Isildur was (briefly) the second king of Gondor and Arnor. His name means "devoted to the moon". After seven years of besieging the Dark Tower, the enemy was all but defeated and Sauron appeared to challenge the king. During the final battle on the slopes of Mount Doom, Elendil and Gil-galad were both slain in combat with the Dark Lord, but Sauron's mortal form was slain as well. Isildur took the hilt-shard of his father's sword Narsil, which had broken beneath Elendil when he fell, and cut the One Ring from Sauron's hand; causing Sauron's malignant spirit to flee. Despite the urging of Elrond and Círdan, Gil-galad's lieutenants, Isildur did not throw the Ring into the fires of Mount Doom; Instead, he claimed it as an heirloom for his House, and as weregild for the deaths of his father and brother. |
