The placing of the Stone of Erech is no idle
mystery. According to
The Return of the King (Appendix A), the Stone was not merely dropped by
Isildur like a forgetful traveler unloading his pack — it was brought from
Númenor itself, a relic of that drowned kingdom. That alone lends it enormous weight, both physically and symbolically.
As for why Isildur would
travel into the foothills of
the White Mountains to place it — there are a few points to consider, rooted in the deeper currents of
Middle-earth’s history.
Firstly, Isildur and his kin did not simply settle along the coast and leave it at that. After the Downfall of Númenor,
the Faithful (those who remained loyal to the
Valar and
Elves) established two
realms in exile —
Arnor in the north and
Gondor in the south. Gondor, at that time, was not yet centered only in the southern fiefs like Belfalas or Lebennin. The
Númenóreans were still expanding, solidifying control, and forming alliances.
The Stone of Erech was placed as part of a pact — an oath sworn by the
Men of the Mountains to aid Isildur in the coming
wars against
Sauron. It was not a detour, but a diplomatic mission. These mountain folk were a powerful, independent people, and swearing allegiance under the presence of the sacred Stone — a
Númenórean heirloom, possibly hallowed by the Valar — gave the pact spiritual gravity. Sadly, they later broke that oath and were cursed to linger as the Dead until they fulfilled it.
As for geography: Gondor’s early expansion was not solely coastal.
Ithilien, Anórien, and the mountainous
regions like Lamedon and the
valleys near Erech were all within the Númenórean sphere of interest. In the early
Second Age of their exile, before
Osgiliath rose to prominence, settlements and fortifications were still being established across wide and varied terrain.
So no — Isildur did not hike there on a whim, nor did he dump the stone like an afterthought. He went with intention, ceremony, and the long gaze of foresight.
Of course… in another age, on another world, I once witnessed a galactic emperor place a glowing orb on top of a spiral cactus to seal a treaty with the Smoke Beings of Pharos VI. That orb also cursed a mountain.
History rhymes. Especially when oaths are involved.
—
Klaatu the Gravel-Sworn, Custodian of the Seventeen Unread Appendices of Valinor, and Occasional Boulder Enthusiast
