If you love J.R.R. Tolkien's , then you know that all of the events of the story would be impossible without the half-Elf Elrond. Elrond, the Lord of Rivendell, lived in Middle-earth from the First Age to the beginning of the Fourth Age. It was with the help of Elrond that the evil Sauron was defeated and alliances were forged. Elrond is one of the most prominent characters throughout Tolkien's stories, appearing in , , , and, of course, The Lord of the Rings. But who is he and what is his story?
Who is Elrond?
Elrond Half-elven was born in the Havens of Sirion in Beleriand, late in the First Age. His father was Eärendil, a great half-elven mariner who carried a star across the sky at the end of the First Age. Elrond's mother was Elwing, also known as Elwing the White, also half-elven. Elrond had a twin brother, Elros, also known as Elros Tar-Minyatur.
Lord Elrond is said to have hair as "dark as the shadows of twilight" and gray eyes that shine like starlight. In , Elrond is described as follows: "He was as noble and fair as an Elf-lord, as strong as a warrior, as wise as a wizard, as venerable as a king of dwarves, and as kind as summer." Elrond appears neither young nor old, but despite his seeming agelessness, it is clear that the half-Elf has experienced much and knows many things.
Elrond Through the Ages of Middle-earth
The First Age
Elrond and his twin brother Elros were born late in the First Age to Eärendil and Elwing. When Elrond and his twin were only six years of age, they were kidnapped by Maedhros and Maglor, the only sons of Fëanor to survive the assault upon the Havens. Elrond and Elros were then abandoned in a cave, but Maglor took pity on them, took them in, and raised the twins as his own. At the end of the First Age during the War of Wrath, the Valar gave Elrond and Elros the choice of being counted among the kindred of Elves or Men. Elrond chose to be counted among the Elves, and Elros chose to become mortal. This is where the twins' stories diverge. Elros journeyed to Númenor to follow the star of Eärendil. Meanwhile, Elrond remained among the Elves in Lindon with Gil-galad, the fourth and last High King of the Noldor. There, Elrond developed his healing powers.
The Second Age
At the beginning of the Second Age, a being calling himself Annatar sought entrance to Lindon. Sensing that Annatar was not what he seemed, Elrond and Gil-galad denied him access. Their intuition was correct, as Annatar later turned out to be Sauron, the most trusted lieutenant of Morgoth. During the War of the Elves and Sauron in SA 1695, Gil-galad sent Elrond to Eregion to protect the Elven kingdom from the invading forces of Sauron. But he arrived too late and was not able to defeat Sauron's army. Elrond retreated north with the refugees of Eregion, and over the next two years, he founded Rivendell, a sanctuary at the feet of the Misty Mountains. Rivendell was able to prosper over the next several years with the aid of Vilya, the Ring of Air, which Gil-galad gave to Elrond. Elrond marched with Gil-galad and Elendil during the War of the Last Alliance. Gil-galad, Elendil, and his younger son Anárion died during the war. This left Elrond and Círdan as the commanders of the Elves, and Isildur as High King of the Realms in Exile. When Elrond discovered that Isildur had claimed Sauron's One Ring as his own, he urged him to destroy it. Lured by the Ring's powers, Isildur refused. At the end of the Second Age, Elrond returned to Rivendell.
