Durthang: Difference between revisions
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(In LOTR it is not said who constructed Durthang, Christopher Tolkien assumes this in his index in Sauron Defeated, but does not disclose it as an assumption and does not disclose what he bases this assumption on.) |
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'''Durthang''' was an old | {{Quote|A few miles north, high up in the angle where the western spur branched away from the main range, stood the old castle of Durthang, now one of the many orc-holds that clustered about the dale of Udûn.|''[[The Return of the King]]'', "[[The Land of Shadow]]"}} | ||
'''Durthang''' was an old castle in northern [[Mordor]]. It stood in the northern [[Ephel Dúath]], on the southwestern slopes above the valley of [[Udûn (valley)|Udûn]], overlooking the [[Morannon]] and the [[Carach Angren|Isenmouthe]].<ref>{{RK|Map}}</ref> | |||
==History== | ==History== | ||
Durthang was originally a | ===Third Age before the War of the Ring=== | ||
It is possible that Durthang was originally a fortress of [[Gondor]]<ref>{{SD|Index1}}, entry Durthang, p. 444</ref> that was constructed during the early [[Third Age]] for overlooking the entrance to [[Mordor]] in the aftermath of the [[War of the Last Alliance]] like [[Carchost]], [[Narchost]] or the [[Tower of Cirith Ungol]] and that it was abandoned by the troops of Gondor after the plague like other fortresses that guarded the passes of Mordor.<ref>{{HM|Guide}}, entry Durthang</ref><ref>{{App|Gondor}}, entry for king Telemnar</ref><ref group=note>Christopher Tolkien simply mentions it as an "Orc-hold in the mountains west of Udûn, originally a fortress of Gondor" in the entry for Durthang in the index I that the created for Sauron Defeated, but does not disclose on which source the statement that it was a fortress of Gondor is based. Similarly, Robert Foster states it like a fact in his Complete Guide to Middle-earth that it was built by Gondor and later deserted together with other similar fortifications, but does not disclose on which source these statements are based.</ref> By {{TA|1640}} Mordor was left unguarded.<ref name="TA">{{App|TA}}</ref> Durthang was an [[Orcs|Orcish]] stronghold at the time of the [[War of the Ring]].<ref name=Shadow>{{RK|Shadow}}</ref> | |||
===War of the Ring=== | |||
On 18 March 18, {{TA|3019}},<ref>{{App|Great}}</ref> a troop of Orcs from Durthang caught up with a band of Orcs that was marching eastward in Mordor. [[Frodo Baggins]] and [[Samwise Gamgee]] were in that band, disguised as Orcs and they were forced to march along with the troop for some distance before they were able to slip away.<ref name=Shadow/> | |||
==Etymology== | ==Etymology== | ||
''Durthang'' is [[Sindarin]] containing the elements ''[[dûr]]'' "dark" and ''[[thang]]'' "oppression".<ref>{{S|Elements}}</ref> | ''Durthang'' is [[Sindarin]] containing the elements ''[[dûr]]'' "dark" and ''[[thang]]'' "oppression".<ref>{{S|Elements}}, entry dûr and entry thang</ref> | ||
==Portrayal in adaptations== | ==Portrayal in adaptations== | ||
'''[[1987]]-[[1996|96]]: ''[[Middle-earth Role Playing]]'':''' | |||
:In the ''[[Gates of Mordor]]'' adventure module it is mentioned that Durthang was built by the Dúnedain of Gondor at the beginning of the Third Age after the fall of Sauron to keep evil things from re-entering Mordor and to monitor the interior of Mordor. It is mentioned that the Gondorian troops abandoned Durthang after the plague and that it was afterwards occupied by a lieutenant of Sauron with a garrison of orcs. The castle of Durthang consists of five interconnected towers with its spire surpassing a height of 200 feet. Durthang consists of a ground floor, three levels and caverns below the ground floor. In the [[Gorgoroth (book)|Gorgoroth]] campain module the basic garrison of Durthang is said to consist of 36 Uruk-hai and 90 orcs. | |||
'''2014: ''[[Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor]]'':''' | '''2014: ''[[Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor]]'':''' | ||
:Durthang is one of the strongholds in Udûn, which is the starting location of the game. | :Durthang is one of the strongholds in Udûn, which is the starting location of the game. | ||
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:Durthang was added, along with a number of landmarks in [[Mordor]], in the game's [[The Lord of the Rings Online: Mordor|sixth major expansion]]. | :Durthang was added, along with a number of landmarks in [[Mordor]], in the game's [[The Lord of the Rings Online: Mordor|sixth major expansion]]. | ||
{{References}} | {{References|n}} | ||
[[Category:Buildings]] | [[Category:Buildings]] | ||
[[Category:Fortresses]] | [[Category:Fortresses]] | ||
Revision as of 14:09, 23 March 2021
| Durthang | |
|---|---|
| Fortress | |
 | |
| General Information | |
| Location | Northern Ephel Dúath, west of the valley of Udûn |
| Type | Fortress |
| Inhabitants | Gondorians (early) Orcs and other evil creatures (later) |
| Gallery | Images of Durthang |
- "A few miles north, high up in the angle where the western spur branched away from the main range, stood the old castle of Durthang, now one of the many orc-holds that clustered about the dale of Udûn."
- ― The Return of the King, "The Land of Shadow"
Durthang was an old castle in northern Mordor. It stood in the northern Ephel Dúath, on the southwestern slopes above the valley of Udûn, overlooking the Morannon and the Isenmouthe.[1]
History
Third Age before the War of the Ring
It is possible that Durthang was originally a fortress of Gondor[2] that was constructed during the early Third Age for overlooking the entrance to Mordor in the aftermath of the War of the Last Alliance like Carchost, Narchost or the Tower of Cirith Ungol and that it was abandoned by the troops of Gondor after the plague like other fortresses that guarded the passes of Mordor.[3][4][note 1] By T.A. 1640 Mordor was left unguarded.[5] Durthang was an Orcish stronghold at the time of the War of the Ring.[6]
War of the Ring
On 18 March 18, T.A. 3019,[7] a troop of Orcs from Durthang caught up with a band of Orcs that was marching eastward in Mordor. Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee were in that band, disguised as Orcs and they were forced to march along with the troop for some distance before they were able to slip away.[6]
Etymology
Durthang is Sindarin containing the elements dûr "dark" and thang "oppression".[8]
Portrayal in adaptations
1987-96: Middle-earth Role Playing:
- In the Gates of Mordor adventure module it is mentioned that Durthang was built by the Dúnedain of Gondor at the beginning of the Third Age after the fall of Sauron to keep evil things from re-entering Mordor and to monitor the interior of Mordor. It is mentioned that the Gondorian troops abandoned Durthang after the plague and that it was afterwards occupied by a lieutenant of Sauron with a garrison of orcs. The castle of Durthang consists of five interconnected towers with its spire surpassing a height of 200 feet. Durthang consists of a ground floor, three levels and caverns below the ground floor. In the Gorgoroth campain module the basic garrison of Durthang is said to consist of 36 Uruk-hai and 90 orcs.
2014: Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor:
- Durthang is one of the strongholds in Udûn, which is the starting location of the game.
2017: The Lord of the Rings Online:
- Durthang was added, along with a number of landmarks in Mordor, in the game's sixth major expansion.
Notes
- ↑ Christopher Tolkien simply mentions it as an "Orc-hold in the mountains west of Udûn, originally a fortress of Gondor" in the entry for Durthang in the index I that the created for Sauron Defeated, but does not disclose on which source the statement that it was a fortress of Gondor is based. Similarly, Robert Foster states it like a fact in his Complete Guide to Middle-earth that it was built by Gondor and later deserted together with other similar fortifications, but does not disclose on which source these statements are based.
References
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, "Map of Rohan, Gondor, and Mordor"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Sauron Defeated, "Index I: To Part One The End of the Third Age", entry Durthang, p. 444
- ↑ Robert Foster, The Complete Guide to Middle-earth, entry Durthang
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion", entry for king Telemnar
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Third Age"
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, "The Land of Shadow"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Great Years"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Appendix: Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names", entry dûr and entry thang
