Scroll of Isildur

From Tolkien Gateway
Scroll of Isildur
Manuscript
Audrey Corman - Scroll of Isildur.jpg
"Scroll of Isildur" by Audrey Corman
LocationVaults of Minas Tirith
OwnerHouse of Isildur
CreatorIsildur
Minas Tirith, S.A. 3441-T.A. 2
Notable forDescribing the nature of the One Ring

The Scroll of Isildur was a scroll made by Isildur himself during his short time in Minas Tirith after the War of the Last Alliance between S.A. 3441 and T.A. 2. The scroll held Isildur's account of the gaining of the Ring from Sauron and described the appearance of an inscription around the Ring while it was still hot. The Scroll was stored for millennia in the vaults of that city and according to Gandalf it was probably forgotten after the time of the Kings of Gondor and nobody, except him and perhaps Saruman, had seen it.

Gandalf started to believe that Bilbo Baggins' Magic Ring was the One. In T.A. 3017 he visited Minas Tirith and studied the scroll. Isildur's description was vital in helping Gandalf identify the Ring. He visited Frodo Baggins in Bag End and tested his ring in the fireplace, confirming it as the One Ring of Sauron.[1][2]

Portrayal in adaptations[edit | edit source]

2001: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring:

Gandalf visits Minas Tirith to discern the identity of Bilbo's Ring. A brief scene shows him guided to the vaults by a Gondorian keeper and reading the scroll, which is an elaborate prop in Tengwar calligraphy. In the film, Gandalf incorrectly gives the year as S.A. 3434.

References