Anyone who has seen the two most recent episodes of “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” may remember a voice calling the character Isildur, as he sets sail on a ship from Númenor.
With the introduction of Númenor, starting with episode 3 of the series, several new characters have been introduced. Among them is Isildur, played by Maxim Baldry. Isildur is the son of Elendil (Lloyd Owen) and, despite his apparent stubbornness and defiant nature of him, seems to want to please his father. Additionally, he tries to carry on the family legacy by joining the Sea Guard, but his actions more recent than him indicate that the desire for something different in his life is taking over.
Several moments point to Isildur’s desire, but one of them is the most striking: he hears a voice whispering his name, while he is at sea training to join the Guard. But whose mysterious voice is that calling Isildur? There are some theories for this.
The most obvious of these would be that the one he calls Isildur is his mother, who has since passed away and was first mentioned in episode 4 of the series. Isildur’s mother would be an original character, created specifically for the series, as there is no mention of her mother in JRR Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings”.
There are a few hints offered throughout the episodes to conclude that the rumor was going to be hers. When Elendil gathers the children, it becomes clear that things are not going according to the patriarch’s plans, especially when she turns against her daughter Eärien (Ema Horvath), simply for defending her brother.
Isildur is trying to explain why he no longer wants to join the Sea Guard, but Elendil insists he stay. This could indicate that the loss of his wife may have had a strong impact on him, to the point that he doesn’t want anything to change after the tragic and unexpected experience. The moment also shows that the family cannot communicate very well with each other, and Isildur’s mother was probably the one who kept the family in harmony.
Furthermore, Isildur’s mother may know that the path he is trying to take by joining the Sea Guard is the wrong one for him. Another reason applies to Tolkien’s tradition, which indicates an evil affecting the people of Númenor. This evil caused paranoia and corruption and eventually led to the island’s fall.
But the spirit of Isildur’s mother may not be behind it. As we have already seen the prophecy of the fall of Númenor, through the queen regent, it is possible that the series shows this evil that corrupts individuals. The main purpose of this evil force is to cause division between the Elves and the Men of Númenor, ultimately pitting them against each other.
Hence, it would make sense for the force to act on behalf of those who are already antagonists of the elves and seek to overthrow those loyal to them. Elendil is seen as one of the main inhabitants of Númenor who are loyal to the Elves, and this evil targeting his son would make a lot of sense.
There is another option, which also indicates another being using Isildur’s mother’s voice to strike him. In the center of the island of Númenor is the mountain of Meneltarma, one of the holiest places in existence dedicated to the cult of Eru Ilúvatar.
Ilúvatar is believed to have created the Ainur, who were lesser deities that he sent into the universe he created to build Arda, Tolkien’s word for the world of Middle-earth. Since the creation of Ainur, Ilúvatar has not been known to be directly involved in the events taking place in Arda – you can find out more in the post where we talk about the opening of the series.
“The Rings of Power” highlights this immense mountain in the center of the island every time the voice speaks to Isildur. There certainly seems to be something divine about the entity that comes from him. With no knowledge to suggest that the dead can somehow reach out and communicate with the living, the idea that Ilúvatar would intervene directly in Isildur’s life is another possible explanation for who could communicate with him.
Regardless of who has the voice speaking to Isildur, or what intentions they may have, it affected the character and made him rethink about joining the Sea Guard, and managed to get him to take an impulsive action that caused him to be expelled from organization, and take a different turn in their destiny.
Isildur is one of the most important characters in the history of Middle-earth and his actions have had consequences even thousands of years in the future, in the original story of the trilogy “The Lord of the Rings”.
Episode 5 of “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” arrives on Prime Video this Friday (23), at 1am.
The post “The Rings of Power”: the voice of who calls Isildur? first appeared on Digital Look.
Source: Olhar Digital
Emily Jhon is a product and service reviewer at Gossipify, known for her honest evaluations and thorough analysis. With a background in marketing and consumer research, she offers valuable insights to readers. She has been writing for Gossipify for several years and has a degree in Marketing and Consumer Research from the University of Oxford.
