Who is Elrond’s father in The Lord of the Rings? Eärendil explained
The half-elf Elrond has some legendary history.
Elrond is a character who is known and loved by many The Lord of the Rings fans. Originally played by Hugo Weaving, this ancient elf has a key role in both the beginning and end of the one ring.
Now viewers are being given the chance to see a younger, more vulnerable Elrond played by Game of Thrones actor Robert Aramayo.
So far in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power we have seen him join the famous elven smith Lord Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) in his journey to forge the rings, and have watched him reunite with his dwarf friend Prince Durin IV (Owain Arthur), and will now wait to see if, together, they can help save the elves from extinction.
In episode 5, Partings, Elrond’s backstory gets extended as we learn more about his father, Eärendil. As mentioned briefly in a previous episode, the story of his father seems to still be a difficult area for the young elf.
Eärendil is a hero to those in Middle Earth, but for Elrond, hearing about him brings a lot of pain and mourning. Here’s why.
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Who is Elrond’s father in The Lord of the Rings? Eärendil explained
Eärendil the Mariner was a Half-elven with an elf mother and human father. Thanks to his human blood he was mortal. He married Elwing, another half-elf descended from the human hero Beren, who originally reclaimed one of the Silmarils from the evil Morgoth and passed the gem down to his family.
Eärendil and Elwing had two sons, Elrond and Elros. For years the family lived in peace in the elf havens of Arvernien. Yet when Eärendil was away, the sons of Fëanor attacked the family home in search of the missing Silmaril.
Elwing threw herself and the Silmaril into the sea while her two sons were captured. Elrond and Elros were then raised by one of Fëanor’s sons.
When he heard about this, Eärendil found his wife and the two set sail for Valinor, becoming the first mortals to ever land there. When he arrived, the half-elf asked the godlike Valar for their help. He begged them to go to Middle Earth and help defeat Morgoth, he also gave them the Silmaril as a sign of respect.
As a reward, he and his wife were granted the ability to choose which race of beings they would belong to – elves or men. Both chose to be elves and the same choice was passed down to their sons. Elrond, as we know, chose to be an elf and his brother Elros chose to be a man, he also eventually became the first King of Númenor.
After his plea, the Valar agreed to help and left for Middle Earth to fight Morgoth. When he was defeated and captured, the Valar returned to Valinor with Eärendil.
When the war was over, the Valar sent Eärendil and the Silmaril into the sky to guard the sun and the moon. Elrond’s father now forever sails as the star of Eärendil, but it’s said that one day he will return.
Eärendil’s heroic behaviour left a strong legacy that Elrond now feels the pressure of. Whether he’ll ever see his father again, or live up to his legacy, remains to be seen, but with the life force of the elves in trouble, he’s clearly going to try.
Read more on The Rings of Power:
- Rings of Power release schedule: When are Lord of the Rings episodes out?
- How to watch The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies in order
- Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power review – Dazzling prequel doesn't let Tolkien fans down
- Who is Morgoth in Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power?
- Who is Galadriel’s brother? Meet Finrod actor Will Fletcher
- What is the Second Age of Middle-earth? Rings of Power timeline explained
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power continues on Fridays on Amazon Prime Video – try Amazon Prime Video for free for 30 days. If you’re looking for something else to watch in the meantime, check out our TV Guide or visit our dedicated Fantasy hub.
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