Middle-Earth Tours

Tour 2: The Places of Middle-Earth

Edoras

Edoras, by Alan Lee

 Following the winding way up the green shoulders of the hills, they came at last to the wide wind-swept walls and the gates of Edoras....
    The dark gates were swung open. The travellers entered, walking in file behind their guide. They found a broad path, paved with hewn stones, now winding upward, now climbing in short flights of well-laid steps. Many houses built of wood and many dark doors they passed. Beside the way in a stone channel a stream of clear water flowed, sparkling and chattering. At length they came to the crown of the hill. There stood a high platform above a green terrace, at the foot of which a bright spring gushed from a stone carved in the likeness of a horse's head; beneath was a wide basin from which the water spilled and fed the falling stream. Up the green terrace went a stair of stone, high and broad, and upon the topmost step were stone-hewn seats. There sat other guards, with drawn swords laid upon their knees.--TTT, "The King of the Golden Hall"
Above, center: Éowyn on the steps of Meduseld, image from the official movie site. Above, right: Merry bowing before Théoden, image from the first trailer posted by the official movie site
Edoras is one subject that doesn't get a lot of attention from Tolkien artists, which is understandable but still a shame. Fortunately, we've seen a number of official and unofficial pictures from the Edoras movie set.

Edoras barrows, image from a Decipher playing card
Meduseld, spy photo from theonering.net
Edoras, image from a Decipher playing card

Éowyn Before the Doors of Meduseld,
by Michael Kaluta		 The hall was long and wide and filled with shadows and half lights; mighty pillars upheld its lofty roof. But here and there bright sunbeams fell in glimmering shafts from the eatern windows, high under the deep eaves. Through the louver in the roof above the thin wisps of issuing smoke, the sky showed pale and blue. As their eyes changed, the travellers perceived that the floor was paved with stones of many hues; branching runes and strange devices intertwined beneath their feet. They saw now that the pillars were richly carved, gleaming dully with gold and half-seen colours. --TTT, "The King of the Golden Hall"

image from the TTT preview on the FotR DVD, via theonering.net
spy photo of Meduseld from theonering.net
Meduseld interior from a
Decipher playing card
Slowly Théoden left his chair. A faint light grew in the hall again. The woman hastened to the king's side, taking his arm, and with faltering steps the old man came down from the dais and paced softly through the hall. Wormtongue remained lying on the floor. They came to the doors and Gandalf knocked.
     'Open!' he cried. 'The Lord of the Mark comes forth!'--TTT, "The King of the Golden Hall"
image from the TTT visual companion, courtesy of New Line

Full-size versions of these pictures are on display at Rolozo Tolkien, the official LotR movie site, and theonering.net.