What Do Eagles Mean In Middle-earth And What Do They Mean For Númenor?
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The first appearance of the Eagles in The Rings of Power has triggered a change of ruler for Númenor, but what prompted this move?
The Eagles: A Brief History from the Novels
In the original text, the Great Eagles (Sindarin) were messengers of Manwë, sent in the First Age to Middle-earth for two reasons. The first was to keep an eye on anything Morgoth-related, which presumably would include the rise of Sauron. The second reason, for good or for ill, was to watch over the Ñoldor.
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As opposed to other groups of elves (Like the Grey Elves) that sprung up on Middle-Earth and migrated to Valinor, the Ñoldor rejected the Grey Havens and went in the other direction. The most famous descendant is Celebrimbor (although it could be argued that Galadriel essentially did the same thing when she jumped from the boat).
The Sindarin fought in the War of Wrath against Morgoth and acted as an aerial unit, taking on dragons and other flying foe.
In Númenor…
A breeding pair of Great Eagles formerly resided in the King’s House, until the Númenoreans became hostile to the elves. Many lived in the hills on the North side of the island, but the most prominent were the three on the Holy Mountain, Meneltarma. This was the largest peak on the isle and a site of pilgrimage for its kings. The royals would climb its peak in silence and then perform a ceremony of the Three Prayers to the God Eru. While they prayed, the Sindarin would circle as a blessing. Anyone could climb Meneltarma, but only the King/Queen could perform this ritual. Towards the end of the Second Age, they started to get a little lazy, with various rulers only partaking sporadically. Númenor’s final ruler stopped altogether. That didn’t work out so well for them.
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What Changes Did The Rings of Power Make?
The Rings of Power referred to a silent ceremony where the ruler offered prayers as part of the coronation of Queen Míriel. Míriel is the last legitimate ruler of Númenor, but she’s only a small footnote in Tolkien’s original stories. The author merely mentioned that she existed and was forced into marriage and usurped. The blinding is also an addition.
Míriel used the palantíri in both The Rings of Power and the books. It has always been stated in the original text that the seeing stones were meant for the heirs of Elendil, and that they were less likely to be corrupted by it. Elendil is a distant cousin to Queen Míriel, but no relation to Ar-Pharazôn, who took the throne from her.
Why Did An Eagle Turn Up to The Coronation?
Ar-Pharazôn hates the elves, so why would an Eagle seemly prefer him as a ruler of Queen Míriel? It all boils down to a certain elf. Galadriel arrived on the island last season. The Regent was certain that Galadriel heralded the destruction of Númenor. But Míriel still let herself be convinced to go to the Southlands to fight Adar on Galadriel’s request. This decision proved to be catastrophic, as it led to the death of her men and the loss of her sight.
The palantír were specifically given to her bloodline by the elves of the Valinor; anyone outside of it risked corruption. Even Saruman couldn’t manage the power. With the loss of her sight, Queen Míriel lost a direct connection to Manwë. Queen Míriel put her faith in someone who had rejected the Valinor (Galadriel) and cut herself off from their advice. As a result, Manwë’s messenger arrived at her coronation to bat for the other team.
Galadriel deciding to come back from the Grey Havens is why the Eagles sided with Ar-Pharazôn, and it’s ultimately what gave Sauron his opening to conquer Middle-earth.
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Sources: CBR, Tolkien Gateway, Screenrant, EW
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