The Encyclopedia of Arda - an interactive guide to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien
Date
Location
On an outcrop of Ered Lithui, in the northwest of Mordor
Pronunciation
Barad-dûr is pronounced 'ba'rad doorr' (the final 'r' should be pronounced - 'rr' is used here to emphasise this)
Other names

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 28 February 2008
  • This entry is complete

Downfall of Barad-dûr

The destruction of the Dark Tower

Sauron's Dark Tower of Barad-dûr was originally built over a period of centuries in the middle of the Second Age. Its foundations in the rock of Mordor were forged through the power of the One Ring, but nevertheless the Tower fell twice to Sauron's enemies.

At the end of the Second Age, after Sauron began an assault on the newly founded land of Gondor, Elves and Men formed a Last Alliance in opposition to Sauron. After defeating Sauron's forces in the Battle of Dagorlad, they set the Siege of Barad-dûr, and after seven long years, they eventually defeated Sauron himself and razed the Dark Tower. This first Downfall was not complete, because the Ring remained whole, and therefore Barad-dûr's foundations could not be destroyed.

More than three thousand years later, at the end of the Third Age, Sauron had risen again, but neither Elves nor Men had a fraction of the power they held at the time of the first Downfall of Barad-dûr. Unable to defeat their enemy through strength of arms, their strategy in the War of the Ring was to send the Ring by stealth into the heart of Mordor, and destroy it in Orodruin where it was forged. Despite Sauron's great military advantage, this plan succeeded: with the destruction of the Ring, the foundations of Barad-dûr failed, and the Dark Tower met its final Downfall.


Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 28 February 2008
  • This entry is complete

For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page.

Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 1998, 2001, 2007-2008. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ.

Website services kindly sponsored by Discus from Axiom Software Ltd.
How do you go about automating your recruitment process to encompass personality assessment and job matching?
The Encyclopedia of Arda
The Encyclopedia of Arda
Menu
Homepage Search Latest Entries and Updates Random Entry