[jallanite]

Originally Posted by cellurdur

I was commenting on the prestige given Earendil and Luthien. When it comes to the Numenoreans two distinct ancestors are honoured above all others.

That Eärendil had been made immortal and purportedly was visible in the sky bearing the last Silmaril as the planet Venus seems to me to adequately account for the mentions made of him by the kings. Eärendil was simply more famed and renowned to them than the others, for his voyages, for reaching Valinor and summoning the forces who finally defeated Morgoth, for becoming with his wife immortal, and for his slaying of the dragon Ancalagon, for which Eärendil’s mortal son Elros was made first King of Númenor.

Naturally one would imagine that in the latter days of Númenor it might have been more clearly brought out by poets that Eärendil, the father of the line of kings, would have chosen to remain mortal. Or it might not. The poets may have chosen to ignore that Eärendil would have become mortal save for the influence of his wife as they were beginning to interpret the old stores as an indication that immortality in the Undying Lands was the right of mortals.

You bring up the example of the Jewish lines. Yet actually if a descendant of Abraham-Judah-David constantly used one name over the other he would indeed be stressing something. If he constantly called himself a child of Abraham, I would imagine he was stressing his claim to the promises given to Abraham. If he said he was of the a son of David, would imply he was stressing his royal lineage.

Quite so. And since in the case of the Kings of Númenor it was Eärendil who was considered to be the cause of the foundation of Númenor and was more honoured for his deeds than Elros, it is not surprising at all to me that Eärendil is more mentioned than Elros by the kings descended from him.

I don't think Tolkien ever said that the majority of Numenoreans were blond? Could you please provide the quote. This can be inferred from his comment that the majority of the Numenoreans were Marachian.

From Unfinished Tales, page 228:

There Almarian the Queen observed her [Erendis’] beauty, of a kind seldom seen in Númenor; for Beregar [father of Erendis] came of the House of Bëor by ancient descent, though not of the royal line of Elros, and Erendis was dark-haired and of slender grace, with the clear grey eyes of her kin.¹⁰

10    Cf. The Silmarillion p. 148: ‘The Men of that House [i.e. of Bëor] were dark or brown of hair, with grey eyes.’ According to a genealogical table of the House of Bëor Erendis was descended from Bereth, who was the sister of Baragund and Belegund, and thus the aunt of Morwen mother of Túrin Turambar and of Rían the mother of Tuor.

Well you are wrong. It is mentioned several times how different kings specifically invoke how the heirs of Earendil should not have to die.

What you posted was:

Was choosing to place Earendil as the patriarch of the House choosing to live a more traditional Mannish lifestyle compared to the elvish nature of Luthien?

That was what my remark “I doubt it” referred to. I don’t see how anyone could mistake my meaning. I still doubt it. Your quotations do not refer to or even mention Eärendil’s wishing to choose a mortal life style. What then was I wrong about?

The King's men always evoke the name of Earendil. Elrond on the other hand traces his lineage through Luthien and Thingol. Legolas too chooses to trace Aragorn's heritage through Luthien.

From the chapter “The Council of Elrond”:

Eärendil was my sire, who was born in Gondolin before its fall; and my mother was Elwing, daughter of Dior, son of Lúthien of Doriath.

Elrond traces his lineage both to Eärendil and to Elwing (granddaughter of Lúthen). Your discussion suggests strongly that Elrond doesn’t mention Eärendi at all which is very much not true. And this remark is the only place where Elrond refers to his ancestry.

Legolas says:

But nobler is his [Aragorn’s] spirit than the understanding of Sauron; for is he not of the children of Lúthien? Never shall that line fail, though the years may lengthen beyond count.

Legolas appears to refer to an otherwise untold prophecy concerning the children of Lúthen and so quite naturally mentions Lúthien. Would you insist that Legolas is ignoring Eärendil because he does not awkwardly say, “… the children of Lúthien (through her granddaughter Elwing, Eärendil’s wife)?” Of course in such a mention Legolas does not mention any progenitor but Lúthien.