ush, my child. Do not heed the cry of wolves, or the evil glow of the East. Look there, my child. Do you not see the bright star of the West? It is Gil-Estel, the Star of High Hope in our tongue. The story of its first rising has been told in our family for generations. My mother heard it from her mother, and she in turn told it to me. And now, my daughter, I shall tell you the story of Earendil Halfelven, and his heroic journey. “Earendil was born in Gondolin, the hidden city of the elves, to brave Tuor and Idril Silverfoot. After the Fall of Gondolin, he escaped to live by the mouth of the River Sirion. There he learned to love the sea, and there he loved as well Elwing, the daughter of Dior and Nimloth. Elwing had escaped from Doriath, from the Second Kin-slaying, carrying with her the Silmaril wrested from Morgoth by Beren One-Hand. “Oh my child, do you see how brightly the star shines? That is how brightly shone the love of Earendil and Elwing. She bore him two sons, Elrond and Elros. “By the mouth of the Sirion, Earendil befriended Cirdan the shipwright, and the blessing of Ulmo was ever upon him. Earendil and Cirdan built a ship so beautiful and bright that the eyes grew too weak, and the heart too full to look upon it long. Earendil named the ship Foam-Flower, Vingilot in the speech of his people. Long voyages he would take, and many adventures he had upon the seas. But Elwing had not his love for the sea, and she would sit on the shore, awaiting his return.

“It was thus that the sons of Feanor found her, when they came to claim the Silmaril for their own. For long ago they had sworn to take back the jewels forged by their father, and thus came the Last Kin-Slaying. They slew the exiles of Gondolin, and took Elwing and her sons captive. “But Elwing, rather than concede the Silmaril, cast herself into the sea. Then the sons of Feanor thought the Silmaril was lost, and they grieved. “But Ulmo took pity on Elwing, and bore her up from the sea, and gave her the form of a sea bird. Then she flew to the Vingilot, to the arms of her husband. “Then Elwing and Earendil grieved for the loss of their home, and the capture of their sons, but they put aside their grief and sailed on. For they were decided to sail on to Valinor, to plead for the aid of the Powers. Many enchantments and perils they faced ere they drew into the West, but with the Silmaril they sailed nigh unto the immortal shores. “There Earendil put ashore to go to the Vala, and there Elwing followed for love of him. And the Vala listened to his plea, and were decided to aid the First- and Second-born Children of Iluvatar. They cast down Morgoth, and took the remaining Silmarils from his crown. But these Silmarils were taken by the sons of Feanor, in accordance to their oath, and lost.

“Then the Vala pronounced their doom upon Earendil and Elwing, for having walked upon immortal ground they could not return to Middle Earth from whence they came. “And so the Vala took Earendil’s ship, and hallowed it. And then they passed the ship beyond the Door of Night, and into the void beyond. And Earendil stood at the helm, with the Silmaril strapped to his brow, and he sailed bravely the sky above. “When the First- and Second-born Children saw the Vingilot rise for the first time, they named it the Star of High Hope, for they knew that the Vala would come to their aid. “And then when the Great Battle was fought and Morgoth overthrown, the Vala brought the Fathers of Men to live nearer to them. Not in the East, but near the East, was Numenor, and it was a land blessed by the Vala. And when the Fathers of Men set sail for Numenor, the Star of Earendil showed them the way. “It is many, many years since the Fall of Numenor, but even here on Middle Earth we still revere the Star of Earendil. We remember the courage of Earendil and Elwing, and we still sing songs of their voyage. And it was in honor of them, my daughter, that we named you Rothinzil, Foam-Flower in the ancient tongue of our people. So look upon the star, my child, and remember these things I have told you.”

Back