In reply to the Guy from Finland: Gil-galad is already on the list, and there are other characters aside from Númenórean royalty that will come in and give a broader perspective on Númenor. They're interviews should be coming soon!
Author's Note: And now we come to a great change in deed as well as thought in the history of Númenor. Please tell me what you think of it and what other differences you have noticed. Reviews make me exceedingly happy!
Tar-Atanamir
Name(s): Tar-Atanamir; The Great; The Unwilling
Race: Men
Life: He was born in 1800 S.A. and when he received the scepter, he ruled for 192 years as the thirteenth king of Númenor. He died in 2221, refusing to surrender the kingship until his death perforce dotage.
. . .
Before we get into the things that make you famous among the kings of Númenor, I want to briefly ask you about your attitude toward the men of Middle Earth. Did your policies differ from those of your father, and if so, how?
My policies concerning Middle Earth were basically just a step up from those of my father. The only changes I made were some increases in taxes and a couple more restrictions. It was nothing too big, even though based on the complaints, one would think I was an oppressive tyrant or something! That just goes to show how lacking in intelligence those inferior men were compared with us.
What were your thoughts on the Valar and the Ban?
The Valar were proud and unjust in my eyes. They would deny us access to the Undying Lands and to everlasting life. And why? "It is not Eru's will" they say. That is such a convenient answer. I began to see the stupidity of the Ban early in my life, and my opposition to the Valar's excessive restrictions and rules continued to grow as I aged.
And when did you begin to openly speak out against the traditional views?
As soon as I became king. If I knew about something being less than correct, I did not hesitate to point it out, especially since that is part of being ruler. And I didn't care if he was the king of the Valar; it was not Manwë's business what I say. I had the full right to speak against anything or anyone I liked. It was a grave error for him to send messengers to "reprimand" my words.
What did the messengers say, and what was your response?
Manwë sent me word that I should respect his rules and that breaking the Ban would not do me any good. He went on and on about how death was a gift, and we should not envy the Eldar because being tied to the world forever might not be so wonderful. He said it was in our being to die. I said that Men didn't want to leave the world any more than elves, for it is our home just as much as it is theirs. I can say without shame that I did not appreciate his disrespectful remarks about our doom or what we ought to be doing.
You were the first ruler to speak openly against the Valar. Could you explain the shift in thinking that caused you to be so bold when others were not? What of the honor paid the Valar by your founding fathers?
Númenor slowly moved its focus from abstract, surreal masters to what I like to call the real world. Our first fathers were eager to bow to those they deemed worthy of respect. In my day, Númenóreans were not afraid to rise above those old magicians and warriors to take a place of honor ourselves.
What did you think of the Eldar?
They were little blabbermouths. They were the Valar's pets who went and reported every little thing they heard to their masters. Númenóreans had far surpassed their knowledge by the time I became king, and I saw no real reason to maintain contact with them, though I did not refuse them access to my people. I do not deny that I and my men harbored ill feelings for the Eldar. They had what we deserved: life without end. It was indeed envy that burned in our hearts, but I say it was a just jealousy.
What did you think of death? You were the first king ever to refuse the surrendering of the scepter before you died, and you were also the first to die of old age. Why?
Because I was wiser than those before me. They were afraid of old age, and they accepted death with open arms as if it were of close kindred! I stared death in the face and dared it to try to take me. That way I lived a lot longer, not shying away from my duties as king, unlike my fearful forefathers. Death is a cruel master, and it must be fought nail and tooth. Do men not have enough dignity to try to survive?
Well, I suppose one might ask why death has no dignity. Was it not Eru's plan for men?
Eru's plan! Are you one of the Valar's pets, too? That is just an excuse to erase the question! Death is terrible and evil and painful; we should not accept it as our fate just because some history books say a great spirit told us to. We must live, not die, according to what we see and feel, and I know that death is not good.
Could you give a summary of your beliefs concerning Eru?
Eru may be there or He may not; honestly, it didn't matter to me. His existence couldn't make any difference in my life, so I didn't waste time trying to decide if I believed He was real. Now that I think about the topic, it would make some sense if the Valar just made Eru up so as to keep Men under their thumbs forever.
Many have said that your reign represents the time when Númenor began to morally decline. What are your thoughts on this statement?
That sounds like a classic super-conservative statement from a time full of rules and masters. Númenor is free from those old, hindering traditions, and it's a good thing. So if you call rules about submitting to the Valar or to Eru's morals, then yes, we rejected some of those. But we were hardly declining in anything; we were merely becoming free.
You never actually disobeyed the Valar in deed. Why?
Because I'm not suicidal! If I'd had the strength of arms, things might have been different. But no matter how unjust the Valar's restrictions are, I knew that I could not defeat them. It would have been quite unwise to try anything while my own forces were inadequate. If I could have stopped this tyranny, I might have done just that.
What did you think? Review or risk the wrath of the Valar!