The Argonath, also known as the Gates of Argonath or Pillars of Kings, was a great monument of Gondor.
Description[]
The monument comprised two enormous statues carved in the likenesses of Isildur and Anárion, standing upon either side of the River Anduin at the northern entrance to Nen Hithoel. It marked the northern border of Gondor, and nearby to the south were previous outposts, Amon Hen and Amon Lhaw.
Each of the two figures bore a crown and a helm, with an axe in its right hand and its left hand raised in a gesture of warning to Gondor's enemies.[1]
The Argonath, by Ralph Damiani
History[]
The Argonath was originally constructed after the year TA 1248 at the order of Rómendacil II, to commemorate his victory over the Easterlings and to mark the northern border of Gondor.[2]
By the time the Fellowship of the Ring passed the monument on February 25, 3019, on their way to Amon Hen, the realm of Gondor had diminished, leaving the Argonath far outside its effective boundaries.[1]
Other versions[]
In an earlier version of the "The Great River" chapter, Tolkien used the name Sern Erain before changing it to the name Sarn Aran, meaning King Stones.[3]
In adaptations[]
The Fellowship of the Ring (film)[]
An Argonath statue of Elendil in the films
In Peter Jackson's 2001 movie The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the Argonath comprises two large and highly detailed models, which are combined with live action footage and digital backgrounds to convey the proper sense of scale. Unlike in the books, these Argonath statues portray Isildur and his father Elendil (shown holding a sword, not an axe, as portrayed during the film's prologue). Anárion was removed entirely from the films. Also seen in the film is a quarry near one of the statues' feet, reasoned to have been necessary to provide stone for construction of the statues' uppermost sections.
The Lord of the Rings Online[]
Argonath in The Lord of the Rings Online
The Argonath appears in The Lord of the Rings Online, portrayed similarly to its appearance in the films.
Translations[]
| Foreign Language | Translated name |
| Amharic | አርጎናት |
| Arabic | أرغوناث |
| Armenian | Արգոնաթ |
| Assamese | অৰ্গোনাথ |
| Belarusian Cyrillic | Арганат |
| Bengali | আর্গোনাথ |
| Bulgarian Cyrillic | Аргонат |
| Chinese | 阿戈纳特 |
| Danish | Argonath (Kongestøtterne) |
| Dogri | अरगोनाथ |
| Georgian | არგონათი |
| Greek | Άργκοναθ |
| Gujarati | આર્ગોનાથ |
| Hebrew | ארגונאת |
| Hindi | अर्गोनाथी |
| Japanese | アルゴナス |
| Korean | 아르고나스 |
| Kannada | ಅರ್ಗೋನಾಥ್ |
| Kazakh | Аргонат (Cyrillic) Argonat (Latin) |
| Kyrgyz Cyrillic | Аргонат |
| Macedonian Cyrillic | Аргонат |
| Malayalam | അർഗോനാഥ് |
| Marathi | अर्गोनाथ |
| Mongolian Cyrillic | Аргонат |
| Nepalese | अर्गोनाथ |
| Persian | آرگونات |
| Punjabi | ਅਰਗੋਨਾਥ |
| Russian | Аргонат |
| Serbian | Аргонат (Cyrillic) Argonat (Latin) |
| Sindhi | ارگناٿ |
| Sinhalese | ආර්ගෝනාත් |
| Tajik Cyrillic | Аргонат |
| Tamil | அர்கோநாத் |
| Tatar | Аргонат |
| Telugu | అర్గోనాథ్ |
| Ukrainian Cyrillic | Аргонат |
| Urdu | ارگوناتھ |
| Yiddish | אַרגאָנאַטה |
|
Middle-earth Locations:
Provinces/Regions: Arnor | Dunland | Ettenmoors | Forochel | Forodwaith | Gondor | Harad | Ithilien | Khand | Lindon | Minhiriath | Mordor | Rhovanion | Rhûn | Rivendell | Rohan | The Shire Forests & Mountains: Amon Dîn | Amon Hen | Amon Lhaw | Caradhras | Emyn Muil | Erebor | Fangorn Forest | High Pass | Iron Hills | Lórien | Mirkwood | Mount Doom | Mount Gundabad | Old Forest | Orod-na-Thôn | Tower Hills | Weathertop Hill City/Fortifications: Angband | Barad-dûr | Bree | Caras Galadhon | Dol Guldur | Fornost Erain | Hornburg | Isengard | Khazad-dûm (Moria) | Minas Morgul | Minas Tirith | Last Homely House | Tower of Amon Sûl | Tower of Orthanc | Osgiliath | Umbar | Utumno Miscellaneous: Argonath | Astulat | Buckland | Cair Andros | Dagorlad | Dead Marshes | Enedwaith | Fords of Isen | Gap of Rohan | Grey Havens The rest of Arda:
Aman | Burnt Land of the Sun | Dark Land | Empty Lands | Neldoreth | New lands | Númenor | Tol Eressëa |
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book Two, Ch. IX: "The Great River"
- ↑ The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, I. "The Númenórean Kings", iv. "Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion"
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, VIII: The War of the Ring, Part Two: The Ring Goes East", "I. The Taming of Sméagol", pg. 98 (note 5)