Encyclopedia of Tolkien's Middle Earth

The Doors of Durin are the western gate of Moria, built in the Second Age during a time of friendship between the Elves of Hollin (Eregion in Sindarin) and the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm. This gate was built for the Elves of Hollin, since the main gates are in the East in the Dimrill Dale. The door blends into the rock wall, save for the mithril edging, called Ithildin, which can only be seen under starlight or moonlight. The anvil, crown, and bright star are the symbols of Durin. The stars are the Stars of Fëanor. The trees are the “trees of the High Elves” referring to either Holly trees (Of Hollin), or the Two Trees of Valinor. The C and N in the top corners are the creator’s first initials. The writing on the door states in “Feanorian characters”, which would entail an older version of Tengwar; “Ennyn Durin Aran Moria. Pedo mellon a Minno. Im Narvi hain echant. Celebrimbor o Eregion tethant. I thiw hin”. Which is Sindarin for “The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter. I, Narvi, made them. Celebrimbor of Hollin drew these signs.”. Narvi was dwarven smith. Celebrimbor was a Noldor of Hollin who also crafted the Rings of Power (Not the One Ring). The gate remained open during times of peace, but Sauron’s first war on Middle Earth caused the gate to be closed. Hollin was entirely destroyed during the War of Elves and Sauron. Moria was abandoned because of the Balrog’s emergence. The door remained shut for most of the Third Age, It was referenced when the Dwarves who sought to reclaim Moria attempted to escape, upon exiting the door however Óin was slain by the Watcher In The Water, and the remainder were trapped and slain. The Fellowship of the Ring arrived at the door in an effort to bypass Saruman’s gaze by going through Moria. Gandalf initially forgot the password, but thanks to Merry’s hobbit curiosity regarding the riddle it was solved. The password to open the door is the Sindarin word for friend, “mellon”. The doors were blockaded with rubble by the Watcher In The Water following the Fellowship’s entrance.

‘Maggots!’ jeered the Isengarders. ‘You’re cooked. The Whiteskins will catch you and eat you. They’re coming!’

A cry from Grishnákh showed that this was not mere jest. Horsemen, riding very swiftly, had indeed been sighted: still far behind but gaining on the Orcs, gaining on them like a tide over the flats on folk straying in a quicksand"

The Battle of Azanulbizar was the deciding battle of the War of Dwarves and Orcs. The war began in the Third Age when a goblin host under Azog of Moria captured and beheaded Thrór, King of Durin’s Folk. Azog burned his own name into Thrór’s forehead and stuffed a bag of gold into his mouth. Azog threw the head to Nár with the message that Moria was officially ruled by the goblins. Nár fled and told Thráin II, who mobilized the many dwarf kingdoms and began the war. The war consisted of Dwarves plundering and destroying goblin holdouts throughout the mountains until finally reaching Moria. The dwarf coalition marched on the East Gate of Moria through the Dimrill Dale, where the goblin host under Azog met them. The battle left many dead including Frerin, son of Thráin II, and Fundin, father of Balin. Thorin II showed valor during the battle, losing his shield and using an oak branch in it’s place, giving him the title “Oakenshield”. Náin challenged Azog to duel, the fight was quick as Azog attempted to behead Náin, but ended up breaking his neck as the dwarven armor was too strong. Azog stood to celebrate but saw his army was routing. Dáin Ironfoot charged Azog and decapitated him. The dwarves put the same gold thrown at Thrór into Azog’s head, and left it on a pike. The orc host fled and the battle was won by the Dwarves, but at great cost. Thráin II, now blind in one eye from the battle, wanted to push into Khazad-dûm and reclaim the dwarf city, but the other dwarf armies did not. Dáin Ironfoot saw the shadow of Durin’s Bane in the gate, and knew of it’s power. The dwarves stripped their dead (to deny the goblins any loot) and burned them. The fires were so bright and many that they were seen from Lorien. The dead were from then on known as the Burned Dwarves. The dwarf armies returned to their kingdoms, with Thráin’s people travelling back to Dunland, then migrating until settling in Ered Luin. The Longbeards quest for a homeland would continue with Thorin’s Quest for Erebor and Balin’s ill-fated attempt to colonize Moria.

“None the less in the morning Thráin stood before them. He had one eye blinded beyond cure, and he was halt with a leg-wound; but he said: ‘Good! We have the victory. Khazad-dûm is ours!‘ 

But they answered: 'Durin’s Heir you may be, but even with one eye you should see clearer. We fought this war for vengeance, and vengeance we have taken. But it is not sweet. If this is victory, then our hands are too small to hold it.’ And those who were not of Durin’s Folk said also: 'Khazad-dûm was not our Fathers’ house. What is it to us, unless a hope of treasure? But now, if we must go without the rewards and the weregilds that are owed to us, the sooner we return to our own lands the better pleased we shall be.' 

Then Thráin turned to Dáin, and said: 'But surely my own kin will not desert me?’ 'No,’ said Dáin. 'You are the father of our Folk, and we have bled for you, and will again. But we will not enter Khazad-dûm. You will not enter Khazad-dûm. Only I have looked through the shadow of the Gate. Beyond the shadow it waits for you still: Durin’s Bane. The world must change and some other power than ours must come before Durin’s Folk walk again in Moria.’ “

Crebain, plural of the Sindarin “Craban” meaning “Crow”, were large black birds who served Saruman during the War of the Ring. Though they do not speak any discernible language they are intelligent as demonstrated by Saruman, who used the Crebain to great effect as his spies and scouts. The Crebain stalked the Fellowship in Hollin, forcing them to remain hidden for the night. They often travel in large groups resembling clouds.

Sauron’s Ransom

“He was dear to you, I see. And now he shall endure the slow torment of years.”

No one answered him; but he saw their faces grey with fear and the horror in their eyes, and he laughed again, for it seemed to him that his sport went well. ‘Good, good!’ he said. ‘He was dear to you, I see. Or else his errand was one that you did not wish to fail? It has. And now he shall endure the slow torment of years, as long and slow as our arts in the Great Tower can contrive, and never be released, unless maybe when he is changed and broken, so that he may come to you, and you shall see what you have done. This shall surely be unless you accept my Lord’s terms."

The Shire was a large agriculture based community and home to most of the Hobbits of Middle Earth. The land was originally a large fertile part of the Kingdom of Arnor but remained undeveloped. The land was given to the Hobbits who had migrated from the Vale of Anduin and other parts along the Great River. This marks the Year 1 in “Shire Reckoning”. Hobbits lived in large holes dug within the hills, which were useful because they did not have to be very large and were small and cozy. They were loyal to the King of Arnor and even sent hobbits to fight in the ill-fated Battle of Fornost. Following Arnor’s collapse the Shire remained untouched and safe. This peace remained for much of the Third Age thanks to the watchful eye of the Dunedain Rangers. The administration and military of the Shire was extremely simplistic, where the Mayor served as acting governor, laws were enforced by the Shirrifs, and a Thain acted as the representative to the King (usually of the Took family). A most famous produce from the Shire was pipe-weed, The hobbits’ pipe-weed was renowned and almost exclusive to that region. This peace would define the Shire, though there were two instances of conflict prior to the adventures of The Hobbit. The Battle of Greenfields where the Hobbits under Brandobras “Bullroar” Took defeated the invading goblins of Golfimbul. Bullroar knocked Golfimbul’s head clean off during the battle and it rolled into a rabbit hole, inventing the game of golf! The Fell Winter saw the Shire be attacked by White Wolves during a famine, the Rangers were swift in protecting the Shire. The Third Age saw Bilbo Baggins bring the One Ring to the Shire and into global affairs. The Nazgul came to the Shire spreading fear in search of the Ring, and with this came more strict laws of who may enter and leave the Shire. The War of the Ring saw the Rangers leave to help fight, and the helpless Shire was occupied by ruffians lead by Sharkey, who was Saruman in disguise. Under Sharkey the Shire was industrialized and supplies were sent South to help the war effort and to fund brigands. This ended when Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin returned to the shire and lead the revolt leading to the Battle of Bywater. The Shire was saved, Ruffians banished, and Saruman defeated. Elvish dirt helped fertilize the land after what Sharkey had done to it, and ultimately it became again a simple and peaceful region. The Reunited Kingdom gave the Shire legal independence which was purely symbolic. I wouldn’t mind getting my hands on some of that pipe-weed.

‘Galadriel! ’ he said faintly, and then he heard voices far off but clear: the crying of the Elves as they walked under the stars in the beloved shadows of the Shire, and the music of the Elves as it came through his sleep in the Hall of Fire in the house of Elrond.

Gilthoniel A Elbereth!

And then his tongue was loosed and his voice cried in a language which he did not know:

A Elbereth Gilthoniel

o menel palan-diriel,

le nallon sí di'nguruthos!

A tiro nin, Fanuilos!

And with that he staggered to his feet and was Samwise the hobbit, Hamfast’s son, again.

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

🎬 Peter Jackson

+ IMDb trivia (FotR trivia) (ttt trivia)

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Wormtongue halted and looked back at him, half prepared to stay. Saruman turned. ‘No evil?’ he cackled. ‘Oh no! Even when he sneaks out at night it is only to look at the stars. But did I hear someone ask where poor Lotho is hiding? You know, don’t you, Worm? Will you tell them?’

Wormtongue cowered down and whimpered: ‘No, no!’

‘Then I will,’ said Saruman. ‘Worm killed your Chief, poor little fellow, your nice little Boss. Didn’t you, Worm stabbed him in his sleep, I believe. Buried him, I hope; though Worm has been very hungry lately. No, Worm is not really nice. You had better leave him to me.’

A look of wild hatred came into Wormtongue’s red eyes. ‘You told me to; you made me do it,’ he hissed.

Saruman laughed. ‘You do what Sharkey says, always, don’t you, Worm? Well, now he says: follow!’ He kicked Wormtongue in the face as he grovelled, and turned and made off. But at that something snapped: suddenly Wormtongue rose up, drawing a hidden knife, and then with a snarl like a dog he sprang on Saruman’s back, jerked his head back, cut his throat, and with a yell ran off down the lane. Before Frodo could recover or speak a word, three hobbit-bows twanged and Wormtongue fell dead."