Grond (battering ram)

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This article is about the battering ram. For the weapon used by Morgoth, see Grond (Hammer of the Underworld).
Grond
Weapon
Olanda Fong-Surdenas - Grond Leaves Mordor.jpg
"Grond Leaves Mordor" by Olanda Fong-Surdenas
OwnerSauron
CreatorSauron or his servants
Mordor
Notable forBreaking through the Great Gate of Minas Tirith
GalleryImages of Grond (battering ram)

Grond was a battering ram, used by Sauron's forces to destroy the Great Gate of Minas Tirith during the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.

History

Grond was created in Mordor. It was first used by Sauron's forces during the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. Grond was drawn to the Great Gate by "great beasts" and was wielded by mountain-trolls. It was used against the Great Gate because it was the weakest point on the wall of Minas Tirith. The first attempt was unsuccessful, the gate swung and a boom went through the city but the gate stood. Then the Black Captain cried out thrice and with each cry the ram hit against the gate and finally on the third Grond broke through and the gates burst open allowing Sauron's forces to enter Minas Tirith.

Description

Grond was a battering ram in the shape of a wolf's head. It was made of black steel making it fireproof and held up by steel chains. Grond was "great as a forest tree a hundred feet in length". It is told that Grond had been induced with "spells of ruin".[1]

Etymology

Grond means "very weighty and ponderous" in Sindarin.[2] It was named intentionally to evoke the memory of the ancient weapon of Morgoth, the "Hammer of the Underworld".[1]

Portrayal in adaptations

2003: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King:

The ram took the shape of the whole wolf's body, rather of just its head. Gothmog called it in after a smaller battering ram proved futile against the great gates.

2015: The Lord of the Rings Online:

Grond was encountered in the Epic Quest "The Strength of Sauron Book 3: Chapter 8: Gothmog Appears". The player managed to slightly damage the great ram, delaying its use in the coming battle. Gothmog's arrival forced the player to withdraw before further damage could be done.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, "The Siege of Gondor"
  2. J.R.R. Tolkien, "Words, Phrases and Passages in Various Tongues in The Lord of the Rings", in Parma Eldalamberon XVII (edited by Christopher Gilson), pp. 99, 183