Elros

Elros, also known as Elros Tar-Minyatur, the Half-elven, was the son of Eärendil and Elwing, brother of Elrond, uncle of Elladan and Elrohir and Arwen Undómiel, and the first King of Númenor; ancestor to a line of kings especially to his descendant Aragorn II Elessar. He had a strong friendship with the Elves, who were half his kin.

Biography

First Age

In FA 532, Elros was born in Arvernien. In the assault of the Third Kinslaying by the Sons of Fëanor, Elros and Elrond were taken captive by Maglor and Maedhros. Later, Elwing, their mother, cast herself into the great Belegaer and vanished from Middle-earth.^[3]

From then on, Elros and his brother were raised by Maglor. They were both raised in love for Maglor was not proud of his deeds. It is nowhere told when or if Elros and Elrond actually left Maglor but it can be assumed that at the time of Eönwë's arrival they took full part in the war.^[3]

In FA 547,^[1] the host of Eönwë and the Valar were seen shining upon the sea and the noise of Eönwë`s trumpets rang over the waves. Eönwë summoned all of the Elves and all of the men from Hithlum to the South, rallying them for the great war against Melkor that was now to come.^[3]

Second Age

Eventually the War of Wrath ended. As Elros and Elrond were Peredhil, or Half-elven, and only in these two remained the line of heroic chieftains of Men in the First Age. The Valar gave to Elrond and Elros the choice of which kindred they would belong to. Elros chose to be of Man-kind and as such he was granted a great life-span. Eonwë came among the faithful humans and he taught them and gave them wisdom, power, and a life longer than any others of mortal race, but none of the high men ever reached the age of Elros. And a great land was made for them; not a part of Middle-earth and not wholly separate from it. This land was Númenor, and Elros was its first king.^[4]

Númenor was raised from the depths of the sea by Ossë, established by Aulë and enriched by Yavanna. The Elves brought flowers and fountains out of Tol Eressëa from Avallónë and wrought gardens in Númenor. The Valar called it Andor, The Land of Gift, and its own people called it Westernessë, for it lay west of all the lands inhabited by Mortals.^[4]

When Elros was 90 years old, he ascended the throne of Númenor in the city of Armenelos where he was inscribed as Elros Tar-Minyatur. The sword Aranrúth which once was his great-great-grandfather Thingol's sword, the Serpent Ring, and Dramborleg, the Axe of Tuor became heirlooms of the Kings of Númenor.^[5] During his time as king, Elros had four children to an unnamed mortal wife. They included three sons, Vardamir Nólimon, Manwendil, and Atanalcar, and a daughter, Tindómiel.^[6]

Elros died in SA 442, after ruling Númenor for 410 years.^[4][7][8]

Trivia

• Elros' lifespan was 500 years, and he started ruling Numenor at an old age (90), but he gave up his life willingly, so the oldest age Elros could ever have been is unknown.
• He could possibly be related to the Valar, as his ancestor Melian the Maia was a distant relative of Yavanna and Vána, who are Valar.
• Elros' descendants never lived up to his age; his descendant Aragorn only lived up to 210 years, which was less than half his age. In fact the oldest King/Queen of Numenor other than Elros was Tar-Atanamir, who lived up to 421 years, 79 years less than Elros' lifespan.
• Elros reign over Numenor was nearly twice as long as Aragorn's age.

Etymology

Elros was a Sindarin word that meant "Elf of the spray", from el ("elf" or "star", interchangeably) and ross ("foam, spray").^[9][10] The name came from the Quenyan word Elerossë.^[11]

Tar-Minyatur was a Quenyan word that meant "High First-ruler" in the High-Elven tongue,^[11] from tar ("king"), minya ("first") and túrë ("master, lord").^[12] Afterwards this was the convention by which most succeeding Kings of Númenor took their royal title.

Earlier Names

In earlier versions, the Adûnaic name for Elros was Indilzar Azrabelo, and later changed to Gimilzôr. Later, the name Gimilzôr was given to the twenty-third King of Númenor.^[13]

Line of the Half-elven

Finwë

Indis

Fingolfin

Anairë

Galdor

Thingol

Melian

Elenwë

Turgon

Huor

Rían

Beren

Lúthien

Idril

Tuor

Dior

Nimloth

Eärendil

Elwing

Eluréd and Elurín

Elros

Elrond

Celebrían

Kings of Númenor

Lords of Andunie

Elendil

Isildur

Anarion

Kings of Arnor

Kings of Gondor

Chieftains of the Dúnedain

Aragorn

Arwen

Elladan

Elrohir

Eldarion

Daughters

The marriages between Elves and Men are in bold.
The half-elven or the Peredhil are in italic.

Translations

Half-elves of Arda
Line of Lúthien	Arwen • Dior Eluchíl • Elladan and Elrohir • Elrond • Elros • Eluréd and Elurín • Elwing • Eärendil
Line of Dol Amroth	Galador • Gilmith

Rulers of Númenor

Elros Tar-Minyatur • Vardamir Nólimon • Tar-Amandil • Tar-Elendil • Tar-Meneldur • Tar-Aldarion • Tar-Ancalimë • Tar-Anárion • Tar-Súrion • Tar-Telperiën • Tar-Minastir • Tar-Ciryatan • Tar-Atanamir • Tar-Ancalimon • Tar-Telemmaitë • Tar-Vanimeldë • Tar-Anducal (Herucalmo) • Tar-Alcarin • Tar-Calmacil • Tar-Ardamin • Ar-Adûnakhôr • Ar-Zimrathôn • Ar-Sakalthôr • Ar-Gimilzôr • Tar-Palantir • Ar-Pharazôn

King of Númenor
Preceded by None	Elros	Succeeded by Vardamir Nólimon
SA 32 - SA 442

References

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} The History of Middle-earth, Vol. XI: The War of the Jewels, V: The Tale of Years
2. ↑ The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B: The Tale of Years (Chronology of the Westlands), "The Second Age"
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter XXIV: "Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath"
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} The Silmarillion, Akallabêth (The Downfall of Númenor)
5. ↑ Unfinished Tales, Introduction, Part Two, chapter I: "A Description of the Island of Númenor", Note 2
6. ↑ Unfinished Tales, Introduction, Part Two, chapter II: "Aldarion and Erendis: The Mariner's Wife"
7. ↑ Unfinished Tales, Introduction, Part Two, III: "The Line of Elros, The Kings of Númenor"
8. ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. XII: The Peoples of Middle-earth, chapter VI: "The Tale of Years of the Second Age"
9. ↑ The Silmarillion, Index of Names
10. ↑ Parma Eldalamberon, Words, Phrases and Passages in Various Tongues in The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1} The History of Middle-earth, Vol. XII: The Peoples of Middle-earth, chapter XI: "The Shibboleth of Fëanor"
12. ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. V: The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part Three: "The Etymologies"
13. ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. IX: Sauron Defeated, Part Three: "The Drowning of Anadûnê", (i) The third version of The Fall of Númenor