Morannon
- This page is about the Morannon during the War of the Ring. For the Morannon during the War of the Last Alliance, see Morannon (War of the Last Alliance).
Morannon | |
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Type: | Gate |
Region: | The Wastes |
Area: | Slag-hills |
Location: | [36.2S, 3.8W] |
Morannon | |
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Type: | Gate |
Region: | The Plateau of Gorgoroth |
Area: | Udûn |
Location: | [38.9S, 2.6W] |
Location and Lore
- The Morannon (Sindarin for Black Gate) blocked passage to Udûn in northwestern Mordor, and was the most fortified and direct entrance into the land of Mordor.
- It spanned the pass of Cirith Gorgor. The massive gate was built by Sauron, the Dark Lord of Mordor, when he first occupied Mordor in the Second Age, to prevent invasion through the Pass of Cirith Gorgor. Like Barad-dûr, it was built with the power of the One Ring.
- The Black Gate was set in an impregnable black stone and iron wall. The wall has been estimated to be 60 feet high and 250 feet long, with each half of the great gate being 90 feet wide, and set on large stone wheels. Behind the gate were gigantic circular stone ramparts, and when the gate needed to be opened, two pairs of Mountain-trolls who were tethered to gigantic beams pushed their way around their rampart's track, gradually levering open the gate and allowing for the incoming or outgoing of Mordor's armies.
- Set behind the gate were myriads of archers, spearmen, bowmen, and hundreds of thousands of Orc troops ready to defend Mordor.
- After Sauron's fall at the end of the Second Age in the The Last Alliance of Elves and Men, the Towers of the Teeth were built by the Númenorean (Gondorian) victors. Backed up on the other side of the Udan by the Isenmouthe (Carach Angren), and protected by the castle of Durthang on the west side of Udûn, the Black Gate was redesigned to keep all of Mordor's evil inside, shielding the outside from it - and it from the outside. The reconstruction of Minas Ithil, Tower of the Rising Moon, as well as the construction of Cirith Ungol were also done for the same purpose.
- During the War of the Ring, the Army of the West, numbering some 7,000 men, arrived at the Black Gate with the intention of drawing the Eye of Sauron away from Mount Doom, to allow Frodo the Ringbearer to cast the One Ring into the Crack of Doom within it. This they achieved, and the Ring was destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom, following which the Black Gate and the Towers of the Teeth as well as Barad-dûr, immediately collapsed.
Gallery
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The Morannon from the outside
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The gate rollers and sally port
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The Morannon from the inside
Settlements, Areas and Landmarks of The Wastes
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Areas: | Dagorlad (Morannon (War of the Last Alliance)) • (Lang Rhuven) • The Noman-lands • The Slag-hills (Battle of the Morannon) | |
Settlements: | Camp of the Host • Haerondir • Small Ranger Camp | |
Landmarks: | Tham Durlan • Nuiharn • Guard Tower Ruins • Store House Ruins • Merchant shop Ruins • Farm House Ruins • Inn Ruins • Noble's House Ruins • Stable Ruins • Carchost • Dol Acharn • Dûm Boha • Fushaum Gund • Narchost • Ondoher's Folly | |
Interiors: | — | |
Dungeons: | Skoironk • Towers of the Teeth | |
Instances: | — |
Settlements and Landmarks of Udûn
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Settlements: | Udûn Foothold | |
Landmarks: | Maudhúl Ghûg • Maudhúl Târ • Maudhúl Târ Overlook • Maudhúl Vôr • Mornaur • Mornaur Lookout • Rhûd Vorn • Rogkalúr | |
Interiors: | Anglach • Durthang | |
Instances: | Anglach, the Great Foundry • The Tower of Durthang |