It was once a shining city in the realm of Gondor.
But this city of brightness and beauty would be captured and twisted into a tower of sorcery,
where the Witch-king would rule and the line of the Gondorian kings would end.
Today on Nerd of the Rings, we cover the history of Minas Morgul.
The city of Minas Ithil rises from the ashes of the fallen Numenor. When the island realm
is destroyed in 3319, Elendil, Isildur and Anarion lead the exiles of Numenor to Middle-earth. While
Elendil founds Arnor in the north (3320), Isildur and his brother Anarion found Gondor in the south.
While Anarion builds the city of Minas Anor, Isildur constructs the city of Minas Ithil
near the border with Mordor. Together, the brothers would rule as Kings of Gondor. While
Anarion rules the fief of Anorien, Isildur rules the fief of Ithilien.
In the same year these realms in exile were founded,
the Palantiri are distributed among the realms of Elendil and his sons.
The seven seeing stones are placed in Elostirion, Amon Sul, Annuminas, the tower of Orthanc,
Minas Anor, Osgiliath, and Minas Ithil. Isildur planted the seedling of the White Tree of Nimloth
in Minas Ithil, which had grown from the fruit which he stole prior to Numenor’s downfall.
Isildur’s city, and Gondor in general, would exist and grow in peace for over 100 years.
However, the same dark presence that brought about Numenor’s destruction
would return to Middle-earth to plague the Faithful whom he hated. After re-establishing
himself in his lands of Mordor, Sauron launches an attack on Minas Ithil.
His great force drives out Isildur and sacks the city. In his victory, Sauron burns the White Tree.
However, once again, Isildur escapes with his wife, his sons, and a seedling of the Tree.
He journeys down the Anduin river and taking the seaward route, comes to his
father’s realm of Arnor. This conflict is the impetus for the formation of the Last
Alliance of Elves and Men. While Anarion holds out against Sauron in Gondor, Isildur, his father,
and the elven king Gil-galad build the alliance that would march upon Mordor itself (3434).
We are told that during the war, two of Isildur’s sons - Aratan and Ciryon had been sent by their
father to man the fortress of Minas Ithil. This, along with Sauron not capturing the
palantir at this time, would seem to indicate he merely sought to defeat the Gondorians of the city
and not occupy it. Isildur’s sons man the fortress as a preventative measure,
for Isildur thought that if Sauron were to escape Gil-galad and Elendil,
he would force his way through Cirith Ungol and take vengeance upon the Dunedain in Minas Ithil.
After a seven year siege on Barad-dur, Sauron is defeated and his ring taken by Isildur.
In the aftermath of Sauron’s downfall, Minas Ithil
is restored as the great watchtower along the Gondor/Mordor border. Minas Ithil would remain
a stronghold of Gondor for nearly 2000 years, when a new dark force would make war upon it.
Over the preceding centuries, the Witch-king of Angmar waged a long and devastating
war against the realm of Arnor. While it would lead to the north kingdom’s destruction,
a force of Gondorians, combined with elves of Rivendell would succeed in
the defeat of Angmar as well. In 1980 TA, the Witch-king returns to Mordor, where he summons
the other eight Nazgul. There, they would prepare for the return of the dark lord.
Twenty years later (2000 TA), they make their first offensive strike,
laying siege to Minas Ithil. We are told this army is composed of many men, who had been dominated
by Sauron during his first strength and had wandered homeless and masterless after his fall.
Now, they were led by the Nazgul, and coming out of Mordor by night over the Pass of Cirith Ungol,
they made war upon the Gondorian city. After two years of fighting,
Minas Ithil is sacked by the forces of the Witch King and comes to be known as his city.
The palantir, known as the Ithil-stone is captured, and would later be taken to Barad-dur,
where it would be used by Sauron to communicate and influence Saruman and Denethor. Minas Ithil
comes to be occupied by fell creatures and becomes a foul and evil place.
[They] took Minas Ithil for their abode; and they made it a place
of such dread that none dared to look upon it. Thereafter it was called Minas Morgul,
the Tower of Sorcery; and Minas Morgul was ever at war with Minas Anor in the west....
But Minas Anor endured, and it was named anew Minas Tirith, the Tower of Guard.
With it’s city taken by the enemy, many Gondorians flee from Ithilien and further
into Gondor. In 2043, the Witch-king issues a challenge to the new King of Gondor - Earnur,
the very same captain who had led Gondor’s army against his realm of Angmar years earlier.
Earnur ignores this first challenge at the advice of his Steward. However,
in 2050, the Witch-king renews his challenge of single combat, which Earnur would not ignore.
Leaving his crown in the houses of the dead,
Earnur rides to Minas Morgul with a small group of soldiers. None are ever seen again. Thus,
the line of the Kings of Gondor is ended, and the rule passes to the line of the Stewards and would
remain in their care until an heir would come from Isildur’s line in the north - Aragorn Elessar.
But in the years between, Minas Morgul would continue to plague Gondor.
It is from Minas Morgul that we have the first recorded history of the Uruk-hai.
In 2475, these more powerful orcs, which had possibly been bred within Minas Morgul itself,
emerge from the fortress and conquer the lands of Ithilien. Their forces
attack and destroy the city of Osgiliath, which had once been the capital of Gondor.
Eventually, Steward Boromir would win back the lands of Ithilien,
and the orcs would withdraw once more. During the war, Boromir receives a Morgul-wound, which would
give him tremendous pain and greatly shorten his life - though he would not become a wraith.
Once again, Minas Morgul would wreak havoc upon Gondor during the War of the Ring.
On June 20, 3018, Sauron’s forces would attack Osgiliath once again.
This host was merely sent to measure Gondor’s preparedness and to provide
cover for the Ringwraiths to enter the north of Middle-earth and begin their search for the Ring.
Months later, in March 3019, after the Witch-king is forced to return to his stronghold,
Sauron would amass a great force with which he would attack Minas Tirith. After a brief
skirmish in Osgiliath, the Witch-king leads his forces in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.
As we know, the Witch-king, his army, and Sauron himself would meet their
demise in the coming days as the lands of Middle-earth are freed from the dark lord.
With Aragorn now leading Gondor, the Army of the West pulls down the bridge leading to the
Morgul Vale and sets its fields ablaze. As the army of Minas Morgul had been destroyed at the
Battle of Pelennor Fields, they encountered no resistance as they raize the lands.
In the days to come, Faramir is made Prince of Ithilien. And at the advice of King Elessar,
he and Eowyn make their home in Emyn Arnen rather than attempting to resettle Minas Ithil.
Aragorn declares: "Minas Ithil in Morgul Vale shall be utterly destroyed,
and though it may in time to come be made clean, no man may dwell there for many long years"
Whether the day would ever come when Minas Morgul would be rebuilt as Minas Ithil,
we can only guess. For no tale tells of the ruins of the Tower of Sorcery,
and whether that land would ever bring light and beauty to Gondor once more.
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