Years ago I was told that the a couple of the main themes of the 2nd age in the Silmarillion are about mortality of men and the immortality of elves. This got me real curious, and I always wanted to read the Silmarillion, may as well read all of the 2nd Age (which is actually rather short compared to the 1st.)
Before diving in, there are a couple key things to know of the First Age. Much like how C. S. Lewis has Aslan who symbolizes Jesus, Tolkien has Eru Ilúvatar who symbolizes God. He also has the Valar, who are more or less like archangels, but with two key differences, they serve as stewards of Eru’s creation, and they have the ability to sub-create; Make things out of what Eru had made. Of the Valar came the first dark lord, Melkor (Also known as Morgoth) whom aimed to create things of his own outside of Eru’s will, but all he could manage was to twist things until they were unrecognizable from their former glory.
Whereas Valar are like archangels, there are the Maiar whom are like normal angels in rank and these apprentice under the Valar. The Maiar include Gandalf and the other wizards (as they were called by many mortals), but also Sauron and others that sided with Melkor and took the form of balrogs.
Eru made the elves whom are immortal and bound to the world, when they die, their spirit goes to Valinor (the land where elves, Valar and Maiar reside) until they regain their form.
Eru also made men, and gave them the gift of mortality; Where once they perish, they’ll go beyond the confines of the world. (The elves, in hope, theorized that perhaps, mankind will play a part in restoring the world from the marring done by Melkor.)
Of the Númenóreans
During the first age Melkor corrupted Middle Earth, and all mankind of that age joined him, but there were a few called the Edain (also known as the Dúnedain) whom eventually turned and sided with the Valar & elves and fought against the dark lord. After Melkor was defeated and imprisoned, the Valar rewarded the Edain, and blessed them and their descendants with long life, strength, and beauty that was closer to even the elves than any other mortal. The Valar also gave them their own island between Valinor and Middle Earth and it was called Númenor.
Among the Edain, were the brothers Elros and Elrond. They both were descendants of Beren and Lúthien; Which made them half elven. Due to this unusual situation, the Valar gave them the choice to join in the fate of the Elves or Men, Elrond chose the elves, and Elros chose men. With the choice made, the Valar made Elros the king of the Númenóreans, and with his half elven blood he was gifted with even longer life and lived to 500.
The Númenóreans were a prosperous people, and the elves would often visit and provide gifts, such as a white tree from their land and the seven seeing stones. The Númenóreans became great sailors, but the Valar placed a ban; that they cannot sail west beyond sight of Númenor, for in the west was Valinor, home of the elves. With respect to the Valar, they sailed ever east and would often land in Middle Earth and with pity on the poor people of mankind weakened by Melkor, they would give gifts and teach them to sow seed and build out of wood and stone.
Years and kings came and gone, and they found themselves longing for the undying lands west of them, and for eternal life. Though they lived long, their lives were brief in the sight of the elves, and the Númenóreans came to fear death.
The main theme of men starts building, but now at the time of the 11th king, is were the story of the elves and the Rings of Power take place.
Of the Elves
Many elves had made their home in Middle Earth during the First Age, such as Gil-galad, Celeborn, and Galadriel (whom moved to Middle Earth for the sake of having a kingdom without having to be under the stewardship of the Valar.) After the war with Melkor, the land was tainted and the Valar invited again the elves to Valinor, but many stayed for they loved their current home. However as the elves are immortal, they began to see Middle Earth and their kingdoms decay and fade.
Sauron whom had hid from the summons of the Valar after the first war thought Middle Earth abandoned by the greater powers, and thus he sought dominion. He could sway men, but he desired to control the elves who were greater. Thus he introduced himself to them as Annatar, the Lord of Gifts, sent of the Valar to save their lands. Gil-galad and Elrond felt something off and didn’t trust him, but he was welcomed with open arms nearly everywhere else. (It is also said that Galadriel also didn’t trust him, for she had the gift of seeing into the minds of others, but Sauron would meet with the elves of her and Celeborn’s company in secret) With his vast knowledge Sauron taught the elven craftsmen how to make magical rings and guided their process, keeping a close watch over them. Then, in the fires of mount Doom, Sauron created the One Ring to dominate them all. He poured his great strength into that Ring, and when he put it on he could perceive all the things done by the lessor rings and could see and govern the very thoughts of those who wore them. But the elves noticed and removed their rings. Enraged Sauron demanded all the rings back, and did so with war. He manage to seize all the rings except the three great rings crafted by Celebrimbor, whom made them in secret and went untouched by Sauron. The dark lord desired them greatly for those three could indeed halt the fading of the elven kingdoms. Though the three were hidden, but he slew Celebrimbor before being pushed back to the east by the elves lead by Gil-galad and the Númenóreans lead by the 11th king.
Sauron would then lay low, and would later offer the lessor magical rings to dwarves and men. He gave seven to dwarven lords, but they were too stubborn of a people to be controlled, but the rings multiplied their gold until the amount lured dragons. And he gave nine to men, who would become ring wraiths.
As for the three still held by the elves, they would continue to preserve the three lands that held them, but by the 3rd age the dilemma returned. The elves that lived outside of the three kingdoms began to leave, and for the elves with the rings, they saw the end of their time in Middle Earth was near, for either Sauron would come back to power and take all of Middle Earth, or the One Ring would be destroyed and the three rings will lose their power. Their homes would be lost either way.
The fall of the Númenóreans
After Sauron was pushed back to the east. Time went on, and the in the men’s longing for eternal life and the undying lands, they began to grumble, first in their hearts and then openly. By the 13th king, the elves told the Valar what they had heard. The Valar were grieved and sent messengers to the king and all that would hear. Telling them that the undying lands is called so for the the beings that dwell there, not for what it can give; should men travel there, they’d fade away all the sooner. That men were wishing the good of both kindred. And though men claim elves are unpunished, the elves don’t see their immortality as a gift or punishment, but rather as the fulfillment of their being. They cannot die, but they also cannot leave, they are bound to the world for however long it lasts. Men are not bound it, in hope or weariness.
The Númenóreans replied that their part requires blind faith and that they love middle earth and did not wish to part it.
The Messengers replied that even the Valar don’t fully know the will of Eru concerning men, but they know that this world isn’t their home, though the love of it wasn’t placed into their hearts without reason, and it will be many years before the reason is made known to men, and yet it’ll be revealed not to the Valar. Thus they implored them to not withhold trust. But the king heeded the messengers not, and many followed him. It was then that there came a split among the people. Those who sided with the king became known as The King’s Men, and those that trusted the Valar and kept friendship with the elves became known as The Faithful (And also as The Elf-Friends).
Time went on, and though the Númenóreans no more loved the Valar, they still feared them enough not to break the ban. Ever east they would sail, and they began to settle on Middle Earth and demand tribute from the men there. They also attempted all matter of lore to prolong life, but all they managed was to preserve dead flesh for their silent tombs.
The 20th king forbid the use of elven tongues in his hearing, and claimed “lord of the west” as his title. The claim made the Faithful uneasy and their loyalty was torn between the Valar and the king.
The 23rd king forbid the use of elven tongues all together and punished those who welcomed them, and deemed the elves as spies of the Valar. But the Valar already knew of what they did, and in their displeasure they withdrew their protection over the Númenor, and the elves would sail to them no more.
The 24th king was of the Faithful and tried to set things right. He tended again to the White Tree that was neglected by the previous kings, and he prophesied that when the tree dies, so too will the line of kings end. Though the king’s younger brother took lead of the King’s Men and opposed his brother, a little openly, but mainly in secret. Though the king longed to see the ships of elves come, they did not.
The 25th king, Ar-Phazarôn the Golden, rose to power and was mightiest and the proudest of all the kings before him. It was then that Sauron made his move, for he hated the Edain for their part in defeating his master Melkor all those years ago, and for their part in his own war against the elves. So reports came to the king that Sauron mustered his forces and declared himself “king of men”, Phazarôn was furious and in his own counsel he desired to take complete dominion of Middle Earth and claim the title “king of men” for himself and reduce Sauron to a servant or prisoner. Thus he sailed with a fleet and marched upon the land and demanded Sauron to meet them. Sauron knew that even his mightiest servants stood no chance against them in war, so he met them alone and humbled himself before the king, and all he said seemed fair and wise. The king took him hostage to Númenor and Sauron secretly smiled. Before three years had past, Sauron became the king’s closest advisor, for his flattery was sweet and his knowledge was beyond anything that men yet knew.
Now that Sauron had the ears of the people, he would contradict and deny the Valar, and spoke of the lord of darkness whom gives life unending to his servants. The king asked who the lord of darkness was, and behind closed doors Sauron answered “Melkor”. The king began worshiping Melkor in secret and then openly, and the people followed him. Sauron then urged the king to cut down the White Tree, but the king hesitated out of fear of the prophecy. Amandil whom was of the line of Elros the first king, but not the ruling house, came to know of this and in sorrow told his son Elindle together with his sons Isildur and Anarion about it, and they recalled the tale of the Trees of Valinor. That night Isildur sneaked into the king’s courts and to the place of the tree (which Sauron had forbidden) and he took a fruit from the White Tree. Though unidentified, he was spotted by guards and fought to escape, he made it home nearly dead. Amandil buried the fruit, and when it sprouted and budded, Isildur recovered.
Soon after the king cut down the White Tree, and whole forsook the allegiance of his fathers. Sauron built a temple and and upon it’s altar sacrifices were made, most the victims were of the Faithful; yet never openly on the charge of that they didn’t worship Melkor, rather on the claim that they plotted against the king or their kin, devising lies or poisons. These charges were for the most part false; but those were bitter days, and hate was great.
Despite the worship of Melkor, the people perished only sooner, for now they were afflicted with sickness and madness, and often slay each other for little. Yet they were more rich than ever before, and they lorded over the men of Middle Earth, bringing back ships filled with gold.
The king however knew he was drawing the near of the end of his days. Sauron told him to be subject to the ban no longer and take the undying lands and with it life unending, of which the Valar had denied him. And so, after covering the sea with a fleet of ships, the king went forth and broke the ban and sailed to Valinor. Meanwhile Elindle and the Faithful sailed nine ships east a short distance from Númenor and kept watch.
The king and his men arrived at Valinor and after hesitating, he stood on the shore and made camp there uncontested, for all the elves had fled. The Valar called upon Eru and laid down their guardianship, and Eru changed the shape of the world. A chasm opened between Númenor and Valinor and the sea poured into it, pulling all the king’s fleet into the great hole. As for the king and his men, they were buried by the hills along the shore, imprisoned until the Day of Doom. In Númenor Sauron laughed in his temple, but then the very foundations of Númenor shifted and the whole island, the Land of Gift, fell into the abyss. Though since Sauron wasn’t of mortal flesh, his spirit arose out of the deep and found his way to Mordor where the One Ring awaited him.
As for the Faithful, their ships were blown with a mighty guest of wind and they found themselves on Middle Earth, there they founded new kingdoms. Some had since sailed west seeking Númenor, but without success. Those who stayed their course westward eventually found themselves back where their journey began, and they would cry that all roads have been bent, for the undying lands have been removed from the reach of men forever.
Tolkien really knows how to write them.
The rest of the 2nd age is the start of the new kingdoms and finally the War of the Last Alliance, which most are familiar with.
The themes of mortality and immortality are very much present. Middle Earth was at that point meant for humans, but the elves clinged to their kingdoms, and in an effort to make the land non-fading like themselves they brought about the One Ring. And in the Númenóreans attempt to claim what wasn’t given to them, they lost near everything.
I don’t really got anything to add, the stories speak well enough on their own. I mainly wanted to share a summery of them.
If you want to read these stories in more detail The Silmarillion tells it in:
-Part IV: Akallabêth: The Downfall of Númenor
-Part V: Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age.
While less detailed, the appendices at the end of Return of the King have a quick outline of the story of Númenor.
While I only referenced a couple details from it here, The Unfinished Tales is a collection of a lot of unfinished notes and drafts, many of which are related a fair deal to the 2nd age.
Lastly, while writing this I came to know of “Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth” a story told in the book “Morgoth’s Ring” (another collection of Tolkien’s notes.) The story is about an elf (Finrod) and a wise woman (Andreth, whom was in love with Finrod’s brother Aegnor) discussing the fates of elves and men.
A nice summary is here: https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Athrabeth_Finrod_ah_Andreth
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