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Lonely Wanderers and the Tales That Almost Were - Page 8

© Michael Martinez

In accepting that Tolkien intended to revise and expand the history of the Princes who were the Lords of Dol Amroth, we need not discount the tale of Imrazor and Mithrellas. Rather, though he may still have been called Imrazor the Numenorean, it is acceptable to refer to him as a Lord of Dol Amroth. The status of Imrazor's family is as canonically established as Celeborn's relationship to Thingol. The last word Tolkien wrote concerning Celeborn was that he was a grandson of Olwe of Alqualonde, which notion contradicts Tolkien's much older taboos against the Eldar marrying their first cousins (Galadriel was the daughter of Earwen, Olwe's daughter). If we accept the Celeborn of The Lord of the Rings as a grandson of Olwe, we have an impossible task in bringing him to Lothlorien with any hope of consistency with other texts, both published in Tolkien's lifetime and afterward. So, in the final stage of the history Tolkien developed for the Lords of Dol Amroth, Imrazor becomes a Prince of Belfalas, a Lord of Dol Amroth, and the son of Adrahil of Dol Amroth who commanded the Left Wing of the Northern Army of Gondor under King Ondoher. We have no word on whether Adrahil served under Prince Earnil in the war against Angmar, but he certainly could have been serving as a captain in some capacity. For example, when Earnil led the Gondorian cavalry north around the Hills of Evendim, who led the remainder of Gondor's forces eastward toward Fornost Erain? And did Earnil not retain at least one army at home under the command of a capable captain? Adrahil's career is important only to the extent that his experiences may have affected his son's temperament and destiny. The Edain and Dunedain who wedded Elven maids usually had a family connection with the Elves. The Lords of Dor-lomin, vassals of the Elven-kings Fingolfin and Fingon, were the ancestors of Turin and Tuor; the Lords of Ladros, vassals of the Elven-king Finrod Felagund, were the ancestors of Beren; the Chieftains of the Dunedain of the North, fostered by Elrond of Rivendell, were the ancestors of Aragorn. In a fuller account of Imrazor's story, therefore, it would make sense for Adrahil to accompany Earnil to Eriador. As a hero of the earlier disaster and an experienced captain, Adrahil would have been a strong asset for Earnil. And his presence in Eriador would have served to introduce his family to the Silvan Elves of Lorien, who sent an army to the final battle against Angmar. When Imrazor met Mithrellas years later, she would have heard of his father, and so would have been disposed to treat him with greater honor than most Gondorian lords. Also, as the son of the Lord of Dol Amroth, Imrazor would have inherited a special family relationship with the recently-departed Elves of Edhellond, some of whom would have been Mithrellas' kindred.

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