Gondor or Arnor?

[Formendacil]

Originally Posted by R.R.J Tolkien

All great arguments for Gondor, thanks.

Just wondering, does Akallabêth record the number of ships to each region?

Off the top of my head, I daren't say it's the Akallabêth, "Of the Ring of Power & the Third Age" or Appendix A... but it's one of them. Probably the first.

And Inziladun is right that we don't know the details of the ships: Elendil COULD have four massive flagships, Isildur three sloops, and Anárion two dinghies... but I assume comparable sizes. And even if they were as large as any sailing ships have ever been, I also still assume most of the population that founded the realms in Exile was already in Exile. There just isn't enough time before the Last Alliance to have armies at the right scale (remember it's BIGGER than the War of the Ring militarily) be descended primarily from nine ships.

[R.R.J Tolkien]

Originally Posted by Formendacil

Off the top of my head, I daren't say it's the Akallabêth, "Of the Ring of Power & the Third Age" or Appendix A... but it's one of them. Probably the first.
.

Good stuff, TY

[Huinesoron]

Originally Posted by R.R.J Tolkien

Good stuff, TY

It's Akallabeth:

Nine ships there were: four for Elendil, and for Isildur three, and for Anárion two; and they fled before the black gale out of the twilight of doom into the darkness of the world.

One other thing that might point to Gondor being stronger is the fate of the Palantiri, from "Of the Rings of Power":

Three Elendil took, and his sons each two. Those of Elendil were set in towers upon Emyn Beraid, and upon Amon Sûl, and in the city of Annúminas. But those of his sons were at Minas Ithil and Minas Anor, and at Orthanc and in Osgiliath.

Gondor managed to put three of the stones in cities, while Arnor only had one. Granted, Elendil might have come at the question the other way - "I need one to look back West, and one to watch the east from Weathertop, and I guess I'll pop the last one in the palace", but it's still suggestive - as is the fact that Gondor got more of them in the first place!

(Maybe they were intended mostly to watch Mordor? With the Osgiliath-stone in control, and the other three potentially roving about as needed? Battlefield palantiri is an amusing notion. ^_^)

hS

[R.R.J Tolkien]

Originally Posted by Huinesoron

It's Akallabeth:



One other thing that might point to Gondor being stronger is the fate of the Palantiri, from "Of the Rings of Power":



Gondor managed to put three of the stones in cities, while Arnor only had one. Granted, Elendil might have come at the question the other way - "I need one to look back West, and one to watch the east from Weathertop, and I guess I'll pop the last one in the palace", but it's still suggestive - as is the fact that Gondor got more of them in the first place!

(Maybe they were intended mostly to watch Mordor? With the Osgiliath-stone in control, and the other three potentially roving about as needed? Battlefield palantiri is an amusing notion. ^_^)

hS

Once more, great insight. TY.