| Gondor | |
|---|---|
| J. R. R. Tolkien'slegendarium location | |
 Coat of arms bearing the white tree, Nimloth the fair[T 1] | |
| First appearance | The Lord of the Rings |
| In-universe information | |
| Other name | The South-kingdom |
| Type | Southern Númenórean realm in exile |
| Ruled by | Kings of Gondor; Stewards of Gondor |
| Location | Northwest Middle-earth |
| Capital | Osgiliath, then Minas Tirith |
| Founder | Isildur and Anárion |
Gondor is a fictional kingdom inJ. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm ofMen in the west ofMiddle-earth at the end of theThird Age. The third volume ofThe Lord of the Rings,The Return of the King, is largely concerned with the events in Gondor during theWar of the Ring and with the restoration of the realm afterward. The history of the kingdom is outlined in the appendices of the book.
Gondor was founded by the brothersIsildur and Anárion, exiles from the downfallen island kingdom ofNúmenor. Along withArnor in the north, Gondor, the South-kingdom, served as a last stronghold of theMen of the West. After an early period of growth, Gondor gradually declined as the Third Age progressed, being continually weakened by internal strife and conflict with the allies of the Dark LordSauron. By the time of the War of the Ring, the throne of Gondor is empty, though its principalities and fiefdoms still pay deference to the absent king by showing their loyalty to the Stewards of Gondor. The kingdom's ascendancy is restored only with Sauron's final defeat and the crowning ofAragorn as king.
Based upon early conceptions, the history and geography of Gondor were developed in stages as Tolkien extendedhis legendarium while writingThe Lord of the Rings. Critics have noted the contrast between the cultured but lifeless Stewards of Gondor, and the simple but vigorous leaders of the Kingdom ofRohan, modelled on Tolkien's favouredAnglo-Saxons. Scholars have noted parallels between Gondor and theNormans,Ancient Rome, theVikings, theGoths, theLangobards, and theByzantine Empire.
Tolkien intended the nameGondor to beSindarin for "Stone-land".[T 2][T 3] This is echoed in the text ofThe Lord of the Rings by the name for Gondor among theRohirrim, Stoningland.[T 4] Tolkien's early writings suggest that this was a reference to the highly developed masonry of Gondorians in contrast to their rustic neighbours.[T 5] This view is supported by theDrúedain terms for Gondorians andMinas Tirith—Stonehouse-folk and Stone-city.[T 6] Tolkien denied that the nameGondor had been inspired by the ancient Ethiopian citadel ofGondar, stating that the rootOnd went back to an account he had read as a child mentioningond ("stone") as one of only two words known of thepre-Celtic languages of Britain.[T 7] Gondor is also called the South-kingdom or Southern Realm, and together with Arnor as the Númenórean Realms in Exile. ResearchersWayne G. Hammond andChristina Scull have proposed aQuenya translation ofGondor:Ondonórë.[1]The Men of Gondor are nicknamed "Tarks" (from Quenyatarkil "High Man", Númenórean)[T 8] by theorcs of Mordor.[T 9]
Gondor's geography is illustrated inthe maps forThe Lord of the Rings made byChristopher Tolkien on the basis of his father's sketches, and geographical accounts inThe Rivers and Beacon-Hills of Gondor,Cirion and Eorl, andThe Lord of the Rings. Gondor lies in the west ofMiddle-earth, on the northern shores of Anfalas[T 10][T 11] and the Bay of Belfalas[T 12] with the great port of Pelargir near the river Anduin's delta in the fertile[T 13] and populous[T 11] region of Lebennin,[T 14] stretching up to the White Mountains (Sindarin:Ered Nimrais, "Mountains of White Horns"). Near the mouths of Anduin was the island of Tolfalas.[T 15]
To the north-west of Gondor lies Arnor; to the north, Gondor is bordered byWilderland andRohan; to the north-east, by Rhûn; to the east, across the great river Anduin and the province of Ithilien, byMordor; to the south, by the deserts of northernHarad. To the west lies the Great Sea.[2]
The wide land to the west of Rohan was Enedwaith; in some of Tolkien's writings it is part of Gondor, in others not.[T 16][T 17][T 18][T 19]The hot and dry region of South Gondor, or Harondor was by the time of the War of the Ring "a debatable and desert land", contested by the men of Harad.[T 14]
The region of Lamedon and the uplands of the prosperous Morthond, with the desolate Hill of Erech,[T 20] lay to the south of the White Mountains, while the populous[T 4] valleys of Lossarnach were just south of Minas Tirith. The city's port was also a few miles south at Harlond, where the great riverAnduin made its closest approach to Minas Tirith. Ringló Vale lay between Lamedon and Lebennin.[T 21]
The region of Calenardhon lay to the north of the White Mountains; it was granted independence as the kingdom ofRohan.[T 19] To the northeast, the river Anduin enters the hills of the Emyn Muil and passes the Sarn Gebir, dangerous straits, above a large river-lake, Nen Hithoel. Its entrance was once the northern border of Gondor, and is marked by the Gates of Argonath, an enormous pair of kingly statues, as a warning to trespassers. At the southern end of the lake are the hills of Amon Hen (the Hill of Seeing) and Amon Lhaw (the Hill of Hearing) on the west and east shores; below Amon Hen is the lawn of Parth Galen, where the Fellowship disembarked and was then broken, with the capture of Merry and Pippin, and the death of Boromir. Between the two hills is a rocky islet, Tol Brandir, which partly dams the river; just below it is an enormous waterfall, the Falls of Rauros, over which Boromir's funeral-boat is sent. Further down the river are the hills of Emyn Arnen.[T 22]
The capital of Gondor at the end of the Third Age, Minas Tirith (Sindarin: "Tower of Guard"[5]), lay at the eastern end of the White Mountains, built around a shoulder of Mount Mindolluin.[T 23] The city had seven walls: each held a gate, and each gate faced a different direction from the next.[T 24] The city was surrounded by thePelennor, an area of farmlands ringed by a wall.[T 11] Inside the seventh wall was the Citadel, topped by the White Tower. Behind the tower, reached from the sixth level, was asaddle leading to the necropolis of the Kings and Stewards, with a street of tombs, Rath Dínen.[a]
Within the Court of the Fountain stood the White Tree, the symbol of Gondor. It was dry throughout the centuries that Gondor was ruled by the Stewards; Aragorn brought a sapling of the White Tree into the city on his return as King.[6]John Garth writes that the White Tree has been likened to theDry Tree of the 14th centuryTravels of Sir John Mandeville.[7][3] The tale runs that the Dry Tree had been dry since thecrucifixion of Christ, but that it would flower afresh when "a prince of the west side of the world should sing a mass beneath it".[3][4]
Tolkien's map-notes for the illustratorPauline Baynes indicate that the city had thelatitude ofRavenna, anItalian city on theAdriatic Sea, though it lay "900 miles east of Hobbiton more nearBelgrade".[8][9][b] TheWarning beacons of Gondor were atop a line of foothills running back west from Minas Tirith towards Rohan.[T 25]
Dol Amroth (Sindarin: "the Hill of Amroth"[11]) was a fortress-city on a peninsula jutting westward into the Bay of Belfalas, on Gondor's southern shore. It is also the name of the port city, one of the five great cities of Gondor, and the seat of theprincipality of the same name, founded by prince Galador.[T 26] The whimsical poem "The Man in the Moon Came Down Too Soon" inThe Adventures of Tom Bombadil tells how the Man in the Moon fell one night into "the windy Bay of Bel"; his fall is marked by the tolling of a bell in the Seaward Tower (Tirith Aear) of Dol Amroth, and he recovers at an inn in the city.[T 27]
Its ruler, the Prince of Dol Amroth, is subject to the sovereignty of Gondor.[T 28] The principality's boundaries are not explicitly defined, though the Prince ruled Belfalas as a fief, as well as an area to the east on the map labelled Dor-en-Ernil ("The Land of the Prince").[T 12] Imrahil, Prince of Dol Amroth inThe Return of the King, was linked by marriage both to theStewards of Gondor and to the Kings of Rohan.[12] He was the brother of Lady Finduilas and uncle to her sonsBoromir andFaramir;[T 29] a kinsman ofThéoden;[T 30] and the father ofÉomer's wife Lothíriel.[12][T 31] Imrahil played a major part in the defence ofMinas Tirith; the soldiers whom Imrahil led to Minas Tirith formed the largest contingent from the hinterland to the defence of the city.[13][T 11] They marched under a banner "silver upon blue",[T 1] bearing "a white ship like a swan upon blue water".[T 32]
Some like Finduilas are of Númenórean descent,[14] and still speak the Elvish language.[T 2] Tolkien wrote about the city's protective sea-walls and described Belfalas as a "great fief".[T 20] Prince Imrahil's castle is by the sea; Tolkien described him as "of high blood, and his folk also, tall men and proud with sea-grey eyes".[T 11] Local tradition claimed that the line's forefather, Imrazôr the Númenórean had married an Elf, though the line remained mortal.[T 24][15][16]
Thefirst people in the region were theDrúedain, a hunter-gatherer group ofMen who arrive in theFirst Age. They were pushed aside by later settlers and came to live in the pine-woods of the Druadan Forest[T 6] by the north-easternWhite Mountains.[T 33] The next people settled in theWhite Mountains, and became known as the Men of the Mountains. They built a subterranean complex at Dunharrow, later known as the Paths of the Dead, which extended through the mountain-range from north to south.[T 13] They became subject toSauron in the Dark Years. Fragments of pre-Númenórean languages survive in later ages in place-names such asErech,Arnach, andUmbar.[T 34]
The shorelands of Gondor were widely colonized by theNúmenóreans from the middle of theSecond Age, especially by Elf-friends loyal toElendil.[T 35] His sonsIsildur and Anárion landed in Gondor after the drowning of Númenor, and co-founded the Kingdom of Gondor. Isildur brought with him a seedling of Nimloth (Sindarin:nim, "white" andloth, "blossom"[17]) the Fair, the white tree from Númenor. This tree and its descendants came to be called the White Tree of Gondor, and appears on the kingdom'scoat of arms. Elendil, who founded the Kingdom of Arnor to the north, was held to be theHigh King of all the lands of theDúnedain.[T 17] Isildur established the city ofMinas Ithil (Sindarin: "Tower of the Moon") while Anárion established the city of Minas Anor (Sindarin: "Tower of the Sun").[T 17]
Sauron survived the destruction of Númenor and secretly returned to his realm of Mordor, soon launching a war against the Númenórean kingdoms. He captured Minas Ithil, but Isildur escaped by ship to Arnor; meanwhile, Anárion was able to defend Osgiliath.[T 35] Elendil and theElven-kingGil-galad formed the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, and together with Isildur and Anárion, they besieged and defeated Mordor.[T 35] Sauron was overthrown; but theOne Ring that Isildur took from him was not destroyed, and thus Sauron continued to exist.[T 36]
Both Elendil and Anárion were killed in the war, so Isildur conferred rule of Gondor upon Anárion's son Meneldil, retainingsuzerainty over Gondor as High King of the Dúnedain. Isildur and his three elder sons were ambushed and killed byOrcs in the Gladden Fields. Isildur's remaining son Valandil did not attempt to claim his father's place as Gondor's monarch; the kingdom was ruled solely by Meneldil and his descendants until their line died out.[T 36]
During the early years of theThird Age, Gondor was victorious and wealthy, and kept a careful watch on Mordor, but the peace ended with Easterling invasions.[T 38] Gondor established a powerful navy and captured the southern port of Umbar from theBlack Númenóreans,[T 38] becoming rich.[T 17]
As time went by, Gondor neglected the watch onMordor. A civil war gave Umbar the opportunity to declare independence.[T 38] The kings ofHarad grew stronger, leading to fighting in the south.[T 39] With a GreatPlague the population began a steep decline.[T 38] The capital was moved from Osgiliath to the less affected Minas Anor, and evil creatures returned to the mountains bordering Mordor. There was war with the Wainriders, a confederation of Easterling tribes, and Gondor lost its line of kings.[T 40] TheRingwraiths captured and occupied Minas Ithil[T 35] which becameMinas Morgul, "the Tower of Black Sorcery".[T 41][T 35][T 17] At this time Minas Anor was renamed to Minas Tirith, in constant watch of its now defiled twin city.
Without kings, Gondor was ruled by Stewards for many generations, father to son; despite their exercise of power and hereditary status, they were never accepted as Kings, nor did they sit on the high throne.[T 42] The badge of office of the Stewards is a white rod.[T 11][18]
Faramir reports that Boromir as a boy had asked his father Denethor how many centuries it would take for a steward to become a king. Denethor replied "Few years, maybe, in other places of less royalty. In Gondor ten thousand years would not suffice."[T 42] Shippey reads this as a reproach toShakespeare'sMacbeth, noting that in Scotland, andin Britain, aStewart/Steward likeJames I of England (James VI of Scotland) could metamorphose into a king.[19]
After attacks by evil forces, the province of Ithilien[T 11] and the city of Osgiliath were abandoned.[T 17][T 38] Late in the Third Age, the forces of Gondor, led byAragorn (under the alias Thorongil) attacked Umbar and destroyed the Corsair fleet, allowing Ecthelion II to devote his attention to Mordor.[T 37][20][T 38]
Denethor sent his sonBoromir toRivendell for advice as war loomed. There, Boromir attended theCouncil of Elrond, saw theOne Ring, and suggested it be used as a weapon to save Gondor. Elrond rebuked him, explaining the danger of such use, and instead, the hobbitFrodo was made ring-bearer, and aFellowship, including Boromir, was sent on a quest to destroy the Ring.[T 43] Growing in strength,Sauron attacked Osgiliath, forcing the defenders to leave, destroying the last bridge across the Anduin behind them.Minas Tirith then faced direct land attack fromMordor, combined with naval attack by the Corsairs of Umbar. Thehobbits Frodo andSam travelled through Ithilien, and were captured byFaramir, Boromir's brother, who held them at the hidden cave of Henneth Annûn, but helped them to continue their quest.[T 42]Aragorn summoned the Dead of Dunharrow to destroy the forces fromUmbar, freeing men from the southern provinces of Gondor such as Dol Amroth[T 11][T 12] to come to the aid of Minas Tirith.
During theBattle of the Pelennor Fields, the Great Gate was breached bySauron's forces led by theWitch-king of Angmar. He spoke "words of power" as thebattering ram namedGrond attacked the Great Gate; it burst asunder as if "stricken by some blasting spell", with "a flash of searing lightning, and the doors tumbled in riven fragments to the ground".[T 24] The Witch-king rode through the Gate whereGandalf awaited him, but left shortly afterwards to meet the Riders of Rohan in battle. Gondor, with the support ofRohirrim as cavalry, repelled the invasion by Mordor. Following the death ofDenethor and the incapacity of Faramir, Prince Imrahil became the effective lord of Gondor.[21]
When Imrahil declined to send the entirety of Gondor's army against Mordor, Aragorn led a smaller army to theBlack Gate of Mordor to distract Sauron from Frodo's quest.[21] Sauron encircled the army at theBattle of the Morannon, but the hobbits succeeded, defeating Sauron and bringing the war and the Third Age to an end. The Great Gate was rebuilt withmithril and steel byGimli and Dwarves from theLonely Mountain. Aragorn's coronation was held on the Gateway, where he was pronounced King Elessar of both Gondor and Arnor, the sister kingdom in the north.[T 44][T 39][T 45][T 46]
Tolkien's original thoughts about the later ages of Middle-earth are outlined in his first, mid-1930s, sketches for the legend ofNúmenor; these already contain a semblance of Gondor.[T 47] The appendices toThe Lord of the Rings were brought to a finished state in 1953–54, but a decade later, during preparations for the release of the Second Edition, Tolkien elaborated the events that had led to Gondor's civil war, introducing the regency of Rómendacil II.[T 48] The final development of the history and geography of Gondor took place around 1970, in the last years of Tolkien's life, when he invented justifications for the place-names and wrote full narratives for the stories of Isildur's death and of the battles with the Wainriders and the Balchoth (published inUnfinished Tales).[T 49]
Tolkien describes an early population ofelves in the Dol Amroth region, writing many accounts of its early history. In one version, a haven and a small settlement were founded in theFirst Age by seafaringSindar from the west havens ofBeleriand who fled in three small ships when the power ofMorgoth overwhelmed theEldar; the Sindar were joined later by Silvan Elves who came down Anduin seeking the sea.[T 50] Another account states that the haven was established in theSecond Age by Sindarin Elves from Lindon, who learned the craft of shipbuilding at the Grey Havens and then settled at the mouth of theMorthond.[T 50] Other accounts say that Silvan Elves accompaniedGaladriel fromLothlórien to this region after the defeat ofSauron atEriador in the middle of the Second Age,[T 50] or that Amroth ruled among the Nandorin Elves here in the Second Age.[T 51] Elves continued to live there well into the Third Age, until the last ship departed from Edhellond for theUndying Lands. Amroth, King of Lothlórien from the beginning of the Third Age,[T 50] left his realm behind in search of his beloved Nimrodel, a Nandorin who had fled from thehorror unleashed by theDwarves inMoria. He waited for her at Edhellond, for their final voyage together into the West. But Nimrodel, who lovedMiddle-earth as much as she did Amroth, failed to join him. When the ship was blown prematurely out to sea, he jumped overboard in a futile attempt to reach the shore to search for her, and drowned in the bay.[T 50] Mithrellas, a Silvan Elf and one of the companions of Nimrodel, is said to have become the foremother of the line of the Princes of Dol Amroth.[T 50][22]
According to an alternate account about the line of the Princes of Dol Amroth cited inUnfinished Tales, they were descendants of a family of the Faithful fromNúmenor who had ruled over the land ofBelfalas since theSecond Age, beforeNúmenor was destroyed. This family ofNúmenóreans were akin to theLords of Andúnië, and thus related toElendil and descended from the House of Elros. After theDownfall of Númenor, they were created the "Prince of Belfalas" byElendil.[T 19]Unfinished Tales provides an account of "Adrahil of Dol Amroth" who fought under King Ondoher of Gondor against theWainriders.[T 40]
| Situation | Gondor | Rohan |
|---|---|---|
| Leader's behaviour on meeting trespassers | Faramir, son ofRuling StewardDenethor courteous, urbane, civilised | Éomer, nephew of KingThéoden "compulsively truculent" |
| Ruler's palace | Great Hall ofMinas Tirith large, solemn, colourless | Mead hall ofMeduseld, simple, lively, colourful |
| State | "A kind ofRome", subtle, selfish, calculating | Anglo-Saxon, vigorous |
The criticTom Shippey compares Tolkien's characterisation of Gondor with that of Rohan. He notes that men from the two countries meet or behave in contrasting ways several times inThe Lord of the Rings: when Éomer and his Riders of Rohan twice meet Aragorn's party in the Mark, and when Faramir and his men imprison Frodo and Sam at Henneth Annun in Ithilien. Shippey notes that while Éomer is "compulsively truculent", Faramir is courteous, urbane, civilised: the people of Gondor are self-assured, and their culture is higher than that of Rohan. The same is seen, Shippey argues, in the comparison between themead hall ofMeduseld in Rohan, and the great hall of Minas Tirith in Gondor. Meduseld is simple, but brought to life by tapestries, a colourful stone floor, and the vivid picture of the rider, his bright hair streaming in the wind, blowing his horn. The Steward Denethor's hall is large and solemn, but dead, colourless, in cold stone. Rohan is, Shippey suggests, the "bit that Tolkien knew best",[24] Anglo-Saxon, full of vigour; Gondor is "a kind of Rome", over-subtle, selfish, calculating.[24]
The criticJane Chance Nitzsche contrasts the "good and bad Germanic lordsThéoden and Denethor", noting that their names are almost anagrams. She writes thatboth men receive the allegiance of a hobbit, but very differently: Denethor, Steward of Gondor, undervaluesPippin because he is small, and binds him with a formal oath, whereas Théoden, King of Rohan, treatsMerry with love, which the hobbit responds to.[25]
In his analysis of the historical lore of Númenor, Michael N. Stanton said close affinities are demonstrated between Elves and the descendants of Men of the West, not only in terms of blood heritage but also in "moral probity and nobility of demeanor", which gradually weakened over time due to "time, forgetfulness, and, in no small part, the machinations of Sauron".[26] The cultural ties between the Men of Gondor and Elves are reflected in the names of certain characters: for instance, Finduilas of Dol Amroth (the wife of Denethor and the sister of Prince Imrahil) shares her name with anElf princess of the First Age.[27]
Leslie A. Donovan, inA Companion to J. R. R. Tolkien, compares the siege of Gondor with the alliance of Elves and Men in their fight against Morgoth and other co-operative ventures inThe Silmarillion, making the point that none of these would have succeeded without collaboration; further that one such success comes from another shared effort, as when the Rohirrim were only able to come to the aid of Gondor because of the joint efforts of Legolas, Gimli, and Aragorn; and that they in turn collaborated with the oathbreakers from the Paths of the Dead.[28]
Sandra Ballif Straubhaar, a scholar of Germanic studies, notes inThe J. R. R. Tolkien Encyclopedia that readers have debated the real-world prototypes of Gondor. She writes that like theNormans, their founders the Númenóreans arrived "from across the sea", and that Prince Imrahil's armour with a "burnishedvambrace" recalls late-medievalplate armour. Against this theory, she notes Tolkien's direction of readers to Egypt and Byzantium. Recalling that Tolkien located Minas Tirith at the latitude of Florence, she states that "the most striking similarities" are withancient Rome. She identifies several parallels:Aeneas, fromTroy, and Elendil, from Númenor, both survive the destruction of their home countries; the brothersRomulus and Remus found Rome, while the brothers Isildur and Anárion found the Númenórean kingdoms in Middle-earth; and both Gondor and Rome experienced centuries of "decadence and decline".[20]
Dimitra Fimi, a scholar of fantasy and children's literature, draws a parallel between the seafaring Númenóreans and theVikings of the Norse world, noting that inThe Lost Road and Other Writings, Tolkien describes theirship-burials,[T 52] matching those inBeowulf and theProse Edda.[29] She notes that Boromir is given a boat-funeral inThe Two Towers.[T 53][29] Fimi further compares the helmet and crown of Gondor with the romanticised "headgear of theValkyries", despite Tolkien's denial of a connection withWagner'sRing cycle, noting the "likeness of the wings of a sea-bird"[T 41] in his description of Aragorn's coronation, and his drawing of the crown in an unused dust jacket design.[T 54][29]
| Situation | Gondor | Byzantine Empire |
|---|---|---|
| Older state echoed | Elendil's unified kingdom of Gondor and Arnor | Roman Empire |
| Weaker sister kingdom | Arnor, the Northern kingdom | Western Roman Empire |
| Powerful enemies to East and South | Easterlings, Haradrim, Mordor | Persians, Arabs, Turks |
| Finalsiege from the East | Survives | Falls |
The classical scholar Miryam Librán-Moreno writes that Tolkien drew heavily on the general history of theGoths,Langobards and theByzantine Empire, and their mutual struggle. Historical names from these peoples were used in drafts or the final concept of the internal history of Gondor, such as Vidumavi, wife of king Valacar (inGothic).[30] The Byzantine Empire and Gondor were both, in Librán-Moreno's view, only echoes of older states (theRoman Empire and the unified kingdom of Elendil), yet each proved to be stronger than their sister-kingdoms (theWestern Roman Empire and Arnor, respectively). Both realms were threatened by powerful eastern and southern enemies: the Byzantines by thePersians and the Muslim armies of theArabs and theTurks, as well as the Langobards and Goths; Gondor by the Easterlings, the Haradrim, and the hordes of Sauron. Both realms were in decline at the time of a final, all-out siege from the East; however, Minas Tirith survived the siege whereasConstantinople did not.[30] In a 1951 letter, Tolkien himself wrote about "the Byzantine City of Minas Tirith."[31]
Tolkien visited theMalvern Hills withC. S. Lewis,[32][33] and recorded excerpts fromThe Hobbit andThe Lord of the Rings in Malvern in 1952, at George Sayer's home.[34] Sayer wrote that Tolkien relived the book as they walked, comparing the Malvern Hills to the White Mountains of Gondor.[33]
![Sandra Ballif Straubhaar notes that in Roman legend, Aeneas escapes the ruin of Troy, while Elendil escapes that of Númenor.[20] Painting Aeneas flees burning Troy by Federico Barocci, 1598](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aAeneas%2527_Flight_from_Troy_by_Federico_Barocci.jpg)
![Dimitra Fimi compares Gondor's bird-winged helmet-crown to the romanticised headgear of the Valkyries. Illustration for The Rhinegold and the Valkyrie by Arthur Rackham, 1910[29]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aRomanticised_headgear_of_the_Valkyries.jpg)
![Tolkien called Minas Tirith a "Byzantine City" (Constantinople shown).[31]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aConstantinople_1453.jpg)
![The Malvern Hills may have inspired Tolkien to create parts of the White Mountains.[32]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aMalvern_Hills_in_June_2005.JPG)
![New Zealand's Southern Alps served as Gondor's White Mountains in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy.[35]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aMount_Cook_2.jpg)
Gondor, as it appeared inPeter Jackson'sfilm adaptation ofThe Lord of the Rings, has been compared to the Byzantine Empire.[36] The production team noted this in DVD commentary, explaining their decision to include Byzantine domes into Minas Tirith's architecture and to have civilians wear Byzantine-styled clothing.[37] However, the appearance and structure of the city was based upon the inhabitedtidal island andabbey ofMont Saint-Michel, France.[38] In the films, the towers of the city, designed by the artistAlan Lee, are equipped withtrebuchets.[39] The film criticRoger Ebert called the films' interpretation of Minas Tirith a "spectacular achievement", and compared it to theEmerald City fromThe Wizard of Oz. He praised the filmmakers' ability to blend digital and real sets.[40]
The setting of Minas Tirith has appeared in video game adaptations ofThe Lord of the Rings, such as the 2003 video gameThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King where it is directly modelled on Jackson's film adaptation.[41]
Several locations in Gondor were featured in the 1982role-playing gameMiddle-earth Role Playing game and its expansions.[42]
Mandeville also includes a prophecy that when the Prince of the West conquers the Holy Land for Christianity, this tree will become green again, rather akin to the White Tree of Arnor [sic] in the Peter Jackson film version ofThe Lord of the Rings, if not in Tolkien's original novel, which sprouts new green leaves when Aragorn first arrives in Gondor at [sic, i.e. after] the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.
On ceremonial occasions he carries a white staff
Ben Ohau Station, in the Mackenzie Basin, in the Southern Alps, ... provided the 'Pelennor Fields', and the foothills of the 'White Mountains', for the climactic battle scenes
In the third installment, for example, Minas Tirith, a seven-tiered city of kings, looks European, Byzantine and fantastical at the same time.
