Editing Men in Middle-earth (section)

=== History===
{{further|The Silmarillion}}

In a world with other intelligent and cultured races, Men in Middle-earth interact with each other and with the other races in a complex history, narrated mainly in ''[[The Silmarillion]]''. Men are in general friendly with the other free peoples, especially Elves; they are implacable enemies of the enslaved peoples, especially [[Orc]]s. In the First Age, Men, the '''Edain'''<!--redirects here-->, lived in [[Beleriand]] on the extreme West of Middle-earth. They form an alliance with the Elves and join a disastrous war against the first Dark Lord, [[Morgoth]], which destroys Beleriand. As a reward for fighting in the war, the creator, [[Eru Iluvatar]], gives the Edain the new island of [[Númenor]] as their home.{{sfn|Kocher|1974|pp=109–116}}<ref group=T name="Silm ch 17ff">{{harvnb|Tolkien|1977}}, ch. 17 "Of the Coming of Men into the West" and subsequent chapters</ref>

The key difference between Men and Elves now becomes central to the story: Elves are [[Immortality|immortal]], and return to [[Valinor]], home of the godlike [[Valar]], when they become weary of Middle-earth, or are killed in battle. Men, however, are mortal.<ref name="Parker 1957">{{cite journal |last=Parker |first=Douglass |author-link=Douglass Parker |title=Hwaet We Holbytla ... |journal=[[The Hudson Review]] |date=1957 |volume=9 |issue=4 |pages=598–609 |jstor=4621633}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Burns |first=Marjorie |author-link=Marjorie Burns |chapter=Two Norths and Their English Blend |title=Perilous Realms: Celtic and Norse in Tolkien's Middle-earth |title-link=Perilous Realms |year=2005 |publisher=[[University of Toronto Press]] |isbn=978-0-8020-3806-7 |pages=12–29}}</ref> Morgoth's servant, [[Sauron]], tempts the Men of Númenor to attack Valinor, in their search for immortality: Sauron has falsely insinuated that Men can become immortal just by being in that place. The Men and Númenor are destroyed: the island is drowned, [[Atlantis]]-like, beneath the waves; the world is made round; and Valinor is removed from the world, so that only the Elves can reach it. Sauron's body is destroyed, but his spirit escapes to become the new Dark Lord of Middle-earth. A remnant of the Men of Númenor who remained faithful, under [[Elendil]], sail to Middle-earth, where they found the kingdoms of [[Arnor (Middle-earth)|Arnor]] in the North and [[Gondor]] in the South, remaining known as the Dúnedain, "Men of the West". Arnor becomes fragmented, and declines until its kings become Rangers in the wilds, but they retain their memory of Númenor or "Westernesse", through many generations down to [[Aragorn]], a protagonist in ''The Lord of the Rings''. The line of kings in Gondor eventually dies out, and the country is ruled by [[Stewards of Gondor|Stewards]], the throne empty, until Aragorn returns.{{sfn|Kocher|1974|pp=109–116}}<ref group=T name="Silm ch 17ff"/>