Castles and Fortifications in Middle-earth

[Aiwendil]

Having recently read a couple of books on ancient and medieval strongholds (the best of which was Castles: Their Construction and History by Sidney Toy), I’ve begun to wonder about the details of the fortifications of Middle-earth. Did they resemble motte-and-bailey castles? Roman fortresses? The great Edwardian castles of Wales? Relatively few details are given by Tolkien on any but a handful of the fortifications mentioned in the books, and searching the ’Downs I was unable to find much discussion of them, so I thought this might make an interesting topic.

So many fortifications are alluded to but described only briefly or not at all that it’s hard to know where to begin. Undoubtedly the best described fortress is the Hornburg, which seems to be a relatively small concentric castle connected to the long Deeping Wall that stretches across the entrance to Helm’s Deep. Helm’s Dike, further up the valley, provides an additional outer defence. There are two gates, one leading into Helm’s Deep and the other out into the Deeping Coomb, and at least one smaller postern. Altogether, this plan sounds not unlike some unknown 13th century English castle.

One wonders how much we can infer from the Hornburg about the other fortifications of Middle-earth. It is probably somewhat representative at least of the fortifications built by the Men of Gondor. But another thing that really fascinates me is the fortresses of 1st Age Beleriand, and about these we have very few clues.

Barad Eithel, the ‘chief fortress’ of Fingolfin on the eastern side of the Ered Wethrin, apparently guarded the main (or only) pass into Hithlum from that direction. At first I thought this might suggest a Hornburg-style wall completely blocking the pass. However, Eithel Sirion is said to have been located on the ‘upward path to the pass’ over the mountains, not at the mouth of the pass itself, so perhaps there weren’t walls literally blocking the pass. However, with the exception of the ill-fated expedition of Orcs through the frozen north, all of Morgoth’s attacks on Hithlum seem to focus on Barad Eithel, suggesting that, at the very least, it had towers and battlements that commanded all the approaches to the pass. It must have been a very strong fortification, for Morgoth was unable to take it either during the Battle of Sudden Flame or in the attacks that followed in the next few years. There are a few clues to its geography in the Narn. Fingon can see Thangorodrim from its walls and can also see quite far out across the Anfauglith. This suggests it is not nestled among the foothills but located on some low cliff or steep slope with an unobstructed view both northward and eastward. And Gwindor is said to have stood on its ‘outworks’, suggesting an extensive outer defence, away from the main keep. Here I imagine a semi-concentric castle with several baileys, along the lines of Le Krak des Chevaliers in Syria or perhaps Ortenberg Castle in Germany. The river Sirion, which of course began there, might perhaps have formed a natural moat, at least on one side.

Barad Nimras was built by the Noldor under Finrod in F.A. 65 to guard against attack from the sea. Judging from its earlier name ‘Tower of Tindobel’, it probably included as a principle feature a tall watchtower very near the water. I imagine it would also have had a protected harbour. There is no clue, though, as to the extent of its landward defences.

The First Age Minas Tirith was also built by Finrod and may have shared certain features with Barad Nimras. It was located on the isle Tol Sirion in the midst of the river and served to guard the pass of Sirion. It was captured by Sauron after the Bragollach, and he may very well have modified it. There is a drawing of Tol Sirion by Tolkien that shows it as a steep-banked hill with the fortification (of which three turrets can be discerened) at its summit. There is a single bridge connecting it to the eastern bank. The bridge appears to lead to an opening in the side of the hill, suggesting that there is an underground passage up to the towers. There may indeed be many passages and chambers underground (especially given that Finrod would later let build the underground city of Nargothrond); there is at the very least a deep dungeon wherein Beren and Finrod were confined (though this may have been an addition made by Sauron).

Himring was crowned with a ‘great fortress’ built by Maedhros which, like Barad Eithel, could not be taken during the Bragollach. Himring was a broad hill, flat at the summit, surrounded by many lesser hills. Maedhros may indeed have had outposts among these lower hills in addition to his central stronghold. Since Himring, unlike both Barad Eithel and Barad Nimras, seems to have been as much a city as a military fortification, I imagine here an extensive curtain wall enclosing a very large outer bailey in which the dwellings of Maedhros’s folk would be located, and an inner bailey either free-standing or projecting inward from the curtain wall.

And those are just a few of the better attested fortresses of Beleriand. The sons of Feanor probably built strongholds in the Pass of Aglon, around Maglor’s Gap, at Mt. Rerir, and on Amon Ereb as well; then there are the fortified cities of Brithombar, Eglarest, and Gondolin, not to mention the subterranean fortresses such as Nargothrond, Menegroth, and Angband. And when Men entered Beleriand, they probably built strongholds of their own – perhaps these more closely resemble the ‘motte and bailey’ and earthwork structures of the Dark Ages.

We could also speculate about particular features of these fortresses. Did they have embattled parapets, for example? Tolkien does use the word ‘battlement’ several times in LotR, and describes the Deeping Wall’s parapet as having ‘clefts in the stone through which men could shoot’, so it seems reasonable to conclude that the usual image of crenellations atop the walls and towers is a valid one for Middle-earth, at least in some cases. On the other hand, one feature of the Medieval castle that may be absent is the drawbridge. I don’t think there is any reference to one (though I may be forgetting something), and in some cases where one might expect a drawbridge there is apparently a permanent bridge instead (e.g. the bridge to Tol Sirion or Turin’s bridge at Nargothrond – though in both of these cases it’s possible that the bridge was too long to be conveniently made retractable).

So – how do you imagine the strongholds and fortified cities of Middle-earth? I think anything from vague impressions to detailed technical speculation would be interesting to hear.

[William Cloud Hicklin]

There is IIRC a Tolkien illustration of Gondolin- a circular walled city atop a flattened hill, rather like Carcasonne but more geometric, and with a very tall central watchtower, presumably that of Turgon's palace. (Tolkien liked his tall central towers).


Lake Town in The Hobbit had, if not a drawbridge, then a wooden bridge of sufficiently light construction to be torn down before Smaug arrived.

[Rumil]

One thing about the 3rd Age fortifications is thar they had been built by the Numenoreans using some mysterious technology or technique.

Orthanc is desrcibed as being of dark stone and very smooth, such that the ents could not gain a hand/tendril hold. To me this suggests some sort of stone like marble, that could be highly polished and almost glassy-smooth. I guess the joints between the blocks must have been very thin and accurate, this could be a product of great craftsmanship, such as ancient South American stone construction that is amazingly precisely put together without recourse to cement and mortar.

The walls of Minas Tirith seem to be much the same except in brilliant white stone, and marble does come in different colours, so this is consistent.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Rumil

One thing about the 3rd Age fortifications is thar they had been built by the Numenoreans using some mysterious technology or technique.

Orthanc is desrcibed as being of dark stone and very smooth, such that the ents could not gain a hand/tendril hold. To me this suggests some sort of stone like marble, that could be highly polished and almost glassy-smooth. I guess the joints between the blocks must have been very thin and accurate, this could be a product of great craftsmanship, such as ancient South American stone construction that is amazingly precisely put together without recourse to cement and mortar.

Well, it's said that Orthanc seemed like made of one piece of stone (or perhaps carven out of one piece of stone?), and I actually think it as well may have been just of one piece of stone. So really, no blocks, no joints, just one piece of stone. But I guess that would leave it out of the line of usual fortress-building.

[Kent2010]

Speaking of central towers, the Tower of Ecthelion in Minas Tirith, seems to be the stand out feature. We get two descriptions of the Tower - first through Pippin's eyes when he first sees the city, and again when the entire city is being described.

I wonder about the position of the Gates. The first gate looked East, but rest of the gates weren't in line, they wound back and forth to the topmost level:

But the gates were not set lin line: the Great Gate in the City Wall was at the east point of the circuit, but the next faced half south, and the third half north, and so to and fro upwards; so that the paved way that climbed towards the Citadel turned first this way and then that across the face of the hill.
-Minas Tirith

Has this staggering of gates back and forth, been used in any type of castle before?

Edoras seems to be similar to the hill forts in England and Wales. Basically, on top of a hill sat the hall, monastery, chapel, what have you and it was encircled by a wall - sometimes two walls. Some weren't just military fortifications but were towns and places for business.

'I see a white stream that comes down from the snows,' he said. 'Where it issues from the shadow of the vale a green hill rises upon the east. A dike and mighty wall and thorny fence encircle it. Within there rise the roofs of houses; and in the midst, set upon a green terrace, there stands aloft a great hall of Men...'
-King of the Golden Hall

Edoras is a place for both. You have people living within the walls, but also the King who has his guard and other soldiers.

[William Cloud Hicklin]

Has this staggering of gates back and forth, been used in any type of castle before?

Although a total of seven is pretty extravagant, it was fairly standard NOT to put gates in a line, which would give an attacker a straight shot through them; generally some setup was designed so that if the enemy breached the first gate, they would have to move sideways between (manned) walls to get to the second.

Tolkien incorporates something like this into Caras Galadhon, whose curtain-wall overlaps forming a lengthy enclosed passage between its ends.

[Aiwendil]

William Cloud Hicklin wrote:

There is IIRC a Tolkien illustration of Gondolin- a circular walled city atop a flattened hill, rather like Carcasonne but more geometric, and with a very tall central watchtower, presumably that of Turgon's palace.

I had forgotten about that drawing by Tolkien. One interesting thing about it is that, though it's hard to tell from such a distance, it appears that apart from its position atop Amon Gwared, the only thing defending the city is a single encircling wall - no barbicans or outworks or even, as far as I can discern, embattled mural towers. But then, of course, the strength of Gondolin always lay more in its geographical location than anything else. We also know that the passage into the valley was guarded by no fewer than seven gates, per 'Of Tuor and His Coming to Gondolin'.

Tolkien liked his tall central towers

And indeed, he seems to use the Sindarin words 'Barad' and 'Minras', both of which he glosses as 'tower', as generic words for any fortress.

Legate of Amon Lanc wrote:

Well, it's said that Orthanc seemed like made of one piece of stone (or perhaps carven out of one piece of stone?), and I actually think it as well may have been just of one piece of stone. So really, no blocks, no joints, just one piece of stone. But I guess that would leave it out of the line of usual fortress-building.

True, but if the people of Gondor indeed had the skill to carve a tower out of a single massive block of stone, this probably has implications for other buildings in Middle-earth. Might, for example, the walls of Minas Tirith or even of the Hornburg have been solid stone as well?

William Cloud Hicklin wrote:

Although a total of seven is pretty extravagant, it was fairly standard NOT to put gates in a line, which would give an attacker a straight shot through them; generally some setup was designed so that if the enemy breached the first gate, they would have to move sideways between (manned) walls to get to the second.

Indeed, the whole city of Minas Tirith seems in a way like a massive concentric castle, designed to subject an attacker to as much fire from the walls as possible on the way inward toward the central keep. It's also built on a steep incline, so archers on, for example, the second wall would probably have a clear line of sight to attackers outside the first (and so on). I don't know if the walls were close enough together, though, that defenders on the second wall could fire over the first wall at enemies outside the gate.

[William Cloud Hicklin]

One also wonders if the tunnels where the circles of Minas Tirith passed through the 'keel' were barred by gates and/or potcullises, and whether galleries with loopholes and murder-holes were installed.

I know I would have

---------------------

Whatever stone was used for the outer wall, and Orthanc, it wouldn't have been marble, which is a rather soft stone, and which vegetation can tear up pretty easily (as can be seen in any old graveyard). For Orthanc basalt is a a candidate, being hard, dense, black and capable of a high polish; the uneroded basalt "necks" of old volcanoes provide the crags on which many fortified places in southern France were built. But a comparable white stone?

Of course, one can't push Middle-earth MagiTech(tm) too hard. Seriously- try to find a metal as ductile as copper but simultaneously harder (and lighter) than steel........

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Aiwendil

True, but if the people of Gondor indeed had the skill to carve a tower out of a single massive block of stone, this probably has implications for other buildings in Middle-earth. Might, for example, the walls of Minas Tirith or even of the Hornburg have been solid stone as well?

Well, but first, I think, there is a difference between "people of Gondor" and Númenoreans, who were the ones who built Orthanc, I think. If it was them, even. Orthanc is a bit of mysterious piece of rock, I think. But whichever is possible, it really may be that it was made the way Rumil said.

[William Cloud Hicklin]

Hmmm- one could I suppose postulate that the Ring of Isengard was an ancient volcanic caldera, and Orthanc itself the basaltic neck of the long-gone cone... of course, calderas generally only form when the whole damn thing explodes....

[Rumil]

Hello all,

yes not quite decided whether the description of Orthanc as being carved out of a single piece is metaphor, simile or straight-up!

Interesting to hear that marble is too friable, like the idea of basalt, though some sort of white 'basalt-il' for Minas Tirith perhaps, though perhaps the clue is that it was made out of the White Mountains. Was thinking of some sort of concrete sort of thing, but reinforced ferro-concrete is not very Middle Earth really.

Interesting thought about extinct caldera, could explain the Ring of Isengard? Alternatively perhaps a meteorite crater? So Orthanc = iridium steel ??? OK getting silly now, perhaps more 'in-book' - a shard of one of the two lamps?

Anyway there seem to have been similarities in construction of the Deeping Wall, Orthanc, Minas Tirith, Minas Morgul, Towers of the Teeth and Cirith Ungol, all made by the Numenoreans in their days of power.

More prosaically the Rohirrim had old forts on the far bank of the Isen, but these seem to have been simple ditch-and-bank constructions, with probably a pallisade on top, now overgrown and decayed.

There seems to have been some really long wall (like Hadrian's?) around Arthedain, the hobbits cross it after they leave Tom on their way to Bree. Also the chain of forts and watchtowers on the Weather Hills, perhaps adding up to some 'Roman limes'-type system? Probably these would be ordinary stone and mortar, being built long after the decay of Numenorean craft/tech.

Noticed a few instances of hedges being used for defence, the High Hay, Bree and Caras Galadhon.

[Aiwendil]

Some interesting speculations about Orthanc. I could imagine what we call a volcanic caldera being, in Middle-earth’s terms, the site of a battle between Melkor and the Valar (in their early wars), or something like that.

But Rumil is right that the works of the Numenorean exiles in their days of glory exhibit some similarities in construction. Even if Minas Anor, Minas Ithil, the Hornburg, the Deeping Wall, etc., were not all literally carved out of solid rock, the appearance of being so may have been an aesthetic goal – one that was accomplished by actually carving the living stone when possible and, when not, by using their skill to fashion the walls very accurately and hide the joints between stones.

In this connection it’s possibly worth mentioning that Tolkien may have been influenced by the Anglo-Saxon phrase ‘enta ge-weorc’, ‘work of giants [ents]’, which seems to have been used to describe ancient Roman buildings that they viewed, to some extent, with awe. Tolkien similarly describes both the Hornburg and Minas Tirith:

There upon its spur stood high walls of ancient stone, and within them was a lofty tower. Men said that in the far-off days of the glory of Gondor the sea-kings had built here this fastness with the hands of giants. The Hornburg it was called . . .

And upon its out-thrust knee was the Guarded City, with its seven walls of stone so strong and old that it seemed to have been not builded but carven by giants out of the bones of the earth.

And Tom Shippey makes an interesting argument for the origin of Orthanc lying in this phrase from the Cotton Gnomes:

orþanc enta ge-weorc

This is usually translated as ‘cunning work of giants’, but Tolkien may have preferred to read ‘orthanc’ as a name rather than an adjective: ‘Orthanc, work of giants’ or even ‘Orthanc, fortress of giants’ (‘ge-weorc’ can generically mean ‘work, building’ but very often means specifically ‘fortress’).

William Cloud Hicklin wrote:

One also wonders if the tunnels where the circles of Minas Tirith passed through the 'keel' were barred by gates and/or potcullises, and whether galleries with loopholes and murder-holes were installed.

This is an interesting question, because as far as I can recall there are no references to arrow-slits or murder-holes in any of the fortifications described – but they’re such a prevalent feature of castles in the real world that I would expect they must have existed in Middle-earth.

Rumil wrote:

There seems to have been some really long wall (like Hadrian's?) around Arthedain, the hobbits cross it after they leave Tom on their way to Bree. Also the chain of forts and watchtowers on the Weather Hills, perhaps adding up to some 'Roman limes'-type system? Probably these would be ordinary stone and mortar, being built long after the decay of Numenorean craft/tech.

I had quite forgotten about that wall. Indeed, it seems to have been part of a whole system of defences on Arthedain’s border. Presumably, like Hadrian’s wall, it was of more use in preventing disorganized bands of raiders from crossing the border than in actually holding back an enemy army. It seems likely, then, to have been built relatively late, when Arnor had begun to become a more lawless and less civilized place.

[Rumil]

Hello again,

Aiwendil, I like your Anglo-Saxon links, exactly as Gan-buri-Ghan says...

Many paths were made when Stonehouse-folk were stronger. They carved hills as hunters carve beast-flesh. Wild Men think they ate stone for food. They went through Druadan to Rimmon with great wains. They go no longer.

and the name of Stonewain Valley itself might be suggestive of transporting the building materials?

Reminds me of the 'Giants' Dance' ie Stonehenge, which, together with places like Petra, show that it is at least possible to carve buildings out of the living rock, as it were.

On Minas Tirith fortifications, agree that murder-holes etc are likely, but also the men of Gondor used engines, probably like scorpio or ballistae spear- or stone-throwing catapults, but these were outranged by the Artillery of Morgul.