ärendil Halfelven was the son of Tuor and Idril Celebrindal, being the second union of Elves and Men. He was born in Gondolin, that fair Hidden Kingdom where Turgon ruled. "Of surpassing beauty was Eärendil, for a light was in his face as the light of heaven, and he had the beauty and the wisdom of the Eldar and the strength and hardihood of the Men of old; and the Sea spoke ever in his ear and heart." 7 In the year of his birth, life in Gondolin was peaceful and happy, but no one knew that Morgoth had finally learned the location of the Hidden Kingdom. Though things were good in Gondolin, Idril Celebrindal, being wise and far-seeing, had misgivings, so she made a secret way out of the city without her enemies knowing anything of it.

Morgoth prepared for his attack for a long time, and at last when Eärendil was seven years old, Morgoth was ready and he let loose his Balrogs, Orcs, wolves and dragons. Tuor and Idril Celebrindal, with Eärendil and the remnants of their people, led them out the secret way, and they made their way north on a way cold and terrible. When they came to the narrow pass of Cirith Thoronath, the Eagles' Cleft, they were confronted by a Balrog, a fire demon. On the right hand side of the pass it was walled by a precipice, and on the left a dreadful leap into emptiness. They all would have perished had it not been for the valor of Glorfindel, chief of the House of the Golden Flower of Gondolin, and if Thorondor, Lord of Eagles, had not come to their aid. Glorfindel dueled with the Balrog and they were both cast into the abyss, but the Eagles came and destroyed all the Orcs in their way so Morgoth would not know for a long time of the escape from Gondolin. Then they carried Glorfindel's body up from the abyss and his people buried him.

Then Tuor led the remnant of the people of Gondolin over the mountains, and they rested and were healed of their hurts. Before long, Tuor and Idril departed and joined their people to the people of Elwing Dior's daughter. Morgoth thought then that he had won, and he laughed behind the walls of Angband. Ulmo, Lord of Waters, went then to Valinor to ask ask that the Valar go to the aid of Elves and Men and forgive them their wrongs, but Manwë was not moved. It was said that only when one person managed to find the straight way to the West and spoke for both Elves and Men, begging for help of the Valar would they come to their aid and overthrow Morgoth forever.

After Tuor and Idril left this world, Eärendil was the lord of the people that dwelt near Sirion. His wife was Elwing the fair, and she bore him Elrond and Elros, the Half-elven. But Eärendil was restless and he took to his ship, Vingilot, often and sailed always searching for Tuor and Idril who did not return and also secretly hoping to come upon the secret way to the West to bring the plight of Elves and Men to the ears of the Valar and beg for their aid. He found neither, and soon, in longing for Elwing, he returned home. He returned in haste, for feelings of foreboding came upon him.

Elwing was the daughter of Dior, who was the son of Beren and Lúthien, and the Silmaril had been passed down from Lúthien to Dior and finally to Elwing. When Maedhros, son of Fëanor learned that Elwing still lived in possession of the Silmaril, he was driven by his oath to regain it. The sons of Fëanor came down upon Sirion and destroyed the people living there. They took the sons of Elwing and Eärendil, Elrond and Elros captive, but they did not regain the Silmaril, for Elwing, with the Silmaril upon her breast, had cast herself into the sea. But the Silmaril was not lost, "for Ulmo bore up Elwing out of the waves, and he gave her the likeness of a great white bird, and upon her breast there shone as a star the Silmaril, as she flew over the water to seek Eärendil her beloved." 8 While Eärendil was at the helm of his ship, he saw her flying towards him, and he took her to his bosom. In the morning, to his surprise, he saw the fair face of his wife as she slept beside him.

Once again, with Elwing beside him and the Silmaril bound to his brow, Eärendil set off in search of Valinor. As they sailed farther West, the light of the Silmaril grew brighter, and it was most likely by the power of that holy jewel that they came in time to waters that no vessels of Middle-earth had known, and they came to the Enchanted Isles and escaped enchantment. They passed the shadows of the Shadowy Seas, and they looked upon Tol Eressëa the Lonely Isle and finally cast anchor in the Bay of Eldamar. And Eärendil became the first of mortal Men to set foot on the immortal lands. He told Elwing and those with him that only he would set foot on the undying lands, for if he should be punished, only he would have to suffer that punishment. But Elwing would not suffer to be left behind, and she jumped from the ship and joined him.

He then told Elwing to await him there, and he went alone into Calacirya, and all was quiet for it was a time of festival. "But Eärendil climbed the green hill of Túna and found it bare; and he entered into the streets of Tirion, and they were empty; and his heart was heavy, for he feared that some evil had come even to the Blessed Realm." 9 He called aloud in many tongues of Men and Elves, but none answered him. When at last he despaired and turned back to the sea, Eönwë, the herald of Manwë called out to him: "'Hail Eärendil, of mariners most renowned, the looked for that cometh at unawares, the longed for that cometh beyond hope! Hail Eärendil, bearer of light before the Sun and Moon! Splendour of the Children of Earth, star in the darkness, jewel in the sunset, radiant in the morning!" 10 And he summoned him before the Powers of Arda, and Eärendil came to Valimar and stood before the Valar, and he delivered the errand of Men and Elves. He asked them to pardon the Noldor and pity their sorrows, and he asked for mercy on Men and Elves and aid in their time of need. And his prayer was granted.

Then the Valar had to decide what to do to a mortal who stepped foot on the undying lands. Thus they gave to them a choice, similar to that given to Lúthien. They were allowed to choose to which kindred to belong, and thus choosing would determine if they would be given the fate of Elves or Men. Eärendil told Elwing to choose, and she chose the fate of the Firstborn, and for her sake, Eärendil chose the same. Then they took Vingilot and hallowed it and lifted it up into the heavens, and Eärendil went on many voyages in the skies with the Silmaril affixed to his brow, shining like a bright star on to Middle-earth.

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Because of Eärendil's voyage in search of Valinor, the Valar came once again to Middle-earth and made war upon Morgoth and finally overthrew him. In what became known as the War of Wrath, the Valar marched into Angband and destroyed all of Morgoth's army and finally an end was made to Angband and Morgoth's reign of evil.

As to the remaining Silmarils, Maedhros and Maglor claimed them, but because of their many merciless deeds, the Silmarils would no longer suffer their touch. Consumed by fire and pain, Maedhros flung himself into a chasm filled with fire, and the Silmaril that he bore was taken into the earth. Maglor also could not endure the pain, and he cast the Silmaril into the Sea. This is how it came to pass that the Silmarils found their everlasting homes: one in the heavens as a star, one in the fires at the heart of the world, and one in the waters.

The sons of Eärendil and Elwing were given the same choice as their parents; Elrond chose to remain with the Elves, and he became the wisest of the Elves, and he established Rivendell. We know much more of him from The Lord of the Rings. Elros chose the fate of Men, and from him came the line of Kings.

With the end of Morgoth's power and his imprisonment beyond the Walls of the World in the Timeless Void, The Silmarillion ends.

 

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