Tolkien Gateway

Argonath

From Tolkien Gateway

The Argonath
Physical Description
TypeStatues/Monuments
LocationNorthern end of Nen Hithoel, both sides of Anduin
Realm(s)Gondor
Reunited Kingdom
DescriptionThe gigantic figures of Isildur and Anárion
General Information
EtymologyS. ar "royal" + gond "stone" + -ath "both"
ReferencesThe Great River

The Argonath (S. ar "royal" + gond "stone" + -ath an irregular collective plural), also known as The Gates of Argonath or The Pillars of the Kings, comprises of two enormous pillars, carved in the likenesses of Isildur and Anárion, standing upon either side of the River Anduin at the northern approach to Nen Hithoel, originally constructed about Third Age 1340 at the order of Rómendacil II to mark the northern border of Gondor, although the realm was greatly diminished in size by the time the Fellowship of the Ring passed the Argonath on February 25 3019. Each of the two figures was shown with an axe in its right hand and its left hand raised in a gesture of defiance to the enemies of Gondor.

In Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring the Argonath comprises two large and highly detailed models which are skilfully combined with live action footage and digital backgrounds to convey the proper sense of scale. Also seen in the movie is the quarry near one of the statues' feet, which the filmmakers reasoned would be necessary to provide stone blocks for the construction of the statues' uppermost sections.


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Argonath.mp3
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