Foster father of Tuor. Annael was a Sindarin Elf. He and his people lived in Mithrim, a region in southeastern Hithlum. Their dwellings were in the Mountains of Mithrim west of Lake Mithrim. The symbol of Annael and his people was the swan. In 472, a number of Elves from Mithrim fought in the Battle of Unnumbered Tears but Annáel was the only one of them who survived. Later that year, the Elves of Mithrim gave shelter to a pregnant woman named Rian whose husband Huor had not returned from the battle. Annáel told Rian that Huor had been killed and that his body probably lay under the burial mound of Haudh-en-Ndengin. Rian gave birth to a son named Tuor. She asked the Elves to take care of Tuor and she went to Haudh-en-Ndengin and died. Annáel became Tuor's foster father. After the battle, Morgoth gave Hithlum to the Easterlings and many Orcs came there as well. Some Elves were captured by the Orcs and were taken as slaves to the mines of Angband. Annáel led his people into hiding in the caves of Androth but they continued to face danger and hardship. Around 488, Annáel decided to lead his people away from Mithrim. His plan was to escape Hithlum through the secret passage called the Gate of the Noldor and then head south to the Havens of Sirion. Many of the women and children had already been sent there to safety. Tuor, who was sixteen years old at the time, agreed to accompany Annáel. Tuor hoped to find Turgon, the High King of the Noldor, who had escaped from the Battle of Unnumbered Tears with the help of Tuor's father Huor. Annáel told Tuor that Turgon's realm of Gondolin was hidden but he might meet some of Turgon's people at the Havens of Sirion. But when the Elves left Androth they were attacked by a great force of Easterlings and Orcs. Tuor was captured by the Easterling chieftain Lorgan. Annáel and many of his people managed to escape and they joined Cirdan's people who lived at the Havens of Sirion and on the Isle of Balar. Tuor eventually escaped from Lorgan. He found the Gate of the Noldor that Annáel had described and he was led to Gondolin by an Elf named Voronwe. After the fall of Gondolin in 510, Tuor and his wife Idril and son Earendil fled to the Havens of Sirion so Tuor may have been reunited with Annáel at that time. The meaning of the name, Annáel is unknown. The first element could be from anna meaning "give" in Sindarin. The second element could be el meaning "star."