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Gil-galad was an Elven-king... - Page 8

© Michael Martinez

And yet, when the Rings of Power were made, and Sauron revealed himself to the Ring-makers when he put on the One Ring, the Elves were unable to bring themselves to destroy the Rings. Celebrimbor gave two of the greatest Rings to Gil-galad, and Gil-galad also couldn't destroy them. Why? Was it that he felt there would be no point in trying to undo what had been done? Would it have irreparably harmed Celebrimbor, sole maker of the Three, for the Rings to be destroyed? Or had Gil-galad found reason to change his mind in the centuries after rejecting Annatar's overtures? The Three Rings worked their magic on the Elven realms even though no one wore them throughout the rest of the Second Age. Tolkien wrote that they would still hold back the effects of Time, so the Elves were assured of not fading while the Rings of Power existed. Gil-galad's policies then became more manipulative. When he was sure Sauron would invade Eriador Gil-galad asked Numenor to help defend the Elves and Men who lived there. But he didn't tell the Numenoreans what the war was about. One can only imagine what arguments must have raged in the highest Elven councils before the call to arms went out. Was it fair to withhold vital information from the Men who would be risking their lives on behalf of the Elves, who had dared to meddle with nature? When the war finally came Numenor stood by the Elven-realm, no doubt for the sake of ancient friendship, and because anyone who knew the ancient legends and histories of the Wars of Beleriand knew Sauron was a bad guy. That he must have been using Orcs and Trolls in his armies, and that the Gwathuirim with whom the Numenoreans had been having trouble went over to Sauron, would only encourage the belief that it was right to support the Elven-folk. The issue had become one of survival for all Elves and Men. The Rings of Power were hidden from Numenor as well as Sauron, and their secret maintained for centuries. Gil-galad may have come to feel vindicated in his decision not to share all with his allies in the centuries which followed the war. Sauron was defeated and driven back to Mordor, and his power to threaten Eriador was diminished. He turned his attention to the eastern lands of Middle-earth, where he decided he could build up a great empire capable of challenging Numenor and Gil-galad. But starting around the year 1800 the Numenoreans began to exhibit new behavior. The War of the Elves and Sauron had shown them they were strong, and this strength was now turned to dominating and enslaving other Men, rather than helping them.

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