The sinking of Numenor - a lesson to whom?

[doug*platypus]

An interesting observation; it is a rather poetic and nostalgic account. I think this stems from Professor Tolkien's vision of what Atlantis may have been like. As I understand it, both Atlantis and Númenor represented a golden age of civilisation. Throughout the legendarium, there is a sense of the Númenóreans being the crowning glory of human achievement: their buildings, their prowess in battle, even aspects like their longevity and height. The fact that they could fall so far morally, to worship Melkor and assault the realm of the Valar is a tragedy, hence the wording. And the tragedy makes for good reading, to be quite honest. If the text were simply to state that "these people were bad, and so they were quite rightly punished" it would be very matter-of-fact and not so entertaining!

The description akhtene provided of the end of Angband is quite different, and rightly so. So much strife, war, bloodshed, horror and evil took place in Beleriand in the war with Morgoth, that quite frankly it was a relief when the Host of the West came in and destroyed the baddies, and the whole area was submerged by the cleansing sea. Still somewhat tragic, as many formerly beautiful or wondrous places would have been lost, and many lives as well we can surmise, but not so tragic apparently as the downfall of Númenor.