiwar's tongue. Later, Ælfwine, a descendant of Ing born in Leithian, would famously travel to Tol Eressëa.
According to an elvish prophecy, in the Second Fairing Forth Ing will lead the Elves from Tol Eressëa back to Leithian.
==Etymology==
Ing means "Chief" in Gnomish.The History of Middle-earth, Vol. IV: The Shaping of Middle-earth, chapter II: "The Earliest Silmarillion", Commentary on the "Sketch of the Mythology"
==Behind the scenes==
The tale of Leithian was originally conceived as a myth about the origins of and Ing was created as the ancestor of the . In fact, Tolkien started the creation of the legendarium with the intent to build a proper British mythology.
==References==
Category:Precanonical Men
Category:Kings