Three Prayers

Three times each year, the King of Numenor would lead his people to the summit of the Meneltarma, and on each of those occasions a ritual prayer would be said. The Three Prayers took place at the beginning of spring, at the height of midsummer and at the end of autumn, and were known respectively as the Erukyerme, the Erulaitale and the Eruhantale. By tradition, at the time of each of the Three Prayers, three great Eagles, known as the Witnesses of Manwe, would hover over the King and his subjects.

The Three Prayers were observed without fail by the early Kings of Numenor, but fell into disuse as the party of the King's Men established their power. The first King explicitly said to have abandoned the Prayers altogether was Ar-Gimilzor, the twenty-third ruler of Numenor.