Warning: spoilers ahead for The Rings of Power episode 4J.R.R. Tolkien's Second Age to life with visually majestic landscapes. Perhaps the most impressive of all locations is the Roman-inspired island of Númenor. An idyllic haven of architecture, art and crafting, Númenor also has a penchant for giant statues. When Galadriel first sailed into port, for example, she glimpsed the towering figure of Eärendil extending a hand of welcome.
The Rings of Power episodes 3 and 4 also include a very different Númenórean statue. When Halbrand (and later Galadriel) find themselves consigned to the city's dungeon, they're met by a giant stone woman with wild waving hair. Whereas the previous statues dotted around The Rings of Power's Númenor were clearly former kings or historical figures, the dungeon statue appears more mythical in nature. Prime Video's trivia section describes this sculpture as a "personification of the sea itself" but neglects to give her a name...
Examining J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium, Númenor's prison statue is most likely Uinen the Maia. There's no female Vala associated with sailing, and not only is Uinen considered the "spirit" of the sea, she's a figure that mariners (of which there are many on Númenor) look toward when seas get rough. The myth claims that choppy waters are caused by the Maia Ossë, and Uinen, his wife, calms these outbursts, thus ceasing stormy tides. Given the Númenóreans' sea-faring exploits, it makes total sense that a statue would be erected in honor of Uinen. Indeed, Tolkien's map of Númenor even includes a nearby island named Tol Uinen in tribute to this lady of the sea.
Wait, Why Is There A Statue In Númenor's Prison?!
Even those who've never had the pleasure of visiting one personally can probably guess that most jails do not contain pretty statues for prisoners to enjoy looking at. Why does Númenor break that rule with its dungeon sculpture of Uinen? The answer is simple enough: Númenor's prison was not always a prison. Earlier during the island's history the dungeon must've served some other purpose - perhaps a temple or a training area for young mariners where a statue of Uinen would make perfect sense. At some point, however, the structure was repurposed into a dungeon for Númenórean ne'er-do-wells or outsiders like Galadriel and Halbrand.
The story of Númenor's jail with its out-of-place statue speaks to how the island's attitudes and culture have changed. In the beginning, Númenor probably had little need for jails, such was the virtue of those Númenor's soul in The Rings of Power.
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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power continues Thursday/Friday on Prime Video.