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Dates
Said to have remained above the Sea after the Downfall of Númenor, II 3319
Location
In the Great Sea, within sight of Tol Eressëa1
Origins
The summit of the Meneltarma, the central mountain of Númenor
Race
A remnant of a domain of Men, though the isle would have been uninhabited
Division
Dúnedain
Culture
Númenóreans
Important peaks
The surviving peak of the Meneltarma
Pronunciation
Meneltarma is pronounced 'menelta'rrma' ('rr' emphasises that the r sound should be distinctly pronounced)
Meaning
Meneltarma means 'Pillar of Heaven'

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About this entry:

  • Updated 8 March 2022
  • This entry is complete

Isle of Meneltarma

The summit of the Pillar of Heaven

The hallowed place on the heights of the Holy Mountain of Númenor was said to have survived the Downfall, and risen again to form an island in the midst of the Great Sea. Rumour and legend said that a mariner who found that island could even glimpse the Blessed Realm from its summit, and many of the Exiles of Númenor travelled the seas seeking for the last remnant of their ancient home. None of them succeeded, and indeed it is difficult to be sure whether the Isle of Meneltarma was a real place, or merely a hopeful myth among the Dúnedain.


Notes

1

The easternmost land of Aman, the island of Tol Eressëa, was said to be on the edge of sight from the Isle of Meneltarma. We could - in theory - calculate from this just how far apart the islands lay. The final result would depend on the height of the Meneltarma remaining above the waves, but the distance would be of the order of about five kilometres (or three miles).

These calculations, of course, assume a round world, but it's far from clear whether that would apply to the Isle of Meneltarma. Lying relatively close to Aman, somewhere near the western end of the Straight Road into the West, the new island might very well have remained within the ancient paradigm of a flat world. In that context, Tol Eressëa might have remained visible from the Isle of Meneltarma over a much greater distance.

See also...

Great Sea of the West, Mar-nu-Falmar, Meneltarma, Pillar of the Heavens, Roots of the Pillar, The Downfallen, The Pillar

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