Seven Stars, Seven Stones and One White Tree...

[ArathornJax]

In the paperback version of The Silmarillion on page 331 in the Akallabeth it states that the Elendil, Isildur and "the Faithful put aboard their wives and children, and their heirlooms and great stores of goods." These were put on the ships that they had prepared, while on Isildur's ship they put and guarded the "young tree, the scion of Nimloth the Fair." It also mentions here that they had Seven Stones that they also put on the ships (9 total ships and 7 had one each of the palantiri put on them). When you look in the index at seven stones it refers you to the palantiri



In The Lord of the Rings Companion on page 436 it says "According to the 1966 Index (of the Silmarillion) the seven stars that were part of the emblem of Elendil and his house 'originally represented the single stars on the banners of each of seven ships (of 9) that bore a palantir.'

Perhaps another question would be did Amandil the father of Elendil make it to Aman and was that why Elendil and his ships made it to Middle Earth, or was it just luck?

[Ibrîniðilpathânezel]

Originally Posted by ArathornJax

In The Lord of the Rings Companion on page 436 it says "According to the 1966 Index (of the Silmarillion) the seven stars that were part of the emblem of Elendil and his house 'originally represented the single stars on the banners of each of seven ships (of 9) that bore a palantir.'

Is this referring to an unpublished index? (since TS wasn't published until 1977). Curious....

[ArathornJax]

I would have to refer you to the companion. All it says is the 1966 Index. In Appendix A there is a brief mention of Elendil and his sons escaping the downfall in nine ships with the seven stones. So, unless they were referring in the reference to an Index of 1966 in the LOTR, or it is a printing error, I'm not sure. I'll have to look at the sources when I get some time to try and identify where/what they were referring to.

[Gwathagor]

I'm pretty sure that the seven stars are simply a heraldic device used by the Elendili. I can't think why seven stars would refer to nine ships...

[zxcvbn]

I find it strange that JRRT never bothered to explain the Seven Stars when the other two objects(Stones and White Tree) held such importance in the story. When I first read it, I assumed it referred to the Elendimir(Star of Elendil), or to the fact that Numenor resembled a seven-pointed star, but it seems that's not the case.

[Gwathagor]

Besides, Numenor resembles, if anything, a five-pointed star. (Did someone mention that already? I'm too lazy to read the entire thread.)

[Ibrîniðilpathânezel]

Actually, to theorize, I've always wondered if the seven stars of the heraldic device were meant to symbolize the Sickle of the Valar, which Varda set in the heavens as a warning to Melkor, thus indicating that the house of Elendil was still faithful to the Valar and opposed to Melkor and Sauron. It did have seven stars, after all.