When Fingon rescued Maedhros from the cliffs of Thangorodrim, he did more than save the life of Fëanor's eldest son. His extraordinary act of courage helped change the political future of the Noldor in Middle-earth. Maedhros had inherited his father's position as the foremost prince of the House of Fëanor. Yet after his rescue, he … Read more
When Gandalf rides toward Minas Tirith with Pippin clinging behind him, Shadowfax is carrying more than two travelers. He is bringing a dangerous piece of news toward a city already preparing for war. The journey begins after Pippin looks into the palantír of Orthanc and encounters Sauron. Gandalf understands that the Enemy has drawn a … Read more
Above Minas Morgul, Frodo and Sam face a challenge that cannot be overcome by courage alone. Before they can enter Mordor through Cirith Ungol, they must climb two ancient stairways cut into the Mountains of Shadow. One rises with frightening steepness. The other winds along the mountainside, stretching the journey through turn after turn. The … Read more
Bilbo Baggins had escaped the goblins beneath the Misty Mountains, only to find himself trapped in a pine tree with wolves gathering below. It was a miserable turn of fortune. Yet the most frightening thing about those wolves was not their teeth, their numbers, or even their hunger. It was that they were holding a … Read more
Before Smaug descended upon the Lonely Mountain, Dale stood beneath its southern slopes as one of the most fortunate towns in northern Middle-earth. Above it, the Dwarves of Erebor fashioned extraordinary objects from metal and precious materials. Below it, human communities lived beside the River Running and the Long Lake, connected to lands beyond the … Read more
When Bilbo Baggins first reached Lake-town, he found something remarkable: a settlement standing out upon the waters of the Long Lake, supported by wooden piles driven into its bed. Boats moved between the town and the shore, merchants carried goods, and the people lived above the very water that connected them to the wider world. … Read more
Before there was a Shire, a Gondor, or even a Middle-earth, the Ainur witnessed something extraordinary: a vision of a world that did not yet exist. They saw a world suspended in the Void. They watched its history begin to unfold. They discovered that their great Music had helped prepare a dwelling for beings they … Read more
When Frodo first enters Lothlórien, he discovers a place that seems almost untouched by time. Golden leaves shine above the paths, ancient trees shelter the dwellings of the Galadhrim, and Celeborn and Galadriel preside over a realm unlike anything the hobbits have seen. Yet this extraordinary kingdom has a surprisingly quiet ending. After Sauron's defeat, … Read more
In the First Age of Middle-earth, a great assembly of Men gathered at Estolad to decide whether they should remain among the Elves or turn away from their wars. During that debate, someone who appeared to be Amlach delivered a bitter warning against the Eldar. Later, the real Amlach denied that he had spoken at … Read more
Merry and Pippin are prisoners of the Orcs, but their captors cannot agree on what should happen to them. After the breaking of the Fellowship at Amon Hen, the two hobbits find themselves among enemies who seem, at first, to belong to one pursuing force. They are surrounded by armed Orcs, threatened with death, and … Read more