The Kings of Gondor – Part One

Hey Everyone!

This week starts a brand new lore series on the line of Gondorian Kings.  We kick things off at the roots of how the kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor were founded.  Ok readers buckle the seat belts and keep all arms, hands, and legs inside the vehicle at all times because this is going to be a fast, crazy ride!

 

High King of the Two Kingdoms

Elendil was the first High King and founder of both the Gondorian and Arnorian kingdoms.  Elendil had two sons, Isildur, and Anarion who helped him found these two great kingdoms after the downfall and destruction of Numenor.  Elendil was not only the first high king, but he was also known for being extremely tall, as history recalls him to be around 7’10”.   Elendil was born in Numenor. He was the son of Amandil, Lord of Andunie and leader of the Faithful Numenoreans.  Like his father before him, Elendil wanted to keep a strong relationship with the Elves and kept the old beliefs in Iluvatar and a high reverence for the Valar.

Elendil’s father is the one who warned him of the coming destruction of Numenor and is the whole reason we now have the kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor.  Elendil gathered nine ships and had them port on the Eastern shores so they could be loaded with goods, his people and all the possessions they could hold.

 

The Great Ships of the Faithful

When the destruction of Numenor happened Elendil was already prepping his ships to leave Numenor, his sons Isildur and Anarion, and their supporters set sail for Middle-earth. Some of the items they took with them were the Palantiri,  “Great Seeing Stones”  which were given to the Lords of Andunie by the Elves of Tol Eressea, the Ring of Barahir, the Sceptre of Annuminas, Narsil the great sword of the King which Elendil claimed for his own, and a seedling of Nimloth which later grew into the White Tree of Gondor.

The ships became separated during the long voyage to Middle-earth.  While Isildur and Anarion landed their ships in the southern regions of the lands near the haven of the faithful at Pelargir, Elendil landed in the northwest corner near Lindon.  This is why we see two high kingdoms in the books, Arnor in the north and Gondor in the south.  Elendil lived in Arnor, where he founded the city of Annuminas.  His son Anarion established the city of Minas Anor in Anorien, and Isildur founded Minas Ithil in Ithilien. Across the Anduin the city of Osgiliath was built.  In both regions they built great holding towers for the palantiri, this is how they kept in contact with each other.

 

The Siege of Barad-dur

Elendil, and his people were not so lucky as to escape the evil that closely followed though.  Sauron had lost his physical body in the destruction of Numenor, but his spirt was still well alive and returned to Middle-earth as a great shadow.  That shadow came to Mordor , and Gondor, where Sauron sought after a new shape to take.  In the second age year 3429 Sauron attacked Gondor taking the hold of Minas Ithil.  Isildur fled north to his father, leaving Anarion in charge of Gondor. In 3434, King Elendil and Isildur returned south together with the Elven High King Gil-galad forging the last Alliance of Elves and Men to take on Sauron and his great hordes of evil followers.  Towards the end of the Siege of Barad-dur, Sauron came forward to battle the Elves and Men. Gil-galad and Elendil fought Sauron but were both slain, and Elendil’s sword Narsil was broken when he fell. His son Isildur used the broken sword to cut the One Ring from Sauron’s hand. However, despite the council of Elrond, Isildur chose not to destroy the Ring at Mount Doom and was eventually betrayed by the Ring in the the Gladden Fields, and was slain by Orcs.

I hope you enjoyed the start to our new series!

Until next week, I’m your host Iogro Merrybelly and I bid you a fine farewell!