 | |
| City | |
| Goblin-town | |
|---|---|
| General Information | |
| Location | Central Misty Mountains east of Rivendell |
| Type | City |
| Description | A series of tunnels and caverns ruled by the Great Goblin |
| People and History | |
| Inhabitants | Orcs of the Misty Mountains, Gollum, Nameless things |
| Events | Thorin and Company are captured by the Great Goblin |
| Gallery | Images of Goblin-town |
Goblin-town was an Orc dwelling under the Misty Mountains, which was ruled by the Great Goblin.
Goblin-town was a series of tunnels and caverns, which went all the way through the mountains, with a "back door" near the Eagle's Eyrie in Wilderland, which served as a means of escape, and an access to the Wilderland.[1] A cave with a lake was deep beneath Goblin-town yet was connected to the Orcs' tunnels, with one passage leading to the "back door".[2]
History
Long before the coming of the Orcs of the Misty Mountains, nameless things were living in the caves.[2] Around T.A. 2480 the Orcs of the Misty Mountains started making secret strongholds in the mountains blocking the passages towards Eriador[3] and expanded those caves, digging tunnels to connect them; without their knowledge they drove those slimy creatures into dark corners. One of those "original owners" was Gollum, who was living at a nearby underground lake, feeding himself on raw fish as well as Orcs that he killed.[2]
The main gate of the town was in one of the passes of the Misty Mountains, but by T.A. 2941[3] travellers learned to avoid that dangerous road and the Orcs opened another under the safer High Pass: The Front Porch).[1]
During the journey to Lonely Mountain, Thorin and Company rested in a cave and were captured by the Orcs. They were brought before the Great Goblin, who accused them of spying, and was enraged when he found that Thorin was carrying Orcrist, a sword the Great Goblin remembered from Gondolin. With the help of Gandalf, the Great Goblin was slain and Bilbo and the Dwarves escaped, pursued by a force of Orcs.[4]
Portrayal in adaptations
1977: The Hobbit (1977 film):
- Goblin-town is, like in the book, a set of tunnels and caverns.
1989: The Hobbit (comic book):
- Goblin-town is, like in the book, a set of tunnels and caverns.
2003: The Hobbit (2003 video game):
- Goblin-town is a giant Dwarven mining complex with many lifts, bridges and train carts to spice up the action of the level.
2007: The Lord of the Rings Online:
- One of the first new additions to the game after the initial release, Goblin-town proper is a large network of tunnels and caverns accessible from the eastern part of the Misty Mountains region. It is a labyrinthine network of hallways, bridges and caves with many side passages. Great Goblin's Throne Room and Gollum's Cave are two of the natural endpoints of the exploration. Goblin-town was revisited in the "Seat of the Great Goblin" group instance that greatly streamlined the layout with the focus on the Throne Room. Another version of Goblin-town is accessible from the eastern entrance in the Vales of Anduin region. This version also contains the Throne Room, with all three versions of it being slightly different from one another.
2012: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey:
- Goblin-town is portrayed as a giant system of caverns with sprawling wooden walkways. The goblins have a central hub of dwellings, with the Great Goblin's throne being in the center.
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "Out of the Frying-Pan into the Fire"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "Riddles in the Dark"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Third Age"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "Over Hill and Under Hill"
| Route of Thorin and Company |
|---|
| Bag End · Green Dragon · The Shire · Lone-lands · Last Bridge · Trollshaws · Trolls' lair · Rivendell · High Pass · Front Porch · Goblin-town · Goblin-gate · Eagle's Eyrie · Carrock · Beorn's Hall · Wilderland · Forest Gate · Elf-path · Mirkwood · Elvenking's Halls · Forest River · Lake-town · Long Lake · River Running · Desolation of the Dragon · Ravenhill · Back Door · Lonely Mountain · Great Hall of Thráin |