The History of Isengard (Orthanc) | Tolkien Explained

[@melkhiordarkfell4354]

Gondorian builder: Are we sure we want it so spiky, black and evil looking? Just seems we are setting it up to be the lair of an evil wizard or something.

[@NerdoftheRings]

🤣

[@BradsGonnaPlay]

I guess this was the Gondorian equivalent of the Victorian era. Those houses all look like they’re owned by witches and serial killers who dress way too nice.

[@Enerdhil]

It does seem like an Amazon bastardization of the lore, even though it is the actual lore.

[@angelocoppersmith6656]

😆 Are you sure we're not the baddies???

[@mbryson2899]

@@angelocoppersmith6656 That was my first thought!

[@midimusicforever]

It's interesting how so many fortifications built by Gondor at the height of their might were turned against them in their time of weakness.

[@RealCadde]

As is the case with any heavily fortified nation. Keeping them manned and in working order in peace time is a massive drain on economy. And so they tend to be mothballed, as destroying them would also be costly and who knows... They might come in handy? But in times of conflict, their value is undeniable. Then the price of keeping them operating is a small one compared to the many losses that would be had without them. It's just a matter of manning them BEFORE you are in a state of conflict if you've neglected them in peace time.

[@midimusicforever]

@@RealCadde Exactly. That rings familiar somehow.

[@marc-antoinecusson3119]

Roman empire

[@cameronroberts5461]

I think this is a direct reflection of their hubris. Tolkien wanted to illustrate how the great accomplishments of a nation could be turned against it. Especially considering the world wars.

[@cclcanadiancountrylife3628]

The Tower of Cirith Ungol is such a cool gondorian fortress. It’s wicked, again used against Gondor

[@benjaminjeffery6873]

As child, watching the fellowship of the ring in theatres, my jaw dropped when Orthanc came on screen, the magisterial cinematography paired with the triumphant score and Christopher Lee’s booming voice; eyes instantly drawn to the looming; eire black intricate structure. It felt so real. The teaser poster for The Two Towers with Orthanc is ingrained as one of my “being super excited” childhood memories.

[@aesir1ases64]

i do envy those who were able to see in theaters, if I was born a couple of years before I prob could have convinced my parents to take me to the movies lol, and yes all the trailers, posters and all marketing and promotion material was masterfully done by the team in charge of it.

[@simonmorris4226]

@@aesir1ases64 I’ve read the books at least once a year since I was 8 years old. And I’m 60 now! Who but Christopher Lee could ever play Saruman!

[@brobama853]

@@simonmorris4226 I definitely agree with you, no one else fitted the role of Saruman than Christopher lee, if they were to remake it today, they would have to cgi Christopher, Rest In Peace legend

[@brobama853]

@@aesir1ases64 same, as much as I envy them, I am happy that I could last year watch all the extended editions

[@brucemanly]

@@aesir1ases64 I saw it in theatres but wasn't that into it. I got into fantasy later and I love it how. You're not always ready to enjoy something at all stages of your life

[@yatothinks4506]

Isengard is a very unique place. Tolkien gave the place a deep history. It was occupied by many beings, good or bad. It's just cool to know how much Isengard had been through in through out the history of Middle Earth. Another amazing video!

[@anotherhuman8173]

I love how the Appendices go into the history of some of these lands and locations. Like in the real world, any given land has seen countless people and populations come and go over the centuries. Tolkien gives so much information, and yet so little, always hinting at much more that is unknown. It all gives a real depth of reality to Middle-earth.

[@aesir1ases64]

Well said!

[@rkkzjj32]

Pick up your cross and follow Jesus! The world is quickly headed for destruction, and sooner or later you will have to sit at the judgement seat and give an account for your actions. Belief in messiah alone is not enough to grant you salvation - Matthew 7:21-23, John 3:3, John 3:36 (ESV is the best translation for John 3:36). Call on the name of Jesus and pray for Him to intervene in your life! - Revelation 3:20. Contemplate how the Roman Empire fulfilled the role of the beast from the sea in Revelation 13. Revelation 17 confirms that it is in fact Rome. From this we can conclude that A) Jesus is the Son of God and can predict the future or make it happen, B) The world leaders/nations/governments etc have been conspiring together for the last 3000+ years going back to Babylon and before, C) History as we know it is fake. You don't really need to speculate once you start a relationship with God tho. Can't get a response from God? Fasting can help increase your perception and prayer can help initiate events. God will ignore you if your prayer does not align with His purpose (James 4:3) or if you are approaching Him when "unclean" (Isaiah 1:15, Isaiah 59:2, Micah 3:4). Stop eating food sacrificed to idols (McDonald's, Wendy's etc) stop glorifying yourself on social media or making other images of yourself (Second Commandment), stop gossiping about other people, stop watching obscene content etc and you should get a response. Have a blessed day!

[@zasmanreviews497]

@@rkkzjj32 forcing religion on people is not the way to go man. People can believe what they believe.

[@rkkzjj32]

@@zasmanreviews497 I'm more so trying to call back unrepentant believers and educate them on the book of Revelation as most churches are teaching that it will all unfold in a 7 year time span

[@rogeebear10023]

"it just so happens that at this time, the wizard, Saruman, returns from his travels in the East" but, a wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to. He was always the opportunist..

[@orohyuno]

Not only this channel is as good as reading the Silmarillion itself, but the subtitles for the videos are so well-written I can auto-translate then to portuguese with almost zero errors to show to my gf who doesn't speak english. Awesome!

[@aesir1ases64]

Orthanc might be one of the most iconic and amazing architectures ever created in fantasy, even people that have never seen or read TLOTR have a clue about it.

[@benlewis5312]

I'd imagine Barad-dûr is far more recognizable with its giant eye. Which is pretty hilarious considering the eye only exists in the Jackson films

[@MrE517]

I was reading some lore just now. When I'm feeling particularly engrossed, often I simulate a narrator in my head while reading passages--most often I simulate the character who is speaking in the passage. At times of neutral narration, I sometimes hear Ian McKellen's Gandalf or Cate Blanchett's Galadriel. Today I found myself using your voice! Thank you for your work. Your videos have clearly left a great impression on my thoughts and imagination.

[@jalalchahine1886]

I don't know man, every time I watch one of your videos or read the books or watch the movies I feel this warmth inside, you know?

[@chavsny1578]

I would love to see more of inside Orthanc. So ancient with so many secrets, would be an amazing sight to be inside.

[@rkkzjj32]

Pick up your cross and follow Jesus! The world is quickly headed for destruction, and sooner or later you will have to sit at the judgement seat and give an account for your actions. Belief in messiah alone is not enough to grant you salvation - Matthew 7:21-23, John 3:3, John 3:36 (ESV is the best translation for John 3:36). Call on the name of Jesus and pray for Him to intervene in your life! - Revelation 3:20. Contemplate how the Roman Empire fulfilled the role of the beast from the sea in Revelation 13. Revelation 17 confirms that it is in fact Rome. From this we can conclude that A) Jesus is the Son of God and can predict the future or make it happen, B) The world leaders/nations/governments etc have been conspiring together for the last 3000+ years going back to Babylon and before, C) History as we know it is fake. You don't really need to speculate once you start a relationship with God tho. Can't get a response from God? Fasting can help increase your perception and prayer can help initiate events. God will ignore you if your prayer does not align with His purpose (James 4:3) or if you are approaching Him when "unclean" (Isaiah 1:15, Isaiah 59:2, Micah 3:4). Stop eating food sacrificed to idols (McDonald's, Wendy's etc) stop glorifying yourself on social media or making other images of yourself (Second Commandment), stop gossiping about other people, stop watching obscene content etc and you should get a response. Have a blessed day!

[@Silphwave]

@@rkkzjj32 Poor guy just wanted to know what the interior of Orthanc tower looked like 😓

[@BasePuma4007]

@@rkkzjj32 What was your thought process with peddling all that in response to this comment? Are you aware of what comment you're replying to? Or the video you're watching for that matter? 😂

[@J0HNJ0RDAN]

Where's the bathroom?

[@SvengelskaBlondie]

@@BasePuma4007 I doubt they where aware, they just wanted to spam it all over the place like dog's diarrhoea

[@aryah66]

I've always wanted more Orthanc details, especially theories on the black rock which no one was able to chip or destroy.

[@shinestar2912]

Grima damaged it when he threw down the palantir it was thought indestructible until then.

[@hedonisticpunkvatos]

It could be the same round rock Isildur had put in the Hill of Erech where he 1st landed from Numenor and where Aragorn recruited the Dead Men.

[@hedonisticpunkvatos]

@@shinestar2912 It was made in Arda by Feanor.

[@robertcameron-ellis6518]

Thank you for these encyclopedic glimpses into Tolkien’s genius. They draw the same colour gems from the horde, and show the pattern to his writings.

[@annaroselarsen4218]

Saturday is my favorite day because at 12 I kown an awesome video comes out to make the day better!

[@owenbergeron4212]

Oh this is a fantastic video! I love when you go over the history of a location

[@VoiceoftheRings]

That was so Cool! I learned a lot! Love how you Tie everything together so Precise.

[@brucemcbain3150]

Phew! I learned a lot! You presented the history of Isengard in a clear, cohesive style that we the uninitiated, could follow. Thank you !

[@Ehsan_Doang]

Amazing Vid matt :D ngl at first time seeing Isengard, I was thinking this is a Fortress of Sauron, not just because of Jackson Adaptation, but the description of it really giving me a very Sauron vibe and after hearing the lore behind it, it really shock me that Isengard was one of Gondorians Structure lol.

[@RedHood001-KA]

SAME!! The shape of the structure just fits perfectly with Sauron's image that I was equally shocked it was originally built by Gondorians. Then again, Minas Ithil turned into Minas Morgul and I wonder now which structure in that city was original, and which are just additions made by the Witch-King.

[@valentinkambushev4968]

My reaction when I first heard Saruman's name was "Hey, why is his name so similar to Sauron? He is evil, isn't he."

[@RedHood001-KA]

@@valentinkambushev4968 That was my very first reaction as well. Even as a kid I was getting weird vibes from Saruman when he first showed up, despite the fact that he was clearly acting friendly towards Gandalf. But then the scene turned to inside the tower, and I started to think "Uh, I don't think he's a good guy." And keep in mind, this was as the camera was approaching Saruman and the way it kept zooming in his face. Brilliant camera work and storytelling honestly.

[@Enerdhil]

I agree. It does seem like Sauron's kind of structure, but Black Numenorians did not build it.

[@luudest]

11:09 This is interesting, I did not know that Saruman (his Orcs) found the Elendilmer at the Gladden Fields. So he had the right sense for where to look for the One Ring …

[@thranduiloropherion7256]

Tolkien talks about it in the unfinished tales.

[@thelostrealm8079]

Great video I always wanted to know about the tower of orthanc

[@jarrodthekidder1]

As always, an incredible video. I love your content SOOO much. I always look forward to new posts!

[@austinhall6257]

Great stuff! I love all the alternative artwork different from the movies.

[@brandtdowney6819]

I searched for a history of Isengard and found this perfect, succinct, charming, and entertaining history. Thank you!

[@TheCody217]

Such a beautiful watch!! Especially considering all it was put through, to turn out so well, without needing heavy replacement.. Man. Love the video!

[@MrLemon-fe3qc]

I haven’t watched your Chanel for very long but I can honestly say it’s one of my favourites, keep up the great work 👍

[@Thormil576]

Fun fact, the Washington monument obelisk is roughly the same height as Orthanc

[@grandadmiralzaarin4962]

But nowhere near as impressive or aesthetically pleasing

[@hebl47]

For some reason this makes Orthanc suddenly feel far less impressive.

[@Thormil576]

@@hebl47 haha stone towers can only be so tall. And actually Orthanc is a bit shorter

[@brobama853]

@@grandadmiralzaarin4962 I agree

[@brobama853]

@@Thormil576 oh well, the building is still majestic

[@deborahagbedjro431]

Nerd of the rings, I would really like that you make a video dedicated to the mysterious watchers that Sam and Frodo meet by the gates of Cirith Ungol, concerning what kind of devilry of Sauron they are; thanks for the Tolkien content by the way, you own what I deem the best Tolkien mythology KZbin channel.

[@valentinkambushev4968]

Isengard under Saruman's control reminds me a lot of Minas tirith (the first age one) during Sauron's. Both located between two mountains and used by an fallen maiar to breed new evil creatures.

[@Enerdhil]

I think you mean Minas Ithil/Morgul. That is a great point. Strategic locations that can act as a gate into Eriador or Mordor.

[@valentinkambushev4968]

@@Enerdhil No I meant Tol Sirion. The other name it was known by was Minas Tirith.

[@Enerdhil]

@@valentinkambushev4968 I should have noticed "(the first age)" but I didn't for some reason. My bad. I think there were some difference, though. Sauron flaunted his Gauhoth, while Saruman kept his Uruk-hai secret until he unleashed them. Sauron drive Orodreth out of the tower to take it, while Saruman was handed the keys from the King of Gondor. There is no doubt about both places being strategically located.

[@thegungadfly8930]

Well done. The search and finding of heirlooms in Orthanc is a nice addition to the story.

[@SnakeAndTurtleQigong]

Thank you so much for these! It’s been neat to watch your subscribers skyrocket from hundreds, to hundreds of thousands!

[@jayl9176]

What I absolutely love about what Peter Jackson brought to this glorious tale was his use of bigatures and that so many of these locations were practically built (just not to scale). And no one but Sir Christopher Lee could house orthanc with such authority.

[@thebrotherskrynn]

Now that I've finished editing the audio for my newest video and essay, it is now time to reward myself and there's only one proper way to do so; with NERD OF THE RINGS! Sorry, haven't listened to your stuff lately (or commented), but you're my reward when work gets done Nerd. Love your channel, have a lot of admiration for you and your knowledge of Tolkien my friend. Hope all is well with you X)

[@curnelmillette9620]

I love your storytelling of the history!

[@steelblade1984]

Hey Matt, love the videos. Keep up the good work.

[@1rishpotat0]

Love listening to these awesome, thorough videos while I'm doing the dishes. Hannon le!

[@MR_Yousif]

Awesome video... can you please talk about the afterlife of the peoples of middle earth? (Especially men and their "gift")

[@eugenepecorella2040]

This whole channel is life rn 🙌

[@levi6859]

Always love listening to and watching your contact

[@qbeh9147]

Really interesting video! Always Love your content! :)

[@obiwancoolidge1828]

My dnd party, doing a LOTR themed campaign, hung out in Isengard for a bit and we chilled with Tree Beard.

[@NerdoftheRings]

Time well spent! 🌳

[@hansendavis3742]

Amazing video. Could you please cover the history of the Dwarven cities of the Iron hills. I don't believe that its covered very much.

[@OddJames]

Thank you for all the amazing content I hope you have a good weekend

[@anonymousforagoodreason2479]

Your videos are visual heroin to me. I NEED MORE! Love what you do man.

[@fn7xg707]

Just finished watching story of melkor, Right on time 💯 u make great vids

[@NerdoftheRings]

Thanks so much!

[@martinpain7332]

Video suggestion: a video on all towers mentioned in the book “The Two Towers” - which two it’s named after, and which others are involved?

[@jaysgamingcorner8539]

Another great video. Isengard is an awesome structure and looks fantastic onscreen.

[@yardarm5]

Wow . The return of the palinter, secret gimli resolve and further kingship. Holy numennor 😮

[@Flow8880]

Hi! Absolutely love the channel and what you're doing here. I have watched other lore videos from several different channels and none of them delve into the lore, or "cite" their reasons for stating their facts. So thank you so much for all the research, and videos!! I have looked around and found some answers, but I wouldn't mind seeing a video describing how, or why Gandalf fears the witch king, how sarumon the white defeated him. Thanks!!

[@kevinmoore4845]

Excellent as always.

[@untruelie2640]

Karen Wynn Fonstad put forward a theory in her "Atlas of Middle Earth", that Isengard is actually the remnant of an old vulcano. That would explain the circular shape and the structure of the fortress. The outer wall (which looks a bit different in the book) would be the last remnant of the crater wall and the Orthanc tower would be a pillar of cold magma that had remained in its place even after the rest of the vulcano had eroded away. Magmatic stone, especially obsidian or (black) basalt is very hard and durable, and we can see these central pillars of old vulcanos in our world. So the Númenorians probably didn't build Angrenost/Isengard in a traditional sense, but chiseled it out of the rocks formations that were already there. This would explain why the Ents were able to break through the outer walls but couldn't damage the Orthanc and why the walls of Minas Tirith (probably made from similar stone that was brought there) were more or less impregnable. It also shows the immense craftsmanship and knowledge of the Númenorians.

[@NagySzentAntal]

Beautiful theory, thanks for sharing it! I need to buy that book

[@untruelie2640]

@@NagySzentAntal You're welcome. :) It's a great book. The best cartographical work on Tolkien's world in my opinion. I learned much from it and it's particularly helpful for understanding the Silmarillion.

[@hendb8248]

You can find an elaborate description in "Isengard and Northern Gondor" from Iron Crown Enterprises. Its an old MERS module. Nerd of the Rings, while being very good video makers, seems to lack a bit in the reading department. Starting the video under the premisse that Orthanc was build by Gondor is misleading.

[@untruelie2640]

@@hendb8248 I don't think that he "lacks in the reading department". He focuses on original Tolkien writings, but so do I and many other people. What is wrong with that statement? Of course the tower was "build" by the Númenorians, as they gave it its final shape and structure.

[@toncek9981]

It's kinda curious how most of the story takes place in a very brief period of time. Like, majority of things happens in just a month between the breaking of the fellowship (February 26) till the Sauron's fall (March 25). The whole Rohan vs Isengard war was done in a week or so...

[@AndrewCarlisle11B]

Really enjoyed this one as growing up I was always curious about how drastically Isengard changed after Saruman's betrayal, so seeing the full story was awesome. Keep up the great work!

[@Russian__hammer]

the music in the background went awesome with the video.

[@Swamileoni]

Dude, you really need a side hustle doing audio books. You honestly not only have the perfect voice but you also have fantastic delivery. The Fall of Númenor would be a great jumping off point!

[@hrodvitnir6725]

Man I love your videos, been watching them like crazy!

[@thelostrealm8079]

Could you do a video on the history of Dale?

[@rkkzjj32]

Pick up your cross and follow Jesus! The world is quickly headed for destruction, and sooner or later you will have to sit at the judgement seat and give an account for your actions. Belief in messiah alone is not enough to grant you salvation - Matthew 7:21-23, John 3:3, John 3:36 (ESV is the best translation for John 3:36). Call on the name of Jesus and pray for Him to intervene in your life! - Revelation 3:20. Contemplate how the Roman Empire fulfilled the role of the beast from the sea in Revelation 13. Revelation 17 confirms that it is in fact Rome. From this we can conclude that A) Jesus is the Son of God and can predict the future or make it happen, B) The world leaders/nations/governments etc have been conspiring together for the last 3000+ years going back to Babylon and before, C) History as we know it is fake. You don't really need to speculate once you start a relationship with God tho. Can't get a response from God? Fasting can help increase your perception and prayer can help initiate events. God will ignore you if your prayer does not align with His purpose (James 4:3) or if you are approaching Him when "unclean" (Isaiah 1:15, Isaiah 59:2, Micah 3:4). Stop eating food sacrificed to idols (McDonald's, Wendy's etc) stop glorifying yourself on social media or making other images of yourself (Second Commandment), stop gossiping about other people, stop watching obscene content etc and you should get a response. Have a blessed day!

[@steinfinnone1590]

I love your video. Great content. I do have one question. You state that Orthanc was built by the early Gondorians in the late second age. However, I am sure (and no I can't find the specific quote now) that one in of his writings on the history of Numenor that Tolkien stated that the tower was built as a watchtower for the pass by the Numenoreans during the height of their empire and that only the wall around the tower was built by the Gondorians. I have looked on the web and see many websites stating that it was built by the Gondorians but others say it was built much earlier by the Numenoreans. I am wondering if this is a point in the lore that has been changed by some of the later books by Christopher Tolkien? I have noticed one or two small details of the lore have been changed between the publishing of the Silmarillion and the publishing of the History of the Lord of the Rings. Thanks

[@F.S92]

I just wanted to say that I love your content! No one has sparked my interest in LOTR like you. Excellent presentation, narration and content all around. Can’t wait for more “what if” videos. :) P.S- also just realised that I have been watching your videos for months. But did not subscribe. Lets fix that immediately!

[@Platypusano]

great video, as always! There seems to be a missing character in your used font for the date in the upper right corner at around 7:22.

[@kirandeepchakraborty7921]

The Architecture of The TOWER of Orthanc is Marvellous

[@tonypapas9854]

Interesting that Orthanc was even stronger than the gates and walls of Minas Tirith. Excellent video.

[@paolomauri9566]

The first wall of Minas Tirith was made with the same type of rock.

[@IanHeins]

Nice work dude thanks

[@luudest]

9:06 is it known how Saruman lured the Dunledings to join his cause? Did he visit them and spoke to their Chieftains?

[@matthewmastro7080]

And Debbie! My favorite part of all of your videos!😂

[@shinestar2912]

I never understood the black stone that the Numenorians could make large round stones and an impenetrable tower out of. Was it carved from stone in a quarry or something like concrete and molded? Wonder if the Black arrow that killed Smaug was made of this stone? If you could make an entire tower why not make weapons out of it?

[@hansendavis3742]

It's possible that this is the same stone/metal that the dark elf made his swords from.

[@Omnilatent]

@@hansendavis3742 Impossible, Eöl forged Anguirel and Anglachel from meteorite. Imagine how many meteorites would have been needed for a huge tower and city walls haha

[@hansendavis3742]

@@Omnilatent it is possible that meteorite was some sort of gift from the valar and if orthanc built by the faithful of numenor it might not be the farthest of stretches. This is only a theory though.

[@Omnilatent]

​@@hansendavis3742 It's an interesting thought but I think it's highly unlikely. Numenor itself was already a gift by the Valar. Why would they gift anything else - and in Middle-earth instead of Numenor then? My best guess is it's regular stone but the Numenorians had a specific technique to turn any stone into this. It's still weird considering that knowledge this valuable would get lost, though.

[@hansendavis3742]

@@Omnilatent I can agree with your reasoning, I just hoped that there would be a more elaborate solution then, ancient peoples and lost technique. Still this has been an excellent debate my good sir.

[@michealdargue2985]

A very good video. Love all of your work. I do have a question. Do you think you should make your own top ten favorite videos that you made? My favorite favorite video you made was of the first age. Loved the info you put in that one. First age is my favorite age of them all by Tolkien works. Cheers. From your friendly follower. From Canada 🇨🇦. Cheers.

[@EWLR89]

Out of all your patrion supporters, Debbie is my favorite. I always get a little chuckle that after all the big names you say "....and Debbie"

[@ThorStone214]

I am so confused with the invisibility of the one ring, please make a video on that

[@Miwac94]

Amazing work!

[@jneumy566]

It's kind of fun to imagine an Imperial Star Destroyer sitting inside the circle of Isengard, since they're also a mile long from end to end

[@midnitemike]

Excellent video!

[@LaTengoComoelZague]

Yo love your channel. I was wondering if maybe you could make a series of all the dagur battles, a video for each one. That would be awesome

[@kenneths4156]

I’m gonna tell my kids this was the rings of power

[@rangerofthenorth1970]

Once again great video! These are my favorites on this channel, dont get me wrong I love every single video, I really do, but Histories of Cities, Places, Locations, Realms....these I love the most, and I'm hoping soon we will see history of Erebor, Fornost and many other places of Arda! And Nerd pls a small q, the dwaf with crown in the Rings of Power teaser saying "Their time has come" could that be Durin III? I mean if we already have Durin IV, they are changing the lore here, riight?

[@NerdoftheRings]

Oh yeah, that’s totally Durin III. Simultaneous Durin’s is one of my biggest peeves about the show. I’m willing to be proven wrong, but I just doubt I’m going to be satisfied with whatever they’re doing with them. It’s a specific point tied to my broader concern about all the time compression they’re doing, which remains my #1 concern.

[@Enerdhil]

@@NerdoftheRings Yes, Matt, your beloved Dwarves are victims of the Timeline compression.😞

[@grandadmiralzaarin4962]

Always did find it odd that the outer wall of Minas Tirith and the Tower of Orthanc were indestructible in strength yet the Numenoreans/Gondorians never made more of their fortresses out if the material.

[@bobo577]

It’s likely the material might have been rare or I assume it was costly to mine it. That’s probably why Minas Tirith isn’t made of the stuff, it makes Isengard incredibly small.

[@biniget3734]

Hello from Gondor, Ethiopia 🇪🇹

[@sebastianmatt7707]

Great story as always

[@TGREAT1]

3:35 being secret away from threat that's what reveals your best

[@danepatterson8107]

Was the Palantir stone in Orthanc known to the Kings/Stewards of Gondor? In the LOTR, it appears as if no one expected that Saruman had a stone: surely this cannot be true? I would LOVE to have an episode about Amon Hen and such constructions of the Gondorians/Arnorians!

[@sweeperboy]

I think Gondor had diminished a lot by this point, and much knowledge had been lost. It wasn't even widely known that Denethor had a palantir, although people speculated that light seem coming from his chamber was him in some way striving mentally with Sauron. Prior to Denethor, the palantiri might even have been forgotten about.

[@ggalloway1]

I think the fortress is called the Hornburg, while the immediate area is called Helm's Deep.

[@thalleous7636]

Thanks for the awesome video. Orthanc is one of my favorite places in middle earth. How do you get all your information on places or characters?

[@thalleous7636]

What giveaway?

[@johnquach8821]

Very nice video! Maybe "What if Gandalf found out Bilbo had the One Ring earlier"? Quick question: Why didn't Sauron make more Nazgul using the 3 Dwarf-rings he recollected?

[@noellabella2]

Great idea!

[@hansendavis3742]

I think he would have had to use his fair form to close enough to manipulate someone like that, and his fair form went the way of numenor in the flood.

[@hansendavis3742]

@Finrod Felagund of Nargothrond-Level 4 Professor To be honest I believe that the original commenter meant more human nazgul because we've already seen dwarves are too resistant

[@johnquach8821]

@Finrod Felagund of Nargothrond-Level 4 Professor Behold! Undead Tree Minions!

[@sweeperboy]

I assume the Dwarven Rings were specifically created to ensnare Dwarves (even though that didn't quite work), and thus may not have had the right ingredients to make Human Nazgul.

[@hugowikstr]

Can u make a video explaining Eru Iluvatar? (Great video btw)

[@genghisgalahad8465]

I appreciate the victorious music as background for the building of the titled ominous tower. That would be the only explanation for how (see comment below) it was built without raising any eyebrows as to its presence!

[@RensvanDam-96]

7:07 oh man look at him pondering that orb

[@Volfyrion]

And another great video

[@isilion]

I would love to dwelt there, I love towers and Orthanc seems so beautiful in my mind: a great tower of gleaming black adamant

[@LadyBoru]

Top notch! Thank you!

[@Silversmith70]

How do you get someone to the top of the tower? I always wondered. Is it a spiral staircase and a trap door type of thing? In the movie, it looked like Saruman levitated Gandalf through a trap door or some other sorcery that my mind loves to ponder!

[@tonybaker1268]

There's a narrow staircase on the outside of the top of the tower if i remember. Gandalf describes not being able to escape because he was afraid to try to small steps

[@Silversmith70]

@@tonybaker1268 Fascinating, had no idea, thank you for that! Its an awesome prison. You can leave anytime... if you dare.

[@williamsutcliffe5062]

There's is a couple of typo errors in the green date banners in the top right, when the maps appear on screen. I don't know if that's fixable or not, but just a heads up. E.g. they come up at 7:22 and 8:33, etc.

[@xBananowyJEx]

I love the part when they TAKE THE HOBBITS TO ISENGARD

[@ChrisLindsley]

FYI, at 7:23 & 8:46 there's an unprintable character in your date field. Looks like a superscript "th"

[@rataretrodos]

Hi to everyone in the community. I wanted to request a video explaining the death of Isildur, the Elendilmir, the disappearance of Issuldur's body and the loosing of the One Ring. Would it be possible? I really enjoy watching these videos as I read. Also a great visual would be when Isildur puts on the One but the Elendilmir shines bright red as a star while Isiuldur covers it with his hood to the dissapear into the night...

[@enjolraslechimiste]

I have a confusion: we know, explicitly, that Sauron corrupted the mind of Saruman? I thought there was always some ambiguity in such a claim, since Saruman wanted the ring anyway, and Saruman is pretending to go along with Sauron anyway? Can we differentiate between Saruman's latent corruption vs. Sauron corrupting him?

[@ponder421]

According to the Appendices, Saruman became "ensnared by Sauron" when he used the Palantir in 3000 T.A. But Saruman was already starting to turn about 150 years earlier, when he denied Gandalf's request to attack Dol Guldur because Saruman was secretly searching for the One Ring. It seems to me that using the Palantir was his final push towards evil.

[@enjolraslechimiste]

@@ponder421 Thank you SO much for this! People who cite sources = awesome

[@enjolraslechimiste]

@@ponder421 If I may ask: is it plausible to say Saruman was, about the time of the Dol Guldur offensive, not yet evil? But actually trying to find the ring "preventatively?" I'm always curious at what point we can say Saruman was definitely evil.

[@ponder421]

@@enjolraslechimiste Hi! Also from the Appendices - In 2939 "Saruman discovers that Sauron's servants are searching the Anduin [...] says nothing to the Council." Two years later "Saruman agrees to attack Dol Guldur, since he now wishes to prevent Sauron from searching the River." So Saruman knew Sauron was looking for the Ring, didn't tell the White Council, and only wanted to prevent Sauron from getting it first. That makes his selfish motivations clear. There are a couple videos here on KZbin that go into greater detail on when Saruman became evil. He did a lot of shady stuff over the years, so it can be left to some interpretation.

[@nerdwatch1017]

Regarding helms deep!! I wanted to know!!? Why when building it? Why was it they didn’t build high up along the mountain down the path to the structure. Places for archers to attack from both sides!! Also they could have had a shoot that large boulders would roll down to crush enemy fighters!!!

[@speed_tarzan3480]

Can you make a vid on what to know for the upcoming rings of power serie.

[@Enerdhil]

He's been doing it all along. Check out his last video.

[@valentinkambushev4968]

THEY ARE TAKING THE HOBBITS TO DOL GULDUR! wait, I think I made a mistake somewhere......

[@Enerdhil]

Actually they made the mistake, not you.🤪

[@evansutton6760]

Tell me where is Saruman? For I much desire to speak with him

[@Napichoo4290]

An Eagle of Manwe…

[@randomthings1293]

All I know is that they're taking the Hobbits there.

[@alectuck7112]

Looks great

[@SpaceMonkeyBoi]

"Saruman, your staff is broken!" "That's not what your mother said last night!"