One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them.

MORDOR. (S). "Black Land".

Mordor • Eye of Mordor • Gate of Mordor • Gates of Mordor • Lord of Mordor • Messenger of Mordor • Orcs of Mordor • Storm of Mordor • Teeth of MordorMordor means "Black Land" from mor meaning "dark, black" and dor meaning "land." Mordor was often referred to as the Black Land in the Common Speech, as well as the Dark Country and the Land of Shadow. The Silmarillion: "Appendix - Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names," entries for mor and dor Realm of Sauron, and where he forged the One Ring. This was Sauron's home from around the year 1000 of the Second Age, to the year 3019 of the Third Age, when Frodo destroyed the One Ring in Mount Doom. In the land of Mordor where the shadows lie, dwelt the Dark Lord Sauron. It was here he built the Dark Tower Barad-dûr, east of the Fiery Mountain, upon the Plateau of Gorgoroth. Mordor was protected in the north by the Ash Mountains, and to the south and west by the Mountains of Shadow, seemingly the only entrance to the Black Land was the pass of Cirith Gorgor where the two mountain ranges met. The pass was protected by the Morannon, at either end of which stood Carchost and Narchost, the Towers of the Teeth. The only other way into Mordor was through the Morgul Vale and little known Pass of Cirith Ungol, guarded by the spider Shelob. It was by this route Gollum led Frodo and Sam into Mordor. The downfall of Sauron came with the casting of the One Ring into the fires of Mount Doom, Orodruin erupted spilling forth lava across the plains of Mordor as Barad-dûr fell in ruin.See also SAURON, SHELOB'S LAIR.-BLACK COUNTRY. Dark Country Frodo’s name for Mordor. A rare name for the Black Land of Mordor, a term used in fact only by Frodo Baggins. It is effectively a loose translation of the name Mordor, in which the element mor means 'black' or 'dark', while dor relates to a land or country.

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-BLACK LAND. Black Land-DARK COUNTRY. Dark Country-DARK KINGDOM.-DARK LAND. Dark Land-LAND OF SHADOW. Land of Shadow-LAND OF THE NECROMANCER. -NAMELESS LAND. -NARGUN. Nargûn. Dwarvish name of Mordor.

ASH MOUNTAINS, ASHEN MOUNTAINS. Called Ered Lithui in Sindarin. The word ered means "mountains" and lithui means "ashen." They were so called because of their ash-grey color. Mountain range on the northern border of Mordor. The Ash Mountains stretched 500 miles from east to west. A long spur of the Ash Mountains enclosed the plateau of Gorgoroth in Mordor. Barad-dur stood at the end of another spur of the Ash Mountains. At their western end, the Ash Mountains met the Mountains of Shadow. Between the two ranges was Cirith Gorgor, the Haunted Pass, which was barred by the great Black Gate. The Towers of the Teeth stood on hills on either side of the Black Gate. Inside the Black Gate was the enclosed valley of Udun, and at the other end of the valley was the pass called the Isenmouthe. During Sauron's absence from Mordor in the early part of the Third Age, the Men of Gondor began to build a road running eastward along the Ash Mountains outside Mordor. They only completed the first 50 miles of the road, and it soon fell into disrepair. When the Wainriders from Rhun attacked Gondor in 1944 of the Third Age, they used the road to approach the Black Gate undetected in the shadow of the Ash Mountains. They took Gondor's Northern Army by surprise and defeated them, and King Ondoher of Gondor was killed. The Wainriders were later defeated in the Battle of the Camp by Earnil and the Southern Army of Gondor. At the Battle of the Morannon on March 25, 3019, an army of Easterlings awaited in the shadows of the Ash Mountains until they received the signal to attack. That battle ended when the One Ring was destroyed and Sauron was vanquished. Ashen MountainsEred Lithui, or the Ash Mountains, formed the northern border of Mordor. These were dark mountains, and they were avoided by men, elves, and dwarves. -ASH MOUNTAINS. Ash Mountains -ERED LITHUI. Ered Lithui

BARAD-DÛR. (S). “Dark Tower”. The Dark Tower was called Barad-dûr in Sindarin and Lugbúrz in Black Speech. Barad-dûr means "Dark Tower" from barad meaning "tower" and dûr meaning "dark." The name Lugbúrz also means "Dark Tower" in the Black Speech from lug meaning "tower" and búrz meaning "dark." BARAD-DUR.Stronghold of Sauron in Mordor. Barad-dur was at the end of a long spur of the Ash Mountains on the northern border of Mordor. The tower overlooked the plateau of Gorgoroth. A road led northwest from Barad-dur to the Black Gate, about 100 miles away. Mount Doom was about 30 miles directly west of Barad-dur. Sauron's Road ran from the western gate of Barad-dur over an iron bridge spanning an abyss and then across Gorgoroth to the eastern slopes of Mount Doom. Barad-dur was an immense fortress of immeasurable strength. It was made of iron and extremely hard stone and its gates were steel. The tower was black and it was wreathed in veils of shadow woven by Sauron. It was very tall with many walls, battlements, and towers. The highest tower was topped with an iron crown and in it was the Window of the Eye from which Sauron gazed. Within the Dark Tower were great courts and an armory and windowless dungeons; and beneath the tower were deep pits. Sauron began building Barad-dur around the year 1000 of the Second Age, when he chose Mordor as his realm. The tower was completed around the year 1600. Sauron forged the One Ring in Mount Doom at this time as well, and the foundations of Barad-dur were strengthened by the power of the Ring. Sauron ruled from Barad-dur and expanded his power in Middle-earth until he was challenged by Ar-Pharazon, King of Numenor, in 3262. Seeing the might of Ar-Pharazon's forces, Sauron came down from Barad-dur and allowed himself to be taken to Numenor. There he persuaded Ar-Pharazon to defy the Valar and sail to the Undying Lands, which led to the Downfall of Numenor in 3319. Sauron's physical body was lost in the destruction of Numenor, but his spirit returned to Barad-dur in 3320. There he took up the Ring again and assumed a new form. In the War of the Last Alliance, Elves and Men marched to war against Sauron and defeated his forces at the Battle of Dagorlad before the Black Gate in 3434. The armies of the Last Alliance then entered Mordor and besieged Barad-dur.

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The Siege of Barad-dur lasted seven years. At last in 3441, Sauron himself came down from his tower and fought with Gil-galad and Elendil. All three fell in that mortal contest and Isildur took the One Ring from Sauron and kept it for himself. The Dark Tower was destroyed, but the foundations could not be broken as long as the Ring survived. Sauron returned around 1050 of the Third Age and established a new stronghold at Dol Guldur in Mirkwood. The White Council attacked Dol Guldur in 2941 and the next year Sauron returned in secret to Mordor. In 2951, Sauron declared himself openly and began rebuilding Barad-dur. Sauron had a palantir in Barad-dur; it was most likely the Ithil-stone that had been taken by the Nazgûl from Minas Ithil. Gollum was captured on the outskirts of Mordor in 3017 and he was brought to Barad-dur, where he was questioned and tortured for information about the Ring. Prisoners brought to the Dark Tower did not usually come out alive, but Sauron released Gollum on purpose hoping the creature would lead him to the Ring-bearer. Frodo Baggins saw Barad-dur when he sat on the Seat of Seeing on Amon Hen while wearing the Ring. All hope left him when he saw the immense strength of Sauron's great fortress. Frodo felt the Eye of Sauron seeking him from the Dark Tower and just in time he managed to take off the Ring. Grishnakh was an Orc from Barad-dur who was sent across the Anduin seeking the Ring-bearer. Another Orc named Shagrat brought Frodo's mithril shirt to Barad-dur from the Tower of Cirith Ungol on March 17, 3019. On March 25, the mithril shirt was shown to the Host of the West by the Mouth of Sauron, who was the Lieutenant of the Tower of Barad-dur. That same day, Frodo saw Barad-dur once again as he stood on Mount Doom. The shadows around the tower were drawn aside, revealing its iron pinnacles, and in the window at the summit Frodo saw the Eye of Sauron. Sauron's attention was focused on the Battle of the Morannon at the Black Gate. When Frodo claimed the Ring, Sauron became aware of him and the Dark Tower shook from its foundations to its crown. But it was too late - the Ring was destroyed and Sam saw Barad-dur collapse in ruin. A brief vision he had of swirling cloud, and in the midst of it towers and battlements, tall as hills, founded upon a mighty mountain-throne above immeasurable pits; great courts and dungeons, eyeless prisons sheer as cliffs, and gaping gates of steel and adamant: and then all passed. Towers fell and mountains slid; walls crumbled and melted, crashing down; vast spires of smoke and spouting steams went billowing up, up, until they toppled like an overwhelming wave, and its wild crest curled and came foaming down upon the land. And then at last over the miles between there came a rumble, rising to a deafening crash and roar; the earth shook, the plain heaved and cracked, and Orodruin reeled.

Barad-dûr The tower and dungeons of Sauron in Mordor. Baradur was rebuilt with the power of the One Ring after the year 1000 of the Second Age. When Sauron was vanquished by the Last Alliance, Barad-dur was destroyed, though the foundations remained as the One Ring was intact. It was rebuilt by Sauron and finally destroyed in the year 3019 with the destruction of the One Ring. Citadel of Sauron the Dark Lord of Mordor. An immense fortress overlooking the Plateau of Gorgoroth, built during the Second Age at the time of the forging of the One Ring. With many battlements and ramparts, at its crown was the Eye of Sauron, the window by which Sauron could use his piercing gaze to look out upon Mordor. It was called the Dark Tower by Men and Lugbúrz by Orcs. Barad-dûr was laid siege to during the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, before finally being captured and Sauron overthrown. The foundations of the citadel survived Sauron's defeat, for it could not be destroyed while the power of the Ring endured. The Dark Lord eventually returned to his fortress, but the destruction of Barad-dûr came with the casting of the One Ring into the fires of Mount Doom.-BLACK TOWER. -DARK TOWER OF MORDOR. -DARK TOWER THE. Dark Tower Dark Tower

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-EYE OF BARAD-DUR. -GREAT TOWER. Great Tower-KEYS OF BARD-DUR. See Volume Things. -LUGBURZ. (Lugbúrz). (BS). Lugbúrz-TOWER THE.-WINDOW OF THE EYE. The window high in the western side of The Dark Tower (Barad-dûr) whence watched the Eye of Sauron. Sauron could look in many directions from the Window of the Eye. The Window actually pointed directly at the Chambers of Fire (Sammath Naur) i.c. Mount Doom.Window of the Eye Eye of Barad-dûrEye of MordorEye of Sauron

BLACK GATE OF MORDOR. The Sindarin name for the Black Gate was the Morannon from mor meaning "dark, black" and annon meaning "great door or gate." Also called the Gates of Mordor. Main entrance into Mordor. The Black Gate was located at the northwestern corner of Mordor. It spanned Cirith Gorgor, the Haunted Pass, at the point where the Ash Mountains met the Mountains of Shadow. Behind the Black Gate was the valley of Udun which led to the plain of Gorgoroth. The Black Gate was made of iron set in a stone rampart that stretched between the high cliffs on either side of the pass. It had two great iron doors. There was a battlement across the top of the Black Gate which was patrolled by sentries. The Towers of the Teeth flanked the Black Gate: Narchost on the west, or right as one faced the Gate, and Carchost on the east or left. There were also hundreds of Orc-holes in the cliffs around the Black Gate. In front of the Black Gate was the Desolation of the Morannon. It was an grim and barren land where nothing grew. There were mounds of blasted earth that leaked poisonous fumes. Two great Slag-hills faced the Black Gate. Mires and pools of mud and oily liquid stretched before the Black Gate like a moat. Beyond the Desolation of the Morannon was Dagorlad, the great Battle Plain. Three roads converged at the Black Gate. One road came from the north across Dagorlad. Another came from the east alongside the Ash Mountains. This road was only about 50 miles long, extending just about to the point where Barad-dur stood on the other side of the Ash Mountains. The third road was the Harad Road which ran southward from the Black Gate through Ithilien and on to the southern lands of Harad. The Black Gate was made by Sauron sometime after he chose Mordor as his realm in 1000 of the Second Age. In 3434, the War of the Last Alliance began with the Battle of Dagorlad on the plain in front of the Black Gate. The Men and Elves of the Last Alliance defeated Sauron's forces and assaulted the Black Gate. Sauron retreated to Barad-dur and the Army of the Last Alliance managed to enter the Black Gate behind him. The Siege of Barad-dur lasted seven years until 3441 when Sauron was finally defeated. Saruon's spirit fled from Mordor into the East after the One Ring was taken from him. The Men of Gondor took control of the Black Gate and they built the Towers of the Teeth on either side of it. They kept watch over the Black Gate to guard against Sauron's return. The watch on Mordor declined after the Great Plague in 1636 of the Third Age which killed many Men of Gondor. But the Black Gate remained under Gondor's control until at least 1944. In that year, King Ondoher of Gondor was slain in battle with the Wainriders in front of the Black Gate. The watch-towers of the Black Gate were abandoned by the Men of Gondor sometime afterwards - probably before 1980 when the Lord of the Nazgûl returned to Mordor. Sauron returned to Mordor in 2942 and the Black Gate was once more under his control. Armies of Easterlings and Haradrim came down the roads to the Black Gate to increase Sauron's forces. On March 5, 3019, Frodo Baggins and Sam Gamgee were led to the Black Gate by Gollum. The Hobbits realized that the Black Gate was impassable and Gollum offered to lead them to the Pass of Cirith Ungol over the Mountains of Shadow about 100 miles to the south. On March 10, an army that came from the Black Gate captured Cair Andros and crossed the Anduin into Anorien north of Minas Tirith. Sauron gathered his forces in Udun behind the Black Gate in preparation for a final assault against the forces of Gondor and Rohan. Inside Mordor, Frodo and Sam were caught up with a troop of Orcs heading to Udun but managed to escape. Aragorn led the Host of the West to the Black Gate to give Frodo time to complete his quest to destroy the Ring. As they came to the Desolation of the Morannon, some of the Men were too afraid to continue and Aragorn sent them to retake Cair Andros. On March 25, the Host of the West came before the Black Gate and Aragorn positioned his troops on the Slag-hills. The Mouth of Sauron emerged from the Black Gate to offer terms of surrender but Gandalf rejected them. Then the two doors of the Black Gate opened wide and a great army came forth from Udun and from the cliffs on either side. Sauron's forces fought the Host of the West in the Battle of the Morannon.

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When the Ring was destroyed in Mount Doom, Sauron was defeated and his armies fled or surrendered. Mordor fell into ruin and the Black Gate was cast down and broken. Some early editions of The Lord of the Rings describe the Black Gate as having three doors but this has been corrected in more recent editions. Black Gate

Morannon, the Black Gate, was the primary entry way into Mordor. It was only usable, however, by Sauron's own Dark Forces. Frodo, Sam, and Gollum waited in vain by this gate, hoping that it would open, but it never did. It finally opened near the end of the War of the Ring, when Aragorn and the forces of Gondor arrived. The gate was believed to have been destroyed at the time of the destruction of the Ring. -CARCHOST. (S). "Fire Fort." Carchost-ENNYN DÛR.-GATES OF MORDOR. Gates of Mordor-MORANNON. (S). "Black Gate". Morannon-NARCHOST. (S). "Fang Fort." Narchost=NELIG MYRN. Towers of the Teeth.The two Teeth-towers, Narchost and Carchost, one at each side of Morannon in Ered Lithui and the outer ( Northern ) Cirith Gorgor, were build by the Gondorians upon two black-boned sheer hills to protect the Northern intrance to Mordor. The towers were built by Gondor as a protection against Sauron to prevent his return into Mordor and for keeping the evil that still lurked in Mordor inside. The exact time for there building is not told but it would have had to be no earlier than Second age 3441 where the siege of Barad-Dûr began but it is more likely it was after the overthrow and flight of Sauron. besides the Teeth-Towers Gondor built Durthang and the Tower of Cirith Ungol.But the strength and pover of Gondor failed and the towers fell into decay and stood empty and Sauron returned, the towers were repaired and filled with servants of Sauron.-NORTH GATE. Orc name.-KIRITH NAGLATH.-TEETH OF MORDOR. -TOWERS OF THE BLACK GATE. (Carchost + Narchost).-TOWERS OF THE TEETH. Towers of the TeethThe twin guardians of Mordor.-WATCH-TOWERS OF MORANNON.

BLACK PITS.Black Pits

CARCHOST and NARCHOST. See TOWERS OF THE TEETH

DESOLATION OF THE MORANNON. Desolation of the MorannonThe desert before Mordor’s Gates

DURTHANG. Durthang is composed of dûr meaning "dark" and thang meaning "oppression."

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Fortress in Mordor. Durthang overlooked the valley of Udun which lay behind the Black Gate. It was on the southwestern side of the valley, high in the Mountains of Shadow, at the point where the main range branched toward the Black Gate. Durthang was originally a stronghold of Gondor, built to keep watch on Mordor after Sauron's defeat in the War of the Last Alliance at the end of the Second Age. But as Gondor’s power declined, their watch on Mordor became lax and Durthang was eventually abandoned. As Mordor became repopulated with Sauron’s servants, Durthang became an Orc stronghold. On March 18, 3019 of the Third Age, Frodo Baggins and Sam Gamgee were on the road leading eastward from Durthang when a troop of Orcs from Durthang caught up with them. The Hobbits were disguised as Orcs and they were forced to march along with the troop for some distance before they were able to slip away. Durthang

EPHEL DUATH. The Mountains of Shadow were so called because of the gloom that hung over them. Also called the Shadowy Mountains. The Sindarin name was Ephel Dúath. The word ephel means "outer fence" and the word dúath means "dark shadow" from dú meaning "night, dimness" and gwath meaning "shadow." The name Morgai means "black fence" from mor meaning "dark, black" and gai from cai meaning "fence." Great range forming the western and southern borders of Mordor. The Mountains of Shadow were dark and gloomy. They stretched about 350 miles along Mordor's western border and then ran about 500 miles on the southern border. The southern range curved northward at its far eastern end. (For a map of the Mountains of Shadow see Mordor: Map.) The region of Ithilien belonging to Gondor was west of the western range of the Mountains of Shadow. South of the southern range was Harad, while Khand bordered on the southeastern end. The Morgulduin and the Poros flowed west from the western range of the Mountains of Shadow into the Anduin. The Harnen flowed from the southern range southwestward to the Bay of Belfalas. Inside Mordor, a river from the western range and another river from the southern range flowed into the Sea of Nurnen. At its northern end, the western range of the Mountains of Shadow met the Ash Mountains, which formed Mordor's northern border. Between the two ranges was Cirith Gorgor, the Haunted Pass, barred by the Black Gate. The Towers of the Teeth stood on hills on either side of the Black Gate. Behind the Black Gate was the valley of Udun, and at the other end of the valley was the pass called the Isenmouthe. The castle of Durthang was in the Mountains of Shadow overlooking Udun. The Morgai was an inner ridge that ran southward from Udun alongside the Mountains of Shadow. The eastern side of the Mountains of Shadow was sheer, and a deep ravine separated the range from the Morgai. A path ran through the ravine along a dry streambed. The Morgai was lower than the main range, and its peaks were jagged. Thorn bushes grew on the Morgai as did a few trees and some coarse grass. Beyond the Morgai was the great plain of Gorgoroth where Mount Doom stood about 40 miles to the east. Gorgoroth was partially enclosed by a spur that jutted eastward from the Mountains of Shadow. The Morgul Vale was on the western side of the Mountains of Shadow, opening onto Ithilien. It was located about 90 miles south of the Black Gate. The stronghold of Minas Morgul (formerly Minas Ithil) was on the southern side of the Morgul Vale. The Morgulduin flowed from the Morgul Vale and the Morgul-road ran alongside it. At the eastern end of the Morgul Vale where the mountains were lower, the Morgul-road crossed the Morgul Pass into Mordor. The Morgul-road continued across a bridge over the ravine between the Mountains of Shadow and the Morgai and then descended onto Gorgoroth. There were also stairs going down into the ravine from the western end of the bridge. On the northern side of the Morgul Vale, the Straight Stair and the Winding Stair climbed high up into the Mountains of Shadow. At the top was a tunnel that was the lair of the Great Spider Shelob, and beyond was the high pass called Cirith Ungol guarded by the Tower of Cirith Ungol. A road ran down from the Tower to join the Morgul-road. Shelob came to live in the Mountains of Shadow sometime during the early part of the Second Age. She devoured those who came near her lair. Shelob had numerous offspring that spread throughout the Mountains of Shadow. Sauron came to Mordor around 1000 of the Second Age. The mountain ranges that enclosed Mordor on three sides were a factor in choosing Mordor as his realm. After Gondor was founded in 3320 of the Second Age, the Men of Gondor built Minas Ithil, the Tower of the Moon, at the foot of the Mountains of Shadow to keep watch on Mordor. Minas Ithil was the home of Isildur. Sauron captured Minas Ithil in 3429. He was defeated in the War of the Last Alliance in 3441 and his spirit left Mordor and hid in the East. Minas Ithil returned to the control of Gondor at that time. The Men of Gondor then built the Tower of Cirith Ungol high in the Mountains of Shadow and the Towers of the Teeth on either side of the Black Gate at the point

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where the Mountains of Shadow met the Ash Mountains. But as Gondor's power declined, their vigilance over Mordor decreased. In 1980 of the Third Age, the Lord of the Nazgul returned to Mordor. He took control of the Tower of Cirith Ungol, and in 2000 he besieged Minas Ithil. The Nazgûl captured Minas Ithil in 2002 and it was renamed Minas Morgul, the Tower of Black Sorcery. Sauron returned to Mordor in 2942. It was believed that Sauron could control storms in the Mountains of Shadow. The Men of Gondor did not dare to venture into the Mountains of Shadow as Sauron's strength grew. Around 2980, Gollum came to the Mountains of Shadow and found the Stairs of Cirith Ungol. He encountered Shelob and promised to bring her food. He dwelled for many years in the mountains. Gollum was eventually captured by Sauron but was allowed to escape in hopes that he would lead Sauron to the One Ring. Aragorn searched for Gollum in the Mountains of Shadow but did not find him until after his release in the Dead Marshes. Gollum brought Frodo Baggins and Sam Gamgee to the Stairs of Cirith Ungol on March 10, 3019. He led them into Shelob's Lair on March 12 in hopes that Shelob would kill Frodo and leave him the Ring. Shelob stung Frodo but Sam stabbed her with Sting. It is not known if she died or if she crawled deep into the mountains to recover. Frodo was taken by Orcs to the Tower of Cirith Ungol, but Sam had the Ring in his keeping and he rescued Frodo from the Tower on March 15. The Hobbits descended into the ravine between the Mountains of Shadow and the Morgai. On March 16, they climbed the Morgai and looked across Gorgoroth to Mount Doom. There was no way down to the plain from the Morgai so they returned to the ravine until they came to its northern end near Udun on March 18. Even after Sauron was defeated, the Morgul Vale remained tainted by the evil of the Lord of the Nazgûl for many years. But when Aragorn surveyed his realm from Mount Mindolluin, the shadow appeared to have lifted from the Mountains of Shadow and instead they were veiled in a golden mist.

Ephel DúathThe Mountains of Shadow on Mordor's western border. The only known pass through this range is Cirith Ungol, the Spider Pass, also known as the Morgul Pass.Ephel Duath, the Mountains of Shadow, formed the western and southern borders of Mordor. These mountains were very similar to the Ered Lithui. In fact, they were almost identical. -DAEDELOTH.-DUATH THE.-EAST-MOUNTAINS. East-mountains-EREDWETHION.-FENCE OF SHADOW. -MOUNTAINS OF SHADOW. Mountains of Shadow (Ephel Dúath) -MOUNTAINS THE.-SHADOWY MOUNTAINS.-SHADOW-FENCE.

ERED GORGOROTH. -ERED ORGORATH. -ERED ORGOROTH. -GORGORATH. -GORGOROTH. -MOUNTAINS OF SHADOW. -MOUNTAINS OF TERROR. -SHADOWY MOUNTAINS.

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GORGOROTH. The name Gorgoroth is composed of gor and goroth, both meaning "horror" while the doubled element gorgor means "extreme horror, haunting fear." Region on North west Mordor. The Plateau of Gorgoroth was no more than a flat stretch of elevated land on which Barad-Dûr and Mount Doom sat. The ground was ashen and broken, and thus was very difficult to walk upon. Gorgoroth Great desert plateau in Mordor. Gorgoroth was the northwestern region of Mordor. It was bordered on the north by the Ash Mountains and on the west by the Morgai, which was an inner ridge of the Mountains of Shadow. Two spurs from the Ash Mountains and the Mountains of Shadow enclosed the southeastern side of Gorgoroth. A gap between the two spurs opened onto the region of Nurn in southern Mordor. In the northwestern corner of Gorgoroth was the barred pass of Isenmouthe which led into the valley of Udun where the Black Gate stood. On the western side of Gorgoroth, the Morgul Pass spanned the Mountains of Shadow and the Morgai. The Tower of Cirith Ungol overlooked Gorgoroth from above the Morgul Pass. On the northern side of Gorgoroth, the Dark Tower of Barad-dur stood on a spur of the Ash Mountains. To the east was the ashy plain of Lithlad. Mount Doom rose in the midst of Gorgoroth. Volcanic eruptions had marked the plain with craters, steaming fissures, and twisted rivers of hardened lava. Gorgoroth was a barren wasteland without water or vegetation. The region of Gorgoroth was used mainly for mining and industry while the southern lands of Nurn were used to grow crops. A road from the Isenmouthe to Barad-dur ran along the northern edge of Gorgoroth, while another road skirted the Morgai to the Morgul Pass. There were water cisterns at intervals along the roads for troops crossing the desert. A third road crossed Gorgoroth from Barad-dur to Mount Doom and on to the Morgul Pass, with a branch leading off to a large camp on the plain. There were several such camps on Gorgoroth - some even the size of small towns with buildings and streets. During the War of the Last Alliance, the armies of Elves and Men took Gorgoroth and besieged Barad-dur. The Siege of Barad-dur lasted seven years from 3434 to 3441 of the Second Age. Sauron sent out sorties and attacked the siege army from above with fire and projectiles. Many Elves and Men were killed including Elendil's son Anarion who died in 3440. Sauron came down from Barad-dur in 3441 and fought Elendil and Gil-galad on Mount Doom. All three fell in the struggle and Isildur took the One Ring from Sauron, whose spirit fled into the East. During the War of the Ring, Sauron's forces gathered on Gorgoroth. Frodo and Sam saw their camps as they looked across Gorgoroth from the Morgai on March 16, 3019 of the Third Age. On March 19, Frodo and Sam began their trek across Gorgoroth. By this time, most of Sauron's troops had moved into Udun, so the Hobbits were able to use the eastward road along the Ash Mountains for a while before turning south toward Mount Doom. Sam cast their gear including his pots and pans into one of the fissures on the plain. When the Ring was destroyed on March 25, Mount Doom erupted and Gorgoroth was covered with ash and molten lava. Great cracks and pits opened up in the ground and the land was ruined. -MOUTH OF G.-VALLEY OF G.-VALE OF G.-GAP OF G.-PLAIN OF G.Gorgoroth (plateau)

GORGOS. The Eastern Tower. PASS OF THE SPIDERGORGOS and NARGOS. Towers. PASS OF THE SPIDER.

HAUNTED PASS. Cirith Gorgor means "haunted pass." The word cirith means "pass," from kir meaning "cut, cleave." The word gorgor means "extreme horror, haunting fear." -CIRITH GORGOR. Cirith Gorgor Entrance into Mordor. Cirith Gorgor was the pass between the Ash Mountains and the Mountains of Shadow at the northwestern corner of Mordor. Narchost and Carchost, the Towers of the Teeth, stood on hills on either side of Cirith Gorgor. The Black Gate was built across Cirith Gorgor. Behind the Haunted Pass was the enclosed valley of Udun. Another pass called the Isenmouthe stood on the opposite side of Udun from Cirith Gorgor, and beyond was the vast plain of Gorgoroth.

ISENMOUTH. Pass. The name Isenmouthe means "iron jaws" from the old English word isen meaning "iron" and mouthe a variant of "mouth." It was named for the fence of iron spikes like teeth. The Sindarin name was Carach Angren, "iron jaws," from carach meaning "jaws, rows of teeth" and angren meaning "of iron."

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Passage into Mordor beyond the Black Gate. The Isenmouthe was located in the valley of Udun in northwestern Mordor. The Black Gate barred Cirith Gorgor, the Haunted Pass, at one end of the valley and at the other end was the Isenmouthe which opened onto the plain of Gorgoroth. The Isenmouthe was formed by spurs from the Mountains of Shadow and the Ash Mountains. There were watch-towers and forts on the spurs overlooking the Isenmouthe. Across the narrow passage was a fence of pointed iron posts. There was also an earth-wall and a trench spanned by a single bridge. Roads converged at the Isenmouthe from Barad-dur, Cirith Ungol, and the fortress of Durthang. On the other side of the Isenmouthe, a road led to the Black Gate. On March 18, 3019 of the Third Age, Frodo Baggins and Sam Gamgee were caught up with a troop of Orcs marching to the Isenmouthe but they managed to escape.

Isenmouthe The Mannish name for the narrow pass in northwestern Mordor called Carach Angren in Elvish.-CARACH ANGREN = JAWS OF IRON. Carach Angren

LAKE NURNEN = SEA OF NURNEN.

LITHLAD. Lithlad means "plain of ash" from lith meaning "ash" and lad meaning "plain." Plain in Mordor. Lithlad was located in northeastern Mordor. The great, ashy plain lay east of Barad-dur, at the foot of the Ash Mountains that formed the northern border of Mordor.

Lithlad -PLAIN OF ASH.

MINAS MORGUL. < MINAS ITHIL. See GONDOR

MIRKWOOD IN MORDOR.

MORGAI. Mountain.

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MorgaiThe Morgai was the inner fence of Mordor, on the east. Lower than the Ephel Duath, the Moragai was not entirely barren, with thorny bushes, harsh grasses and biting flies.

MORGUL PASS. The Morgul Pass was so called because it was located in the Morgul Vale. The word morgul means "black magic." The element mor means "black, dark." The element gûl means "sorcery, magic" from the stem ngol or nólë meaning "long study, lore, knowledge." The pass was also called the Nameless Pass, presumably by those who did not wish to utter the evil name of Morgul. Main pass from the Morgul Vale into Mordor. The Morgul Pass was at the far eastern end of the Morgul Vale. The Mountains of Shadow were relatively low at that point. The Morgul-road ran through the valley past Minas Morgul and over the Morgul Pass. The road then ran down into Mordor and crossed Gorgoroth to Mount Doom and Barad-dur. The Morgul-road ran through the valley past Minas Morgul and over the Morgul Pass and then down into Mordor to join a network of roads crossing Gorgoroth to Mount Doom and Barad-dur. Morgul Pass

MORGUL-ROAD. The Morgul-road was so called because it came from Minas Morgul and the Morgul Vale. The word morgul means "black magic" from mor meaning "black, dark" and gûl meaning "sorcery, magic" from the stem ngol or nólë meaning "long study, lore, knowledge." It was also called the Osgiliath Road after the city on its western end. The section of the road from Minas Morgul to the Morgul Pass was referred to as the Wraith-road. Road between Osgiliath and Minas Morgul. The Morgul-road was also called the Osgiliath Road. Its original purpose was to connect the city of Osgiliath with another stronghold of Gondor, Minas Ithil. But Minas Ithil was captured by the Nazgûl in 2002 and was renamed Minas Morgul and the Osgiliath Road was afterwards known as the Morgul-road. The Morgul-road ran from west to east across Ithilien. It intersected with the Harad Road which ran southward from the Black Gate to Harad. At the Cross-roads of the Morgul-road and the Harad Road there was a ring of ancient trees and a statue of a King seated on a throne. The Morgulduin flowed along the south side of the Morgul-road from the Morgul Vale to the Anduin. At the mouth of the Morgul Vale, the road bent southwards around a spur of rock and then turned eastward into the valley. Within the valley, the Morgul-road gleamed with a pale, sickly light like Minas Morgul. Near Minas Morgul, the road diverged. A path ran to the north side of the valley where the Stairs of Cirith Ungol climbed to the Pass of Cirith Ungol. The main road branched in two at the head of a bridge spanning the Morgulduin. One branch crossed the bridge and climbed to Minas Morgul. The other continued eastward through the valley to the Morgul Pass over the Mountains of Shadow. The road then spanned another bridge over a ravine between the Mountains of Shadow and the Morgai and descended into Mordor, joining a network of roads across Gorgoroth. Gollum led Frodo Baggins and Sam Gamgee to the Morgul-road on March 9, 3019 of the Third Age. The next day on March 10 they came to the Cross-roads. They took the Morgul-road eastward to the Morgul Vale and then took the path to the Stairs of Cirith Ungol. At the same time, the Lord of the Nazgûl led an army from Minas Morgul down the Morgul-road toward Osgiliath. Morgul-road

MORGUL VALE. The name Morgul Vale means "valley of black magic." The element mor means "black, dark." The element gûl means "sorcery, magic" from the stem ngol or nólë meaning "long study, lore, knowledge." Also called the Morgul Valley, the Valley of the Wraiths and the Valley of Living Death. The Sindarin translation of Morgul Vale is Imlad Morgul. The word imlad means "narrow valley with steep sides." The original name of the Morgul Vale is not known. A reasonable guess - based on the previous names of Minas Morgul (Minas Ithil) and the Morgulduin (Ithilduin) - would be Ithil Vale, or Imlad Ithil. This name would mean "valley of the moon." Valley in the Mountains of Shadow on the border of Mordor. The Morgul Vale was on the western side of the mountains, opening onto the land of Ithilien. It was a deep ravine with jagged cliffs on either side that cast dark shadows into the valley. The ground sloped upward as the valley stretched back into the mountains. On the northern side of the Morgul Vale were the Stairs of Cirith Ungol. The Straight Stair and the Winding Stair climbed the steep mountainside overlooking the valley. At the top was a tunnel that was the lair of the Great Spider Shelob, and beyond was the pass called Cirith Ungol guarded by the Tower of Cirith Ungol.

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The main pass over the mountains was the Morgul Pass at the eastern end of the Morgul Vale. The Morgul-road ran down from the Morgul Pass and through the valley, continuing on through Ithilien to Osgiliath on the River Anduin. A river called the Morgulduin also came down from the mountains and through the Morgul Vale to the Anduin. Near the mouth of the valley, the road passed over the Morgulduin by way of a white bridge guarded by hideous statues. The waters of the Morgulduin were poisonous, and on the riverbanks were deadly white flowers that gave off a terrible odor. On the southern side of the Morgul Vale stood Minas Morgul perched on the mountainside overlooking the valley. Minas Morgul was originally a stronghold of Gondor called Minas Ithil, but it was captured by the Nazgûl in 2002 of the Third Age. The Morgul Vale became a place of evil "where the minds of living men would turn to madness and horror." (RotK, p. 161) The Lord of the Nazgûl assembled an army of Orcs in Minas Morgul. During the War of the Ring on March 10, 3019, his led his army forth to attack Minas Tirith. Frodo Baggins and Sam Gamgee came to the Morgul Vale that same day and witnessed the army's departure. The Hobbits were then led by Gollum up the Stairs of Cirith Ungol to Shelob's Lair. On March 19, as the armies of Gondor and Rohan marched to the Black Gate, they broke the bridge over the Morgulduin and set fire to the fields of deadly flowers. After the War of the Ring, Aragorn, King Elessar, decreed that Minas Morgul should be destroyed. The Morgul Vale remained uninhabitable for many long years to come. One of the duties of Faramir, the Prince of Ithilien, was to begin to cleanse the Morgul Vale of the taint of evil. Morgul Vale MorgulRegion in Mordor. The valley behind Minas Morgul in the Ephel Dúath. Also called Imlad Morgul, the valley of the Morgulduin in the western Ephel Dúath. At its outflow into Ithilien stood Minas Morgul. -IMLAD MORGUL. Imlad Morgul-MORGUL VALLY. Morgul Valley-VALLEY OF LIVING DEATH. Valley of Living Death-VALLEY OF THE WRAITHS.

MOUNT DOOM. Called Orodruin and Amon Amarth in Sindarin. Also called the Fiery Mountain, the Fire-mountain and the Mountain of Fire. Orodruin means "Mountain of Blazing Fire" from orod meaning "mountain" and ruin meaning "red flame." Amon Amarth means "Mount Doom" from amon meaning "hill" and amarth meaning "doom." Volcanic mountain in Mordor where the One Ring was created and destroyed. Mount Doom stood alone on the plateau of Gorgoroth in northwestern Mordor about 90 miles from the Black Gate. The mountain was 30 miles directly west of Sauron's stronghold, the Dark Tower. Mount Doom was about 4,500 feet high. The base rose about 3,000 feet; its long grey slopes were rugged and broken and covered with ash and slag and burned stone. The central cone had sheer sides and was about half again as high - or 1,500 feet tall. There was a jagged crater at the top from which smoke, fumes and lava issued. Beneath the mountain was a subterranean core of intense heat and undying fire. A road led to Mount Doom from the Morgul Pass southwest of the mountain. Another road called Sauron's Road led from the Dark Tower to the east side of Mount Doom. It was a broad road paved with rubble and ash and it was repaired and maintained by Orcs. Sauron's Road climbed the eastern slopes on a causeway and circled up the mountainside from south to north and back to the eastern side. There high on the central cone was a doorway facing the Dark Tower. Inside was Sammath Naur, the Chambers of Fire, where a great fissure called the Crack of Doom led down to the Fire of Doom at the mountain's core. Sauron chose Mordor as his realm in the year 1000 of the Second Age in large part because of its volcanic mountain. He used the fires of the mountain in his sorceries, and in 1600 he forged the One Ring there in the Chambers of Fire. Sauron infused the Ring with much of his own power, and it could only be destroyed by casting it back into the fires in which it had been made. Sauron escaped the Downfall of Numenor and returned to Mordor in 3320. He was angered to learn that Elendil had also escaped and was establishing the Kingdom of Gondor on his borders. As Sauron prepared for war, the Mountain of Fire burst into flame and the Men of Gondor named it Amon Amarth, or Mount Doom. At the end of the War of the Last Alliance in 3441, Sauron came down from the Dark Tower. On the slopes of Mount Doom he fought with Elendil and Gil-galad and all three of them fell. Elendil's son Isildur took up the shards of his father's sword Narsil and cut the One Ring from Sauron's hand. Elrond and Cirdan counselled Isildur to cast the Ring into the Crack of Doom and destroy it, but he refused. Because the Ring survived, Sauron's spirit endured. Sauron returned to Mordor in 2942 of the Third Age, and in 2954 Mount Doom burst into flame once more. The inhabitants of Ithilienon the border of Mordor fled. Smoke was seen rising from Mount Doom in the years following.

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At the Council of Elrond on October 25, 3018, it was decided that the Ring had to be taken to Mount Doom and destroyed. Frodo Baggins, a Hobbit of the Shire, volunteered to undertake this quest. On the Dawnless Day of March 10, 3019, a Darkness emanating from the depths of Mount Doom spread out westward from Mordor across the lands of Gondor and Rohan. The Darkness was sent by Sauron to cause fear and uncertainty among his adversaries. The Darkness finally broke in the West at dawn on March 15, and that day Sauron's forces were defeated at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. The Darkness was driven back to the borders of Mordor, but great columns of black smoke continued to rise from Mount Doom and the roof of clouds remained over the Black Land. Frodo and Sam Gamgee reached Mount Doom on March 24. They had approached the mountain from the northwest. The air became more difficult to breathe because of the fumes from the volcano and they had found no water for days on the ashy plain at the mountain's feet. The burden of the Ring grew heavier on Frodo as he drew near the place where it had been created. On the morning of March 25, Frodo was so weighed down by the Ring that he was unable to walk. He started to crawl up the mountainside, but Sam picked his master up and carried him on his back. More than halfway up the base, Sam found Sauron's Road and followed it upward. At a bend in the road, the Hobbits were ambushed by Gollum. Frodo fought him off and continued up the mountain. Sam threatened to kill Gollum but he decided to spare the creature's life and followed his master to the Chambers of Fire. At the edge of the Crack of Doom, in the chamber where the Ring had been forged, Frodo was unable to resist the will of the Ring any longer and he claimed it for himself. Sauron became aware of Frodo and all his thought was bent on Mount Doom. The Nazgûl were sent racing toward the mountain to seize Frodo. But then Gollum attacked Frodo and bit the Ring from his hand. In his joy, Gollum lost his balance and fell into the Crack of Doom. The Ring was consumed in the Fire of Doom at the core of the mountain. The mountain shook and its fires roared. Smoke and lava poured out of the Chambers of Fire and the side of the mountain was split asunder. Sauron was utterly defeated by the destruction of the Ring, and the Nazgûl were engulfed by the fire bursting forth from Mount Doom. Frodo and Sam managed to escape to a small hill at the foot of Mount Doom. Rivers of molten fire flowed down the mountainside toward them and ash rained from the sky. The Hobbits were stranded amid the ruin wrought by the eruption of Mount Doom until Gandalf came with the Great Eagles Gwaihir, Landroval, and Meneldor and bore them away to safety. -AMARTHON. Earlier name. See Amon Amarth.-AMON AMARTH. (S). "Mount Doom". Amon Amarth Name given to Orodruin when its fires awoke again after Sauron's return from Westernesse. The name was given by the people of Gondor in 2A3429 when Orodruin burst into flame before Sauron's Attack on Gondor.Mount Doom, or Orodruin, was the place where the One Ring of Power was created by Sauron. And there, in the Cracks of Doom, the Ring was destroyed when Gollum toppled into the Fires while holding Frodo's bitten off finger with the Ring still on it. Mount Doom flooded itself in lava and destroyed itself moments after the destruction of the Ring. Sammath Naur, or "Chambers of Fire," are the rooms and chambers containing the Crack of Doom. -CHAMBERS OF FIRE. Chambers of FireThe Sindarin name for the Chambers of Fire was Sammath Naur from sammath the plural of sam meaning "chamber" and naur meaning "fire." The Crack of Doom was also called the Cracks of Doom. Cave in Mount Doom where the One Ring was forged and destroyed. The Chambers of Fire were in the upper cone of Mount Doom on the eastern side. The entrance faced the Window of the Eye in Barad-dur. Sauron's Road led from Barad-dur up and around the slopes of Mount Doom to the Chambers of Fire. Inside was a long cave with a high roof. A short way from the entrance, the floor and walls of the cave were split by the great Crack of Doom. The Crack of Doom was a chasm that descended deep into the core of the volcano to the Fire of Doom. The fires in the Crack of Doom rose and fell, and there was a throbbing noise like engines from far below. The Chambers of Fire were the heart of Sauron's realm, and his powers were at their height there. Sauron used the fires of the Crack of Doom as a source of power for his sorcery and as a great forge. Around 1600 of the Second Age, Sauron forged the One Ring in the Fire of Doom. The Ring could only be destroyed in the fires in which it was created. On March 25, 3019 of the Third Age, Frodo Baggins came to the Chambers of Fire to cast the Ring into the Crack of Doom. He was followed by Sam Gamgee. Sam tried to use the Phial of Galadriel to illuminate the Chambers but the light was subdued by the strength of Sauron's power. The Ring's power over Frodo had greatly increased as it neared the place of its making. At the edge of the Crack of Doom, Frodo was unable to bring himself to destroy the Ring and instead claimed it for himself. Then Frodo

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was attacked by Gollum who bit the Ring from Frodo's hand. Gollum lost his balance on the precipice and fell into the Fire of Doom. The Ring was consumed by the Fire and Sauron was defeated. As Frodo and Sam escaped down the mountain, fire and lava erupted from the Crack of Doom and poured through the Chambers of Fire, spliting open the side of the mountain around the doorway. -CRACK(S) OF DOOM. Cracks of Doom-CRACKS OF EARTH.-DOLAMARTH. -FIERY HILL.-FIERY MOUNTAIN. Fiery Mountain-FIRE MOUNTAIN. Fire-mountain-FIRE OF DOOM. -FIRE THE. Fire-FIRE-WELL, SAURON'S.-HILL OF FIRE. -MOUNT DUM.-MOUNTAIN OF BLAZING FIRE. -MOUNTAIN OF FIRE. Mountain of Fire-MOUNTAIN OF RED FLAME.-MOUNTAIN THE. -ORODNAUR. -ORODRUIN. Orodruin-RED MOUNTAIN.-SAMMATH NAUR. (Chambers of fire). Sammath Naur -SAURON'S WELL OF FIRE. -SECRET FIRE. -WELL OF FIRE.

Mount Doom

MOUNTAINS OF MORDOR.MOUNTAINS OF SHADOW = EPHEL DUATHMOUNTAINS OF SHADOW = ERED WETHRIN. See BELERIAND

NARCHOST and CARCHOST. See TOWERS OF THE TEETH

NARGHIL/NARGIL (Mordor),

NARGOS. The Western Tower. PASS OF THE SPIDER.NARGOS and GORGOS. Towers. PASS OF THE SPIDER.

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NOMAN-LANDS. Desolate region north of the Black Gate of Mordor. The Noman-lands included arid, windswept moors and the barren, rocky Battle Plain of Dagorlad. West of the Noman-lands were the Dead Marshes and the Emyn Muil. The Brown Lands were to the north and Ithilien was to the south. Between the Noman-lands and the Black Gate was a stretch of wasteland called the Desolation of the Morannon. On March 2, 3019 of the Third Age, Frodo Baggins, Sam Gamgee, and Gollum emerged from the Dead Marshes and set out across the Noman-lands. They reached the Desolation of the Morannon on March 4. The term no man's land means an area between two opposing armies which neither controls, or land over which no one has a recognized or established claim. The Noman-lands lay between territories claimed by Gondor (Ithilien) and Mordor. In the first edition of The Lord of the Rings the name was spelled Nomen's Land but was changed to Noman-lands. The Elvish name was Uvanwaith apparently meaning "no man's land." The word waith from gwaith means "people" but also denotes "region." The first element uvan is unclear. It appears to contain the negative prefix ú in the form of uv. The second part of the element could be anw meaning "man."

NURN. The name Nurn means "lament" in Sindarin. Nurnen means "sad water." Fertile region in Mordor. Nurn was a large region covering the southern part of Mordor. It was bordered on the west and south by the Mountains of Shadow. To the north was Gorgoroth, which could be reached from Nurn through a gap in two spurs from the Mountains of Shadow and the Ash Mountains. The eastern boundary of Nurn opened onto the land of Rhun. The great Sea of Nurnen - also called Lake Nurnen - was located in Nurn. The Sea of Nurnen was fed by four rivers that flowed through Nurn - two from the Mountains of Shadow and two from the spur of the Ash Mountains. The land of Nurn was fertile compared to the rest of Mordor because of the lake and rivers and because it was far from the fumes of Mount Doom. Food for the peoples of Mordor was grown in Nurn by slaves. After the War of the Ring, Aragorn, King Elessar, freed the slaves and gave the land of Nurn to them. The southern region of Nurn probably escaped the destruction caused in northern Mordor by the eruption of Mount Doom. Nurn was a flat land with a dark river upon it. There was nothing else there. Nurn

PASS OF THE SPIDER. Cirith Ungol means "Pass of the Spider." The word cirith means "pass" from kir meaning "cut, cleave." The word ungol means "spider" from the Quenya ungwe meaning "gloom" and ungo meaning "cloud, dark shadow." Calling it the Pass of Cirith Ungol is actually redundant, but useful in order to distinguish the Pass from the Tower. The Pass was originally called Cirith Dúath meaning "shadow cleft." The word dúath means "shadow" from dú meaning "night, dimness." Also called the Cleft. The Spider Pass, near to Minas Morgul on the borders of Mordor. Cirith Ungol was the route chosen by Frodo, on the advice of Gollum, to enter Mordor. It was a high, narrow pass overlooked by a fortress at the top. As an added safeguard, there lived Shelob, the greatest of the giant spiders remaining in Middle-Earth. The route through Cirith Ungol, included two very long stairways and a branching orc tunnel where Shelob lived. Cirith Ungol was the secondary entrance into the realm of Mordor. It was a great, high mountain pass, through many caves, with long stairways, that lead up to the land of Mordor. This was the entry way used by Frodo, Sam, and Gollum. It may have been destroyed at the time of the end of the Ring. Pass in the Mountains of Shadow on the western border of Mordor. The Pass of Cirith Ungol was high in the mountains, above the main pass through the Morgul Vale which was called the Morgul Pass. From the west, the Pass of Cirith Ungol could be reached by climbing the Straight Stair and the Winding Stair on the northern side of the Morgul Vale and then going through the tunnel of Shelob's Lair. The Pass of Cirith Ungol was a high, narrow Cleft between two horns of rock. On the western side, the pass ran up a slope and then a flight of broad stone steps, narrowing as it neared the top of the Cleft. On the eastern side, there were more steps and a steep path leading down to the Tower of Cirith Ungol, which guarded the Pass. The Tower of Cirith Ungol was built up against the eastern side of the northern horn of the Pass. The road that came down from the Pass ran along a precipe around the base of the Tower. The road then turned southwards and downwards to meet the Morgul-road that came over the Morgul Pass into Mordor. In the early part of the Third Age, the Pass of Cirith Ungol was guarded by the Men of Gondor, who built the Tower there after Sauron's defeat in the War of the Last Alliance. But Gondor's vigilance grew lax, and after the Lord of the Nazgûl returned to Mordor in 1980, he took control of the Tower. In the year 2000, the Nazgûl came

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over the Pass of Cirith Ungol and besieged Minas Ithil, which was at that time still a stronghold of Gondor. The Nazgûl captured the stronghold in 2002 and it became known as Minas Morgul. The Pass of Cirith Ungol was used by Orcs travelling between the Tower of Cirith Ungol and Minas Morgul. It was a somewhat quicker route between the two strongholds than the Morgul Pass. However, it was more dangerous since it required passing through the tunnel where the Great Spider Shelob dwelled. Sam Gamgee came to the top of the Pass of Cirith Ungol on March 13, 3019. He had taken the Ring from Frodo, whom he believed to be dead. A company of Orcs from the Tower led by Shagrat came up the pass from the other side, and Sam put on the Ring to avoid being seen. The Orcs found Frodo and took him to the Tower via the Under-way in Shelob's Lair. Sam was unable to follow them through the Undergate, so he returned to the Pass of Cirith Ungol on March 14 and crossed into Mordor. -CIRITH DUATH. Cirith Dúath The Pass of Shadows-CIRITH UNGOL. (S). "Pass of the Spider." Cirith Ungol The Pass of Cirith Ungol was high above the Morgul Pass, on the northern side of the Morgul Vale. In Mordor, the road from Cirith Ungol came down to join the Morgul-road. -CLEFT THE. -GATES OF KIRITH UNGOL.-GORGOS. The eastern tower.--ORC GUARD-TOWER.-HIGH PASS. (By Samwise Gamgee).-KIRITH UNGOL.-NARGOS. The western tower.--ORC GUARD-TOWER.-SHADOW CLEFT. -SPIDER GLEN.-SPIDER'S CLEFT. -STAIRS OF CIRITH UNGOL. -TOWER OF CIRITH UNGOL. -UNGOL.

PLATEAU OF GORGORTH. Plateau of GorgorothThe wasted desert of the northern regions of Mordor, between the arms of the Ephel Dúath and the Ered Lithui. Both Barad-dûr and Orodruin stood on Gorgoroth, and Frodo and Sam crossed it on the Quest of Mount Doom.

SAURON'S ROAD. Road from Barad-dur to Mount Doom in Mordor. Sauron's Road began at the great western gate of Barad-dur. It spanned a deep abyss by way of a long iron bridge and then ran westward for a league (3 miles) across Gorgoroth. On either side of the road there were smoking chasms. At the foot of Mount Doom, Sauron's Road climbed a long causeway up the eastern slopes. The road then wound upwards around the mountain, turning first south then west then north and back to the east. The road encircled the base of the mountain, which was 3,000 feet high, and then ran partway up the cone, which rose another 1,500 feet. It ended at the door to the Chambers of Fire on the east side of Mount Doom facing the Window of the Eye in Barad-dur. Sauron's Road was a broad path paved with ash and broken rubble. The road was frequently blocked or damaged by the volcanic eruptions of Mount Doom and it was cleared and repaired by Orcs. On March 25, 3019 of the Third Age, Sam Gamgee carried Frodo Baggins up the northern slopes of Mount Doom until he found Sauron's Road leading to their destination. "'Why, it might have been put there a-purpose!' he said to himself. 'If it wasn't there, I'd have to say I was beaten in the end.'" (RotK, p. 219) Sauron's Road

SEA OF NURNEN. On Tolkien's map of Middle-earth, this body of water is called the Sea of Nurnen. In the text, it is referred to as an inland sea but it is called Lake Nurnen. Nurnen means "sad water" in Sindarin. The word nurn means "lament" and the word nen means "water." Bitter inland sea in the south of Mordor. Into the Sea of Nûrnen flowed rivers draining all of Mordor except for Gorgoroth and Udûn. The Sea had no outlet. The Sea of Nurnen was an inland sea. It had, however, been defiled by Sauron's evil, and thus was undrinkable. Its waters were as black as the skies of Mordor. It is believed to have been dried by the lava of Mount Doom at the destruction of the Ring. Nurnen was a large, dark lake or inland sea in the southeastern part of Mordor. At least four rivers or streams branched off Lake Nurnen. The area where Lake Nurnen was located was known as Nurn. This area was the most fertile region in Mordor, and there were fields around the shores of Lake Nurnen that were worked by slaves.

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After the War of the Ring, Aragorn, King Elessar, freed the slaves and gave them the lands around Lake Nurnen as their own.

Sea of Núrnen-INLAND SEA OF NURNEN. -LAKE NÚRNEN. (Lake Núrnen). Lake Núrnen -NURNEN. (S) "Water of Nurnen". Núrnen

SILENT WATCHERS. See THINGS

SLAG-HILLS.The Slag Hills were a pair of hills made up of slag and rubble just outside the Black Gate of Mordor.

STAIRS OF CIRITH UNGOL.The Straight Stair and the Winding Stair leading into Mordor. The Stairs of Cirith Ungol climbed eastward up the northern side of the Morgul Vale. Minas Morgul was on the opposite side of the valley. A path led to the Stairs from the Morgul-road. The path began to climb the sheer mountainside along a ledge with a chasm on the right as one ascended. After a short distance the mountainside curved outward and the path entered a narrow opening. Inside the passage was the Straight Stair with high cliff walls on either side. The Straight Stair was narrow and very steep. The steps were unevenly spaced and many were worn, cracked, or broken. At the top of the Straight Stair was a dark passage sloping upwards. The passage emerged onto a wide, level shelf with a wall on the left and an abyss on the right. The shelf was broken in places and was strewn with rubble. At the end of the long shelf was a sloping cliff. The Winding Stair curved back and forth across the face of the cliff. At one point, the Winding Stair overlooked a sheer drop down into the Morgul Vale. The Stairs then veered away from the valley up into the Mountains of Shadow. The Winding Stair was longer than the Straight Stair but was not as steep. At the end of the Stairs of Cirith Ungol was a short straight flight of steps. A long ravine stretched for about a mile onward to the foot of a cliff where the western entrance to Shelob's Lair was. The Great Spider Shelob lurked within the tunnels. On eastern side of the tunnel was the Pass of Cirith Ungol guarded by the Tower of Cirith Ungol. Gollum told Frodo Baggins and Sam Gamgee about the Stairs of Cirith Ungol after the Hobbits realized they could not enter Mordor through the Black Gate. They began to climb the Stairs on March 10, 3019 of the Third Age, and reached the top on March 11. Gollum's intention was to bring the Hobbits to Shelob and seize the One Ring for himself after the Great Spider killed them. He went to visit Shelob while the Hobbits rested and returned on March 12 to find them asleep. Gollum nearly repented at that moment but when Sam awoke and accused him of sneaking, Gollum changed his mind and led them into Shelob's Lair. STRAIGHT STAIR. Straight StairWINDING STAIR. The second stairway in the ascent from the Valley of the Wraiths (Imlad Morgul) to the Pass of the Spider (Cirith Ungol). The Winding Stair zigzagged up the face of the Shadowy Mountains (Ephel Dúath).Winding Stair The longer of the Stairs of Cirith Ungol.

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TOWER OF CIRITH UNGOL. Cirith Ungol means "Pass of the Spider." Cirith means "pass," derived from kir meaning "cut, cleave." Ungol means "spider," derived from ung meaning "gloom" and ungo meaning "cloud, dark shadow." The pass was so-called because the Great Spider Shelob had her lair there. Watchtower on the border of Mordor. The Tower of Cirith Ungol was located high in the Mountains of Shadow overlooking the pass that was called Cirith Ungol - the Pass of the Spider - because the Great Spider Shelob dwelled there. At the top of the pass was a cleft with two great horns of rock on either side. On the northern horn stood the Tower of Cirith Ungol, built up against the eastern face of the rock. The Tower of Cirith Ungol was made of black stone. It had three tiers, each set back from the next like steps. The sheer sides faced northeast and southeast and formed a bastion pointing eastward. At the top of the Tower was a round turret that could be seen above the pass. A road ran down from the pass and skirted the Tower alongside a sheer precipe before turning southward to join the Morgul Road. The Tower of Cirith Ungol was surrounded by an outer wall that was 30 feet high. The sides of the wall were smooth at the top was overhanging stonework that prevented anyone from climbing over it. The main gate was in the southeastern side of the wall. It was guarded by the Two Watchers - hideous statues seated on thrones. Each Watcher had three joined bodies facing inward, outward, and toward the other. The heads were like vultures with black, glittering eyes. The Two Watchers created an invisible barrier between them that prevented any enemy from passing the gate. Within the outer wall was a paved courtyard. There was a great door on the southeastern side of the Tower of Cirith Ungol. A passageway ran back through the Tower with rooms on either side. At the far end was the arched door of the Undergate - a back entrance to the Tower that opened onto a tunnel that joined with Shelob's Lair. To the right of the Undergate was a winding stairway to the upper levels of the Tower. At the top of the stairs was a domed chamber with doors facing east and west leading out onto the roof of the third tier. The roof was about 20 yards across and was surrounded by a parapet. On the western side of the roof stood the turret of the Tower. The turret had slitted windows facing westward and eastward through which torchlight glowed like red eyes. A winding stairway led up to a passage running through the middle of the turret. A trapdoor in the ceiling of the passage opened onto a large round chamber at the very top of the Tower of Cirith Ungol. The Tower of Cirith Ungol was built by the Men of Gondor after Sauron was defeated in the War of the Last Alliance at the end of the Second Age. The Tower was the easternmost outpost of the defenses of Ithilien. Its original purpose was to keep watch on the land of Mordor to ensure that no evil things escaped and to guard against the possibility of the Dark Lord's return. But as Gondor's power declined - partly as a result of the Great Plague in 1636 of the Third Age - the vigilance on Mordor became lax and the Tower was deserted. After the Lord of the Nazgûl returned to Mordor in 1980, the Tower came under his control. From Cirith Ungol, he led an assault on Minas Ithil, which was captured in 2002 and became his stronghold known as Minas Morgul. Sauron returned to Mordor in 2942, and he used the Tower of Cirith Ungol to prevent any of his slaves or prisoners from escaping from Mordor. A garrison of Orcs were stationed in the Tower, and at the time of the War of the Ring their captain was Shagrat. On March 13, 3019, Shagrat brought Frodo Baggins through the Undergate to the Tower of Cirith Ungol and imprisoned him in the topmost chamber of the turret. Frodo was stripped and questioned mercilessly. Gorbag - an Orc from Minas Morgul - coveted Frodo's mithril shirt and he fought Shagrat for it. The Orcs of their two companies fought and killed one another until nearly all of them were dead. Sam Gamgee came to the Tower of Cirith Ungol to rescue Frodo on March 14. He got past the Two Watchers by raising the Phial of Galadriel, but once he was through the gate the Watchers gave a terrible cry and an alarm bell rang in the Tower. Sam entered the Tower and encountered Snaga, who mistook Sam for a Great Elf-warrior and fled back up the stairs. Sam followed him to the roof of the third tier. There Sam confronted Shagrat, who fled with the mithril shirt. Sam entered the turret in search of Frodo, but he could not find a way to the uppermost chamber until he saw Snaga climb up through the trapdoor in the ceiling. He followed Snaga, and when he saw the Orc whipping Frodo he charged at him, and Snaga fell through the trapdoor to his death. Sam returned the Ring to Frodo and they escaped from the Tower disguised in Orc armor and livery in the early hours of March 15. They used the Phial to pass the Watchers, and the archway collapsed behind them. As they fled, a Winged Nazgûl descended from the sky perched on the wall of the Tower of Cirith Ungol.

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Tower of Cirith Ungol PASS OF THE SPIDER.-UNDERGATE. -TOWER THE.

TOWERS OF DARKNESS.

TOWERS OF THE BLACK GATE. Towers of the Black GateTowers of the Teeth: Narchost & Carchost Towers flanking the Black Gate of Mordor. The Towers of the Teeth stood on either side of Cirith Gorgor, the Haunted Pass between the Mountains of Shadow and the Ash Mountains at the northwest corner of Mordor. Carchost was on the east (or left facing the Gate) and Narchost was on the west (or right). The Black Gate barred the pass between the two towers. The towers were tall and strong and had window-holes that faced north, east, and west. The Towers of the Teeth were built by the Men of Gondor after the defeat of Sauron in the War of the Last Alliance at the end of the Second Age in order to guard against the possibility of the Dark Lord's return to Mordor. The towers were still in the control of Gondor as late as 1944 of the Third Age, when King Ondoher of Gondor was slain in battle against the Wainriders before the Black Gate. The Towers of the Teeth were deserted at some point after that - probably before 1980 when the Lord of the Nazgûl returned to Mordor. In 2942, Sauron returned to Mordor and the Towers of the Teeth came under his control. Sauron filled the towers with garrisons of armed guards who kept ceaseless watch on the Black Gate. On March 5, 3019, Frodo Baggins and Sam Gamgee were led to the Black Gate by their guide Gollum. When they saw the towers and the gate that guarded the Dark Lord's realm they despaired, for it seemed impossible to enter Mordor that way. It was then that Gollum told them of a secret way into Mordor through the Pass of Cirith Ungol, and Frodo agreed to trust him. The Host of the West led by Aragorn came to the Black Gate on March 25. There they saw the Nazgûl on Fell Beasts hovering above the Towers of the Teeth like vultures. When the Ring was destroyed, the Towers of the Teeth collapsed and the Black Gate fell and Gandalf declared that the realm of Sauron was ended. Also called the Teeth of Mordor, the Towers of the Black Gate, and the Watch-towers of the Morannon. Carchost means "Fang Fort." The word carch means "tooth, fang" and ost means "fortress." Narchost means "Bitter-Biting Fort." The element narch means "bitter-biting." Narchost & Carchost. Towers flanking the Black Gate of Mordor.-NALAG MORN. –NELIG MORN. –NELIG Towers of the TeethMYRN.-TEETH OF MORDOR. Teeth of Mordor-WATH-TOWERS OF THE MORANNON.

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UDÛN. The name Udûn means "dark pit" or "Hell." It is the Sindarin form of the Quenya Utumno, which was the name of Morgoth's terrible underground stronghold in ancient times. The name Utumno is derived from tum or tumbo meaning "deep valley under or among hills." UDUN IN MIDDLE-EARTH = UTUMNO. Town/Region. See MORGOTHUDUN IN MORDOR. Region between the Morannon and the Isenmouthe.Valley in Mordor. Udun was located in the northwestern corner of Mordor, where the Mountains of Shadow met the Ash Mountains. At one end of the valley was the Black Gate across Cirith Gorgor, the Haunted Pass, flanked on either side by the Towers of the Teeth. At the opposite end was the narrow pass called Isenmouthe, which was barred by a fence of pointed iron posts, an earthen wall, and a trench spanned by a narrow bridge. A road ran through Udun from the Black Gate to Isenmouthe and then branched into two roads to Cirith Ungol and Barad-dur. There were many Orc-holds, armories, and tunnels in the mountains on either side of Udun. These were used by the troops guarding the Black Gate. The castle of Durthang was on the western side of the valley, and there were other forts and towers on either side of the Isenmouthe. In late March 3019 of the Third Age, troops came from across Mordor and gathered in Udun preparing to face the Men of Gondor and Rohan who were approaching the Black Gate. Frodo Baggins and Sam Gamgee - who were disguised as Orcs - were forced to join a troop heading for Udun on March 18 but managed to escape the next day. On March 25, the Black Gate opened and Sauron's forces came forth from Udun, and they fought the Men of the West in the Battle of the Morannon. Then the One Ring was destroyed in Mount Doom and Sauron was utterly defeated. His forces scattered, and Mordor fell into ruin. The Black Gate at the entrance to Udun was hurled down, and the Towers of the Teeth collapsed.

Udûn, valley in Mordor

UNDER-WAY. Under-wayAn underground entrance to the Tower of Cirith Ungol. A hidden passage that ran beneath the Tower of Cirith Ungol in the Ephel Dúath on the western borders of Mordor. It led down under the tower and issued into the twisted tunnels of Shelob's Lair. Given the danger from Shelob herself, the Orcs of the Tower had secured the entrance to the Under-way with a huge stone slab, and it was through this Undergate that they passed with Frodo's poisoned form on 13 March 3A3019, leaving Sam Gamgee locked out by the great stone that they used to guard the way.

WRAITH-ROAD. Road that led over the Morgul-Pass.

ChronologySecond Age 1000 c. 1000 Sauron establishes his realm in Mordor and begins to build Barad-dur. 1200 c. 1200 Sauron leaves Mordor and goes to Eregion, where he deceives the Elves and begins teaching them skills of craftsmanship.

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1500 c. 1500 The Elves begin forging the Rings of Power under Sauron's instruction. Sauron returns to Mordor. 1600 c. 1600 Sauron forges the One Ring in Mount Doom. The Elves realize they are deceived. 1693 Sauron prepares a great force in Mordor and declares war against the Elves. 1695 Sauron invades Eridador. 1701 Sauron returns to Mordor after being defeated by the Elves and the Men of Numenor. 1800 c. 1800 Sauron extends his power eastward. 2251 The Nazgûl appear around this time. 3262 Ar-Pharazon comes to Mordor with a great force and demands Sauron's surrender. Sauron submits to being taken to Numenor. 3319 Numenor is destroyed . Sauron's body is destroyed but his spirit escapes. 3320 Sauron returns to Mordor. Elendil and his sons found the realms of Gondor and Arnor. Minas Ithil is built to keep watch on Mordor. 3429 Smoke rises from Mount Doom. Sauron attacks Gondor and captures Minas Ithil. Anarion drives Sauron back to Mordor. 3430 The Last Alliance of Elves and Men is formed. 3434 Sauron's forces are defeated in the Battle of Dagorlad outside the Black Gate. The Siege of Barad-dur begins. 3441 Sauron comes down from Barad-dur and fights Elendil and Gil-galad. Sauron is cast down and the One Ring is cut from his finger by Isildur. Sauron's spirit flees his body and goes into hiding. Third Age 0002 Isildur is slain by Orcs in the Gladden Fields. The One Ring is lost in the waters. 1050 c. 1050 Sauron establishes the stronghold of Dol Guldur in Greenwood. 1636 The Great Plague devastates Gondor. The watch on Mordor declines. 1980 The Lord of the Nazgûl returns to Mordor and gathers the others to prepare for Sauron's return. 2000 The Nazgûl besiege Minas Ithil. 2002 The Nazgûl capture Minas Ithil, which is renamed Minas Morgul. The palantir called the Ithil-stone is also captured. 2050 Earnur goes to Minas Morgul in response to a challenge from the Lord of the Nazgûl and is never seen again. The Stewards rule Gondor in the absence of a King from this time on. 2475 Gondor is attacked by black Uruks from Mordor. 2901 Uruks from Mordor conduct raids on Ithilien and most of the inhabitants flee. 2942 Sauron returns in secret to Mordor. 2951 Sauron declares himself openly and begins to gather power and rebuild Barad-dur. 2954 Mount Doom bursts into flame. 3000 c. 3000 The Shadow of Mordor lengthens. 3017 Gollum is captured by Sauron and brought to Barad-dur. After Gollum reveals the names Shire and Baggins, he is allowed to escape from Mordor. 3018 June 20: Sauron sends the Nazgûl to attack Osgiliath and then begin the hunt for the Ring. 3019 March 5: The Hobbits reach the Black Gate and realize it's impassable. Frodo agrees to follow Gollum to a secret way into Mordor. March 9: The Hobbits reach the Morgul-road at dusk. Darkness begins to flow out of Mordor. March 10: The Dawnless Day. An army from the Morannon takes Cair Andros and passes into Anorien. Sauron signals for the Lord of the Nazgûl to lead forth his army to attack Minas Tirith. Gollum leads the Hobbits up the Straight Stair and the Winding Stair. March 12: Gollum leads the Hobbits into Shelob's Lair. March 13: Frodo is wounded by Shelob and is taken prisoner by Orcs to the Tower of Cirith Ungol. March 14: Frodo is rescued by Sam Gamgee. March 15: Battle of the Pelennor Fields. Sauron's forces are defeated. March 16: Frodo and Sam look toward Mount Doom from the Morgai. March 17: Shagrat brings Frodo's cloak and mithril shirt, and Sam's sword to Barad-dur. March 18: Frodo and Sam are forced to join a company of Orcs marching toward Udun. The Host of the West sets out for the Black Gate. March 19: Frodo and Sam escape from the Orcs and continue on. March 22: Frodo and Sam leave the road and turn south toward Mount Doom. March 23: The Hobbits cast away their gear. March 24: The Hobbits reach the foot of Mount Doom. March 25: The Host of the West fights the forces of Sauron in the Battle of the Morannon. Frodo reaches the Cracks of Doom and claims the Ring. Gollum bites the Ring from Frodo's finger and falls into the Cracks of Doom. The Ring is destroyed and Sauron is utterly and finally defeated and Mordor falls into ruin.

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May 1: Aragorn is crowned King of the Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor. In the days following his coronation, he frees the slaves of Mordor and gives them the land around Lake Nurnen.

MORDORMordor was the realm of the Dark Lord Sauron. It was a terrible land of darkness and fear, inhabited by Orcs and other evil creatures. High mountain ranges on three sides formed a nearly impenetrable defense around Mordor. But during the War of the Ring, two Hobbits entered Mordor to destroy the One Ring in Mount Doom, and much of the land was laid to waste and its evil inhabitants - including Sauron - perished. Mordor was located along the lower course of the Anduin, on the eastern side of the river. The land of Rhun was east of Mordor, Khand was to the southeast, and Harad was to the south. On the western side, between Mordor and the Anduin, was the region of Gondor called Ithilien, and across the river was the great city of Minas Tirith. The area of Mordor was approximately 175,000 square miles. From north to south it was a distance of about 350 miles, and from east to west it stretched about 500 miles. The Ash Mountains formed the northern border of Mordor, and the Mountains of Shadow marched along the southern and western borders. The eastern border of Mordor was open, but Rhun - the land to the east - was allied with Mordor and it was unlikely that an enemy could enter that way. The main entrance into Mordor was the Black Gate - a great barrier of iron across the gap called Cirith Gorgor, where the Ash Mountains and the Mountains of Shadow met at the northwestern corner of Mordor. The Black Gate was heavily guarded and it was flanked on either side by the Towers of the Teeth. Inside the Black Gate was the deep valley of Udun, surrounded by high mountains. There were armories and tunnels in Udun that held weapons and armies for the defense of Mordor. There were also a number of forts and towers around Udun, including the great castle called Durthang. On the opposite side of Udun from the Black Gate was the Isenmouthe - the narrow passage that led out onto the great plateau of Gorgoroth. The Isenmouthe was blocked by an earth wall and a trench spanned by a single bridge. There was another entrance into Mordor about 90 miles south of the Black Gate. From the Morgul Vale in the Mountains of Shadow, a road led over the Morgul Pass. The Morgul-road was guarded by the fortress of Minas Morgul, where the Lord of the Nazgûl dwelled. But there was also a lesser-known way into Mordor from the Morgul Vale: a Straight Stair and a Winding Stair led up the mountainside to a tunnel where the Great Spider Shelob lurked. On the other side of Shelob's Lair, the Tower of Cirith Ungol guarded the Pass of Cirith Ungol. A road led down from the pass to join the Morgul-road. On the inner side of the Mountains of Shadow, between the Morgul Pass and the Black Gate, there was a row of jagged cliffs and ridges called the Morgai. The Morgai was at least 1500 feet high. There were a few trickling streams of bitter-tasting water in the Morgai, and some vegetation managed to survive there, including twisted trees, coarse grass, and bramble thickets. Black flies marked with red spots lived in the Morgai as well. Below the Morgai was Gorgoroth, the vast plain in northwestern Mordor. It was a barren and lifeless land, with no vegetation or water. The surface of Gorgoroth was ash and rock marred by craters and fissures, from which smoke and fumes issued. In the middle of the plain rose the solitary peak of Mount Doom - a volcano with a fiery core. Still more smoke and fumes poured forth from Mount Doom, which rendered the atmosphere of Gorgoroth difficult to breathe and cast a dark shadow over the land. About 30 miles east of Mount Doom was Barad-dur - a great fortress at the end of a spur of the Ash Mountains. Sauron ruled Mordor from Barad-dur, and he watched over the land from the Window of the Eye atop the tower. The palantir called the Ithil-stone was kept in Barad-dur. East of the spur upon which Barad-dur was built was the ashy plain called Lithlad. There were a number of roads in Mordor that were used by Sauron's servants. In the northwest, roads connected the Black Gate, Barad-dur, Mount Doom, and the Morgul Pass. There were water cisterns along the roads through Gorgoroth for the use of passing troops. It is likely that there were also roads to southern Mordor. While northwestern Mordor was used mainly for industry such as mines and forges, the more fertile southern region called Nurn was used for agriculture. The land was watered by four rivers that branched off of Lake Nurnen - a vast lake or inland sea in the southeast. Slaves worked in the fields to produce food for Sauron's armies. In addition to the Men kept as slaves, there were also evil Men in Sauron's service, such as the Mouth of Sauron who lived in Barad-dur. Orcs were the most numerous of Mordor's inhabitants. Many Orcs lived in camps along the Morgai or in the forts around the valley of Udun. Trolls also dwelled in Mordor, including the superior kind bred by Sauron called the Olog-hai. Sauron also bred the terrible Fell Beasts in Mordor. These winged creatures were used as mounts by the Nazgûl, who dwelled in Minas Morgul on the western border of Mordor. Mordor was Sauron's realm during the Second and Third Ages, but he was not the first inhabitant of the Black Land. Sometime before Sauron's arrival, the Great Spider Shelob made her home in a tunnel high in the Mountains of Shadow. It may be that other creatures dwelled in Mordor in ancient times as well. Sauron chose Mordor as his realm around the year 1000 of the Second Age. The high mountain ranges on three sides were an important consideration in terms of defense, particularly against the Men of Numenor who had

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begun exploring the coasts of Middle-earth. But Sauron's main reason was the presence of Mount Doom. He was skilled at craftsmanship, and he intended to use the volcano's great heat as a powerful forge. Sauron began the construction of the Dark Tower of Barad-dur as his main stronghold, and he gathered forces of evil creatures to live in Mordor. Sauron left Mordor around 1200 and traveled to Eregion, where he deceived the Elven-smiths into thinking he was an emissary of the Valar. He taught them many skills, and they began forging the Rings of Power around 1500. Sauron then returned to Mordor, and around 1600 he forged the One Ring to rule the others in the fires of Mount Doom. The Elves realized they had been deceived, and Sauron declared war against them in 1693. He gathered a great army in Mordor and set out to attack Eregion. He destroyed Eregion and seized the Nine Rings and six of the Seven Rings, but his forces were finally defeated and Sauron returned to Mordor in 1701. Sauron began rebuilding the forces of Mordor, and around 1800 he expanded his power eastward and southwards over the Easterlings and the Haradrim. Sauron gave the Nine Rings of Power to Men who became his deadliest servants, the Nazgûl. But in 3262, Ar-Pharazon of Numenor came to Mordor with a great force and demanded that Sauron surrender to him. Sauron perceived that he could not win by force, but he still hoped that he could overthrow the Numenoreans by cunning and deceit, so he came down out of Barad-dur and allowed himself to be taken to the island realm of Numenor. Sauron succeeded in corrupting the Numenoreans, and Numenor was destroyed by Eru in 3319. Sauron lost his bodily form, but his spirit survived, and he returned to Mordor in secret in 3320. He created a new form that was terrible to behold, and he began to rebuild his strength in Mordor. Elendil and his sons Isildur and Anarion also escaped the ruin of Numenor, and they founded realms in Middle-earth. Arnor was in the north, while Gondor was in the south bordering Mordor. They built a fortress called Minas Ithil at the foot of the Mountains of Shadow to keep watch on Mordor. Isildur dwelled in Minas Ithil. Sauron prepared to attack Gondor, and smoke rose from the fires of Mount Doom. In 3429, Sauron captured Minas Ithil. Isildur escaped and went north to Arnor to seek help while Anarion drove Sauron back to Mordor. The Last Alliance of Elves and Men was formed, and they marched to Mordor led by Gil-galad and Elendil. The Battle of Dagorlad was fought on the plain in front of the Black Gate in 3434, and the Last Alliance was victorious against Sauron's forces. The forces of the Last Alliance entered Mordor and besieged Barad-dur for seven years. At last in 3441, Sauron came down from his tower and fought with Gil-galad and Elendil on the slopes of Mount Doom. All three fell in the struggle. Isildur cut the One Ring from Sauron's hand, and Sauron's spirit left his body and fled from Mordor. He later rose again and built the stronghold of Dol Guldur in Mirkwood. Barad-dur was razed to the ground and Sauron's forces were routed and dispersed. At the beginning of the Third Age, Gondor kept watch on Mordor. Minas Ithil was remanned and new fortresses including the Tower of Cirith Ungol and the Towers of the Teeth were built. But over time the guard began to relax, and after the Great Plague of 1636 killed many in Gondor, the guardposts were deserted. The Lord of the Nazgûl returned to Mordor in 1980 and he gathered the other eight Nazgûl to him. They began preparing Mordor for Sauron's return and evil things multiplied there once more. In 2000, the Nazgûl besieged Minas Ithil and in 2002 they captured it and claimed it as their stronghold. It was renamed Minas Morgul, the Tower of Black Sorcery. They took possession of the palantir called the Ithil-stone and later gave it to Sauron. In 2050, King Earnur of Gondor went to Minas Morgul in response to a challenge from the Lord of the Nazgûl and was never seen again. The Stewards ruled Gondor in the absence of a King from that time on. In 2475, a breed of Orcs of great strength called Uruks first appeared out of Mordor. They swept through Ithilien and captured Osgiliath, the great city on the Anduin. Ithilien was reclaimed by Gondor, but Osgiliath lay in ruin. By 2901, attacks by the Uruks had resumed and Ithilien was infested with Orcs. Most of the Gondorians fled Ithilien at this time. Sauron was driven out of Dol Guldur in 2941, but by now Mordor had been prepared for him and he returned there in secret in 2942. In 2951, he openly declared his presence in Mordor and rebuilt Barad-dur. Mount Doom burst into renewed flame in 2954. Sauron amassed armies of Orcs and Men from the East and South. He created a new breed of Trolls known as the Olog-hai that could withstand sunlight. The one thing Sauron lacked to regain his full power was the One Ring. Gollum - who had borne the Ring for many years - was captured on the outskirts of Mordor in 3017 and was brought to Barad-dur for questioning. Under torture, Gollum revealed the names Shire and Baggins. Sauron allowed Gollum to escape from Mordor in hopes the creature would lead him to the One Ring. In June of 3018, Sauron sent forth the Nazgûl to seek the land called the Shire and the Hobbit named Baggins who bore the Ring. At the Council of Elrond in October of 3018, Frodo Baggins volunteered to take the One Ring to Mordor to destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom so that Sauron would lose his power and be defeated. Eight companions were chosen to accompany him, but in the end only Frodo and Sam Gamgee entered Mordor.

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The Hobbits met Gollum in the Emyn Muil near Mordor and Frodo accepted Gollum as a guide into the Black Land. Gollum led the Hobbits to the Black Gate of Mordor on March 5, 3019. Frodo saw that the gate was impenetrable and heavily guarded and realized they could enter that way. He agreed to follow Gollum to a secret way into Mordor. Before they left the Black Gate, Frodo saw armies of Men enter the Black Gate to fill the ranks of Sauron's forces. On March 9, Gollum brought the Hobbits to the Morgul Vale in the Mountains of Shadow. That same day Sauron launched a massive assault against Gondor. A red signal was sent up from Barad-dur, and Minas Morgul acknowledged with a flash of blue flame. The Lord of the Nazgûl led a vast army from Minas Morgul and headed for Minas Tirith. Sauron sent a great cloud of darkness from Mordor to cause dismay and fear among his opponents, and the next day was the Dawnless Day. Frodo and Sam followed Gollum up into the Mountains of Shadow by way of the Straight Stair and the Winding Stair. They came at last to a tunnel, where Gollum abandoned the Hobbits. The tunnel was the lair of the Great Spider Shelob, and she attacked the Hobbits and stung Frodo in the neck, paralyzing him with her poison. Frodo was discovered by two Orcs named Shagrat and Gorbag and he was taken captive to the Tower of Cirith Ungol. The Orcs fought over Frodo's mithril shirt and nearly all of them were killed. Sam was able to rescue Frodo from the Tower, but Shagrat escaped and took the mithril shirt and other tokens to Sauron in Barad-dur. On March 15, Sauron's forces were defeated at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields by the combined forces of Gondor and Rohan, but Sauron still had tens of thousands of troops in Mordor. The Captains of the West decided to march to Mordor to confront Sauron's forces in order to give Frodo time to complete his quest. Frodo and Sam travel north through the ridges and valleys of the Morgai because Frodo believed that Sauron's servants would be hunting for them on the road eastward. When they came to the point where Mount Doom was directly east of them, about 40 miles away, they were standing at the edge of a 1500-foot cliff. They could not get down, and the plain of Gorgoroth below them was filled with troops marching toward the Black Gate. The Hobbits continued northward to the end of the Morgai, and then they started to follow a road leading eastward. They were overtaken by a company of Orcs, but Frodo and Sam were wearing Orc armor and they were mistaken for straggling Orcs. They were forced to march with the Orcs for a time but finally managed to escape in the confusion when several companies of Orcs converged near the entrance to Udun. Sauron gathered most of his forces in Udun to await the arrival of the forces of the West. Gorgoroth was deserted as Frodo and Sam moved eastward, and they were able to stay on the road much of the time. Finally they turned south to Mount Doom, reaching the foot of the mountain on March 24. That same day the Host of the West came within sight of the Black Gate. The next day on March 25, Sauron sent his emissary, the Mouth of Sauron, to show them Frodo's mithril shirt. He claimed that the owner of the shirt was Sauron's prisoner and would be tortured mercilessly unless the Host of the West surrendered. Gandalf refused Sauron's terms, and the Battle of the Morannon began. At Mount Doom, where the Ring had been forged, Frodo's burden grew too heavy to bear. Sam carried Frodo up the mountainside, but they were attacked by Gollum. Frodo and Gollum struggled for the Ring at the edge of the Cracks of Doom, and Gollum slipped and fell into the fiery chasm holding the Ring. When the One Ring was destroyed, Sauron was utterly vanquished and much of Mordor fell into ruin. Barad-dur collapsed, the Towers of Teeth crumbled, and the Black Gate was flung down. The ground trembled and cracked. Mount Doom erupted and lava and ash poured forth onto the plain of Gorgoroth. The Nazgûl were destroyed by the fires, and Sauron's forces scattered in confusion or surrendered. Frodo and Sam were rescued from the ruin by the Great Eagles Gwaihir, Landroval, and Meneldor. Nurn in the southern part of Mordor may have escaped much of the damage that ravaged the rest of the Black Land. Aragorn, King Elessar, decreed that the slaves of Mordor would be freed and he granted them the land around Lake Nurnen as their own.

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