Help! Anyone! Please tell me about Earendil!

[Flammifer]

I feel rather stupid but I have not read the Silmarillion or anything that records the doings of Earendil and the Silmarillion and his ship with wings and so on. I don't even know if he was an Elf or a Man!

Can anyone tell me a very detailed story of him? I need this urgently! Also what is Bilbo's song in the Hall of Fire in FotR about? I know it's about Earendil and stuff, but can someone clarify for me? Thankyou!

[Beleg]

Earendil was a Peredhill; Half-Elven.
His mother was an Elvish Princess, while his father was a man.
Earendil lived in one of the most illustarious Elvish Kingdoms of Old; Gondolin.
Most Elves, originally lived in Aman with the gods, but when Morgoth stole the Silmaril's (The great Jewel) Noldor, a branch of Elves, under the leadership of Feanor (who had made the Silmaril's) decided to follow Morgoth to middle-earth to wage a war unto Morgoth for the regaining of Silmaril's.
On their way to Middle-Earth, they committed hideous sins, and thus angered the Valar, who after their departure fortified Aman (the living place of Gods) against them so that none could enter it.
In Middle Earth, many wars were faught between Noldor, who were aided by the forefather's of men, The Edain, to the extent that a Silmaril was also regained by Beren and Luthien.
However, finally Morgoth had the win and in the Battle of Unnumbered tears, he uprotted the strong Elvish defense and Elves were utterly defeated.
Yet, not all their Kingdoms were destroyed, and Gondolin was one which was not anhiliated because It's location was a secret which no one (except the dwellers of Gondolin) knew about.
Earendil was the son of man, who was sent as a messenger to the the King of Gondolin by a god (Ulmo). When Earendil was seven years old, the beautiful Kingdom of Gondolin was discovered thorugh treachry, attacked and destroyed. Earendil along with his mother and father escaped the sack, and settled on a particular shore.
Thence they met many Elves from other places, who had fled from the sackage of their respective Kingdoms.
Among those people was one by the name of Elwing, descendant of Beren and Luthien, and in her possession was the Regained Silmaril. Love grew between her and Earendil and they married.
Now Earendil was a great marriner and loved the seas, and that trait had been passed onto him through his father.
Morgoth now ruled Middle-Earth, and all the big elvish Kingdoms were destroyed and It was finally clear that Elves wouldn't be able to rout Morgoth and destroy him without help from the gods, (Valar). But Valar had banned Aman (living place of Gods) against Elves. However Earendil built a ship Vingilot, the greatest and beautiful ship ever and sailed towards Aman, and with the help of Elwing, his wife, and by the grace of the Silmaril she bore, was able to enter Aman.
He pleaded the case of Elves and Men before the Powers that Be, and asked for their help in destroying Morgoth. He was able to coax the gods and thus gods attacked Morgoth upon middle-earth.
Elrond Half-elven was the son of Earendil, and so was Elros, Tar Ministayir, first King of Numenor; that is Westernesse.

Hope this helped.

Here's the description of Vinglot,

From Published Silmarillion

Now Eärendil became fast in friendship with Círdan the Shipwright, who dwelt on the Isle of Balar with those of his people who escaped from the sack of the Havens of Brithombar and Eglarest. With the aid of Círdan Eärendil built Vingilot, the Foam-flower, fairest of the ships of song; golden were its oars and white its timbers, hewn in the birchwoods of Nimbrethil, and its sails were as the argent moon. In the Lay of Eärendil is many a thing sung of his adventures in the deep and in lands untrodden, and in many seas and in many isles; but Elwing was not with him, and she sat in sorrow by the mouths of Sirion.

[Galadhriel]

I'll tell you what I know.
Earendil was the son of Tuor a mortal man and Idril Celebrindal an Elf the Daughter of King Turgon of Gondolin.
After the ruin of Gondolin they fled to the Havens, Tuor and Idril sailed off in his ship Earrame into thw West.
Earendil married Elwing Daughter of Dior, (man) and Nimloth an Elf, Dior was the son of Beren and Luthien.
They both sailed to Aman to plead for help against Morgoth for both races Men and Elves.
Both he and Elwing were given a choice, and remained immortal, Earendil then sails in his Ship Vingilot bearing the Silmaril on his brow. In the War of Wrath he kills Ancalagon the greatest of the winged Dragons of Morgoth.
There is more, but if you read the Sil you will find all you need to know in better detail there.

[Flammifer]

Thanks guys!

But tell me, what's with the song of Bilbo's in Rivendell? It tells of how Earendil had to have a flying ship or something and always he would have to sail the "shoreless skies"......what's with that?

[Anamatar IV]

Earendil with his ship, Vingilot, and the Silmaril were placed into the sky as a star. Earendil flies his ship around the world in the skies, and that's where you get that line from.

[Mahal]

The Atani (the 3 houses of the Edain) Men who had helped the Elves in the wars with Morgoth got an island Numenor(its in the appendix if you have it) and they followed the star of Earendil to get to the island it was shining so bright it could be seen with the sun.

[Lasgalen]

But they took Vingilot, and hallowed it, and and bore it away through Valinor to the uttermost rim of the world; and there it passed through the Door of Night and was lifted up even into the oceans of heaven.

The Valar placed his ship in the skies. His star is what we would call the planet Venus. He also keeps watch on the Door of Night.

[jimmyboy]

OK, why don't you just READ the book???
And if you don't have it...get it.

I really don't mean to rude but people keep asking questions about stuff that's in the book, but they don't read it. That's just lazy, IMO.