The One Ring

The Battle of the Gladden Fields

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AnduinThe One Ring Lost

The Disaster of the Gladden Fields was a battle at the beginning of the Third Age, in which Isildur and a group of acompanying Dunedain were attached by a large group of Orcs as they were marching home after defeating Sauron. The king and his three eldest sons Elendur, Aratan, and Ciryon were all slain and the Ring of Power was lost in the River Anduin. Only three men survived this battle, Ohtar being one of them, an esquire of the kings which was able to save the shards of Narsil.

With the death of Isildur, it impacted both Gondor and Arnor as it left both kingdoms seperated and isolated.  Arnor wouldn’t be able to completely recover from this loss of it’s nobles and knights until the kingship of Aragorn in the Fourth Age. Most importantly, Isildur’s death prevented him from passing on the One Ring to the Keepers of the Three, which he had passed on to his brother Elendur to be his chief reason for visiting Elrond in Rivendell.

After the War of the Alliance, Isildur remained in Gondor for one year, taking back lost lands.  He sent a large part of Arnor’s armies back to Eriador through the Fords of Isen to Fornost.  After getting the affairs of the southern realm in order, he handed the South Kingdom over to Meneldil and marched to Rivendell. He chose to leave his wife and son at Rivendell, but also came for counsel from lord Elrond.

ae12The Battle Ground

The Dunedain traveled northwards from Lorien, marching along a path that led to Greenwood the Great where Thranduil ruled. They had to change routes due to the flooding of the Anduin, which led Isildur to take the road on the eastern banks of the river. Isildur’s party was flanked as the enemy used the steep cliffs overlooking the river.

The Dunedain sang cheerful songs but as the evening drew close they began to hear the orcs in the nearby forest. The first onslaught struck quickly so Isildur called for his esquire Ohtar to take the shards of Narsil back to Rivendell for safe keeping.  The second attack from the orcs brought down the Numenorians great defenses, and Elendur convinced Isildur to flee and cross the Anduin if he could and find safety back at Rivendell.

Isildur cloaked himself with the ring, and made a run for the valley parting ways with his armies and tried to cross the river. Unfortunately the rivers waters were flowing to hard and Isildur being exhausted got tangled in the reeds and in doing so the ring slipped from his finger. Nearby Orc’s caught sight of Isildur in the waters and out of fear quickly shot him and fled.

eiszmann42Wake of Destruction 

Only Ohtar, Elendur, Estelmo, and a handful of men survived the battle. Isildur’s body was never recovered, and was presumed captured and mutilated by Sauron’s forces  The orc army that ambushed the Dunedain were scattered among the lands by a relief force but they were to late.  Estelmo after being recovered spoke of how Isildur and Elendur related to each other about the One Ring. Isildur remarked: “I cannot use it. I dread the pain of touching it. And I have not yet found the strength to bend it to my will. It needs one greater than I know myself to be. My pride has fallen. It should go to the Keepers of the Three.”

Probably the biggest fall of the Gladden Fields was the union of Arnor and Gondor were broken by blood, and Isildur never managed to give the ring of power to the three.  Elrond, Galadriel, and Celeborn if given the chance probably would have destroyed the ring of power long before Sauron would have gathered his spirit and refortified Mordor.  But we all know how this story ends as Sauron does finally fall to the hands of many brave souls, and one very important little hobbit named Frodo.

I Once Was A Hobbit – Part Three

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Hail and well met friends!

Last week when we left off, Gollum had told Sam and Frodo about another way into Mordor that was safer then crossing the Black Gate. This entrance was to the South and even though Frodo agreed to go, Sam was quite suspicious of Gollum’s actions.

gollumfishie_nasFinding the Stairs of Cirith Ungol.

During this change in direction to find this new passage to Mordor, Frodo and Sam were captured by Faramir, and Gollum quickly followed  In doing so, Frodo allowed Faramir to take Gollum prisoner, and Faramir found out that the place Gollum was taking the Hobbits was Cirith Ungol and he warned Frodo and Sam of the great evil that dwelt in that place.

cirith-ungol-leeThe Hobbits, and Gollum chose to leave Faramir and crossed the Morful Vale which brought them to the “Stairs of Cirith Ungol” which stood near the border mountains of Ephel Duath. Gollum was planning to betray the hobbits and had devised a plan to visit the great spider Shelob, the child spider of Ungoliant.  His plan was to deliver the Hobbits to Shelob for food and steal the “Precious” back for himself.  How Gollum managed to forge an alliance with Shelob is quite remarkable, as she was known for devouring and killing everything that came in her sight. When he returned from his devious onslaught the Hobbits were asleep. While Gollum watched Frodo sleeping it almost brought him to stop his plan…. However, Sam woke up and began speaking harshly to Gollum which brought back the hatred and Gollum chose to follow through with his plan and led Frodo and Sam into Torech Ungol.

Just as Frodo warned him, Gollum’s betrayal of his oath ultimately led to his demise, as Frodo and Sam escaped from the Great Spiders lair and Cirith Ungol. They made it to Mount Doom, but still Gollum followed them seeking his chance to surprise them and take the ring back.  Frodo and Sam had almost reached the peak of the Volcano and Gollum attacked them but failed to get the ring.  Sam, almost killed Gollum but couldn’t due to pity and disgust for the creature.

download (5)Gollum’s Fiery Death

Once Frodo reached the Crack of Doom which was the heart of the Volcano, he chose not to destroy the ring but instead claimed it for himself and put it on. Gollum then attacked the hobbits again and knocked Sam out with a rock while Frodo was invisible. But Gollum was able to track his footprints and jumped on Frodo. The two fought and finally Gollum bit off Frodo’s finger with the ring on it.  He finally got his “Precious” back but Gollum then teetered on the edge of the great pit, lost his balance and fell in, taking the Ring and finger with him along with a final cry of “Precious!”. The ring was burned in the molten magma with Gollum dying with it as well.

Years after Gollum’s death, Frodo would finally forgive him, as Gandalf had told Frodo that Gollum wasn’t actually an evil being that deserved his death, but was only a poor being, bound to the Ring’s will, and that Frodo’s fate would be like Gollum’s if he kept the Ring. For if Gollum did not stay with Sam and Frodo to the end of Mordor, Frodo’s choice not to destroy the Ring would have brought Sauron to it, and all good in the world of Middle-earth would have disappeared.

As we wrap up one of the most iconic characters in Middle Earth, stay tuned next week as we pick up with a brand new lore series.

Until next week, I’m your host Iogro Merrybelly and I bid you a fine farewell

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The Nazgul – Part Two

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Back in action this week and when we left off last time we had just seen the return of the nine in the Third Age.  This week we pick up with the Nazgul in search for the One Ring.

 

NazgulFinalBLOGThe Hunt for the One Ring

Near the beginning of the War of the Ring in 3018, Gollum, who once had the Ring in his posession, was captured and tortured in Mordor.  This lead Gandalf to think the Enemy had now heard and learned of hobbits, the Shire, and even the name Baggins.  He was absolutely correct and knew the Ring Wraiths would soon be on the doorsteps of The Shire looking for the Ring.  Gandalf knew the only thing to do was advise Frodo to leave the Shire and make for Rivendell, taking the Ring with him.

When the Nine entered the Shire, they learned the Ring was in the possession of Bilbo Baggins’ nephew, Frodo Baggins.  While searching for Frodo, one of the Nine, Khamûl the Easterling, had his first encounter with him.  As Frodo and his friends, Sam, Merry and Pippin, took Bucklebury ferry to reach Crickhollow, The Wraith Khamûl, who had missed them at the ferry, was forced to go around to the Brandywine Bridge. Shortly after this, the Nine arrived at Frodo’s new home in Crickhollow.

Though Frodo had already left for Bree by the time the Nine arrived, they were soon given information regarding Frodo’s whereabouts by Bill Ferny, a spy of Saruman.  This being the cause of the Nazgûl attacking Bree, where Frodo was awaiting Gandalf.  However, during the time it took the Nazgûl to reach Bree, Frodo and his friends were hidden away by Aragorn for protection against the Nazgul.

tumblr_lk49n0SoPE1qj19qpo1_500The Journey and Battle at Weathertop

Unable to find the Hobbits, the Nine left Bree, and several days later they encountered Gandalf at Weathertop who was searching the area while on his way to Rivendell to meet up with Frodo.  This lead to a massive battle between Gandalf and The Nine which Gandalf escaped but four of the Wraiths pursued him.  The other five Wraiths remained near Weathertop.  Several days later,  Frodo and his group made camp at the base of the ruins of Amon Sul.

Discovering them, the five Nazgûl attacked and as they confronted the four Hobbits, Frodo put on the Ring and attempted to resist the Nazgûl. The Nazgûl leader The Witch King of Angmar stabbed Frodo with a Morgul-blade.  Aragorn arrived and was able to drive off the Nazgûl with fire.  Aragorn realizing Frodo didn’t have long to live he knew they needed help and that the Nazgul would be back.

flighttothefordCrossing The Ford of Bruinen

The Nazgûl, now regrouped continued the pursuit of Frodo and his company. They caught up with Frodo who was riding the horse of Glorfindel and making his way to Rivendell.  The Nine chasing Frodo to the Ford of Bruinen demanded Frodo hand over the Ring.  Frodo refused and defied them, the Nazgûl began crossing the river to take the Ring.  However, the water, enchanted by Elrond and Gandalf, formed a great wave and swept the Nine away, killing their horses.

Lacking the means to successfully attack Rivendell, where Frodo and his companions took refuge, the Nazgûl were forced to retreat to Mordor on foot and stop their hunt for the Ring.

We are getting close to wrapping this series up as next week we will take a final look into the demise and fall of the Nazgul.

Until next time.

A Necromancer Above All Part Two

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Sauron during the Second Age

mattrhodes_sauronForging of the One Ring

“This is the Master-ring, the One Ring to rule them all. This is the One Ring that he lost many ages ago, to the great weakening of his power. He greatly desires it – but he must not get it.”

—Gandalf, The Lord of the Rings, “The Shadow of the Past”

 

 

 

sauron_by_spartank42-d502g9oSauron The Dark Lord’s hand of Power.

After lying hidden and dormant for 500 years, he began revealing himself once more, and by SA 1000 he gathered his power and established himself in the land of Mordor in eastern Middle-earth and began building the dreaded Dark Tower of Barad-dûr near Mount Doom. Sauron, like Morgoth, soon began raising massive armies of Orcs, Trolls, and possibly other creatures, as well as corrupting the hearts of Men with delusions of power and wealth, chiefly Easterlings and Southrons (the Haradrim).

Although Sauron knew that men were easier to sway, he sought to bring the Elves into his service, as they were far more powerful. By about SA 1500, Sauron put on a fair visage in the Second Age, and calling himself Annatar, the “Lord of Gifts”, he befriended the Elvish smiths of Eregion, and counseled them in arts and magic. Not all the Elves trusted him, particularly Lady Galadriel, Elrond, and Gil-galad, High King of the Ñoldor.

 

 

sauron__the_lord_of_the_rings_by_callthistragedy1-d5ru2gqSauron, wearing the One Ring.

To the elves who listened, Sauron gave knowledge and encouragement in forging the Rings of Power, though in secret Sauron forged his own, the One Ring, to rule the Elvish rings. Upon that ring Sauron left the inscription, Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatulûk, agh burzum-ishi krimpatul. In Westron the inscription translated into:One Ring to Rule Them All, One Ring to Find Them, One Ring to Bring Them All, and in the Darkness Bind Them.

However, as soon as Sauron put the Ring on his finger the Elves sensed his treachery, and removed their rings and hid them. Enraged, Sauron came against them in open war and demanded that all the Rings of Power be given to him. The Elves managed to hide the three greatest of the Rings from him, but the other sixteen Rings of Power were either captured by Sauron, destroyed, or lost. To the Dwarves he had given seven, but to Men he had given Nine, knowing that they would be the easiest to enslave. The Dwarf Lords who received the Rings proved to be very resistant to their power, and neither “faded” nor became enslaved to Sauron’s will. The Rings instead created in them an insatiable lust for gold, which ultimately caused a great deal of grief for the Dwarves.

 

 

horses_nazgul_artwork_jrr_tolkien_ring_wraiths_m58164The Corrupted Nine

As Sauron predicted however, the nine Men were all corrupted by their Rings and became the Nazgûl, Sauron’s deadliest servants. Had the Elves not recognized Sauron’s treachery and forsaken the power of their rings, the results would have been catastrophic for the Free Peoples of Middle-Earth. It seems that most if not all of the native Men of Middle-Earth succumbed to the power of the Ring once the Nazgûl were created; the Númenóreans were spared because of their distance. The Elves, had they been captured in this fashion, would have become the slaves of Sauron, and thus Celebrimbor’s resistance was of immense importance in the history of Middle-earth.

In this era, during which he marshalled and commanded great armies, Sauron became known as the Dark Lord of Mordor and his fortress of Barad-dûr was completed. He was very powerful even without control of the Elves, and he conquered nearly all of Middle-earth during the War of the Elves and Sauron. However, the armies of Númenór’s King Tar-Minastir were finally able to defeat him at a last battle near Gwathló or the Greyflood in SA 1700. Defeated but not vanquished, Sauron retreated back to Mordor and began recouping his strength over the many centuries.

 

NumenoreansThe Númenóreans

These Men lived on the island of Númenor in the sea between Middle-earth and Valinor. The Númenóreans, who were then proud, came to Middle-earth with astounding force of arms. King Ar-Pharazôn marched his troops all the way to Mordor without a single battle, and demanded that Sauron abase himself before the King. Sauron could see clearly that even the most powerful of his servants could not stand against the Númenóreans, and so came from Barad-dûr without any offer of battle. He assumed a fair form and flattered Ar-Pharazôn, but the King demanded that Sauron come back to Númenor as a hostage. Sauron feigned unhappiness at this development but secretly was delighted, for this presented him with an opportunity to destroy the Númenóreans from within. After only a few short years in Númenor he grew from captive to the King’s most trusted adviser, and nearly all the King’s court fawned upon him. Drawing on their fear of death, he converted many Númenóreans to the worship of Morgoth, lying that Morgoth had the power to save them from mortality. As his power and influence reached its peak, he raised a great Temple in which he performed human sacrifices to Morgoth. Finally, he convinced Ar-Pharazôn to rebel against the Valar and attack Valinor itself and claim it for himself.

But here, Sauron’s cunning overreached itself, for Eru then directly intervened – Númenor was drowned under the sea, and the great navy of Númenor was destroyed and the army that reached Aman was buried under mountains of falling rock and imprisoned in the Caves of the Forgotten. The world was bent, so that thereafter, only Elven-Ships could sail into the Utter West. Sauron’s body was destroyed, but his spirit was not diminished, and he fled back to Mordor bearing the Ring, where he slowly rebuilt a new body and his strength during the time known as the Dark Years. From this point on, he lost the ability to assume a fair shape, and ruled now through terror and force. A few faithful Númenóreans led by Elendil were saved from the flood, and they founded Gondor and Arnor in Middle-earth.

 

sauron__war_of_the_last_alliance_by_mattdemino-d5i799eSauron’s destruction in battle by Isildur

After losing his body in the destruction of Númenor and a brief period of renewed war, Elendil and his people allied with the Elven-king, Gil-Galad to create the Last Alliance, and together fought Sauron. They finally defeated his armies at the Battle of Dagorlad, and laid siege to Barad-dûr for seven years. Finally, Sauron himself came forth and dueled both Elendil and Gil-galad, slaying them both singlehandedly. Then Isildur, son of Elendil, took up his father’s broken sword, Narsil and cut the One Ring from Sauron’s finger. Sauron’s physical body was destroyed. With nearly all of his power stored in the ring, the dark lord was vanquished when it was cut from his finger. Without their leader’s dark will driving them on, Sauron’s armies were routed and fled, and thus, his campaign to defeat the free peoples was seemingly ended, and his greatest weapon taken from him.

But while Isildur had taken the ring, he could not bring himself to destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom where it was forged, instead he became corrupted by the One Ring and kept it for himself. He was eventually betrayed by it a few years later, and slain by orcs at Gladden Fields. The Ring fell into the river Anduin, and was lost for centuries before being found by Smeagol’s friend Deagol.

Until next week I’m Iogro Merrybelly signing off for the night.