# The People Of Numenor Fearing Death



## John (Aug 29, 2021)

Why Is it That The People Of Numenor where Afraid Of Death? Did They Not Realise That After Men Died They Souls went elsewere? if yes then why did they still Fear Death?


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## Alcuin (Aug 29, 2021)

Why do most of us fear death? From Tolkien’s point of view, Men’s souls go elsewhere. Do _you_ fear death?


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## grendel (Aug 29, 2021)

I always thought it wasn't so much fear of death as desire for the Elves' seeming immortality. If they hadn't had the Elves to compare themselves too, I doubt if they would have been any more afraid of death than most societies.


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## Aukwrist (Aug 30, 2021)

John said:


> Why Is it That The People Of Numenor where Afraid Of Death? Did They Not Realise That After Men Died They Souls went elsewere? if yes then why did they still Fear Death?


I don’t think it was fear of death that was the problem, until very late: it was the longing for deathless life, such as the Elves possessed. They longed for the deathless life of the Elves, and ended by fearing a death which came to them all the sooner because they tried to assure it for themselves.

They withered when Sauron came, because that is the effect that he had upon all those who served him. Which is bitterly ironic, because the Numenoreans in the days of Tar-Ciryatan & Tar-Atanamir had been warned that “”it is not the land of Manwë that makes its people deathless, but the Deathless that dwell therein have hallowed the land; and there you would but wither and grow weary the sooner, as moths in a light too strong and steadfast.'”

Which is exactly what happened when the Shadow fell on Numenor. By seeking to flee death, they only found it all the sooner, and in many different guises. And all the more, when Sauron came.

I think the explanation for this is, that by being very close to Morgoth, Sauron became more and more like him, according to his measure, so that by being “Morgothised”, in a high decree, Sauron, himself a “shadow of [Morgoth’s] malice”, brought only death and ruin and sterility to his own servants & followers. Sauron was very bad company for them indeed, he was not remotely life-enhancing; unlike the Valar, whose friendship was very good for Elves & Men. 

The Numenoreans forgot that the great gifts that so distinguished them were not theirs for the taking, but were the gifts of the Valar to their fathers.


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