I thought i had favorites but hearing Robert reading these descriptions gives me a lot more perspective and insight into how awesome these wonders are.
Agreed, Tolkien's description of the wonders and vastness of Khazad-dûm is amazingly immersive. I find myself constantly re-reading the chapter just to feel the flavour of his writings.
I have to go with angband, but because i stumbled upon the game by that name when i was only 5. I played that game to death more times than i can count
It feels like if you where in a city that was greater than any city of Gondor, like if in the caves there was truly an entirely civilization living some time ago.
i'll be honest, this feels like a list that should be divided in two, one to cover the first age and another to cover the ages after. because i dont think its fair to compare what was built in beleriand to what was built after the end of the first age.
The Prancing Pony. How old Barley was able to keep that place going through a bizarre incident where an Underhill disappeared, black rider attacks, horses stolen from the stables, being cheated by Bill Ferny, ruffians, no customers coming up the greenway, pipe weed shortages, and still be able to serve the best beer and vittles in the Breeland is truly a wonder.
I must say the black gate of Mordor is pretty impressive. It’s so big it must have had magic involved in its construction. A normal gate wouldn’t ever be so big and be able work. It’s so big you need teams of trolls to open and close it. By the end of the third age it would be nigh impossible to take it by storm. It makes the fortifications of Barad-dur kinda redundant.
well - both the books and the movies show the gate collapsing when sauron was defeated. since the destruction of the ring was basically an undoing of saurons work and will its very likely that his power was at least in part imbued into them. he was after all originally a student and servant of Aule and an accomplished smith/craftsman.
Thank you so much for your work. Its richness and insight is ever a worthy treatment for a dearly beloved legendarium. Your delivery is especially peaceful and contemplative. This is a small thanks, I know, but a thanks dearly felt.
Thanks for mentioning the White Towers of Emyn Beraid. They are especially interested because they eventually become a suburb of the Shire in the Forth Age.
Rivendell seems to draw its wonder from the power of the elven ring not from any feature of its design, scale or size. No one really remarks on Rivendell appearing wondrous, they remark on how it feels to stay there.
@@Solo_Traveling i think the video makes a good case from the text that lothlorien is something more unique and elf-y than a mid sized elegant fortress in a valley.
@factusnonverbus if rivendell is just a mid sized elegant fortress then lothlorient is just a bunch of ppl living in trees. Both are way more than this. But to each their own.
@@Solo_Traveling The thing is, Lothlotien has things that simply don't exist in the rest of Middle-earth history. The earth was specially treated and elevated and the mellyrn, were very special because they only grew there in all of Middle-Earth history and one only grew in the Shire because it was used special soil tended by Galadriel, an extremely skilled elven gardener, from the Land of Lothlórien itself. It wasn't just Nenya, Galadriel was equally important and made Lothlórien what it was. Lothlotien was more of a outworldy great garden of Fairy Queen. Rivendell was still, how can we say, beautiful, but "mundane".
I must agree with Moria topping this list. Just reading what little we are told of it in Fellowship is mind-boggling. It is immense, and an absolute wonder even after falling from glory.
Robert, your words are perilous for me as the sound of gulls was perilous to the Elves. I now yearn for Middle-Earth as they yearned for the Undying Lands.
@@ilsebrauckhoff7689Gimli basically said they’d merely be opening doorways to new chambers and probably establishing walkable pathways. I don’t think that is enough to qualify for the list.
Thank you so much for all that you do, Robert. I absolutely treasure your work and not only will I cross reference any new tidbit I pick up as I re-read my Tolkien collection every year, but I can sit down for hours and watch your deep dives into the lore of Middle Earth and never get tired of it. Just wanted you to know how much good you are putting into the world. Hantatyë
Thank you! Thoughtful and thought provoking video! Osgiliath and its Dome of Stars would have been on my list. Because we readers never got to travel there in LOTR, it is a symbol of lost magnificence, caused through the decline of men.
I love your videos Robert. I've just finished The Silmarillion for a second time this weekend, and the world Tolkien weaved really is incredible. Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Another set of wonders but perhaps falls into the category of crafted or function, are the Beacon-hills of Gondor. While not as mighty or as timeless as the other monuments mentioned, they were stationed for a crucial purpose and manned for hundreds of years for one single goal. Call for aid.
One other honorable mention, and a place I wish more had been written in about, is Dol Amroth. The way Tolkien wrote about it somehow always reminded me of Cair Paravel from Narnia.
I’d really love to see some videos on angband and thangorodrim….. they really are some gnarly places Morgoth wasn’t messing around when it came to his pad
In my opinion, the portrayal of Moria / Khazad Dum in the Lord of the Rings Online MMO is the best rendition we have of it, compared to both the movies and even the original books. You actually have time to explore the place, and immerse yourself in it and the stories and lore there, unlike in both the movies and books where the Fellowship take the most direct route in the least time possible to make it to the other side as fast as possible. But I'm sure you already know how good a job the MMO does, given you frequently use screenshots from it :)
Missed Tobold Hornblower's farm around Longbottom in the shire's Southfarthing where Old Toby pipe weed was grown. Surely that was a wonder of no mistake.
Excellent choices. The description of Moria and Gimli's song are what really sucked me into the world on first reading. Next the natural wonders of middle earth!
The greatest thing made by the hands of non-Valar was at the end of the Third Age: hope for a better future. That evil would be destroyed, and that despite the horrors of the world, and even despite the sacrifices and losses that we endure, that the world can be made a better place.
Rivendell maybe, Helm’s Deep not so much. It really is just a simple fortress built into a very advantageous spot. It pales in comparison to something like Minas Tirith or Orthanc.
What a good video! Truly well done. I loved the build-up and the honourable mentions, as well as the level of detail for each entry. Not too much, yet not simply naming them either. I would never have put your nr. 1 pick at the top of my list, but after listening to your reasoning, it did at least rise up in my own ranking. Very well done, I have enjoyed this video thoroughly.
I would replas Caras Galadhon with Gondolin. The capital of Lothlorien is undoubtedly awe inspiring, but I've always felt that awe comes from the natural beauty and elven magic (harmony with nature) rather than its constructs, and the description of Gondolin is nothing short of wondrous. Perhaps not the equal in beauty to Menegroth, but more impressive than Minas Tirith or Erebor (imo) and worthy to be called one of the wonders of the world.
The Argonath, Minas Tirith, Orthanc, Menegroth, Barad-dûr, Caras Galadhon and Khazad-dum. I can't really argue with any of these picks. Maybe Gondolin could replace either the Argonath or Minas Tirith; but Gondolin stood for less than five centuries all told, and it was only seen by a limited number of people, relatively few of whom escaped its fall. Among residents of Middle Earth at the end of the Third Age, I think only Glorfindel had ever beheld it directly.
After learning more about the Argonath in the LOTR lore I became confused when I referenced back to the movies (the movies were my first exposure to LOTR). I realized that in FOTR the Argonath is actually made in the liknesses of Elendil with the right statue (you even see him holding Narsil in his right hand) and Isildur with the left statue. But after thinking about it further, I guess it made sense for it to be that way in the movie since Anarion is never mentioned nor shown.
I hope someone pops up one day and expands the world, focusing on dwarves and easterlings, and that they do it correctly. Probably impossible but it's nice to dream.
We should be a little more critical of Thingol. The Dwarves didn't just kill him out of greed. They asked for the necklace and he berated them, calling them the 'Stunted ones'. Sure the dwarves were out of line, but Thingol was also an ass
You by far make the best, most detailed and enjoyable LOTR videos. Many others, don’t include the little intricacies of Tolkien’s work. And you story-tell much more fluidly, than some other RUclipsrs *cough* *cough* (Nerd of the Rings)
There are many places that are sketchily described - if at all - yet which must have been grandiose. Belegost, Fornost, Nargothrond, the palace of Thranduil, for example. However, if we admit Isengard and Menegroth (and Nargothrond) as natural wonders made imoressive by later work, then Numenor itself, the Isle of the Star, must be on the list. I would let it displace Lothlorien.
I've only watched the movies, and can't come up offhand with seven, but these are the 3 that most impressed me in the films: 3. Rivendell; 2. Helm's Deep; 1. The Argonath.
Eregion at the height of its activity must have been splendid. A city of craftsman, fashioned by the most diligent of elvish and dwarven masters, with many of the dwarves and even elves having also worked on Khazad-dûm. Think of it as Khazad-dûm's outdoor outpost, revealed to the sunlight and the breeze with an elvish flair. And perhaps even the mysterious Anatar added his supreme maker's touch to it during the centuries he lived and worked there. Even the land was awe inspiring, pleasant woods of holly (which gave it their name, Hollin) in the foothills of the majestic Misty Mountains. Surely worthy of an honorable mention!
Mate I would love if you could make these kinds of videos for the Pirates of The Caribbean. Would listen to you for hours explaining why calypso forgave Jones or The POTC from Cutler Beckett's perspective.
Before I watch, I'm going to guess: Barad-dûr, Dwarrowdelf, Minas Tirith (Or specifically The Tower of Ecthelion), The Argonath, Orthanc, Morannon (The black gate) and Helms Deep.
I would guess the inspiration for the fused black towers are the castles of glass found in Arthurian legend, which in turn could have come from the vitrified forts of Scotland
Do the books and other lore detail how tall the Argonath are? In artwork they seem to far exceed the Statue of Liberty or Christ the Redeemer, but is that how tall professor Tolkien saw them?
You’re one of the RUclipsrs I could happily listen to for hours! And have… thank you for your videos!
Bro could switch to reading the phone book and I would happily wait until he reached my name
I would add the Green Dragon to the list. Any place that serves second breakfast is truly wonderful to me 😋
Oh for the love of
I don't know, The Prancing Pony serves full pints!
🤣👍
@tyree9055 TRUE!
And elevensis, luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner, supper!!!
@@tyree9055it comes in pints?!!
Moria is my favorite, its the most immersive chapter in the whole book for me
I thought i had favorites but hearing Robert reading these descriptions gives me a lot more perspective and insight into how awesome these wonders are.
Agreed, Tolkien's description of the wonders and vastness of Khazad-dûm is amazingly immersive. I find myself constantly re-reading the chapter just to feel the flavour of his writings.
I have to go with angband, but because i stumbled upon the game by that name when i was only 5. I played that game to death more times than i can count
Not just a city, but a whole country underground.
It feels like if you where in a city that was greater than any city of Gondor, like if in the caves there was truly an entirely civilization living some time ago.
i'll be honest, this feels like a list that should be divided in two, one to cover the first age and another to cover the ages after. because i dont think its fair to compare what was built in beleriand to what was built after the end of the first age.
Yes!
Right, this is like combining the wonders of the ancient world with the Eiffel Tower or the Burj Khalifa.
Yeah thats why we have the seven wonders and the seven ancient wonders
Great way to end the day.
Great way to start the day too
I love it when my favorite creators pop up in other favorite creators comments! Good to see you here Loremaster!!!
He's here.
Great username and great pic. Hope you liked the video brother
@@thomasclark7187mid-afternoon in the north :)
I just want to say the IDG's script and way of speaking, like cadence and everything, is just perfect for the subject
The Prancing Pony. How old Barley was able to keep that place going through a bizarre incident where an Underhill disappeared, black rider attacks, horses stolen from the stables, being cheated by Bill Ferny, ruffians, no customers coming up the greenway, pipe weed shortages, and still be able to serve the best beer and vittles in the Breeland is truly a wonder.
Nob
@@_DK_- Don't forget Bob
I must say the black gate of Mordor is pretty impressive. It’s so big it must have had magic involved in its construction. A normal gate wouldn’t ever be so big and be able work. It’s so big you need teams of trolls to open and close it.
By the end of the third age it would be nigh impossible to take it by storm. It makes the fortifications of Barad-dur kinda redundant.
Redundant against mere elves, humans, and dwarves, perhaps - but not against Maiar...
well - both the books and the movies show the gate collapsing when sauron was defeated.
since the destruction of the ring was basically an undoing of saurons work and will its very likely that his power was at least in part imbued into them.
he was after all originally a student and servant of Aule and an accomplished smith/craftsman.
I came here to say this it must have been impressive
Last time I was this early, Feanor was still making the Silmarils
😂😂😂
That made me truly laugh out loud!
Don’t tell him his son celebrimbor managed to age into a dottering gran somehow in mids of power lol. I think they got confused n made Keebler elves
last time I was this early, Morgoth was trying to bring ruin tot he world.
@@danieldosso2455damn that ruin tot's eyes!
Last time I was this early, Melkor was still harmonious with the rest of the Valar
10/10
lolz
Why word, just after the creation of the Ainur. Early indeed.
He was never harmonious with the rest of the Valar. His ambition always overpowered his willingness to cooperate with anyone.
Melkor, bringing that bass tritone into the Valar Barbershop since before records began
Thank you so much for your work. Its richness and insight is ever a worthy treatment for a dearly beloved legendarium. Your delivery is especially peaceful and contemplative. This is a small thanks, I know, but a thanks dearly felt.
Thank you!
Your soothing intelligent voice is a wonder in itself. Thank You!
He could tell me the world is ending and I'd be like ☺️
Thanks for mentioning the White Towers of Emyn Beraid. They are especially interested because they eventually become a suburb of the Shire in the Forth Age.
13:10 Mithril laced gates! That's a kingly gift!
I would've included Rivendell. I remember the huge impact it had on me the first time I saw it in Fellowship of the Ring.
Rivendell seems to draw its wonder from the power of the elven ring not from any feature of its design, scale or size. No one really remarks on Rivendell appearing wondrous, they remark on how it feels to stay there.
@factusnonverbus this was also the case for Lothlorien though.
@@Solo_Traveling i think the video makes a good case from the text that lothlorien is something more unique and elf-y than a mid sized elegant fortress in a valley.
@factusnonverbus if rivendell is just a mid sized elegant fortress then lothlorient is just a bunch of ppl living in trees. Both are way more than this. But to each their own.
@@Solo_Traveling The thing is, Lothlotien has things that simply don't exist in the rest of Middle-earth history.
The earth was specially treated and elevated and the mellyrn, were very special because they only grew there in all of Middle-Earth history and one only grew in the Shire because it was used special soil tended by Galadriel, an extremely skilled elven gardener, from the Land of Lothlórien itself. It wasn't just Nenya, Galadriel was equally important and made Lothlórien what it was.
Lothlotien was more of a outworldy great garden of Fairy Queen. Rivendell was still, how can we say, beautiful, but "mundane".
I must agree with Moria topping this list. Just reading what little we are told of it in Fellowship is mind-boggling. It is immense, and an absolute wonder even after falling from glory.
To those saying they are early: remember, a wizard arrives not early, but precisely when he means to
This Istari agrees wholeheartedly!
🤣👍
True, true *strokes beard thoughtfully*
Tolkien actually never wrote that about wizards, thats a movie only thing. Made up by peter jacksons wife.
@@MrMiller27 It doesn't matter. It has WIZARD written ALL over it!
😂🤣👍
What if I mean to arrive early?
Next week, Top Places to Lock Your Car Door:
-Angband
-Moria
-Mordor
-Utumno
-Lobelia’s front yard
And the parking lot of the prancing pony, lol
Robert, your words are perilous for me as the sound of gulls was perilous to the Elves. I now yearn for Middle-Earth as they yearned for the Undying Lands.
I nominate the glittering caves of Aglarond, after being beautified by Gimli and his kin.
i thought of that, too. Except Robert says that his list doesn't include natural wonders.
@@marcpeterson1092 it's not natural anymore after the dwarves did their magic.
@@ilsebrauckhoff7689Gimli basically said they’d merely be opening doorways to new chambers and probably establishing walkable pathways. I don’t think that is enough to qualify for the list.
@@BooksForever he said something else.
@@ilsebrauckhoff7689 Obviously I was only paraphrasing his general sentiment. If you want the exact words you know where to find them.
Ancient wonders are a reminder that we all live in the ruins of someone else's apocalypse.
Thank you for continuing to produce great videos about amazing topics
Gimli helped construct gates of Mithril for Minas Tirith in the 4th age!? Learning every day!
Slight correction In Deep Geek: Osgiliath's bridge fell through during the Kin-strife which happened in the Third Age, not the Second Age.
Thank you so much for all that you do, Robert.
I absolutely treasure your work and not only will I cross reference any new tidbit I pick up as I re-read my Tolkien collection every year, but I can sit down for hours and watch your deep dives into the lore of Middle Earth and never get tired of it. Just wanted you to know how much good you are putting into the world.
Hantatyë
Thank you! Thoughtful and thought provoking video! Osgiliath and its Dome of Stars would have been on my list. Because we readers never got to travel there in LOTR, it is a symbol of lost magnificence, caused through the decline of men.
2:40 this is such powerful writing. It would be awe-inspiring to see in person!
What a wonderful video! Thanks so much for working to release these right up until Christmas
One of the Argonath, Peter Jackson should have made it look like the actor who portrayed Isildur.
I love your videos Robert. I've just finished The Silmarillion for a second time this weekend, and the world Tolkien weaved really is incredible. Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Another set of wonders but perhaps falls into the category of crafted or function, are the Beacon-hills of Gondor. While not as mighty or as timeless as the other monuments mentioned, they were stationed for a crucial purpose and manned for hundreds of years for one single goal. Call for aid.
Your videos are my favorite thing to fall asleep to, thank you bro❤
This is video is a work of art. Thank you& merry Christmas
No corrections, honestly. I think you nailed it. Merry Christmas!
This video makes me miss the travelers guide to Westeros videos you made. loved those and this talking about specific locations kinda feels similar
Your channel is a pure gem, one would say even one of youtube's seven wonders!
Playing return to Moria, the first time I entered Dwarrowdelf was awe inspiring
Maybe not such a dazzling wonder, but I truly love Beorn's cozy house & his wonderful animals. ❤😊
One other honorable mention, and a place I wish more had been written in about, is Dol Amroth. The way Tolkien wrote about it somehow always reminded me of Cair Paravel from Narnia.
this video makes me want to travel and see beautiful things
I’d really love to see some videos on angband and thangorodrim….. they really are some gnarly places
Morgoth wasn’t messing around when it came to his pad
Amazing list and a few I didn’t know too much about. Look forward to reading up on them especially some in the honorable mention list. Cheers.
Thanks!
Well done Robert, another fantastic video to fall asleep to
The shire isn't really a building, but still. It is a wonder!
You have the perfect voice for narrating audiobooks
In my opinion, the portrayal of Moria / Khazad Dum in the Lord of the Rings Online MMO is the best rendition we have of it, compared to both the movies and even the original books. You actually have time to explore the place, and immerse yourself in it and the stories and lore there, unlike in both the movies and books where the Fellowship take the most direct route in the least time possible to make it to the other side as fast as possible.
But I'm sure you already know how good a job the MMO does, given you frequently use screenshots from it :)
Missed Tobold Hornblower's farm around Longbottom in the shire's Southfarthing where Old Toby pipe weed was grown. Surely that was a wonder of no mistake.
Excellent choices. The description of Moria and Gimli's song are what really sucked me into the world on first reading.
Next the natural wonders of middle earth!
The greatest thing made by the hands of non-Valar was at the end of the Third Age: hope for a better future. That evil would be destroyed, and that despite the horrors of the world, and even despite the sacrifices and losses that we endure, that the world can be made a better place.
As great job as always! I would've given Rivendell and Helm's Deep honorable mentions.
Rivendell maybe, Helm’s Deep not so much. It really is just a simple fortress built into a very advantageous spot. It pales in comparison to something like Minas Tirith or Orthanc.
16:00 The Colossus of Rhodes was felled by an earthquake, barely 50 years after construction.
What a good video! Truly well done. I loved the build-up and the honourable mentions, as well as the level of detail for each entry. Not too much, yet not simply naming them either. I would never have put your nr. 1 pick at the top of my list, but after listening to your reasoning, it did at least rise up in my own ranking. Very well done, I have enjoyed this video thoroughly.
Great list Robert, Thank you for that.
12:50 Grond mentioned. I'm pleased
It’s a bit weird how In the movies the argonath are statues of Isildur and Elendil. And not Isildur and Anarion.
And they hold swords not axes
I'm glad the outer wall of Minas Tirith was made white instead of black, though
Yeah well the movies left so much out, and changed so much more.
This is a nice Christmas present. Thanks for all the amazing content
What a nice gift for the season that's in it: a wondrous IDG video.
I would replas Caras Galadhon with Gondolin. The capital of Lothlorien is undoubtedly awe inspiring, but I've always felt that awe comes from the natural beauty and elven magic (harmony with nature) rather than its constructs, and the description of Gondolin is nothing short of wondrous. Perhaps not the equal in beauty to Menegroth, but more impressive than Minas Tirith or Erebor (imo) and worthy to be called one of the wonders of the world.
Caras Galadhon was built. It is literally Galadriel's great garden. It was more because of her gardening skills, than Nenya.
The Argonath, Minas Tirith, Orthanc, Menegroth, Barad-dûr, Caras Galadhon and Khazad-dum. I can't really argue with any of these picks.
Maybe Gondolin could replace either the Argonath or Minas Tirith; but Gondolin stood for less than five centuries all told, and it was only seen by a limited number of people, relatively few of whom escaped its fall.
Among residents of Middle Earth at the end of the Third Age, I think only Glorfindel had ever beheld it directly.
Great video! Enjoying this a lot!
This dude has the perfect voice for this. He's so into it too, i like it lol
After learning more about the Argonath in the LOTR lore I became confused when I referenced back to the movies (the movies were my first exposure to LOTR). I realized that in FOTR the Argonath is actually made in the liknesses of Elendil with the right statue (you even see him holding Narsil in his right hand) and Isildur with the left statue. But after thinking about it further, I guess it made sense for it to be that way in the movie since Anarion is never mentioned nor shown.
Nice video, great to see you post it a second time, can't wait to see you post it again in 2 more years
1:04 #1
3:34 #2
6:28 #3
8:46 #4
11:15 #5
13:16 #6
16:56 #7
I hope someone pops up one day and expands the world, focusing on dwarves and easterlings, and that they do it correctly. Probably impossible but it's nice to dream.
The cities of the Blue Mountains were probably amazing. The only above ground cities of Dwarves we know of.
The men of the East are one I'd like to know more about.
Were they truly enemies, or had they been deceived by Sauron?
Tol Morwen also feels really impactful. The very last remnant of the First Age, a testaament to the family of Húrin.
Though you dismissed it, I would include Gondolin and Nargothrond for they are wonders elven-made.
I only wish these videos were longer. I listen on my commute.
Oh I can't wait for the reuploud of your video about the scouring of the shire, it was my favorite and the one the first I watch on your channel
Nargothrond deserves a spot in this list!
Tolkien is THE master world-builder.
I'm surprised Rivendell didn't get an honorable mention. Great list though! I didn't have Baradur on mine, but otherwise we lined right up.
Rivendell would have been on my list, and The Grey Havens deserve an honorable mention as well!
Hey Robert, I woud love to see a video on the full history of Helm's deep, even way before the Riders of the Mark got given the land
We should be a little more critical of Thingol. The Dwarves didn't just kill him out of greed. They asked for the necklace and he berated them, calling them the 'Stunted ones'. Sure the dwarves were out of line, but Thingol was also an ass
That‘s hardly an excuse for killing him! Not even near
@GroppeljohannKlotenkempe-vr6oh I know, I'm not trying to excuse the dwarves. Just pointing out Thingol wasn't faultless in the event
My man, what about the brewery district of Erebor? Malt beer!
At the start of this vid, I instantly thought, "Moria better be on this."
Not disappointed 👍
Thanks Robert ❤️
I think you hit the top 3 on the spot
Why do I feel like I've watched this video, on this channel, already? Different artworks, same wonders, same explanation. (Feels like a major Deja vu)
he's been 'updating' videos for a while now.
@@jcook693 ahh, that's why I can't find any if his older videos. Thought that it wasn't right that all his videos are 1 year old max
You by far make the best, most detailed and enjoyable LOTR videos. Many others, don’t include the little intricacies of Tolkien’s work. And you story-tell much more fluidly, than some other RUclipsrs *cough* *cough* (Nerd of the Rings)
I would include Goldolin, but mostly because of the song Mirror Mirror by Blind Guardian, love that song
Tom Bombadills boots is truly a wonder, holding up for soo long :)
All I can say Robert is that this is beautiful.
There are many places that are sketchily described - if at all - yet which must have been grandiose. Belegost, Fornost, Nargothrond, the palace of Thranduil, for example.
However, if we admit Isengard and Menegroth (and Nargothrond) as natural wonders made imoressive by later work, then Numenor itself, the Isle of the Star, must be on the list. I would let it displace Lothlorien.
How the dwarves maintained their health without getting asthmatic for the lack of fresh air is mind-boggling.
I've only watched the movies, and can't come up offhand with seven, but these are the 3 that most impressed me in the films:
3. Rivendell;
2. Helm's Deep;
1. The Argonath.
Eregion at the height of its activity must have been splendid. A city of craftsman, fashioned by the most diligent of elvish and dwarven masters, with many of the dwarves and even elves having also worked on Khazad-dûm. Think of it as Khazad-dûm's outdoor outpost, revealed to the sunlight and the breeze with an elvish flair. And perhaps even the mysterious Anatar added his supreme maker's touch to it during the centuries he lived and worked there. Even the land was awe inspiring, pleasant woods of holly (which gave it their name, Hollin) in the foothills of the majestic Misty Mountains. Surely worthy of an honorable mention!
Well if we are going to talk about constructed things then I think the lamps Illuin and Ormal would have to make the list.
What a great topic!
Love your videos.
Mate I would love if you could make these kinds of videos for the Pirates of The Caribbean. Would listen to you for hours explaining why calypso forgave Jones or The POTC from Cutler Beckett's perspective.
My blood went cold when after the 6th one I saw something else than Khazad-dûm...
"honorable mentions"
...phew.
Say what you want about the rings of power series, but you gotta admit that the depictions of khazad dûm are amazing
Great list
Before I watch, I'm going to guess: Barad-dûr, Dwarrowdelf, Minas Tirith (Or specifically The Tower of Ecthelion), The Argonath, Orthanc, Morannon (The black gate) and Helms Deep.
1. Barad-dur.
2. The black gate.
3. Argonath.
4. Orthanc.
5. Khâzad-Dûm.
6. Angband.
7. Erebor.
I would guess the inspiration for the fused black towers are the castles of glass found in Arthurian legend, which in turn could have come from the vitrified forts of Scotland
Do the books and other lore detail how tall the Argonath are? In artwork they seem to far exceed the Statue of Liberty or Christ the Redeemer, but is that how tall professor Tolkien saw them?