Book of Mazarbul

2006-09-16T03:13:45Z

Old Took: /* What Gandalf Reads */

[[Image:Mazarbul_book.jpg|300px|thumb|The Book of Mazarbul, as seen in [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]].]]

The record of [[Balin]]'s return to [[Moria]] with a group of Longbeard [[Dwarves]] in [[Third Age|T.A.]] 2989.

==Etymology==

Mazarbul means "records" in [[Khuzdul]]. This name was used in connection with the [[Chamber of Records]] of [[Khazad-dûm]] and the Book of Records found in that chamber.

==The Books==

===History & Contents===

[[Image:Mazarbul_howe.jpg|150px|left|thumb|An image of the Book of Mazarbul by [[John Howe]].]]

The Book of Mazarbul was begun in T.A. 2989, upon Balin's return to Moria. The book recounted a battle with the [[Orcs]] that inhabited the old halls of Khazad-dûm, in which [[Balin]]'s Dwarves were victorious. They settled in the Twenty-first Hall, above the East-gate, and Balin himself ruled his new domain from the old Chamber of Records, also called the [[Chamber of Mazarbul]]. Over the next five years, the [[Dwarves]] seem to have settled quite successfully into their new home, exploring under the Mountains as far as the [[West-gate|West-gate of Moria]], and recovering [[Durin's Axe]] and apparently other priceless items made of mithril.

The Lordship of Balin was short-lived. [[Ori]], who was with him in Moria, recorded in the last pages of the Book how an army of Orcs came unexpectedly out of the east, slaying Balin outside the [[East-gate]]. The Dwarves defended themselves, but they were beleaguered from the the east by the Orcs, and from the west by the mysterious [[Watcher in the Water]]. Their last stand was in the Chamber of Mazarbul, where the Orcs eventually overcame and destroyed them.

The victorious Orcs seem not to have understood the significance of the Book, so that rather than carrying it off or destroying it, they left it to rot in the Chamber. There it was found twenty-four years later by the [[Company of the Ring]], burned, slashed and blood-stained, and missing a number of pages, but still readable in some parts. [[Gandalf]] passed it to [[Gimli]] to return to King [[Dáin II Ironfoot|Dáin]], after which nothing more is heard about it. If Gimli was able to keep it through the battles that followed, and didn't discard it with his gear at [[Parth Galen]], it is possible that he carried it throughout his travels in [[Middle-earth]], returning it at last to Dáin's heir [[Thorin III Stonehelm|Thorin III]] in [[Erebor]].

===Composition Details===
The Book of Mazarbul was written by many different authors, using the runes of both Moria and Dale, as well as Elvish letters. The pages of the book were marked with numbers referring to the years after Balin's arrival in Moria. [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]] created three sample pages from the book (the three read aloud by Gandalf in the Chamber of Mazarbul). In the actual Book of Mazarbul, these pages were separated by numerous other leaves.

====First Page====

[[Image:mazarbulpage2.jpg|150px|thumb|The first sample page of the Book of Mazarbul made by Tolkien.]]

The first page Tolkien created was the first page read aloud by Gandalf in the Book of Mazarbul. It was written using [[Angerthas Erebor]]. Tolkien justifies its use as likely in a diary, written quickly without attempt at calligraphy or meticulous consistency of spelling, by Dwarves from Dale. In writing the Common Speech, the Dwarves tended to blend its usual spelling with certain idiosyncratic phonetic usages. The Dwarves did not like to use any letter or rune in more than one value, nor to express a simple sound by combinations of letters. For a fuller discussion of the Book of Mazarbul runes and sample pages, see ''[[Pictures by J.R.R. Tolkien]]'', ''[[The Treason of Isengard]]'' and ''[[J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator]]''. This page is numbered at the top with the runic numeral "three".

Following is a translation of what is readable on this page, as transcribed by [[Christopher Tolkien]]:
* “We drove out the orcs from the Great Gate and guardroom and took the First Hall. We slew many in the bright sun in the dale. Flói was killed by an arrow. He slew the great chieftain…Floi under grass near Mirrormere…came…ken we repaired…We have taken the Twenty-first Hall of North End to dwell in. There is good air…that can easily be watched…the shaft is clear…Balin has set up his seat in the Chamber of Mazarbul…gathered…gold…wonderful lay Durin’s Axe…silver helm. Balin has taken them for his own. Balin is now lord of Moria:…today we found truesilver…well-forged helm…n…coat made all of purest mithril…Óin to seek for the upper armories of the Third Deep…go westwards to s…to Hollin gate.”

Gandalf was able to make out a little less of the page in the dim light of the Chamber of Mazarbul than what is presented above, but he noted that "the top page is marked ''one-three'', so at least two [pages] are missing from the beginning". Following is what Gandalf read:
* “We drove out orcs from the Great Gate and guardroom. We slew many in the bright sun in the dale. Flói was killed by an arrow. He slew the great….Flói under grass near Mirrormere…We have taken the Twenty-first Hall of North End to dwell in. There is…shaft…Balin has set up his seat in the Chamber of Mazarbul…gold…Durin’s Axe…helm…Balin is now lord of Moria. [Gandalf assumes this is the end of a chapter]…we found truesilver…well-forged…mithril….Óin to seek for the upper armories of the Third Deep…go westwards…to Hollin gate.”

====Second Page====

[[Image:mazarbulpage1.jpg|150px|thumb|The second sample page of the Book of Mazarbul made by Tolkien.]]

This second page created by Tolkien was written using [[Tengwar]] of the later Westron convention. Gandalf described the text as written by "a large bold hand using an Elvish script", which Gimli describes as [[Ori]]'s hand. The runic figure at the bottom of the page is the numeral "five".

Following is Christopher Tolkien's transcription of the page:
* “r…(ye)ars since…ready sorrow…yesterday being the tenth of November Balin, lord of Moria, fell in Dimrill Dale. He went alone to look in Mirrormere. An orc shot him from behind a stone. We slew the orc, but many more ca(me)…(u)p from east up the Silverlode…we rescued Balin’s body…re a sharp battle…we have barred the gates but doubt if…can hold them long. If there is…no escape it will be a horrible fate to suffer, but I shall hold.”

Gandalf notes that the pages begin to be numbered "five", meaning the fifth year of the colony. Following is what Gandalf was able to make out:
* “…sorrow…yesterday being the tenth of November Balin, lord of Moria, fell in Dimrill Dale. He went alone to look in Mirrormere. An Orc shot him from behind a stone. We slew the orc, but many more…up from east up the Silverlode…we have barred the gates…can hold them long if…horrible…suffer…”

====Third Page====

[[Image:Mazarbul.jpg|150px|thumb|The third sample page of the Book of Mazarbul made by Tolkien.]]

Tolkien's third and final sample page was the last page of the Book of Mazarbul read aloud by Gandalf. It is written in Angerthas Erebor, similar to that of the first page, but with a different hand and different details in the runes, except for the last line ("a trailing scrawl of elf-letters"), written in Tengwar. The page seems to be numbered at the top.

Christopher Tolkien's transcription of the page follows:
* “We cannot get out. We cannot get out. They have taken the bridge and Second Hall. Frár and Lóni and Náli fell there bravely while the rest retr…Mazarbul. We still ho…g...but hope u…n…Óin’s party went five days ago but today only four returned. The pool is up to the wall at West-gate. The Watcher in the Water took Óin--we cannot get out. The end comes soon. We hear drums, drums in the deep. They are coming.”

Gandalf makes out this much:
* “We cannot get out. We cannot get out. They have taken the bridge and Second Hall. Frár and Lóni and Náli fell there…went five days…the pool is up to the wall at West-gate. The Watcher in the Water took Óin. We cannot get out. The end comes...drums, drums in the deep. They are coming.”

====Tolkien's Comments====
The use of English to represent the Common Speech in primary sources such as the pages of the Book of Mazarbul was a result of Tolkien's vision of completely translating all Westron into modern English, even in authentic documentation, although upon reflection Tolkien said that this translation was "an erroneous extension of the general linguistic treatment" (''[[The_Peoples_of_Middle-earth|The Peoples of Middle-Earth]]'', pp. 298-9: "Of Dwarves and Men").

Tolkien comments on his general treatment of the Book of Mazarbul pages: "...the text was cast into English spelt as at present, but modified as it might be by writers in haste whose familiarity with the written form was imperfect, and who were also (on the first and third pages) transliterating the English into a different alphabet."; "...since documents of this kind nearly always show uses of letters or shapes that are peculiar and rarely or never found elsewhere, a few such features are also introduced..." (''same reference as above'', pp. 298-9). Thus, the Book of Mazarbul showcases some slightly different distributions of certain English sounds.

===References===

* [[The Lord of the Rings]]: [[The Fellowship of the Ring]] Book II: Chapter 5: [[The Bridge of Khazad-dûm]]
* [[The Lord of the Rings]]: [[Appendix E]]
* [[Pictures by J.R.R. Tolkien]]: "Leaves from the Book of Mazarbul"
* [[The Treason of Isengard]]: Appendix on Runes
* [[J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator]]
* [[The Peoples of Middle-earth]]: "Of Dwarves and Men"

==The Films==

[[Image:135.jpg|300px|thumb|The Book of Mazarbul, as seen in [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]].]]

===Appearances===
* [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]], [[Scene 35: Balin's Tomb]]

===Portrayal===
The Book of Mazarbul appears on screen nearly identical to its description in the book. The outer cover decoration is of typical [[Dwarven design]] and the inside pages are written in a variety of different styles, using Angerthas Erebor (and, presumably, [[Angerthas Moria]]), as well as Tengwar.

===Cover and Interior Runes===
The outside cover of the Book of Mazarbul in the films reads:
* "Records (of the) Longbeards of Khazad-dûm".

The first page of the book read by Gandalf in the movie is written using [[Cirth]] (Angerthas Erebor) and Tengwar (full mode), perhaps written by Ori. A number of leaves before this page fall out when Gandalf opens the book. This apparently is the second to the last page. The translation is as follows:
* Cirth: "And so we come to our final hope. Óin is going to the West-gate to see if we can escape that way."
* Tengwar: "The orcs have taken all the lower levels and the upper halls to the fifth level. Our stores of food are running low and we have no water to drink. Unless Oin can find a way out at the West-gate, we are doomed whether the orcs get us or not."

The last page of the book is written using Cirth (Angerthas Erebor) and Tengwar (full-vowel mode). The translation is as follows:
* Cirth: "We cannot get out. We cannot get out. They have taken the bridge and Second Hall. Frár and Lóni and Náli fell there bravely whil the rest retreated to Mazarbul. We still hold the chamber but hope is fading now. Óin's party went five days ago but today only four returned. The pool is up to the wall at West-gate. The Watcher in the Water took Óin----we cannot get out. The end comes soon. We hear drums, drums in the deep."
* Tengwar: "They are coming."

===What Gandalf Reads===

[[Image:fotr1085.jpg|300px|thumb|Gandalf reading from the Book of Mazarbul, as seen in [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]].]]

In Scene 35 (Balin's Tomb) of Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring, Gandalf reads a portion of the Book of Mazarbul. The results of his translation of the runes are as follows (with lines not found on the last two pages in italics):

* While looking at the second to last page: "They have taken the bridge and the second hall. (last page) ''We have barred the gates but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes, ''drums...drums in the deep. (last page)"

* While looking at the last page: "We cannot get out. (last page) ''A shadow moves in the dark.'' We cannot get out.... (last page) They are coming. (last page)"

What Gandalf is reading seemingly does not always correspond with the page he is viewing when doing so. He also "reads" a few lines not seen in the viewable pages. It has been suggested that Gandalf was glancing simultaneously at three pages of text, reading and translating them in his mind and then uttering the results of his thought process all the while to the Fellowship. In other words, he was composing a translation quickly from three separate pages, perhaps including one of the pages that fell out of the book when he opened it. "We have barred the gates but cannot hold them for long" is a phrase from Tolkien's second sample page of the Book of Mazarbul, so this is likely from one the pages that initially fell out of the book.

===Behind the Scenes===

The outside cover of the Book of Mazarbul was probably designed by [[Alan Lee]] in typical Dwarven fashion. The interior pages were penned by [[Daniel Reeve]]. Tolkien's third sample page was copied almost exactly to create the last page of the book, with a few additions to fill in the missing pieces. The page before this was written in as close a manner as possible to Tolkien's original samples.

===References===
*[http://www.elvish.org/gwaith/movie.htm Fellowship of the Word-smiths: Other Movie Inscriptions] - A web page discussing many inscriptions from the movies, including those found within the Book of Mazarbul.
* Alan Lee's [[The Lord of the Rings Sketchbook]]: "Moria"

==Related Links==
Original Location: [[Khazad-dûm]] | [[North End]] | [[Seventh Level]] | [[Twenty-first Hall]] | [[Chamber of Mazarbul]]

* [[Balin]]
* [[Ori]]

[[Category:Books]]

Balin's Tomb

2006-09-16T03:09:08Z

Old Took: /* The Runes */

[[Image:Balinstomb.jpg|200px|thumb|Balin's Tomb in [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]].]]

The site of [[Balin]] the [[Dwarves|Dwarf]]’s burial in [[Moria]].

==The Books==

===History and Geography===
Balin was killed at the hands of Moria [[orcs]] in [[Third Age|T.A.]] 2994. He was promptly buried in a tomb in the center of the [[Chamber of Mazarbul]]. The [[Fellowship of the Ring]], journeying through Moria in T.A. 3019, found his tomb. The tomb was the site of a [[Battle of the Chamber of Mazarbul|battle]] between the Fellowship and a group of attacking orcs. The tomb was located inside the Mazarbul chamber, Balin’s former seat, which itself was located off the north end of the [[Twenty-first Hall]]. A shaft of light from outside of the mountain fell directly onto Balin’s Tomb, though it is not known what the shaft originally lit, if it was even in existence prior to Balin’s fall.

===Appearance===
The tomb was made of a single oblong block, about two feet high, underneath a large slab of white stone. Runes were cut deeply into the slab. Included in [[The Fellowship of the Ring]]: Book II: Chapter 4: [[A Journey in the Dark]] are these runes, which read:
* “BALIN FUNDINUL UZBADKHAZADDUMU BALINSONOVFUNDINLORDOVMORIA”, or:
“Balin Fundinul Uzbad Khazaddumu, Balin Son of Fundin Lord of Moria” (''ov''=''of'' phonetically).

[[Image:Balins-tomb cd jrrt.jpg|200px|thumb|The runic inscription found on Balin's Tomb.]]

===The Runes===

The runes carved into Balin’s Tomb were [[Daeron’s Runes]]. These runic values were older than those of [[Angerthas Erebor]] and were used in Moria before the flight of the Dwarves, appearing on such inscriptions. Balin’s Dwarves would have followed this example in such a circumstance. The top, larger runes (the first three lines) are written in [[Khuzdul]], while the smaller ones below (the final line) were in the [[Common Speech]].

The Dwarves never used their “true” Khuzdul names, not even in inscriptions, but rather their names in the Common Speech. [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]], having translated all uses of the Common Speech into modern English, rendered these names as “Balin” and “Fundin”, as he did the other words in the last line of the inscription (see note on English below). The name “Moria” was used, for by the time of the inscription, it had become the accepted name for Khazad-dûm in the Common Speech.

The use of English to represent the Common Speech in primary sources such as the inscription on Balin's Tomb was a result of Tolkien's vision of completely translating all [[Westron]] into modern English, even in authentic documentation, although upon reflection Tolkien said that this translation was "an erroneous extension of the general linguistic treatment" (''[[The Peoples of Middle-earth]]'', pp. 298-9: "Of Dwarves and Men").

===References===
* [[The Lord of the Rings]]: [[The Fellowship of the Ring]] Book II: Chapter 4: [[A Journey in the Dark]] and Chapter 5: [[The Bridge of Khazad-dûm]]
* [[The Lord of the Rings]]: [[Appendix E]]
* [[The Treason of Isengard]]: Appendix on Runes
* [[The Peoples of Middle-earth]]: "Of Dwarves and Men"

==The Films==

[[Image:fotr1080.jpg|300px|thumb|Balin's Tomb in [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]].]]

===Appearances===
* [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]], [[Scene 35: Balin's Tomb]]

===Portrayal & Behind the Scenes===
Balin's Tomb is portrayed on film exactly as described in the book. The runes on the tomb are copied verbatim. [[Alan Lee]] was likely the conceptualizer of the tomb, maintaining the rigid, blocky style characteristic of the Dwarves (see [[Dwarven design]]), and fitting Tolkien's original description. [[Grant Major]] specifically tried to retain the evocative image of the shaft of light landing directly on Balin's Tomb in the film sequence. In the film, Balin's Tomb is destroyed by the [[Cave-trolls|Cave-troll]] during the [[Battle of the Chamber of Mazarbul]].

===References===
* [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]] [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring Extended Edition DVD|Extended Edition DVD]] Audio Commentaries (Scene 35)
* Alan Lee's [[The Lord of the Rings Sketchbook]]: "Moria"

==Related Links==
Location: [[Khazad-dûm]] | [[North End]] | [[Seventh Level]] | [[Twenty-first Hall]] | [[Chamber of Mazarbul]]

* [[Balin]]

[[Category:Objects]]

Balin's Tomb

2006-09-16T03:05:26Z

Old Took: /* Appearance */

[[Image:Balinstomb.jpg|200px|thumb|Balin's Tomb in [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]].]]

The site of [[Balin]] the [[Dwarves|Dwarf]]’s burial in [[Moria]].

==The Books==

===History and Geography===
Balin was killed at the hands of Moria [[orcs]] in [[Third Age|T.A.]] 2994. He was promptly buried in a tomb in the center of the [[Chamber of Mazarbul]]. The [[Fellowship of the Ring]], journeying through Moria in T.A. 3019, found his tomb. The tomb was the site of a [[Battle of the Chamber of Mazarbul|battle]] between the Fellowship and a group of attacking orcs. The tomb was located inside the Mazarbul chamber, Balin’s former seat, which itself was located off the north end of the [[Twenty-first Hall]]. A shaft of light from outside of the mountain fell directly onto Balin’s Tomb, though it is not known what the shaft originally lit, if it was even in existence prior to Balin’s fall.

===Appearance===
The tomb was made of a single oblong block, about two feet high, underneath a large slab of white stone. Runes were cut deeply into the slab. Included in [[The Fellowship of the Ring]]: Book II: Chapter 4: [[A Journey in the Dark]] are these runes, which read:
* “BALIN FUNDINUL UZBADKHAZADDUMU BALINSONOVFUNDINLORDOVMORIA”, or:
“Balin Fundinul Uzbad Khazaddumu, Balin Son of Fundin Lord of Moria” (''ov''=''of'' phonetically).

[[Image:Balins-tomb cd jrrt.jpg|200px|thumb|The runic inscription found on Balin's Tomb.]]

===The Runes===

The runes carved into Balin’s Tomb were [[Daeron’s Runes]]. These runic values were older than those of [[Angerthas Erebor]] and were used in Moria before the flight of the Dwarves, appearing on such inscriptions. Balin’s Dwarves would have followed this example in such a circumstance. The top, larger runes (the first three lines) are written in [[Khuzdul]], while the smaller ones below (the final line) were in the [[Common Speech]].

The Dwarves never used their “true” Khuzdul names, not even in inscriptions, but rather their names in the Common Speech. [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]], having translated all uses of the Common Speech into modern English, rendered these names as “Balin” and “Fundin”, as he did the other words in the last line of the inscription (see note on English below). The name “Moria” was used, for by the time of the inscription, it had become the accepted name for Khazad-dûm in the Common Speech.

The use of English to represent the Common Speech in primary sources such as the inscription on Balin's Tomb was a result of Tolkien's vision of completely translating all [[Westron]] into modern English, even in authentic documentation, although upon reflection Tolkien said that this translation was "an erroneous extension of the general linguistic treatment" (''[[The_Peoples_of_Middle-earth]]'', pp. 298-9: "Of Dwarves and Men").

===References===
* [[The Lord of the Rings]]: [[The Fellowship of the Ring]] Book II: Chapter 4: [[A Journey in the Dark]] and Chapter 5: [[The Bridge of Khazad-dûm]]
* [[The Lord of the Rings]]: [[Appendix E]]
* [[The Treason of Isengard]]: Appendix on Runes
* [[The Peoples of Middle-earth]]: "Of Dwarves and Men"

==The Films==

[[Image:fotr1080.jpg|300px|thumb|Balin's Tomb in [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]].]]

===Appearances===
* [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]], [[Scene 35: Balin's Tomb]]

===Portrayal & Behind the Scenes===
Balin's Tomb is portrayed on film exactly as described in the book. The runes on the tomb are copied verbatim. [[Alan Lee]] was likely the conceptualizer of the tomb, maintaining the rigid, blocky style characteristic of the Dwarves (see [[Dwarven design]]), and fitting Tolkien's original description. [[Grant Major]] specifically tried to retain the evocative image of the shaft of light landing directly on Balin's Tomb in the film sequence. In the film, Balin's Tomb is destroyed by the [[Cave-trolls|Cave-troll]] during the [[Battle of the Chamber of Mazarbul]].

===References===
* [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]] [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring Extended Edition DVD|Extended Edition DVD]] Audio Commentaries (Scene 35)
* Alan Lee's [[The Lord of the Rings Sketchbook]]: "Moria"

==Related Links==
Location: [[Khazad-dûm]] | [[North End]] | [[Seventh Level]] | [[Twenty-first Hall]] | [[Chamber of Mazarbul]]

* [[Balin]]

[[Category:Objects]]

Chamber of Mazarbul

2006-09-16T02:54:30Z

Old Took: /* Portrayal */

[[Image:fotr1078.jpg|300px|thumb|The Chamber of Mazarbul in [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]].]]

The '''Chamber of Mazarbul''' was the old [[Chamber of Records]] of [[Khazad-dûm]]. Probably built during the earlier years of Khazad-dûm, it was later used as a base by [[Balin]] when he began his ill-fated attempt at recolonization in the late [[Third Age]].

==Etymology==
Mazarbul means "records" in [[Khuzdul]]. This name was used in connection with the Chamber of Records of Khazad-dûm and the [[Book of Mazarbul|Book of Records]] found in that chamber.

==The Books==
[[Image:Sdla01mcmoria.jpg|250px|thumb|left|Illustration of the skirmish between the Fellowship and the hordes of Moria in the Chamber of Mazarbul, by Angus McBridge ([[Iron Crown Enterprises]]).]]

===History===
The chamber itself was probably built at around the same time as the [[Twenty-first Hall]]. This would have been slightly later than the earliest Dwarven delvings, which were to be found in the lower levels near the [[Great Gate of Moria|Great Gate]]. In Third Age 2989, Balin led a group of Dwarves to recolonize [[Moria]]. Balin chose the Twenty-first Hall as his headquarters and set up his seat in the Chamber of Mazarbul. When Balin was killed a few years later, he was laid to rest in a tomb inside the chamber. The [[Fellowship of the Ring|Fellowship]] found the chamber thirty years after Balin came to Moria and it was here that Gandalf found the [[Book of Mazarbul]], a record of Balin's recolonization efforts. It was in the Chamber of Mazarbul that the Fellowship engaged in a brief fight with a band of Moria orcs and a [[Cave-trolls|Cave-troll]] and where [[Gandalf]] made his first stand against the [[Balrogs|Balrog]] (see [[Battle of the Chamber of Mazarbul]]).

===Geography & Appearance===
The chamber was located to the right of a pathway that branched off the north end of the Twenty-first hall. When the Fellowship found the chamber as they passed through Moria, [[Balin's Tomb]] was located inside it, and a bright shaft of sunlight streamed in from outside the mountain to land directly on the tomb. It is not clear whether the shaft was an original feature of the chamber or whether it was added later by Balin's group of dwarves. It seems more likely that it had been an original part of the chamber construction. There were two stone doors leading into the chamber (one entrance from the Twenty-first Hall, one from the [[Stairs of Khazad-dûm|stair tunnels]] that the Fellowship later used to flee the Balrog). Many deep recesses were cut into the chamber rock containing chests that had been recently looted by the [[Orcs]] inhabiting Moria. A deep dust had fallen upon the entire room by the time the Fellowship entered it, and the remains of a long-abandoned battle sight were to be seen strewn across the floor.

===References===
[[The Lord of the Rings]]: [[The Fellowship of the Ring]] Book II: Chapter 4: [[A Journey in the Dark]] and Chapter 5: [[The Bridge of Khazad-dûm]]

==The Films==

[[Image:fotr1086.jpg|300px|thumb|The Chamber of Mazarbul in [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]].]]

===Appearances===

* [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]], [[Scene 35: Balin's Tomb]] and [[Scene 36: The Bridge of Khazad-dûm]]

===Portrayal===
In Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring, the Chamber of Mazarbul is presented much as it is described in the books, with a few notable exceptions.
* First, its geography has been slightly altered. It is placed in the center of the Twenty-first Hall, rather than on the right of a corridor running off the hall to the north.
* Second, there is only one proper doorway leading into the chamber, rather than the two described in the book. This door is also made of wood in the film, rather than stone.
These alterations are likely the result of geographical simplification and enhancement of geographical drama. Placing the chamber in the center of the Twenty-first Hall gives it greater prominance and significance and provides a less cumbersome position than that of the book. The elimination of one of the doorways allows the chamber to take on an even more unique design than that found in the book (while, again, simplifying it for dramatic purposes). Changing the door material to wood makes it easier for the door to be opened and closed.
* A well is also introduced into the layout, directly below the shaft of light. This well was found in the [[Moria Guardroom|guardroom]] of the [[Moria Crossroads]] in the book, but was transplanted here to serve greater dramatic purpose. (A well may also exist in the guardroom of the Moria in the films, however.)

The design of the chamber follows the general [[Dwarven design]] ideology employed by the filmmakers for all of the Moria sets.

===The Mazarbul Chamber Wall Runes===

In the film, the walls of the chamber are covered in runes (seemingly [[Angerthas Moria]]). These runes detail the history of Moria from its foundation by [[Durin]] to the [[Battle of Azanulbizar]]. From the rune translations, it is clear that the authors were the [[Dwarves]] led by Balin during the recolonization of Moria.
The larger text is [[Khuzdul]], the smaller text is in the [[Common Speech]] (English). The rune histories were probably written for both [[Dwarvish]] and foreign readers. Notable peculiarities have appeared in translations of this text. It is not clear whether this was deliberate on the part of the filmmakers.
* Khuzdul phrases appear in the midst of the English text and peculiar spellings of certain words and irregular constructions of some phrases exist.
The consistency of the irregularities seem to suggest that these may have been at least partly intentional. Several explanations have been postulated, the most obvious of which is that the Dwarves who carved the runes made mistakes. Other theories have been put forth: perhaps the Dwarves used idiosyncratic rune forms or a slightly altered mode of [[Westron]] in order to better convey the deep meanings behind Moria's history. The latter two seem the most likely, given all the available evidence.
* The phrase "Made in New Zealand" can also be seen in at least one place along the Mazarbul Chamber walls.
The filmmaker's left this as their trademark for those who translated the runes to see. Some fans have rationalized its appearance by citing the meaning of "zeal" as "seal" in Danish, which is closely related to the Danish word for "soul". Thus, the true phrase would be "Made in new-soul land", with "soul-land" referring to Moria, a land of many dwarvish souls that had come and gone, new because it was being recolonized. The theory postulates that the word "zeal" was originally Khuzdul but made its way into modern Danish.

====Translations From Angerthas Moria====

Below are the phrases that have been translated from the Mazarbul walls thus far:

KHUZDUL PHRASES

* "Great Chamber of Records of the Longbeards of Khazad-dûm. Lord Durin built (it)."

(from Khuzdul: "Gabil gund Mazarbul Sigin-turgul Khazaddûmul. Durin Uzbad zahra.")

* "Durin III, lord of Khazad-dûm."
(from Khuzdul: "Durin [certh for 3] Uzbad Khazaddûmu".)

* "Durin slain by Durin's Bane, and Náin Durin's son, Durin's Bane also slew him."
(from Khuzdul: "Durin mabazgûn au Abzag Durinu & [certh for "and"] Náin Durinul Abzag Durinu ya bazghu".)

* "Thrór Heir of Dáin; Orcs slew him; Azog cut off his head."
(from Khuzdul: "Thrór Rayad Dáinu; Rakhâs bazghu; Azog wakrish shathûrhu".)

* "Frerin Thráin's son, slain in the Battle of Azanulbizar, on the shores of Kheled-zâram, and Fundin slain."
(from Khuzdul: "Frerin Thráinul, Mabazgûn zai Azgâr Azanulbizarul, zai shakâl Kheled-zâramu & Fundin mabazgûn".)

* "The great Battle of Gundabad and Gladden; remember the Dead."
[[Image:LOTR-EN11233.jpg|200px|thumb|The Chamber of Mazarbul in [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]].]](from Khuzdul: "Gabil Azgâr Gundabadul & Ningulul; Mernak Mabazgân.")

* "(The) mines of Barazinbar."
(from Khuzdul: "Ganâd Barazinbarul".)

* "(The) battle of Azanulbizar." [[Image:Moria_wall_a.jpg|200px|thumb|A portion of the Mazarbul wall runes.]]
(from Khuzdul: "Azgâr Azanulbizarul".)

* "(The) house of Durin."
(from Khuzdul: "Zahar Durinul".)

ENGLISH PHRASES

* "...of Nogrod and Belegost year sixteen..." [[Image:casaloma.jpg|200px|thumb|A portion of the Mazarbul wall runes from the Casa Loma Exhibition.]]
* "...watch tower established at highest peak..."

* "...of Zirakzigil with star from Thirtieth Hall ..."

* "...Second {{ref|1}} Age five hundred of the..."

* "...fathoms gold smelter built..."

* "...the establishment {{ref|2}} of Moria below..."

* "...in return for silver and cloth and lumber..."

* "...established {{ref|3}} and the Dimrill {{ref|4}} Stair..."

* "...of Kheled-zâram {{ref|5}} and Fundin slain..."

* "...of Durin of Ered Luin {{ref|6}} settle in the..."

* "...one thousand and twenty news of fall..."

* "...forces of Sauron's army gates to Moria..."

* "...service {{ref|7}} of Lorien elves(') trade..."

* "...second {{ref|8}} level shaft sunk to forty..."

* "...year seventy-two {{ref|9}} Great Gate..."

* "...Zirakzigil in year forty of the..."

* "...caves {{ref|10}} above Kheled-zâram {{ref|11}} great rices..."

* "...in seams to east of Durin's door..."

* "...growth of trade to western {{ref|12}} gate year..."

* "...ninety-seven {{ref|13}} Eregion laid waste by billions..."

* "...of Eregion founded by Noldor {{ref|14}} bring..."

* "...shut against hordes and continuous {{ref|15}} attacks..."

* "...year seven {{ref|16}} hundred and fifty..."

* "...made in New Zealand. Dragon..."

* "...on the shores of Azanulbizar..."

* "...in diamonds and gold..."

====Translation Notes====

#{{note|1}} S-E-CH-O-N-D…possible variant rune usage.
#{{note|2}} E-S-T-B-L-I-S-H-M-E-N-T…possible variant emphasis from alternate word construction.
#{{note|3}} E-O-T-A-B-L-I-S-H-Y-D…possible variant emphasis from alternate word construction.
#{{note|4}} D-I-M-R-I-L…possible variant word construction or rune usage.
#{{note|5}} K-I-E-L-E-D-Z-A-R-A-M…possible variant emphasis from alternate word construction.
#{{note|6}} E-N-E-D---L-U-I-N…possible variant word construction or rune usage.
#{{note|7}} S-E-R-V-I-CH-E…possible variant rune usage.
#{{note|8}} D-E-CH-O-N-D…possible variant word construction and/or rune usage; variant emphasis also possible.
#{{note|9}} S-E-V-E-N-T-A---T-W-O…possible variant word construction or rune usage.
#{{note|10}} CH-A-V-E-S…possible variant rune usage.
#{{note|11}} K-H-E-L-E-D---Z-A-R-M…possible variant emphasis from alternate word construction.
#{{note|12}} W-E-S-T-R-N…possible variant word construction or rune usage.
#{{note|13}} N-I-N-T-Y---S-E-V-E-N…possible variant word construction or rune usage.
#{{note|14}} N-O-L-D-O-N…possible variant word construction or rune usage.
#{{note|15}} A-G-A-I-N-T-S-O-R-D-E-S---&---G-O-N-T-I-N-U-O-U-S…possible variant phrase and/or word construction and/or rune usage.
#{{note|16}} S-E-V-N…possible variant word construction or rune usage

====References====
*[http://www.elvish.org/gwaith/movie.htm Fellowship of the Word-smiths: Other Movie Inscriptions] - A web page discussing many inscriptions from the movies, including those found on the Mazarbul walls.
*[http://home.planet.nl/~raas0056/mazarbul/ Mazarbul Wall Inscriptions Analysis] - A web site discussing the transcription of the Mazarbul wall runes from screen to page.
*[http://www.geocities.com/shire_society/mazarbul_analysis.html Mazarbul Wall Rune Analysis (English Only)] A detailed analysis of the English Mazarbul wall rune text.

====The Use of English====

The use of English to represent the Common Speech in primary sources such as the Mazarbul wall runes is in keeping with [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]]'s own vision of completely translating all Westron into modern English, even in authentic documentation, although upon reflection Tolkien said that this translation was "an erroneous extension of the general linguistic treatment" (''[[The_Peoples_of_Middle-earth]]'', pp. 298-9: "Of Dwarves and Men"). The filmmakers obviously followed Tolkien's original intent, representing what would have been Westron on the "original" Mazarbul walls as English.

====Variances====

Justification for the variances that appear in the Mazarbul wall text comes from Tolkien himself. He specifically claims having used a similar methodology when creating samples of the [[Book of Mazarbul]]: "...the text was cast into English spelt as at present, but modified as it might be by writers...who where transliterating the English into a different alphabet"; "...since documents of this kind nearly always show uses of letters or shapes that are peculiar and rarely or never found elsewhere, a few such features are also introduced..." (''same reference as above'', pp. 298-9). Thus, the variances found in the Chamber of Mazarbul wall runes represent, as closely as possible, the idiosyncracies found in the original Westron.

===Behind the Scenes===

[[Image:Mazarbul_concept.jpg|250px|thumb|left|Concept illustration of the Chamber of Mazarbul by [[Alan Lee]].]]

The Chamber of Mazarbul was commonly referred to by the filmmakers as "Balin's Tomb" (as it was, more specifically, the site of said tomb).

The Chamber of Mazarbul was a locale that the filmmakers took special care to match carefully to the book descriptions. As with many other locations, [[Peter Jackson]] and his team tried to bring a sense that this was indeed the place that Tolkien had described.

[[Alan Lee]] was likely the primary conceptualizer of this location. The architecture of the Mazarbul chamber followed the filmmakers' general rules for Dwarven architecture. (for more information, see [[Dwarven design|Dwarven architecture]]).

[[Grant Major]] specifically tried to retain the evocative image of the shaft of light landing directly on Balin's Tomb, though there was a need to shift the geography of the chamber slightly to make this idea work dramatically on screen.

[[Andrew Lesnie]] has commented on the challenges he faced while trying to light the set, while maintaining the sense of a shaft of strong white light. His camera team eventually followed the idea that the shaft's light would bounce off the rest of the chamber, creating a glowing ambience that would work well for that specific sequence of the film.

For the shots looking up into the roof of the chamber, the visual effects team had to digitally extend the chamber architecture, because the physical set only extended to a certain height, above which was the lighting grid.

Grant Major authored the English text that would be carved in runes onto the chamber walls by carefully scoring the books for information about Moria's history. His findings were transcribed into the runes that adorn the walls, along with translations of certain sentences into Khuzdul by [[David Salo]].

The runes on the chamber walls were the catalyst for one of the biggest fiascoes for the art department during production. A visiting Tolkien scholar claimed to have seen inane comments written on the walls. The art department searched the wall runes carefully but could find no offending sentences. The scholar revealed that he had simply been told this by a member of the crew. Grant Major and [[Dan Hennah]] assumed this was said crew member's idea of a joke. But the scholar later said that he had heard this from a member of the Weta Workshop minatures crew and that the offending comments in fact appeared on the miniature of the Second Hall of Khazad-dûm, though they were unable to be read in the final film and could not be translated using the Dwarvish runes anyway. (See [[Second Hall]]). In truth, no such "inane comments" exist on the Mazarbul Chamber wall runes.

====References====

* [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]] [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring Extended Edition DVD|Extended Edition DVD]] Audio Commentaries (Scene 35)
* [[Gary Russell]]'s [[The Art of the Fellowship of the Ring]]: "Moria"
* Alan Lee's [[The Lord of the Rings Sketchbook]]: "Moria"
* [http://www.geocities.com/shire_society/mazarbul_incident.html Mazarbul Wall Rune Incident] A detailed analysis of the incident with comments from those involved.

==Related Links==

Location: [[Khazad-dûm]] | [[North End]] | [[Seventh Level]] | [[Twenty-first Hall]]

*[[Balin's Tomb]]

*[[Balin]]

*[[Battle of the Chamber of Mazarbul]]

*[[Book of Mazarbul]]

[[category:Structures]]

Battle of the Morannon

2006-09-15T19:34:26Z

Old Took:

{{battle|
image=[[Image:rotk2196.jpg|300px]] The Battle of the Morannon as depicted in [[Peter Jackson]]'s film adaptation of [[The Return of the King]]|
name=Battle of the Morannon|
conflict=[[Battle of the Morannon]]|
date=March 25, 3019 T.A.|
place=[[Dagorlad]]|
result= Victory of Gondor and Rohan|
side1=[[Gondor]], [[Rohan]]|
side2= [[Mordor]], [[Rhûn]], [[Khand]]|
commanders1=*[[Aragorn]]
*[[Gandalf]]
*[[Imrahil]]
*[[Éomer]]|
commanders2=*The [[Mouth of Sauron]]†|
forces1=6,000 from Gondor and Rohan and [[Eagles]]|
forces2=Unknown total strength, but vast numerical superiority to the forces of Gondor and Rohan; possibly over 300,000. Forces consisting of [[Orcs]], [[Trolls]], the [[Nazgul]], [[Fell Beasts]], and [[Easterlings]] (men of Rhûn, Variags of Khand, etc.)|
casual1=
Great losses, unknown total number|
casual2=
Destruction of all orcs, trolls and the Nazgul; heavy Easterling losses (the rest were pardoned)
}}

The '''Battle of the Morannon''' also known as the '''Battle of the Black Gate''' ("[[Morannon]]" is the [[Sindarin]] ([[Elvish]]) word for "Black Gate").

This was the final major battle against [[Sauron]] in the [[War of the Ring]], fought at the Black Gate of [[Mordor]]. The army of the West, 6,000 strong by now, led by [[Aragorn]] marched on the gate as a diversionary feint to distract [[Sauron]]'s attention from [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] and [[Samwise Gamgee|Sam]], who were carrying the [[One Ring]] through Mordor. It was hoped that Sauron would think [[Aragorn]] had the Ring and was now trying to use it to overthrow Mordor.

Initially, the Army of the West had been composed of 7,000 men, but as they approached Dagorlad near the Black Gate Aragorn dismissed the faint of heart, ordering them to liberate [[Cair Andros]] on the river Anduin. This resulted in the departure of maybe 500 men.

Before the battle began, Sauron sent one of his servants, the [[Black Númenóreans|Black Númenórean]] called the [[Mouth of Sauron]], to speak with the Captains of the West. He tried to trick [[Gandalf]] into believing Sauron held Frodo captive, displaying as evidence items that had belonged to Frodo and Sam (Sam's sword, an [[Elves|Elven]] cloak, and Frodo's ''[[Mithril]]'' shirt.) The Mouth threatened that Frodo would be tortured if the West did not agree to Sauron's terms of surrender. (It is clear that while Sauron knew there was a Hobbit in Mordor, he did not know why.) Gandalf, however, refused to be swayed, took the items from the Mouth of Sauron, and sent him away. Amazed and angered, the Mouth of Sauron rode back to the Black Gate, let it be opened, and the forces of Sauron marched out. At the same time, more of Sauron's forces that had been hidden in the hills around the Black Gate came forth, thus surrounding the Men of the West. Sauron's army outnumbered that of the West by at least ten to one.

Against Aragorn's army was arrayed Sauron's hordes of [[Orcs]], [[Trolls]], and barbarian [[Men|Mannish]] allies such as the [[Easterlings]] and Southrons ([[Haradrim]]). An exact count is not given of the number of Sauron's forces, and though they numbered in the tens of thousands at least, the battle is said to not have been as quite large as the preceding [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]].

During the course of the battle, the eight [[Nazgûl]] still alive attacked the army of the West. The [[Eagles]] of the [[Misty Mountains]], led by [[Gwaihir]] the Windlord, arrived and attacked the Ringwraiths. At that moment, when all hope seemed lost, Frodo put on the One Ring and Sauron realized that Frodo was inside [[Mount Doom]]. The Nazgûl immediately left the battle to intercept Frodo. However, [[Gollum]] bit the Ring off Frodo's finger and then accidentally fell into the [[Crack of Doom]], and Sauron's power was overthrown.

The Nazgûl had been flying over Mount Doom just as it underwent a gigantic volcanic eruption, and they were all destroyed in the firestorm. [[Barad-dûr]], the Black Gate and, the Towers of Teeth collapsed to ruin. The Orcs and other creatures of Sauron were completely directionless with the Dark Lord's demise and were easily decimated by the army of the West. The Easterlings fought on stalwartly, though eventually many threw down their weapons and surrendered (later to be sent home in peace by Aragorn King [[Elessar]]).

Fighting against Sauron's remaining forces would continue in the northern theater of the War of the Ring for several weeks, notably at [[Dol Guldur]] in [[Mirkwood]] and at [[Erebor]], but the power of the Dark Lord of Mordor was no more.

Months later, the [[Battle of Bywater]] in the [[Shire]] against ruffians led by [[Saruman]], and the subsequent killing of Saruman and [[Wormtongue]] on the very doorstep of [[Bag End]], ended the [[War of the Ring]].

{{wotr}}

[[Category:Battles|Morannon]]

File:The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King - Battle of the Morannon.jpg

2006-09-15T19:24:02Z

Old Took:

Battle of the Chamber of Mazarbul

2006-05-02T20:22:44Z

Old Took: /* Portrayal */

{{battle|
image=[[Image:Fotr1117.jpg|300px]] The Battle of the Chamber of Mazarbul as depicted in [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]]|
name=Battle of the Chamber of Mazarbul|
conflict=Battle of the Chamber of Mazarbul|
date=January 15, 3019 T.A.|
place=The [[Chamber of Mazarbul]] in [[Khazad-dûm]]|
result= no victory for either side|
side1=The [[Fellowship of the Ring]]|
side2= The hordes of Moria, the [[Balrog of Moria]]|
commanders1=[[Gandalf]]|
commanders2=The [[Balrog of Moria]]|
forces1=9 combatants|
forces2=Unknown total strength, over 14 [[Moria orcs]] and [[Uruks]], but probably not many more, at least one [[Cave-trolls|Cave-troll]], the Balrog of Moria|
casualties1=
[[Frodo Baggins]] skewered with a spear and thought dead, though he suffers a mere bruise, [[Samwise Gamgee]] receives small head injury|
casualties2=
14 orcs killed, Cave-troll injured in foot
}}

A skirmish between the [[Fellowship of the Ring]] and the hordes of Moria in the [[Chamber of Mazarbul]].

==The Books==
===Description===
The Fellowship, having just read fragments of the [[Book of Mazarbul]] inside the Mazarbul chamber, hear the sounds of an approaching band of [[orcs]]. This group includes both [[Moria orcs]] and large, black [[Uruks]] of Mordor. The Fellowship tries to shut the doors to the chamber, but the orcs are already trying to force their way in. A large [[Cave-trolls|Cave-troll]] beats on the door and forces its foot thru. [[Frodo]] stabs the foot with [[Sting]], causing the troll to withdraw. Orcs shoot arrows through the door, but they bounce uselessly off the walls of the chamber. At last, the orcs manage to burst their way through the chamber door. A fierce skirmish ensues.

[[Legolas]] shoots two orcs through the throat. [[Gimli]] hews the legs from under one. [[Aragorn]] and [[Boromir]] slay "many" (no exact number is given). During the fight, [[Sam]] is receives a small head injury but kills an orc himself. When the Fellowship has killed 13 orcs, the rest of the orcs flee shrieking. But just as the Fellowship is about to leave the chamber, a large orc-chieftain jumps in and pins Frodo to the wall with a spear. Thinking him dead, the Fellowship carries Frodo away, after Aragorn kills the orc. It is later revealed that Frodo received a mere bruise, having been protected by his shirt of [[mithril]] mail.

Gandalf remains in the chamber while the rest of the Fellowship flees and faces the [[Balrog of Moria]] for the first time. Gandalf sets a shutting spell on the chamber door but cannot hold it. The spell is broken and Gandalf follows the Fellowship out of the chamber, down the [[Stairs of Khazad-dûm]].

===References===
[[The Lord of the Rings]]: [[The Fellowship of the Ring]] Book II: Chapter 5: [[The Bridge of Khazad-dûm]].

==The Films==

===Appearances===
* [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]], [[Scene 35: Balin's Tomb]] and [[Scene 36: The Bridge of Khazad-dûm]].

===Portrayal===
* The Battle of the Chamber of Mazarbul is expanded a great deal in the films, to aid the movie's dramatic flow and pacing, and to make the battle something more meaningful for the Fellowship on screen. The entire Fellowship takes part in the skirmish.
The battle begins when a large group of Moria orcs breaks through the chamber door, after Legolas and Aragorn have shot a few orcs outside the room through holes in the closed door. A furious, fairly prolonged battle ensues. The cave-troll enters the scene early on, breaking into the chamber and nearly killing Sam, who ducks under the troll's legs just in time. The fighting continues, with Legolas, Aragorn, Boromir and Gimli killing many orcs. Sam is able to kill (or at least knock out) a few with one of his iron pans and kills at least one with his sword, along with Merry, early on in the battle. Frodo and Pippin seem to be participating in the fight as well. Peter Jackson likely wanted to involve the entire Fellowship in the skirmish to make it something meaningful to each member, as well as to the group as a whole, it being the Fellowship's first real battle together (in the book, the Fellowship never fights together like this). At one point during the fight, Legolas climbs up onto the Cave-troll's shoulders and shoots its head with two arrows, but to no avail. While swinging madly around the chamber, the Cave-troll smashes [[Balin's Tomb]].
* It is source of debate as to whether or not the "black Uruks of Mordor" described by Tolkien are present in the film.
There are a few orcs that physically look slightly different from the rest, though they wear the same armor. Some have argued that perhaps the Mordor Uruks sent to Moria by Sauron had taken up the Moria orcs' way of life, adopting their armor and weaponry and, thus, have a similar appearance (see [[Moria orcs]]).
* In the film, it is the Cave-troll that chases after Frodo and hits him with a spear (despite Aragorn's brave stand against the troll in an attempt to protect the hobbit), rather than an orc-chieftain.
Jackson likely wanted to bring the Cave-troll into the center of the action, adding greater interest to the battle. It is Legolas who at last kills the Cave-troll by shooting it thru the throat.

Following a momentary victory, when most of the orcs have been killed or fled the chamber, the Fellowship hears the sound of more orcs approaching and flees through a break in the eastern wall of the chamber, running back thru the Twenty-first Hall (see [[Chamber of Mazarbul]] for notes on geographical changes). The action is extended further in the film, as the Fellowship are soon surrounded by hundreds of Moria orcs, before the Balrog enters the hall.
* Gandalf never has his encounter with the Balrog in the Mazarbul chamber in the movie.
Jackson likely wanted to reserve the revelation of the Balrog for a more dramatic moment on film.

In the [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring Special Extended Edition|extended cut]] of the film, an important character moment is added to the fight, in which Aragorn saves Boromir from an attacking Moria orc. This further develops the relationship between the two men.
Another moment is also only found in the longer cut, in which the troll continues to chase Sam after nearly hitting him with its giant club, and almost steps on the hobbit before Aragorn pulls the troll away with its chain.

===Behind the Scenes===
Coming soon....

===References===
Coming soon....

==Related Links==
Site of Battle: [[Khazad-dûm]] | [[North End]] | [[Seventh Level]] | [[Twenty-first Hall]] | [[Chamber of Mazarbul]]

*[[Balin's Tomb]]

[[Category:Battles]]

Balin

2006-04-20T02:46:35Z

Old Took:

{{Pronounce|Balin.mp3|Ardamir}}
'''Balin''' was a [[Dwarves|Dwarf]] leader, the son of [[Fundin]] and elder brother of [[Dwalin]]. Balin was among the [[Dwarves]] that travelled with [[Bilbo Baggins]] and [[Gandalf]] in ''[[The Hobbit]]''.

Among the Dwarves in ''The Hobbit'', Balin was the second-eldest Dwarf on the quest (behind [[Thorin Oakenshield|Thorin]]), and so he spoke for the party when they were captured by the [[Thranduil|Elvenking]].

He is described as "always their look-out man": He spots [[Bilbo]] approaching the [[Green Dragon]] Inn at [[Bywater|Bywater]], he spots the trolls' fire, and he's the first to spot the [[Elves]] in [[Mirkwood]].

[[Image:Visitbilbo.jpg|250px|thumb|left|Balin and Gandalf visiting Bilbo, by [[Alan Lee]].]]

Conversely he did not notice [[Bilbo]] (hidden by wearing [[One Ring|the magic ring]]) as look-out for the company after escaping the [[Goblins]] in the [[Misty Mountains]]. After this bit of trickery Balin gained respect for [[Bilbo]]'s abilities. He's the only Dwarf that volunteers to accompany [[Bilbo]] down the secret passage to [[Smaug]]. Of all the Dwarves in the quest, he's the only one known to have visited Bilbo afterwards at [[Bag End]].

In 2989 [[Third Age|T.A.]] Balin left [[Erebor]] and entered [[Moria]] with [[Flói]], [[Óin]], [[Ori]], [[Frár]], [[Lóni]] and [[Náli]]. He was slain by an [[Orcs|Orc]] archer in [[Dimrill Dale]] in 2994 T.A.

In ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', the [[Fellowship of the Ring]] discovers his [[Balin's Tomb|tomb]] in the [[Chamber of Mazarbul]].

[[Category:Dwarves]]
[[Category:Pronounced articles]]

Chamber of Mazarbul

2006-04-19T02:58:30Z

Old Took: /* Behind the Scenes */

[[Image:fotr1078.jpg|300px|thumb|The Chamber of Mazarbul in [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]].]]

The '''Chamber of Mazarbul''' was the old [[Chamber of Records]] of [[Khazad-dûm]]. Probably built during the earlier years of Khazad-dûm, it was later used as a base by [[Balin]] when he began his ill-fated attempt at recolonization in the late [[Third Age]].

==Etymology==
Mazarbul means "records" in [[Khuzdul]]. This name was used in connection with the Chamber of Records of Khazad-dûm and the [[Book of Mazarbul|Book of Records]] found in that chamber.

==The Books==
[[Image:Sdla01mcmoria.jpg|250px|thumb|left|Illustration of the skirmish between the Fellowship and the hordes of Moria in the Chamber of Mazarbul, by Angus McBridge ([[Iron Crown Enterprises]]).]]

===History===
The chamber itself was probably built at around the same time as the [[Twenty-first Hall]]. This would have been slightly later than the earliest Dwarven delvings, which were to be found in the lower levels near the [[Great Gate of Moria|Great Gate]]. In Third Age 2989, Balin led a group of Dwarves to recolonize [[Moria]]. Balin chose the Twenty-first Hall as his headquarters and set up his seat in the Chamber of Mazarbul. When Balin was killed a few years later, he was laid to rest in a tomb inside the chamber. The [[Fellowship of the Ring|Fellowship]] found the chamber thirty years after Balin came to Moria and it was here that Gandalf found the [[Book of Mazarbul]], a record of Balin's recolonization efforts. It was in the Chamber of Mazarbul that the Fellowship engaged in a brief fight with a band of Moria orcs and a [[Cave-trolls|Cave-troll]] and where [[Gandalf]] made his first stand against the [[Balrogs|Balrog]] (see [[Battle of the Chamber of Mazarbul]]).

===Geography & Appearance===
The chamber was located to the right of a pathway that branched off the north end of the Twenty-first hall. When the Fellowship found the chamber as they passed through Moria, [[Balin's Tomb]] was located inside it, and a bright shaft of sunlight streamed in from outside the mountain to land directly on the tomb. It is not clear whether the shaft was an original feature of the chamber or whether it was added later by Balin's group of dwarves. It seems more likely that it had been an original part of the chamber construction. There were two stone doors leading into the chamber (one entrance from the Twenty-first Hall, one from the [[Stairs of Khazad-dûm|stair tunnels]] that the Fellowship later used to flee the Balrog). Many deep recesses were cut into the chamber rock containing chests that had been recently looted by the [[Orcs]] inhabiting Moria. A deep dust had fallen upon the entire room by the time the Fellowship entered it, and the remains of a long-abandoned battle sight were to be seen strewn across the floor.

===References===
[[The Lord of the Rings]]: [[The Fellowship of the Ring]] Book II: Chapter 4: [[A Journey in the Dark]] and Chapter 5: [[The Bridge of Khazad-dûm]]

==The Films==

[[Image:fotr1086.jpg|300px|thumb|The Chamber of Mazarbul in [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]].]]

===Appearances===

* [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]], [[Scene 35: Balin's Tomb]] and [[Scene 36: The Bridge of Khazad-dûm]]

===Portrayal===
In Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring, the Chamber of Mazarbul is presented much as it is described in the books, with a few notable exceptions.
* First, its geography has been slightly altered. It is placed in the center of the Twenty-first Hall, rather than on the right of a corridor running off the hall to the north.
* Second, there is only one proper doorway leading into the chamber, rather than the two described in the book. This door is also made of wood in the film, rather than stone.
These alterations are likely the result of geographical simplification and enhancement of geographical drama. Placing the chamber in the center of the Twenty-first Hall gives it greater prominance and significance and provides a less cumbersome position than that of the book. The elimination of one of the doorways allows the chamber to take on an even more unique design than that found in the book (while, again, simplifying it for dramatic purposes). Changing the door material to wood makes it easier for the door to be opened and closed.
* A well is also introduced into the layout, directly below the shaft of light. This well was found in the [[Moria Guardroom|guardroom]] of the [[Moria Crossroads]] in the book, but was transplanted here to serve greater dramatic purpose.

The design of the chamber follows the general [[Dwarven design]] ideology employed by the filmmakers for all of the Moria sets.

===The Mazarbul Chamber Wall Runes===

In the film, the walls of the chamber are covered in runes (seemingly [[Angerthas Moria]]). These runes detail the history of Moria from its foundation by [[Durin]] to the [[Battle of Azanulbizar]]. From the rune translations, it is clear that the authors were the [[Dwarves]] led by Balin during the recolonization of Moria.
The larger text is [[Khuzdul]], the smaller text is in the [[Common Speech]] (English). The rune histories were probably written for both [[Dwarvish]] and foreign readers. Notable peculiarities have appeared in translations of this text. It is not clear whether this was deliberate on the part of the filmmakers.
* Khuzdul phrases appear in the midst of the English text and peculiar spellings of certain words and irregular constructions of some phrases exist.
The consistency of the irregularities seem to suggest that these may have been at least partly intentional. Several explanations have been postulated, the most obvious of which is that the Dwarves who carved the runes made mistakes. Other theories have been put forth: perhaps the Dwarves used idiosyncratic rune forms or a slightly altered mode of [[Westron]] in order to better convey the deep meanings behind Moria's history. The latter two seem the most likely, given all the available evidence.
* The phrase "Made in New Zealand" can also be seen in at least one place along the Mazarbul Chamber walls.
The filmmaker's left this as their trademark for those who translated the runes to see. Some fans have rationalized its appearance by citing the meaning of "zeal" as "seal" in Danish, which is closely related to the Danish word for "soul". Thus, the true phrase would be "Made in new-soul land", with "soul-land" referring to Moria, a land of many dwarvish souls that had come and gone, new because it was being recolonized. The theory postulates that the word "zeal" was originally Khuzdul but made its way into modern Danish.

====Translations From Angerthas Moria====

Below are the phrases that have been translated from the Mazarbul walls thus far:

KHUZDUL PHRASES

* "Great Chamber of Records of the Longbeards of Khazad-dûm. Lord Durin built (it)."

(from Khuzdul: "Gabil gund Mazarbul Sigin-turgul Khazaddûmul. Durin Uzbad zahra.")

* "Durin III, lord of Khazad-dûm."
(from Khuzdul: "Durin [certh for 3] Uzbad Khazaddûmu".)

* "Durin slain by Durin's Bane, and Náin Durin's son, Durin's Bane also slew him."
(from Khuzdul: "Durin mabazgûn au Abzag Durinu & [certh for "and"] Náin Durinul Abzag Durinu ya bazghu".)

* "Thrór Heir of Dáin; Orcs slew him; Azog cut off his head."
(from Khuzdul: "Thrór Rayad Dáinu; Rakhâs bazghu; Azog wakrish shathûrhu".)

* "Frerin Thráin's son, slain in the Battle of Azanulbizar, on the shores of Kheled-zâram, and Fundin slain."
(from Khuzdul: "Frerin Thráinul, Mabazgûn zai Azgâr Azanulbizarul, zai shakâl Kheled-zâramu & Fundin mabazgûn".)

* "The great Battle of Gundabad and Gladden; remember the Dead."
[[Image:LOTR-EN11233.jpg|200px|thumb|The Chamber of Mazarbul in [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]].]](from Khuzdul: "Gabil Azgâr Gundabadul & Ningulul; Mernak Mabazgân.")

* "(The) mines of Barazinbar."
(from Khuzdul: "Ganâd Barazinbarul".)

* "(The) battle of Azanulbizar." [[Image:Moria_wall_a.jpg|200px|thumb|A portion of the Mazarbul wall runes.]]
(from Khuzdul: "Azgâr Azanulbizarul".)

* "(The) house of Durin."
(from Khuzdul: "Zahar Durinul".)

ENGLISH PHRASES

* "...of Nogrod and Belegost year sixteen..." [[Image:casaloma.jpg|200px|thumb|A portion of the Mazarbul wall runes from the Casa Loma Exhibition.]]
* "...watch tower established at highest peak..."

* "...of Zirakzigil with star from Thirtieth Hall ..."

* "...Second {{ref|1}} Age five hundred of the..."

* "...fathoms gold smelter built..."

* "...the establishment {{ref|2}} of Moria below..."

* "...in return for silver and cloth and lumber..."

* "...established {{ref|3}} and the Dimrill {{ref|4}} Stair..."

* "...of Kheled-zâram {{ref|5}} and Fundin slain..."

* "...of Durin of Ered Luin {{ref|6}} settle in the..."

* "...one thousand and twenty news of fall..."

* "...forces of Sauron's army gates to Moria..."

* "...service {{ref|7}} of Lorien elves(') trade..."

* "...second {{ref|8}} level shaft sunk to forty..."

* "...year seventy-two {{ref|9}} Great Gate..."

* "...Zirakzigil in year forty of the..."

* "...caves {{ref|10}} above Kheled-zâram {{ref|11}} great rices..."

* "...in seams to east of Durin's door..."

* "...growth of trade to western {{ref|12}} gate year..."

* "...ninety-seven {{ref|13}} Eregion laid waste by billions..."

* "...of Eregion founded by Noldor {{ref|14}} bring..."

* "...shut against hordes and continuous {{ref|15}} attacks..."

* "...year seven {{ref|16}} hundred and fifty..."

* "...made in New Zealand. Dragon..."

* "...on the shores of Azanulbizar..."

* "...in diamonds and gold..."

====Translation Notes====

#{{note|1}} S-E-CH-O-N-D…possible variant rune usage.
#{{note|2}} E-S-T-B-L-I-S-H-M-E-N-T…possible variant emphasis from alternate word construction.
#{{note|3}} E-O-T-A-B-L-I-S-H-Y-D…possible variant emphasis from alternate word construction.
#{{note|4}} D-I-M-R-I-L…possible variant word construction or rune usage.
#{{note|5}} K-I-E-L-E-D-Z-A-R-A-M…possible variant emphasis from alternate word construction.
#{{note|6}} E-N-E-D---L-U-I-N…possible variant word construction or rune usage.
#{{note|7}} S-E-R-V-I-CH-E…possible variant rune usage.
#{{note|8}} D-E-CH-O-N-D…possible variant word construction and/or rune usage; variant emphasis also possible.
#{{note|9}} S-E-V-E-N-T-A---T-W-O…possible variant word construction or rune usage.
#{{note|10}} CH-A-V-E-S…possible variant rune usage.
#{{note|11}} K-H-E-L-E-D---Z-A-R-M…possible variant emphasis from alternate word construction.
#{{note|12}} W-E-S-T-R-N…possible variant word construction or rune usage.
#{{note|13}} N-I-N-T-Y---S-E-V-E-N…possible variant word construction or rune usage.
#{{note|14}} N-O-L-D-O-N…possible variant word construction or rune usage.
#{{note|15}} A-G-A-I-N-T-S-O-R-D-E-S---&---G-O-N-T-I-N-U-O-U-S…possible variant phrase and/or word construction and/or rune usage.
#{{note|16}} S-E-V-N…possible variant word construction or rune usage

====References====
*[http://www.elvish.org/gwaith/movie.htm Fellowship of the Word-smiths: Other Movie Inscriptions] - A web page discussing many inscriptions from the movies, including those found on the Mazarbul walls.
*[http://home.planet.nl/~raas0056/mazarbul/ Mazarbul Wall Inscriptions Analysis] - A web site discussing the transcription of the Mazarbul wall runes from screen to page.
*[http://www.geocities.com/shire_society/mazarbul_analysis.html Mazarbul Wall Rune Analysis (English Only)] A detailed analysis of the English Mazarbul wall rune text.

====The Use of English====

The use of English to represent the Common Speech in primary sources such as the Mazarbul wall runes is in keeping with [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]]'s own vision of completely translating all Westron into modern English, even in authentic documentation, although upon reflection Tolkien said that this translation was "an erroneous extension of the general linguistic treatment" (''[[The_Peoples_of_Middle-earth]]'', pp. 298-9: "Of Dwarves and Men"). The filmmakers obviously followed Tolkien's original intent, representing what would have been Westron on the "original" Mazarbul walls as English.

====Variances====

Justification for the variances that appear in the Mazarbul wall text comes from Tolkien himself. He specifically claims having used a similar methodology when creating samples of the [[Book of Mazarbul]]: "...the text was cast into English spelt as at present, but modified as it might be by writers...who where transliterating the English into a different alphabet"; "...since documents of this kind nearly always show uses of letters or shapes that are peculiar and rarely or never found elsewhere, a few such features are also introduced..." (''same reference as above'', pp. 298-9). Thus, the variances found in the Chamber of Mazarbul wall runes represent, as closely as possible, the idiosyncracies found in the original Westron.

===Behind the Scenes===

[[Image:Mazarbul_concept.jpg|250px|thumb|left|Concept illustration of the Chamber of Mazarbul by [[Alan Lee]].]]

The Chamber of Mazarbul was commonly referred to by the filmmakers as "Balin's Tomb" (as it was, more specifically, the site of said tomb).

The Chamber of Mazarbul was a locale that the filmmakers took special care to match carefully to the book descriptions. As with many other locations, [[Peter Jackson]] and his team tried to bring a sense that this was indeed the place that Tolkien had described.

[[Alan Lee]] was likely the primary conceptualizer of this location. The architecture of the Mazarbul chamber followed the filmmakers' general rules for Dwarven architecture. (for more information, see [[Dwarven design|Dwarven architecture]]).

[[Grant Major]] specifically tried to retain the evocative image of the shaft of light landing directly on Balin's Tomb, though there was a need to shift the geography of the chamber slightly to make this idea work dramatically on screen.

[[Andrew Lesnie]] has commented on the challenges he faced while trying to light the set, while maintaining the sense of a shaft of strong white light. His camera team eventually followed the idea that the shaft's light would bounce off the rest of the chamber, creating a glowing ambience that would work well for that specific sequence of the film.

For the shots looking up into the roof of the chamber, the visual effects team had to digitally extend the chamber architecture, because the physical set only extended to a certain height, above which was the lighting grid.

Grant Major authored the English text that would be carved in runes onto the chamber walls by carefully scoring the books for information about Moria's history. His findings were transcribed into the runes that adorn the walls, along with translations of certain sentences into Khuzdul by [[David Salo]].

The runes on the chamber walls were the catalyst for one of the biggest fiascoes for the art department during production. A visiting Tolkien scholar claimed to have seen inane comments written on the walls. The art department searched the wall runes carefully but could find no offending sentences. The scholar revealed that he had simply been told this by a member of the crew. Grant Major and [[Dan Hennah]] assumed this was said crew member's idea of a joke. But the scholar later said that he had heard this from a member of the Weta Workshop minatures crew and that the offending comments in fact appeared on the miniature of the Second Hall of Khazad-dûm, though they were unable to be read in the final film and could not be translated using the Dwarvish runes anyway. (See [[Second Hall]]). In truth, no such "inane comments" exist on the Mazarbul Chamber wall runes.

====References====

* [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]] [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring Extended Edition DVD|Extended Edition DVD]] Audio Commentaries (Scene 35)
* [[Gary Russell]]'s [[The Art of the Fellowship of the Ring]]: "Moria"
* Alan Lee's [[The Lord of the Rings Sketchbook]]: "Moria"
* [http://www.geocities.com/shire_society/mazarbul_incident.html Mazarbul Wall Rune Incident] A detailed analysis of the incident with comments from those involved.

==Related Links==

Location: [[Khazad-dûm]] | [[North End]] | [[Seventh Level]] | [[Twenty-first Hall]]

*[[Balin's Tomb]]

*[[Balin]]

*[[Battle of the Chamber of Mazarbul]]

*[[Book of Mazarbul]]

Battle of the Chamber of Mazarbul

2006-04-19T02:49:39Z

Old Took: /* Portrayal */

{{battle|
image=[[Image:Fotr1117.jpg|300px]] The Battle of the Chamber of Mazarbul as depicted in [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]]|
name=Battle of the Chamber of Mazarbul|
conflict=Battle of the Chamber of Mazarbul|
date=January 15, 3019 T.A.|
place=The [[Chamber of Mazarbul]] in [[Khazad-dûm]]|
result= no victory for either side|
side1=The [[Fellowship of the Ring]]|
side2= The hordes of Moria, the [[Balrog of Moria]]|
commanders1=[[Gandalf]]|
commanders2=The [[Balrog of Moria]]|
forces1=9 combatants|
forces2=Unknown total strength, over 14 [[Moria orcs]] and [[Uruks]], but probably not many more, at least one [[Cave-trolls|Cave-troll]], the Balrog of Moria|
casualties1=
[[Frodo Baggins]] skewered with a spear and thought dead, though he suffers a mere bruise, [[Samwise Gamgee]] receives small head injury|
casualties2=
14 orcs killed, Cave-troll injured in foot
}}

A skirmish between the [[Fellowship of the Ring]] and the hordes of Moria in the [[Chamber of Mazarbul]].

==The Books==
===Description===
The Fellowship, having just read fragments of the [[Book of Mazarbul]] inside the Mazarbul chamber, hear the sounds of an approaching band of [[orcs]]. This group includes both [[Moria orcs]] and large, black [[Uruks]] of Mordor. The Fellowship tries to shut the doors to the chamber, but the orcs are already trying to force their way in. A large [[Cave-trolls|Cave-troll]] beats on the door and forces its foot thru. [[Frodo]] stabs the foot with [[Sting]], causing the troll to withdraw. Orcs shoot arrows through the door, but they bounce uselessly off the walls of the chamber. At last, the orcs manage to burst their way through the chamber door. A fierce skirmish ensues.

[[Legolas]] shoots two orcs through the throat. [[Gimli]] hews the legs from under one. [[Aragorn]] and [[Boromir]] slay "many" (no exact number is given). During the fight, [[Sam]] is receives a small head injury but kills an orc himself. When the Fellowship has killed 13 orcs, the rest of the orcs flee shrieking. But just as the Fellowship is about to leave the chamber, a large orc-chieftain jumps in and pins Frodo to the wall with a spear. Thinking him dead, the Fellowship carries Frodo away, after Aragorn kills the orc. It is later revealed that Frodo receives a mere bruise, having been protected by his shirt of [[mithril]] mail.

Gandalf remains in the chamber while the rest of the Fellowship flee and faces the [[Balrog of Moria]] for the first time. Gandalf sets a shutting spell on the chamber door but cannot hold it. The spell is broken and Gandalf follows the Fellowship out of the chamber, down the [[Stairs of Khazad-dûm]].

===References===
[[The Lord of the Rings]]: [[The Fellowship of the Ring]] Book II: Chapter 5: [[The Bridge of Khazad-dûm]].

==The Films==

===Appearances===
* [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]], [[Scene 35: Balin's Tomb]] and [[Scene 36: The Bridge of Khazad-dûm]].

===Portrayal===
* The Battle of the Chamber of Mazarbul is expanded a great deal in the films, to aid the movie's dramatic flow and pacing, and to make the battle something more meaningful for the Fellowship on screen. The entire Fellowship takes part in the skirmish.
The battle begins when a large group of Moria orcs breaks through the chamber door, after Legolas and Aragorn have shot a few orcs outside the room through holes in the closed door. A furious, fairly prolonged battle ensues. The cave-troll enters the scene early on, breaking into the chamber and nearly killing Sam, who ducks under the troll's legs just in time. The fighting continues, with Legolas, Aragorn, Boromir and Gimli killing many orcs. Sam is able to kill (or at least knock out) a few with one of his iron pans and kills at least one with his sword, along with Merry, early on in the battle. Frodo and Pippin seem to be participating in the fight as well. Peter Jackson likely wanted to involve the entire Fellowship in the skirmish to make it something meaningful to each member, as well as to the group as a whole, it being the Fellowship's first real battle together (in the book, the Fellowship never fights together like this). At one point during the fight, Legolas climbs up onto the Cave-troll's shoulders and shoots its head with two arrows, but to no avail. While swinging madly around the chamber, the Cave-troll smashes [[Balin's Tomb]].
* It is source of debate as to whether or not the "black Uruks of Mordor" described by Tolkien are present in the film.
There are a few orcs that physically look slightly different from the rest, though they wear the same armor. Some have argued that perhaps the Mordor Uruks sent to Moria by Sauron had taken up the Moria orcs' way of life, adopting their armor and weaponry and, thus, have a similar appearance (see [[Moria orcs]]).
* In the film, it is the Cave-troll that chases after Frodo and hits him with a spear (despite Aragorn's brave stand against the troll in an attempt to protect the hobbit), rather than an orc-chieftain.
Jackson likely wanted to bring the Cave-troll into the center of the action, adding greater interest to the battle. It is Legolas who at last kills the Cave-troll by shooting it thru the throat.

Following a momentary victory, when most of the orcs have been killed or fled the chamber, the Fellowship hears the sound of more orcs approaching and flees through a break in the eastern wall of the chamber, running back thru the Twenty-first Hall (see [[Chamber of Mazarbul]] for notes on geographical changes). The action is extended further in the film, as the Fellowship are soon surrounded by hundreds of Moria orcs, before the Balrog enters the hall.
* Gandalf never has his encounter with the Balrog in the Mazarbul chamber in the movie.
Jackson likely wanted to reserve the revelation of the Balrog for a more dramatic moment on film.

In the [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring Special Extended Edition|extended cut]] of the film, an important character moment is added to the fight, in which Aragorn saves Boromir from an attacking Moria orc. This further develops the relationship between the two men.

===Behind the Scenes===
Coming soon....

===References===
Coming soon....

==Related Links==
Site of Battle: [[Khazad-dûm]] | [[North End]] | [[Seventh Level]] | [[Twenty-first Hall]] | [[Chamber of Mazarbul]]

*[[Balin's Tomb]]

Battle of the Chamber of Mazarbul

2006-04-17T19:47:24Z

Old Took: /* The Books */

{{battle|
image=[[Image:Fotr1117.jpg|300px]] The Battle of the Chamber of Mazarbul as depicted in [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]]|
name=Battle of the Chamber of Mazarbul|
conflict=Battle of the Chamber of Mazarbul|
date=January 15, 3019 T.A.|
place=The [[Chamber of Mazarbul]] in [[Khazad-dûm]]|
result= no victory for either side|
side1=The [[Fellowship of the Ring]]|
side2= The hordes of Moria, the [[Balrog of Moria]]|
commanders1=[[Gandalf]]|
commanders2=The [[Balrog of Moria]]|
forces1=9 combatants|
forces2=Unknown total strength, over 14 [[Moria orcs]] and [[Uruks]], but probably not many more, at least one [[Cave-trolls|Cave-troll]], the Balrog of Moria|
casualties1=
[[Frodo Baggins]] skewered with a spear and thought dead, though he suffers a mere bruise, [[Samwise Gamgee]] receives small head injury|
casualties2=
14 orcs killed, Cave-troll injured in foot
}}

A skirmish between the [[Fellowship of the Ring]] and the hordes of Moria in the [[Chamber of Mazarbul]].

==The Books==
===Description===
The Fellowship, having just read fragments of the [[Book of Mazarbul]] inside the Mazarbul chamber, hear the sounds of an approaching band of [[orcs]]. This group includes both [[Moria orcs]] and large, black [[Uruks]] of Mordor. The Fellowship tries to shut the doors to the chamber, but the orcs are already trying to force their way in. A large [[Cave-trolls|Cave-troll]] beats on the door and forces its foot thru. [[Frodo]] stabs the foot with [[Sting]], causing the troll to withdraw. Orcs shoot arrows through the door, but they bounce uselessly off the walls of the chamber. At last, the orcs manage to burst their way through the chamber door. A fierce skirmish ensues.

[[Legolas]] shoots two orcs through the throat. [[Gimli]] hews the legs from under one. [[Aragorn]] and [[Boromir]] slay "many" (no exact number is given). During the fight, [[Sam]] is receives a small head injury but kills an orc himself. When the Fellowship has killed 13 orcs, the rest of the orcs flee shrieking. But just as the Fellowship is about to leave the chamber, a large orc-chieftain jumps in and pins Frodo to the wall with a spear. Thinking him dead, the Fellowship carries Frodo away, after Aragorn kills the orc. It is later revealed that Frodo receives a mere bruise, having been protected by his shirt of [[mithril]] mail.

Gandalf remains in the chamber while the rest of the Fellowship flee and faces the [[Balrog of Moria]] for the first time. Gandalf sets a shutting spell on the chamber door but cannot hold it. The spell is broken and Gandalf follows the Fellowship out of the chamber, down the [[Stairs of Khazad-dûm]].

===References===
[[The Lord of the Rings]]: [[The Fellowship of the Ring]] Book II: Chapter 5: [[The Bridge of Khazad-dûm]].

==The Films==

===Appearances===
* [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]], [[Scene 35: Balin's Tomb]] and [[Scene 36: The Bridge of Khazad-dûm]].

===Portrayal===
* The Battle of the Chamber of Mazarbul is expanded a great deal in the films, to aid the movie's dramatic flow and pacing, and to make the battle something more meaningful for the Fellowship on screen. The entire Fellowship takes part in the skirmish.
The battle begins when a large group of Moria orcs break through the chamber door. A furious, fairly prolonged battle ensues. The cave-troll enters the scene early on, breaking into the chamber and nearly killing Sam. The fighting continues, with Legolas, Aragorn, Boromir and Gimli killing many orcs. Sam is able to kill (or at least knock out) a few with one of his iron pans and kills at least one with his sword. Frodo, Merry and Pippin seem to be participating in the fight as well. Peter Jackson likely wanted to involve the entire Fellowship in the battle, making it something meaninful to each member, as well as to the group as a whole.
* In the film, it is the Cave-troll that chases after Frodo and hits him with a spear, rather than an orc-chieftain.
Jackson likely wanted to bring the Cave-troll to the center of the action, adding greater interest to the battle.

Following a momentary victory, when most of the orcs have been killed or fled the chamber, the Fellowship hear the sound of more orcs approaching and flee through a break in the eastern wall of the chamber back to Twenty-first Hall (see [[Chamber of Mazarbul]] for notes on geographical changes). The action is extended in the film, as the Fellowship are soon surrounded by hundreds of Moria orcs, before the Balrog enters the hall.
* Gandalf never has his encounter with the Balrog in the Mazarbul chamber in the movie. Jackson likely wanted to reserve the revelation of the Balrog for a more dramatic moment.

===Behind the Scenes===
Coming soon....

===References===
Coming soon....

==Related Links==
Site of Battle: [[Khazad-dûm]] | [[Seventh Level]] | [[North End]] | [[Twenty-first Hall]] | [[Chamber of Mazarbul]]

*[[Balin's Tomb]]

Battle of the Chamber of Mazarbul

2006-04-17T19:45:53Z

Old Took:

{{battle|
image=[[Image:Fotr1117.jpg|300px]] The Battle of the Chamber of Mazarbul as depicted in [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]]|
name=Battle of the Chamber of Mazarbul|
conflict=Battle of the Chamber of Mazarbul|
date=January 15, 3019 T.A.|
place=The [[Chamber of Mazarbul]] in [[Khazad-dûm]]|
result= no victory for either side|
side1=The [[Fellowship of the Ring]]|
side2= The hordes of Moria, the [[Balrog of Moria]]|
commanders1=[[Gandalf]]|
commanders2=The [[Balrog of Moria]]|
forces1=9 combatants|
forces2=Unknown total strength, over 14 [[Moria orcs]] and [[Uruks]], but probably not many more, at least one [[Cave-trolls|Cave-troll]], the Balrog of Moria|
casualties1=
[[Frodo Baggins]] skewered with a spear and thought dead, though he suffers a mere bruise, [[Samwise Gamgee]] receives small head injury|
casualties2=
14 orcs killed, Cave-troll injured in foot
}}

A skirmish between the [[Fellowship of the Ring]] and the hordes of Moria in the [[Chamber of Mazarbul]].

==The Books==
The Fellowship, having just read fragments of the [[Book of Mazarbul]] inside the Mazarbul chamber, hear the sounds of an approaching band of [[orcs]]. This group includes both [[Moria orcs]] and large, black [[Uruks]] of Mordor. The Fellowship tries to shut the doors to the chamber, but the orcs are already trying to force their way in. A large [[Cave-trolls|Cave-troll]] beats on the door and forces its foot thru. [[Frodo]] stabs the foot with [[Sting]], causing the troll to withdraw. Orcs shoot arrows through the door, but they bounce uselessly off the walls of the chamber. At last, the orcs manage to burst their way through the chamber door. A fierce skirmish ensues.

[[Legolas]] shoots two orcs through the throat. [[Gimli]] hews the legs from under one. [[Aragorn]] and [[Boromir]] slay "many" (no exact number is given). During the fight, [[Sam]] is receives a small head injury but kills an orc himself. When the Fellowship has killed 13 orcs, the rest of the orcs flee shrieking. But just as the Fellowship is about to leave the chamber, a large orc-chieftain jumps in and pins Frodo to the wall with a spear. Thinking him dead, the Fellowship carries Frodo away, after Aragorn kills the orc. It is later revealed that Frodo receives a mere bruise, having been protected by his shirt of [[mithril]] mail.

Gandalf remains in the chamber while the rest of the Fellowship flee and faces the [[Balrog of Moria]] for the first time. Gandalf sets a shutting spell on the chamber door but cannot hold it. The spell is broken and Gandalf follows the Fellowship out of the chamber, down the [[Stairs of Khazad-dûm]].

===References===
[[The Lord of the Rings]]: [[The Fellowship of the Ring]] Book II: Chapter 5: [[The Bridge of Khazad-dûm]].

==The Films==

===Appearances===
* [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]], [[Scene 35: Balin's Tomb]] and [[Scene 36: The Bridge of Khazad-dûm]].

===Portrayal===
* The Battle of the Chamber of Mazarbul is expanded a great deal in the films, to aid the movie's dramatic flow and pacing, and to make the battle something more meaningful for the Fellowship on screen. The entire Fellowship takes part in the skirmish.
The battle begins when a large group of Moria orcs break through the chamber door. A furious, fairly prolonged battle ensues. The cave-troll enters the scene early on, breaking into the chamber and nearly killing Sam. The fighting continues, with Legolas, Aragorn, Boromir and Gimli killing many orcs. Sam is able to kill (or at least knock out) a few with one of his iron pans and kills at least one with his sword. Frodo, Merry and Pippin seem to be participating in the fight as well. Peter Jackson likely wanted to involve the entire Fellowship in the battle, making it something meaninful to each member, as well as to the group as a whole.
* In the film, it is the Cave-troll that chases after Frodo and hits him with a spear, rather than an orc-chieftain.
Jackson likely wanted to bring the Cave-troll to the center of the action, adding greater interest to the battle.

Following a momentary victory, when most of the orcs have been killed or fled the chamber, the Fellowship hear the sound of more orcs approaching and flee through a break in the eastern wall of the chamber back to Twenty-first Hall (see [[Chamber of Mazarbul]] for notes on geographical changes). The action is extended in the film, as the Fellowship are soon surrounded by hundreds of Moria orcs, before the Balrog enters the hall.
* Gandalf never has his encounter with the Balrog in the Mazarbul chamber in the movie. Jackson likely wanted to reserve the revelation of the Balrog for a more dramatic moment.

===Behind the Scenes===
Coming soon....

===References===
Coming soon....

==Related Links==
Site of Battle: [[Khazad-dûm]] | [[Seventh Level]] | [[North End]] | [[Twenty-first Hall]] | [[Chamber of Mazarbul]]

*[[Balin's Tomb]]

Chamber of Mazarbul

2006-04-17T19:32:12Z

Old Took:

[[Image:fotr1078.jpg|300px|thumb|The Chamber of Mazarbul in [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]].]]

The '''Chamber of Mazarbul''' was the old [[Chamber of Records]] of [[Khazad-dûm]]. Probably built during the earlier years of Khazad-dûm, it was later used as a base by [[Balin]] when he began his ill-fated attempt at recolonization in the late [[Third Age]].

==Etymology==
Mazarbul means "records" in [[Khuzdul]]. This name was used in connection with the Chamber of Records of Khazad-dûm and the [[Book of Mazarbul|Book of Records]] found in that chamber.

==The Books==
[[Image:Sdla01mcmoria.jpg|250px|thumb|left|Illustration of the skirmish between the Fellowship and the hordes of Moria in the Chamber of Mazarbul, by Angus McBridge ([[Iron Crown Enterprises]]).]]

===History===
The chamber itself was probably built at around the same time as the [[Twenty-first Hall]]. This would have been slightly later than the earliest Dwarven delvings, which were to be found in the lower levels near the [[Great Gate of Moria|Great Gate]]. In Third Age 2989, Balin led a group of Dwarves to recolonize [[Moria]]. Balin chose the Twenty-first Hall as his headquarters and set up his seat in the Chamber of Mazarbul. When Balin was killed a few years later, he was laid to rest in a tomb inside the chamber. The [[Fellowship of the Ring|Fellowship]] found the chamber thirty years after Balin came to Moria and it was here that Gandalf found the [[Book of Mazarbul]], a record of Balin's recolonization efforts. It was in the Chamber of Mazarbul that the Fellowship engaged in a brief fight with a band of Moria orcs and a [[Cave-trolls|Cave-troll]] and where [[Gandalf]] made his first stand against the [[Balrogs|Balrog]] (see [[Battle of the Chamber of Mazarbul]]).

===Geography & Appearance===
The chamber was located to the right of a pathway that branched off the north end of the Twenty-first hall. When the Fellowship found the chamber as they passed through Moria, [[Balin's Tomb]] was located inside it, and a bright shaft of sunlight streamed in from outside the mountain to land directly on the tomb. It is not clear whether the shaft was an original feature of the chamber or whether it was added later by Balin's group of dwarves. It seems more likely that it had been an original part of the chamber construction. There were two stone doors leading into the chamber (one entrance from the Twenty-first Hall, one from the [[Stairs of Khazad-dûm|stair tunnels]] that the Fellowship later used to flee the Balrog). Many deep recesses were cut into the chamber rock containing chests that had been recently looted by the [[Orcs]] inhabiting Moria. A deep dust had fallen upon the entire room by the time the Fellowship entered it, and the remains of a long-abandoned battle sight were to be seen strewn across the floor.

===References===
[[The Lord of the Rings]]: [[The Fellowship of the Ring]] Book II: Chapter 4: [[A Journey in the Dark]] and Chapter 5: [[The Bridge of Khazad-dûm]].

==The Films==

[[Image:fotr1086.jpg|300px|thumb|The Chamber of Mazarbul in [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]].]]

===Appearances===

* [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]], [[Scene 35: Balin's Tomb]] and [[Scene 36: The Bridge of Khazad-dûm]].

===Portrayal===
In Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring, the Chamber of Mazarbul is presented much as it is described in the books, with a few notable exceptions.
* First, its geography has been slightly altered. It is placed in the center of the Twenty-first Hall, rather than on the right of a corridor running off the hall to the north.
* Second, there is only one proper doorway leading into the chamber, rather than the two described in the book. This door is also made of wood in the film, rather than stone.
These alterations are likely the result of geographical simplification and enhancement of geographical drama. Placing the chamber in the center of the Twenty-first Hall gives it greater prominance and significance and provides a less cumbersome position than that of the book. The elimination of one of the doorways allows the chamber to take on an even more unique design than that found in the book (while, again, simplifying it for dramatic purposes). Changing the door material to wood makes it easier for the door to be opened and closed.
* A well is also introduced into the layout, directly below the shaft of light. This well was found in the [[Moria Guardroom|guardroom]] of the [[Moria Crossroads]] in the book, but was transplanted here to serve greater dramatic purpose.

The design of the chamber follows the general [[Dwarven design]] ideology employed by the filmmakers for all of the Moria sets.

===The Mazarbul Chamber Wall Runes===

In the film, the walls of the chamber are covered in runes (seemingly [[Angerthas Moria]]). These runes detail the history of Moria from its foundation by [[Durin]] to the [[Battle of Azanulbizar]]. From the rune translations, it is clear that the authors were the [[Dwarves]] led by Balin during the recolonization of Moria.
The larger text is [[Khuzdul]], the smaller text is in the [[Common Speech]] (English). The rune histories were probably written for both [[Dwarvish]] and foreign readers. Notable peculiarities have appeared in translations of this text. It is not clear whether this was deliberate on the part of the filmmakers.
* Khuzdul phrases appear in the midst of the English text and peculiar spellings of certain words and irregular constructions of some phrases exist.
The consistency of the irregularities seem to suggest that these may have been at least partly intentional. Several explanations have been postulated, the most obvious of which is that the Dwarves who carved the runes made mistakes. Other theories have been put forth: perhaps the Dwarves used idiosyncratic rune forms or a slightly altered mode of [[Westron]] in order to better convey the deep meanings behind Moria's history. The latter two seem the most likely, given all the available evidence.
* The phrase "Made in New Zealand" can also be seen in at least one place along the Mazarbul Chamber walls.
The filmmaker's left this as their trademark for those who translated the runes to see. Some fans have rationalized its appearance by citing the meaning of "zeal" as "seal" in Danish, which is closely related to the Danish word for "soul". Thus, the true phrase would be "Made in new-soul land", with "soul-land" referring to Moria, a land of many dwarvish souls that had come and gone, new because it was being recolonized. The theory postulates that the word "zeal" was originally Khuzdul but made its way into modern Danish.

====Translations From Angerthas Moria====

Below are the phrases that have been translated from the Mazarbul walls thus far:

KHUZDUL PHRASES

* "Great Chamber of Records of the Longbeards of Khazad-dûm. Lord Durin built (it)."

(from Khuzdul: "Gabil gund Mazarbul Sigin-turgul Khazaddûmul. Durin Uzbad zahra.")

* "Durin III, lord of Khazad-dûm."
(from Khuzdul: "Durin [certh for 3] Uzbad Khazaddûmu".)

* "Durin slain by Durin's Bane, and Náin Durin's son, Durin's Bane also slew him."
(from Khuzdul: "Durin mabazgûn au Abzag Durinu & [certh for "and"] Náin Durinul Abzag Durinu ya bazghu".)

* "Thrór Heir of Dáin; Orcs slew him; Azog cut off his head."
(from Khuzdul: "Thrór Rayad Dáinu; Rakhâs bazghu; Azog wakrish shathûrhu".)

* "Frerin Thráin's son, slain in the Battle of Azanulbizar, on the shores of Kheled-zâram, and Fundin slain."
(from Khuzdul: "Frerin Thráinul, Mabazgûn zai Azgâr Azanulbizarul, zai shakâl Kheled-zâramu & Fundin mabazgûn".)

* "The great Battle of Gundabad and Gladden; remember the Dead."
[[Image:LOTR-EN11233.jpg|200px|thumb|The Chamber of Mazarbul in [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]].]](from Khuzdul: "Gabil Azgâr Gundabadul & Ningulul; Mernak Mabazgân.")

* "(The) mines of Barazinbar."
(from Khuzdul: "Ganâd Barazinbarul".)

* "(The) battle of Azanulbizar." [[Image:Moria_wall_a.jpg|200px|thumb|A portion of the Mazarbul wall runes.]]
(from Khuzdul: "Azgâr Azanulbizarul".)

* "(The) house of Durin."
(from Khuzdul: "Zahar Durinul".)

ENGLISH PHRASES

* "...of Nogrod and Belegost year sixteen..." [[Image:casaloma.jpg|200px|thumb|A portion of the Mazarbul wall runes from the Casa Loma Exhibition.]]
* "...watch tower established at highest peak..."

* "...of Zirakzigil with star from Thirtieth Hall ..."

* "...Second {{ref|1}} Age five hundred of the..."

* "...fathoms gold smelter built..."

* "...the establishment {{ref|2}} of Moria below..."

* "...in return for silver and cloth and lumber..."

* "...established {{ref|3}} and the Dimrill {{ref|4}} Stair..."

* "...of Kheled-zâram {{ref|5}} and Fundin slain..."

* "...of Durin of Ered Luin {{ref|6}} settle in the..."

* "...one thousand and twenty news of fall..."

* "...forces of Sauron's army gates to Moria..."

* "...service {{ref|7}} of Lorien elves(') trade..."

* "...second {{ref|8}} level shaft sunk to forty..."

* "...year seventy-two {{ref|9}} Great Gate..."

* "...Zirakzigil in year forty of the..."

* "...caves {{ref|10}} above Kheled-zâram {{ref|11}} great rices..."

* "...in seams to east of Durin's door..."

* "...growth of trade to western {{ref|12}} gate year..."

* "...ninety-seven {{ref|13}} Eregion laid waste by billions..."

* "...of Eregion founded by Noldor {{ref|14}} bring..."

* "...shut against hordes and continuous {{ref|15}} attacks..."

* "...year seven {{ref|16}} hundred and fifty..."

* "...made in New Zealand. Dragon..."

* "...on the shores of Azanulbizar..."

* "...in diamonds and gold..."

====Translation Notes====

#{{note|1}} S-E-CH-O-N-D…possible variant rune usage.
#{{note|2}} E-S-T-B-L-I-S-H-M-E-N-T…possible variant emphasis from alternate word construction.
#{{note|3}} E-O-T-A-B-L-I-S-H-Y-D…possible variant emphasis from alternate word construction.
#{{note|4}} D-I-M-R-I-L…possible variant word construction or rune usage.
#{{note|5}} K-I-E-L-E-D-Z-A-R-A-M…possible variant emphasis from alternate word construction.
#{{note|6}} E-N-E-D---L-U-I-N…possible variant word construction or rune usage.
#{{note|7}} S-E-R-V-I-CH-E…possible variant rune usage.
#{{note|8}} D-E-CH-O-N-D…possible variant word construction and/or rune usage; variant emphasis also possible.
#{{note|9}} S-E-V-E-N-T-A---T-W-O…possible variant word construction or rune usage.
#{{note|10}} CH-A-V-E-S…possible variant rune usage.
#{{note|11}} K-H-E-L-E-D---Z-A-R-M…possible variant emphasis from alternate word construction.
#{{note|12}} W-E-S-T-R-N…possible variant word construction or rune usage.
#{{note|13}} N-I-N-T-Y---S-E-V-E-N…possible variant word construction or rune usage.
#{{note|14}} N-O-L-D-O-N…possible variant word construction or rune usage.
#{{note|15}} A-G-A-I-N-T-S-O-R-D-E-S---&---G-O-N-T-I-N-U-O-U-S…possible variant phrase and/or word construction and/or rune usage.
#{{note|16}} S-E-V-N…possible variant word construction or rune usage

====References====
*[http://www.elvish.org/gwaith/movie.htm Fellowship of the Word-smiths: Other Movie Inscriptions] - A web page discussing many inscriptions from the movies, including those found on the Mazarbul walls.
*[http://home.planet.nl/~raas0056/mazarbul/ Mazarbul Wall Inscriptions Analysis] - A web site discussing the transcription of the Mazarbul wall runes from screen to page.
*[http://www.geocities.com/shire_society/mazarbul_analysis.html Mazarbul Wall Rune Analysis (English Only)] A detailed analysis of the English Mazarbul wall rune text.

====The Use of English====

The use of English to represent the Common Speech in primary sources such as the Mazarbul wall runes is in keeping with [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]]'s own vision of completely translating all Westron into modern English, even in authentic documentation, although upon reflection Tolkien said that this translation was "an erroneous extension of the general linguistic treatment" (''[[The_Peoples_of_Middle-earth]]'', pp. 298-9: "Of Dwarves and Men"). The filmmakers obviously followed Tolkien's original intent, representing what would have been Westron on the "original" Mazarbul walls as English.

====Variances====

Justification for the variances that appear in the Mazarbul wall text comes from Tolkien himself. He specifically claims having used a similar methodology when creating samples of the [[Book of Mazarbul]]: "...the text was cast into English spelt as at present, but modified as it might be by writers...who where transliterating the English into a different alphabet"; "...since documents of this kind nearly always show uses of letters or shapes that are peculiar and rarely or never found elsewhere, a few such features are also introduced..." (''same reference as above'', pp. 298-9). Thus, the variances found in the Chamber of Mazarbul wall runes represent, as closely as possible, the idiosyncracies found in the original Westron.

===Behind the Scenes===

[[Image:Mazarbul_concept.jpg|250px|thumb|left|Concept illustration of the Chamber of Mazarbul by [[Alan Lee]].]]

The Chamber of Mazarbul was commonly referred to by the filmmakers as "Balin's Tomb" (as it was, more specifically, the site of said tomb).

The Chamber of Mazarbul was a locale that the filmmakers took special care to match carefully to the book descriptions. As with many other locations, [[Peter Jackson]] and his team tried to bring a sense that this was indeed the place that Tolkien had described.

[[Alan Lee]] was likely the primary conceptualizer of this location. The architecture of the Mazarbul chamber followed the filmmakers' general rules for Dwarven architecture. (for more information, see [[Dwarven design|Dwarven architecture]]).

[[Grant Major]] specifically tried to retain the evocative image of the shaft of light landing directly on Balin's Tomb, though there was a need to shift the geography of the chamber slightly to make this idea work dramatically on screen.

[[Andrew Lesnie]] has commented on the challenges he faced while trying to light the set, while maintaining the sense of a shaft of strong white light. His camera team eventually followed the idea that the shaft's light would bounce off the rest of the chamber, creating a glowing ambience that would work well for that specific sequence of the film.

Grant Major authored the English text that would be carved in runes onto the chamber walls by carefully scoring the books for information about Moria's history. His findings were transcribed into the runes that adorn the walls, along with translations of certain sentences into Khuzdul by [[David Salo]].

The runes on the chamber walls were the catalyst for one of the biggest fiascoes for the art department during production. A visiting Tolkien scholar claimed to have seen inane comments written on the walls. The art department searched the wall runes carefully but could find no offending sentences. The scholar revealed that he had simply been told this by a member of the crew. Grant Major and [[Dan Hennah]] assumed this was said crew member's idea of a joke. But the scholar later said that he had heard this from a member of the Weta Workshop minatures crew and that the offending comments in fact appeared on the miniature of the Second Hall of Khazad-dûm, though they were unable to be read in the final film and could not be translated using the Dwarvish runes anyway. (See [[Second Hall]]). In truth, no such "inane comments" exist on the Mazarbul Chamber wall runes.

====References====

* [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]] Extended Edition DVD Audio Commentaries (Scene 35)
* [[Gary Russell]]'s [[The Art of the Fellowship of the Ring]]: "Moria"
* Alan Lee's [[The Lord of the Rings Sketchbook]]: "Moria"
* [http://www.geocities.com/shire_society/mazarbul_incident.html Mazarbul Wall Rune Incident] A detailed analysis of the incident with comments from those involved.

==Related Links==

Location: [[Khazad-dûm]] | [[Seventh Level]] | [[North End]] | [[Twenty-first Hall]]

*[[Balin's Tomb]]

*[[Balin]]

*[[Battle of the Chamber of Mazarbul]]

*[[Book of Mazarbul]]

2006-04-17T19:15:12Z

Old Took:

[[Image:fotr1078.jpg|300px|thumb|The Chamber of Mazarbul in [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]].]]

The '''Chamber of Mazarbul''' was the old [[Chamber of Records]] of [[Khazad-dûm]]. Probably built during the earlier years of Khazad-dûm, it was later used as a base by [[Balin]] when he began his ill-fated attempt at recolonization in the late [[Third Age]].

==Etymology==
Mazarbul means "records" in [[Khuzdul]]. This name was used in connection with the Chamber of Records of Khazad-dûm and the [[Book of Mazarbul|Book of Records]] found in that chamber.

==The Books==
[[Image:Sdla01mcmoria.jpg|250px|thumb|left|Illustration of the skirmish between the Fellowship and the hordes of Moria in the Chamber of Mazarbul, by Angus McBridge ([[Iron Crown Enterprises]]).]]

===History===
The chamber itself was probably built at around the same time as the [[Twenty-first Hall]]. This would have been slightly later than the earliest Dwarven delvings, which were to be found in the lower levels near the Great Gates. In Third Age 2989, Balin led a group of Dwarves to recolonize [[Moria]]. Balin chose the Twenty-first Hall as his headquarters and set up his seat in the Chamber of Mazarbul. When Balin was killed a few years later, he was laid to rest in a tomb inside the chamber. The [[Fellowship of the Ring|Fellowship]] found the chamber thirty years after Balin came to Moria and it was here that Gandalf found the [[Book of Mazarbul]], a record of Balin's recolonization efforts. It was in the Chamber of Mazarbul that the Fellowship engaged in a brief fight with a band of Moria orcs and a [[Cave-trolls|Cave-troll]] and where [[Gandalf]] made his first stand against the [[Balrogs|Balrog]] (see [[Battle of the Chamber of Mazarbul]]).

===Geography & Appearance===
The chamber was located to the right of a pathway that branched off the north end of the Twenty-first hall. When the Fellowship found the chamber as they passed through Moria, [[Balin's Tomb]] was located inside it, and a bright shaft of sunlight streamed in from outside the mountain to land directly on the tomb. It is not clear whether the shaft was an original feature of the chamber or whether it was added later by Balin's group of dwarves. It seems more likely that it had been an original part of the chamber construction. There were two stone doors leading into the chamber (one entrance from the Twenty-first Hall, one from the stair tunnels that the Fellowship later used to flee the Balrog). Many deep recesses were cut into the chamber rock containing chests that had been recently looted by the [[Orcs]] inhabiting Moria. A deep dust had fallen upon the entire room by the time the Fellowship entered it, and the remains of a long-abandoned battle sight were to be seen strewn across the floor.

===References===
[[The Lord of the Rings]]: [[The Fellowship of the Ring]] Book II: Chapter 4: [[A Journey in the Dark]] and Chapter 5: [[The Bridge of Khazad-dûm]].

==The Films==

[[Image:fotr1086.jpg|300px|thumb|The Chamber of Mazarbul in [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]].]]

===Appearances===

* [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]], [[Scene 35: Balin's Tomb]] and [[Scene 36: The Bridge of Khazad-dûm]].

===Portrayal===
In Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring, the Chamber of Mazarbul is presented much as it is described in the books, with a few notable exceptions.
* First, its geography has been slightly altered. It is placed in the center of the Twenty-first Hall, rather than on the right of a corridor running off the hall to the north.
* Second, there is only one proper doorway leading into the chamber, rather than the two described in the book.
These alterations are likely the result of geographical simplification and enhancement of geographical drama. Placing the chamber in the center of the Twenty-first Hall gives it greater prominance and significance and provides a less cumbersome position than that of the book. The elimination of one of the doorways allows the chamber to take on an even more unique design than that found in the book (while, again, simplifying it for dramatic purposes).
* A well is also introduced into the layout, directly below the shaft of light. This well was found in the [[Moria Guardroom|guardroom]] of the [[Moria Crossroads]] in the book, but was transplanted here to serve greater dramatic purpose.

The design of the chamber follows the general [[Dwarven design]] ideology employed by the filmmakers for all of the Moria sets.

===The Mazarbul Chamber Wall Runes===

In the film, the walls of the chamber are covered in runes (seemingly [[Angerthas Moria]]). These runes detail the history of Moria from its foundation by [[Durin]] to the [[Battle of Azanulbizar]]. From the rune translations, it is clear that the authors were the [[Dwarves]] led by Balin during the recolonization of Moria.
The larger text is [[Khuzdul]], the smaller text is in the [[Common Speech]] (English). The rune histories were probably written for both [[Dwarvish]] and foreign readers. Notable peculiarities have appeared in translations of this text. It is not clear whether this was deliberate on the part of the filmmakers.
* Khuzdul phrases appear in the midst of the English text and peculiar spellings of certain words and irregular constructions of some phrases exist.
The consistency of the irregularities seem to suggest that these may have been at least partly intentional. Several explanations have been postulated, the most obvious of which is that the Dwarves who carved the runes made mistakes. Other theories have been put forth: perhaps the Dwarves used idiosyncratic rune forms or a slightly altered mode of [[Westron]] in order to better convey the deep meanings behind Moria's history. The latter two seem the most likely, given all the available evidence.
* The phrase "Made in New Zealand" can also be seen in at least one place along the Mazarbul Chamber walls.
The filmmaker's left this as their trademark for those who translated the runes to see. Some fans have rationalized its appearance by citing the meaning of "zeal" as "seal" in Danish, which is closely related to the Danish word for "soul". Thus, the true phrase would be "Made in new-soul land", with "soul-land" referring to Moria, a land of many dwarvish souls that had come and gone, new because it was being recolonized. The theory postulates that the word "zeal" was originally Khuzdul but made its way into modern Danish.

====Translations From Angerthas Moria====

Below are the phrases that have been translated from the Mazarbul walls thus far:

KHUZDUL PHRASES

* "Great Chamber of Records of the Longbeards of Khazad-dûm. Lord Durin built (it)."

(from Khuzdul: "Gabil gund Mazarbul Sigin-turgul Khazaddûmul. Durin Uzbad zahra.")

* "Durin III, lord of Khazad-dûm."
(from Khuzdul: "Durin [certh for 3] Uzbad Khazaddûmu".)

* "Durin slain by Durin's Bane, and Náin Durin's son, Durin's Bane also slew him."
(from Khuzdul: "Durin mabazgûn au Abzag Durinu & [certh for "and"] Náin Durinul Abzag Durinu ya bazghu".)

* "Thrór Heir of Dáin; Orcs slew him; Azog cut off his head."
(from Khuzdul: "Thrór Rayad Dáinu; Rakhâs bazghu; Azog wakrish shathûrhu".)

* "Frerin Thráin's son, slain in the Battle of Azanulbizar, on the shores of Kheled-zâram, and Fundin slain."
(from Khuzdul: "Frerin Thráinul, Mabazgûn zai Azgâr Azanulbizarul, zai shakâl Kheled-zâramu & Fundin mabazgûn".)

* "The great Battle of Gundabad and Gladden; remember the Dead."
[[Image:LOTR-EN11233.jpg|200px|thumb|The Chamber of Mazarbul in [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]].]](from Khuzdul: "Gabil Azgâr Gundabadul & Ningulul; Mernak Mabazgân.")

* "(The) mines of Barazinbar."
(from Khuzdul: "Ganâd Barazinbarul".)

* "(The) battle of Azanulbizar." [[Image:Moria_wall_a.jpg|200px|thumb|A portion of the Mazarbul wall runes.]]
(from Khuzdul: "Azgâr Azanulbizarul".)

* "(The) house of Durin."
(from Khuzdul: "Zahar Durinul".)

ENGLISH PHRASES

* "...of Nogrod and Belegost year sixteen..." [[Image:casaloma.jpg|200px|thumb|A portion of the Mazarbul wall runes from the Casa Loma Exhibition.]]
* "...watch tower established at highest peak..."

* "...of Zirakzigil with star from Thirtieth Hall ..."

* "...Second {{ref|1}} Age five hundred of the..."

* "...fathoms gold smelter built..."

* "...the establishment {{ref|2}} of Moria below..."

* "...in return for silver and cloth and lumber..."

* "...established {{ref|3}} and the Dimrill {{ref|4}} Stair..."

* "...of Kheled-zâram {{ref|5}} and Fundin slain..."

* "...of Durin of Ered Luin {{ref|6}} settle in the..."

* "...one thousand and twenty news of fall..."

* "...forces of Sauron's army gates to Moria..."

* "...service {{ref|7}} of Lorien elves(') trade..."

* "...second {{ref|8}} level shaft sunk to forty..."

* "...year seventy-two {{ref|9}} Great Gate..."

* "...Zirakzigil in year forty of the..."

* "...caves {{ref|10}} above Kheled-zâram {{ref|11}} great rices..."

* "...in seams to east of Durin's door..."

* "...growth of trade to western {{ref|12}} gate year..."

* "...ninety-seven {{ref|13}} Eregion laid waste by billions..."

* "...of Eregion founded by Noldor {{ref|14}} bring..."

* "...shut against hordes and continuous {{ref|15}} attacks..."

* "...year seven {{ref|16}} hundred and fifty..."

* "...made in New Zealand. Dragon..."

* "...on the shores of Azanulbizar..."

* "...in diamonds and gold..."

====Translation Notes====

#{{note|1}} S-E-CH-O-N-D…possible variant rune usage.
#{{note|2}} E-S-T-B-L-I-S-H-M-E-N-T…possible variant emphasis from alternate word construction.
#{{note|3}} E-O-T-A-B-L-I-S-H-Y-D…possible variant emphasis from alternate word construction.
#{{note|4}} D-I-M-R-I-L…possible variant word construction or rune usage.
#{{note|5}} K-I-E-L-E-D-Z-A-R-A-M…possible variant emphasis from alternate word construction.
#{{note|6}} E-N-E-D---L-U-I-N…possible variant word construction or rune usage.
#{{note|7}} S-E-R-V-I-CH-E…possible variant rune usage.
#{{note|8}} D-E-CH-O-N-D…possible variant word construction and/or rune usage; variant emphasis also possible.
#{{note|9}} S-E-V-E-N-T-A---T-W-O…possible variant word construction or rune usage.
#{{note|10}} CH-A-V-E-S…possible variant rune usage.
#{{note|11}} K-H-E-L-E-D---Z-A-R-M…possible variant emphasis from alternate word construction.
#{{note|12}} W-E-S-T-R-N…possible variant word construction or rune usage.
#{{note|13}} N-I-N-T-Y---S-E-V-E-N…possible variant word construction or rune usage.
#{{note|14}} N-O-L-D-O-N…possible variant word construction or rune usage.
#{{note|15}} A-G-A-I-N-T-S-O-R-D-E-S---&---G-O-N-T-I-N-U-O-U-S…possible variant phrase and/or word construction and/or rune usage.
#{{note|16}} S-E-V-N…possible variant word construction or rune usage

====References====
*[http://www.elvish.org/gwaith/movie.htm Fellowship of the Word-smiths: Other Movie Inscriptions] - A web page discussing many inscriptions from the movies, including those found on the Mazarbul walls.
*[http://home.planet.nl/~raas0056/mazarbul/ Mazarbul Wall Inscriptions Analysis] - A web site discussing the transcription of the Mazarbul wall runes from screen to page.
*[http://www.geocities.com/shire_society/mazarbul_analysis.html Mazarbul Wall Rune Analysis (English Only)] A detailed analysis of the English Mazarbul wall rune text.

====The Use of English====

The use of English to represent the Common Speech in primary sources such as the Mazarbul wall runes is in keeping with [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]]'s own vision of completely translating all Westron into modern English, even in authentic documentation, although upon reflection Tolkien said that this translation was "an erroneous extension of the general linguistic treatment" (''[[The_Peoples_of_Middle-earth]]'', pp. 298-9: "Of Dwarves and Men"). The filmmakers obviously followed Tolkien's original intent, representing what would have been Westron on the "original" Mazarbul walls as English.

====Variances====

Justification for the variances that appear in the Mazarbul wall text comes from Tolkien himself. He specifically claims having used a similar methodology when creating samples of the [[Book of Mazarbul]]: "...the text was cast into English spelt as at present, but modified as it might be by writers...who where transliterating the English into a different alphabet"; "...since documents of this kind nearly always show uses of letters or shapes that are peculiar and rarely or never found elsewhere, a few such features are also introduced..." (''same reference as above'', pp. 298-9). Thus, the variances found in the Chamber of Mazarbul wall runes represent, as closely as possible, the idiosyncracies found in the original Westron.

===Behind the Scenes===

[[Image:Mazarbul_concept.jpg|250px|thumb|left|Concept illustration of the Chamber of Mazarbul by [[Alan Lee]].]]

The Chamber of Mazarbul was commonly referred to by the filmmakers as "Balin's Tomb" (as it was, more specifically, the site of said tomb).

The Chamber of Mazarbul was a locale that the filmmakers took special care to match carefully to the book descriptions. As with many other locations, [[Peter Jackson]] and his team tried to bring a sense that this was indeed the place that Tolkien had described.

[[Alan Lee]] was likely the primary conceptualizer of this location. The architecture of the Mazarbul chamber followed the filmmakers' general rules for Dwarven architecture. (for more information, see [[Dwarven design|Dwarven architecture]]).

[[Grant Major]] specifically tried to retain the evocative image of the shaft of light landing directly on Balin's Tomb, though there was a need to shift the geography of the chamber slightly to make this idea work dramatically on screen.

[[Andrew Lesnie]] has commented on the challenges he faced while trying to light the set, while maintaining the sense of a shaft of strong white light. His camera team eventually followed the idea that the shaft's light would bounce off the rest of the chamber, creating a glowing ambience that would work well for that specific sequence of the film.

Grant Major authored the English text that would be carved in runes onto the chamber walls by carefully scoring the books for information about Moria's history. His findings were transcribed into the runes that adorn the walls, along with translations of certain sentences into Khuzdul by [[David Salo]].

The runes on the chamber walls were the catalyst for one of the biggest fiascoes for the art department during production. A visiting Tolkien scholar claimed to have seen inane comments written on the walls. The art department searched the wall runes carefully but could find no offending sentences. The scholar revealed that he had simply been told this by a member of the crew. Grant Major and [[Dan Hennah]] assumed this was said crew member's idea of a joke. But the scholar later said that he had heard this from a member of the Weta Workshop minatures crew and that the offending comments in fact appeared on the miniature of the Second Hall of Khazad-dûm, though they were unable to be read in the final film and could not be translated using the Dwarvish runes anyway. (See [[Second Hall]]). In truth, no such "inane comments" exist on the Mazarbul Chamber wall runes.

====References====

* [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]] Extended Edition DVD Audio Commentaries (Scene 35)
* [[Gary Russell]]'s [[The Art of the Fellowship of the Ring]]: "Moria"
* Alan Lee's [[The Lord of the Rings Sketchbook]]: "Moria"
* [http://www.geocities.com/shire_society/mazarbul_incident.html Mazarbul Wall Rune Incident] A detailed analysis of the incident with comments from those involved.

==Related Links==

Location: [[Khazad-dûm]] | [[Seventh Level]] | [[North End]] | [[Twenty-first Hall]]

*[[Balin's Tomb]]

*[[Balin]]

*[[Battle of the Chamber of Mazarbul]]

*[[Book of Mazarbul]]

Battle of the Chamber of Mazarbul

2006-04-17T18:55:58Z

Old Took:

2006-04-17T15:31:12Z

Old Took:

{{Pronounce|Balin.mp3|Ardamir}}
'''Balin''' was a [[Dwarves|Dwarf]] leader, the son of [[Fundin]] and elder brother of [[Dwalin]]. Balin was among the [[Dwarves]] that travelled with [[Bilbo Baggins]] and [[Gandalf]] in ''[[The Hobbit]]''.

Among the Dwarves in ''The Hobbit'', Balin was the second-eldest Dwarf on the quest (behind [[Thorin Oakenshield|Thorin]]), and so he spoke for the party when they were captured by the [[Thranduil|Elvenking]].

He is described as "always their look-out man": He spots [[Bilbo]] approaching the [[Green Dragon]] Inn at [[Bywater|Bywater]], he spots the trolls' fire, and he's the first to spot the [[Elves]] in [[Mirkwood]].

[[Image:Visitbilbo.jpg|250px|thumb|left|Gandalf and Balin visiting Bilbo, by [[Alan Lee]].]]

Conversely he did not notice [[Bilbo]] (hidden by wearing [[One Ring|the magic ring]]) as look-out for the company after escaping the [[Goblins]] in the [[Misty Mountains]]. After this bit of trickery Balin gained respect for [[Bilbo]]'s abilities. He's the only Dwarf that volunteers to accompany [[Bilbo]] down the secret passage to [[Smaug]]. Of all the Dwarves in the quest, he's the only one known to have visited Bilbo afterwards at [[Bag End]].

In 2989 [[Third Age|T.A.]] Balin left [[Erebor]] and entered [[Moria]] with [[Flói]], [[Óin]], [[Ori]], [[Frár]], [[Lóni]] and [[Náli]]. He was slain by an [[Orcs|Orc]] archer in [[Dimrill Dale]] in 2994 T.A.

In ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', the [[Fellowship of the Ring]] discovers his [[Balin's Tomb|tomb]] in the [[Chamber of Mazarbul]].

[[Category:Dwarves]]
[[Category:Pronounced articles]]

2006-04-16T02:30:14Z

Old Took:

[[Image:Balinstomb.jpg|200px|thumb|Balin's Tomb in [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]].]]

The site of [[Balin]] the [[Dwarves|Dwarf]]’s burial in [[Moria]].

==The Books==

===History and Geography===
Balin was killed at the hands of Moria [[orcs]] in [[Third Age|T.A.]] 2994. He was promptly buried in a tomb in the center of the [[Chamber of Mazarbul]]. The [[Fellowship of the Ring]], journeying through Moria in T.A. 3019, found his tomb. The tomb was the site of a battle between the Fellowship and a group of attacking orcs. The tomb was located inside the Mazarbul chamber, Balin’s former seat, which itself was located off the north end of the [[Twenty-first Hall]]. A shaft of light from outside of the mountain fell directly onto Balin’s Tomb, though it is not known what the shaft originally lit, if it was even in existence prior to Balin’s fall.

===Appearance===
The tomb was made of a single oblong block, about two feet high, underneath a large slab of white stone. Runes were deeply into the slab. Included in [[The Fellowship of the Ring]]: Book II: Chapter 4: [[A Journey in the Dark]] are these runes, which read:
* “BALIN FUNDINUL UZBADKHAZADDUMU BALINSONOVFUNDINLORDOVMORIA”, or: “Balin Fundinul Uzbad Khazaddumu, Balin Son of Fundin Lord of Moria” (''ov''=''of'' phonetically).

[[Image:Balins-tomb cd jrrt.jpg|200px|thumb|The runic inscription found on Balin's Tomb.]]

===The Runes===

The runes carved into Balin’s Tomb were [[Daeron’s Runes]]. These runic values were older than those of [[Angerthas Erebor]] and were used in Moria before the flight of the Dwarves, appearing on such inscriptions. Balin’s Dwarves would have followed this example in such a circumstance. The top, larger runes (the first three lines) are written in [[Khuzdul]], while the smaller ones below (the final line) were in the [[Common Speech]].

The Dwarves never used their “true” Khuzdul names, not even in inscriptions, but rather their names in the Common Speech. Tolkien, having translated all uses of the Common Speech into modern English, rendered these names as “Balin” and “Fundin”, as he did the other words in the last line of the inscription (see note on English below). The name “Moria” was used, for by the time of the inscription, it had become the accepted name for Khazad-dûm in the Common Speech.

The use of English to represent the Common Speech in primary sources such as the inscription on Balin's Tomb was a result of Tolkien's vision of completely translating all [[Westron]] into modern English, even in authentic documentation, although upon reflection Tolkien said that this translation was "an erroneous extension of the general linguistic treatment" (''[[The_Peoples_of_Middle-earth|The Peoples of Middle-Earth]]'', pp. 298-9: "Of Dwarves and Men").

===References===
* [[The Lord of the Rings]]: [[The Fellowship of the Ring]] Book II: Chapter 4: [[A Journey in the Dark]] and Chapter 5: [[The Bridge of Khazad-dûm]].
* [[The Treason of Isengard]]: Appendix on Runes
* [[The_Peoples_of_Middle-earth|The Peoples of Middle-Earth]]: "Of Dwarves and Men"

==The Films==

[[Image:fotr1080.jpg|300px|thumb|Balin's Tomb in [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]].]]

===Appearances===
* [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]], [[Scene 35: Balin's Tomb]]

===Portrayal & Behind the Scenes===
Balin's Tomb is portrayed on film exactly as described in the book. The runes on the tomb are copied verbatim. [[Alan Lee]] was likely the conceptualizer of the tomb, maintaining the rigid, blocky style characteristic of the Dwarves (see [[Dwarven design]]), and fitting Tolkien's original description. [[Grant Major]] specifically tried to retain the evocative image of the shaft of light landing directly on Balin's Tomb in the film sequence. In the film, Balin's Tomb is destroyed by the [[Cave-trolls|Cave-troll]] during the [[Battle of the Chamber of Mazarbul]].

===References===
* [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]] Extended Edition DVD Audio Commentaries (Scene 35)
* Alan Lee's [[The Lord of the Rings Sketchbook]]: "Moria"

==Related Links==
* [[Balin]]
* [[Khazad-dûm]]
* [[Chamber of Mazarbul]]