Akallabêth

Akallabêth is the name of the fourth left the Silmarillion of J.R.R. Tolkien

Synopsis

Akallabêth (“that which has chu” in Adûnaic; in Quenya Atalantë ) is the account of the destruction of the island of Númenor, written by Elendil. After the fall of Morgoth at the end of the First Age (described in the Quenta Silmarillion ), the Valar decided to give in reward the men who had fought Morgoth a new ground: Númenor, virgin of the evil and the sadness of the Ground of the Medium. The island was in the middle of the Large Ocean, between the Earth of the Medium in the east and the continent of Aman in the west, where lived Valar. When they unloaded on Númenor, it was interdict with the men to sail in direction of Aman.

One long period of growth followed for Númenóréens (also called Dúnedain, “men of the west”). Their ships ploughed the seas, and they established contacts with the Earth of the Medium, bringing help and assistance to the less men who lived there. But to the wire of time, they came from there to envy more and more the immortality of the Elfes and the Valar. The kings themselves succumbed to this greed, their pride believed and they started to establish Ground permanent colonies of the Medium and to control the autochtones. Tar-Palantír, the last but one king, repented the errors of its ancestors, but it was too late.

The last king, Ar-Phazarôn, were largest and proudest of all. Learning that Sauron, former servant of Morgoth, sought to dominate the Earth of the Medium, it sent a Ground large army of the Medium. Sauron understood that it could not overcome Númenor by the weapons, and it was subjected to Ar-Phazarôn. This one was not convinced, and it took along Sauron like hostage to Númenor, precisely what it discounted. There, by its trick and its skill, it was not long in becoming the adviser more listened of the king, whom it converts with the worship of the Night and Morgoth, making him cut down Nimloth, the White Tree. Númenor acquired an unequalled power thanks to the councils of Sauron, even if the lifespan and the joy of the people of its people had decreased.

Growing old Ar-Pharazôn, Sauron could convince it to attack Aman and Valar to tear off immortality to them. Only a small minority, the Faithful ones, was still opposed to the king, and in secrecy. Their chief, Amandil, lord of Andúnië, a city of the west coast of the island, solved to go to warn Valar and to beseech their leniency. It gave its capacities to his son Elendil and set sail towards the west, and no one never revives it. During this time, the formerly lenient climate of the island became increasingly violent, storms, storms of rain and of hail the country struck, but that does not weaken of anything the resolution of the king. He made build an immense fleet and launched out to the attack of Valinor.

At the time when Ar-Pharazôn and some of its soldiers posed the foot on Aman, Manwë called upon Ilúvatar, which deployed its power and changed the shape of the world: of dish, this one became round. The sea absorbs the fleet of Dúnedain and the king was buried under the ground of Aman, says one, “until the Ultimate Battle at the Day of the Judgment”. Aman and Tol Eressëa were removed Circles of the World and the island of Númenor sank under water in fury. All Númenóréens did not perish however in cataclysm: Elendil had gathered around him the Fidèles last to Rómenna, port of the east of the island, and they could flee towards the Earth of the Medium on board nine ships: four for Elendil, three for his/her oldest son Isildur and two for its junior Anárion. Sauron could also escape to him the immersion from the island and it returned to Barad-hard, its fortress of the Mordor, and it could not consequently any more take a beautiful and pleasant form.

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