Distance from Shir to Mordor. Mordor - what does it mean? Many buildings and structures in Mordor were built by people

Geography

Mordor was defended on three sides mountain ranges, arranged roughly rectangular: Ered Litui (or Ash Mountains) in the north, Ephel Duat (or Izgar Mountains) in the west and south. In the northwestern part of Mordor, the deep valley of Udun was the only entrance for large armies. There, at the junction of the Ash and Igar Mountains, the Black Gate of Mordor was built. The towers placed behind the Black Gate (called the Fangs of Mordor) were built by Gondor to keep evil within Mordor. In front of these gates lies the huge Dagorlad field. Sauron's main fortress, Barad-dur, was located in the foothills of Ered Lithui. To the southwest of Barad-Dur lies the arid Gorgoroth plateau, and to the southeast, near the salty Nurnen Sea, lies another large plateau - Litland. The passage to the narrow pass through the Izgar Mountains was guarded by the fortress of Minas Morgul (formerly Minas Itil). The pass is called Cirith Ungol, in honor of the fortress standing directly on the pass itself. Shelob lived there, in the tunnels, not far from the fortress of Cirith Ungol. Shelob's labyrinth was called Torek-Ungol. The southern part of Mordor was much more fertile, and wet enough for farming. In this part of Mordor was located the salty inland sea of ​​Nurnen. To the west of Mordor lay a narrow strip of the land of Ithilien, beyond which lay the city of Osgiliath and the river Anduin.

The flora of Mordor is the last plants that managed to survive in this “dying, but not yet dead” country (The Lord of the Rings). Includes "stunted trees", "tufts of coarse gray grass", "shriveled mosses", "bramble thickets" and densely growing shrubs that could be found near tiny streams flowing from the mountains. Sam and Frodo took cover behind some blackberry bushes that had long, sharp thorns and hooked thorns. The bushes also had thorns, which Sam describes as being "a foot long" (30cm).

Story

Appearance

The emergence of Mordor was a consequence of the destructive actions of Morgoth. This region was probably formed during colossal volcanic eruptions. It was given the name Mordor already during the time of Sauron, who settled there, because of its volcano Orodruin (which was also called Mount Doom) and its flames.

Early history

Sauron settled in Mordor 1000 years after the end of the First Age, after which this area became the refuge of his evil will throughout the Second and Third Ages of Middle-earth. In the northwest of Mordor, in the middle of the Gorgoroth plateau, is the volcano Orodruin, where Sauron forged the One Ring. Northeast of Orodruin, one league away, stood Sauron's citadel of Barad-dur. After reigning in this country, Sauron became known as the Dark Lord of Mordor.

For 2,500 years, Sauron continuously ruled Mordor. Having created the Ring, he went to war against the Elves of Eregion, but was defeated by the Numenoreans. After this, almost a thousand years later, he went to war against people until he was captured and brought to Númenor, which, due to the activities of Sauron, was sunk (along with himself). Immediately after the destruction of Numenor, Sauron returned to Mordor as a spirit, and taking on a new, terrible guise, he again began to rule Mordor.

The Last Alliance and the Third Age

Sauron's reign was interrupted when he tried to destroy the new kingdom of the people of Gondor, founded by the descendants of the deceased Númenor. After several years of siege, the forces of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men entered Mordor. Sauron was defeated in the final battle on the slopes of Orodruin. For approximately a thousand years, Mordor was guarded by Gondor.

The toll from the Black Plague, during the reign of King Telemnar, was so great that the fortifications guarding Mordor were abandoned as troops were needed to guard Gondor's borders. Deprived of protection, Mordor began to fill with evil again. Minas Ithil in the Morgul Valley was captured by the Nazgul, and the fortifications that were supposed to protect Gondor from the threat from Mordor were turned into a means of protecting Mordor from attack from without. By the time Sauron returned to Mordor, he was very well defended. There were large garrisons in the north during the War of the Ring, and the salty Inland Sea in the south made it possible to support slaves from the countries of the east and south, who cultivated the land and supplied the army.

War of the Ring

During this war, Sauron gathered all his forces towards Mordor. After the battle of Minas Tirith, Aragorn approached the Black Gate. Sauron sent an army to destroy his hosts of Gondor and Rohan, but when Frodo Baggins and Sam Gamgee (with the "assistance" of Gollum) destroyed the One Ring, Mordor fell. The Dark Tower, the Black Gate and the Fangs of Mordor were destroyed. Orodruin erupted, Sauron and his Nazgul were finally disembodied (until the end of days).

Cultural references

  • Mordor is mentioned in the song Ramble On by Led Zeppelin, along with other images from Tolkien's works.
  • German metal band Running Wild recorded the song "Mordor" on their 1985 album Branded and Exiled. The song is written from the point of view of the Dark Forces.
  • In 1995, the computer game Mordor: The Depths of Dejenol was released. Despite the name, the game is not related to Tolkien's universe.
  • The rapper Oxxxymiron is mentioned in the track “East Mordor”.
  • Also, the German metal band Blind Guardian performs the song Lord of the rings where there is a mention of Mordor

Links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

See what "Mordor" is in other dictionaries:

    Developer EA Los Angeles Publisher EA Games Release date December 6, 2004 Version 1.03 ... Wikipedia

    Sauron Statue of Sauron in Bristol ... Wikipedia

    Developer EA Los Angeles Publisher EA Games Release date March 2, 2006 ... Wikipedia

    J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium describes many wars and battles that took place in the lands of Aman, Beleriand, Númenor and Middle-earth. They are described in books such as “The Silmarillion”, “The Hobbit”, “The Lord of the Rings”, “Unfinished Tales”... ... Wikipedia

- on South. At the western border of Mordor, between the Land of Shadow and Anduin, was Ithilien, the land of Gondor, and even further west, on the other side of the river - great city Minas Tirith.

The area of ​​Mordor is approximately 175,000 square miles (~453,000 km2). From north to south it stretches for 350 miles, from west to east - 500 miles.

Mordor's border to the north was the Ash Mountains; The Shadow Mountains formed the southern and western borders. From the east, Mordor was not protected by mountains, but Rhun was eastern lands- were his ally, so it was unlikely that the enemy could get through that way.

The main entrance to Mordor was the Black Gate - a huge iron barrier that blocked the passage of Cirith Gorgor in the northeast of the country, where the Ash Mountains met the Mountains of Shadow. The Black Gate was carefully guarded, and Fang Towers were located on the sides of the Gate.

Beyond the Black Gate was the Udun Valley, surrounded by mountain ranges. In Udun there were warehouses with ammunition, and troops were also stationed to defend Mordor. There were forts and fortresses located around Udun, among which was a huge castle called Durthang. On the other side of Udun, opposite the Black Gate, was Eisenmut - a narrow gorge leading to the Gorgorot plateau. Eisenmuth was surrounded by a palisade, a rampart and a trench, which could only be crossed by a single bridge.

There was another passage to Mordor, 90 miles south of the Black Gate. From the Morgul Valley in the Mountains of Shadow a road was built through the Morgul Pass. The Morgul road was guarded by the troops of Minas Morgul, a fortress commanded by the Lord Nazgul.

In the Morgul Valley there was another, less well-known passage to Mordor - the Straight Staircase and the Spiral Staircase led to a submountain tunnel where the spider Shelob settled. On the other side of Shelob's Lair was the Tower of Cirith Ungol, built to guard the Pass of Cirith Ungol. Then the road went down and connected with the Morgul road.

On the inside of the Shadow Mountains, between the Morgul Road and the Black Gate, was the Morgai Mountain Range, which was at least 1,500 feet high. Several streams of bitter water flowed from Morgai. Some plants have managed to adapt to such conditions: twisted trees, tough grass and thickets of thorns. Black flies with red spots also lived there.

Mordor was crossed by several roads used by the servants of Sauron. In the northwest, roads connected the Black Gate, Barad-dur, Mount Doom and Morgul Pass. Sauron's road led from Barad-dur to Mount Doom. Along the roads along Gorgoroth there were water tanks for the needs of passing troops. It is likely that similar roads existed in the south of Mordor.

The northwestern part of Mordor was predominantly an industrial area, containing mines and forges, while the more fertile region of Nurn was used for farming. Four rivers flowed in that area, flowing into Lake Nurnen, an inland sea located in the southeast of the country. Slaves worked in the fields to provide food for Sauron's troops.

In addition to the Men-slaves, evil Men also served Sauron, such as the Mouth of Sauron, who lived in Barad-dur. The main population of Mordor were Orcs. Many Orcs lived in camps near Morgai and in forts around the Udun Valley. Trolls lived in Mordor, as well as a special type of them, bred by Sauron, called the Olog-hai. Sauron also created a breed of terrible Dread Beasts. The Nazgul used these winged creatures instead of horses.

Story

Barad-dur was almost completely destroyed, and Sauron's troops were defeated and scattered. At the beginning of the Third Age, Mordor was under surveillance. Minas Ithil was reclaimed and new fortresses were built: the Tower of Cirith Ungol and the Fang Towers. But many years later, the guards weakened, and after the Great Plague that devastated Gondor in 1636, all guard points were empty.

In 1980, the Nazgul, led by the Witch-King, returned to Mordor. They prepared the return of Sauron. In 2000, the Nazgul besieged Minas Ithil and captured it in 2002, making it their fortress. It was renamed Minas Morgul, the Fortress of the Dark Forces. Also, the Stone of Ithil came into the possession of the Nazgul, and later of Sauron.

In 2475, a new breed of orcs, the Uruks, emerged from Mordor for the first time. They marched across Ithilien and captured Osgiliath, a city on the River Anduin. Ithilien was retaken by Gondor, but Osgiliath lay in ruins. In 2901, attacks resumed and most of the Gondorians left Ithilien.

In 2941, Sauron was expelled from Dol Guldur and returned to Mordor the following year. In 2951, he openly declared himself and began to restore Barad-dur. In 2954, Mount Doom erupted. Sauron gathered armies of Orcs and Men from all over the east and south. He bred a new breed of Trolls, the Olog-Hai, who were not afraid of sunlight. To regain all his power, Sauron needed only the One Ring.

Frodo and Sam followed Gollum up the Straight and Spiral Staircases. In the end, he led them into a cave and left them in the dark. The cave was the lair of the spider Shelob. She attacked the Hobbits, stung Frodo in the neck and paralyzed him.

Frodo was found by two orcs named Shagrat and Gorbag, and he was taken to the Tower of Cirith Ungol. The Orcs carried out a massacre over Frodo's mithril mail, and almost everyone died. Sam managed to free Frodo, but Shagrat escaped, taking with him the mithril mail and other Hobbits' belongings, and took them to Barad-dur.

On March 15, Sauron's forces were defeated at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields by the combined forces of Gondor and Rohan, but Sauron still had a huge army at his disposal in Mordor. The commanders of the West decided to march on Mordor in order to draw back Sauron's forces and give Frodo time to complete his mission.

The hobbits walked along the rocks of Morgai because Frodo believed that the servants of Sauron would hunt them in the lands to the east. When they reached a place where Mount Doom was about 40 miles to the east, the Hobbits were on a cliff 1500 feet high. They could not go down, because Sauron's troops were passing through Gorgoroth to the Black Gate.

The hobbits walked further north and then followed the road leading east. They were spotted by a squad of Orcs, and they were mistaken for Orc fugitives, as they were dressed in Orc armor. For a long time, the Hobbits walked with the detachment, but later, in the confusion, they managed to escape.

Sauron gathered most of his troops in Udun, awaiting the arrival of the army of the West. Gorgoroth was devastated, and Frodo and Sam were able to walk along the road almost all the time. On March 24 they reached the foot of the mountain.

On the same day, the army of the West reached the Black Gate. The next day, March 25, Sauron sent his ambassador, nicknamed the Mouth of Sauron, to show him the mithril mail. He stated that he was holding the chain mail of Sauron's prisoner in his hands, and that the prisoner would be tortured mercilessly until the armies of the West surrendered. Gandalf rejected the terms and the Battle of Morannon began.

At Mount Doom, where the One Ring was forged, Frodo's burden became too heavy to bear. Sam carried the owner closer to the mountain, but Gollum attacked them. Frodo and Gollum grappled for the Ring at the edge of the Doom Cleft; Gollum slipped and fell into the fiery abyss along with the Ring.

When the One Ring was destroyed, Sauron was finally defeated and most of Mordor was reduced to ruins. Barad-dur collapsed, the Fang Towers and the Black Gate collapsed. The earth shook and broke. Mount Doom erupted, and flows of lava and ash covered the ground of the Gorgoroth Plain. The Nazgul died in the fire, and Sauron's troops scattered in panic or surrendered. Frodo and Sam were rescued: they were picked up by the Great Eagles Gwaihir, Landroval and Meneldor.

The lands of Nurn in southern Mordor appear to have escaped the major destruction that befell the rest of the dark land. Aragorn, King Elessar, freed the slaves of Mordor and gave them the use of the lands around Lake Nurnen.

Mordor Map


Important dates

Second Age:

OK. 1000 – Sauron settles in Mordor and begins building Barad-dur.

OK. 1200 - Sauron goes to Eregion, deceives himself into the trust of the Elves and reveals to them the secrets of mastery.

OK. 1500 - The Elves, under the leadership of Sauron, create the Rings of Power. Sauron returns to Mordor.

OK. 1600 – Sauron creates the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom. The elves realize that they have been deceived.

1693 – Sauron prepares troops and declares war on the Elves.

1695 – Sauron invades Eriador.

1701 – Sauron returns to Mordor after defeat by the Elves and Numenoreans.

OK. 1800 - Sauron expands his possessions in the east.

OK. 2251 – first appearance of the Nazgul.

3262 – Ar-Pharazôn attacks Mordor with a large army and demands that Sauron surrender. Sauron was taken as a prisoner to Númenor.

3319 – Númenor is flooded. Sauron's body is destroyed, but his spirit hides in Middle-earth.

3320 – Sauron returns to Mordor. Elendil and his sons found the kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor. The fortress of Minas Ithil was built to protect against Mordor.

3429 – Mount Doom erupts. Sauron attacks Gondor and captures Minas Ithil. Anarion drives Sauron's forces back to Mordor.

3430 – The Last Alliance of Men and Elves was concluded.

3434 – Sauron's troops are defeated at the Battle of Dagorlad. The siege of Barad-dur begins.

3441 – Sauron emerges from Barad-dur and fights Gil-galad and Elendil. The Dark Lord is defeated, and Isildur cuts the One Ring from his hand. The spirit of Sauron lurks in the East.

Third era:

2 – Isildur is killed by orcs at Gladden Hollow. The One Ring is lost in the waters of Anduin.

OK. 1050 – Sauron founds the fortress of Dol Guldur in Greenwood.

1636 - The Great Plague devastates Gondor. Surveillance of Mordor ceases.

1856 - Eight Nazgul returned to Mordor.

1980 - Lord Nazgul returns to Mordor and gathers the others to prepare the return of Sauron.

2000 – The Nazgul lay siege to Minas Ithil.

2002 - The Nazgul capture Minas Ithil, which later receives the name Minas Morgul. The palantir of Ithil is also captured, and subsequently given to Sauron.

2050 – King Earnur goes to Minas Morgul to duel with the Witch King and goes missing. In the absence of the king, Gondor is ruled by Stewards.

2475 – Gondor is attacked by the Uruks of Mordor.

2901 - The Mordorian Uruks occupy Ithilien and the inhabitants flee.

2942 – Sauron secretly returns to Mordor.

2951 – Sauron openly declares himself, begins to increase his strength and rebuild Barad-dur.

2954 – Mount Doom erupts.

OK. 3000 – A shadow spreads over Mordor.

3017 – Sauron captures Gollum, and after he names the names Shire and Baggins, he allows him to escape.

June 20 – Sauron sends the Nazgul to attack Osgiliath. July 1 - The Nazgul, led by the Witch King, secretly set out in search of the One Ring.

March 5 - The hobbits reach the Black Gate and realize that they cannot pass this way. Frodo follows Gollum along a secret path to Mordor. March 9 – The hobbits reach the Morgul Road. March 10 – Day without Dawn. An army from Morannon captures Cair Andros and advances into Anórien. Sauron signals the Lord of the Nazgul to lead his troops to Minas Tirith. Gollum leads the Hobbits through the Straight and Spiral Staircases. March 12 – Gollum leads the Hobbits to Shelob's Lair. March 13 - Orcs take the wounded Frodo to the Tower of Cirith Ungol. March 14 - Sam finds Frodo. March 15 - Frodo and Sam flee the Tower; Battle of the Pelennor Fields. March 16 - Frodo, Sam and Morgai see Mount Doom. March 17 - Shagrat takes Frodo's cloak and mithril mail and Sam's sword to Barad-dur. March 18 - Frodo and Sam, together with a detachment of Orcs, go to Udun. March 19 - Frodo and Sam escape from the party. March 22 - Frodo and Sam turn south from the road towards Mount Doom. March 24 – The Hobbits reach the foot of the Mountain. March 25 – The forces of the West fight the forces of Mordor at the Battle of Morannon. Frodo reaches the Doom Cleft and claims the Ring as his own. Gollum bites off the Ring along with Frodo's finger and falls into the crater. The Ring is destroyed, Sauron is finally defeated, Mordor is destroyed. May 1 - Aragorn becomes King of the Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor. He frees the slaves of Mordor and gives them the use of land near Lake Nurnen.

Etymology

Mordor:

Mordor means "Black Land" from mor- “dark, black” and dor- "land, area." In the Common Language Mordor is often called Black Earth, Dark Country And Land of Shadow.

Additional sources

  • Appendix A of The Lord of the Rings: "Gondor and the Heirs of Anarion" p. 332-33; "The Stewards" p. 333-35
  • The Silmarillion: "Akallabeth" p. 267, 280; "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age" p. 288, 290-97, 302-3
  • Unfinished Tales: "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn" p. 236, 239
  • The History of Middle-earth, vol. VII, The Treason of Isengard: "The Story Foreseen from Moria" p. 213; "The First Map" p. 309 map III, 313 (location of Lithlad)

Map of Mordor as a diagram

Mordor is protected on three sides by almost rectangular mountain ranges: Ered Luin in the north, Ephel Duat in the west and before turning to the east, forming the southern ridge. The narrow passage piercing the Ephel Duat was guarded by the fortress of Minas Morgul (formerly called Minas Ithil); An even more inaccessible passage was guarded by the giant spider Shelob and the fortress of Cirith Ungol. Another famous fortress is called Durthang and is located on the northern ridge of the Ephel Duat.

The Ash Mountains formed the northern border of Mordor, and the Mountains of Shadow ran along the southern and western borders. The eastern border of Mordor is open, but Rhun (the land to the east) has always been an ally of Mordor, so it is unlikely that the enemy could pass this way.

On the inside of the Shadow Mountains, between the Morgul Road and the Black Gate, was the Morgai mountain range, which was at least 457.2 meters (1,500 ft) high. Several streams of bitter water flowed from Morgai. Some plants have managed to adapt to such conditions: twisted trees, tough grass and thickets of thorns. Black flies with red spots also lived there.

In the northwestern corner of Mordor there was a wide valley called Udun (the only entry point for large troops), where Sauron built the Black Gate of Mordor. The Black Gate is heavily guarded, and on both sides of the gate there are Fang Towers. Dagorlad lay before Morannon. Barad-dur (Sauron's main fortress) is located at the foot of Ered Luin. South-west of Barad-dur (about 48 km) is the dry plateau of Gorgoroth and Mount Doom (also called - Orodruin); to the east lay the plain of Lithlad. The lands in western Mordor are largely barren, with occasional blackberry bushes visible.

In the southern part of Mordor, the land called Nurn is more fertile and wetter due to its proximity to the inland sea - Nurnen. Fertility and the possibility of agriculture in Nurn arose thanks to the ashes that settled from Mount Doom. Unfortunately, the inland sea of ​​Nurn is salty, not fresh.

The lands were crossed by several roads used by the servants of Sauron. In the northwest, roads connected the Black Gate, Barad-dur, Mount Doom and Morgul Pass. Sauron's road led from Barad-dur to Mount Doom. Along the roads along Gorgoroth there were containers with water for the needs of passing troops. It is likely that similar roads existed in the south.

The area of ​​Mordor is approximately 453,000 km 2 (175,000 mi 2). From north to south it stretches for 563.27 km (350 mi), and from east to west it extends about 804.672 km (500 mi).

To the west of Mordor are the lands of Ithilien with great river Anduin, in the east of Runes and in the southeast - Khand.

black fortress and doom mountain

  • Regions

    • Nurn
    • Gorgoroth
    • Litlad

  • Main fortresses

    • Barad-dur (capital and abode of the dark lord Sauron).
    • Durthang
    • Osgiliath ( east coast reconstructed and under the control of Gondor, and during the War of the Ring - the entire city becomes a springboard for an attack on Minas Tirith)
    • Isenmout
    • Minas Morgul (home of the Nazgul, including the Witch King)
    • Black Gate
    • Mount Doom (the place where Frodo destroyed the ring)
    • Nargroth
    • Seregost
    • Cirith Ungol Fortress

Story


Meaning

Mordor means "Black Earth" from mor- “dark, black” and dor- "land, area." In the Common Language Mordor is often called Black Earth, Dark Country And Land of Shadow.
The Silmarillion:"Appendix - Quenya and Sindarin Elements in Names."

Inspiration

Often the names in works of art Tolkien have corresponding examples in other languages ​​of Middle-earth, as well as in the “real” ones, but this word takes roots from two languages.
Inferred meaning taken from Old English ( morðor), which means "mortal sin" and also "murder".
In some Scandinavian mythologies, the word means “lands whose inhabitants practice evil rituals, but do not know about it, since they are imposed on them by society from childhood.”
Some believe that Tolkien associated Mordor with the Stromboli volcano from Sicily.

Interpretations

In The Atlas of Middle-earth - Karen Wynn Fonstad suggested that the lands of Mordor, Khand and Rhûn are located at inland sea Helkar, which later split into the Sea of ​​Runes and the Sea of ​​Nurnen. The atlas was published before the book Peoples of Middle-earth, from which it turned out that the Sea of ​​Runes and Mordor already existed in the First Age.

The proximity of Mount Doom and Barad-dur in The Lord of the Rings (film trilogy) does not correspond to the original work.

Sources

Appendix A to The Lord of the Rings:"Gondor and the Heirs of Anarion", "Stewards";
The Silmarillion:"Akallabeth", "On the Rings of Power and the Third Age";
Unfinished Tales:"The Story of Galadriel and Celeborn";
A History of Middle-earth, Volume VII, The Betrayal of Isengard:"First Card".
Clyde S. Kilby, Dick Plotz (1968): meetings with Tolkien: edited transcript of remarks at the December 1966 TSA meeting. Resolved on

Geography

Mordor was protected on three sides by mountain ranges arranged roughly in a rectangular shape: the Ered Litui (or Ash Mountains) in the north, the Ephel Duat (or Izgar Mountains) in the west and south. In the northwestern part of Mordor, the deep valley of Udun was the only entrance for large armies. There, at the junction of the Ash and Igar Mountains, the Black Gate of Mordor was built. The towers placed behind the Black Gate (called the Fangs of Mordor) were built by Gondor to keep evil within Mordor. In front of these gates lies the huge Dagorlad field. Sauron's main fortress, Barad-dur, was located in the foothills of Ered Lithui. To the southwest of Barad-Dur lies the arid Gorgoroth plateau, and to the southeast, near the salty Nurnen Sea, lies another large plateau - Litland. The passage to the narrow pass through the Izgar Mountains was guarded by the fortress of Minas Morgul (formerly Minas Itil). The pass is called Cirith Ungol, in honor of the fortress standing directly on the pass itself. Shelob lived there, in the tunnels, not far from the fortress of Cirith Ungol. Shelob's labyrinth was called Torek-Ungol. The southern part of Mordor was much more fertile, and wet enough for farming. In this part of Mordor was located the salty inland sea of ​​Nurnen. To the west of Mordor lay a narrow strip of the land of Ithilien, beyond which lay the city of Osgiliath and the river Anduin.

The flora of Mordor is the last plants that managed to survive in this “dying, but not yet dead” country (The Lord of the Rings). Includes "stunted trees", "tufts of coarse gray grass", "shriveled mosses", "bramble thickets" and densely growing shrubs that could be found near tiny streams flowing from the mountains. Sam and Frodo took cover behind some blackberry bushes that had long, sharp thorns and hooked thorns. The bushes also had thorns, which Sam describes as being "a foot long" (30cm).

Story

Appearance

The emergence of Mordor was a consequence of the destructive actions of Morgoth. This region was probably formed during colossal volcanic eruptions. It was given the name Mordor already during the time of Sauron, who settled there, because of its volcano Orodruin (which was also called Mount Doom) and its flames.

Early history

Sauron settled in Mordor 1000 years after the end of the First Age, after which this area became the refuge of his evil will throughout the Second and Third Ages of Middle-earth. In the northwest of Mordor, in the middle of the Gorgoroth plateau, is the volcano Orodruin, where Sauron forged the One Ring. Northeast of Orodruin, one league away, stood Sauron's citadel of Barad-dur. After reigning in this country, Sauron became known as the Dark Lord of Mordor.

For 2,500 years, Sauron continuously ruled Mordor. Having created the Ring, he went to war against the Elves of Eregion, but was defeated by the Numenoreans. After this, almost a thousand years later, he went to war against people until he was captured and brought to Númenor, which, due to the activities of Sauron, was sunk (along with himself). Immediately after the destruction of Numenor, Sauron returned to Mordor as a spirit, and taking on a new, terrible guise, he again began to rule Mordor.

The Last Alliance and the Third Age

Sauron's reign was interrupted when he tried to destroy the new kingdom of the people of Gondor, founded by the descendants of the deceased Númenor. After several years of siege, the forces of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men entered Mordor. Sauron was defeated in the final battle on the slopes of Orodruin. For approximately a thousand years, Mordor was guarded by Gondor.

The toll from the Black Plague, during the reign of King Telemnar, was so great that the fortifications guarding Mordor were abandoned as troops were needed to guard Gondor's borders. Deprived of protection, Mordor began to fill with evil again. Minas Ithil in the Morgul Valley was captured by the Nazgul, and the fortifications that were supposed to protect Gondor from the threat from Mordor were turned into a means of protecting Mordor from attack from without. By the time Sauron returned to Mordor, he was very well defended. There were large garrisons in the north during the War of the Ring, and the salty Inland Sea in the south made it possible to support slaves from the countries of the east and south, who cultivated the land and supplied the army.

War of the Ring

During this war, Sauron gathered all his forces towards Mordor. After the battle of Minas Tirith, Aragorn approached the Black Gate. Sauron sent an army to destroy his hosts of Gondor and Rohan, but when Frodo Baggins and Sam Gamgee (with the "assistance" of Gollum) destroyed the One Ring, Mordor fell. The Dark Tower, the Black Gate and the Fangs of Mordor were destroyed. Orodruin erupted, Sauron and his Nazgul were finally disembodied (until the end of days).

Cultural references

  • Mordor is mentioned in the song Ramble On by Led Zeppelin, along with other images from Tolkien's works.
  • German metal band Running Wild recorded the song "Mordor" on their 1985 album Branded and Exiled. The song is written from the point of view of the Dark Forces.
  • In 1995, the computer game Mordor: The Depths of Dejenol was released. Despite the name, the game is not related to Tolkien's universe.
  • The rapper Oxxxymiron is mentioned in the track “East Mordor”.
  • Also, the German metal band Blind Guardian performs the song Lord of the rings where there is a mention of Mordor

Links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

  • Snegiri (village)
  • Nightingales

See what "Mordor" is in other dictionaries:

    The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth- Developer EA Los Angeles Publisher EA Games Release date December 6, 2004 Version 1.03 ... Wikipedia

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Mordor was protected on three sides by mountain ranges arranged in a roughly rectangular shape: the Ered Litui (or Izgar Mountains) in the north, the Ephel Duat (Mountains of Shadow) in the west and south. In the northwestern part of Mordor, the deep valley of Udun was the only entrance for large armies. There, at the junction of the Mountains of Shadow and the Izgar Mountains, the Black Gate of Mordor was built. The towers placed behind the Black Gate (called the Fangs of Mordor) were built by Gondor to keep evil within Mordor. In front of these gates lies the huge Dagorlad field. Sauron's main fortress, Barad-dur, was located in the foothills of Ered Lithui. To the southwest of Barad-Dur lies the arid plateau of Gorgoroth, and to the southeast, near the salty Nurnen Sea, lies another large plateau - Litlad. The passage to the narrow pass through the Mountains of Shadow was guarded by the fortress of Minas Morgul (formerly Minas Ithil). The pass is called Cirith Ungol, in honor of the fortress standing directly on the pass itself. Shelob lived there, in the tunnels, not far from the fortress of Cirith Ungol. Shelob's labyrinth was called Torek-Ungol. The southern part of Mordor was much more fertile, and wet enough for farming. In this part of Mordor was located the salty inland sea of ​​Nurnen. To the west of Mordor lay a narrow strip of the land of Ithilien, beyond which lay the city of Osgiliath and the river Anduin.

The flora of Mordor is the last plants that managed to survive in this “dying, but not yet dead” country (The Lord of the Rings). Includes "stunted trees", "tufts of coarse gray grass", "shriveled mosses", "bramble thickets" and densely growing shrubs that could be found near tiny streams flowing from the mountains. Sam and Frodo took cover behind some blackberry bushes that had long, sharp thorns and hooked thorns. The bushes also had thorns, which Sam describes as being "a foot long" (30cm).

Main geographical features

  • Sea of ​​Nurnen

Secondary objects

Kirit Ungol Pass

The toll from the Black Plague, during the reign of King Telemnar, was so great that the fortifications guarding Mordor were abandoned as troops were needed to guard Gondor's borders. Deprived of protection, Mordor began to fill with evil again. Minas Ithil in the Morgul Valley was captured by the Nazgul, and the fortifications that were supposed to protect Gondor from the threat from Mordor were turned into a means of protecting Mordor from attack from without. By the time Sauron returned to Mordor, he was very well defended. There were large garrisons in the north during the War of the Ring, and the salty Inland Sea in the south made it possible to support slaves from the countries of the east and south, who cultivated the land and supplied the army.

War of the Ring

see also

Cultural references

  • Mordor is mentioned in the song Ramble On by Led Zeppelin, along with other images from Tolkien's works.
  • German metal band Running Wild recorded the song "Mordor" on the 1985 album Branded and Exiled. The song is written from the point of view of the Dark Forces.
  • In 1995, the computer game Mordor: The Depths of Dejenol was released. Despite the name, the game is not related to Tolkien's universe.
  • Mentioned in the track "East Mordor" by rapper Oxxxymiron.
  • German metal band Blind Guardian performs the song Lord of the rings, which mentions Mordor
  • In 2014, the computer game Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor was released, the action of which takes place in Mordor.

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Notes

Literature

  • McNelis J. Mordor // J. R. R. Tolkien Encyclopedia: Scholarship and Critical Assessment (English)Russian/ Michael D. C. Drout (English)Russian. - Routledge, 2006. - P. 434. - 774 p. - ISBN 0-415-96942-5.

Excerpt describing Mordor

The two Pavlograd squadrons stood in bivouacs, among a rye field that had been knocked down to the ground by cattle and horses and had already been harvested. The rain was pouring down heavily, and Rostov and the young officer Ilyin, who was his patron, sat under a hastily fenced hut. An officer of their regiment, with a long mustache extending from his cheeks, was on his way to headquarters and, caught in the rain, came to Rostov.
- I, Count, am from headquarters. Have you heard of Raevsky’s feat? - And the officer told the details of the Saltanovsky battle, which he heard at headquarters.
Rostov, shaking his neck, behind which water was flowing, smoked his pipe and listened inattentively, occasionally glancing at the young officer Ilyin, who was huddling next to him. This officer, a sixteen-year-old boy who had recently joined the regiment, was now in relation to Nikolai what Nikolai was in relation to Denisov seven years ago. Ilyin tried to imitate Rostov in everything and, like a woman, was in love with him.
An officer with a double mustache, Zdrzhinsky, talked pompously about how the Saltanov Dam was the Thermopylae of the Russians, how on this dam General Raevsky committed an act worthy of antiquity. Zdrzhinsky told the story of Raevsky, who led his two sons to the dam under terrible fire and went on the attack next to them. Rostov listened to the story and not only did not say anything to confirm Zdrzhinsky’s delight, but, on the contrary, had the appearance of a man who was ashamed of what was being told to him, although he did not intend to object. Rostov, after the Austerlitz and 1807 campaigns, knew from his own experience that when telling military incidents, people always lie, just as he himself lied when telling them; secondly, he was so experienced that he knew how everything happens in war, not at all the way we can imagine and tell. And therefore he did not like Zdrzhinsky’s story, and he did not like Zdrzhinsky himself, who, with his mustache from his cheeks, according to his habit, bent low over the face of the one to whom he was telling, and crowded him into a cramped hut. Rostov looked at him silently. “Firstly, at the dam that was attacked, there must have been such confusion and crowding that even if Raevsky brought his sons out, it could not have affected anyone except about ten people who were near him, - thought Rostov, - the rest could not see how and with whom Raevsky walked along the dam. But even those who saw this could not be very inspired, because what did they care about Raevsky’s tender parental feelings when it was about their own skin? Then, the fate of the fatherland did not depend on whether the Saltanov Dam was taken or not, as they describe it to us about Thermopylae. And therefore, why was it necessary to make such a sacrifice? And then, why bother your children here, during the war? Not only would I not take Petya with my brother, I would not even take Ilyin, even this stranger to me, but a good boy, I would try to put him somewhere under protection,” Rostov continued to think, listening to Zdrzhinsky. But he did not say his thoughts: he already had experience in this. He knew that this story contributed to the glorification of our weapons, and therefore he had to pretend that he did not doubt it. That's what he did.
“However, there is no urine,” said Ilyin, who noticed that Rostov did not like Zdrzhinsky’s conversation. - And the stockings, and the shirt, and it leaked under me. I'll go look for shelter. The rain seems to be lighter. – Ilyin came out, and Zdrzhinsky left.
Five minutes later, Ilyin, splashing through the mud, ran to the hut.
- Hooray! Rostov, let's go quickly. Found! There’s a tavern about two hundred paces away, and our guys got there. At least we’ll dry off, and Marya Genrikhovna will be there.
Marya Genrikhovna was the wife of the regimental doctor, a young, pretty German woman, whom the doctor married in Poland. The doctor, either because he did not have the means, or because he did not want to be separated from his young wife at first during his marriage, took her everywhere with him in the hussar regiment, and the doctor’s jealousy became a common subject of jokes between the hussar officers.
Rostov threw on his cloak, called Lavrushka with his things behind him and walked with Ilyin, sometimes rolling through the mud, sometimes splashing in the subsiding rain, in the darkness of the evening, occasionally broken by distant lightning.
- Rostov, where are you?
- Here. What lightning! - they were talking.

In the abandoned tavern, in front of which stood the doctor’s tent, there were already about five officers. Marya Genrikhovna, a plump, fair-haired German woman in a blouse and nightcap, was sitting in the front corner on a wide bench. Her husband, a doctor, was sleeping behind her. Rostov and Ilyin, greeted with cheerful exclamations and laughter, entered the room.
- AND! “What fun you are having,” Rostov said, laughing.
- Why are you yawning?
- Good! That's how it flows from them! Don't wet our living room.
“You can’t dirty Marya Genrikhovna’s dress,” answered the voices.
Rostov and Ilyin hurried to find a corner where they could change their wet dress without disturbing Marya Genrikhovna’s modesty. They went behind the partition to change clothes; but in a small closet, filling it completely, with one candle on an empty box, three officers were sitting, playing cards, and did not want to give up their place for anything. Marya Genrikhovna gave up her skirt for a while to use it instead of a curtain, and behind this curtain Rostov and Ilyin, with the help of Lavrushka, who brought packs, took off the wet dress and put on a dry dress.
A fire was lit in the broken stove. They took out a board and, having supported it on two saddles, covered it with a blanket, took out a samovar, a cellar and half a bottle of rum, and, asking Marya Genrikhovna to be the hostess, everyone crowded around her. Some offered her a clean handkerchief to wipe her lovely hands, some put a Hungarian coat under her feet so that it would not be damp, some curtained the window with a cloak so that it wouldn’t blow, some brushed the flies off her husband’s face so that he would not wake up.
“Leave him alone,” said Marya Genrikhovna, smiling timidly and happily, “he’s already sleeping well after a sleepless night.”
“You can’t, Marya Genrikhovna,” the officer answered, “you have to serve the doctor.” That’s it, maybe he’ll feel sorry for me when he starts cutting my leg or arm.
There were only three glasses; the water was so dirty that it was impossible to decide whether the tea was strong or weak, and in the samovar there was only enough water for six glasses, but it was all the more pleasant, in turn and by seniority, to receive your glass from Marya Genrikhovna’s plump hands with short, not entirely clean, nails . All the officers seemed to really be in love with Marya Genrikhovna that evening. Even those officers who were playing cards behind the partition soon abandoned the game and moved on to the samovar, obeying the general mood of courting Marya Genrikhovna. Marya Genrikhovna, seeing herself surrounded by such brilliant and courteous youth, beamed with happiness, no matter how hard she tried to hide it and no matter how obviously shy she was at every sleepy movement of her husband, who was sleeping behind her.
There was only one spoon, there was most of the sugar, but there was no time to stir it, and therefore it was decided that she would stir the sugar for everyone in turn. Rostov, having received his glass and poured rum into it, asked Marya Genrikhovna to stir it.
- But you don’t have sugar? - she said, still smiling, as if everything that she said, and everything that others said, was very funny and had another meaning.
- Yes, I don’t need sugar, I just want you to stir it with your pen.
Marya Genrikhovna agreed and began to look for a spoon, which someone had already grabbed.
“You finger, Marya Genrikhovna,” said Rostov, “it will be even more pleasant.”
- It's hot! - said Marya Genrikhovna, blushing with pleasure.

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