The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is raging in season 2, featuring Barrow-Wights, Ents and a terrifying sea monster that confronts Míriel in her trial by sea. Míriel survives her sea trial in The rings of power season 2, but this is not a scene familiar from canon, which calls the likelihood of Míriel’s survival from the trial into question. Míriel was submerged in a pool on the shores of Númenor, following the recommendation of an ancient book of learning that the Númenórean court saw. This seems to be a tradition of Númenor’s in the show, although it is not in Tolkien’s story.
Míriel is soon restrained by a giant sea monster of unknown name, species or origin. It could be one of JRR Tolkien’s names, as it looks a lot like the creature that attacked the ship Halbrand was on in season 1, and onscreen trivia flagged that as a name. It can also be associated with lord of the rings Watcher in the Water, which may or may not also be a noun. Regardless of the fact that this creature should attack Míriel and then decide to leave her be, her back on the beach instead of eating her, raises a lot of questions.
Ulmo, Lord Of Water, spared Míriel in the Rings of Power Season 2
It seems as though the Valar remain on Team Míriel
Ar-Pharazôn, Kemen, and their court subject Míriel to a trial by sea to prove her innocence in the eyes of the 15 Lord of the Rings Valar, Tolkien’s demigods. This is sneaky and cynical on their part, because while Míriel and Elendil believe in the Valar, they have lost faith. They think Míriel’s trial will kill her and prove the folly of her beliefs as well, cementing their power and credibility. However, the valor of water, Ulmo, apparently honoring the tradition of Númenor, considered Míriel innocent and ensuring your safe return to shore.
The trial scene from The Rings of Power rewrites the concept of the Valar
The Valar are not particularly involved in human politics
The Valar were responsible for building Orda – the entire world that Middle-earth was set in – but they were quite detached from human politics at the time of Ar-Pharazon’s rise to power in Númenor. Míriel had already predicted the fall of Númenor In one of the rare palantiri, And accordingly, was questioning her own faith in the Valar Rings of power. But the Valar of the show’s logic steps in to save her from dying in her trial in season 2, proving that they exist, they’re listening, and they won’t let their faithful down in their darkest hour.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Seasons 1 and 2 are streaming on Amazon Prime Video, with new episodes every Thursday.
This is somewhat of a rewrite of the Valar that canonically existed at this point The Lord of the Rings Timeline. At this point, Valar intervention was rare – it was a huge struggle for Eärendil to convince them to help him fight Morgoth, and this was centuries before Míriel’s trial. So For Ulmo to be at Númenor’s beck and call is questionableBut does not defy explanation or logic. Tolkien’s world was full of small miracles and discoveries that suggested the influence of higher powers. Nevertheless, it is a good thing for Miriel that Ulmo or his vassal, Ossi, pity the faithful in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.