[jallanite]

Originally Posted by cellurdur

This is more frivolous question, but it seems interesting to note that the Kings of Numenor and Elrond/Legolas/Lords of Valandil seem to trace their family through different lines. I think it is mentioned in the POME, that Elrond traced his heritage through Elwing and Luthien. Legolas calls Aragorn a child of Luthien and it seems the Elendil too considered Luthien as the matriarch of their line.

I don’t see anything odd about the Dúnedain descended from Elros sometimes listing Elros as the founder of their line and sometimes tracing it back to Lúthien who was half-Elf and half-Maia, and so reckoned the most noble person to whom they could trace their descent.

It would be no odder for a King of Judah to sometimes refer to himself as a descendant of David, sometimes a descendant of Judah, and sometimes a descendant of Abraham.

You appear to me to be attempting to extract a meaning where there appears to me to be none. Of course a King of Númenor is likely to refer to Elros as the first King of Númemor. That does not indicate that they did not also recognize that they were descendants also of Eärendil and of Lúthien.

Following on from this, it stands to reason, that the majority of the Numenorean kings and descendants of Elros were in fact blone like Earendil before them. I think Gondor and Arnor have influenced how we view Numenoreans, when it should not be the case. The majority of the people of Numenor were Marachians and they would be blonde. The Heirs of Elros, most likely repeatedly married Marachians like the majority of their followers.

Those who read what Tolkien wrote about the Númenóreans know quite well that the majority of Númenóreans were blond. The also know that not all of the People of Marach were blond and that not all the People of Bëor were brown-haired and that even before the settlement on Númenor there was much intermarriage between those peoples.

Was choosing to place Earendil as the patriarch of the House choosing to live a more traditional Mannish lifestyle compared to the elvish nature of Luthien?

I doubt it. When the Númenórean kings turned against their Elvish tradition they would like likely try not to think much of Lúthien and Eärendil as figures connected with the Elvish tradition. Those who followed the Lords of Andúnië would tend to remember their links with the Elves.

You appear to me to be putting too much weight on individual statements of ancestry.