Great Gates
| Great Gates | |
|---|---|
| Gates | |
 | |
| General Information | |
| Other names | East Gates[1] |
| Location | East side of the Misty Mountains opening upon the Dimrill Dale |
| Type | Gates |
| Description | Large doors carved with warnings |
| Regions | Moria |
| History | |
| Events | Defilement of Thrór |
The Great Gates was the original entrance to Khazad-dûm. It was located in Dimrill Dale and was inscribed with spells of prohibition and exclusion in Khuzdul. Over time commands were added that all should depart who did not have the leave of the Lord of Moria, written in Quenya, Sindarin, the Common Speech, and the languages of Rohan, Dale, and Dunland.[1]
History
When first built near Mirrormere, where Durin the Deathless saw his vision, the Gate was awe-inspiring. It remained the main (and perhaps) only entry to his Kingdom.
During the Second Age, the Elves and Dwarves built a second entrance to Khazad-dûm, the Doors of Durin, at the western side of the Misty Mountains so as to facilitate access to Eriador and contact with the Gwaith-i-Mírdain.
In T.A. 2790[2] Thrór and his companion Nár went to Moria to see the ancient halls of their ancestors. Despite the warnings of Nár, Thrór went through the Great Gates. He was captured by Orcs under the command of Azog, who beheaded him. Azog wrote his own name in Dwarvish runes on Thrór's head and threw it outside the gate for Nár to retrieve. He let Nár go to tell all the Dwarves that an Orc ruled Moria now, and so Nár did, which started the War of the Dwarves and Orcs.[3]
In 2799, the War came to its climax with the Battle of Azanulbizar,[2] which was the largest battle of the war. During this battle the doors of the Gate were destroyed.[1] After the battle Dáin II Ironfoot, the victor, would not allow his people to reclaim it, for he had looked through the open Gate, and knew that the Balrog lurked there still.[3]
When Balin's Colony was attacked in 2994, it was heavily damaged.[4]
On 15 January, 3019, the Fellowship of the Ring, after the loss of Gandalf, exited Moria through its eastern access, still broken.[5] It was not heavily guarded.[4] Prior to that, both Gandalf and Aragorn had passed through it.[6]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "Of Dwarves and Men", note 8, p. 319
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Third Age"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "Durin's Folk"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, "The Bridge of Khazad-dûm"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Great Years"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, "A Journey in the Dark"
