Amon Lhaw

From Tolkien Gateway
Revision as of 09:46, 25 September 2020 by ElwingNinque (talk | contribs)
Amon Lhaw
Hill
General Information
Other namesHill of Hearing
LocationEmyn Muil, across the Nen Hithoel opposite Amon Hen
TypeHill
GalleryImages of Amon Lhaw

Amon Lhaw, also called the Hill of Hearing, was one of the three peaks above the Falls of Rauros where they drained Nen Hithoel. It towered among the Emyn Muil on the eastern banks of the Anduin. Its twin, Amon Hen (The Hill of Sight) lay upon the western bank. Between them, at the very center of the stream above Rauros, was the island hill of Tol Brandir upon which none had ever set foot.[1]

At one time Amon Lhaw had been part of the northern borderlands of Gondor, it was fortified and a high seat was built there. It is presumed that it had similar properties to the Seat of Seeing upon Amon Hen, so that anyone siting on the throne could hear enemies of Gondor conspiring against the kingdom. But that lay centuries in the past at the time of the War of the Ring; by then, it had long since fallen under the influence of Mordor – it was common for spies of Mordor to roam on the slopes of Amon Lhaw, whereas Aragorn had never heard before of Orcs upon Amon Hen.[2]

As Frodo was sitting on the Seat of Seeing on Amon Hen with The Ring on his finger, Sauron became aware of him and his will bent to the region, searching for him. It touched Amon Lhaw before Frodo was able to throw himself from the seat and take off the Ring. When Frodo and Sam left the Fellowship they paddled across the Anduin and landed upon the southern slopes of the hill where there was a shelving shore.[3]

Etymology

Amon Lhaw is Sindarin, and translates as "Hill of Hearing", from amon ("hill") and lhaw ("ears").[4]

In his drafts, Tolkien first gave it the Quenya name Larmindon ("Listen Tower").[5]

References