Saturday 8 July 2023

Migrations and monuments: Addendum 1

Migrations and monuments: the story of the First Age in Eriador and Rhovanion

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“Migrations and monuments” quick links:

Contents | Introduction | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 |
Part 7 Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Conclusion | Addendum 1 |
Addendum 2 | Bibliography
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📗 Addendum 1] “red flame” – a volcano crafted by evil

Possibly one of the most iconic locations of Middle-earth and the one place casual fans know of is Mount Doom where Sauron creates the One Ring. We know its history in the Second Age and later, but it is only in the History of Middle-earth that we know the origins of this volcano:

“No doubt because Gil-galad had by then discovered that Sauron was busy in Eregion, but had secretly begun the making of a stronghold in Ñordor. (Maybe already an Elvish name for that region, because of its volcano Orodruin and its eruptions – which were not made by Sauron but were a relic of the devastating works of Melkor in the long First Age.)”

-- Christopher Tolkien, The History of Middle-earth, Book 12: The Peoples of Middle-earth (Part Two: Late Writings – XIII. Last Writings: Glorfindel, Note 14)

So it is Melkor who creates Amon Amarth (“Mount Doom”) or Orodruin ("burning mountain” in Sindarin) during the First Age and later adopted by his servant Sauron during the Second Age. Interestingly this information does not appear in the main narrative of “The Lord of the Rings”.

Next: 
📜 Addendum 2] “Elf-haven” – Elves in the south

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“Migrations and monuments” quick links:

Contents | Introduction | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 |
Part 7 Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Conclusion | Addendum 1 |
Addendum 2 | Bibliography
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1 comment:

  1. I assumed Melkor created Mount Doom when he entered Arda: the eruptions were what he created in the First Age.

    ReplyDelete