Weathertop

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(Redirected from Amon Sul)
The name Weathertop refers to more than one character, item or concept. For a list of other meanings, see Weathertop (disambiguation).
Weathertop
Hill
Jef Murray - Amon Sûl.jpg
"Amon Sûl" by Jef Murray
General Information
Other namesAmon Sûl
LocationEriador
TypeHill
DescriptionHill with tower/ruins of tower
History
DestroyedT.A. 1409
Fall of Amon Sûl
GalleryImages of Weathertop

Weathertop, known in Sindarin as Amon Sûl, was the southernmost top of the Weather Hills. It stood a little away from the others, and its conical top was flattened.[1]

Of old, it formed the boundary between Arthedain and Rhudaur.

History[edit | edit source]

Early history[edit | edit source]

The Weather Hills lay at the centre of Arnor, near the East Road that split Eriador.[2]

A tower had stood on the hill since the days of Elendil, and he had stored the palantír in its chambers. It is said that before the War of the Last Alliance, Elendil stood at the hill watching the hosts of Gil-galad coming to join his forces.[1]

After King Eärendur passed and the kingdom was split in three, all of his sons coveted the hill, or rather the Stone inside. It lay on the exact tri-state point, but eventually passed to Arthedain, the realm of Amlaith, the eldest son of Eärendur, although it already possessed the other two Stones.[3]

Destruction[edit | edit source]

In the days of Argeleb, the royal lines of Cardolan and Rhudaur had failed. Argeleb therefore claimed both realms as his own, hoping to reunite Arnor, but the claim was resisted by Rhudaur, where the Dúnedain had dwindled and the land was now largely ruled by hillmen, who were driven by the Witch-king of Angmar.

As tensions with Angmar increased, Argeleb fortified his border. A great bastion arose on Weathertop, and the East Road and lower Hoarwell were fortified also. For nigh half a century, the line held, though Argeleb lost his life in battle with the Hillmen. The Witch-king did not trouble the Men, and had sent his troops further East, to the Second Siege of Imladris. But in T.A. 1409, he came forth with such a force from Angmar that no army could stop him. He razed Amon Sûl and brought its mighty walls down.[3] Arveleg, son of Argeleb, was slain,[4] as well as the last prince of Cardolan,[5] but the Lord of the Nazgûl failed to retrieve the palantír. It was secured and brought back to Fornost Erain.[3]

In ruins[edit | edit source]

Weathertop by Alan Lee

For many centuries, the once great fortress stood in ruins on the hill. The locals paid little heed to it. It faded back into obscurity, and it was not until T.A. 3018 the hill reappeared in the chronicles and annals. In early October, it was the scene of two fights involving the Nazgûl; one with Gandalf on October 3 and one with the Ring-bearer three days later.[6] Gandalf on Shadowfax was secretly chased by the Ringwraiths until the night of October 3, when six[7] or nine[8] Black Riders, led by the Witch King, attacked him. They were repulsed after a violent fight which burnt the hilltop, and Frodo and Aragorn saw the lights of that battle from their camp at the Midgewater Marshes.[9] The Witch King and Khamûl remained watching Weathertop (waiting for the Ring Bearer to come) for two days thereafter, along with three other Wraiths.[10] After fleeing from Bree, Strider and the Hobbits avoided the main road and approached Weathertop from the north. At the top they discovered a cairn with a message from Gandalf, and spotted the Ringwraiths approaching in the distance along the road. That night, the Ringwraiths attacked their camp in a dell below the summit, stabbing Frodo with a Morgul-knife, but were driven off by the others.[1]

Etymology[edit | edit source]

"Weathertop" is a translation of the Sindarin Amon Sûl, although it also can be translated as "Hill of the Wind", being a combination of amon ("hill") and sûl ("wind").[11]

Portrayal in adaptations[edit | edit source]

Weathertop in adaptations

1978: The Lord of the Rings (1978 film):

Aragorn and the hobbits do not actually enter the ruins of Weathertop. However, moments before the attack of the Ringwraiths, a tall tower can be seen in the background.

2001: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring:

The fight with the Nazgûl has been moved from the camp near the hill to the ruins of the tower.

2002: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (video game):

Weathertop is the fifth level. Aragorn has to take the four Hobbits to the hilltop, battling wolves and Orcs on the way there. At the top, they notice Gandalf had been there, and dropped a rune stone. As he explains it to Frodo, a troll attacks, and serves as the level's boss.

2002: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (video game):

Weathertop is the second level. Aragorn must drive the Nazgûl away before they kill Frodo.

2006: The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II:

Destroying Amon Sûl is the fourth level in the Angmar campaign in The Rise of the Witch-king. The bastion is protected by five mystical Mallorn trees: one generates a solar flare that incinerates enemies, one heals damaged buildings, one creates lush Elvish pastures (that boost the Men's armor and damage), one stuns targeted enemies and one summons a battalion of archers. The mission is completed when either all five mallorns are destroyed, or the tower falls.
Additionally, two maps of Amon Sûl are available in Skirmish mode: one with the tower, which is identical to the mission save for the Mallorn trees, and one with the tower in ruins and all other buildings removed.

2007: The Lord of the Rings Online:

Weathertop is the most prominent landmark of the Lone-lands region. After the passing of Aragorn and the Hobbits, the Ranger Candaith sets up a camp at its foothold, the player later helps him defend the summit of Weathertop against two enemy assaults.

2012: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey:

Weathertop is the meeting place between Azog and his lieutenants. Azog kills Yazneg for his failue to capture or kill Thorin and Company.

External links[edit | edit source]

References