[Huinesoron]

Okay, so:

Originally Posted by Silm: Akallabeth

But the wise among [the Numenoreans] knew that this distant land was not indeed the Blessed Realm of Valinor, but was Avallónë, the haven of the Eldar upon Eressëa, easternmost of the Undying Lands. And thence at times the Firstborn still would come sailing to Númenor in oarless boats, as white birds flying from the sunset. And they brought to Númenor many gifts: birds of song, and fragrant flowers, and herbs of great virtue. And a seedling they brought of Celeborn, the White Tree that grew in the midst of Eressëa; and that was in its turn a seedling of Galathilion the Tree of Túna, the image of Telperion that Yavanna gave to the Eldar in the Blessed Realm.

Originally Posted by UT: Description of the Island of Numenor

At the centre of the Bay of Eldanna was the most beautiful of all the havens of Númenor, Eldalondë the Green; and hither in the earlier days the swift white ships of the Eldar of Eressëa came most often.

... Of the Elves of Eressëa in the days of their friendship they had at times gifts of gold and silver and jewels; but such things were rare and prized in all the earlier centuries, until the power of the Kings was spread to the coasts of the East.

Originally Posted by UT: Aldarion and Erendis

In the morning before the feast Aldarion gazed out from the window of the bedchamber, which looked west-over-sea. "See, Erendis!" he cried. "There is a ship speeding to haven; and it is no ship of Númenor, but one such as neither you nor I shall ever set foot upon, even if we would." Then Erendis looked forth, and she saw a tall white ship, with white birds turning in the sunlight all about it; and its sails glimmered with silver as with foam at the stem it rode towards the harbour. Thus the Eldar graced the wedding of Erendis, for love of the people of the Westlands, who were closest in their friendship. Their ship was laden with flowers for the adornment of the feast, so that all that sat there, when evening was come, were crowned with elanor and sweet lissuin whose fragrance brings heart's ease. Minstrels they brought also, singers who remembered songs of: Elves and Men in the days of Nargothrond and Gondolin long ago; and many of the Eldar high and fair were seated among Men at the tables. But the people of Andúnië, looking upon the blissful company, said that none were more fair than Erendis; and they said that her eyes were as bright as were the eyes of Morwen Eledhwen of old," or even as those of Avallónë.

Many gifts the Eldar brought also. To Aldarion they gave a sapling tree, whose bark was snow-white, and its stem straight, strong and pliant as it were of steel; but it was not yet in leaf. "I thank you," said Aldarion to the Elves. "The wood of such a tree must be precious indeed."

Originally Posted by UT: Aldarion and Erendis (note)

This note further states that although Sindarin as used for a long period by mortal Men tended to become divergent and dialectal, this process was largely checked in Númenor, at least among the nobles and the learned, by their contact with the Eldar of Eressëa and Lindon.

It's clear that in the early days of Numenor, there was a fair amount of traffic between there and Eressea. The elves of Tol Eressea were those who sailed West from Middle-earth, and at this point in time that means returnees and Sindarin refugees from Beleriand. So my question is... who? Are there any named characters who could have made that journey? (Or, to put it another way: are there any named characters known to have sailed to Eressea after the War of Wrath?)

I think House Finwe are mostly out of luck: they're almost all either dead, or hanging around in Middle-earth. There's a few exceptions, though:

-Idril definitely sailed West, with her husband, but the Silm is pretty cagey about what happened to her:

Originally Posted by Silm: Of Tuor

In those days Tuor felt old age creep upon him, and ever a longing for the deeps of the Sea grew stronger in his heart. Therefore he built a great ship, and he named it Eärrámë, which is Sea-Wing; and with Idril Celebrindal he set sail into the sunset and the West, and came no more into any tale or song. But in after days it was sung that Tuor alone of mortal Men was numbered among the elder race, and was joined with the Noldor, whom he loved; and his fate is sundered from the fate of Men.

It's generally assumed she and Tuor made it to Aman... so could they have come back to visit their descendents? It's a charming idea, but I feel like a) some mention would have been made of the fact, and b) the fact that the author of the Quenta didn't know for sure implies that she didn't.

-Earendil and Elwing are probably another no, because of the injunction that they never set foot in Middle-earth again. Numenor, blessed though it is, is one of the Mortal Lands, so I assume they'd be banned there too.

-... Finrod? Finrod has promise. Silm tells us plainly: But Finrod walks with Finarfin his father beneath the trees in Eldamar. In other words, he did not stay long in Mandos. How long is not long? Well, the Grey Annals contain a similar claim ([he] dwells now in Valinor with Amarie), and are introduced by the following:

Originally Posted by HoME XI: The Grey Annals

These are the Annals of Beleriand as they were made by the Sindar, the Grey Elves of Doriath and the Havens, and enlarged from the records and memories of the remnant of the Noldor of Nargothrond and Gondolin at the Mouths of Sirion, whence they were brought back into the West.

So Finrod's rebirth was already known before Earendil sailed West, and... well, it's hard to imagine Beleriand's premier diplomat and mortal-lover not wanting to pay a visit to the grandest of Mortal realms. Is there any evidence against this idea?

-... is that it? Is that the entire Returning branch of House Finwe prior to Galadriel? I think it might actually be. Yikes.

hS