Earendil in Quenya is Ardamire "Jewel of
the World", his
mother
name, prophetic in a sense. Earendil was his Father/birth name.
Eärendil is the half-elven son of Tuor and
Idril.
As a child he was rescued from the fall of Gondolin by his parents and
brought
to
the Isle of Balar where the remnants of the Eldar had fled. There
with
the help of Círdan the Shipwright he built the great ship
Vingilot, fairest of all ships. Here he grew to love the sea and
became
the greatest mariner of all time. He sailed all of The Great Sea
searching for his parents and Aman, but did not find either.
Eärendil married Elwing, and they had two sons:
Elrond
and Elros. When the sons of Fëanor attacked the havens,
Elwing
escaped.
By the power of Ulmo, she flew out to Eärendil's ship. With
the
power of Elwing's Silmaril, Eärendil passed the Enchanted Isles
and
Shadowy Seas and arrived safely in Aman. There he pled for pardon
and
the mercy of the Valar, on behalf of the Children of
Iluvatar, Elves and Men, whom both he represented. His plea
was answered and eventually led to the War of Wrath.
In the War of Wrath Eärendil killed Ancalagon the
Black,
the greatest dragon of Morgoth.
Eärendil was then sent from Aman with the
Silmaril
to sail across the heavens aboard Vingilot. The appearance of
Eärendil's
Star
(Venus) flying from Aman came as a sign of hope to the people of Middle
Earth
and they called it Gil-Estel.
Reference: Silmarillion
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Image
: Earendil. Artist Helio Figueiredo. Rolozo Tolkien site
Image
: "Earendil and Elwing". Meeting in the sky, bird and ship. Artist
Roger Garland. Rolozo Tolkien site
Image:
"Earendil and Elwing". Meeting in the sky, humanoid forms. Artist: Olga
Kukhtenkova. Rolozo Tolkien site
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