The Encyclopedia of Arda - an interactive guide to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien
Dates
Begun in II 3310; sailed into the West II 3319
Location
Sailed from Númenor and landed on the coasts of Aman
Origins
Created by King Ar-Pharazôn under the influence of Sauron
Race
Division
Culture
Family
Ar-Pharazôn was a descendant of the House of Elros

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 1 June 2020
  • This entry is complete

Great Armament

The building of Ar-Pharazôn’s great fleet

"...their masts were as a forest upon the mountains, and their sails like a brooding cloud; and their banners were golden and black."
The Silmarillion
Akallabêth

When Sauron succeeded in persuading Ar-Pharazôn to attack Valinor, the King set about building the greatest fleet that had ever been built. While the shipwrights were building and the arms being prepared, the Valar sent storms and omens out of the West, but the Númenôreans worked on.

At last, after nine years, the Armament was finished, and Ar-Pharazôn had a fleet that filled the seas west of Númenor. He boarded his flagship Alcarondas (the 'Castle of the Sea') and raised the signal to begin. Trumpets rang out throughout the fleet as it set sail into the West. There were so many ships that they surrounded Tol Eressëa completely, and they came at last to the shores of Valinor itself. But the Great Armament was for nothing: by the power of Eru the fleet was swept back out to sea and then drawn down into the abyss, as was the island of Númenor where it had been built.


Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 1 June 2020
  • This entry is complete

For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page.

Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 2004, 2020. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ.

Website services kindly sponsored by Discus from Axiom Software Ltd.
Discus' world-class support is free to all our clients. We're always ready to help you get the most from the DISC personality test.
The Encyclopedia of Arda
The Encyclopedia of Arda
Menu
Homepage Search Latest Entries and Updates Random Entry