Paths of the Dead

From Tolkien Gateway
Paths of the Dead
Mountain pass
Darrell Sweet - The Paths of the Dead.jpg
"The Paths of the Dead" by Darrell Sweet
General Information
Other namesDwimorberg Pass
LocationWhite Mountains, Dwimorberg
TypeMountain pass
DescriptionTunnelled pass through the mountains
People and History
InhabitantsDead Men
EventsDeath of Baldor
Passing of the Grey Company
GalleryImages of the Paths of the Dead
"The way is shut. It was made by those who are Dead, and the Dead keep it, until the time comes. The way is shut."
The Return of the King, "The Muster of Rohan"

The Paths of the Dead was a haunted underground passage through the White Mountains that led from Harrowdale in Rohan to Blackroot Vale in Gondor.

Description[edit | edit source]

The northern entrance to the Paths of the Dead was marked by lines of ancient unshaped standing stones that led from the wide upland of the Firienfeld in Dunharrow to the Dimholt,[1] a wood of black trees,[2] at the foot of the Dwimorberg.[1] In a hollow stood a single threatening mighty stone, like a finger of doom, before a sheer rock wall with the Dark Door in the wall. Here the path began in earnest, in a pitch-dark tunnel emanating fear. Within the tunnel could be heard a continuous whisper of voices in an unknown language. The wide road stretched on until it entered a great empty space. Within this cavern lay the skeleton of a man, richly garbed, with a golden helm. Before him were a stone door, shut fast where the man once attempted to enter; his notched, broken sword lay near and his bony hand still clutched at the cracks. The road continued past this point until finally the tinkle of water could be heard and led beside a rill of water through a broad high-arched gateway into a deep and narrow chasm between sheer cliffs. From this opening the path fell steeply down until it finally it issued sharp as a crack in a wall into the great Blackroot Vale where the river Blackroot went down beside the path over many falls.[2]

History[edit | edit source]

In S.A. 3320 the realm of Gondor was founded.[3] At that time Isildur set upon the crown of the hill of Erech a black stone and called upon the King of the Mountains to swear allegiance to him, which he did.[2] However, when Sauron attacked Gondor in S.A. 3429[3] and Isildur called upon the Men of the Mountains to honour their oath, they refused. Isildur then cursed them and their king, proclaiming that they would have no rest until the oath was fulfilled.[2]

The Men of the Mountains fled before Isildur's wrath, hid in the mountains away from other men, and dwindled away. Thereafter their haunts, the hill of Erech and the Paths of the Dead, became places of terror to living men. After the migration of the Rohirrim from the vales of Anduin to Rohan the living no longer used the Paths of the Dead.[2]

In T.A. 2569 Prince Baldor of Rohan, celebrating the completion of the great hall of Meduseld, vowed to traverse the Paths of the Dead. He never returned and his father, King Brego, died of grief a year later.[4] It is possible that Baldor was wounded by the last living remnants of the Men of the Mountains beyond the Dark Door, because the door was shut in his face and "enemies" had followed him silently, caught up with him, broke his legs and left him to die in the darkness[5][6][7] and Baldor and his father Brego had previously encountered an old man before the Dark Door who told them that the way was shut, that the old man died in that hour and that the Rohirrim had not received any other news of the ancient dwellers in the mountains[8].

In the days of Arvedui, the last king of Arthedain, there lived Malbeth the Seer who foretold the following:

Over the land there lies a long shadow,
westward reaching wings of darkness.
The Tower trembles; to the tombs of kings
doom approaches. The Dead awaken;
for the hour is come for the oathbreakers:
at the Stone of Erech they shall stand again
and hear there a horn in the hills ringing.
Whose shall the horn be? Who shall call them
from the grey twilight, the forgotten people?
The heir of him to whom the oath they swore.
From the North shall he come, need shall drive him:
he shall pass the Door to the Paths of the Dead.[2]

On 8 March 3019, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and the Grey Company took the Paths of the Dead. A few days before Aragorn had told his two companions that he had used the Orthanc-stone and seen a grave threat to Gondor coming from the South. From Elrond Aragorn had received a reminder concerning the paths of the dead, and he related to them the prophecy of Malbeth.

Before the Door, only Aragorn's strength of will enabled his companions to overcome their fears and enter the Paths of the Dead. They found a skeleton in the central cavern, which they left behind as Aragorn summoned the Dead to follow him. Stumbling onward in the dark, Aragorn and the others emerged from the Paths above Erech, where they hurried to the Stone.

At the Stone of Erech, at midnight, Aragorn unfurled his banner, declared himself the heir of Isildur, and commanded the Dead to aid him.[2] They obeyed and defeated the armies of the Corsairs of Umbar who were attacking the landings in southern Gondor. When those foes were defeated and Aragorn could claim the black ships of the Corsairs for his own, he declared that the curse was lifted and the dead departed forever.[9]

Other Names[edit | edit source]

The Paths of the Dead are called Fui ’Ngorthrim[10] in Sindarin. The meaning of the name Fui ’Ngorthrim is not glossed, but Paul Strack suggests that it means "Paths of the Dead" and that the initial element fui is the plural of an otherwise unattested noun ("path") and that the second element is the lenited class-plural of gorth ("dead (person)").[11]

Portrayal in adaptations[edit | edit source]

2003: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King:

In the film the battle with the Corsairs occurred off-screen and the Army of the Dead accompanied Aragorn to Minas Tirith to defeat Sauron's orcs, after which Aragorn declared their curse lifted.

References

Route of the Fellowship of the Ring
Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas
Rivendell · Eregion · Caradhras · Moria · Lothlórien · Caras Galadhon · Anduin · Parth Galen · Amon Hen · Eastemnet · Fangorn Forest · Rohan · Edoras · Hornburg · Isengard · Dunharrow · Paths of the Dead · Gondor · Hill of Erech · Lamedon · Linhir · Lebennin · Pelargir · Minas Tirith · Osgiliath · Cross-roads · Ithilien · Dagorlad · Black Gate · Field of Cormallen · Cair Andros · Gondor · Minas Tirith · Anórien · Rohan · Edoras · Isengard
Boromir
Rivendell · Eregion · Caradhras · Moria · Lothlórien · Caras Galadhon · Anduin · Parth Galen · Amon Hen
Frodo and Sam
Rivendell · Eregion · Caradhras · Moria · Lothlórien · Caras Galadhon · Anduin · Parth Galen · Amon Hen · Emyn Muil · Dead Marshes · Black Gate · Ithilien · Henneth Annûn · Cross-roads · Morgul Vale · Stairs of Cirith Ungol · Cirith Ungol · Shelob's Lair · Tower of Cirith Ungol · Mordor · Morgai · Plateau of Gorgoroth · Mount Doom · Field of Cormallen · Cair Andros · Gondor · Minas Tirith · Anórien · Rohan · Edoras · Isengard
Gandalf
Rivendell · Eregion · Caradhras · Moria · Celebdil† · Lothlórien · Fangorn Forest · Edoras · Hornburg · Isengard · Rohan · Anórien · Gondor · Minas Tirith · Osgiliath · Cross-roads · Ithilien · Dagorlad · Black Gate · Field of Cormallen · Cair Andros · Gondor · Minas Tirith · Anórien · Rohan · Edoras · Isengard
Merry
Rivendell · Eregion · Caradhras · Moria · Lothlórien · Caras Galadhon · Anduin · Parth Galen · Amon Hen · Emyn Muil · Eastemnet · Fangorn Forest · Wellinghall · Derndingle · Isengard · Hornburg · Dunharrow · Drúadan Forest · Gondor · Minas Tirith · Anórien · Rohan · Edoras · Isengard
Pippin
Rivendell · Eregion · Caradhras · Moria · Lothlórien · Caras Galadhon · Anduin · Amon Hen · Parth Galen · Emyn Muil · Eastemnet · Fangorn Forest · Wellinghall · Derndingle · Isengard · Rohan · Anórien · Gondor · Minas Tirith · Osgiliath · Cross-roads · Ithilien · Dagorlad · Black Gate · Field of Cormallen · Gondor · Cair Andros · Minas Tirith · Anórien · Rohan · Edoras · Isengard