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Death and the Dúnedain

Jacob D Fishel

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Death and the Dúnedain

An Examination of Death Anxiety and Death Acceptance in the Works of J. R. R. Tolkien

Jacob D. Fishel

REL 334WI

Dr. Michael Kinsella

December 11, 2018

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Introduction

Amongst the stories of beloved author J. R. R. Tolkien, many stand out to readers and

watchers as some of the greatest stories that have been told in the last centuries and indeed some

of the most beautiful works ever composed. While the most famous stories of Tolkien are The

Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, the Legendarium that he constructed was perhaps the most

complex fictional world that had ever been constructed to date and continues to be amongst the

most explored fantasy worlds today. The following essay will be an examination of one of the

key events of the history of Middle-earth, the Downfall of Númenor and the later restoration of

the Realms in Exile under High King Elessar – known as Aragorn throughout LOTR – and how

they relate to human struggles with death anxiety and death acceptance. Here I shall focus

primarily upon “Akallabêth” from The Silmarillion and Appendix A of The Return of the King as

well as previous Tolkien scholarship. In addition to framing Tolkien’s vision of the effects that

death anxiety and death acceptance have, I shall also draw upon research that frames this

dichotomy in the real world. Tolkien asserted that myth is built upon truth, and here it is my goal

to illustrate a very deep and very human truth that has inspired much of the history of Tolkien’s

world.

Tolkien

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born in what is now South Africa in 1892, the son of

British colonists. His parents both died in his youth and he was raised by a Catholic priest

(Morrow 2017, 5). This Catholic upbringing framed Tolkien’s worldview and the stories that he

wrote for the rest of his life. He believed in an Eden and a Fall of Man as recounted in Genesis,

which informs the perversion of death that is evident in the Legendarium (Carpenter 1977, 93).

Through this, he believed that man was a fallen race that was seeking a former or ideal glory, a
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view that framed much of the histories of Men (Baltasar 2004, 27). He was writing the stories

that would become The Silmarillion as early as 1915 and continued to write them in France when

he was in the trenches of the Great War (Carpenter 1977, 76; Morrow 2017, 18). Tolkien wrote

his stories as though they are set in the real world but in a forgotten mythical past (Carpenter

1977, 91). Thus, we can assume that in the early days of Men in Middle-earth, there was an Eden

and there was a Fall and that this had consequences on the history of Men. In addition to

mythology, Tolkien’s great love was for language, and he initially invented Middle-earth as a

place where his invented languages could exist. This is echoed in the creation of Arda, which

was formed through the Ainulindalë, the Music that the Ainur sang with Eru Ilúvatar before the

beginning of time (Baltasar 2004, 20). The Music was the source for all creation and included the

corruption of Melkor, later known as Morgoth. The power and corruption of the Music onto the

races of Arda had a great impact on their character and histories.

Immortality and the Elves

The Elves and Men are the creations of Eru Ilúvatar alone, thus they are called the

Children of Ilúvatar. The Elves awoke before Men and theirs was the Gift of Immortality. In this,

Tolkien was unclear whether the actions and histories of the Elves were up to their own free will,

or whether they were entirely decided in the Music, but it is clear that the spirits – or feär – of the

Elves were bound to the world whereas the spirits of Men could depart from it (Whittingham

2008, 131). Ironically, upon meeting mortal Men, Elves desired the ability to depart from Arda

as their living through long ages eventually made them weary of the world, a result of the

corruption of Melkor (Testi 2012, 62). This was multiplied by the bodily fading that Elves

endured after long ages. The fading was a result of the Marring of Arda by Melkor and meant

that the bodies of the Elves would eventually disappear and only their spirits would remain. This
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left the Elves a broken race themselves as Tolkien wrote that the individual could not be whole

without body and soul being in union (Testi 2012, 128). This is why the Elves must depart from

Middle-earth for the Undying Lands where they can live in peace with the Valar.

The Elven immortality has great importance when considering the Downfall of Númenor

for two reasons. First, Men and Elves lived and fought side-by-side throughout the First Age,

before the rise of Númenor at the beginning of the Second Age. Elven culture was a great

influence onto the Númenóreans through this bond, which was strengthened because the first

King, Elros Tar-Minyatur was himself a Half-elven, the son of Eärendil and Elwing. Their other

son, Elrond, became the Lord of Rivendell in Middle-earth, playing an integral role to the history

of the Second and Third Ages. It was a gift given to the Half-elven to choose the Gift of Men or

of Elves. The first to be given this choice were the children of Beren and Lúthien, the first

marriage of Man and Elf who were ancestors to the Line of Númenor. In the Alkallabêth, it is

told that the Kings of Númenor eventually came to resent their ancestor for deciding to live as a

Man.

Mortality and Men

Men awoke centuries after the Elves in the East of Middle-earth with the first rising of

the Sun. Like the Elves, none of the Ainur had any part in the creation of Men, and so they are

counted as Children of Ilúvatar, being the Secondborn. The Gift of Man, which was also called

the Doom of Man, was death. Unlike the Elves who do not die of natural causes, Men will

eventually grow old and die. When Elves do die, their spirits are called to the Halls of Mandos

where they may eventually be born into new bodies, but the spirits of Men will eventually be

able to leave the spheres of Arda after death. While this physical death of old age is the existence
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that is given in Tolkien’s writings, previous Tolkien scholarship has highlighted that this may not

have been the original plan of Eru Ilúvatar.

Physical death and the separation of body and feä were not in the original plan of Eru

Ilúvatar. Rather it was his intent that Men would eventually have the desire to go beyond Arda

and depart from there, body and soul. However, as Melkor corrupted all things since the Music,

the deaths of Men were perverted. Through this corruption, the bodies of Men grow old and the

spirit leaves the body at the time of death. As stated earlier, Tolkien wrote that this separation of

body and soul was an unnatural occurrence, which is influenced by his devout Catholic beliefs

which included the belief in bodily resurrection. Another great irony to Tolkien’s world is that

immortality is understood well, but mortality is not understood at all. The Men that exist in the

Lengendarium do not know to what final fate they will meet when departing Arda, but the

Ainulindalë tells that at the end of time the Children will sing in the Second Music along with the

Ainur and Eru Ilúvatar (1977, 15). However, this is seen more as a speculation as it is also said in

the Akallabêth that the final fate of Men is known only to Eru himself (1977, 265). This

uncertainty is part of what breeds the corruption and desire for immortality in the waning days of

Númenor (Testi 2012).

The Downfall and Death Anxiety

The motivations for the Númenóreans to fear death and desire immortality and some

grains of real-world death anxiety have been established above. First, Arda is a broken world that

exists in the shadow of the corruption of Melkor. While Melkor had been defeated and banished

from Arda by the time Númenor had risen, the Marring remains and possibly is the reason for the

unnatural separation of body and soul that Men endure upon death. Second, the Elves have

existed since before Men and are a race that does not die from natural causes. As Elven culture
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was a major influence over the Men that came after them, the desire for this Gift is

understandable. This is multiplied when considering that Elros Tar-Minyatur, the first King of

Númenor was given the choice to live as an Elf, but decided instead to live as a Man. And

thirdly, pertaining both to the Lengendarium and to the real world, the nature of mortality is not

understood by any but Eru. While speculation exists that Men will go beyond Arda to rejoin with

Eru, it cannot be confirmed, the same as in human existence where we cannot know absolutely

what awaits us after death. These are the basic motivations that lead into the Downfall that I shall

here examine.

By the Downfall, Númenor had existed for over two thousand years of the Second Age.

Founded by the Edain following the sinking of Beleriand, the Edain became known as the

Dúnedain, the Men of Westernesse, as Númenor was the Westernmost of mortal lands. Through

the forebears of the Kings of Númenor, the blood of both Elves and the Maiar had entered the

Line of Kings. This is because Lúthien was herself the daughter of an Elf and a Maia, the Maiar

being the lesser of the Ainur spirits. This rose the Dúnedain above the other kindreds of Men,

contributing to the pride that enabled the Downfall (Whittingham 2008, 167).

The Silmarillion tells that through this divine blood, and as a reward for the services that

the Edain had performed in the First Age, the Númenórean race was given long life and wisdom,

but they were forbidden to go any further West than they could still see Númenor. Beyond the

Sea from them was Valinor, where the Valar – who were the Powers of Arda, the greatest of the

Ainur – resided with the Maiar and the Elves that had come to live there. Throughout the first

half of Númenórean history, the Dúnedain did not seek to challenge the Ban of the Valar that had

been put upon them. However, knowledge of the peace and perfect memory of Valinor did come

to trouble the Númenóreans. Manwë, the King of the Valar, would eventually send an emissary
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to Númenor, who explained to King that it was not the will of Eru Ilúvatar to have Men exist in

the Undying Lands as mortality was their Gift (Akallabêth 1977, 265).

Here, the two factions of Númenor were established. The first being the King’s Men,

comprising the Kings of Númenor and the nobility that supported them. They formed in the days

of Tar-Ancalimon, the 14th King. The second faction is the Faithful, who were also called the

Elendili, or Elf-friends. They remained loyal to the Kings at this time, but desired to keep

friendship between Númenor and the Elves. During this time, the might and power of Númenor

still grew, but the bliss of Númenor began to wane. In this time the Kings began to neglect

honoring Eru, and honored the Valar not from devotion, but fear. They began settling the coasts

of Middle-earth and demanding tribute from the Men who lived there. Tolkien says:

“But the fear of death grew ever darker upon them, and they delayed it by all

means that they could; and they began to build great houses for their dead, while

their wise men laboured unceasingly to discover if they might the secret of

recalling life, or at the least of the prolonging of Men’s days.” (Akallabêth 1977,

266)

As Númenorean history went on, the King’s Men began to distance themselves from the Elves

that they had grown to despise and took the kingly title of “Ar” from Adûnaic, the language of

Númenor instead of “Tar,” which was an Elven word (Appendix A 2014, 1011). In this time, the

Elven tongue became illegal to speak in the presence of the King and the Elves of Tol-Eressëa

were banned from visting Númenor, being labeled Spies of the Valar (Akallabêth 1977, 268). As

a result of this growing darkness in Númenor, the lives of the Kings were cut short, with

members of the Royal Line living not to their 200th year, which was exceedingly short for the

lives of Númenor (Akallabêth 1977, 269).

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The pride and power of Númenor culminated in the 25th and final King, Ar-Pharazôn the

Golden. After becoming King, he sought to claim for himself the title of King of Men, which

Sauron had claimed in Middle-earth, taunting Ar-Pharazôn into war. He brought a great host

with him to Middle-earth, so great that the forces of Sauron departed and Sauron allowed himself

to be taken as a captive of the King (Akallabêth 1977, 271-271). Through his position as a

captive to the King, Sauron took this to his advantage and convinced Ar-Pharazôn to go to war

with the Valar by convincing him that he might have immortality in the Undying Lands through

Melkor, who Sauron claimed was the Lord of All and that Eru Ilúvatar was a rouse created by

the Valar to keep Men subservient (Akallabêth 1977, 271-272).

Following the counsel of Sauron the Deceiver, the Lord of the Rings, the Grand

Armament was raised and sailed West. “But when Ar-Pharazôn set foot upon the shores of Aman

the Blessed, the Valar threw down their Guardianship, and called upon the One, and the world

was changed” (Appendix A 2014, 1013). In that moment, Eru Ilúvatar, who had left the

Guardianship of Arda to the Valar, intervened by destroying the Grand Armament and sinking

Númenor. This was the culmination of the Downfall, which was caused entirely by the fear of

death.

Here some similarities are evident between the history of Númenor and the affects of

severe death anxiety in the real world. Studies have shown that as a result of death anxiety,

people are likely to withdraw from life-affirming activities and results in a premature death

(Firestone 2015, 218). This is seen through the Númenórean focus on conquering and warfare as

their death anxiety begins to cloud their minds. Further, the lives of the Dúnedain were

noticeably decreased while the shadow of the fear of death was upon them. Further, when fear of

death enters the cultural psyche, nonconformists are threatened with annihilation, consistent with
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the banning of Elves from Númenor and the split between the King’s Men and the Faithful

(Firestone 2015, 220). Vanity is a common symptom of those who fear death, and was extremely

evident in Ar-Pharazôn who felt that through his actions and lineage he deserved immortality for

himself (Firestone 2015, 228).

Aragorn and Death Acceptance

The Downfall of Númenor was not the end of the history of the Dúnedain in the

Legendarium. Nine ships were taken by Elendil and his sons, Isildur and Anárion. Taking with

them several heirlooms and artifacts from Númenor, they were cast upon the shores of Middle-

earth where they would found the Realms in Exile, Arnor and Gondor (Appendix A 2014, 1013).

Elendil reigned as the first High King, with Isildur briefly reigning after him at the beginning of

the Third Age. Isildur would be the last of the High Kings until the beginning of the Fourth Age.

After his death, Arnor followed Isildur’s line, but eventually the kingdom would fracture from

political in-fighting and would later be destroyed by the Witch-king of Angmar, who was also

the Lord of the Nazgûl. Following the demise of Arnor, the Dúnedain became a wandering

people lead by a Chieftain. But Anárion’s line in Gondor also fell when the Witch-king goaded

King Eärnur into single combat, who disappeared after riding into Mordor. With the realm of

Arnor lost and Gondor falling into decline without a King, hope was born to the Dúnedain in the

form of Aragorn.

Aragorn is one of the most famous and loved characters of Tolkien’s creation. Being a

member of the Fellowship of the Ring, he was one of the leaders of the Free Peoples and helped

see Middle-earth free from the evil of Sauron. After the destruction of the One Ring, Aragorn

was crowned as High King Elessar, the first to hold such a title since Isildur’s death in the

beginning of the Third Age. Appendix A tells that under Aragorn’s leadership, Arnor was
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resettled and Gondor returned to its former glory. But, as Aragorn was mortal, the time of his

death would come.

At the age of 210, Aragorn chose to give up his life, in the tradition of the Númenórean

Kings of old. At the end of his life, Aragorn gave the crown and scepter to his son Eldarion

before laying himself down to rest. The last to be with him was wife, Arwen. Arwen was the

daughter of Elrond, hence she was Half-elven and like Lúthien before her chose to give up the

Gift of the Elves in favor of a mortal life with her beloved. The sorrow she felt at Aragorn’s

passing was beyond measure. Imploring Aragorn to stay, he said unto her:

“Take counsel with yourself, beloved, and ask whether you would indeed have me

wait until I wither and fall from my high seat unmanned and witless…I am the

last of the Númenóreans and to me has been given not only a span thrice that of

Men of Middle-earth, but also the grace to go at my will, and to give back the gift.

Now, therefore, I will sleep.” (Appendix A 2014, 1037)

In reminding Arwen that, as a Man, he would not be bound to the circles of the world and

wishing her farewell, Aragorn died.

Aragorn’s life was longer than any who had lived since the time of Elendil, standing

opposite to the lives of the Númenóreans who had begun to fear death and actively seek

immortality who saw a decrease in their lifespans. But beyond this, Aragorn demonstrates,

amongst many other things, the effects of being accepting of death. Death acceptance is broadly

defined as being psychologically prepared and at ease with one’s own mortality (Wong, Reker,

and Gesser 2015, 124). At the end of his life, Aragorn is accepting of the end that must come and

even welcomes it. This is in line with elderly adults who exhibit little fears of death and even

enjoy talking about it. Aragorn shows a mix between two forms of death acceptance, neutral and
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escape acceptance (Wong, Reker, and Gesser 2015). His words to Arwen show that he is aware

that he has always been doomed to die and that he also prefers death to living beyond his ability

to have control over himself.

In life, Aragorn exhibits very little fear of death. Before the War of the Ring, he fought in

many battles for both Rohan and Gondor. During the War of the Ring, he not only joined the

Fellowship, but also led three major battles at Helm’s Deep, the Pellenor Fields, and at the Black

Gate. Fear of death keeps one from living fully and reduces the combat effectiveness of soldiers,

demonstrating that Aragorn must not have been ruled by this fear when he was at war (Wong and

Tomer 2011). However, it is imaginable that Aragorn felt some fear if not for himself, then for

others, which motivated him to fight for the freedom of Middle-earth, but it is easily seen that

these fears did not rule Aragorn as he fought valiantly in the War of the Ring, and it is unlikely

that Sauron would have been defeated without Aragorn’s actions. This demonstrates the

argument that Wong and Tomer (2011) make for meaning management theory, which asserts

that meaning making is a primary motive in action and is not a result of the fear of death, as

terror management theory asserts.

Conclusion

In addition to the beauty of the tale of the Dúnedain, lessons for life on Earth can be

gained. Of the Elves and Men that populate Tolkien’s Legendarium, both are the Children of

Ilúvatar, but different Gifts are attributed to each. To Elves, it is the ability to live within the

spheres of the world until its end, which is understood and established by all. But for Men, it is to

die and depart Arda for an unknown purpose. The Númenóreans were the greatest of Men and in

time they feared the mortality they had been gifted. In that fear, they saw a decrease in their life

spans as well as the loss of their Kingdom. Likewise, people who live in fear of death are found
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to die prematurely compared to death-accepting individuals. Conversely, Aragorn demonstrates

that through being accepting of death as a natural occurrence – as well as a better alternative to

keeping to life beyond life’s usefulness – one can achieve a fuller, and happier life. Tolkien’s

works are not allegorical, as that is not the vision he had for them. However, with all myth, there

are deep truths to be uncovered here, and amongst the deepest is the affects that fearing or

accepting death have onto human life.

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