Elendil

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**Elendil** (also known as **Elendil the Tall** or **Elendil the Fair**, and **Ælfwine** "Elf-friend") was the father of Isildur and Anárion, and the first High King of Gondor and Arnor and first King of all the Dúnedain. He was known as a great warrior, a wise king, and a heroic figure among the Dúnedain, who loved every man, woman and child of Arnor and Gondor, and was loved by them in return. He was killed by Sauron during the War of the Last Alliance. He was known as the greatest warrior of all the Dúnedain.

## Biography

### Life in Númenor

Elendil was born in 3119 of the Second Age in Númenor, son of Amandil, Lord of Andúnië and leader of the "Faithful" (those who remained loyal to the Valar), who maintained a strong friendship with the elves and preserved the old ways against the practices of Ar-Pharazôn and Sauron. He was married to an unnamed Númenórean woman no doubt of the same upbringing and noble blood to which they had two sons: Isildur and Anárion. It is not known whether she followed him to Middle-earth after the Fall of Númenor.

### Founder of Arnor and Gondor

Elendil, his sons Isildur and Anárion, and their supporters fled to Middle-earth at the Downfall of Númenor, sailing east in nine ships and founding the realms of Arnor and Gondor in Middle-earth in SA 3320. With them, they took the *Palantiri*, the "Seeing Stones" that were given to the Lords of Andúnie by the elves of Tol Eressëa, and a seedling of Nimloth, the White Tree of Númenor.

As he landed on Middle-earth Elendil proclaimed in Quenya: *Et Eärello Endorenna utúlien. Sinome maruvan ar Hildinyar tenn' Ambar-metta* - "Out of the Great Sea to Middle-earth I am come. In this place will I abide, and my heirs, unto the ending of the world." His heir and 89-great-grandson Aragorn spoke these traditional words again when he took up the crown of Gondor at the beginning of the Fourth Age.

Elendil lived in Arnor, where he founded the city of Annúminas. His son Anárion founded the city of Minas Anor in Anórien, and his son Isildur founded Minas Ithil in Ithilien. Across the Anduin, the city of Osgiliath was built. Across the realms towers were built for the *Palantíri*, with which the realms kept contact.

### Last Alliance of Elves and Men

 File:Elendil during the Last Alliance.jpg
In time Sauron returned to Middle-earth, establishing a stronghold in Mordor, next to Gondor. In SA 3428, he attacked seizing Minas Ithil. Isildur fled north to his father, leaving Anárion in charge of Gondor. In SA 3434, Elendil and Isildur returned south together with the Elven High King Gil-galad and their combined armies, in the Last Alliance of Elves and Men.

After defeating Sauron's armies and advancing into Mordor itself, the armies of Men and Elves settled into a siege of the main tower of Sauron: Barad-dûr. During this siege Anárion was killed.

 File:Elendil Death.png
At the end of the long siege in the year SA 3441, Sauron came out to personally do battle with his enemies. Elendil, together with the Elven-king Gil-galad, overthrew Sauron, but they were both killed in the process, and Elendil's sword broke when he fell.

Elendil's son Isildur used his father's broken sword to cut the One Ring from Sauron's hand. Vanquished, Sauron's spirit fled. Isildur built a hidden tomb for his father on the summit of the beacon hill of Halifirien.

### Legacy

Leading the remnant of The Faithful Númenóreans to Middle-earth, Elendil established strong regimes there and created the great alliance that put an end to Sauron's power for over a thousand years. His bloodline and spirited leadership survived in the Dúnedain of the North and South of Middle-earth, that would in turn sire the brave and heroic Men that would help bring a final end to Sauron in the War of the Ring.

Aragorn's battle-cry in the *The Lord of the Rings* was ***Elendil!**.*

#### The Oath of Elendil

Lyrics, in Quenya:
*Et Eärello
Endorenna utúlien
Sinome Maruvan
ar Hildinyar tenn' Ambar-Metta*

Translation:
*Out of the Great Sea to Middle-earth I am come.
In this place I will abide, and my heirs, unto the ending of the world.'"*

This oath was sung an age later by Aragorn II Elessar, during his coronation at the end of the War of the Ring.

## Portrayal in Adaptations

### Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy

Elendil makes brief appearance in Peter Jackson's *The Fellowship of the Ring* at the Battle of the Last Alliance*,* and was played by Peter McKenzie. Unlike in the books, Elendil is killed by a blow from Sauron attempting to do battle, instead of in a duel with him alongside Gil-galad. Instead Isildur alone deals the fatal blow to the still-living Sauron by cutting off his fingers with the broken blade of Narsil, and with them the One Ring. Another deviation is Elendil's height; he is shown to be near the same height as most of his troops.

## Etymology

*Elendil'*s name meant either "Elf-friend" or "Star-lover" in Quenya.

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## Translations around the World

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## References

1. ↑ Letters 156 (156 To Robert Murray, S.J.), pg
2. ↑ *The Silmarillion, Akallabêth* (The Downfall of Númenor)
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 *The Silmarillion, Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age* Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; name "Rings" defined multiple times with different content
4. ↑ *The Lord of the Rings,* Appendix B: The Tale of Years (Chronology of the Westlands), "The Second Age"
5. ↑ *The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring,* Book One, Chapter II: "The Shadow of the Past"
6. ↑ *The Atlas of Middle-earth,* The Second Age, "The Realms in Exile"
7. ↑ *The Atlas of Middle-earth,* The Second Age, "The Last Alliance"
8. ↑ *The Complete Guide to Middle-earth*

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