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A History of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, Part 3

© Michael Martinez

This is part three of a three-part article concerning the war of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men. The article was originally written for the Tolkien journal Arda. Part 1 covered events leading up to the war. Part 2 covered events during the war. Special thanks to Rick House, who provided comments and suggestions when the article was written in 1996.

Notes

1. The Silmarillion, p. 287. "Men he found the easiest to sway of all the peoples of the Earth; but long he sought to persuade the Elves to his service, for he knew that the Firstborn had the greater power; and he went far and wide among them, and his hue was still that of one both fair and wise."
2. Unfinished Tales, p. 254. "...The note goes on to say that Galadriel was not deceived, saying that this Aulendil was not in the train of Aule in Valinor...." This and all subsequent references to Galadriel and Celeborn make use of the essay "Concerning Galadriel and Celeborn", provided in Unfinished Tales, which most closely fits with the events detailed in Tolkien's other writings. However, this narrative stipulates that Amroth was their son, an idea Tolkien later abandoned, which decision is accepted by and incorporated into this work.
3. Ibid., pp. 199-200. "A new shadow rises in the East...." The letter Gil-galad wrote to Tar-Meneldil was composed in SA 882. Since Tolkien elsewhere states that Sauron began stirring again around SA 500, it may be that Gil-galad was aware of some growing evil well before the end of the 9th Century.
4. Ibid., p. 238. "...At last the attackers broke into Eregion with ruin and devastation, and captured the chief object of Sauron's assault...Then Celebrimbor was put to torment...Concerning the Three Rings Sauron could learn nothing from Celebrimbor; and he had him put to death." Although other parts of this history conflict with some of the sources, this much agrees with "Of The Rings Of Power And The Third Age" in The Silmarillion (p. 288), which implies that Celebrimbor died there.
5. The Return Of The King, p. 364. "The Tale Of Years" states only that the Numenoreans began making permanent havens around the year SA 1800. Unfinished Tales reveals something of Lond Daer (Vinyalonde) in the sections concerning Numenor and the History of Galadriel and Celeborn. Umbar and Pelargir are attested in various sources, and other, unnamed havens are said to have been built far to the south and east.

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