The TOLKIEN
GALLERY
page FIVE
Citadel of the Stars
At one time a gleaming city that spanned the great
River Anduin, the pride of Gondor; even a palantir
was kept there, but it was destroyed in a fire.
Preparatory to the Battle of the Pelennor Fields the
forces of the Dark Lord overran Osgiliath just to
the East.
~
ATALANTË [AT(AT)- 'again' + LANTA- 'fall (down)']
The fall of Númenor; seduced by Sauron, some men
of the blessed isle of the West sailed for the Undying Lands to seize immortality;
the Valar retaliated by sinking
the land mass back into the sea. Those
who remained loyal narrowly escaped to Middle-earth - the Edain.
Note the similarity to the legendary name Atlantis.
~
MENELTARMA [MENEL 'heaven' + TA- 'high', tarma 'pillar']
Pillar of Heaven
~
ORODRUIN [ORO- 'high' ... OROT-, orod
'mountain'; RUN 'red', ruin 'fiery red']
Mountain of (Red) Fire
The volcano where the One Ring was forged,
seen from heights near the Barad Dûr.
Below is seen the Plateau of Gorgoroth
[Unspeakable Horror]. Of similar
devastation was the Lithlad [LIT-, lith 'ash'
+ LAD- 'plain'] the Plain of Ash or Ashen Plain.
Herein lies the ravaged land of SAURON:
Mordor.
~
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