Cirith Ungol
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This Middle-earth-related article or section describes an aspect of Middle-earth in a primarily in-universe style. Please rewrite this article or section to explain the fiction more clearly and provide non-fictional perspective. |
Cirith Ungol (IPA: /ˈkiriθ ˈuŋgɔl/) is a location in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth in his fantasy work The Lord of the Rings. The name is Sindarin for Spider's Cleft, or Pass of the Spider; it is the pass through the western mountains of Mordor and the only way towards the land from the West. It was guarded by the Tower of Cirith Ungol, built by the Men of Gondor after the War of the Last Alliance.
Its principal purpose was to defend Ithilien and Minas Ithil (later known as Minas Morgul) from attacks from Sauron's remaining servants. For that reason its two bastions were directed to the north and southeast. It also served to stop Sauron's servants from deserting Mordor.
Gondor occupied the fortress probably until T.A. 1636 when the Great Plague killed large parts of Gondor's population. After the Plague Gondor never again occupied Cirith Ungol and evil was allowed to return to Mordor. The fortress was associated with the mountain fortress of Durthang in Northwestern Mordor, and the Towers of the Teeth at the Morannon.
During the Quest of the Ring Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee were led to this pass by Gollum to Torech Ungol, the lair of the giant spider-like creature Shelob who dwelt there.
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[edit] The Tower
The Tower of Cirth Ungol is a 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.
[edit] Description
A road ran down from the pass and skirted the Tower alongside a sheer precipice 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 defences 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 over time, as Gondor's power declined, 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. 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 armour and livery. They used the Phial to pass the Watchers, and the archway collapsed behind them. As they fled, a Winged Nazgûl descended from the sky and perched on the wall of the Tower of Cirith Ungol, now in charge.
[edit] Perspective
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This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. Please improve the article by adding references. See the talk page for details. (April 2008) |
J. R. R. Tolkien brought many of his real-world experiences of war from the trenches of World War I into its creation. The particulars of this place which relate best to a real-world perspective are the elements of personal struggle, trust in fellow soldiers, and the frequently under-recognized sacrifices made by soldiers in braving the terrors of war while attempting to preserve the lives and dignity of their fellows. This location sees the capture of the main character Frodo and his subsequent rescue from his captors by a stout-hearted friend Samwise who is rebuffed during the lead character's temptations by pride and greed, through their embodiment in the villain Gollum.
The conflict in The Great War, in which Tolkien lost several good friends, relates to The War of the Ring in many ways. The dehumanization of war which followed The Battle of the Somme[1] was clearly depicted in comments made by characters giving voice to Tolkien's own editorializations. For example, a tree-like character (Ent) named Treebeard says how one commander (the wizard Saruman) "Has a mind of metal." The Two Towers. The interracial struggles between "races" which Hitler felt were so different from one another (Aryans versus Jews and others) are echoed in some ways by the creation of a stronger race, The Uruk-hai, by Saruman, whose endurance and savagery are to become legendary. This is in many ways similar to Hitler's mistaken belief in an "ueber-mensch" or "over-man".
Tolkien's sublimation of his experiences through the war are a part of a large continuum in which fantastic fictions are brought out of very real conflicts by authors.
[edit] Sources
- ^ Keegan, John (1976). The Face of Battle.
- Fonstad, Karen Wynn (1991), The Atlas of Middle-earth, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, Lothlórien, ISBN 0-618-12699-6
- Foster, Robert (1971), The Complete Guide to Middle-earth, New York: Del Rey, ISBN 0-345-32436-6
- The Two Towers: "The Stairs of Cirith Ungol," p. 319-20; "The Choices of Master Samwise," p. 342-52
- The Return of the King: "The Tower of Cirith Ungol," passim; "The Land of Shadow," p. 193
- The Silmarillion: "Appendix - Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names," entry for kir
- "The Lost Road and Other Writings: "The Etymologies," entry for UNG", in Christopher Tolkien: The History of Middle-earth, vol 5.
- "J.R.R. Tolkien - The Master Of The Rings" documentary film.
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