Orthanc

2011-12-27T15:26:15Z

74.97.180.240: /* Second Age */

{{location
|image=[[Image:Alan Lee-Orthanc.jpg|250px]]
|name=Orthanc
|type=Tower
|location=[[Isengard]]
|inhabitants=[[Dúnedain]], [[Gondorians]], [[Saruman]]
|realms=[[Isengard]] as part of [[Gondor]],<ref name="UTIsen">{{UT|Isen}}, Appendix (ii)</ref> [[Treegarth of Orthanc]] as part of the [[Reunited Kingdom]]<ref name="RKPartings">{{RK|Partings}}</ref>
|description=Carved black Tower
|events=[[Battle of Isengard]]
|}}
<center>{{Quote|They came now to the foot of Orthanc. It was black, and the rock gleamed as if it were wet.|[[J.R.R. Tolkien]]<ref name="TTVoice">{{TT|Voice}}</ref>}}</center>
'''Orthanc''' was the impregnable tower of [[Isengard]] built by the [[Dúnedain]] during the [[Second Age]].<ref>{{FR|Council}}; {{S|V}}</ref>

==Description==
The tower of Orthanc stood in the centre of the [[Ring of Isengard]], roughly half a mile from the rim. At its peak the tower reached a height of just over five hundred feet. The colour of the rock was a deep, gleaming black. At Orthanc's pinnacle the four piers which composed the tower opened out to form four pinnacles of sharp rock; between these isles of rock there was a narrow, polished floor on which many strange signs were written.<ref name="TTRoad" />

{{blockquote|There stood a tower of marvellous shape. It was fashioned by the builders of old, who smoothed the Ring of Isengard, and yet it seemed a thing not made by the craft of Men, but riven from the bones of the earth in the ancient torment of the hills. A peak and isle of rock it was, black and gleaming hard: four mighty piers of many-sided stone were welded into one, but near the summit they opened into gaping horns, their pinnacles sharp as the points of spears, keen-edged as knives. Between them was a narrow space, and there upon a floor of polished stone, written with strange signs, a man might stand five hundred feet above the plain.|[[J.R.R. Tolkien]]<ref name="TTRoad">{{TT|Road}}</ref>}}

==History==
===Second Age===
The exact date of the construction of Orthanc and the establishment of the fortress of [[Isengard]] is unknown. However it must have been built between {{SA|3320}}, the year in which [[Gondor]] and [[Arnor]] were established, and {{SA|3430}}, when the [[Last Alliance of Elves and Men]] was first formed.<ref name="AppB1">{{App|B1}}</ref> Within Orthanc was placed one of the [[Palantíri|palantír]], the [[Orthanc-stone]]. Thus Orthanc become one of the seven [[Dúnedain]] towers which stored the seeing stones that had been brought from [[Númenor]].<ref name="SV">{{S|V}}</ref>

===Third Age===
[[File:Ted Nasmith - The Wrath of the Ents.jpg|thumb|left|''The Wrath of the Ents'' by [[Ted Nasmith]]]]
The region of [[Calenardhon]] was never densely populated; indeed it suffered greatly in the [[Dark Plague]] of {{TA|1636}} and many inhabitants of Númenórian descent gradually migrated eastward. Eventually the tower of Orthanc itself became deserted, and its keys were removed to [[Minas Tirith]] and held in the keeping of the [[Stewards of Gondor|Stewards]].<ref name="UTPalantiri">{{UT|Palantiri}}</ref>

In {{TA|2510}},<ref name="UTIsen" /> after the [[Battle of the Field of Celebrant]], the lands of [[Calenardhon]] were ceded to the [[Éothéod]] and [[Eorl]] became the first king of [[Rohan]]. Nonetheless Gondor retained control of the fortress of Isengard, and Orthanc remained the third tower of the southern realm. During this time Isengard was manned by a small number of Gondorians led by a hereditary Captain. However the keys of Orthanc were kept by the Stewards of Gondor.<ref name="UTCirion">{{UT|Cirion}}</ref>

Over time the links and correspondence between Isengard and [[Minas Tirith]] become ever more infrequent; whilst retaining the keys of Orthanc, the Stewards forsook the tower as their thoughts looked eastwards. Eventually the line of Gondorian chieftains failed and the people mingled ever more with the [[Dunlendings]]. They even allowed them entry into Isengard and eventually the two peoples willingly merged into one. Thus it was that Isengard came under the control of the Dunlendings who led numerous raids on the [[Westfold]]. Whilst the Rohirrim had not the strength to assail the fortress, the Dunlendings were eventually starved out in the great famine after the [[Long Winter]]. Therefore both [[Fréaláf|King Fréaláf]] and [[Beren (Steward of Gondor)|Steward Beren]] greatly welcomed [[Saruman|Saruman's]] offer to take command of Isengard. Thus it was that, in {{TA|2759}},<ref name="AppStewards">{{App|Stewards}}</ref> the wizard was given the keys of Orthanc.<ref name="UTIsen" />

Saruman began to desire [[The One Ring|the ring]] for himself and hoped that it might reveal itself by giving [[Sauron]] time to re-gain his strength. As head of the [[White Council]], Saruman overruled Gandalf's call for an attack on [[Dol Guldur]] in {{TA|2851}}. However, in {{TA|2941}}, after Saruman discovered that the servants of Sauron were searching for the ring near [[Gladden Fields]], he agreed to attack Sauron's fortress in [[Mirkwood]]. After the last meeting of the White Council in {{TA|2953}}, Saruman withdrew to [[Isengard]] and fortified it. It was in ''circa'' {{TA|3000}} that Saruman used the [[Orthanc-stone]] for the first time. Thus it was that Sauron corrupted Saruman's mind and bent it to his will.<ref name="AppB2">{{App|B2}}</ref>

[[File:Ted Nasmith - Gandalf Escapes Upon Gwaihir.jpg|thumb|right|''[[Gandalf]] Escapes Upon [[Gwaihir]]'' by [[Ted Nasmith]]]]
{{Blockquote|Gandalf the Grey caught like a fly in a spider's treacherous web!|[[Gandalf]]<ref name="FRCouncil">{{FR|Council}}</ref>}}
In {{TA|3018}}, [[Gandalf]] rode to the foot of Orthanc and there met [[Saruman]]. It was then that Saruman revealed his true thoughts to Gandalf. He declared his desire to become a ruler of [[Men]] and to join with [[Sauron]]. But, most importantly, he announced his desire for the [[The One Ring]]. Gandalf refused to submit to Sauron and Saruman. Subsequently, Saruman had Gandalf taken to the pinnacle of Orthanc where, Saruman schemed, Gandalf would stay until he reveal the location of the ring or until Sauron reclaimed it for himself. There Gandalf was trapped and for the first time he saw [[wolves]] and [[orcs]] in the valley of Isengard below. After many weeks of imprisonment,<ref group="note">[[Gandalf]] was imprisoned on [[10 July]], {{TA|3018}} and escaped in the early hours of [[18 September]], {{TA|3018|n}}.</ref> Gandalf escaped as [[Gwaihir]] the [[Eagles|Great Eagle]] came unlooked-for to Orthanc and bore him away.<ref name="FRCouncil"/>

On [[3 March]], {{TA|3019}}, the [[Ents]] of [[Fangorn|Fangorn Forest]] began their [[Battle of Isengard|attack on Isengard]]. By the next day, the Ents have completely subdued Isengard.<ref name="AppB3">{{App|B3}}</ref> However, their attacks on Orthanc proved futile because the rock of the tower was too hard for the Ents to damage. Therein Saruman remained.<ref name="TTFlotsam">{{TT|Flotsam}}</ref> On [[5 March]], [[Théoden]], [[Éomer]], [[Gandalf]], [[Aragorn]], [[Legolas]], and [[Gimli]] approached the foot of Orthanc and climbed its stair until they reached the door. There they parleyed with Saruman, who remained inside the tower and spoke to them from a balcony above the door. Saruman refused to co-operate and subsequently Gandalf cast him from the [[Istari|order of Wizards]] and the [[White Council]], and broke Saruman's staff. After this confrontation, [[Gríma Wormtongue]], who was also inside Orthanc, threw the [[Orthanc-stone|palantír of Orthanc]] at the party outside as a parting shot.<ref name="TTVoice"/>

A week before before [[22 August]], {{TA|3019}},<ref name="AppB3"/> when [[Aragorn|King Elessar]] and company arrived at Orthanc, Saruman had departed Isengard with Gríma Wormtongue. However, before he left, [[Treebeard]] made him lock the tower and hand over the keys of Orthanc.<ref name="RKPartings">{{RK|Partings}}</ref>

===Fourth Age===
One of [[Aragorn|King Elessar's]] first tasks in the re-ordering of his realm was the restoration of Orthanc. He ordered that the [[Palantíri|palantír]] recovered from [[Saruman]] should be returned to the tower. It was then that the tower was searched and many secrets were revealed. It became clear that Saruman had hoarded many ancient treasures and heirlooms. They found that, with the aid of [[Wormtongue]], Saruman had acquired jewels and heirlooms of [[Eorl]]. With the help of [[Gimli]] a hidden door was found and opened. Inside a casket found on a shelf they found two precious items. One was a small golden case attached to a chain; this was used by [[Isildur]] to bear the [[One Ring]]. The second item in the casket was the [[Elendilmir]], the "white star of Elvish crystal upon a fillet of [[mithril]]" that had been lost since Isildur's demise. Elessar recieved the Elemdilmir with reverence and took it with him as he established his full kingship of [[Arnor]]. It was clear that Saruman had found the remains of Isildir and that he had probably burned the body.<ref name="UTIsen" />

Orthanc and the lands of Isengard remained part of the [[Reunited Kingdom|Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor]]. However King Elessar granted the [[Ents]] complete self-governance of the area surrounding Orthanc. This new forest became known as the [[Treegarth of Orthanc]].<ref name="RKPartings" />

==Etymology==
{{Transcribed|Orthanc_tengwar.png|Orthanc|Tengwar, Sindarin mode}}

''Orthanc'' displays a curious double etymology (co-existing "by design or chance") since it has a meaning both in the "[[Rohirric|language of the Mark of old]]" (rendered as [[Old English]] in ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'') and [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]]'s constructed language [[Sindarin]].<ref name=Ui>{{HM|RC}}, p. 243 (citing the "[[Unfinished index]]")</ref><ref name=TTRoad />

In Old English, ''Orthanc'' is said to mean "Cunning Mind".<ref name=TTRoad/> [[Wayne G. Hammond|Hammond]] and [[Christina Scull|Scull]] has noted that Old English ''orþanc'' as a noun means "original, inborn thought" or "a skilful contrivance or work, artifice, device, design"; as an adjective it means "cunning, skilful".<ref name=Ui/>

In the published text, ''Orthanc'' is said to mean "Mount Fang" in [[Elvish]].<ref name=TTRoad/> In other sources, the name is glossed as "forked-height".<ref name=Ui/><ref>{{S|Appendix}} (glossed as "Forked Height")</ref> The name is likely supposed to be Sindarin,<ref name=Ui/> consisting of ''[[or]]'' + ''[[thanc]]''.<ref>{{webcite|articleurl=http://www.tolkiendil.com/langues/english/i-lam_arth/compound_sindarin_names#o|articlename=Compound Sindarin Names in Middle-earth|website=[http://www.tolkiendil.com/ Tolkiendil]|accessed=23-Dec-2011}}</ref>

==Tolkien's changing conception of Orthanc==
{{Gallery
|title=Sketches by [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]
|height=300
|width=250
|lines=4
|File:J.R.R. Tolkien - Orthanc I.jpg|This sketch reflects Tolkien's description of Orthanc in an early manuscript of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''
|File:J.R.R. Tolkien - Orthanc.jpg|This sketch compliments best Tolkien's description of Orthanc in {{TT|III8}}.
}}
==Portrayal in adaptations==
{{Gallery
|title=Orthanc in Adaptations
|height=140
|width=200
|lines=3
|File:Orthanc film.jpg|Orthanc in ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy]]''
|File:Orthanc EA RotK.png|Orthanc in [[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (video game)|''The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King'' video game]]:'''
|File:LOTRO-Rise of Isengard-Orthanc-1-.png|Orthanc in ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online: Rise of Isengard]]''
}}
'''2001-3: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy]]'':'''
:Orthanc and [[Barad-dûr]] are presented as ''The Two Towers'' identified in the title of the film. Tolkien himself was never certain about which towers two towers ''The Two Towers'' referred to; in [[Letter 140]] noted his disapproval of the title itself but also stated that the title was deliberately ambiguous. Indeed it could refer to Orthanc and Barad-dûr, Minas Tirith and Barad-dûr, or Orthanc and Cirith Ungol.<ref>{{L|140}};{{L|143}}</ref> Later Tolkien seemed to settle with Orthanc and Minas Morgul in his original design for the jacket of ''The Two Towers''.<ref>{{L|140|1}}</ref> However the producers of ''The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers'' decided that, for theatrical and stylistic purposes, ''The Two Towers'' should refer to the towers of Orthanc and Barad-dûr.

'''2004: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (video game)]]'':'''
:Orthanc is part of the scenery in the mission "The Road to Isengard", visible as Gandalf makes his way to the dam.<ref>''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (video game)]]'', "The Road to Isengard"</ref> It also appears in cutscenes at various stages of the game.

'''2011: ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online: Rise of Isengard]]'':'''
:Orthanc will feature in the new region, [[Isengard]], added to [[Lord of the Rings Online]].<ref>{{webcite|author=Justin Olivetti|articleurl=http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/21/through-turbines-palantir-developers-outline-lotros-future/|articlename=Through Turbine's palantír: Developers outline LotRO's future|dated=21-April-2011|website=[http://massively.joystiq.com/ MASSIVELY by joystiq]|accessed=23-Dec-2011}}</ref>

==Sea also==
*[[:Category:Images of Orthanc|Images of Orthanc]]
*[[Isengard]]

{{References|n}}
[[Category:Misty Mountains]]
[[Category:Sindarin Locations]]
[[Category:Towers]]
[[de:Orthanc]]
[[fi:Orthanc]]
[[fr:encyclo/geographie/villes_tours_et_forteresses/gondor/orthanc]]

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Orthanc