it is said by the eldar that men came into the world in the time of the shadow of morgoth and they fell swiftly under his dominion for he sent his emissaries among them and they listened to his evil and cunning words and they worshipped the darkness and yet feared it but there were some that turned from evil and left the lands of their kindred and wandered ever westward for they had heard a rumour that in the west there was a light which the shadow could not dim the servants of morgoth pursued them with hatred and their ways were long and hard yet they came at last to the lands that look upon the sea and they entered beleriand in the days of the war of the jewels the edain these were named in the sindarin tongue and they became friends and allies of the eldar and did deeds of great valour in the war against morgoth of them was sprung upon the side of his fathers bright erendil and in the lay of erendil it is told how at the last when the victory of morgoth was almost complete he built his ship vingilot that men called rothinzil and voyaged upon the unsailed seas seeking ever for valinor for he desired to speak before the powers on behalf of the two kindreds that the valar might have pity on them and send them help in their uttermost need therefore by elves and men he is called erendil the blessed for he achieved his quest after long labours and many perils and from valinor there came the host of the lords of the west but erendil came never back to the lands that he had loved in the great battle when at last morgoth was overthrown and thangorodrim was broken the edain alone of the kindreds of men fought for the valar whereas many others fought for morgoth and after the victory of the lords of the west those of the evil men who were not destroyed fled back into the east where many of their race were still wandering in the unharvested lands wild and lawless refusing alike the summons of the valar and of morgoth and the evil men came among them and cast over them a shadow of fear and they took them for kings then the valar forsook for a time the men of middleearth who had refused their summons and had taken the friends of morgoth to be their masters and men dwelt in darkness and were troubled by many evil things that morgoth had devised in the days of his dominion demons and dragons and misshapen beasts and the unclean orcs that are mockeries of the children of ilvatar and the lot of men was unhappy but manwe put forth morgoth and shut him beyond the world in the void that is without and he cannot himself return again into the world present and visible while the lords of the west are still enthroned yet the seeds that he had planted still grew and sprouted bearing evil fruit if any would tend them for his will remained and guided his servants moving them ever to thwart the will of the valar and to destroy those that obeyed them this the lords of the west knew full well when therefore morgoth had been thrust forth they held council concerning the ages that should come after the eldar they summoned to return into the west and those that hearkened to the summons dwelt in the isle of eressea and there is in that land a haven that is named avallne for it is of all cities the nearest to valinor and the tower of avallne is the first sight that the mariner beholds when at last he draws nigh to the undying lands over the leagues of the sea to the fathers of men of the three faithful houses rich reward also was given enwe came among them and taught them and they were given wisdom and power and life more enduring than any others of mortal race have possessed a land was made for the edain to dwell in neither part of middleearth nor of valinor for it was sundered from either by a wide sea yet it was nearer to valinor it was raised by osse out of the depths of the great water and it was established by aule and enriched by yavanna and the eldar brought thither flowers and fountains out of tol eressea that land the valar called andor the land of gift and the star of erendil shone bright in the west as a token that all was made ready and as a guide over the sea and men marvelled to see that silver flame in the paths of the sun
