Rammas Echor

"Foam dyed with blood flamed at sunset;
as beacons mountains burned at evening;
red fell the dew in Rammas Echor."

― The last lines of the Song of the Mounds of Mundburg, The Battle of the Pelennor Fields.

Rammas Echor was the great wall that surrounded Minas Tirith and enclosed the Pelennor Fields.

Description

It was a great wall, over 10 leagues in length, encircling the hitherto defenseless townlands of the city. The gate and accompanying watch-towers were known as the Causeway Forts and were the strongest section. There were three main gates to the Pelennor; north, east and south.

Nonetheless, the defensive value of the Rammas was open to doubt: for at its furthest point, it was some four leagues from the city and thus could not be manned in strength, since the main defense of Minas Tirith lay in its city-walls and Great Gate. Moreover, defenders on the out-wall might find themselves cut off from retreat were a breach to be made and the gap stormed in strength. At best, Rammas could only serve to delay unsupported Cavalry forces or foot soldiers without breaking tools.

History

This outer defense-work of the city of Minas Tirith was built by Steward Ecthelion II as part of the defenses of Gondor, which had become necessary after the final loss of Ithilien in T.A. 2954. It fell in ruin but was repaired on the order of Steward Denethor II

The Rammas was easily breached by by the armies of Sauron under their Black Captain on March 13th, 3019.

Portrayal in adaptations

In Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings, Rammas Echor does not appear. However it is mentioned by Théoden when he quotes the book beginning "When we get through the Wall..." giving the order to the Rohirrim