Amazon’s Lord of the Rings series has used its massive budget to bring these breathtaking Second Age settings to life. The island kingdom of Nmenor, lying to the west of Middle-earth, is one of the most majestic of all. In Rings of Power episode 3, Galadriel is carried to Nmenor after jumping ship. He meets Halbrand on the Sundering Seas and is rescued by Elendil.
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Upon arrival at the dock, the island kingdom reveals itself to be an exhibit of great construction, as indicated by the towering statues. Subsequent Rings of Power episodes feature more statues found on Nmenor. While some viewers may have overlooked the statues, their designs incorporate multiple connections to Lord of the Rings mythology.
The Rings of Power Nmenor’s statues explained
During a recent interview on the Nerd of the Rings YouTube channel, Yip explained the multiple meanings of Nmenor’s statues. Yip began by describing the Ulmo statue, which Galadriel and Halbrand first see as they sail into the harbor. Yip then examined Eärendil, the most prominent statue of them. He said:
[Ulmo] was the god that gifted them the islands so we knew that he was going to be upfront and center welcoming visitors to the island… I don’t know if you ever see it specifically. But we had it so at night from the wharf looking up [Eärendil] looks like he’s pointing up to his star so it all lines up.
It’s one of those things where we felt because there are all these different bridges, they built the statue in a way you could enjoy different aspects of it depending on which bridge you were on at what time of day.
Ulmo is one of the first figures Galadriel and Halbrand observe when they first arrive in Nmenor. Ulmo is a Poseidon-like figure in Lord of the Rings mythology, the King of the Sea and Lord of Waters. Thus it stands to reason that he would be among the first to greet guests sailing onto the island.
Moving forward, the massive monument of Eärendil presides over the port and offers a welcoming hand. Eärendil was the renowned Half-elf mariner who carried a star through the sky. He is also the father of Elrond and Elros. Elwing, his wife, who has been converted into a bird, can be seen perched on his shoulder.
Although Yip mentions the Ulmo and Eärendil monuments, he ignores the female statue found in Nmenor’s dungeon, which fans believe is Uinen the Maia. Yip admits throughout the interview that it would take a long time to go over every single reference on Nmenor. With a five-season strategy currently in place, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will have plenty of time to do so.
