Isildur

In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, Isildur was a Dúnadan of Númenor, elder son of Elendil. He was (briefly) the second king of Gondor and Arnor. His name means "devoted to the moon". In a note written well after the initial publication of The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien gave Isildur's height as 7 feet tall.

Isildur was born in the year 3209 of the Second Age in Númenor, the first son of Elendil son of Amandil, the last Lord of Andúnië. He had a younger brother, Anárion. Isildur had four sons: Elendur, Aratan, Ciryon, and Valandil.

In his youth, Isildur stole a fruit of Nimloth before it was cut down, preserving the line of the White Tree. He planted a seedling in the city of Minas Ithil, and then in Minas Anor.

Isildur, together with his father and brother, fled to Middle-earth when Númenor was destroyed by Ilúvatar. Isildur and Anárion landed in the south and established the realm of Gondor, and their father landed in the north, founding the realm of Arnor.

Isildur settled on the east bank of the Anduin and established the city of Minas Ithil (which would later be named Minas Morgul), as well as the province of Ithilien. However, in 3428 Sauron took Minas Ithil, and Isildur fled northwest to Gil-galad and his father in Arnor, leaving Anárion to rule over Gondor.

He returned with his father and the Elven High King Gil-galad in the Last Alliance of Elves and Men in 3434. His father and Gil-galad threw down Sauron, though both were slain. Isildur took the hilt shard of his father's sword Narsil, which had broken beneath Elendil in the combat with Sauron, and cut the One Ring from Sauron's finger.

Despite the urging of Elrond and Círdan, lieutenant of Gil-galad, Isildur did not destroy the Ring, instead claiming it as an heirloom for his House.

After the fall of Sauron, Isildur left Meneldil, son of his brother Anárion, in charge of Gondor, and returned north to Arnor with his three sons. His fourth son Valandil stayed behind in Rivendell. At the Gladden Fields, Isildur's party was ambushed by roaming Orcs. Isildur put on the ring, hoping to escape under the cover of the Ring's power of invisibility, but the Ring slipped (of its own volition) from his finger, and he was killed by Orcs on the far bank seeking survivors from the attack.

Isildur was the last king to rule both Gondor and Arnor until King Elessar reunited the kingdoms at the beginning of the Fourth Age.

In the riddling rhyme "Seek for the Sword that was Broken" the Ring is referred to cryptically as "Isildur's Bane".

Portrayals in adaptations

In the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy by Peter Jackson, Isildur briefly appears in the first scenes of The Fellowship of the Ring (film), and in an extended flashback scene later on. In the movie, Isildur apparently is the last king of Gondor; Anárion and heirs do not appear at all, and Arnor does not feature at all. However, in the Extended Editions both Arnor and the House of Anárion are mentioned, and at times it is clear that Isildur was not the last King (though he was the last High King), so this might be dialogue error. The story of Isildur's succumbing to the temptation of the Ring affects Aragorn who fears that he could succumb to the same weakness (a fear that is not evident in the books). Also, in the film Isildur is the one who slew Sauron and won the battle.

External Links

Isildur at The Thain's Book

Middle-earth Dúnedain Rulers of Gondor

Gourt Home::Gourt :: Isildur

Portrayals in adaptations

External Links