Summary
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The second age of Tolkien’s world is rich with epic events, setting the stage for the iconic Lord of the Rings stories.
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The fall of Númenor, the creation of the Rings of Power, and the Last Alliance are key moments of the Second Age explored in detail.
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Amazon’s The Rings of Power series delves into the intricate history of Middle-earth, bridging the second and third ages into a compelling narrative.
This article contains spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.JRR Tolkien’s Second Age is just as profound and influential as The Lord of the Rings‘ era, constituting many major events and developments. So great is Tolkien’s fictional mythology, that The timeline of Eä (the universe in which Middle-earth exists) is divided into agesSome of them span several millennia. After the beginning of creation, the exceptionally long years of the Valar and the years of the trees passed. The first age began after Morgoth brutally destroyed the two trees of Valinor, followed by the second, third, and fourth ages, which are where Tolkien Lord of the Rings Timeline ends.
for reference, The Hobbit And The Lord of the Rings Both take place around 3000 years into the Third Age, and this is Aragorn’s coronation in The return of the king Who officially cut the ribbon on the fourth. Although Tolkien’s most famous stories both take place in a single centuryThe author wrote much about what came before, with appendices, The Silmarillionand other works that extensively detail everything from the moment Eru Ilúvatar and his band sang the world into existence to the day Bilbo Baggins left the Shire with a bunch of dwarves and a wizard.
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The landscape of the second age explained
The War of Wrath ended the first age
Despite the Third Age stories taking pride of place on bookshelves and in movie theaters, the rest of Tolkien’s timeline is no less epic or important. Indeed, The second age is arguably more seismic than its successorAnd this is where Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power draws its inspiration from. The 3441 years that comprise JRR Tolkien’s second age can be explained by documenting all of his key moments.
The first era ended with the Wrath of Wrath, where Margath tasted the defeating courtesy of a mighty host of Valinor, and with the darkness finally lifting, the free peoples could once again make their homes. The elves anointed Gil-galad as High King of the AltarAnd Lyndon became their chief province, while Seirdon took over the nearby Gray Haven where Elves would leave for Valinor. As a reward for the houses of people who fought against Morgoth, the Valar raised an island between Middle-earth and Valinor. Here the kingdom of Númenor was founded, with Elrond’s brother Elros as its first king.
Although Lyndon would remain the hub of eleven activity during The Lord of the Rings‘ second age, Pointed-eared folk spread east through the centuries. Eregion was established near the Misty Mountains, ruled over by Lord Celebrimbor, while Galadriel and her husband Celeborn would move to Lothlorien on the other side of the range. Men who served under Morgoth or did not join the War of Wrath remained in Middle-earth, mainly settled on the coasts and to the south, or remained in Rhovanion and the Rhûn in the east. Pockets of dwarves could be found scattered around Middle-earth’s mountainous regions.
This racial landscape is very different from The Lord of the Rings‘ Third agewhere the elves were less prominent. In the Third Age, men are on the rise, hobbits have laid down roots in Eriador’s Shire, and the Dwarves’ most famous, grandest halls have fallen to dragons, Balrogs, and Greed. The Second Age reflected the glory of the Elves, and characterized Tolkien’s stories of the Second Age with a particular grandiosity and nobility, in contrast to the frequent humor that Hobbits brought to the content of the Third Age. Lord of the Rings.
As the Second Age sets up the fall of Númenor
Númenor fell in the second age
For around 2000 years, Númenor was a shining beacon of the greatness mortal civilization could achieve. The island kingdom flourished, grew and developed as one king after another continued the lineage of Elros, and in the Second Age’s sixth century, the Numenoreans’ ability to sail allowed them to rediscover Middle-earth, the home of their ancestors.
Strong relations were formed between Númenor and Gil-galad’s elves, while the Blessed Ones shared their higher knowledge with “Less“Child they met. Fleeting visits soon turned into permanent strongholds, giving Númenor a foothold in their motherland. Happy news indeed, but Númenor’s presence in Middle-earth brought the kingdom one step closer to destruction.
Another split emerged in the Númenórean foundations during this period. The first child of Númenor’s then-ruler was a girl named Silmarien, but deeply sexist royal rules forbade female succession, so the scepter passed to her younger brother. Although she endured the highest work, Silmariën and her husband started a split line known as the Lords of Andúnië – Effectively non-ruling descendants of Elros. Silmariën’s lineage would spawn Elendil, Isildur, and eventually, The Lord of the RingsAragorn.
As the centuries passed, The ruling house of Númenor and the lords of Andúnië diverged massively in their philosophies. The king’s line is increasingly jealous of the elves’ immortality and angry at the Valar for prohibiting them from sailing west to Valinor. In the third millennium of the Second Age, Númenor gradually rejected their old traditions and allegiances, abandoned Vala and Elf alike, and dominated the people of Middle-earth rather than cooperating with them. The lords of Andúnië, meanwhile, remained loyal to their roots and resisted temptations of power.
How the Rings of Power Were Created (And What Happened Next)
Sauron made rings with Celebrimbor
Sauron’s second age rollercoaster makes his Lord of the Rings Journey look relaxing by comparison (embarrassing defeat at the hands of hobbits notwithstanding). When the First Age ended, a weakened Sauron immediately hid in Middle-earth for the better part of five centuries, after which time his presence began to creep in again. nevertheless, The Dark Lord maintained a low profile until near year 1000 of the Second Age When he chose Mordur as a permanent home. Another 500 years would pass while Sauron consolidated his power, turned Mordor into a wicked wasteland, and formulated a cunning plan.
This cunning plan involved transforming into an alter ego called “Annotator,” who seemed considerably less like a mythical tyrant destined to take over the world, since Sauron still possessed the ability to change during the Second Age. Annotar approached the elves promising knowledge and gifts, and while Gil- Galad, Elrond and Galadriel are all deeply skeptical of the too-good-to-be-true stranger. Celebrimbor the Elven Smith cautiously took Sauron into Eregion with the magical knowledge of an evil Maia on their side, The elves of Eregion constructed a series of 19 magic ringsOnly three of which Celebrimbor forged personally, without dark interference.
like The Fellowship of the RingThe story lesson details, Sauron sneaked off and constructed the One Ring, but played his hand far too early, and the elves realized they had been duped. Sauron successfully swiped 16 of the rings he helped create, giving nine to kings of men and seven to dwarf-lords. Sauron then executed his masterplanBut the elves have already taken out their three rings, because the Karukes have proven to be too stubborn to be corrupted. Only the humans fell under Sauron’s sway, transformed into the Nazgûl. Sauron, meanwhile, used the One Ring to finish construction on his Mordor fortress, Barad-dûr.
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Sauron’s Middle-earth rise, fall, rise, fall, rise and fall
Sauron often has power in Middle-earth history
In the fallout of his One Ring betrayal, A seven-year war kicks off between Sauron and the Elves. For the most part, Sauron had the upper hand during the conflict, completely destroying Eregion, although Lyndon remained firmly under siege, and Lothlorien remained protected by High-Eleven Galadriel. From the ashes of Eregion, Elrond founded the land of Rivendell (from The Lord of the Rings Rum), who also stood strong against the onslaught of Sauron’s forces. The tide of the war finally turned when reinforcements arrived from Númenor. With elves and men combining forces, Sauron is sent back to Mordor, tail between black-armored legs.
The dark shadow of Middle Earth would not rise again for around 1500 years. Sauron spent the time preparing another campaign for conquest, and when his machinations were ready, Númenor was no longer the heroic race of ​​Yor, fallen under a dark shadow of his own. In his arrogance, however, Numenor’s ruler, Ar-Pharazôn, took exception to Sauron declaring himself “King of men“, since the islanders have come to believe them deserves that high honor. one more time, Númenóreans set sail for Middle-earth, but this time they took their enemy prisonerDrag Sauron back to their star-shaped island in a deeply regretful crossroads moment.
Sauron finally convinces Ar-Pharazôn to launch an assault on Valinor, which is like convincing a child to fire their water pistol into a tank.
Over the next 50 years, Sauron climbed the ladder of opportunity from Númenor’s prisoner to the closest adviser of Ar-Pharazôn, with the advantages of the mentioned divisions and nurtured the hatred of the ruling house to the Valar. Sauron finally convinced Ar-Pharazôn to launch an assault on ValinorWhich is like convincing a child to fire their water pistol in a tank. Ar-Pharazôn’s powers were either destroyed in the sea, or on the shores of Valinor, while Númenor himself was cast into the watery depths. Sauron survived the divine assault, but was stripped of his transformative ability.
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How Gondor was founded (and what happened to Arnor)
Elendil escaped the fall of Númenór
No each Númenórean died the day Eru Ilvatar’s wrath rewrote the landscape of the Thundering Seas. Some of the lords of Andúnië and elsewhere who remained loyal to Númenor’s original ideals were spared the cataclysmAllowed to escape the destruction on a small fleet of ships and arrive back in Middle-earth safely. Most importantly for The Lord of the RingsThe refugees included Elendil and his two sons, Isildur and Anarion.
When he reached land, Elendil claimed kingship over the people of Middle-earth (except those who had already turned to darkness, such as the Black Numinoreans and the Estlings). along with his sons, Elendil founded two great kingdoms – Gondor and Arnor – Styled in the spirit of Númenor. Gondor’s checkered history and dogged survival is chronicled in The Lord of the Rings. Arnor, meanwhile, has long since fallen by the time Frodo leaves the Shire. With a gradual decline in the early Third Age thanks to infighting and loss of affiliation, Arnor was finally overthrown by the Witch-King of Angmar.
The Last Alliance of Elves and Men (And Why It Didn’t Last)
The second era ended with the last covenant
The Lord of the RingsThe Second Age ended with one final battle pitting Sauron’s assembled forces against the assembled forces of Gil-galad, Elendil, and select groups of dwarves (most likely from Khazad-dûm). Losses were heavy on both sides, with Gondor losing its original capital Osgiliath. Unity eventually won and, as told in The Fellowship of the RingThe last alliance pushed Sauron back to Barad-Doar, completely besieging the fortress. Gil-galad and Elendil personally battle SauronAnd though both died in the process, the Dark Lord was weakened enough for Isildur to cut the One Ring free.
Victory though the last alliance may have been, the good guys never were Really recovered.
The victory reduced Sauron to a whisper of his full glory for the next 3000 years and ended the Second Age. Victory though the last alliance may have been, the good guys never were Really recovered. The loss of Gil-galad ended the Elves’ line of high kings, and the coast of Lindon was diminished after the Numen incident. As seen in The Lord of the RingsMore elves would migrate west to Valinor afterwards. true to form, People would mastermind their own problems as the third age began. Gondor was weakened, Arnor was defeated, and one true king was needed to bring Middle-earth’s mortals together.
When in the second age, the rings of power season 2 is set
The rings of power will extend to the third age
The rings of power Season 2 is set roughly halfway through The Second Age, however The Lord of the Rings The timeline will reach the end of the second age by the end of the show’s final season. The show began with a flashback from Galadriel’s perspective which showed the years of the trees and some events of the first age, culminating in the present-day setting of The rings of power In the second age on an unknown date. However, the year of the second age that the show is set in its first and second seasons can be guessed.
Showrunner interviews and trailers for The rings of power Season 2 confirmed the common storyline that it will follow. Sauron will assume his beautiful form and return to Eregion, where he will forge the Rings of Power with Celebrimbor. Celebrimbor will eventually turn from Sauron and Sauron will begin his war against the Elves, carrying out the Siege of Eregion. Tolkien provided a timeline for the second age, which events from The rings of power can be traced back to In order to confirm its timing.
Second age event |
Second senior year |
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Sauron began building on Barad-dur |
1000 |
Sauron befriended the elves of Eregion as Annatar |
1200 |
Rings of power are forged |
1500 |
The three great elven rings were forged |
1590 |
The One Ring was forged, Barad-deur was completed, Sauron openly proclaimed himself |
1600 |
Sauron began to prepare to attack Eridor |
1605 |
The war of the elves and Sauron began |
1693 |
Sauron invaded Eriador |
1695 |
Sauron sacked Eregion and killed Celebrimbor. Rivendell was founded. The dwarves attacked Sauron. Khazad-Dum closed. |
1697 |
Sauron overran Eriador |
1699 |
Númenóreans defeated Sauron |
1700 |
Sauron was driven from Eridor and fled to Mordor. First White Council held. |
1701 |
The timeline in the show will not follow the canonical timeline exactly. Doing so would involve somehow convincingly showing the passage of time over centuries, aging characters and settings, and eradicating the pacing of action or adventure cinema. It seems like the events of The rings of power Season 2 will take place at any point between Second Age 1100 and 1701. The 601 year timeline will likely be compressed significantly, as will some of the events of season 1. Rings of power Season 1 would have taken place at the beginning of 1100.