Carchost: Difference between revisions

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(The entry for carak- in the appendix of the Silmarillion also contains a translation of carchost, but it does not say what the second element in Carchost is)
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'''Carchost''' and its counterpart [[Narchost]] are the two towers situated on either side of the [[Black Gate]] of [[Mordor]] (otherwise know as the [[Morannon]]) as part of the [[The Lord of the Rings]] fictional trilogy. Together, '''Carchost''' and Narchost were known as the [[Towers of the Teeth]] or even the [[Teeth of Mordor]]. They were originally made by the men of [[Gondor]] but in the later Third Age they had been long abandoned by the Gondorians and were overrun with evil. [[Sauron]] used them as watch towers to guard the dark and evil land of [[Mordor]], protecting it from the very nation which had orginally built them.
{{merge|Towers of the Teeth}}
'''Carchost''' was the eastern<ref name=UI>{{HM|UI}}, p. 601</ref> of the two [[Towers of the Teeth]], that stood on two sheer hills that were thrust forward on either side of the mouth of the pass of [[Cirith Gorgor]] at the northwestern end of [[Mordor]] where the [[Ered Lithui]] met the [[Ephel Duath]]. It was strong, tall, stony-faced and had dark window-holes facing north, east and west.<ref name=Gate>{{TT|Gate}}</ref>


Carchost appears to have stood to the eastern side of the Morannon, though specific details of the arrangement of the Towers are hard to come by. The name Carchost contains two Sindarin elements: carch, meaning 'tooth, fang', and ost meaning 'fortress'.
==History==
Carchost was built by the men of  [[Gondor]] after the [[War of the Last Alliance]] to prevent [[Sauron]] from returning to Mordor<ref name=Gate/>  and to keep watch on Mordor where the creatures of Sauron still lurked.<ref name=Tower>{{RK|Tower}}</ref> At the time of the death of king [[Ondoher]] it was still manned by the men of Gondor.<ref>{{UT|8e}}, note 15</ref> As the strength of Gondor failed, Carchost was abandoned by the the men of Gondor and was empty for long years and fell into decay. After the return of Sauron Narchost was repaired and garrisonned with the forces of Sauron.<ref name=Gate/> It fell down during an earthquake<ref>{{RK|Cormallen}}</ref> after an eruption of [[Orodruin]] when the [[One Ring]] fell into the [[Sammath Naur]] in the Orodruin<ref>{{RK|Doom}}</ref> on [[25 March]] {{TA|3019}}.<ref>{{App|Great}}, entry for the year 3019, March 25</ref>


==Etymology==
The name ''Carchost'' is translated as "fang fort".<ref name=UI/><ref name=carak>{{S|Appendix}}, ''carak-''</ref> It contains two [[Sindarin]] elements: ''carch'', meaning "fang",<ref name=carak/> and ''[[ost]]'' meaning "fortress".<ref>{{S|Appendix}}, ''os(t)''</ref>
{{references}}
[[Category:Fortresses]]
[[Category:Mordor]]
[[Category:Sindarin locations]]
[[Category:Towers]]
[[Category:Towers]]
[[Category:Mordor]]
[[Category:Fortresses]]


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Revision as of 09:47, 22 September 2021

Merge-arrows.gif This page should be merged with Towers of the Teeth.

Carchost was the eastern[1] of the two Towers of the Teeth, that stood on two sheer hills that were thrust forward on either side of the mouth of the pass of Cirith Gorgor at the northwestern end of Mordor where the Ered Lithui met the Ephel Duath. It was strong, tall, stony-faced and had dark window-holes facing north, east and west.[2]

History

Carchost was built by the men of Gondor after the War of the Last Alliance to prevent Sauron from returning to Mordor[2] and to keep watch on Mordor where the creatures of Sauron still lurked.[3] At the time of the death of king Ondoher it was still manned by the men of Gondor.[4] As the strength of Gondor failed, Carchost was abandoned by the the men of Gondor and was empty for long years and fell into decay. After the return of Sauron Narchost was repaired and garrisonned with the forces of Sauron.[2] It fell down during an earthquake[5] after an eruption of Orodruin when the One Ring fell into the Sammath Naur in the Orodruin[6] on 25 March T.A. 3019.[7]

Etymology

The name Carchost is translated as "fang fort".[1][8] It contains two Sindarin elements: carch, meaning "fang",[8] and ost meaning "fortress".[9]

References