Battle of the Morannon
On the 25th of March, Aragorn led a small army to the Morannon. He marched with around 7,000 soldiers from Gondor and Rohan. The force included King Éomer of Rohan and Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth. Five members of the Company of the Ring joined them as well. Their goal was not victory in battle but distraction. Sauron believed they carried the One Ring to use against him. In reality, Frodo Baggins and Sam Gamgee were carrying it into Mount Doom. The Army of the West hoped this ruse would draw Sauron's attention away from the hobbits. They moved to challenge him at the entrance to Mordor. Aragorn was openly called "the King Elessar" by their heralds. This title challenged Sauron directly. The plan relied on Sauron thinking Aragorn had the Ring.
Sauron sent a nameless leader known as the Mouth of Sauron to speak with the Captains of the West. He tried to trick Gandalf into believing Sauron held Frodo captive. As evidence, he displayed Sam's sword, an Elven cloak, and Frodo's mithril shirt. The Mouth threatened that Frodo would be tortured if the West did not agree to surrender terms. Gandalf took the items from the Mouth of Sauron and dismissed him. The Black Númenórean offered peace in exchange for slavery. His words echoed harsh occupation policies seen during World War II. Daniel Timmons described Gandalf's refusal as an echo of Winston Churchill. Shippey compared the offer to Vichy France under Nazi German occupation. The negotiation failed before battle began.
Gwaihir the Windlord led giant Eagles of the Misty Mountains against the Ringwraiths. They hovered over the Army of the West and spread fear and confusion. The Olog-hai appeared for the first time during this clash. These were improved versions of Trolls. Pippin Took killed one Troll while marching as a Guard of the Citadel of Minas Tirith. When all hope seemed lost, Frodo put on the One Ring inside Mount Doom. This revealed his location to Sauron immediately. He summoned the Nazgûl from the battle to intercept Frodo. Gollum bit the Ring off Frodo's finger and fell into the Crack of Doom. The Nazgûl perished as their master died. Barad-dûr collapsed along with the Black Gate. The Orcs and other creatures of Sauron were left directionless.
Tolkien scholar Tom Shippey writes that Tolkien was a Roman Catholic who came very close to allegory in moments of eucatastrophe. When the One Ring is destroyed, an eagle comes to report the glad news. The eagle sings a song sounding like Psalms 24 and 33 in the Bible. It uses Authorised Version words like "ye" and "hath". The date of the 25th of March marked Christ's Crucifixion for Anglo-Saxons. It also marked the Annunciation and the last day of Creation. Shippey notes this double meaning was deliberate. The phrase "and the Black Gate is broken" could apply to Death and Hell as well. Matthew 16:18 offers another layer of interpretation. The surface meaning remains the Gate of the Morannon while deeper themes emerge.
Paul H. Kocher states that far fewer had spoken of the self-sacrificial courage of the 7,000 men at the Morannon. They offered equal if less solitary unselfish daring compared to Frodo and Sam. If the hobbits completed their mission an hour later, the whole army would have been lost. The odds were desperate against Sauron's forces which outnumbered them ten to one. The army saved the hobbits just as much as they saved themselves. Some soldiers killed themselves or fled when Sauron died. Proud Easterlings and Haradrim fought on bravely before surrendering. Aragorn sent many home in peace after establishing renewed kingdoms. Their bravery allowed the quest to succeed despite overwhelming odds.
Commentators drew parallels between the Mouth of Sauron and notable figures during World War II. Gandalf's refusal to negotiate with a mere mouthpiece echoed Winston Churchill's stance. Shippey compared the offer of peace for slavery to Vichy France under Nazi German occupation. Daniel Timmons described this echo clearly in his analysis. The battle took place on the 25th of March which held symbolic weight for Anglo-Saxons. The psychological impact of the negotiation mirrored real historical tensions. Pippin Took's transformation from playful child to killer of a Troll reflected radical change through war. Gregory Bassham and Eric Bronson noted this shift in The Hobbit and Philosophy. The story resonated deeply with post-war audiences familiar with such conflicts.
Peter Jackson's film version of the battle appeared in 2003 The Return of the King. Large numbers of extras were used including hundreds of soldiers from New Zealand's army. Massive use of CGI created the enormous scale seen today. Barad-dûr and Mount Doom can be seen through the open gate between Towers of the Teeth. Aragorn fights a troll instead of Sauron directly as originally intended. Bruce Spence played the Mouth of Sauron in the extended edition. His face was digitally increased to disproportionate size with rotting teeth. The idea behind this visual interpretation is that repetition of messages warped the character's body. Morton Grady Zimmerman proposed an animation film combining miniatures and live action in 1957. Tolkien strongly opposed their approach so nothing came of it.
Common questions
Who led the Army of the West to the Morannon on the 25th of March?
Aragorn led a small army of around 7,000 soldiers from Gondor and Rohan to the Morannon. The force included King Éomer of Rohan and Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth.
What was the strategic goal of Aragorn at the Black Gate during the Battle of the Morannon?
The Army of the West hoped this ruse would draw Sauron's attention away from the hobbits. Their goal was not victory in battle but distraction while Frodo Baggins and Sam Gamgee carried the One Ring into Mount Doom.
How did the Mouth of Sauron attempt to deceive Gandalf before the battle began?
Sauron sent a nameless leader known as the Mouth of Sauron to speak with the Captains of the West. He tried to trick Gandalf into believing Sauron held Frodo captive by displaying Sam's sword, an Elven cloak, and Frodo's mithril shirt.
Why is the date of the 25th of March significant for the Battle of the Morannon according to Tom Shippey?
The date of the 25th of March marked Christ's Crucifixion for Anglo-Saxons. It also marked the Annunciation and the last day of Creation.
What were the odds faced by the 7,000 men at the Morannon against Sauron's forces?
The odds were desperate against Sauron's forces which outnumbered them ten to one. The army saved the hobbits just as much as they saved themselves despite these overwhelming odds.
All sources
13 references cited across the entry
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- 2harvnbTolkien (1955) p. "The Black Gate Opens"Tolkien — 1955
- 3harvnbTolkien (1955) p. "Mount Doom"Tolkien — 1955
- 4harvnbTolkien (1955) p. "The Field of Cormallen"Tolkien — 1955
- 5bookMaster of Middle-earth: The Achievement of J.R.R. TolkienPaul Kocher — Penguin Books — 1974
- 6bookTolkien and Shakespeare: essays on shared themes and languageDaniel Timmons — McFarland & Co — 2006
- 7bookThe Hobbit and Philosophy: For When You've Lost Your Dwarves, Your Wizard, and Your WayGregory Bassham et al. — John Wiley & Sons — 2012
- 8bookFantasy Fiction into Film: EssaysLeslie Stratyner et al. — McFarland — 21 January 2015
- 9web15 Secrets You Didn't Know Behind The Making Of Lord Of The RingsWilly Evans — 3 March 2018
- 10bookFilm Adaptation and Its Discontents: From Gone with the Wind to The Passion of the ChristThomas Leitch — Johns Hopkins University Press — 2009
- 11webLord Of The Rings: 10 Hidden Details From Return Of The KingMatthew Wilkinson — 21 January 2020
- 12bookPicturing TolkienJohn D. Rateliff — McFarland — 2011
- 13bookThe Art Of The Lord Of The RingsGary Russell — Houghton Mifflin Harcourt — 2004