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Middle-Earth Tours
Tour 2: The Places of Middle-Earth
Cirith Ungol
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Sam Crosses into Mordor Alone,
by Ted Nasmith |
He had not far to go. The tunnel was some way behind; the Cleft a couple of hundred yards ahead, or less. The path was visible in the dusk, a deep rut worn in ages of passage, running now gently up in a long trough with cliffs on either side. The trough narrowed rapidly. Soon Sam came to a long flight of broad shallow steps. Now the orc-tower was right above him, frowning black, and in it the red eye glowed. Now he was hidden in the dark shadow under it. He was coming to the top of the steps and was in the Cleft at last....
As the sheer sides of the Cleft closed about him, before he reached the actual summit, before he looked at last on the path descending into the Nameless Land, he turned. For a moment, motionless in intolerable doubt, he looked back. He could still see, like a small blot in the gathering gloom, the mouth of the tunnel; and he thought he could see or guess where Frodo lay. He fancied there was a glimmer on the ground down there, or perhaps it was some trick of his tears, as he peered out at that high stony place where all his life had fallen in ruin. --TTT, "The Choices of Master Samwise" |
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In the dreadful light Sam stood aghast, for now, looking to his left, he could see the tower of Cirith Ungol in all its strength. The horn that he had seen from the other side was only its topmost turret. Its eastern face stood up in three great tiers from a shelf in the mountain-wall far below; its back was to a great cliff behind, from which it jutted out in pointed bastions, one above the other, diminishing as they rose, with sheer sides of cunning masonry they looked north-east and south-east. --RotK, "The Tower of Cirith Ungol" |
Cirith Ungol, by Rob Alexander |
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Cirith Ungol, by Ivan Cavini |
The Tower of Cirith Ungol,
by Alan Lee |
Cirith Ungol, by Robert Goldsmith |
Cirith Ungol, by Howard Koslow |
He drew Sting and ran towards the open gate. But just as he was about to pass under its great arch he felt a shock: as if he had run into some web like Shelob's, only invisible. He could see no obstacle, but something too strong for his will to overcome barred the way. He looked about, and then within the shadow of the gate he saw the Two Watchers.
They were like great figures seated upon thrones. Each had three joined bodies, adn three heads facing outward, and inward, and across the gateway. The heads had vulture-faces, and on their great knees were laid clawlike hands. They seemed to be carved out of huge blocks of stone, immovable, and yet they were aware: some dreadful spirit of evil vigilance abode in them. They knew an enemy.--TTT, "The Tower of Cirith Ungol" |
Full-size versions of these pictures are on display at Rolozo Tolkien, the official LotR movie site, and theonering.net.
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