'LOTR: The Rings of Power': What is the true meaning behind the falling petals of Númenor's white tree
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: In 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' Episode 4, the sight of Númenor's white tree, Nimloth, shedding its leaves sends a wave of fear through Queen Regent Míriel and Elendil. Initially resolute in her refusal to aid Galadriel in the fight against Sauron, Míriel's stance shifts dramatically when she witnesses the unsettling fall of Nimloth's white petals.
This seemingly beautiful natural event is far from a good omen. Instead of awe, it instills terror in Míriel and Elendil, signaling a dire warning. In Númenórean tradition, the shedding of Nimloth's leaves has historically been a harbinger of disaster, marking the beginning of dark times.
What is the significance of Nimloth's falling petals?
In 'The Rings of Power' Episode 4, the falling petals of Númenor’s white tree, Nimloth, are a deeply unsettling sight. This event is not just a natural occurrence but a significant omen, causing Queen Regent Míriel and Elendil great distress.
According to Númenórean belief, the falling of Nimloth's petals signals that the Valar, the powerful divine beings, are crying. This belief adds a layer of dread to the sight of the petals swirling around Númenor’s port, especially given the recent events.
Míriel and Elendil’s fear is amplified by Míriel’s troubling vision of Númenor’s destruction in the island’s palantír. This vision, combined with the falling petals, suggests that Númenor is on the brink of disaster. For Míriel, the petals represent a divine sign that making the Valar weep by rejecting Galadriel's plea for help could bring Númenor closer to its doom.
Was the Tree's warning, a prophecy fulfilled?
Elendil’s fear also connects to J R R Tolkien’s original mythology. His father, Amandil, had foreseen that Númenor’s defiance of the Valar would one day lead to their anger. Amandil shared these dire predictions with his son, so seeing Nimloth’s petals fall may confirm Elendil's fears that his father’s warnings were accurate.
The adaptation in 'The Rings of Power' draws from Tolkien’s lore, where Nimloth is a symbol of Númenor’s connection to the divine. The tree is descended from Galathilion, created by the Vala Yavanna, and is linked to the great trees Telperion and Laurelin from the ancient history of Middle-earth.
In Tolkien’s stories, Nimloth’s decline was a sign of Númenor's growing defiance. A wise king, Tar-Palantir, had prophesied that if Nimloth ever died completely, it would signal the end of Númenor’s line of kings.
Whether this prophecy holds in 'The Rings of Power' or if the falling petals alone are a new omen, the fear of Nimloth’s decline is a powerful reminder of Númenor’s precarious fate. Míriel, Elendil, and other Númenóreans who know their history are right to be alarmed by the tree's distress.