The Prancing Pony Podcast – Episode 389: “Nowhere Man” (November 9, 2025)

Overview

This episode continues the deep-dive analysis of "Aldarion and Erendis," one of Tolkien’s most nuanced stories from Unfinished Tales. Alan Sisto and Sara Brown embark on the second half of their 10-episode arc on the troubled royal marriage at the heart of Númenor’s decline. Their conversation deftly balances Tolkienian scholarship, humor, lively banter, and candid empathy as they navigate marital failure, parental mistakes, and the roots of Númenor's imperialist downfall. The team turns a critical eye to both Aldarion and Erendis, dissecting their flaws and the harm they cause—especially to their daughter, Ancalimë. Philological exploration, textual chronology, and comparisons with other Tolkien works enrich the experience.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Philology Fair: Trees of Númenor and Quenya Language

• [05:24–14:34] Alan and Sara explore the rich linguistic construction of the fragrant trees of Númenor, such as Nísimaldar, Lairelosse, Nessamelda, Vardarianna, Taniquelasse, and especially Oyolairë—the “green bough of return.”

  • The elements and etymology of each tree name are parsed, connecting Quenya and Sindarin roots, and Tolkien’s broader mythology.
  • Notable Quote: “I love reading Quenya. It’s become such like. Give me more of it. And I will read it. It’s so lovely.” —Alan ([07:32])

• [08:04–08:31] The story of the mallorn (tree of Lothlórien) is touched on, highlighting how flora in Tolkien often carries deep mythological and symbolic significance.

2. Timeline and Numenorean Family Practices

• [17:54–22:16] Sara and Alan break down the unique longevity and family planning customs of Númenor, referencing The Nature of Middle-earth and comparing them to the “primary world.”

  • Birth and child-rearing periods are examined, illustrating the emphasis on parents being together during “the days of the children” (around 50–75 Númenorean years).
  • Discussion on the ages and reproductive windows of Erendis and Númenorean women ([18:14–22:14]), including mathematical calculations for “real-world” ages and sociological implications.

  Notable Quote: “The married pair should dwell together with as few and short times of separation as possible... The days of the children would last 50 to 60 years or more.” —Sara ([20:36])

3. The Birth of Ancalimë, Names, and Early Hopes

• [23:06–24:31] The birth and naming of Ancalimë is discussed—her beauty being second only to Ar-Zimraphel (Tar-Míriel).
• The linguistic connection between Ancalimë’s name and the phrase “Ancalima” uttered by Frodo in The Lord of the Rings is explored.
  • Notable Quote: “So Ancalimë is likely the feminized form of Ancalíma, so her name is simply ‘most bright.’” —Alan ([24:08])
• Erendis’s initial hope that the birth of a daughter will encourage Aldarion to stay—and the underlying anxiety that it might not—is unpacked.
• Discussion of gender and inheritance, noting that Ancalimë will later become the first ruling Queen of Númenor as succession laws change.

4. The Unraveling Marriage: Communication Breakdown

• [25:22–36:38]
• The couple’s persistent communication failures and unacknowledged needs drive a wedge between them.
  • Erendis tries to have meaningful conversations about Aldarion's interests but receives little in return. Aldarion is described as increasingly distracted by his own ambitions.
  • [30:00–31:24] Aldarion is “more widely known as Aldarion”—indicating his move from the name “Anardil” (sun-lover) to “Aldarion” (lover of trees), but the hosts point out this love is more practical (timber) than personal.
• Aldarion's increasing obsession with building ships and projecting Númenorean dominion over Middle-earth is examined as the early seed of Númenor’s imperialistic downfall.
  • Notable Quote: “He dreamed of the glory of Númenor and the power of its kings... So it was that ere long, he turned again from forestry to the building of ships.” —Alan reading ([17:51])
• Alan and Sara critique—not without humor—the lack of honest, vulnerable conversation in the marriage, noting both Aldarion and Erendis’s faults.
  • Notable Quote: “What we have here is a failure to communicate. Yeah, we do. Over and over.” —Alan ([51:30])

5. The Crisis: Aldarion’s Departure and Domestic Fallout

• [42:23–82:37] (Major Segment: See Timestamps for Reading)

• Sara reads the primary episode passage: Aldarion announces he will sail again, despite Ancalimë being a young child and Erendis’s pleas. Their arguments are riddled with gaslighting, emotional neglect, and latent threats.

  • Notable Quote: “You cannot bind forever in soft bonds the son of the king, of the blood of Tuor and Eärendil... I shall soon return.” —Aldarion ([45:57])
  • Erendis: “Soon, she said. But the years are unrelenting, and you will not bring them back with you. And mine are briefer than yours.”

• They analyze in detail:

  • Aldarion’s self-centeredness, evasions, lack of empathy, and emotional harm—especially his brisk, heartless farewell to Ancalimë ([78:21]).
  • Erendis’s transition from grief to cold anger—marking the end of her love and the start of toxic emotional withdrawal.

• Both hosts agree that Aldarion catastrophically fails as husband and father.

  • Notable Quote: “There comes a point when I want to reach through the pages of the book and punch him.” —Alan ([78:39])

• Erendis, deeply wounded, resolves to leave Armenelos, moving to Emêrië, the sheep-country, where she attempts to safeguard her daughter—and, tragically, begins raising her in an emotionally cold household.

6. The Downward Spiral: Erendis’s Coping, Bitterness, and Emotional Abuse

• [82:37–112:55]

• Erendis’s grief and anger transform into a bitter, emotionally paralyzed approach to life. She strives to keep her daughter Ancalimë isolated from men, instilling in her a blanket bitterness towards the opposite sex and forging a “joyless, hushed” home.

  • Notable Quote: “She sought ever to mold her daughter to her own mind, and to feed her upon her own bitterness against men.” —(Text as read by Alan) ([91:34])

• Alan and Sara are unwavering in condemning this as emotional abuse, likening it to “child abuse,” and drawing parallels with her own dysfunctional upbringing (Nuneth’s coldness and victim-blaming).

• Symbolism of the elven birds—rejected by Erendis as she declares her home “no place for such joy”—is discussed as a narrative marker of lost hope and the hardening of her heart.

• Nuneth, Erendis’s mother, is critiqued for her enabling advice and for blaming Erendis for her misfortune (“You knew what you must face”). The hosts reflect on the generational pattern of emotional damage.

7. Ancalimë’s Unhappy Childhood

• [112:55–124:51]
• The hosts describe Ancalimë’s education, her emotional isolation, and the absence of laughter and joy in the White House at Emêrië.
  • She receives homeschooling solely from Erendis, with Erendis controlling all influences on her daughter. Even exposure to broader family (Nuneth and Beregar) is forbidden.
  • Notable Quote: “There was little enough of laughter for Ancalimë in the White House in Emerië. It was hushed and without music, as if one had died there not long since.” —(Text as read by Sara) ([110:19])
• The absolute lack of joy, warmth, and male companionship in her upbringing is shown as profoundly damaging—a tragedy with far-reaching consequences for Numenor’s future queen.

8. Patterns of Parenting and Indoctrination

• [124:51–131:10]
• Discussion of Erendis’s increasing codependency and paranoia, and how her abusive, controlling behavior toward Ancalimë is both a reaction to and an extension of her own upbringing.
• The comparison is made between the relationships of Aldarion and his father Meneldur (wise, calm, but indecisive) and Erendis and Nuneth (cold and enabling). Ancalimë’s fate is framed as a tragic echo of generational trauma.

9. Listener Question: Aldarion as Father vs. Son

• [126:29–131:10]
• Christine from Connecticut asks: “In what ways does the relationship between Aldarion and his daughter Ancalimë mirror or differ from his relationship with his own father?”
  • Alan and Sara conclude that, despite Meneldur’s sometimes-weak discipline, he provides emotional stability and guidance—qualities Aldarion utterly lacks as a parent. Aldarion’s absence and self-absorption leave a vacuum filled by Erendis’ bitterness, damaging their daughter irreparably.

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• Quenya Reading Praise

  • “I love reading Quenya. It’s become such like. Give me more of it. And I will read it.” —Alan ([07:32])

• Aldarion’s Justification

  • “You cannot bind forever in soft bonds the son of the king, of the blood of Tuor and Eärendil.” —Aldarion ([45:57])

• Erendis’s Retort

  • "Mine are briefer than yours. My youth runs away, and where are my children? And where is your heir? Too long and often of late is my bed cold." —Erendis ([45:57])

• On Communication Breakdown

  • “What we have here is a failure to communicate.” —Alan ([51:30])

• On Aldarion’s Emotional Failure

  • “There comes a point when I want to reach through the pages of the book and punch him.” —Alan ([78:39])

• On Erendis’s Abuse

  • “She sought ever to mold her daughter to her own mind, and to feed her upon her own bitterness against men.” —(Text) ([91:34])
  • “What Erendis is doing here to Ancalimë is unforgivable. I mean, even if Ancalimë was never going to become Queen, that is irrelevant. Damaging this child’s psyche in this way is just the most disgusting thing to do.” —Sara ([96:00])

• On Joylessness in the White House

  • “There was little enough of laughter for Ancalimë in the White House in Emerië. It was hushed and without music, as if one had died there not long since.” —(Text) ([110:19])

Segment Timestamps

• Philology Fair: Trees & Quenya — [05:24–14:34]
• Numenorean Childbearing Customs — [17:54–22:16]
• Birth/Name of Ancalimë — [23:06–24:31]
• Domestic Discord & Communication Breakdown — [25:22–36:38]
• Aldarion’s Departure & Emotional Fallout (reading & analysis) — [42:23–82:37]
• Erendis’s Bitterness and Abuse — [82:37–112:55]
• Ancalimë’s Unhappy Upbringing — [112:55–124:51]
• Listener Question: Aldarion as Father vs. Son — [126:29–131:10]

Tone & Style

The episode maintains the podcast’s trademark—expertise leavened with wit, critical yet empathetic commentary, and an atmosphere of friendly camaraderie. Scholars’ insights alternate with deeply felt (and sometimes exasperated) criticisms of the story’s flawed characters, always with an eye toward Tolkien’s moral and cultural themes.

Conclusion

This episode stands as a compelling study in the anatomy of failed relationships—between spouses, parents and children, and between duty and desire. Alan and Sara’s analysis lays bare the emotional and cultural dynamics Tolkien wove into the fall of Númenor, offering listeners not just lore, but urgent contemporary resonances for understanding trauma, communication, and the long shadow of unhealthy power in families and nations.

Next episode: Aldarion returns from his self-imposed exile—unsurprisingly, things are not as he had hoped...

For further Tolkien discussion, transcripts, and supplemental postscripts (such as on Númenorean language, customs, or parenting), visit prancingponypodcast.com.