The Encyclopedia of Arda - Seven Seeing Stones (original) (raw)

A group of seven palantíri or Seeing-stones given by the Eldar of Eressëa to Amandil of Númenor. Amandil was the leader of the Faithful, the oppressed party of the Númenóreans who remained in contact with the Elves, and the Stones allowed them to keep secretly in touch with the Elves (who had other palantíri of their own) and with one another.

Amandil left Númenor to attempt a journey into the West, and passed the Seven Stones on to his son Elendil. Elendil and his sons took the palantíri aboard ship, and thus they escaped the Downfall of Númenor and were brought to Middle-earth. There they were divided between the Two Kingdoms founded by Elendil and his sons: three for Arnor in the North, and four for Gondor in the South.

Over the centuries, many of the Seven Stones were lost or destroyed, but at least three of them survived into the Fourth Age. Two of these were were held in Gondor (the Anor-stone and the Orthanc-stone), while the third (the Elendil-stone of the Tower Hills) was returned into the West by the Three Keepers when they left Middle-earth aboard the White Ship.

For a complete list of the Seven Seeing Stones, see the entry for Palantíri.

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