Mordor is a major location in the Lord of the Rings franchise. It was the realm and base of the arch-villain Sauron.
Background[]
Geography[]
Mordor was located in the southeast of northwestern Middle-earth, east of the great river Anduin. The entire realm was guarded by trolls and Orcs, with the Black Gate protecting its borders
Mount Doom, a volcano in Mordor, was the goal of the Fellowship of the Ring in the quest to destroy the One Ring.
Locations[]
- Barad-dûr: The Dark Lord Sauron's primary stronghold in Mordor, serving as his base of operations in Middle-earth during the Second Age and late Third Age.
- Minas Morgul
- Black Gate
- Mount Doom
- Tower of Cirith Ungol
History[]
Much of Mordor originally lay under the Sea of Helcar, which was later drained in the geological calamities at the end of that age.
The name "Mordor" may have been given to the land before Sauron settled there because of its eruptions, although its southern parts - surrounding the Sea of Nurn - weren't quite as blackened and lifeless, and served as the land's source of crops.
Second Age At the end of the First Age, Sauron fled into the East. In SA 500 or so, he returned and in SA 1000 began construction on Barad-Dûr, his new Dark Tower, near Mount Doom.
In about S.A. 1600 Sauron forged the One Ring in Orodruin, and set about conquering Middle Earth, ushering in the Dark Days. He controled Anorien, Harad and much of Rhun, but his expansion into Eriador halted at Rivendell. In SA 1700 he was eventually repelled by the Men of Númenor, an island kingdom far to the west of Middle-earth. Sauron returned to Mordor, which continued to dominate the surrounding lands.
Over a thousand years later, in SA 3261, the Númenóreans under Ar-Pharazôn sailed to Middle-earth to challenge Sauron's claim to the title of "King of Men". Sauron realized that they would overthrow him if he decided to fight, so he let them capture him and take him back to Númenor, becoming an advisor who filled the king's mind with vanity, which eventually caused its destruction in SA 3319. Immediately after Númenor's destruction, Sauron returned to Mordor as a spirit (the last of his living being having been bound to the One Ring), where his servants waited his return, and resumed his rule.
The Last Alliance of Men and Elves marched into Mordor and fought Sauron and his forces on the slopes of Mount Doom. Elendil and Gil Galad were lost, but Sauron was defeated when Isildur cut the Ring off his hand. He refused to destroy it, however, claiming it for his own, and while Mordor was depopulated, Sauron's spirit endured.
The Gondorians set-up multiple strongeholds in and around Mordor to keep the Orc population in check. Among these forts were Minas Anor, Minas Ithil, Cirith Ungol, Durthang and the Towers of Teeth (Carchost and Narchost). In TA 1600, the Nazgul, servants of Sauron reappeared, and in TA 2001, eight of them took Minas Ithil, which was eventually overran by the Gondorians in 2475. However, after the pestilence of 1635, most other forts around Mordor were largely abandoned.
When Sauron first reappeared, it wasn't in Mordor but Dol Guldur, an abandoned Gondorian fortress in south Greenwood, appearing under the guise of a human sorcerer. He intended to first retake the realm of Angmar in the North (previously subjugated to his servant, the Witch King of Angmar) and use it to wipe out the Elvish realms of Eriador and Rhovanion before he sends the forces of Mordor against Gondor and Rohan.
He was, however, driven out by Galadriel in TA 2941, flying to the South and soon returned, secretly, to Mordor, where Elrond insisted a Gondorian watch must be reassembled, in vain. Sauron secretly built his army and announced his return within ten years time, but was still kept in check by Gondor and the wizards. Only in TA 3001 did he renew his assault on Middle Earth.
Role in the series[]
The Lord of the Rings[]
The Fellowship of the Ring[]
Among his journey, Gandalf saw Mount Doom spitting fire again, and went to Minas Tirith, uncovering the account of Isildur and the secret to ascertaining the Ring's identity. At this time, Barad Dur was being reconstructed and the Nazgul, sent by word from a captured Gollum, were sent to find The Shire. As a distraction, Sauron's forces attacked the ruins of Osgiliath and took it before Boromir claimed it back.
The Two Towers[]
Mordor continued to harass Gondor, but its efforts to recruit forces from Harad were kept in check by the Rangers of Ithilien, led by Faramir. An attack was staged on Osgiliath, but seem to have ceased when the Ringbearer was removed from the city. Earlier, Frodo and Sam contemplated sneaking into the Black Gates, but Gollum advised against it.
After the defeat of its ally Isengard at Helm's Deep, Sauron moved quickly to attack Gondor. His forces took Osgiliath by surprise and besieged Minas Tirith. They were defeat by the intervention of both the Rohirrim and the Army of the Dead, and Aragorn later led the surviving forces to an attack on the Black Gate while Frodo and Sam marched into Mordor. Gollum lures them into the Spider's lair and Frodo was nearly killed by Shelob but saved by his best friend. Unfortunately, the spider's sting paralyzed Frodo and he was captured by the enemy.
Meanwhile, in Rohan, Gandalf and Pippin Took journeyed to Gondor, to warn Minas Tirith that Mordor was going to strike their Kingdom next
The Return of the King[]
Sam braved into the dangerous world of Mordor, following the Orcs who had captured Frodo and later saved him. Having saved Frodo. They disguised as Orcs) drafted into the Orc forces as the Ring got heavier. After Sam caused a brawl to outbreak between the orcs and the humans, Frodo and Sam fled. They eventually reached the slopes of Mount Doom and faced Gollum again.
Meanwhile outside of Mordor, the forces of the Free People of Middle Earth led by King Aragorn and Sauron's armies engaged in a major battle in order to distract Sauron's eye. In Mount Doom.
A scuffle broke out between Frodo, Sam and Gollum. As the Ring was thrown into Mount Doom, Gollum followed it, dying in the process. Sam and Frodo escaped as the Ring was destroyed, but unfortunately, lost in a sea of lava until Gandalf rescued him. With Sauron gone and the ring destroyed, Mordor ceased to exist, freeing Gondor once more.
Film Adaptation[]
The Fellowship of the Ring[]
The Two Towers[]
The Return of the King[]
In the film adaptations, Shelob's lair was moved to the third film for time's sake. In the film adaptation, a fight between Frodo and Sam breaks out due to Gollum orchestrating it. Due to the influence of the Ring, Frodo abandons his best friend, telling him to go home. Journeying alone, Frodo is lured to Shelob's cave, and realizes he was abandoned by Gollum. Now seeing Sam was telling the truth, Frodo seemingly is killed by Shelob when she stings him, like in the book. Sam, in truth, had been following Frodo since their departure, and rescues his paralyzed friend. Like in the book, he takes the Ring when he sees Orcs coming to finish Frodo's mission for him and goes into hiding. After learning his best friend is paralyzed, Sam rescued Frodo like he did in the novel and the Ring is destroyed in a similar fashion.
