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Amon Anwar
(redirection from Eilenach)

(S. 'hill of awe')

The original Sindarin name for Halifirien, the 7th and last high beacon hill of Gondor, located to the borders of Rohan near to the very centre of the lands of Gondor.

Its name was given because on its flat treeless top Isildur arranged a sacred tomb and memorial of his father Elendil. It was there before his bones be tranported to Minas Tirith. The Oath of Cirion and Eorl took place above this tomb.

Details and Comments

The place used to be called Eilenaer and only after it had become Elendil's memorial its name was changed.

Eilenaer was a name of pre Númenórean origin, evidently related to Eilenach [Author's note.] According to a note on the beacons, Eilenach was "probably an alien name: not Sindarin, Númenórean, or CommonSpeech Both Eilenach and Eilenaer were notable features.
Unfinished Tales/Cirion and Eorl and the Friendship of Gondor and Rohan

AmonAnwar was in fact the high place nearest to the centre of a line from the inflow of the Limlight down to the southern cape of TolFalas? and the distance from it to the Fords of Isen was equal to its distance from MinasTirith.
Unfinished Tales/Cirion and Eorl and the Friendship of Gondor and Rohan

They made a path through the dense woods of its northward slopes, and so came to its summit, which was green and treeless. There they made a level space, and at its eastward end they raised a mound within the mound Isildur laid a casket that he bore with him.

They made a stone stair from the fringe of the woods up to the crown of the hill.

"This is a tomb and memorial of Elendil the Faithful. Here it shall stand at the mid point of the Kingdom of the South in the keeping of the Valar, while the Kingdom endures and this place shall be a hallow that none shall profane. Let no man disturb its silence and peace, unless he be an heir of Elendil."

The location of the memorial and the manner it was chosen and built strikingly coincides with the sacred mountain of Meneltarma on the Isle of Númenor.

The same applies to the tradition set by Isildur to be strictly followed:

"Up this stair let no man climb, save the King, and those that he brings with him, if he bids them follow him."

Then all those present were sworn to secrecy but Isildur gave this counsel to Meneldil, that the King should visit the hallow from time to time, and especially when he felt the need of wisdom in days of danger or distress; and thither also he should bring his heir, when he was full grown to manhood, and tell him of the making of the hallow, and reveal to him the secrets of the realm and other matters that he should know.


Meneldil followed Isildur's counsel, and all the Kings that came after him, until Rómendacil I (the fifth after Meneldil). In his time Gondor was first assailed by Easterlings and lest the tradition should be broken because of war or sudden death or other misfortune, he caused the "Tradition of Isildur" to be set down in a sealed scroll, together with other things that a new King should know and this scroll was delivered by the Steward to the King before his crowning. This delivery was from then onwards always performed, though the custom of visiting the hallow of AmonAnwar with his heir was maintained by nearly all the Kings of Gondor.
Unfinished Tales/Cirion and Eorl and the Friendship of Gondor and Rohan

The Stewards in the future years followed too this tradition although seldom.

With the setting of the beacons of war, AmonAnwar became one of the most important in the line:

Eilenach was the highest point of the DrúadanForest. It could be seen far to the West, and its function in the days of the beacons was to transmit the warning of Amon Dîn but it was not suitable for a large fire beacon, there being little space on its sharp summit. Hence the name Nardol "Fire-hilltop" of the next beacon westward it was on the end of a high ridge, originally part of the DrúadanForest, but long deprived of trees by masons and quarriers who came up the Stonewain Valley. Nardol was manned by a guard, who also protected the quarries it was well stored with fuel and at need a great blaze could be lit, visible on a clear night even as far as the last beacon (Halifirien) some hundred and twenty miles to the westward."


the StudyTeam

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