Minas Morgul
Encyclopedia
Minas Morgul (ˈminas ˈmorɡul. Sindarin
: Tower of Black Sorcery), also known by its earlier name of Minas Ithil (Sindarin
: Tower of the Moon), is a fictional fortified city in J. R. R. Tolkien
's Middle-earth
. Its full name is Minas Ithil in the Morgul Vale, since the city is located in a deep valley of the same name.
Minas Morgul was also called the Dead City and the Tower of Sorcery.
Minas Ithil means "Tower of the Moon" and Minas Morgul means "Tower of Black Sorcery." The word minas means "tower." The word ithil is a poetic name for the Moon from sil or thil meaning "shine with white or silver light." The word morgul means "black sorcery." The element mor means "black, dark." The element gûl means "sorcery, magic" from the stem ŋgōlē (Quenya
cognate nólë) meaning "long study, lore, knowledge."
, Isildur
and Anárion
, the sons of Elendil
, landed in Gondor
. Isildur built Minas Ithil at the south end of a pleasant valley in Ithilien
near the mountainous border of Mordor
, while Anárion built Minas Anor
further west across the Anduin
. The brothers had their throne
s side by side at Osgiliath. Isildur planted a sapling of the White Tree Nimloth
outside his home in Minas Ithil, and one of the seven palantír
i was kept in the tower. The city's white marble walls, buildings, and tower were designed to catch and reflect the moonlight, and shone with a soft silver luminescence.
When Sauron
returned after escaping Númenor's destruction, he attacked the exiles of Númenor, and his forces took Minas Ithil by force in . Though the White Tree was burned, Isildur and his family managed to escape down the Anduin with a seedling, seeking his father Elendil. The city was later retaken and while Isildur, Anárion, and Elendil assaulted Mordor, Isildur's younger sons Aratan
and Ciryon
were sent to garrison Minas Ithil in order to intercept Sauron if he attempted to escape from Mordor to the west.
When the Last Alliance defeated Sauron in , Minas Ithil was restored as a city/fortress and prospered for many years, though it was now under the rule of Anárion
's son Meneldil, as Isildur planned to take up rule of his father's kingdom of Arnor
. Isildur planted the seedling of the White Tree at Minas Anor in memory of Anárion, who had been slain during the War.
, the Nazgûl
returned to Mordor, after the defeat of the Witch-king of Angmar
in the north of Middle-earth by a joint force of Elves
, Dúnedain
, and men of Gondor under the command of Prince Eärnur.
In preparation for Sauron's return, the Ringwraiths laid siege to Minas Ithil in 2000, and they took the city for their dark master two years later. Minas Ithil was occupied by fell creatures and its walls were studded with menacing fortifications. The palantír kept in the Tower was also captured and later installed at Barad-dûr
. As a result, the city became a foul, evil place, and it came to be called Minas Morgul, "The Tower of Dark Sorcery" in Sindarin
; the valley in which it stood likewise came to be known as Morgul Vale. In response, Minas Anor was likewise renamed Minas Tirith
, "The Tower of Guard," to indicate Gondor's eternal vigilance against the threat of the Witch-king.
After Eärnur became King of Gondor in 2043 the Witch-king, Lord of the Nazgûl, challenged him to single combat in order to finish a disputed duel between them at the Battle of Fornost years earlier. In 2050 Eärnur accepted a second challenge, rode with a contingent of knight
s to Minas Morgul and was never heard from again. Eärnur was believed to have died in torment in Minas Morgul. Because he had no heirs and was never declared officially dead, the line of the Stewards of Gondor
ruled the kingdom in his stead until the return of an heir of Isildur, beginning with Eärnur's own Steward
, Mardil. Terror and war were directed against Gondor from Minas Morgul until Ithilien was deserted.
Sauron returned secretly to Mordor in 2942 and in 2951 he declared himself openly and began to gather power again. Sauron claimed the Ithil-stone and with it he was later able to ensnare Saruman
and deceive Denethor
, Steward of Gondor, who each had one of the other palantíri.
At the time of the War of the Ring, the Witch-king of Angmar and most of the Nazgûl dwelt in Minas Morgul; two or three other Nazgûl occupied Dol Guldur
in Mirkwood
. Numerous Orcs, including Gorbag, were also stationed in Minas Morgul and the Silent Watchers were ever-vigilant.
On June 20, 3018, the Witch-king rode forth to lead an assault on Osgiliath, and then he rode north with the Nazgûl in search of the Hobbit
who bore the One Ring.
, Minas Morgul was as silent as the grave. The walls and tower of Minas Morgul had many windows, but they were all unlit and revealed nothing of the horrors within. The dark magic that permeated Morgul Vale was so great that it could drive men mad if they came too near the city. A white stone bridge ran across Morgul Vale to the city's gate on its northern wall, and at each end of the bridge were hideous statues of twisted men and animals. On either side of the Vale were fields of blighted flowers which gave off a rotten scent.
When Frodo Baggins
, Samwise Gamgee
and Gollum
passed by the city on their way to Cirith Ungol, the One Ring
almost succeeded in compelling Frodo to run right to the city gates. As they climbed the stairs of Cirith Ungol soon afterward, Frodo, Sam and Gollum watched as a red flash erupted from Barad-dûr to signal the start of the assault on Minas Tirith. Immediately afterwards a similar flash of intense green light was emitted from the tower of Minas Morgul as its garrison, led by the Witch-king of Angmar, marched out to lay siege to Minas Tirith.
, Minas Morgul continued to act as the base of operations for the Witch-king and was a major garrison and forward base for Sauron's forces. The army of orcs
and trolls
that attacked Osgiliath and besieged Minas Tirith came from Minas Morgul.
It seems that at some point the orcs of Minas Morgul became isolated from those of the greater force of Mordor, utilizing not the eye of Sauron as an emblem, but a skeletal crescent moon. It is possible that there was a difference even in breeds of orc (as suggested in Peter Jackson's adaptation), but their leaders (Gorbag) shared time with other orcs from Mordor proper. The strain between them and the standard "Mordor orcs" at Cirith Ungol was critical in the quest to destroy the Ring of Power.
As the Army of the West made their way past Minas Morgul to their last stand
at the Morannon, they destroyed the bridge leading to the Morgul Vale and set its fields aflame. Aragorn
's forces met no opposition from the Tower as the city's entire garrison had been killed at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields
. Prince Imrahil
of Dol Amroth
had proposed to attack Mordor via Minas Morgul but others feared that the evil in the valley would drive the men of Gondor mad. Gandalf
also reasoned that the Ring-bearer would go through Morgul to reach Mount Doom
, thus it was preferable not to draw attention to Morgul by attacking it.
After the War of the Ring, when Aragorn was crowned as King Elessar, he made Faramir
the Prince of Ithilien
. Faramir made his abode in the Emyn Arnen, southeast of Minas Tirith, and ruled from there with his new bride, Éowyn
. At his coronation, King Elessar also decreed that Minas Ithil in the Morgul Vale be utterly destroyed and cleansed, and no man would be allowed to live there for seven years, and maybe more, depending on the evil influence of the haunted city. It has not been made known whether Minas Ithil and Osgiliath were ever rebuilt, as the major population of Ithilien became based around Emyn Arnen.
The city is featured in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy
directed by Peter Jackson
, most prominently in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
. In The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the Nazgûl can be seen exiting from Minas Morgul as they ride towards the Shire
to pursue the One Ring. The Staircase and Tower of Cirith Ungol, and Shelob
's Lair were all designed by John Howe, with the Morgul road using forced perspective into a bluescreened miniature. Unlike Minas Tirith, official artwork of Minas Morgul is extremely rare and inconsistent, which gave Howe considerable liberty in designing the city for the film. Howe's design of Minas Morgul was inspired from the experience of having wisdom teeth pulled out: in the same way, the Orcs have put their twisted designs on to a former Gondorian city. Cirith Ungol was based on Tolkien's design, but when Richard Taylor felt it was "boring", it was redesigned with more tipping angles. The interior set, like Minas Tirith, was built as a few multiple levels that numerous camera takes would suggest composed a larger structure. The miniature was sprayed with phosphorescent paint
and lit from below with black lights to create its unearthly glow.
Sindarin
Sindarin is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien, and used in his secondary world, often called Middle-earth.Sindarin is one of the many languages spoken by the immortal Elves, called the Eledhrim or Edhellim in Sindarin....
: Tower of Black Sorcery), also known by its earlier name of Minas Ithil (Sindarin
Sindarin
Sindarin is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien, and used in his secondary world, often called Middle-earth.Sindarin is one of the many languages spoken by the immortal Elves, called the Eledhrim or Edhellim in Sindarin....
: Tower of the Moon), is a fictional fortified city in J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's Middle-earth
Middle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....
. Its full name is Minas Ithil in the Morgul Vale, since the city is located in a deep valley of the same name.
Etymology
Minas Ithil was also called the Tower of the Moon, the Tower of the Rising Moon, and the Moon-tower.Minas Morgul was also called the Dead City and the Tower of Sorcery.
Minas Ithil means "Tower of the Moon" and Minas Morgul means "Tower of Black Sorcery." The word minas means "tower." The word ithil is a poetic name for the Moon from sil or thil meaning "shine with white or silver light." The word morgul means "black sorcery." The element mor means "black, dark." The element gûl means "sorcery, magic" from the stem ŋgōlē (Quenya
Quenya
Quenya is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien, and used in his Secondary world, often called Middle-earth.Quenya is one of the many Elvish languages spoken by the immortal Elves, called Quendi in Quenya. The tongue actually called Quenya was in origin the speech of two clans of Elves...
cognate nólë) meaning "long study, lore, knowledge."
Second Age
After the destruction of NúmenorNúmenor
Númenor is a fictional place in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings. It was a huge island located in the Sundering Seas to the west of Middle-earth, the main setting of Tolkien's writings, and was known to be the greatest realm of Men...
, Isildur
Isildur
Isildur is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He appears in the author's books The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales....
and Anárion
Anárion
Anárion is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. His name is derived from Anar, which means "Sun" in Tolkien's invented language of Quenya...
, the sons of Elendil
Elendil
Elendil is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He appears in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....
, landed in Gondor
Gondor
Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth by the end of the Third Age. The third volume of The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, is concerned with the events in Gondor during the War of the Ring and with...
. Isildur built Minas Ithil at the south end of a pleasant valley in Ithilien
Ithilien
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Ithilien is a region and fiefdom of Gondor.Ithilien, or "Moon-land," is the easternmost province of Gondor, the only part of Gondor across the Great River Anduin lying between the river and the Mountains of Shadow , subdivided by the stream of...
near the mountainous border of Mordor
Mordor
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, Mordor or Morhdorh was the dwelling place of Sauron, in the southeast of northwestern Middle-earth to the East of Anduin, the great river. Orodruin, a volcano in Mordor, was the destination of the Fellowship of the Ring in the quest to...
, while Anárion built Minas Anor
Minas Tirith
Minas Tirith , originally named Minas Anor, is a fictional city and castle in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings. It became the heavily fortified capital of Gondor in the second half of the Third Age...
further west across the Anduin
Anduin
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Anduin is the Sindarin name for the Great River of Wilderland, the longest river in the Third Age . The ancestors of the Rohirrim called it Langflood. It flowed from its source in the Grey and Misty Mountains to the Mouths of Anduin in the Great Sea...
. The brothers had their throne
Throne
A throne is the official chair or seat upon which a monarch is seated on state or ceremonial occasions. "Throne" in an abstract sense can also refer to the monarchy or the Crown itself, an instance of metonymy, and is also used in many expressions such as "the power behind the...
s side by side at Osgiliath. Isildur planted a sapling of the White Tree Nimloth
Nimloth
In the fantasy world of J. R. R. Tolkien, Nimloth, Sindarin for "white blossom", was the name of the White Tree of Númenor. Nimloth was a seedling of Celeborn, which was a seedling of Galathilion, which was created by Yavanna in the image of Telperion, one of the Two Trees of Valinor.When the...
outside his home in Minas Ithil, and one of the seven palantír
Palantír
A palantír is a magical artifact from J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy legendarium. A palantír A palantír (pl. palantíri) is a magical artifact from J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy legendarium. A palantír A palantír (pl. palantíri) is a magical artifact from J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy legendarium. A palantír...
i was kept in the tower. The city's white marble walls, buildings, and tower were designed to catch and reflect the moonlight, and shone with a soft silver luminescence.
When Sauron
Sauron
Sauron is the primary antagonist and titular character of the epic fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.In the same work, he is revealed to be the same character as "the Necromancer" from Tolkien's earlier novel The Hobbit...
returned after escaping Númenor's destruction, he attacked the exiles of Númenor, and his forces took Minas Ithil by force in . Though the White Tree was burned, Isildur and his family managed to escape down the Anduin with a seedling, seeking his father Elendil. The city was later retaken and while Isildur, Anárion, and Elendil assaulted Mordor, Isildur's younger sons Aratan
Aratan
In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, Aratan was Isildur's second son and at the time of his death, Heir Presumptive to the High-Kingship of Arnor and Gondor. He was sent with his younger brother Ciryon to garrison the city of Minas Ithil and the pass of Cirith Ungol...
and Ciryon
Ciryon
In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, Ciryon was Isildur's third son. In the War of the Last Alliance he was sent with his older brother Aratan to garrison the city of Minas Ithil and the pass of Cirith Ungol on the borders of Mordor and Ithilien, in case Sauron tried to escape through the pass...
were sent to garrison Minas Ithil in order to intercept Sauron if he attempted to escape from Mordor to the west.
When the Last Alliance defeated Sauron in , Minas Ithil was restored as a city/fortress and prospered for many years, though it was now under the rule of Anárion
Anárion
Anárion is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. His name is derived from Anar, which means "Sun" in Tolkien's invented language of Quenya...
's son Meneldil, as Isildur planned to take up rule of his father's kingdom of Arnor
Arnor
Arnor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings. Arnor, or the Northern Kingdom, was a kingdom of the Dúnedain in the land of Eriador in Middle-earth. The name probably means "Land of the King", from Sindarin Ara- + dor...
. Isildur planted the seedling of the White Tree at Minas Anor in memory of Anárion, who had been slain during the War.
Third Age
Minas Ithil suffered greatly as a result of the Great Plague in the year . Its population and garrison were diminished, and the watch on Mordor inevitably became lax. In the year 1980 of the Third AgeThird Age
The Third Age is a time period from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. The history of Middle-earth is to be taken fictionally as a history of the real Earth....
, the Nazgûl
Nazgûl
The Nazgûl are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium...
returned to Mordor, after the defeat of the Witch-king of Angmar
Witch-king of Angmar
The Witch-king of Angmar, also known as the Lord of the Nazgûl and the Black Captain among other names, is a fictional character and a major antagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. In Tolkien's novel The Lord of the Rings, he is the chief of the Nazgûl , the chief servants...
in the north of Middle-earth by a joint force of Elves
Elf (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Elves are one of the races that inhabit a fictional Earth, often called Middle-earth, and set in the remote past. They appear in The Hobbit and in The Lord of the Rings, but their complex history is described more fully in The Silmarillion...
, Dúnedain
Dúnedain
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the Dúnedain were a race of Men descended from the Númenóreans who survived the sinking of their island kingdom and came to Eriador in Middle-earth, led by Elendil and his sons, Isildur and Anárion...
, and men of Gondor under the command of Prince Eärnur.
In preparation for Sauron's return, the Ringwraiths laid siege to Minas Ithil in 2000, and they took the city for their dark master two years later. Minas Ithil was occupied by fell creatures and its walls were studded with menacing fortifications. The palantír kept in the Tower was also captured and later installed at Barad-dûr
Barad-dûr
Barad-dûr is the fortress of Sauron in the heart of the black land of Mordor and close to Mount Doom in the fantasy world of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings...
. As a result, the city became a foul, evil place, and it came to be called Minas Morgul, "The Tower of Dark Sorcery" in Sindarin
Sindarin
Sindarin is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien, and used in his secondary world, often called Middle-earth.Sindarin is one of the many languages spoken by the immortal Elves, called the Eledhrim or Edhellim in Sindarin....
; the valley in which it stood likewise came to be known as Morgul Vale. In response, Minas Anor was likewise renamed Minas Tirith
Minas Tirith
Minas Tirith , originally named Minas Anor, is a fictional city and castle in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings. It became the heavily fortified capital of Gondor in the second half of the Third Age...
, "The Tower of Guard," to indicate Gondor's eternal vigilance against the threat of the Witch-king.
After Eärnur became King of Gondor in 2043 the Witch-king, Lord of the Nazgûl, challenged him to single combat in order to finish a disputed duel between them at the Battle of Fornost years earlier. In 2050 Eärnur accepted a second challenge, rode with a contingent of knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
s to Minas Morgul and was never heard from again. Eärnur was believed to have died in torment in Minas Morgul. Because he had no heirs and was never declared officially dead, the line of the Stewards of Gondor
Stewards of Gondor
The Stewards of Gondor were rulers from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium of Middle-earth.-Overview:Steward was the traditional title of a chief counsellor to one of the Kings of Gondor. The office of Arandur first came into existence during the reign of King Rómendacil I...
ruled the kingdom in his stead until the return of an heir of Isildur, beginning with Eärnur's own Steward
Stewards of Gondor
The Stewards of Gondor were rulers from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium of Middle-earth.-Overview:Steward was the traditional title of a chief counsellor to one of the Kings of Gondor. The office of Arandur first came into existence during the reign of King Rómendacil I...
, Mardil. Terror and war were directed against Gondor from Minas Morgul until Ithilien was deserted.
Sauron returned secretly to Mordor in 2942 and in 2951 he declared himself openly and began to gather power again. Sauron claimed the Ithil-stone and with it he was later able to ensnare Saruman
Saruman
Saruman the White is a fictional character and a major antagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. He is leader of the Istari, wizards sent to Middle-earth in human form by the godlike Valar to challenge Sauron, the main antagonist of the tale, but later on aims at gaining...
and deceive Denethor
Denethor
Denethor II of the House of Húrin is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Return of the King, which is the third and final part of his novel The Lord of the Rings. In the novel, he is the 26th and penultimate ruling Steward of Gondor....
, Steward of Gondor, who each had one of the other palantíri.
At the time of the War of the Ring, the Witch-king of Angmar and most of the Nazgûl dwelt in Minas Morgul; two or three other Nazgûl occupied Dol Guldur
Dol Guldur
Dol Guldur was Sauron's stronghold in Mirkwood in the fictional world of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. It is first mentioned in The Hobbit. The hill itself, rocky and barren, was the highest point in the southwestern part of the forest. Before Sauron's occupation it was called Amon Lanc...
in Mirkwood
Mirkwood
Mirkwood is a name used for two distinct fictional forests in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. In the First Age, the highlands of Dorthonion north of Beleriand were known as Mirkwood after falling under Morgoth's control. During the Third Age, the large forest in Rhovanion, east of the Anduin in ...
. Numerous Orcs, including Gorbag, were also stationed in Minas Morgul and the Silent Watchers were ever-vigilant.
On June 20, 3018, the Witch-king rode forth to lead an assault on Osgiliath, and then he rode north with the Nazgûl in search of the Hobbit
Hobbit
Hobbits are a fictional diminutive race who inhabit the lands of Middle-earth in J. R. R. Tolkien's fiction.Hobbits first appeared in the novel The Hobbit, in which the main protagonist, Bilbo Baggins, is the titular hobbit...
who bore the One Ring.
City of the Nazgûl
Under the Ringwraiths Minas Ithil was perverted into a horribly corrupt version of its former beauty. Its gate was described to be a cavernous mouth. The topmost course of the tower revolved slowly, showing a different leering head with each turn, and the marble walls of Morgul shone not with reflected moonlight, but with a pale, frightening light of its own which Tolkien described as "a corpse-light" that "illuminated nothing". Where Minas Ithil was, in its day, likely a bustling, noisy city like Minas TirithMinas Tirith
Minas Tirith , originally named Minas Anor, is a fictional city and castle in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings. It became the heavily fortified capital of Gondor in the second half of the Third Age...
, Minas Morgul was as silent as the grave. The walls and tower of Minas Morgul had many windows, but they were all unlit and revealed nothing of the horrors within. The dark magic that permeated Morgul Vale was so great that it could drive men mad if they came too near the city. A white stone bridge ran across Morgul Vale to the city's gate on its northern wall, and at each end of the bridge were hideous statues of twisted men and animals. On either side of the Vale were fields of blighted flowers which gave off a rotten scent.
When Frodo Baggins
Frodo Baggins
Frodo Baggins is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium.He is the main protagonist of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. He was a hobbit of the Shire who inherited Sauron's Ring from Bilbo Baggins and undertook the quest to destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom...
, Samwise Gamgee
Samwise Gamgee
Samwise Gamgee, later known as Samwise Gardner and commonly as Sam, is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. Samwise is one of the chief characters in Tolkien's novel The Lord of the Rings, in which he fills an archetypical role as the sidekick of the protagonist, Frodo...
and Gollum
Gollum
Gollum is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He was introduced in the author's fantasy novel The Hobbit, and became an important supporting character in its sequel, The Lord of the Rings....
passed by the city on their way to Cirith Ungol, the One Ring
One Ring
The One Ring is a fictional artifact that appears as the central plot element in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy novels. It is described in an earlier story, The Hobbit , as a magic ring of invisibility. The sequel The Lord of the Rings describes its powers as being more encompassing than...
almost succeeded in compelling Frodo to run right to the city gates. As they climbed the stairs of Cirith Ungol soon afterward, Frodo, Sam and Gollum watched as a red flash erupted from Barad-dûr to signal the start of the assault on Minas Tirith. Immediately afterwards a similar flash of intense green light was emitted from the tower of Minas Morgul as its garrison, led by the Witch-king of Angmar, marched out to lay siege to Minas Tirith.
The War of the Ring and the Fourth Age
During the War of the RingWar of the Ring
In the fictional high fantasy-world of J. R. R. Tolkien, the War of the Ring was fought between Sauron and the free peoples of Middle-earth for control of the One Ring and dominion over the continent. The War of the Ring took place at the end of the Third Age. Together with the Quest of Mount Doom,...
, Minas Morgul continued to act as the base of operations for the Witch-king and was a major garrison and forward base for Sauron's forces. The army of orcs
Orc (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings, Orcs or Orks are a race of creatures who are used as soldiers and henchmen by both the greater and lesser villains of The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings — Morgoth, Sauron and Saruman...
and trolls
Troll (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Trolls are large humanoids of great strength and poor intellect.While in Norse mythology, the Troll was a magical creature with special skills, in Tolkien's writings they are portrayed as evil, stupid, with crude habits, although still intelligent enough to...
that attacked Osgiliath and besieged Minas Tirith came from Minas Morgul.
It seems that at some point the orcs of Minas Morgul became isolated from those of the greater force of Mordor, utilizing not the eye of Sauron as an emblem, but a skeletal crescent moon. It is possible that there was a difference even in breeds of orc (as suggested in Peter Jackson's adaptation), but their leaders (Gorbag) shared time with other orcs from Mordor proper. The strain between them and the standard "Mordor orcs" at Cirith Ungol was critical in the quest to destroy the Ring of Power.
As the Army of the West made their way past Minas Morgul to their last stand
Battle of the Morannon
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the Battle of the Morannon or Battle of the Black Gate is a fictional event that took place at the end of the War of the Ring...
at the Morannon, they destroyed the bridge leading to the Morgul Vale and set its fields aflame. Aragorn
Aragorn
Aragorn II is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, one of the main protagonists of The Lord of the Rings. He is first introduced by the name Strider, which the hobbits continue to call him...
's forces met no opposition from the Tower as the city's entire garrison had been killed at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields
Battle of the Pelennor Fields
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy fiction, the Battle of Pelennor Fields is the battle for the city of Minas Tirith between the forces of Gondor and its allies, and the forces of the Dark Lord Sauron...
. Prince Imrahil
Imrahil
Imrahil is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is introduced in Return of the King as the twenty-second Prince of Dol Amroth.-Biography:...
of Dol Amroth
Dol Amroth
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Dol Amroth was a hill along the coast of Gondor, on a peninsula on the Bay of Belfalas; and also the city that grew up there, mainly in the Third Age as the seat of the principality of the same name. The Prince of Dol Amroth was one of the principal subjects of...
had proposed to attack Mordor via Minas Morgul but others feared that the evil in the valley would drive the men of Gondor mad. Gandalf
Gandalf
Gandalf is a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. In these stories, Gandalf appears as a wizard, member and later the head of the order known as the Istari, as well as leader of the Fellowship of the Ring and the army of the West...
also reasoned that the Ring-bearer would go through Morgul to reach Mount Doom
Mount Doom
Mount Doom is a volcano in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. It is located in the heart of the black land of Mordor and close to Barad-dûr, it is approximately high. Alternative names, in Tolkien's invented language of Sindarin, include Orodruin and Amon Amarth...
, thus it was preferable not to draw attention to Morgul by attacking it.
After the War of the Ring, when Aragorn was crowned as King Elessar, he made Faramir
Faramir
In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, Faramir is a fictional character appearing in The Lord of the Rings. He is introduced as the younger brother of Boromir of the Fellowship of the Ring and second son of Denethor II, the Steward of the realm of Gondor...
the Prince of Ithilien
Ithilien
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Ithilien is a region and fiefdom of Gondor.Ithilien, or "Moon-land," is the easternmost province of Gondor, the only part of Gondor across the Great River Anduin lying between the river and the Mountains of Shadow , subdivided by the stream of...
. Faramir made his abode in the Emyn Arnen, southeast of Minas Tirith, and ruled from there with his new bride, Éowyn
Éowyn
Éowyn is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, who appears in his most famous work, The Lord of the Rings. She is a noblewoman of Rohan who describes herself as a "shieldmaiden".-Literature:...
. At his coronation, King Elessar also decreed that Minas Ithil in the Morgul Vale be utterly destroyed and cleansed, and no man would be allowed to live there for seven years, and maybe more, depending on the evil influence of the haunted city. It has not been made known whether Minas Ithil and Osgiliath were ever rebuilt, as the major population of Ithilien became based around Emyn Arnen.
Portrayal in adaptations
The Lord of the Rings film trilogy
The Lord of the Rings is an epic film trilogy consisting of three fantasy adventure films based on the three-volume book of the same name by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. The films are The Fellowship of the Ring , The Two Towers and The Return of the King .The films were directed by Peter...
directed by Peter Jackson
Peter Jackson
Sir Peter Robert Jackson, KNZM is a New Zealand film director, producer, actor, and screenwriter, known for his The Lord of the Rings film trilogy , adapted from the novel by J. R. R...
, most prominently in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is a 2003 epic fantasy-drama film directed by Peter Jackson that is based on the second and third volumes of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings...
. In The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the Nazgûl can be seen exiting from Minas Morgul as they ride towards the Shire
Shire (Middle-earth)
The Shire is a region of J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, described in The Lord of the Rings and other works. The Shire refers to an area settled exclusively by Hobbits and largely removed from the goings-on in the rest of Middle-earth. It is located in the northwest of the continent, in...
to pursue the One Ring. The Staircase and Tower of Cirith Ungol, and Shelob
Shelob
Shelob is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. She appears at the end of the fourth book, second volume , of The Lord of the Rings.-Literature:...
's Lair were all designed by John Howe, with the Morgul road using forced perspective into a bluescreened miniature. Unlike Minas Tirith, official artwork of Minas Morgul is extremely rare and inconsistent, which gave Howe considerable liberty in designing the city for the film. Howe's design of Minas Morgul was inspired from the experience of having wisdom teeth pulled out: in the same way, the Orcs have put their twisted designs on to a former Gondorian city. Cirith Ungol was based on Tolkien's design, but when Richard Taylor felt it was "boring", it was redesigned with more tipping angles. The interior set, like Minas Tirith, was built as a few multiple levels that numerous camera takes would suggest composed a larger structure. The miniature was sprayed with phosphorescent paint
Luminous paint
Luminous paint or luminescent paint is paint that exhibits luminescence. In other words, it gives off visible light through fluorescence, phosphorescence, or radioluminescence.-Fluorescent paint:...
and lit from below with black lights to create its unearthly glow.
External links
- http://www.glyphweb.com/ARDA/m/minasmorgul.html
- http://www.glyphweb.com/arda/m/minasithil.html
- http://www.tuckborough.net/fortress.html
- http://www.elponeypisador.com/Enciclopedia/entry569.html (Spanish)