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Hello you over 263,000 members of the Brohirim and all of you who haven't subscribed yet.
Explore Elendil's heroic journey in the Second Age, from Númenor's fall to founding Arnor and Gondor and leading the Last Alliance.
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Key Takeaways
- Elendil was a pivotal figure bridging Númenor's fall and the rise of Middle-earth kingdoms.
- His leadership and alliances were crucial in resisting Sauron's power during the Second Age.
- The Last Alliance marked a significant united front of Elves and Men against darkness.
- Elendil's death symbolized the end of the Second Age but his legacy endured through his heirs.
- Isildur's failure to destroy the One Ring had lasting consequences for Middle-earth.
What the video covers
- Elendil, born in 3119 Second Age Númenor, descended from the Lords of Andúnië and Elros.
- He was a leader of the Faithful, opposing Sauron's corrupt influence on Númenor.
- Elendil escaped Númenor's destruction in 3319 with his sons, carrying key treasures like Narsil and the Palantíri.
- He founded the kingdoms of Arnor in the North and Gondor in the South, ruling as High King.
- Elendil forged a strong alliance with Gil-galad, High King of the Elves, to resist Sauron.
- In 3429, Sauron attacked Gondor, prompting the formation of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men.
- The Last Alliance fought the Battle of Dagorlad and laid siege to Barad-dûr for seven years.
- Elendil and Gil-galad died in the final battle against Sauron in 3441, but Isildur cut the One Ring from Sauron's hand.
- Isildur's refusal to destroy the Ring allowed Sauron's evil to persist into the Third Age.
- Elendil's legacy continued through his descendants and the realms he established, shaping Middle-earth's fate.
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
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Today we're delving into the epic life of Elendil the Tall, a towering figure in the history of Middle-earth.
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Elendil is renowned as the founder of the kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor and a leader of the Last Alliance against Sauron.
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From the tragic fall of Númenor to his heroic stand against the Dark Lord, Elendil's story is one of bravery, wisdom and sacrifice.
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So, join us as we explore the full story of Elendil, the High King of the Dúnedain, and how his legacy shaped the fate of Middle-earth.
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Then Aragorn took the crown and held it up and said: Et Eärello Endorenna utúlien.
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Sinome maruvan ar Hildinyar tenn' Ambar-metta!
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And those were the words that Elendil spoke when he came up out of the Sea on the wings of the wind:
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'Out of the Great Sea to Middle-earth I am come.
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In this place will I abide, and my heirs, unto the ending of the world.'
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Et Eärello Endorenna utúlien.
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Sinome maruvan ar Hildinyar tenn' Ambar-metta!
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And those were the words that Elendil spoke when he came up out of the Sea on the wings of the wind:
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'Out of the Great Sea to Middle-earth I am come. In this place will I abide, and my heirs, unto the ending of the world.'
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Elendil was born in 3119 of the Second Age in Númenor, into the line of the Lords of Andúnië, a noble house descended from Elros, the first King of Númenor and the brother of Elrond.
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The Lords of Andúnië were known for their wisdom and loyalty to the Valar, maintaining strong ties with the Elves of Middle-earth.
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Their leadership of the Faithful represented Númenor's original virtues, standing in contrast to the corruption that later overtook the island.
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His father, Amandil, was the last Lord of Andúnië and a leader of the Faithful, those Númenóreans who remained loyal to the Valar and opposed to the influence of Sauron.
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Elendil's name, which means "Lover of the Stars" in Quenya, signifies his family's bond with the Elves and their reverence for the ancient ways.
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As the last King of Númenor, Ar-Pharazôn fell under the influence of Sauron, who had been taken as a prisoner but quickly became the King's most trusted advisor.
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Because of this, Númenor fell under tyranny and darkness.
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Sauron's influence led to the persecution of the Faithful, and he incited Ar-Pharazôn to challenge the Valar themselves, desiring immortality.
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Fearing the doom that Sauron's influence would bring, Amandil attempted to sail to Valinor to plead for mercy, following the example of his ancestor Eärendil.
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Amandil's fate is left uncertain, as he was never seen again, mirroring the uncertainty of Númenor's future.
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His departure symbolizes the last attempt to save Númenor from its inevitable destruction.
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Before leaving, he instructed Elendil to prepare for the worst.
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Elendil gathered his family, including his sons Isildur and Anárion, and made preparations to escape.
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When Númenor was destroyed by a great wave in 3319, Elendil and his sons fled eastward on nine ships.
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Carrying with them the Palantíri, the seeing stones, the sword of Narsil, the Sceptre of Annúminas, and a seedling of Nimloth, the White Tree of Númenor.
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These treasures represented the legacy of Númenor, preserving its connection to the Valar and the Elves.
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The Palantíri would later serve as vital communication tools, while Narsil and the White Tree carried deep symbolic importance for the future of Middle-earth.
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Elendil's ships were separated during the voyage; he landed in the North near Lindon, while his sons reached the southern lands near the mouth of the Anduin.
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Elendil's skill as a ship captain was crucial to their survival, a master of the sea, he led the fleet through the stormy waters caused by Númenor's destruction, navigating them safely to Middle-earth.
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This ability was inherited from the great seafaring traditions of Númenor, making Elendil not only a wise leader, but also a capable mariner.
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His knowledge of the seas and star-guided navigation allowed his people to escape the cataclysm and continue their legacy in Middle-earth.
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Upon landing in Middle-earth, Elendil declared his famous oath in Quenya, like I quoted at the beginning, which again means:
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'Out of the Great Sea to Middle-earth I am come.
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In this place will I abide, and my heirs, unto the ending of the world.'
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This oath symbolized the beginning of a new era for the Númenóreans.
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Elendil founded the Kingdom of Arnor in the North, with its capital of Annúminas on the shores of Lake Nenuial.
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His sons Isildur and Anárion established the Kingdom of Gondor in the South, building the cities of Minas Ithil and Minas Anor, and the central city of Osgiliath, where the Great Seal of the Realm was kept.
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The Palantíri were distributed among key locations in both kingdoms, allowing communication and governance across vast distances.
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Elendil ruled as High King over both Arnor and Gondor, coordinating the defense and prosperity of his people.
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While Elendil ruled as High King, Arnor in the North was his personal seat of power.
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Gondor, again ruled by Isildur and Anárion, was a vassal kingdom to Arnor, though it would later become the dominant realm after Arnor's decline.
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He forged strong alliances with the Elves, particularly with Gil-galad, the High King of the Noldor in Lindon.
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Elendil's alliance with Gil-galad was rooted in mutual respect and a shared goal to resist Sauron's growing power.
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Elendil's wisdom and foresight were crucial in ensuring the continued collaboration between Elves and Men, marking him as a trusted leader among the Free Peoples of Middle-earth.
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The Elves and the Dúnedain worked together to maintain peace and vigilance against that growing threat that would be Sauron.
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In 3429, still in the Second Age, Sauron attacked Gondor, capturing Minas Ithil and forcing Isildur to flee North to Arnor, while Anárion defended Osgiliath.
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Recognizing the grave threat that Sauron posed, Elendil and Gil-galad formed the Last Alliance of Elves and Men.
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The Last Alliance was not limited to just Elves and Númenóreans, it also included men from other regions.
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The conflict between Sauron was one of the largest in Middle-earth's history, involving vast armies and alliances that had been built over centuries.
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This alliance was solidified with a solemn oath, calling upon the name of Eru Ilúvatar as a witness.
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Two years later now, in 3431, the combined armies of Elendil and Gil-galad gathered at Imladris or Rivendell before marching eastward.
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It was three years later when they crossed the Misty Mountains and faced Sauron's forces on the plains of Dagorlad.
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The Battle of Dagorlad was a fierce and bloody conflict, but the forces of the Last Alliance emerged victorious, pushing Sauron's army back to Mordor and laying siege to his fortress, Barad-dûr.
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The siege of Barad-dûr lasted for seven years.
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During the long siege, Anárion was killed, a tragic loss for Gondor and for Elendil's family.
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His death further emphasized the high cost of war for Elendil's line.
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In 3441, Sauron himself came forth to engage in direct combat.
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In the final confrontation, Elendil and Gil-galad fought valiantly against Sauron.
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Although they managed to cast down the Dark Lord in the end, both Elendil and Gil-galad were slain in this battle.
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Elendil's sword Narsil was shattered beneath him, but Isildur would use the hilt shard to cut the One Ring from Sauron's hand, defeating him and causing his spirit to flee.
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Narsil's shattering was symbolic of the passing of the Second Age, but its reforging into Andúril in the Third Age represented the renewal of Elendil's legacy through Aragorn, his distant heir.
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However, Isildur, against the counsel of Elrond and Círdan, refused to destroy the One Ring.
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This fateful decision would allow Sauron's evil to endure and shape much of Middle-earth's history in the Third Age.
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Elendil's death marked the end of the Second Age.
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But his legacy lived on through his descendants and the realms he established.
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Isildur became the High King, ruling both Arnor and Gondor.
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Over time, the lines of kings in Arnor dwindled, leading to the kingdom's fragmentation.
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While Gondor remained a powerful realm through the line of Anárion.
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The kingdom was eventually split into three realms, Arthedain, Cardolan and Rhudaur, due to disputes over succession.
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This division weakened Arnor and contributed to its eventual downfall.
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Those Palantíri brought from Númenor continued to serve as vital tools of communication and foresight.
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Narsil, the sword of Elendil, would be reforged into Andúril, the Flame of the West.
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As we mentioned, being wielded by Aragorn.
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Elendil's influence also endured in the prophecy of the return of his line, which was fulfilled in the Third Age again with Aragorn's coronation.
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This prophecy held that Elendil's line would return to unite the kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor.
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Aragorn's eventual coronation symbolized this restoration and brought Elendil's story full circle.
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Elendil's name and deeds became symbols of that fight against evil.
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He was remembered as a great warrior, a wise king, and a faithful leader who sacrificed paved the way for the eventual defeat of Sauron.
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His tomb, originally in Amon Anwar, was later moved to the Hallows of Minas Tirith by the Steward Cirion.
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Reflecting his legacy among the Dúnedain and the people of Gondor.
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So, there we have it, Elendil's life is a classic example of courage, wisdom and leadership.
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From the fall of Númenor to the founding of Arnor and Gondor and his crucial role in the Last Alliance, Elendil's impact on Middle-earth is profound.
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His legacy lived on in the kingdoms he established, the line of kings he founded, and the lasting influence of his actions.
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Elendil the Tall is one of those historic figures who inspired generations to come in that fight against darkness.
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And I would also like to take a moment at the end of this video today to give you a quick update on The Guard, the short film that we are creating.
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Everything is going amazing, we have just shot block two, and the rest of it should hopefully be shot soon too.
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As always, it is all the money from our Patreon that is funding this, in essence, it is a no budget production if you consider the large scale of film.
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But every pound that you give is a massive help to create an incredible story.
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I'm putting a couple of shots on screen now and some behind the scenes clips to kind of give you an idea of what's going on.
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So if you would like to help support it a little bit more to help push us over the line, then please check out our Patreon.
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Every little bit really helps.
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And with that now, it is time for my question of the day, which is:
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What do you think was Elendil's greatest legacy, was it his role in the Last Alliance?
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Was it his founding of Arnor and Gondor, or something else entirely?
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Let me know your thoughts and opinions on this in the comment section down below.
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And now it is time to give a massive thank you to our Patreons who continue to support the channel, you are all amazing.
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And if you have reached the very end of this video with me today and you haven't subscribed to the channel, please consider doing so, it would massively help us out, and why not drop a like on the video as well.
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And with that, all I can say is, thank you for spending just some of your time with me today.
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And I will see you next time on The Broken Sword.
Topics:ElendilSecond AgeNúmenorArnorGondorLast AllianceSauronMiddle-earthNarsilOne Ring
