Weathertop: Difference between revisions

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{{Disambig-more|Weathertop|[[Weathertop (disambiguation)]]}}
{{location
{{location infobox
| image=[[Image:Map of Weathertop.jpg|250px]]
| name=Weathertop
| name=Weathertop
| image=[[File:Jef Murray - Amon Sûl.jpg|250px]]
| caption="Amon Sûl" by [[Jef Murray]]
| pronun=
| othernames=Amon Sûl
| othernames=Amon Sûl
| etymology=
| location=[[Eriador]]
| type=Hill
| type=Hill
| location=[[Eriador]]
| description=Hill with tower/ruins of tower
| regions=
| towns=
| inhabitants=
| inhabitants=
| realms=[[Arnor]]
| created=
| description=Hill with tower/ruins of tower
| destroyed={{TA|1409}}<br />[[Fall of Amon Sûl]]
| events=
| events=
| references=
}}
|}}
'''Weathertop''', known in [[Sindarin]] as '''Amon Sûl''', was the southernmost top of the [[Weather Hills]]. It stood a little away from the others, and its conical top was flattened.<ref name="Knife">{{FR|Knife}}</ref>
 
Of old, it formed the boundary between [[Arthedain]] and [[Rhudaur]].
 
==History==
===Early history===
The Weather Hills lay at the centre of [[Arnor]], near the [[East Road]] that split [[Eriador]].<ref>{{RK|Maps}}</ref>
 
A tower had stood on the hill since the days of [[Elendil]], and he had stored the ''[[Palantíri|palantír]]'' in its chambers. It is said that before the [[War of the Last Alliance]], Elendil stood at the hill watching the hosts of [[Gil-galad]] coming to join his forces.<ref name=Knife></ref>
 
After King [[Eärendur (King of Arnor)|Eärendur]] passed and the kingdom was split in three, all of his sons coveted the hill, or rather the [[Amon Sûl-stone|Stone]] inside. It lay on the exact tri-state point, but eventually passed to [[Arthedain]], the realm of [[Amlaith]], the eldest son of Eärendur, although it already possessed the [[Elostirion-stone|other]] [[Annúminas-stone|two]] Stones.<ref name="Eriador">{{App|Eriador}}</ref>
 
===Destruction===
[[File:Fall of Amon Sul RotWK.png|left|thumb|The Fall of Amon Sûl in ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II]]'']]
In the days of [[Argeleb I|Argeleb]], the royal lines of [[Cardolan]] and [[Rhudaur]] had failed. Argeleb therefore claimed both realms as his own, hoping to reunite [[Arnor]], but the claim was resisted by Rhudaur, where the Dúnedain had dwindled and the land was now largely ruled by hillmen, who were driven by the [[Witch-king]] of [[Angmar]].
 
As tensions with Angmar increased, Argeleb fortified his border. A great bastion arose on Weathertop, and the East Road and lower Hoarwell were fortified also. For nigh half a century, the line held, though Argeleb lost his life in battle with the Hillmen. The Witch-king did not trouble the Men, and had sent his troops further East, to the [[Second Siege of Imladris]]. But in {{TA|1409}}, he came forth with such a force from Angmar that no army could stop him. He [[Fall of Amon Sûl|razed]] Amon Sûl and brought its mighty walls down.<ref name="Eriador"/> [[Arveleg I|Arveleg]], son of Argeleb, was slain,<ref name="TA">{{App|TA}}</ref> as well as the [[last prince of Cardolan]],<ref>{{HM|RC}}, "Fog on the Barrow-downs", pp. 144-5; Index, 'Cardolan, [[Last prince of Cardolan|last prince of]]' </ref> but the Lord of the Nazgûl failed to retrieve the ''palantír''. It was secured and brought back to [[Fornost Erain]].<ref name="Eriador"/>
 
===In ruins===
[[File:Alan Lee - Weathertop.jpg|thumb|right|''Weathertop'' by [[Alan Lee]]]]
For many centuries, the once great fortress stood in ruins on the hill. The locals paid little heed to it. It faded back into obscurity, and it was not until {{TA|3018}} the hill reappeared in the chronicles and annals. In early October, it was the scene of two fights involving the [[Nazgûl]]; one with [[Gandalf]] on [[3 October|October 3]] and one with [[Frodo Baggins|the Ring-bearer]] [[6 October|three days later]].<ref name="Chief">{{App|Chief}}</ref> Gandalf on [[Shadowfax]] was secretly chased by the Ringwraiths until the night of October 3, when six<ref>{{HM|RC}}, "Flight to the Ford", pp. 187-189</ref> or nine<ref>{{HM|RC}}, "The Council of Elrond", pp. 251-3</ref> Black Riders, led by the [[Witch King]], attacked him. They were repulsed after a violent fight which burnt the hilltop, and [[Frodo]] and [[Aragorn]] saw the lights of that battle from their camp at the [[Midgewater Marshes]].<ref>{{HM|RC}}, "A Knife in the Dark", pp. 167-9</ref> The Witch King and [[Khamûl]] remained watching Weathertop (waiting for the Ring Bearer to come) for two days thereafter, along with three other Wraiths.<ref>{{HM|RC}}, "A Knife in the Dark", pp. 169</ref> After fleeing from Bree, [[Aragorn|Strider]] and the [[Travellers|Hobbits]] avoided the main road and approached Weathertop from the north. At the top they discovered a cairn with a message from Gandalf, and spotted the [[Nazgûl|Ringwraiths]] approaching in the distance along the road. That night, the Ringwraiths attacked their camp in a dell below the summit, stabbing [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] with a [[Morgul-knife]], but were driven off by the others.<ref name="Knife"/>
 
==Etymology==
{{Pronounce|Amon Sul.mp3|Ardamir}}
{{Pronounce|Amon Sul.mp3|Ardamir}}
'''Weathertop''', known in [[Sindarin]] as '''Amon Sûl''', was the southernmost top of the [[Weather Hills]]. Of old, it formed the boundary between [[Arthedain]] and [[Rhudaur]].
"Weathertop" is a translation of the [[Sindarin]] ''Amon Sûl'', although it also can be translated as "Hill of the Wind", being a combination of ''[[amon]]'' ("hill") and ''[[sûl]]'' ("wind").<ref>{{HM|RC}}, p. 778</ref>
 
==Portrayal in adaptations==
{{Gallery
|title=Weathertop in adaptations
|height=150
|width=200
|lines=3
|File:War in Middle Earth - Amon Sûl.png|''[[J.R.R. Tolkien's War in Middle Earth]]''
|File:The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring - Weathertop.png|''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]]''
|File:The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring (video game) - Weathertop.JPG|[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (video game)|''The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the |Ring'' (video game)]]
|File:AmonSul RotWK.png|''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II: The Rise of the Witch-king]]''
|File:The Lord of the Rings Online - Weathertop.jpg|''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]''
}}
 
'''1978: [[The Lord of the Rings (1978 film)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (1978 film)]]:'''
:Aragorn and the hobbits do not actually enter the ruins of Weathertop. However, moments before the attack of the Ringwraiths, a tall tower can be seen in the background.
 
'''2001: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]]'':'''
:The fight with the Nazgûl has been moved from the camp near the hill to the ruins of the tower.


==History==
'''2002: [[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (video game)|''The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring'' (video game)]]:'''
Weathertop overlooked the [[Great East Road]] east of [[Bree]], about midway between [[The Shire]] and [[Rivendell]]. The hill rose a thousand feet above the level lands round about, and was the site of a watchtower in the days of [[Arnor]]. The watchtower and fortifications were burned and destroyed in [[Third Age 1409|T.A. 1409]], but the top was still flat and surrounded by a ring of stones. A path led from the top northward, connecting to the other fortresses of the Weather Hills. The tower originally held one of the seven [[Palantíri]].
:Weathertop is the fifth level. Aragorn has to take the four Hobbits to the hilltop, battling wolves and Orcs on the way there. At the top, they notice Gandalf had been there, and dropped a rune stone. As he explains it to Frodo, a troll attacks, and serves as the level's boss.
 
'''2002: [[The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (video game)|''The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers'' (video game)]]:'''
:Weathertop is the second level. Aragorn must drive the Nazgûl away before they kill Frodo.
 
'''2006: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II]]'':'''
:Destroying Amon Sûl is the fourth level in the ''Angmar'' campaign in ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II: The Rise of the Witch-king|The Rise of the Witch-king]]''. The bastion is protected by five mystical Mallorn trees: one generates a solar flare that incinerates enemies, one heals damaged buildings, one creates lush Elvish pastures (that boost the Men's armor and damage), one stuns targeted enemies and one summons a battalion of archers. The mission is completed when either all five mallorns are destroyed, or the tower falls.
 
:Additionally, two maps of Amon Sûl are available in Skirmish mode: one with the tower, which is identical to the mission save for the Mallorn trees, and one with the tower in ruins and all other buildings removed.
 
'''2007: ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]'':'''
:Weathertop is the most prominent landmark of the [[Lone-lands]] region. After the passing of [[Aragorn]] and the Hobbits, the Ranger Candaith sets up a camp at its foothold, the player later helps him defend the summit of Weathertop against two enemy assaults.


In early October [[Third Age 3019|T.A. 3019]], it was the scene of two fights involving [[Nazgûl]]; one with [[Gandalf]] and one with the Ring-bearer. After fleeing from Bree, [[Aragorn II|Strider]] and the [[Travelers|Hobbits]] avoided the main road and approached Weathertop from the north. At the top they discovered a cairn with a message from Gandalf, and spotted the [[Ringwraiths]] approaching in the distance along the road. That night, the Ringwraiths attacked their camp in a dell below the summit, stabbing [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] with a [[Morgul blade]], but were driven off by the others.
'''2012: ''[[The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey]]'':'''
:Weathertop is the meeting place between [[Azog]] and his lieutenants. Azog kills [[Yazneg]] for his failue to capture or kill [[Thorin and Company]].


==Inspiration==
==External links==
* Possibly the Rednal Hill of the Lickey Hills, Worcestershire, England.
*[http://middle-earth.xenite.org/2013/11/06/how-high-was-weathertop/ How High Was Weathertop?] by [[Michael Martinez]]
{{quote|The boys [ [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Ronald]] and [[Hilary Tolkien|Hilary]] ] had the freedom of these grounds [Rednal, Worcestershire], and further afield they could roam the steep paths that led through the trees to the high Lickey Hill|[[J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography]]}}


== References ==
{{references}}
* [[J.R.R. Tolkien]], ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', "[[Appendix A]]"
* [J.R.R. Tolkien]], ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'', "[[A Knife in the Dark]]"
* [[Karen Wynn Fonstad]], ''[[The Atlas of Middle-earth]]''


[[Category:Eriador]]
[[Category:Hills]]
[[Category:Hills]]
[[Category:Eriador]]
[[de:Amon Sûl]]
[[de:Amon Sûl]]
[[fi:Amon Sûl]]
[[fi:Amon Sûl]]
[[fr:encyclo/geographie/reliefs/eriador/amon_sul]]

Latest revision as of 17:32, 25 November 2022

The name Weathertop refers to more than one character, item or concept. For a list of other meanings, see Weathertop (disambiguation).
Weathertop
Hill
Jef Murray - Amon Sûl.jpg
"Amon Sûl" by Jef Murray
General Information
Other namesAmon Sûl
LocationEriador
TypeHill
DescriptionHill with tower/ruins of tower
History
DestroyedT.A. 1409
Fall of Amon Sûl
GalleryImages of Weathertop

Weathertop, known in Sindarin as Amon Sûl, was the southernmost top of the Weather Hills. It stood a little away from the others, and its conical top was flattened.[1]

Of old, it formed the boundary between Arthedain and Rhudaur.

History[edit | edit source]

Early history[edit | edit source]

The Weather Hills lay at the centre of Arnor, near the East Road that split Eriador.[2]

A tower had stood on the hill since the days of Elendil, and he had stored the palantír in its chambers. It is said that before the War of the Last Alliance, Elendil stood at the hill watching the hosts of Gil-galad coming to join his forces.[1]

After King Eärendur passed and the kingdom was split in three, all of his sons coveted the hill, or rather the Stone inside. It lay on the exact tri-state point, but eventually passed to Arthedain, the realm of Amlaith, the eldest son of Eärendur, although it already possessed the other two Stones.[3]

Destruction[edit | edit source]

The Fall of Amon Sûl in The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II

In the days of Argeleb, the royal lines of Cardolan and Rhudaur had failed. Argeleb therefore claimed both realms as his own, hoping to reunite Arnor, but the claim was resisted by Rhudaur, where the Dúnedain had dwindled and the land was now largely ruled by hillmen, who were driven by the Witch-king of Angmar.

As tensions with Angmar increased, Argeleb fortified his border. A great bastion arose on Weathertop, and the East Road and lower Hoarwell were fortified also. For nigh half a century, the line held, though Argeleb lost his life in battle with the Hillmen. The Witch-king did not trouble the Men, and had sent his troops further East, to the Second Siege of Imladris. But in T.A. 1409, he came forth with such a force from Angmar that no army could stop him. He razed Amon Sûl and brought its mighty walls down.[3] Arveleg, son of Argeleb, was slain,[4] as well as the last prince of Cardolan,[5] but the Lord of the Nazgûl failed to retrieve the palantír. It was secured and brought back to Fornost Erain.[3]

In ruins[edit | edit source]

Weathertop by Alan Lee

For many centuries, the once great fortress stood in ruins on the hill. The locals paid little heed to it. It faded back into obscurity, and it was not until T.A. 3018 the hill reappeared in the chronicles and annals. In early October, it was the scene of two fights involving the Nazgûl; one with Gandalf on October 3 and one with the Ring-bearer three days later.[6] Gandalf on Shadowfax was secretly chased by the Ringwraiths until the night of October 3, when six[7] or nine[8] Black Riders, led by the Witch King, attacked him. They were repulsed after a violent fight which burnt the hilltop, and Frodo and Aragorn saw the lights of that battle from their camp at the Midgewater Marshes.[9] The Witch King and Khamûl remained watching Weathertop (waiting for the Ring Bearer to come) for two days thereafter, along with three other Wraiths.[10] After fleeing from Bree, Strider and the Hobbits avoided the main road and approached Weathertop from the north. At the top they discovered a cairn with a message from Gandalf, and spotted the Ringwraiths approaching in the distance along the road. That night, the Ringwraiths attacked their camp in a dell below the summit, stabbing Frodo with a Morgul-knife, but were driven off by the others.[1]

Etymology[edit | edit source]

"Weathertop" is a translation of the Sindarin Amon Sûl, although it also can be translated as "Hill of the Wind", being a combination of amon ("hill") and sûl ("wind").[11]

Portrayal in adaptations[edit | edit source]

Weathertop in adaptations
J.R.R. Tolkien's War in Middle Earth  
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring  
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the |Ring (video game)  
The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II: The Rise of the Witch-king  
The Lord of the Rings Online  

1978: The Lord of the Rings (1978 film):

Aragorn and the hobbits do not actually enter the ruins of Weathertop. However, moments before the attack of the Ringwraiths, a tall tower can be seen in the background.

2001: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring:

The fight with the Nazgûl has been moved from the camp near the hill to the ruins of the tower.

2002: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (video game):

Weathertop is the fifth level. Aragorn has to take the four Hobbits to the hilltop, battling wolves and Orcs on the way there. At the top, they notice Gandalf had been there, and dropped a rune stone. As he explains it to Frodo, a troll attacks, and serves as the level's boss.

2002: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (video game):

Weathertop is the second level. Aragorn must drive the Nazgûl away before they kill Frodo.

2006: The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II:

Destroying Amon Sûl is the fourth level in the Angmar campaign in The Rise of the Witch-king. The bastion is protected by five mystical Mallorn trees: one generates a solar flare that incinerates enemies, one heals damaged buildings, one creates lush Elvish pastures (that boost the Men's armor and damage), one stuns targeted enemies and one summons a battalion of archers. The mission is completed when either all five mallorns are destroyed, or the tower falls.
Additionally, two maps of Amon Sûl are available in Skirmish mode: one with the tower, which is identical to the mission save for the Mallorn trees, and one with the tower in ruins and all other buildings removed.

2007: The Lord of the Rings Online:

Weathertop is the most prominent landmark of the Lone-lands region. After the passing of Aragorn and the Hobbits, the Ranger Candaith sets up a camp at its foothold, the player later helps him defend the summit of Weathertop against two enemy assaults.

2012: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey:

Weathertop is the meeting place between Azog and his lieutenants. Azog kills Yazneg for his failue to capture or kill Thorin and Company.

External links[edit | edit source]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, "A Knife in the Dark"
  2. ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, "Note on the Maps"
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Eriador, Arnor, and the Heirs of Isildur"
  4. ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Third Age"
  5. ↑ Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull (eds), The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion, "Fog on the Barrow-downs", pp. 144-5; Index, 'Cardolan, last prince of'
  6. ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Chief Days from the Fall of Barad-dûr to the End of the Third Age"
  7. ↑ Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull (eds), The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion, "Flight to the Ford", pp. 187-189
  8. ↑ Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull (eds), The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion, "The Council of Elrond", pp. 251-3
  9. ↑ Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull (eds), The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion, "A Knife in the Dark", pp. 167-9
  10. ↑ Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull (eds), The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion, "A Knife in the Dark", pp. 169
  11. ↑ Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull (eds), The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion, p. 778
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