Seven Shrines of Westernesse

“I have gazed on the walls of impregnable Anor and ascended barefooted to the Seventh Court where the White Tree of Isildur flowers; I have witnessed the imposing silence on the Hill of Awe, and paid homage to the Shrine of Pride at the Great Tower of Tar-Calion. I have seen the tomb of Ornendil, the Black Stone of Erech, and the Stone of Sorrows on the slopes of Amon Amarth. But when I reached the sacred island of Tol Morwen, where Húrin, Turin Turambar, Morwen Eledhwen and Nienor Niniel were buried, and experienced the solitude of the most sacred Shrine and vastness of the Western Oceans, I was overcome by a devastating feeling of humility, and I leered across the Sunken Lands to the Forbidden West and prayed Eru Ilúvatar in solitude and silence that He would once redeem us, that the sins of our Forefathers would be absolved and the world made anew.”
– Adrahil, Adûnai Anthologies IX.58

Most devout and righteous among the Faithful make usually one or several pilgrimages in their life. Complete number of pilgrimages is seven, but there is no consensus of what places are counted among the seven. The original list of Seven Shrines of Westernesse, from the time of King Melendil, is as follows:

• Hallow of Mount Mindolluin at the summit of the mountain, where only the Kings of Gondor and their elected followers could go.
• Amon Anwar, the spiritual centre of Gondor. Here Isildur buried his fathers bones and then called the protection of the Valar upon that hilltop, and they granted it. Isildur swore all those present to secrecy and forbade anyone save an Heir of Elendil from disturbing it.
• White Tree of Minas Anor, planted by Isildur in memory of his slain brother. King Tar-Palantir of Númenor once prophesied that the life of the White Tree was tied with the lines of the Kings; should it die, then the lines of the Kings would in turn die out.
• Black Stone of Erech, also known as the Covenant Stone or Stone of Loyalty. A great black stone, spherical in shape and some twelve or more feet in diameter. It was half-buried at the top of the Hill of Erech at the mouth of the Blackroot Vale. The Stone is a mysterious and eerie place, shunned by the people of the valley, who claimed it had fallen from the sky, and it is said to be haunted by restless spirits. It was at the Stone of Erech that the King of the Mountains swore allegiance to Isildur’s cause in the time of the Last Alliance. When war came, though, he failed to fulfil his oath, and Isildur cursed the King and his people to wander the hills until they made good their promise.
• Stone of Sorrows upon the slopes of Mount Doom, marking the place where Elendil and Gil-galad were slain and Sauron was finally vanquished.
• Well of Ulmo, a sacred grotto under Pelargir where the first Faithful convened. Originally the shrine contained a relic of Númenor: Karma (helmet) of Aldarion, founder of the Númenórean Guild of Venturers (Uinendili), until it was stolen and carried to the Southlands by Herumor and Fuinur, two Dúnadan renegades.
• Tol Morwen, an island that stood off the coasts of Middle-earth after the drowning of Beleriand at the end of the First Age. It is the site of the Stone of the Hapless. Túrin’s grave-mound stood above the ravines and rapids of Teiglin, and later his mother Morwen Eledhwen was also buried in the same place by Húrin. Above the mound was a marker stone, which also commemorated Túrin’s sister Niënor who had died in the waters below. Glirhuin the Seer made a song about the grave of Húrin’s family, and the Stone of the Hapless that marked it. Glirhuin claimed that the stone would stand even if the sea should flood the lands about. After the War of Wrath, the land was broken and the western ocean did indeed rush into those regions, but Glirhuin’s prophecy proved true. The Stone of the Hapless remained above the waves as an island, and became known as Tol Morwen, ‘Morwen’s Isle’.

Later, other holy sites were added to the list:

• Shrine of Courage in Osgiliath, in memory of Ornendil, son of Eldacar, who was executed by the Captains of Pelargir.
• Hallows of Minas Anor. The Silent Street (Rath Dínen) of Minas Anor, where Gondor’s Kings, Stewards and heroes are entombed, lying between the city itself and the steep walls of Mount Mindolluin.
• Tarma Tar-Calion in Umbar, the great tower and stone where Sauron was first forced to yield to king Ar-Pharazôn and the might of Númenor. Many of the Faithful Dúnedain do not count it among the Shrines of Westernesse, because of the memory of Ar-Pharazôn and his pivotal role in the Downfall.

There are several competing pilgrimage routes available for the Faithful. One of the best known itineraries was promoted by Adrahil of Nan Roechbin in his Anthologies. It consists of seven pilgrimages, with directions given from Lond Ernil. Mount Mindolluin is excluded from the tour, as it is impossible for anybody but the King to pray there. Adrahil visited both Tol Morwen and Tarma Tar-Calion, but not the Well of Ulmo, which was closed for public for several decades after the Kin-strife. Another explanation might be the theft of the Karma, which robbed the Well much of its perceived sanctity. The pilgrimages recommended by Adrahil are:

• Shrine of Love (the White Tree), “to know that Providence is with those who love Valar and respect the Firstborn.”
• Shrine of Awe (Amon Anwar), “to give deference to Elendil and recognition of his role as the patriarch of the Dúnedain.”
• Shrine of Pride (Tarma Tar-Calion), “to understand that excess pride might undo even the greatest of victories.”
• Shrine of Courage (Ornendil), “to pay homage to the first martyr of the Kin-strife.”
• Shrine of Fealty (Stone of Erech), “to remember that oaths given may never be broken.”
• Shrine of Sorrows (Stone of Sorrows), “to mourn those who sacrificed themselves in the great war of the Last Alliance, where Sauron was finally destroyed.”
• Shrine of Humility (Tol Morwen), “to submit to the Will of the One, and where the Straight Road begin.”