Faithful

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The Faithful referred to the minority faction of Númenóreans who remained friendly with the Elves and respectful and obedient to the Valar. Their most noted leader was Elendil, the Lord of Andúnië (a major port city in northwestern Númenor), who later founded the kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor, known as the Realms in Exile]], in Middle-earth.

History[]

The Faithful emerged as a result of the division that occurred in Númenórean society by the middle of the Second Age during the reign of Tar-Ancalimon. The Númenóreans had become split between the Elendili (Quenya name for the Faithful) and the King's Men, a faction centered around the King that rejected friendship with the Elves and allegiance to the Valar. With Númenor reaching the apex of its might, the King's Men eventually espoused open defiance of the Valar. This split would eventually precipitate the Fall of Númenor.

The Elendili, however, not only preserved their ancient friendship with the Elves, they also regarded the burgeoning arrogance of the King's Men as blasphemy, but the King's Men became more powerful, and by the end of the Second Age had begun to persecute the Elendili as rebels and dissidents.

As use of Elven-tongues and respect for the Valar began to wane, the Faithful became the only ones to preserve these traditions unto themselves. In SA 2350 to escape persecution, the Faithful founded the haven of Pelargir on the shores of Middle-earth as opposed to Umbar which became a haven of the King's Men. As the King's Men's influence grew and the people and their rulers became more and more greedy of wealth and power, the situation of the Faithful worsened dramatically with the accession of Ar-Gimilzôr in SA 3102. Being one of the King's Men, he openly persecuted the Faithful, forbidding the teaching and speaking of the Elven tongues nor was meeting with Elves permitted. The Faithful were then forced to move from the west havens (away from possible contact with the Elves) to Rómenna where they were carefully watched. In these evil days, many of the Faithful emigrated to the friendly havens in Middle-earth.

Some relief came to them in SA 3177, when Elf-friend Tar-Palantir took the sceptre and began to turn Númenor back to the ways of the Faithful. He repented the ways of his forefathers, stopped the persecution of the Faithful, and tried to amend the corruption of Númenor, but his policies were rejected by the majority. On his death, Tar-Palantir's nephew Ar-Pharazôn, son of Gimilkhâd forcibly usurped the throne and the Elendili were more vigorously oppressed. He defeated Sauron, the Dark Lord and took him prisoner to Númenor. It was not long before the King listened to his evil words and took him deep into his counsels, Sauron playing off his fear of death. The Dark Lord established an evil cult on the island, introducing dark practices such as human sacrifice to corrupt and eventually destroy Númenórean society.

It was during these dark times that the Faithful endured their most grievous woe for the King. The Faithful were hunted, killed and even sacrificed in the Temple for Morgoth to the cult of Melkor. When the King prepared the Great Armament, Amandil, the leader of the Faithful attempted to sail to Aman to beg for forgiveness and mercy from the Valar. Before doing so, he entrusted his son, Elendil with the task of preparing a fleet of ships to depart to Middle-earth to escape the coming darkness. As Ar-Pharazôn led his grand armada to Aman to challenge the Ban of the Valar, Elendil and the remaining, Elf-friends were warned by the divine powers to leave Númenor forever. They were thus spared the downfall of Númenor when, as punishment for the attempt to defy the Ban, Eru Ilúvatar sank the island kingdom into the sea.^[1][2]

When Númenor was destroyed in SA 3319, the fleet reached the shores of Middle-earth and were welcomed by the Elves and Faithful Númenórean colonists, founding the kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor and a lineage leading down to King Elessar.^[3]

Etymology[]

The Faithful were also called Elendili, which means "Elf-friends" in Quenya, from eledh, meaning 'Elf', and the suffix (n)dil, meaning 'devoted to'. Another name, perhaps Adûnaic, of uncertain meaning was Avaltiri, containing the root "Avalô", the Adûnaic name for the Valar.^[4]

In adaptations[]

In The Lord of the Rings film trilogy[]

In the prologue to The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the leadership of the Men led by Elendil shown during the Battle of Dagorlad was largely made up of the Faithful who escaped the destruction of Númenor to establish the Realms in Exile.

In The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power[]

Portions of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power are set in Númenor, partly during the time of Ar-Pharazôn. While walking around the city, Elendil came across Valandil and the Sea-Guard members who were returning their uniforms under the supervision of Eärien and Kemen. All guards loyal to the Queen Regent were forced to resign. Eärien informed her father that Belzagar would like to have him convicted of treason and offered her old friend Valandil to spare him this shame, he refused. Elendil joined the guards and surrendered his captain's sword. He left under the tributes of his former men.

The Faithful gathered in the oldest shrine of the city, to commemorate their fallen comrades in Middle-earth. The High Priest presided over the ceremony, Kemen then arrived with guards. The excuse for the shrine being evacuated was the plan for its destruction to make way for passage of a new aqueduct. An old believer who was there did not want to leave without an idol that protected the deceased. Kemen took the statuette, pretending to give it to him, but broke it on the ground. Elendil then punched him in the face. He was seized by guards and just as Kemen was about to return his blow, Valandil prevented him. The two men fought. Valandil eventually gained the upper hand and threatened a frightened Kemen with his own sword. Elendil convinced Valandil to stop. The latter dropped the sword and went toward his captain. Kemen behind him took his weapon and pierced Valandil's chest with it. The young man died in the arms of his captain. Kemen ordered Elendil to be arrested as the instigator of the uprising.

After Ar-Pharazôn's accession to the throne, the persecution accelerated, led by Kemen, the king's son. Míriel submitted to the Trial by Abyss for rebellion against the throne in Elendil's place. Immersed in the sea, she was not devoured by the giant sea-worm, which legitimized her claim to the title of Queen of Númenor, and strengthened the camp of the Faithful.

In Númenor, Eärien summoned the leaders of the Faithful, including the High Priest to the Palace. Ar-Pharazôn arrived and had them arrested. He accused Míriel of using the magic of her ally Sauron to survive the Trial by Abyss. All the Faithful of the city are accused of treachery and are then arrested by the King's Men. Eärien preceded them and managed to make her father flee before he was caught by diverting the guards from his hideout. The flowers of the White Tree begin to fall. Elendil went to the queen, asking her to flee with him to the west of the island. She refused to leave her people, but offered them the Narsil sword and asked them to leave the city.

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