The Prancing Pony Podcast - Episode 394: Back in the Emerië

Release Date: January 4, 2026
Hosted by: Alan Sisto & Sara Brown

Episode Overview

This episode continues the Prancing Pony Podcast’s deep-dive through Tolkien’s legendarium, focusing on “Unfinished Tales”, specifically the final sections covering the further narrative of Aldarion and Erendis. Alan and guest host Sara Brown pick up in the “Further Course of the Narrative,” discussing the complex legacy of Aldarion—the seafaring King of Númenor, his relationship with Erendis, and the impacts on their daughter, Ancalimë. The episode explores themes of gender, generational trauma, patriarchal societies, and the seeds of Númenor’s fall, all while maintaining the show’s signature mix of humor, thoughtful discussion, and Tolkien-lore expertise.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene: Fragmented Tales and Disjointed Records

• [02:05] Alan introduces the episode by noting that, much like Tolkien’s own manuscripts, the remaining narrative is assembled from “notes and jottings only.”
• [06:01] Sara observes that Christopher Tolkien’s editorial role is to knit together these fragments to give us a more complete account than the principal narrative provided.

2. Númenórean Longevity, Family Dynamics, and Generational Trauma

• [07:08] Sara recaps Númenórean and human aging, highlighting Aldarion’s exceptionally long lifespan (living to 398) versus Erendis’s much shorter one (214), emphasizing the emotional and chronological gulf between them.

  “He was alive 71 years before she was born and lived 113 years after she died. I think this really brings home the difference in the value of time to her versus the value of time to him.”
  — Sara Brown [08:43]

• [08:57] Alan and Sara unpack how this difference created irreconcilable imbalances in their marriage and contributed to Erendis’s bitterness.

  “It really puts in context one of the major reasons why him being away... was detrimental to Arendis.”
  — Sara Brown [09:06]

3. Symbolism and Motivation: From the Green Bough of Return to the Eagle

• [11:08] Discussion on Aldarion’s replacement of the traditional green bough with an eagle gifted by Círdan on his ship, suggesting a shifting of loyalty and emotional focus from Númenor to Middle-earth.

  “For Aldarion, the connection for him is stronger with what's on the other side of the sea... He’s drawn more to Middle Earth than he is to his own home.”
  — Sara Brown [13:13]

4. The Importance of Aldarion’s Actions for Later History

• [23:32] Explicitly recognized that although Aldarion’s own works were impermanent, they laid the groundwork for the future salvation of the West in the wars against Sauron.

  “He gets credit for laying the foundation... That's some really significant moments in history right there, tied to Aeldarian.”
  — Alan Sisto [24:32]

• [25:12] Detailed breakdown of Tar-Minastir’s later victory, only made possible by Aldarion’s foundational efforts centuries earlier.

5. Colonialism, Power, and the Seeds of Númenor’s Downfall

• [37:12] Noted that Aldarion’s time marks “the very beginning of the Shadow” over Númenor—the shift from isolation to a thirst for power and imperialism.
• [38:47] Discussion of Númenórean expansion, colonial attitudes, and parallels with Britain’s own imperial history.

6. On “Dark Men Out of the Mountains”: Interpreting Language and Race in Tolkien

• [29:23] Alan and Sara address loaded terminology in Tolkien, debating whether "dark men" is a racial description or a statement about allegiance (Men of Darkness).

  “Tolkien was very aware... so that is one of the arguments that I don't tend to pay a great deal of attention to because I think it's actually rather demeaning to Tolkien.”
  — Sara Brown [32:13]

7. Political and Personal Timelines: Aldarion’s Absentee Kingship

• [50:56] The unprecedented nature of Aldarion leaving the throne unattended as he sails to Middle-earth is examined; implications for governance, succession, and why the regency fell to Hallatan, his staunch supporter.

8. Ancalimë: The Damaged Heir

• [58:01] Nuanced analysis of Ancalimë’s character as a result of her upbringing: a mix of her father's stubbornness and her mother's coldness and bitterness.

  “She has inherited the worst possible aspects of both of her parents.”
  — Sara Brown [60:06]

• [63:14] Discussion of Ancalimë’s lack of empathy, emotional detachment, and the tragic generational cycle of trauma handed from Nuneth to Erendis to Ancalimë.

9. The Misandric Teaching of Erendis

• [68:40 - 71:19; 72:00-108:26]
  Erendis’s “do not bend” diatribe to Ancalimë is read and unpacked at length—a powerful statement of both sharp insight and lasting bitterness about the roles and power dynamics of Númenórean society.

  “Men in Numenor are half-elves, said Arendis... They turn their play into great matters, and great matters into play... All things were made for their service... But we need not assent if we love Numenor also, let us enjoy it before they ruin it.”
  — Erendis [68:40]

• [77:05]

  “Prejudice is always going to create bitterness and anger. But there is an enormous difference between a prejudice that is a reflection of how someone has been treated and a prejudice that has the power of the state behind it that can really damage somebody.”
  — Sara Brown

10. Tolkien on Gender, Society, and Power

• [78:28 & following]
  Sara and Alan reflect on how Tolkien crafts nuanced female characters and does not simply reinforce stereotypes or societal prejudices, but often explores their origins and impacts with complexity.
• [83:54] Citing The Nature of Middle-earth, Tolkien himself supports aspects of Erendis’s complaints—Numenórean men are prone to ambition, restlessness, and losing “their nows.”

11. Aldarion’s Absent Fatherhood: A Lasting Wound

• [119:02-123:25]
  Discussing the lasting trauma of Ancalimë being physically set down by her father as a small child—a formative emotional wound which, combined with her parents' attitudes, shapes her for life.

  “The firmness with which Aldarien had unclasped her hand and set her down when he was in haste to be gone... That as a young woman, she's remembering this. This is the memory she has of her childhood.”
  — Alan Sisto [121:34]

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Númenórean Life and Marriage:

  “You get one life and we get a certain span, and when we begin that life, we do not know what that span eventually will be.”
  — Sara Brown [09:55]

• On Aldarion’s Restlessness & Symbolism:

  “The oil... was always about the return to Numenor... But this eagle... it isn't about Numenor. It's about the destination and the return—well, that's just in the hands of the Valar, assuming we don't tick him off.”
  — Alan Sisto [11:28]

• On the Teaching of Erendis:

  "Sink your roots into the rock and face the wind, though it blow away all your leaves.”
  — Erendis, quoted by Sara [71:19]

• On Intergenerational Damage:

  “She has learned to be malicious... The worst thing about this is she need not have been like this when we see her as a very, very young child...”
  — Sara Brown [130:33]

• On Parental Influence:

  “None of these things happen in a vacuum. You know, we bash Eldarion, we bash Arendis. None of this happens in a vacuum… both are damaged goods.”
  — Alan Sisto [134:03]

Important Segment Timestamps

• [02:05] Start of lore & chapter discussion.
• [07:08-09:55] Númenórean lifespans, family legacy.
• [11:08-15:43] Symbolism: The Eagle vs. the Bough.
• [23:32-26:36] Aldarion’s legacy for later Numenorean history/Tar-Minastir.
• [29:23-36:46] Discussion of “dark men”, race, and language in Tolkien.
• [50:56-55:03] Kingship, governance, and unprecedented absenteeism.
• [58:01-67:09] Ancalimë’s upbringing—effects of trauma, character formation.
• [68:40-108:26] Erendis’s teaching to Ancalimë, feminist insights, misandry, and limitations of prejudice.
• [119:02-123:25] The impact of Aldarion’s absent/neglectful parenting.

Flow and Tone

Throughout, Alan and Sara keep up a balance between scholarly insight, earnest empathy for the characters’ fictional lives, and lighthearted humor—occasionally with groan-inducing puns and Beatles references.

Their tone is conversational, warm, and inclusive, fully in the spirit of “friends chatting at the pub,” but always grounded in analysis and reference to Tolkien’s texts. Sensitive topics such as race and gender are handled with care and candor.

Conclusion

The episode frames the tale of Aldarion and Erendis as not just a deeply personal tragedy but a pivotal moment in Númenorean history, sowing the seeds for the island’s eventual downfall. Alan and Sara highlight the tragic consequences of generational hurt, the limits of even the noblest ambitions when not checked by humility and empathy, and the lasting, fraught impact of parental influence.

The story—both Tolkien’s and the podcast’s—unspools themes relevant both within and beyond Middle-earth, making this episode a rich exploration for enthusiasts and new listeners alike.

Further Resources

• Recommended listening:

  • PPP Episode 114 (Tolkien and Racism)
  • PPP Episode 192 (Panel on Race & Representation)

• Recommended reading:

  • The Nature of Middle-earth (Tolkien, ed. Carl F. Hostetter)
  • Tolkien, Race and Cultural History (Dimitra Fimi)
  • Unfinished Tales (Christopher Tolkien, ed.)

Next Episode Preview

Expect a deeper look into Ancalimë’s adulthood, her reign as Númenor’s first ruling queen, further consequences of Aldarion and Erendis’s fractured union, and more discussion on colonialism, gender, and the fate of Númenor.

“This has been far too short a time to spend among such excellent and admirable listeners…” — Alan Sisto [138:19]