Hey guys, first of all I apologise for the delay since my last video, but I ended up hoarse and could barely speak for the past week! I hope you enjoy this video, it came longer than I expected! In my opinion, it's one of more interesting and mysterious areas in the Middle-Earth! This video received the most votes in the last Facebook poll, I'll be doing another poll for next week's video, so if you're interesting in voting, I'll drop the link below! As always subtitles are available, until next week friends! facebook.com/GeekZoneMT/
Hey mate, love your videos. Been binge watching to catch up on all the old ones since I discovered your channel. Your (Maltese accent?) voice narration is top notch too, it really compliments the mystery of Tolkein's world and one can sense your enthusiasm for the subject matter. Keep up the good work! Also you use a lot of fantastic artwork by some very talented people. It would be nice if you would credit those artists in your video descriptions. :)
the passage where frodo is drawn towards the city is a real indication of the sheer mental pressure he is under at this point from the ring. i find the fact he got right to the edge of victory before giving out very admirable when a victorious neuminorian king with a strong will didn't even make it off the field of battle before the ring overcame him.
yiggdrasill ~ solid point. I saw a different video which covers hobbit’s strength and that the movie does a disservice by representing them as weak when they’re just meek but strong. Think of Sam carrying Frodo.
Joseph Izzo they are also a lot more stealthy than pretty much all the other races, even without a ring they can seemingly disappear at will. Makes Gandalf choosing Bilbo as a burglar and Frodo as ring bearer more plausible.
I love how the Gondorians effectively represented their "religion" by the urban planning of the inner kingdom... The Towers of the Sun and the Moon flanking the Citadel of the Stars... i.e. the Two Trees with the Silmaril in the middle.
I've always loved Minas Morgul! A place of both beauty and horror. So eerie, so elegant - twisted and terrible. The deadly flowers growing on the meadows by a river flowing from the mountains past a fair white city... it's like from a nightmare repeating the childhood imaginary of a fairy tale book.
@@GeekZoneMT It's almost as if he peered into another universe when he 'created' the Lord of the Rings universe. Maybe that's how some of these people do it? They go to these mystery schools and are taught occult knowledge and power and they use this to create such hits, as far as books go, music, movies... And so forth. Just food for thought though...
He lived through WW1 and the battle of the Somme. Massive doses of unfiltered reality are more potent than even the most creative metaphysical daydreams of lost children.
Minas Morgul is by my favorite interpretation from book to movie. I feel they really hit the nail on the head with this one. I know when I first saw it I was shocked it looked nigh exactly how I had imagined it in my head while I was reading the original novel. Edit: I actually got up and clapped when I saw it lol.
I have only just found your channel this week. It has been thoroughly enjoyable to hear your deep dives into the lore of locations and specific individuals. I implore you to continue. For my own part, I do not have the time I once did to pour through books about LOTR topics, and being able to listen to you and others has been a great way to satisfy my thirst for high fantasy discussion. Thanks for what you do.
Cheers Doug, hearing something like this is really motivating so thank you for sharing! I'm glad you enjoy my content, I hope to keep you entertained in the future! :)
Playing Shadow of war now, is a nice city even though it's filled with orc filth, would have been a good rebuild but I doubt trees and a pure river would be possible for hundreds of years..
I love how Tolkein understood which words and which combinations of letters together sounded cool and kinda tough or evil or scary. Like Uruk's sound exactly what you'd want a crown of strong Goblins to be, Nazgul, Gondor, can't think of others now, but there's a BUNCH of them begining with b, i supposes the Barrow Downs etc The Witch king of Angmar
Excellent video Geek!!! Ya know when I first read TLOTR and read the description of Minas Morgul I felt a very chilling and uneasy feeling like as if I was looking and being almost drawn into it like Frodo almost was and when I first saw the scene in TROTK film I once again got that uneasy and chilling feeling though it was very much amplified then it originally was and now ever since then a whisp of that feeling comes always comes back when I am reading the books and watching the films its just such so chilling to me and I find it sad that place of unknown horrors was once a beautiful Gondorian fortress filled with light and goodness that fell almost a thousand years before The War of The Ring its just a real shame it fell I believe that after some time Aragorn or his son might have indeed reclaimed it and made it what it once was again I truly hope that was the case but anyway loved this video and can't wait for the next video!!!!!! :) (and The Last Jedi is only *5* days way the hype is so real!!!!!!! :) )
Luke Skywalker the 2nd Cheers Luke, I'm glad you enjoyed it mate! It's possible that they reclaimed it, though I also think it's fitting if it remains a permanent scar in Middle-Earth, a sign that evil causes damage which can't always be healed. Similar to Frodo's wounds throughout his quest! I'm looking forward to the Last Jedi, will be there for its premiere!
GeekZone Yeah I agree Geek I think it would be a permanent scar upon Middle Earth it really would show that some scars can never be fully healed and I'm not seeing TLJ at the premiere sadly I'm gonna see it on opening weekend!!! :)
I've watched this video at least a dozen time and it never gets old. I love hearing about the lore behind the majestic Minas Ithil, and the corrupted Minas Morgul.
yet another amazing video, and I really love that you take it al little further by talking about your own idea's and for example what Aragorns decisions were.
I've really enjoyed these series. You really go in-depth and honestly it's one of the richest set of history of Middle-earth videos I have seen. I especially liked the descriptions of Minas Morgul, my personal favorite of the towers presented by Tolkien. And also your highlighting of Tolkien's description is one of my favorite parts to read over and over. Kudos and keep them coming.
I’d imagine that the revanants and spirits of Earnur, his knights, and all those who fell during the siege, dwelt within, forever serving the Nazgûl and Sauron. In Shadow Of War, the spirits of the warriors who fell during the siege of Minas Ithil were raised from the dead to serve their new dark masters. So, I tend to believe that the same fate awaited the fallen in canon. Thus, this gave Minas Morgul an extra sense of fear and dread. Minas Morgul is also my favorite fortress in Middle-Earth besides Barad-Dûr itself.
The skeleton moon could be mocking or at least referencing Tilion, Maia of the Moon. He is Melkor's enemy, but less feared than Arien, the Maia of the Sun. Tolkien was very fond of cultural memory and half forgotten references. Earlier in the novel, when they were just passing from the familiar lands into the unknown lands of adventure, Frodo sang the song of the Man on the Moon. Tolkien meant this as such cultural memory - the song referenced Tilion, while of course the vast majority of the Hobbits and Men familiar with the song weren't familiar with the mythological/historical significance of the "moon-man" character. Now later on the borders of the enemy land we encounter another reference to the same mythological past - through the minds of the enemy.
Anna Marianne Possibly, though considering Minas Ithil's connection to the moon, I'm more inclined to believe that this was the reason they used the moon as their banner
Yes of course, but didn't the moon have skeletal features? I haven't read that passage in a while, I just recall that the moon banner had the likeness of a skull. Because Tolkien himself was so self-ware of such mythological connections, it seems unlikely to me that he wouldn't have at least noticed the implications of a dead moon man.
@@AnnaMarianne yes minas ithil in gondors control had a moon banner, when sauron took over minas ithil and turned it to minas morgul the orcs garriosoned there had a skull moon banner "simply mocking gondor"
Thanks Mike I appreciate it! If you don't mind me asking, I'm curious to know what you think improved and in what areas I could improve further, cause I would really love to give the best experience possible!
I cannot help but even feel sad for Minus Ithil (sp?)-Minus Morgul-I agree that it was good Tolkien chose Frodo/Sam’s wandering to occur in Baradur instead-I bet that after the final defeat of Sauron, human nature would take hold and people would eventually wonder “what indeed was there”-whether to settle or just explore, curiosity would draw people there-as “History became legend and Legend became myth” people may doubt the power and voracity the city once held (particularly IF signs of its corruption faded). Someone would eventually explore it’s magnificent ruins and walk it’s great halls again-no telling what they would find...
I would love a short fan film based on King Eärnur and accepting the challenge of the Witch King, but it's basically just a horror film, him and his party get to Minas Morgul and it's deserted, they slowly lose their minds as they try to find the Witch King (in the style of Annihilation), really leaning in to the dark sorcery vibe. They are picked off one by one by an unseen force until it's only Eärnur remaining, he enters the tower but it's basically just a maze, he keeps hallucinating the Witch King and can hear his taunts but he can never find him. He finally finds a door and enters a dark room, the door slams behind him leaving him in darkness, we hear a few heavy breaths as Eärnur stumbles around followed by the famous Nazgul scream.
While I'm sure the "houses of lamentation" are in Barad-dur, Minas Morgul is certainly a contender... "Come not between the Nazgûl and his prey! Or he will not slay thee in thy turn. He will bear thee away to the houses of lamentation, beyond all darkness, where thy flesh shall be devoured, and thy shrivelled mind be left naked to the Lidless Eye."
The houses of lamentation are a part of Tolkien's Legendarium that I'd love to know more about! If I ever happen to find more information about them I'd love to make a short video on them!
i think the skull ontop of the tower might have been a Statue of the moon, i think this would fit the theme. also the banner of Minas Morgul is a moon that turns into a skull (edit: whelp you mentioned that next... xD)
In Tolkien works they have a full book of the details and lore of minas ithil while the movies show very little and unaccurate representations. the top of the tower was just an ordinary white marbled tower that housed the palantir and the white tree planted by isildur. The main gate I believe either had a shape of a Cresent moon or a tree. And their was an inn right beside the main gate. The skull like shaped on top of the tower in Peter Jackson's film I'm assuming was probably an indication of mordors works to destroy gondors morale.. minas ithil was a tower of hope to the men of gondor and their was a reason why sauron tainted it and tried to mock them but in the end gondor won and they rebuilt minas ithil with the same white marble that reflected the moon 🌙
what about the dark tower of barad dur its horrors its chambers of darknes, it would be a great wideo but great work i love your wideos and i higly estimate this keep going
jl the great Lindmark Agreed, that would be incredibly intresting! Are you familiar with the Halls of Lamentation? If I manage to find enough information on all of this, I'd love to make a video on it!
You do a wonderful job explaining the complexities of Tolkien's world along with using stunning artwork and visuals. Keep up the good work. I and many enjoy it immensely.
You and who ever put these videos if there is any one helping you. Sorry I just wanted to say that it’s great what you do how you put these together. I listen to them when I am at home and work it’s fun and gives the great novels, movies a fun back story that not to many people know about. I do enjoy and keep my eyes open for any I haven’t seen yet
I think the site of Minas Ithil/Mordor would have eventually been settled when the corruption had faded and memory of it had also faded to myth after enough centuries had passed. It's a natural place for a city to grow, due to that being such a strategic location for so many reasons. Politically, it's where a natural border will tend to form, along a mountain range or other natural barrier. Gologically, it's at the mouth of a pass through mountains, and is thus a natural bottleneck for all travel. Militarily, it's where armies of any threatening size will have to pass through to enter Gondor from the East. Commercially, it's also where major trade routes and caravans would have to pass through for any land trade between lands east of the mountains and last like Gondor to the west. The only 2 things that would hold people back for a time would be the memories of those who lived during the time of Minas Mordor and would remember it's corruption, those for whom the stories of corruption are recent enough history and those who enter the region but feel the corruption and don't like it there so they leave. Eventually the memories and history would fade to myth and even that would one day be forgotten. Time heals all wounds, and without Sauron or the Whitch King of Angmar there to hold the corruption in place, this would be no exception, and the corruption would fade in time, and the lands would one day become pure again. When that time comes, however many centuries that may take, that place would inevitably be again settled and a new city would one day be built there.
i like how lotro extended the statues' effects in the game to being fel spirits inhabiting them and inflicting dread on anyone that came close. i think that was a good interpretation
GeekZone I remember that distinctly from both the book and the old animated shows. I was hoping it would make its way into the EE but I guess they never filmed it. Didn’t Sam use the Light from Galadriel to get past the gate watchers?
they came close when frodo is being compelled to go into minas morgul. it is implied something bad was coming from the statues and he is stopped before he crosses the threshold they guard. i don't think they go beyond them in the extended version though.
I've been binging the Game of Thrones background story videos and then yours was recommended to me. I've watched 3 so far and I love them! Well done and includes plenty of flavor. I like your accent too and it adds to the videos in my opinion even though sometimes it can be hard to understand what you said. Keep up the good work! Subbed!
Thanks for another wonderful escape into LOTR lore! After Sauron's defeat, i think some corruption would have lifted, but the stain on the land would last for a long time. With no need to occupy, this ruined city would fall to the wilds, claimed by nature but perhaps the tower would be rebuilt as a shining monument to the area's history, visited for generations.
Cheers AJ! Since we're told Minas Morgul was destroyed, I always assumed they broke it down with catapults or some other siege weapon. I'd imagine that some of the foundations would remain albeit in an extremely broken state. I like your idea of nature slowly reclaiming and entwining itself around what remains, though I think it would be pretty awesome if this very nature gets warped slightly or even shows signs of sickness :)
I'm new to this channel, but you seem to have some great LOTR content in it. Well researched and expertly described. This is my fifth video in a row and I'm not stopping until I see all of it. Might take a few weeks though, I do have a day job.
I love the design of minas ithil in shadow of war, its realistic and architecturally beautiful, as opposed to the one shown in the film which is just one tower and some imposing walls. What makes minas morgul so interesting and effective is its previous populace of men, and the creepiness comes from the witch-kings corruption of man's creation, which would mean a city would work better.
I reckon Gandalf could have at least stayed to cleanse Minas Morgul with Galadriels help. Since Sauron was defeated after the rings destruction there would be nothing to keep the magic going, the illness would easily be broken and the city reformed to its ancient glory. I've also noticed that Minas Ithil was similar to an elven fortress in the 1st age, the two had the same purpose. Forgot it's name btw.
Great video and very accurate if we look at the books as always! Also when i saw the map on which there was shown where exactly was Angmar(with red) had bringed me old memories of the strategy games for LOTR....god dammit why nobody doesn't want to these games for newer PCs or either remaster them....
Great video! I don't think that Minas Morgul would ever have been resettled, at least not while remembrance of the struggle against Sauron remained, due to the corruption that would have settled into the very rocks the city was built on, and from. Maybe a thousand years after the War of the Rings, some unwary people might have settled there, but I think the evil present there would have made it a poor choice for any settlement. I don't think that any settlers would be corrupted themselves, but rather that their sleep would be filled with unsettling dreams, and their waking lives would have been plagued by petty misfortunes, by the malicious spirits who were brought to the city by the Nazgul. I think the mystery of Minas Morgul might have been ruined if the rescue of Frodo by Sam had been set in Minas Morgul, so I'm glad Tolkien set that scene in Cirith Ungol. Thanks for making these, always a pleasure to watch!
Cheers Michael! I really like your idea of what Minas Morgul would do to future setllers, sort of like that cold uneasy feeling people claim they get when they enter some haunted place!
I love your interpretations and the interesting sound of your voice. I listen to EVERYTHING Tolkien, while working in my art studio. I create whimsical flying figures and these readings inspire some of my characters. Thanks.
Perhaps there lived some other smaller large-spiders, spawn of Shelob that didn´t reached Mirkwood, werevolves or some unsuspected darker enemies there: Shelob´s lair was builded by some uknown creature (pretty much the same burrow-dwellers of Moria, the mysterious and quite uncanny Nameless Things), and well perhaps King Earnur still linger there as a wraith to protect the city under the spell of Nazgul, and he was a very fearsome warrior to fight (pretty much the same spell about the Barren-dwellers of Cardolain). Anything could remain there, but was quite menacing enough that Gandalf and Aragorn choosed to avoid regain the city and rather destroyed it totally later, and never reestablished on there. Wasn´t there some other pass to Mordor, pretty hidden in the southwestern of the Shadow Mountains? Maybe it wasn´t used by anyone, but the maps of Mordor seems to show some other division between the different encircling mountain chains of there, I don´t know if Tolkien ever noticed it!!
Really Good Video & Information About Minas Ithil. In The Beginning chapter of Shadow Of War Also explains how Minas Ithil was conquered by Witch King Of Angmar. Thats when in Return of the king Movie Sauron sents Witch King to also conquered Minas Tirith with his forces after conquering Minas Ithil . Its crazy because Talion ( Shadow Of War Main Character) it is said that he also turned into a ringwraith and joined Witch King of Angmar army and also participated in the War Of The Ring. It is also said that Lord Ilsildur turned into a ringwraith because he got corrupted to the Ring of Power that's what led him to his doom. Talion was one of the ringwraiths that chased Frodo on his trip to Bree along with the other Hobbits and join Black gate battle.
Perfect Image 17 The movies and games are considered to be their own thing since they werent written or created Tolkien, so they aren't considered canon in the story :)
Das a goo kreschyun, Megman. As I recall, Morgoth is bound somewhere to Arda, destined to be released during Tolkien's version of Ragnarok, and his presence spawns all the evil in Middle Earth. Meaning that parts of the land are eternally corrupted. Now Sauron is a lesser class of being than Morgoth, but his evil has been known to permanently taint areas, beings, and objects as well. That being said, even if New Gondor reclaimed the now-conquered Mordor, it's likely nothing would grow, minds would be constantly darkened, and luck or other forces in the area would just be outright bad...and that's a best case scenario. Hell, Lake-town was still under a curse as of the beginning of FotR because Smaug's body was still in the lake, and dragons are lesser still than Maiar. Had Tolkien ever followed through with his sequel story (The New Shadow), I believe something along these lines would have come into play. I seem to recall something about Aragorn's son and some cult devoted to Morgoth being mentioned in the only existing notes, and the cult had to have a base somewhere. I probably got some of the details wrong there, but the plans were something like that.
Great analysis and description! You have also beautifully edited the video I hope that the New Amazon Tolkien television series Will go into detail about the Witch King, the Nazgul, Angmar, and Minas Morgul!
Thanks Scott! I had a made a video about the possible plot lines they might cover, if it's set in the third age, I'm quite sure that The Witch-King and the rest of the Nazgul would be featured, or even play a pivotal role in the story (such as the conquest of Arnor) :)
Thats the beauty of Tolkiens writings, he doesn't say whats inside leaving the mind to wonder and let the imagination go wild. I think, in my mind, its like Scholomance x10000000, loads of necrotic ancient magics we can't begin to fathom, and what other horros lurked deep down and inside the city. What I'd like to know is what happened to denizen of Minas Ithel... what they had to endure what they were turned into... its sad and scary to think what had happened to them all... women, children...none were spared the masters wrath. Uhhh we can only speculate, but fair enough, keep up the good work i love these vids
Great video and narration I loved the scene in Lord of the Rings Return of the King where it shows Minas Morgul the only thing I wish I could see more about it is the inside that would be cool too
If Sauron had been Victorious in the war of the Ring, he likely would have wanted to corrupt more great Kings of Men perhaps even the wizard or two. I believe that among the horrors of Minas Mogul would be a series of Chambers intended for this purpose.
great video and your voice narration is top especially for one Apprentice like me in English. Sorry for my mistakes of grammar. For Minas Morgul, i think that city is haunted by ghosts and undead creatures, same after the Sauron 's Defeat.
I don't think anybody does Tolkien's works more justice than you do with your videos. And that's not a crack on anybody else That's just saying you're doing him extreme justice and I think JR Tolkien would agree if we could ask him of course. The amount of knowledge you have on the stuff is absolutely astounding. I specifically clicked on this video because I'm one of the know why that city glowed and I didn't expect to get the answer honestly but I did.
The use of light was a smart move on tolkien. On one side you have Minas Ithil, reflecting the pale light of the moon which symbolises purity, then the polar opposite Minas Morgul reflecting the same light of the moon with a green tint (in the films anyway, I haven't read the books) to represent the corruption and evil that now inhabits it in the events of return of the king when Frodo and Sam encounter it.
So the way I under the tower at Minas Ithil and being called the Tower of the Moon was it was a literal Moon Tower which was a old way to light up a city in the dark (they reflect light from high up back down the ground allowing even a small amount of light to illuminate a large area) I never realized that it was named the Tower of the Moon in reference to the Tower of the Sun being in another city. When you look at maps of the Mountain range between Minas Ithil and Cirith Ungol it looks like the tower at Minas Ithil was just tall enough that it could look over a break in the Mountain Range deep into Mordor from the out skirts which is why I could see it being a city that changed hands a lot through the ages between the Mordor and other Kingdoms
I remember reading in the tolkien encyclopedia that Minas Morgul was uninhabited ever since Aragons ascension. No one dared to step foot in a place corrupted for so many years and was left hallow and abandoned.
I'm actually planning on sculpting Minas Morgal out of sculpting clay can't wait. Also I have minty green glow in the dark paint for the walls. It's gonna look dope
I would love for them to do a wrap up trilogy of all the famous battles that led up to the Lord of the rings and show how key places were captured and or destroyed. Would also love to see the battle of the dead marshes and of course the battle of the ring on the base of Mount Doom
so you're telling me that Minas Morgul is now empty and that all the orcs and trolls left the strong hold to attack Minas Tirith? Surly there were some orcs still left to hold it as it is a pretty good stronghold for the forces of Sauron.
Jrm Her I keep my opinion out of the videos unless I state it beforehand. However in the books its implied that when the Host of the West reach it, Minas Morgul had been emptied. Possibly because its army had been sent to attack Minas Tirith, and anyone left might have been summoned to the Black Gate
There were Orcs there, but the garrison was greatly reduced since Gothmog died. Gandalf suggested Sauron ordered his soldiers not to bother Aragorn's host, so they did not confront the king. Aragorn would later order Minas Morgul to be cleansed, but its evil aura continued to exist and no man dared live there.
Yes the entire orc n troll host that attacked gondor was from minas morgul and they were probably the same army that attacked minas ithil before it became minas morgul cause orcs are immortal, when aragorn becomes king they eventually won it back.
500 years ago we had a culture very similar in technology and warfare and look how far we have come In the lord of the rings their technology and means of war change very little for thousands and thousands of years As old as their culture is compared to ours you would think they'd be fighting with lightsabers and phaser pistols by now
Great info. There was actually a quite good ICE roleplay module on Minas ithil. Would love to see someone make another attempt at at elaborating on what we know about Minas Ithil /Morgul, definitely one of Tolkiens most intriguing, and as you say, poetic, locations. So much room for, what did he call it, sub-creation?
Cheers man, it really is a fascinating part of the Lore! However I believe that retaining that layer of mystery and keeping it enigmatic is what keeps us interested in, as we'd always crave for more! :)
Hello, me again im afraid. Just a few questions, in middle earth what determines the ages(2nd age etc) are they set amount of years or differ length. Also, why did Elendil form two kingdoms not one large one, and if he was king of arnor were both isuldur and anarien kings of Gondor or just one of them? And finally after the war of the ring did Gondor and Arnor prosper again?
Randyll Tarly The ages differ in years, what seems to determine the next age is a significant event. For example the First Age ended with the defeat of Morgoth, the second age with the defeat of Sauron during the Last Alliance, and the third age ended with the destruction of the One Ring. The Numenoreans had the Northern and Southern Kingdom to have a presence in the different regions of Middle Earth, however in between these kingdoms there were others lands such as lothlorien which is possibly why it wasn't one entire kingdom. However I think the main reason behind having two kingdoms is efficiency. That the larger a kingdom is the harder it is the rule under one government, while by dividing, each could have a ruler that could target his part of the kingdom better. During Aragorn's reign, the Northern Kingdom was restablished once again, and both kingdoms prospered. If you have any other questions let me know :)
Thanks for the very detailed answer, you are very clever on this topic! I wanted to ask, I have seen many maps of middle earth, some have huge areas of land behind mordor meaning there is alot of space with no movie time(dont know about book time), what is in this land, does rhun and harad go that far back or is it other kingdoms?
Can you straighten my memory out for me? Its been awhile since Ive read the books, but I seem to remember it being said in the books that the tower was taken by long neglect (of Gondor) while Sauron was in mirkwood, and through Gondors neglect, Saurons minions (nazgul) reoccupied the tower while Gondor slept in the long peace. By the time Gondor realized the tower was occupied by evil it was too late to dislodge it, it had been corrupted.
My second favourite city in the whole of the Lord of the Rings, just such a cool place both in Art style and lore. Badass beautiful place 🤙 I’d love for it to be recaptured in the far future of the lore, but held by a holy sort of magical city garrison. Because they need round the clock priests and such to keep the past dwindling corruption still at bay or something. Small part of me wants it to be destroyed because of how evil it probably is now, like a radioactive city but with corruption instead. And it would still then keep the secrecy and intrigue of “what could be (or could’ve been) inside” alive.
Hey guys, first of all I apologise for the delay since my last video, but I ended up hoarse and could barely speak for the past week! I hope you enjoy this video, it came longer than I expected! In my opinion, it's one of more interesting and mysterious areas in the Middle-Earth! This video received the most votes in the last Facebook poll, I'll be doing another poll for next week's video, so if you're interesting in voting, I'll drop the link below! As always subtitles are available, until next week friends! facebook.com/GeekZoneMT/
GeekZone no problem i still love youre video's
Lars van den Bos cheers mate, I'm glad you enjoy them! :)
As allways Good and fun and educating !! Coeld you make more abbout fortreses like bar dur dolguldur carn dum ? Please?!
Colin van der Voort Will cover them all for sure in the future mate! :)
Hey mate, love your videos. Been binge watching to catch up on all the old ones since I discovered your channel. Your (Maltese accent?) voice narration is top notch too, it really compliments the mystery of Tolkein's world and one can sense your enthusiasm for the subject matter. Keep up the good work!
Also you use a lot of fantastic artwork by some very talented people. It would be nice if you would credit those artists in your video descriptions. :)
the passage where frodo is drawn towards the city is a real indication of the sheer mental pressure he is under at this point from the ring. i find the fact he got right to the edge of victory before giving out very admirable when a victorious neuminorian king with a strong will didn't even make it off the field of battle before the ring overcame him.
yiggdrasill ~ solid point. I saw a different video which covers hobbit’s strength and that the movie does a disservice by representing them as weak when they’re just meek but strong. Think of Sam carrying Frodo.
Joseph Izzo they are also a lot more stealthy than pretty much all the other races, even without a ring they can seemingly disappear at will. Makes Gandalf choosing Bilbo as a burglar and Frodo as ring bearer more plausible.
That's why I don't get it why some people are awful about Frodo.
I don't think I would have resisted as much as he did.
I love how the Gondorians effectively represented their "religion" by the urban planning of the inner kingdom... The Towers of the Sun and the Moon flanking the Citadel of the Stars... i.e. the Two Trees with the Silmaril in the middle.
I had never thought of that, quite insightful! Cheers mate!
Meticulous detail lol but I expect nothing less from Tolkien
Nothing like a good cup of tea and a lore video to enjoy my afternoon.
Hope you enjoyed both of them Melissa!
I did, thank you!!
Wow so I'm not the only one
hahaha I can't believe. THat's exactly what I'm doing now
Yes it's inhabited today it's called Philadelphia
Or all of america
Poland
Shit... I think you mean Detroit
Lol
@S billings Forth Eorlingas!!!!!
I've always loved Minas Morgul! A place of both beauty and horror. So eerie, so elegant - twisted and terrible. The deadly flowers growing on the meadows by a river flowing from the mountains past a fair white city... it's like from a nightmare repeating the childhood imaginary of a fairy tale book.
Anna Marianne Indeed, Tolkien was truly a Master at describing thesr sort of things, so chilling!
one of my fav places to go in any game where you could go there. its truly amazing what evil and magic eminates from there :)
@@GeekZoneMT It's almost as if he peered into another universe when he 'created' the Lord of the Rings universe. Maybe that's how some of these people do it? They go to these mystery schools and are taught occult knowledge and power and they use this to create such hits, as far as books go, music, movies... And so forth. Just food for thought though...
He lived through WW1 and the battle of the Somme. Massive doses of unfiltered reality are more potent than even the most creative metaphysical daydreams of lost children.
It honestly seems more like something out of HP Lovecraft's stories than the rest of LOTR. And it is brilliant.
Minas Morgul is by my favorite interpretation from book to movie. I feel they really hit the nail on the head with this one. I know when I first saw it I was shocked it looked nigh exactly how I had imagined it in my head while I was reading the original novel.
Edit: I actually got up and clapped when I saw it lol.
Minas Morgul, translated into common speech: Liverpool
we sure are proud of the revolving tower!
Blackpool, Shirley?
@@Enrico_Palazzo_opera_singer Topped off by Stan Boardman's head... leering into the night.
Just nearby Morder, also known as Manchester.
In the USA it translates to Ohio
I have only just found your channel this week. It has been thoroughly enjoyable to hear your deep dives into the lore of locations and specific individuals. I implore you to continue. For my own part, I do not have the time I once did to pour through books about LOTR topics, and being able to listen to you and others has been a great way to satisfy my thirst for high fantasy discussion. Thanks for what you do.
Cheers Doug, hearing something like this is really motivating so thank you for sharing! I'm glad you enjoy my content, I hope to keep you entertained in the future! :)
Playing Shadow of war now, is a nice city even though it's filled with orc filth, would have been a good rebuild but I doubt trees and a pure river would be possible for hundreds of years..
Tut Tut yes I see it the same way after playing shadow of war
Will you be doing a video on the history of Barad Dur?
Hope he does
Apparently not 😂
I love how Tolkein understood which words and which combinations of letters together sounded cool and kinda tough or evil or scary. Like Uruk's sound exactly what you'd want a crown of strong Goblins to be, Nazgul, Gondor, can't think of others now, but there's a BUNCH of them begining with b, i supposes the Barrow Downs etc The Witch king of Angmar
Excellent video Geek!!! Ya know when I first read TLOTR and read the description of Minas Morgul I felt a very chilling and uneasy feeling like as if I was looking and being almost drawn into it like Frodo almost was and when I first saw the scene in TROTK film I once again got that uneasy and chilling feeling though it was very much amplified then it originally was and now ever since then a whisp of that feeling comes always comes back when I am reading the books and watching the films its just such so chilling to me and I find it sad that place of unknown horrors was once a beautiful Gondorian fortress filled with light and goodness that fell almost a thousand years before The War of The Ring its just a real shame it fell I believe that after some time Aragorn or his son might have indeed reclaimed it and made it what it once was again I truly hope that was the case but anyway loved this video and can't wait for the next video!!!!!! :) (and The Last Jedi is only *5* days way the hype is so real!!!!!!! :) )
Luke Skywalker the 2nd Cheers Luke, I'm glad you enjoyed it mate! It's possible that they reclaimed it, though I also think it's fitting if it remains a permanent scar in Middle-Earth, a sign that evil causes damage which can't always be healed. Similar to Frodo's wounds throughout his quest! I'm looking forward to the Last Jedi, will be there for its premiere!
GeekZone Yeah I agree Geek I think it would be a permanent scar upon Middle Earth it really would show that some scars can never be fully healed and I'm not seeing TLJ at the premiere sadly I'm gonna see it on opening weekend!!! :)
In the Appendices, it was clearly stated that Aragorn had Minas Ithil in the Morgul Vale destroyed
GeekZone Filipino :)
Luke Skywalker the 2nd I like it this way...dark n beautiful, pale green glow....awe, inspiring chaos. Power incarnate...”doing what thou wilt”.
I've watched this video at least a dozen time and it never gets old. I love hearing about the lore behind the majestic Minas Ithil, and the corrupted Minas Morgul.
So Minus Ithel became like a fantasy Chernobyl?
(plays Shadow of War) "I was there, 3000 years ago"
Yes it was just so beautiful
More like 30 years
tsukasaoftheazuresky it was more like 60
@@rickoofable even on fire
Shadow of War changed the timeline, among other terrible lorebreaks.
yet another amazing video, and I really love that you take it al little further by talking about your own idea's and for example what Aragorns decisions were.
titus drissen Cheers Titus, which part are you referring to about Aragorn? Is it the part after his coronation?
I've really enjoyed these series. You really go in-depth and honestly it's one of the richest set of history of Middle-earth videos I have seen. I especially liked the descriptions of Minas Morgul, my personal favorite of the towers presented by Tolkien. And also your highlighting of Tolkien's description is one of my favorite parts to read over and over. Kudos and keep them coming.
I’d imagine that the revanants and spirits of Earnur, his knights, and all those who fell during the siege, dwelt within, forever serving the Nazgûl and Sauron. In Shadow Of War, the spirits of the warriors who fell during the siege of Minas Ithil were raised from the dead to serve their new dark masters. So, I tend to believe that the same fate awaited the fallen in canon. Thus, this gave Minas Morgul an extra sense of fear and dread. Minas Morgul is also my favorite fortress in Middle-Earth besides Barad-Dûr itself.
Thank you for these videos. I've been reading Tolkien's books for about 45 years but I've learnt a lot from your work here.
The skeleton moon could be mocking or at least referencing Tilion, Maia of the Moon. He is Melkor's enemy, but less feared than Arien, the Maia of the Sun.
Tolkien was very fond of cultural memory and half forgotten references. Earlier in the novel, when they were just passing from the familiar lands into the unknown lands of adventure, Frodo sang the song of the Man on the Moon. Tolkien meant this as such cultural memory - the song referenced Tilion, while of course the vast majority of the Hobbits and Men familiar with the song weren't familiar with the mythological/historical significance of the "moon-man" character.
Now later on the borders of the enemy land we encounter another reference to the same mythological past - through the minds of the enemy.
Anna Marianne Possibly, though considering Minas Ithil's connection to the moon, I'm more inclined to believe that this was the reason they used the moon as their banner
Yes of course, but didn't the moon have skeletal features? I haven't read that passage in a while, I just recall that the moon banner had the likeness of a skull. Because Tolkien himself was so self-ware of such mythological connections, it seems unlikely to me that he wouldn't have at least noticed the implications of a dead moon man.
@@AnnaMarianne yes minas ithil in gondors control had a moon banner, when sauron took over minas ithil and turned it to minas morgul the orcs garriosoned there had a skull moon banner "simply mocking gondor"
12:55 Dragon Age Origins camp fire theme tune and 16:30 Dragon Age 3 theme tune. Man I love this Channel !!!!
Cheers Chris, I love to mix different films/games that I'm passionate about, it doesn't hurt that they'd have incredibly beautiful soundtracks! :)
@@GeekZoneMT hey Geek, where is the music from at 6:40? Love how it fits so good to tolkien description of the city!
I've been watching your lore videos for a while and the growth in quality has been amazing! Keep up the great work.
Thanks Mike I appreciate it! If you don't mind me asking, I'm curious to know what you think improved and in what areas I could improve further, cause I would really love to give the best experience possible!
I cannot help but even feel sad for Minus Ithil (sp?)-Minus Morgul-I agree that it was good Tolkien chose Frodo/Sam’s wandering to occur in Baradur instead-I bet that after the final defeat of Sauron, human nature would take hold and people would eventually wonder “what indeed was there”-whether to settle or just explore, curiosity would draw people there-as “History became legend and Legend became myth” people may doubt the power and voracity the city once held (particularly IF signs of its corruption faded). Someone would eventually explore it’s magnificent ruins and walk it’s great halls again-no telling what they would find...
*Minas
Very thorough, excellent use of quotes
I would love a short fan film based on King Eärnur and accepting the challenge of the Witch King, but it's basically just a horror film, him and his party get to Minas Morgul and it's deserted, they slowly lose their minds as they try to find the Witch King (in the style of Annihilation), really leaning in to the dark sorcery vibe. They are picked off one by one by an unseen force until it's only Eärnur remaining, he enters the tower but it's basically just a maze, he keeps hallucinating the Witch King and can hear his taunts but he can never find him. He finally finds a door and enters a dark room, the door slams behind him leaving him in darkness, we hear a few heavy breaths as Eärnur stumbles around followed by the famous Nazgul scream.
While I'm sure the "houses of lamentation" are in Barad-dur, Minas Morgul is certainly a contender...
"Come not between the Nazgûl and his prey! Or he will not slay thee in thy turn. He will bear thee away to the houses of lamentation, beyond all darkness, where thy flesh shall be devoured, and thy shrivelled mind be left naked to the Lidless Eye."
The houses of lamentation are a part of Tolkien's Legendarium that I'd love to know more about! If I ever happen to find more information about them I'd love to make a short video on them!
Beautiful description, the nazgul place is beautiful. Dark but still beautiful. Goths eat your heart out.
When the Nazgul move into town, you just _know_ the property value is going to collapse!
i think the skull ontop of the tower might have been a Statue of the moon, i think this would fit the theme.
also the banner of Minas Morgul is a moon that turns into a skull
(edit: whelp you mentioned that next... xD)
Morinor it's cool buddy!
So it's basically a mosque?
@@dekippiesip Sounds about right
@@dekippiesip Look how evil and corrupted they've made the Haghia Sophia
In Tolkien works they have a full book of the details and lore of minas ithil while the movies show very little and unaccurate representations. the top of the tower was just an ordinary white marbled tower that housed the palantir and the white tree planted by isildur. The main gate I believe either had a shape of a Cresent moon or a tree. And their was an inn right beside the main gate. The skull like shaped on top of the tower in Peter Jackson's film I'm assuming was probably an indication of mordors works to destroy gondors morale.. minas ithil was a tower of hope to the men of gondor and their was a reason why sauron tainted it and tried to mock them but in the end gondor won and they rebuilt minas ithil with the same white marble that reflected the moon 🌙
what about the dark tower of barad dur its horrors its chambers of darknes, it would be a great wideo but great work i love your wideos and i higly estimate this keep going
jl the great Lindmark Agreed, that would be incredibly intresting! Are you familiar with the Halls of Lamentation? If I manage to find enough information on all of this, I'd love to make a video on it!
no i am afraid that i dont now about the halls of Lamentation it would be a sucess thanks agaim for the wideo
You do a wonderful job explaining the complexities of Tolkien's world along with using stunning artwork and visuals. Keep up the good work. I and many enjoy it immensely.
Always loved the spooky feel of this city. Wish we could have heard more about the inside.
Dude, you are answering so many questions I had about the films. Thank you!
You and who ever put these videos if there is any one helping you. Sorry I just wanted to say that it’s great what you do how you put these together. I listen to them when I am at home and work it’s fun and gives the great novels, movies a fun back story that not to many people know about. I do enjoy and keep my eyes open for any I haven’t seen yet
A wonderful video. Your visual representations were outstanding.
Thanks Roland! :)
I think the site of Minas Ithil/Mordor would have eventually been settled when the corruption had faded and memory of it had also faded to myth after enough centuries had passed.
It's a natural place for a city to grow, due to that being such a strategic location for so many reasons. Politically, it's where a natural border will tend to form, along a mountain range or other natural barrier. Gologically, it's at the mouth of a pass through mountains, and is thus a natural bottleneck for all travel. Militarily, it's where armies of any threatening size will have to pass through to enter Gondor from the East. Commercially, it's also where major trade routes and caravans would have to pass through for any land trade between lands east of the mountains and last like Gondor to the west.
The only 2 things that would hold people back for a time would be the memories of those who lived during the time of Minas Mordor and would remember it's corruption, those for whom the stories of corruption are recent enough history and those who enter the region but feel the corruption and don't like it there so they leave. Eventually the memories and history would fade to myth and even that would one day be forgotten. Time heals all wounds, and without Sauron or the Whitch King of Angmar there to hold the corruption in place, this would be no exception, and the corruption would fade in time, and the lands would one day become pure again. When that time comes, however many centuries that may take, that place would inevitably be again settled and a new city would one day be built there.
i like how lotro extended the statues' effects in the game to being fel spirits inhabiting them and inflicting dread on anyone that came close. i think that was a good interpretation
C. ladimore In the books the statues outside of Cirith Ungol seem to have something similar, so it's possible!
GeekZone I remember that distinctly from both the book and the old animated shows. I was hoping it would make its way into the EE but I guess they never filmed it. Didn’t Sam use the Light from Galadriel to get past the gate watchers?
they came close when frodo is being compelled to go into minas morgul. it is implied something bad was coming from the statues and he is stopped before he crosses the threshold they guard. i don't think they go beyond them in the extended version though.
When I first read The Silmarillion, learning about Minas Morgol's origin was so exciting. It has always engaged my curiosity
I've been binging the Game of Thrones background story videos and then yours was recommended to me. I've watched 3 so far and I love them! Well done and includes plenty of flavor. I like your accent too and it adds to the videos in my opinion even though sometimes it can be hard to understand what you said. Keep up the good work! Subbed!
Thanks for another wonderful escape into LOTR lore! After Sauron's defeat, i think some corruption would have lifted, but the stain on the land would last for a long time. With no need to occupy, this ruined city would fall to the wilds, claimed by nature but perhaps the tower would be rebuilt as a shining monument to the area's history, visited for generations.
Cheers AJ! Since we're told Minas Morgul was destroyed, I always assumed they broke it down with catapults or some other siege weapon. I'd imagine that some of the foundations would remain albeit in an extremely broken state. I like your idea of nature slowly reclaiming and entwining itself around what remains, though I think it would be pretty awesome if this very nature gets warped slightly or even shows signs of sickness :)
your work is so passionate and meticulous that is really hard to not binge watch your awesome content.
I'm really enjoying these videos. You're doing a fantastic job!
This is the best youtube channel ive seen for years. Thank you :)
I'm new to this channel, but you seem to have some great LOTR content in it. Well researched and expertly described. This is my fifth video in a row and I'm not stopping until I see all of it. Might take a few weeks though, I do have a day job.
I love how you put so much work in your video's and explain it all so well
Thanks buddy, I appreciate it :)
I love the design of minas ithil in shadow of war, its realistic and architecturally beautiful, as opposed to the one shown in the film which is just one tower and some imposing walls. What makes minas morgul so interesting and effective is its previous populace of men, and the creepiness comes from the witch-kings corruption of man's creation, which would mean a city would work better.
I reckon Gandalf could have at least stayed to cleanse Minas Morgul with Galadriels help. Since Sauron was defeated after the rings destruction there would be nothing to keep the magic going, the illness would easily be broken and the city reformed to its ancient glory. I've also noticed that Minas Ithil was similar to an elven fortress in the 1st age, the two had the same purpose. Forgot it's name btw.
Great video and very accurate if we look at the books as always! Also when i saw the map on which there was shown where exactly was Angmar(with red) had bringed me old memories of the strategy games for LOTR....god dammit why nobody doesn't want to these games for newer PCs or either remaster them....
Great video geek! Happy to see a youtuber who dedicates himself to lotr lore! Tolkien would be proud! :)
Cheers Kirin! That's one hell of a compliment!
Great video!
I don't think that Minas Morgul would ever have been resettled, at least not while remembrance of the struggle against Sauron remained, due to the corruption that would have settled into the very rocks the city was built on, and from.
Maybe a thousand years after the War of the Rings, some unwary people might have settled there, but I think the evil present there would have made it a poor choice for any settlement. I don't think that any settlers would be corrupted themselves, but rather that their sleep would be filled with unsettling dreams, and their waking lives would have been plagued by petty misfortunes, by the malicious spirits who were brought to the city by the Nazgul.
I think the mystery of Minas Morgul might have been ruined if the rescue of Frodo by Sam had been set in Minas Morgul, so I'm glad Tolkien set that scene in Cirith Ungol.
Thanks for making these, always a pleasure to watch!
Cheers Michael! I really like your idea of what Minas Morgul would do to future setllers, sort of like that cold uneasy feeling people claim they get when they enter some haunted place!
I love your interpretations and the interesting sound of your voice. I listen to EVERYTHING Tolkien, while working in my art studio. I create whimsical flying figures and these readings inspire some of my characters. Thanks.
Perhaps there lived some other smaller large-spiders, spawn of Shelob that didn´t reached Mirkwood, werevolves or some unsuspected darker enemies there: Shelob´s lair was builded by some uknown creature (pretty much the same burrow-dwellers of Moria, the mysterious and quite uncanny Nameless Things), and well perhaps King Earnur still linger there as a wraith to protect the city under the spell of Nazgul, and he was a very fearsome warrior to fight (pretty much the same spell about the Barren-dwellers of Cardolain). Anything could remain there, but was quite menacing enough that Gandalf and Aragorn choosed to avoid regain the city and rather destroyed it totally later, and never reestablished on there.
Wasn´t there some other pass to Mordor, pretty hidden in the southwestern of the Shadow Mountains? Maybe it wasn´t used by anyone, but the maps of Mordor seems to show some other division between the different encircling mountain chains of there, I don´t know if Tolkien ever noticed it!!
Thank you for the upload. Great job!
Thank you very much I appreciate you work on this channel ! Keep it up !
You're welcome! :)
9:28 the building on the left look like st. Donat church from Zadar-Croatia.
Appreciate the work you put into these videos! Keep em coming!
Cheers buddy!
Really Good Video & Information About Minas Ithil. In The Beginning chapter of Shadow Of War Also explains how Minas Ithil was conquered by Witch King Of Angmar. Thats when in Return of the king Movie Sauron sents Witch King to also conquered Minas Tirith with his forces after conquering Minas Ithil . Its crazy because Talion ( Shadow Of War Main Character) it is said that he also turned into a ringwraith and joined Witch King of Angmar army and also participated in the War Of The Ring. It is also said that Lord Ilsildur turned into a ringwraith because he got corrupted to the Ring of Power that's what led him to his doom. Talion was one of the ringwraiths that chased Frodo on his trip to Bree along with the other Hobbits and join Black gate battle.
Perfect Image 17 The movies and games are considered to be their own thing since they werent written or created Tolkien, so they aren't considered canon in the story :)
I am truly grateful for your research and videos
Whatever happened to the land of Mordor after the ring was destroyed?
It most likely returned to its natural state after Sauron's defeat, as it was most likely his evil that corrupted the land in the first place.
@@Tetz231 the lands surrounding barad dur caved in at the end of the third movie.
@Elk Lord I'mma report you for saying racist stuff
Das a goo kreschyun, Megman.
As I recall, Morgoth is bound somewhere to Arda, destined to be released during Tolkien's version of Ragnarok, and his presence spawns all the evil in Middle Earth. Meaning that parts of the land are eternally corrupted. Now Sauron is a lesser class of being than Morgoth, but his evil has been known to permanently taint areas, beings, and objects as well. That being said, even if New Gondor reclaimed the now-conquered Mordor, it's likely nothing would grow, minds would be constantly darkened, and luck or other forces in the area would just be outright bad...and that's a best case scenario. Hell, Lake-town was still under a curse as of the beginning of FotR because Smaug's body was still in the lake, and dragons are lesser still than Maiar.
Had Tolkien ever followed through with his sequel story (The New Shadow), I believe something along these lines would have come into play. I seem to recall something about Aragorn's son and some cult devoted to Morgoth being mentioned in the only existing notes, and the cult had to have a base somewhere. I probably got some of the details wrong there, but the plans were something like that.
@Elk Lord you should respect others man,no need to be stupid
You put so much time into these Videos thank you for that. Keep up the great work :)
You're doing great work, Karl.
The universe just gets better and better
thanks for the video its amezing, if u could make a video about Annüminas that would be lovely :)
Efe Trkmn cheers mate, I will for sure in the future!
Great analysis and description! You have also beautifully edited the video I hope that the New Amazon Tolkien television series Will go into detail about the Witch King, the Nazgul, Angmar, and Minas Morgul!
Thanks Scott! I had a made a video about the possible plot lines they might cover, if it's set in the third age, I'm quite sure that The Witch-King and the rest of the Nazgul would be featured, or even play a pivotal role in the story (such as the conquest of Arnor) :)
GeekZone That would be great to watch! Love this channel! Thanks for all the great work you do!
Thank you for this video!
Joe Jessup You're welcome mate!
I think this is one of my favourite videos from you :)
Thats the beauty of Tolkiens writings, he doesn't say whats inside leaving the mind to wonder and let the imagination go wild. I think, in my mind, its like Scholomance x10000000, loads of necrotic ancient magics we can't begin to fathom, and what other horros lurked deep down and inside the city. What I'd like to know is what happened to denizen of Minas Ithel... what they had to endure what they were turned into... its sad and scary to think what had happened to them all... women, children...none were spared the masters wrath. Uhhh we can only speculate, but fair enough, keep up the good work i love these vids
more of this please do Isengard and Saruman's rule over it :)
I'll add it to the polls for next week's video :)
Great video as always! I'd love to see a video about Cirith Ungol, it's a place I don't know much about.
Cheers mate, I'll make sure I'll put it in the polls for next week's title, as I've already set up the poll for this week :)
Great video and narration I loved the scene in Lord of the Rings Return of the King where it shows Minas Morgul the only thing I wish I could see more about it is the inside that would be cool too
Minas morgul just sounds so cool haha. Great video
If Sauron had been Victorious in the war of the Ring, he likely would have wanted to corrupt more great Kings of Men perhaps even the wizard or two. I believe that among the horrors of Minas Mogul would be a series of Chambers intended for this purpose.
Newer subscriber, enjoying all of your videos. Keep em coming
One of the most interesting locations if you ask me
Awesome video!! I love the Sandman theme.
Minas Morgul kinda reminds me of New Londo from Dark Souls corrupted by the Abyss, it’s Four Kings as the Ringwraiths lol
Yes it does and moonlight greatsword too
great video and your voice narration is top especially for one Apprentice like me in English. Sorry for my mistakes of grammar. For Minas Morgul, i think that city is haunted by ghosts and undead creatures, same after the Sauron 's Defeat.
I always loved reading about Dol Guldur too. Both haunted places.
I really hope we get to see more of them in the Amazon Series!
I hear that Witcher 3 dungeon music in the background ;)
I really enjoy your videos. Very stimulating.
Cheers Obama!
I don't think anybody does Tolkien's works more justice than you do with your videos. And that's not a crack on anybody else That's just saying you're doing him extreme justice and I think JR Tolkien would agree if we could ask him of course. The amount of knowledge you have on the stuff is absolutely astounding. I specifically clicked on this video because I'm one of the know why that city glowed and I didn't expect to get the answer honestly but I did.
That Age of Dragon music fits perfectly :)
The use of light was a smart move on tolkien. On one side you have Minas Ithil, reflecting the pale light of the moon which symbolises purity, then the polar opposite Minas Morgul reflecting the same light of the moon with a green tint (in the films anyway, I haven't read the books) to represent the corruption and evil that now inhabits it in the events of return of the king when Frodo and Sam encounter it.
So the way I under the tower at Minas Ithil and being called the Tower of the Moon was it was a literal Moon Tower which was a old way to light up a city in the dark (they reflect light from high up back down the ground allowing even a small amount of light to illuminate a large area) I never realized that it was named the Tower of the Moon in reference to the Tower of the Sun being in another city. When you look at maps of the Mountain range between Minas Ithil and Cirith Ungol it looks like the tower at Minas Ithil was just tall enough that it could look over a break in the Mountain Range deep into Mordor from the out skirts which is why I could see it being a city that changed hands a lot through the ages between the Mordor and other Kingdoms
I love how mysterious and creepy Minas Morgul is... at the same time, I am very frustrated and curious about what happened to Eanor and his knights
I remember reading in the tolkien encyclopedia that Minas Morgul was uninhabited ever since Aragons ascension. No one dared to step foot in a place corrupted for so many years and was left hallow and abandoned.
Loved this. Bravo!
I'm actually planning on sculpting Minas Morgal out of sculpting clay can't wait. Also I have minty green glow in the dark paint for the walls. It's gonna look dope
I would love for them to do a wrap up trilogy of all the famous battles that led up to the Lord of the rings and show how key places were captured and or destroyed. Would also love to see the battle of the dead marshes and of course the battle of the ring on the base of Mount Doom
so you're telling me that Minas Morgul is now empty and that all the orcs and trolls left the strong hold to attack Minas Tirith? Surly there were some orcs still left to hold it as it is a pretty good stronghold for the forces of Sauron.
Jrm Her I keep my opinion out of the videos unless I state it beforehand. However in the books its implied that when the Host of the West reach it, Minas Morgul had been emptied. Possibly because its army had been sent to attack Minas Tirith, and anyone left might have been summoned to the Black Gate
Perhaps they were killed when it was reclaimed and destroyed, like when Cair Andros was reclaimed.
there certainly were still orcs in Minas Morgul after all Gorbag's company had come from there when they encountered Capt. Shagrat
There were Orcs there, but the garrison was greatly reduced since Gothmog died. Gandalf suggested Sauron ordered his soldiers not to bother Aragorn's host, so they did not confront the king.
Aragorn would later order Minas Morgul to be cleansed, but its evil aura continued to exist and no man dared live there.
Yes the entire orc n troll host that attacked gondor was from minas morgul and they were probably the same army that attacked minas ithil before it became minas morgul cause orcs are immortal, when aragorn becomes king they eventually won it back.
500 years ago we had a culture very similar in technology and warfare and look how far we have come
In the lord of the rings their technology and means of war change very little for thousands and thousands of years
As old as their culture is compared to ours you would think they'd be fighting with lightsabers and phaser pistols by now
It is due to the presence of Elvish magic. Once the Noldor all depart, Mannish technology begins to advance.
Great info. There was actually a quite good ICE roleplay module on Minas ithil. Would love to see someone make another attempt at at elaborating on what we know about Minas Ithil /Morgul, definitely one of Tolkiens most intriguing, and as you say, poetic, locations. So much room for, what did he call it, sub-creation?
Cheers man, it really is a fascinating part of the Lore! However I believe that retaining that layer of mystery and keeping it enigmatic is what keeps us interested in, as we'd always crave for more! :)
You are just awesome. You make the Tolkien universe much more interesting. Keep up the work.👍👍
Thanks Pradeep mate, that means a lot!
Cab you do a video on Osgiliath?
New subscriber to your amazing channel. Very nice work!
I.C.E RPG has some very cool readings on Minas morgul, it might not be cannon, but great reading.
Hello, me again im afraid. Just a few questions, in middle earth what determines the ages(2nd age etc) are they set amount of years or differ length. Also, why did Elendil form two kingdoms not one large one, and if he was king of arnor were both isuldur and anarien kings of Gondor or just one of them? And finally after the war of the ring did Gondor and Arnor prosper again?
Randyll Tarly The ages differ in years, what seems to determine the next age is a significant event. For example the First Age ended with the defeat of Morgoth, the second age with the defeat of Sauron during the Last Alliance, and the third age ended with the destruction of the One Ring. The Numenoreans had the Northern and Southern Kingdom to have a presence in the different regions of Middle Earth, however in between these kingdoms there were others lands such as lothlorien which is possibly why it wasn't one entire kingdom. However I think the main reason behind having two kingdoms is efficiency. That the larger a kingdom is the harder it is the rule under one government, while by dividing, each could have a ruler that could target his part of the kingdom better. During Aragorn's reign, the Northern Kingdom was restablished once again, and both kingdoms prospered. If you have any other questions let me know :)
did the kings of numenor conquer their lands in that case by who by the dwarves, elves men
Thanks for the very detailed answer, you are very clever on this topic! I wanted to ask, I have seen many maps of middle earth, some have huge areas of land behind mordor meaning there is alot of space with no movie time(dont know about book time), what is in this land, does rhun and harad go that far back or is it other kingdoms?
Oh right I didnt know that
jl the great Lindmark I believe they simply occupied the lands, as far as I know there isnt anything to suggest that they fought for them
Can you straighten my memory out for me? Its been awhile since Ive read the books, but I seem to remember it being said in the books that the tower was taken by long neglect (of Gondor) while Sauron was in mirkwood, and through Gondors neglect, Saurons minions (nazgul) reoccupied the tower while Gondor slept in the long peace. By the time Gondor realized the tower was occupied by evil it was too late to dislodge it, it had been corrupted.
That tower was Cirith Ungol though, not Minas Morgul :)
My second favourite city in the whole of the Lord of the Rings, just such a cool place both in Art style and lore.
Badass beautiful place 🤙
I’d love for it to be recaptured in the far future of the lore, but held by a holy sort of magical city garrison. Because they need round the clock priests and such to keep the past dwindling corruption still at bay or something.
Small part of me wants it to be destroyed because of how evil it probably is now, like a radioactive city but with corruption instead.
And it would still then keep the secrecy and intrigue of “what could be (or could’ve been) inside” alive.