In TA 2000, the forces of the nine Nazgûl laid siege to Minas Ithil. The Nazgûl, led by the Witch-king of Angmar, the most fearsome of Sauron's minions, returned to Mordor in TA 1980 to prepare for Sauron's return. Most of the city's population perished in the Great Plague, leaving it deserted, save for a garrison. After Sauron was defeated in SA 3441, a watch was kept at Minas Ithil to prevent the return of evil to Mordor. However, in SA 3430, Anárion recaptured the city, which was then held by the sons of Isildur for the duration of the War of the Last Alliance. The city was captured and the White Tree was burned (Isildur fled with a seedling and planted it in Minas Anor in TA 2). In SA 3429, Sauron sent a great army against Minas Ithil in a surprise attack. Minas Ithil housed a palantír, the Ithil-stone and the first White Tree of Gondor. Minas Ithil was built by the Faithful Númenóreans, who escaped Númenor's destruction in the Second Age, as a defense against Mordor, and was the dwelling of the family of Isildur. The Morgul-road ran from Osgiliath on the Anduin through Ithilien to the city and crossed the Mountains of Shadow into Mordor via the pass. Within the walls, there were white houses and a tall tower, which had many windows, and the top of the tower revolved slowly back and forth. It was a walled city of white marble built on a high shelf of rock. In its heyday, Minas Ithil was a beautiful sight, with moonlight filling its inner courts, causing its walls to gleam silver and white. It overlooked the region of Ithilien and controlled the only passes through the mountains that led into Mordor, the Morgul Pass and the Pass of Cirith Ungol. Minas Morgul was located in the upland valley known as the Morgul Vale at the feet of the Mountains of Shadow. As Gondor's power weakened, it was then taken by the forces of Mordor, and used as a base to attack Gondor and in the process, decayed into the dark fortress and was renamed as a result. As the easternmost fortification in the Kingdom of Gondor, Minas Ithil safeguarded the eastern borders of the realm and protected the capital Osgiliath from the forces of Mordor during the early part of the Third Age. Minas Morgul was once a fortress of Gondor, called Minas Ithil, the Tower of the Moon. Paler indeed than the moon ailing in some slow eclipse was the light of it now, wavering and blowing like a noisome exhalation of decay, a corpse-light, a light that illuminated nothing." - The Two Towers, " The Stairs of Cirith Ungol" Not the light welling through the marble walls of Minas Ithil long ago, fair and radiant in the hollow of the hills. All was dark about it, earth and sky, but it was lit with light. Upon the further side, some way within the valley's arms, high on a rocky seat upon Ephel Dúath, stood the walls and towers of Minas Morgul. " A long-tilted valley, a deep gulf of shadow, ran back far into the mountains.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |