The Complete Tolkien Companion (67 page)

Between the First and Second Halls (on the same level as the Gates) was a chasm so deep that even the miners of Moria were never able to sound it. Across this, in a single curving span, the Dwarves built a narrow bridge of stone which could only be crossed in single file; this was Durin's Bridge, an ancient defence against any enemies who might capture the Gates and the First Hall. High in the peak of Zirak-zigil the Dwarves carved a chamber with a ledge from which Durin (or his many successors of the same name) could view the wide lands of Eriador. This was Durin's Tower, and it was reached by an even more ambitious feat of stone masonry, the ‘Endless Stair', which climbed in unbroken spiral from the lowest Deep to the very pinnacle of the mountain, in many thousands of steps.

Such was the Dwarf-city of Moria. Many of the Khazâd dwelt there, especially after the end of the First Age, when the cataclysm which overwhelmed Thangorodrim and most of Elvish Beleriand also destroyed the ancient Dwarf-cities of the Blue Mountains: Nogrod and Belegost. Thus many Dwarves from these cities came to Moria, bringing their skills with them, so that the Dwarrowdelf became a colossal underground city occupying much of the area beneath the three peaks of the Misty Mountains: Caradhras (called
Barazinbar
by the Dwarves), Celebdil (
Zirak-zigil
) and Fanuidhol (
Bundushathûr
).

Early in the Second Age the Dwarves of Moria made their greatest discovery, one which increased their power and wealth beyond all dream or design: below the lowest Deeps of Baraz, where miners had delved for many years in search of gold and silver (‘the toys of the Dwarves'
11
) and iron (‘their servant'
12
), they discovered a new ore, light and yet strong, beautiful and versatile. This metal became known to the world at large as
mithril
(‘Grey-flame', a Sin-darin word), for the Dwarves never revealed their own name for it. However, they traded their surplus willingly enough. For the Elves especially loved
mithril,
and it was the news of the discovery of the great lode under Moria which caused many High-elves of Lindon, descendants of the Master Craftsman Fëanor himself, to settle nearby, on the western side of the Misty Mountains. This Elven-land became known as Eregion, and a close friendship soon grew up there between the Elves and Dwarves. To further this friendship the Moria-dwellers extended their kingdom westwards to the far side of the Mountains, and the Doors of Durin, built there by Dwarf-wrights, were etched and designed by the hand of no less an Elven craftsman than Celebrimbor, as a sign of the alliance between the two peoples.

Yet war came upon the Westlands before half of the Second Age had passed. The Elven-craftsmen of Eregion were overcome by the renascent forces of Sauron the Great – and doubtless Moria would also have been pillaged had the Dwarves not shut their impregnable doors in the face of the advancing hordes; they kept them closed throughout the remainder of Sauron's first dominion in Middle-earth. Thus Moria survived the Accursed Years; and though other races did not fare so well, the Dwarves grew ever richer and cared little for the turmoils which were taking place outside their Gates.

At the beginning of the Third Age Moria was therefore at the height of its power. The wars and alliances which had devastated other lands were of small concern to the Miners there, still busily extending their realm. But their nemesis awaited, slumbering deep under Caradhras. Towards the end of the second millennium the Miners were again busy following the
mithril
-lode down into the bowels of the earth; and in this search for yet more wealth, their picks and axes broke down the last wall of rock which imprisoned a Terror of the Ancient World. The Balrog of Morgoth, buried deep under the Mountains since the ruin of Thangorodrim nearly two Ages before, was thus unfettered; in two years it slew many Dwarves, including Durin VI and his son Náin I. The inhabitants of Moria then abandoned their ancient works and fled far away, leaving their vast halls dark and empty – except for that which continued to stalk the endless passages and lightless Deeps.

The loss of Moria proved the undoing of Durin's house. Without a secure dwelling, this people dwindled, and many were slain by the enemies the Dwarves always managed to acquire. Other Dwarf-kingdoms were founded – and some prospered, for a while – but always the Heirs of Durin's Line dreamed of returning to Moria. The first to do so was Thrór, disinherited King of Erebor, which had been sacked and occupied by the Dragon Smaug in 2770 Third Age. Some twenty years later Thrór, perhaps unbalanced by the misfortunes of his House, foolishly walked alone into the darkened realm. He never returned, though his decapitated corpse was later cast out on the steps. For a host of Orcs was now dwelling in Moria (although even they did not dare to seek the lower Deeps where the Balrog still prowled). This atrocity brought about the great
WAR OF THE DWARVES AND ORCS
, of which much is said elsewhere. Yet while, in the end, the Dwarves had the victory over the Orcs of Moria, they could not yet reclaim their ancient realm. For, as Dáin Ironfoot told Thráin, Thrór's heir, ‘we will not enter Khazâd-dûm … Beyond the shadow it waits for you still: Durin's Bane. The world must change and some other power than ours must come before Durin's Folk walk again in Moria.'
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The second attempt to reclaim this realm was better organised but equally foolhardy. In 2989 Balin son of Fundin (and one of the twelve companions of Thorin Oakenshield on the Quest of Erebor), led an expedition to Moria from the Lonely Mountain. With him he took many companions, including Óin and Ori, Flói, Frár, Lóni and Náli. They effected an entry against the few Orcs who remained there, and managed to survive for some five years before a host of Goblins came up the river Silverlode and forced the defenders to take refuge in their last strong-point, the Chamber of Mazarbul. There all fell.

Such was the history of the great realm as briefly recounted in available Records of the Shire (which were no doubt derived from Gimli the Dwarf). It is not said whether the Heirs of Durin ever returned to Moria in the Fourth Age, but this is unlikely, despite their long-cherished dreams. For in the New Age all folk dwindled save Men; and those races which did not disappear altogether or depart (like most of the Elves) were gradually diminished and became rustic; and eventually they were either completely forgotten by Men or were made into figures of fun in legends and folk-tales. Such was the fate of the Dwarves. But even the most absurd of modern nonsense stories about them usually manages to credit the Dwarves with awe-inspiring skill in works of stone and metal; and if the Khazâd themselves have now completely disappeared from Middle-earth, at least records remain of their achievements. Of these the mighty city of Moria was unquestionably both the greatest and the longest to endure.

Moria-silver
–
MITHRIL
.

Moriquendi
–
See
DARK-ELVES
.

Mormegil
‘Black Sword' (Sind.) – A
nom de guerre
of Túrin Turambar, awarded him by the Elves of Nargothrond during the years when he was that city's foremost warrior. Túrin was, of course, the wielder of the black sword Gurthang (formerly
ANGLACHEL
).

Morrowdim
– The Shire name for the period of twilight known to the Grey-elves as
aduial
and to the High-elves as
TINDÓMË
.

Morthond
‘Black-root' (Sind.) – One of the largest of the seven rivers of Gondor. It rose under the White Mountains and flowed down to find the Sea north of Dol Amroth in Belfalas. At its mouth were ancient elf-havens built by Silvan Elves of Lórien early in the Third Age.

Morthond Vale
– A large, fertile, well-populated valley, situated high in the White Mountains between the source of the river Morthond and the Hill of Erech. Also known as the Blackroot Vale.

Morwen Eledhwen
– A princess of the Edain, the daughter of Bara-gund of the First House. She wedded Húrin the Heir of Dor-lómin, and bore him three children: Túrin, Lalaith (who died in infancy), and Nienor. But her life was unhappy, for she and hers fell under the curse of Morgoth.

Morwen was born in Ladros, in Dorthonion; but while she was still a child that region of the North was attacked, and captured, by Morgoth (after the Dagor Bragollach); and she was taken to safety in Dor-lómin, where the House of Hador still maintained a realm on the very frontiers of war. There she later wedded Húrin, and there their children were born. But when her eldest child Túrin was seven, there came the renewal of open war, and the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, in which Húrin was captured, having fought to the last. In the days which followed this catastrophe Morwen remained perforce in Dor-lómin, which was now subject to Morgoth; but she contrived to smuggle Túrin, now the Heir of Húrin and Hador, out of that oppressed land to safety, in Doriath.

She herself, together with her daughter Nienor, remained in Dor-lómin for a further twenty years. Then, taking advantage of a momentary easing of the power of Morgoth in that region, she fled, with Nienor, to Doriath, hoping to find Túrin still there. But he was gone. And soon afterwards came news of the sack of Nargothrond; and with it news of Túrin. Then Morwen quitted Doriath, in search of Túrin; and in an attack made upon her party by the Dragon Glaurung, chief instrument of Morgoth in the matter of the Children of Húrin, she was lost; and was never again seen by Elves or Men – save by her husband Húrin, whom she met again on the day of her death, years afterwards. She was buried with her son, at Cabed Naeramarth.

Morwen of Lossarnach
– A lady of southern Gondor who wedded Thengel, son of King Fengel of Rohan (in 2943 Third Age). This was the first recorded union between any of the Dúnedain and the Rohirrim, who were by then traditional allies of Gondor.

Thengel was old by the time he married, and he had dwelt for most of his life in Gondor, being at feud with his father Fengel (by all accounts a King of unpleasant personal habits and quarrelsome nature). While living in the South-kingdom, Morwen bore Thengel three children, including his only son Théoden. In 2980 Fengel died, and Thengel returned to Rohan to become its sixteenth King. There, Morwen – whom the Rohirrim called ‘Steelsheen' – bore him two more children, the last child being Théodwyn, beloved sister of young Théoden.

Théodwyn's own daughter Éowyn (who was later adopted by Théoden after he became King) was said to have ‘a grace and pride that came to her out of the South from Morwen of Lossarnach.'
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Mounds of Mundburg
– The name given in Rohan to the burial-mounds of those who fell in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields (March, 3019 Third Age). The mounds themselves were not far from Minas Tirith (‘Mundburg'), on the site of the great battle, near the river Anduin. Inside these long green barrows were laid all the warriors slain during the battle, both Dúnedain and Rohirrim – save only King Théoden himself. The story of the individual heroism of the fallen was celebrated in a lay, made in Rohan, which sings of the Mounds of Mundburg.
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Mountains of Aman
– The Pelóri.

Mountains of Defence
– The Pelóri.

Mountains of Lune
– The Hobbits' name for the
Ered Luin,
the ‘Blue Mountains' which lay to the west of the Shire.

Mountains of Mirkwood
– A small range of broken hills that rose some distance north of the Old Forest Road which ran through the gloomy wood. In the Fourth Age they formed the southern boundary of King Thranduil's Elven-realm; the enchanted river which also guarded the Wood-elves' kingdom had its source in these mountains.

Mountains of Mithrim
–
See
MITHRIM
.

Mountains of Moria
– The three great peaks which rose above the underground Dwarf-kingdom of Khazâd-dûm: Caradhras (Barazinbar), Celebdil (Zirak-zigil) and Fanuidhol (Bundushathûr). In the Westron or Common Speech they were known as Redhorn, Silver-tine and Cloudyhead.

Mountains of Shadow
– A translation of the Grey-elven name
Ered Wethrin
(also ‘Shadowy Mountains'); in the Third Age, a name given by Men of Gondor to the western wall of Mordor, closest to their realm (properly
Ephel Dúath
‘Dark [shadowy]-outer-fence').

Mountains of Terror
– A translation of the Sindarin name
Ered Gorgoroth,
given by the Elves of Beleriand to the southernmost heights and precipices of Dorthonion: a region of horror and dread. The reason for the name, and for the fear in which this region of Beleriand was held, lay in the infestation of this range of mountains by evil creatures: spiders of monstrous size, descendants of Ungoliant. There was no more dangerous place in Middle-earth, save Angband itself.

These creatures first appeared after the return of Ungoliant and Morgoth to Middle-earth; so rapidly did they breed that before long not only the Mountains of Terror but also the valley whose northern wall they were (Nan Dungortheb), had become their preserve; and as a result was avoided by all save the foolhardy, the ignorant, and the desperate. Moreover, at least one of these creatures somehow survived the ruin of Beleriand, and later came to Mordor, there to fatten once more upon the blood of Elves and Men. This was
SHELOB THE GREAT
.

It is recorded that the Ered Gorgoroth were successfully crossed once only: by Beren of the Edain.

Mountains of the East
-The
Orocarni
(‘Red Mountains'), a range of mountains of unknown dimension which lay along the western shore of the Inland Sea of Helcar, a remnant of
ILLUIN
.