Book Argonath Were TERRIFYING – Here’s What They Cut Fr… — Transcript

Exploring the true significance and terrifying nature of the Argonath in Tolkien's books versus their depiction in Peter Jackson's movies.

Key Takeaways

The Argonath are more than decorative statues; they are powerful symbols of Gondor’s legacy and defense.
Their construction was a strategic and symbolic act by King Romendacil to protect Gondor’s borders.
The book’s depiction of the Argonath passage is darker and more threatening than the film’s portrayal.
The statues represent the enduring spirit and majesty of Númenor and its heirs.
Aragorn’s journey past the Argonath signifies his acceptance of his royal lineage and destiny.

Summary

The Argonath are colossal statues of Isildur and Anárion, sons of Elendil, guarding the River Anduin.
Contrary to popular belief, the Argonath were built long after the fall of Isildur and Anárion, not during Gondor's earliest days.
The passage between the Argonath is far more perilous and dramatic in the books, especially for Aragorn.
The statues symbolize Gondor’s power and serve as a warning to enemies, embodying the spirit of Númenor.
The golden age of Gondor under the Ship-kings expanded its borders and influence significantly.
The Northmen served as a buffer against Eastern invasions but some later betrayed Gondor by siding with the Easterlings.
Romendacil fortified Gondor’s borders and commissioned the Argonath as a monument to his ancestors and a deterrent to enemies.
The statues stand at a strategic choke point on the river, enhancing their defensive purpose.
The imposing presence of the Argonath instills awe and fear, reflecting the might of Gondor’s past.
Aragorn’s passage beneath the Argonath marks a moment of awakening and transformation, linking him to his heritage.

Chapters

Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown

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We see the Argonath, memorably depicted in spectacular fashion in the Peter Jackson movies, as the Fellowship glides slowly by in their Elven boats. But in the books, the passage between the Argonath is far more perilous and dramatic, particularly for Aragorn.

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In order to fully appreciate the events that unfold beneath the shadow of the mighty kings, we must understand their true significance to Aragorn.

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The Argonath, the Pillars of Kings, were two huge statues which rose upon either side of Anduin, hewn by the skilled hands of the Dúnedain into the towering likenesses of Isildur and Anárion, [music] the two sons of Elendil. The fact that

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the statues portray the two brothers, who were the first rulers of Gondor, leads many to assume that the Argonath were wrought in the earliest days of the Southern Kingdom, during the same glorious era in which Minas Ithil and

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Minas Anor were constructed. Yet, this was not so. In fact, it was long after Isildur had fallen at the Gladden Fields and Anárion had perished before the walls of Barad-dûr that their likenesses were wrought upon their vast pedestals,

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with axes in their right hands and their left lifted high in a gesture of stern defiance, as though they commanded the enemies of Gondor to halt and to despair. And between the two vast sentinels, the River Anduin flowed into

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a narrow, echoing passage, hemmed about by sheer cliffs. And it was through this stony throat that the Fellowship passed upon the boats gifted to them by the Galadhrim of Lórien.

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Frodo, peering forward, saw in the distance two great rocks approaching. Like great pinnacles or pillars of stone they seemed. Tall and sheer and ominous they stood upon either side of the stream. A narrow gap appeared between them, and the river swept the boats

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towards it. "Behold the Argonath, the Pillars of Kings!" cried Aragorn. "We shall pass them soon. Keep the boats in line and as far apart as you can. Hold the middle of the stream." [music] After the overthrow of Sauron by the

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Last Alliance of Elves and Men, the Third Age dawned and with it came a golden age for Gondor. The power of the South Kingdom spread like the tide of the sea.

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Under the mighty Ship-kings, its banners were carried farther than ever before and all the lands about knew the strength of the heirs of Númenor.

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In those days, around the year 1050 of the Third Age, during the reign of Hyarmendacil, last of the Ship-kings, Gondor reached the very height of its power.

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Its borders then stretched north to the field of Celebrant and the shadowed southern eaves of Mirkwood, westward to the Greyflood, east to the Inland Sea of Rhûn, and south, beyond the River Harnen, to the Havens of Umbar.

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And in the vales of Anduin, there dwelt many Northmen, hardy folk, who acknowledged the authority of Gondor and prospered beneath its protection. The kings of Gondor favored the Northmen above all other lesser men, for they were akin in blood to the

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people of Westron men. Consequently, vast lands beyond Anduin, south of Greenwood the Great, were granted to them. In return, they would stand as a living deterrent, a buffer between Gondor and the menacing men of the East.

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For it was across those plains, between the Inland Sea and the Ash Mountains, that invasion had come to Gondor in years past.

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And for a time, this tactic seemed to be effective. Yet peace, as ever, bred complacency.

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The rulers of Gondor who came after the mighty Ship-kings grew proud and unwary upon their thrones.

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And slowly, the might of Gondor began to wane. And in the days of Narmacil the First, the Easterlings returned in force once more and bitter tidings reached the Regent Minardil.

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Not all the Northmen remained faithful. Some had betrayed the generosity of the Gondorians and joined themselves with the Easterlings.

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In response, in the year 1248, Minucar marched east with a great host and between Rhovanion and the Inland Sea, he met the armies of the Easterlings and Northmen in battle. Each and every camp that the enemies of Gondor had

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established were burned and destroyed. And in triumph, Minucar took the name Romendacil, meaning East-victor.

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Yet this great victory alone did not satisfy him and he sought a more lasting sense of security for his realm. Thus, after returning westward, Romendacil fortified the banks of Anduin as far as the inflow of the Limlight.

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And he forbade any stranger to pass down the Great River beyond the Emyn Muil.

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And to mark the great fortification of his borders, he desired to raise a monument unlike any other in Middle-earth. Yet Romendacil did [music] not seek personal glorification.

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Instead, he resolved to raise a monument in memory of his mighty ancestors. Thus, the Argonath were first conceived of. And so, the men of Gondor set about the monumental task of realizing Romendacil's vision. Thus, the twin pillars of stone were raised, colossal

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and silent, standing upon either side of the Anduin at the entrance to Nen Hithoel.

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And such was the skill of their crafting when, long centuries later, the Fellowship passed beneath their shadow, the majesty of the Argonath had not been diminished.

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And weather-worn though they were, they still inspired awe and dread. As Frodo was borne towards them, the great pillars rose like towers to meet him.

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Giants they seemed to him, vast, great figures, silent but threatening. Then he saw that they were indeed shaped and fashioned. The craft and power of old had wrought upon them and they still preserved, through the suns and rains of

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forgotten years, the mighty likenesses in which they had been hewn. Upon great pedestals founded in the deep waters, stood two great kings of stone. Still with blurred eyes and crannied brows, they frowned upon the north. The left hand of each was raised palm outwards in

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gesture of warning. In each right hand there was an axe. Upon each head there was a crumbling helm and crown.

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Great power and majesty they still wore, the silent wardens of a long vanished kingdom. Awe and fear fell upon Frodo, and he cowered down, shutting his eyes and not daring to look up as the boat drew near.

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Even Boromir bowed his head as the boats whirled by, frail and fleeting as little leaves under the enduring shadow of the sentinels of Númenor.

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To sail against Gondor from the north was then to enter a realm that sought to unmake the courage of its enemies before a sword was ever drawn. For the gaze of Isildur and Anárion fell upon every ship that dared to pass between them, cold

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and unyielding. And they were as magnificent as they were terrible. And if an enemy beheld those figures of stone and understood that the men of Gondor had fashioned such wonders merely to guard a river, then one dreadful thought would surely

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follow. What would the fortresses and warriors of such a people be like? And Rómendacil had placed them in a cunning location, at a fearsome choke point in the river, where nature itself lent its strength to Gondor's cause.

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The shadow of the cliffs, the ceaseless roar of the waters, the mournful cry of the wind, all of it conspired to humble the hearts of those who sought to pass beneath the Argonath.

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So they passed into the dark chasm of the gates. Sheer rose the dreadful cliffs to unguest heights on either side.

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Far off was the dim sky. The black waters roared and echoed, and a wind screamed over them. Frodo crouching over his knees heard Sam in front muttering and groaning. "What a place, what a horrible place. Just let me get out of

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this boat and I'll never wet my toes in a puddle again, let alone a river." The chasm was long and dark and filled with the noise of wind and rushing water and echoing stone.

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Yet, although the colossal kings stood with stern faces turned northward, warning all enemies that they approached a realm of ancient power, the strength behind that warning faded further with each passing year. And by the time of the War of the Ring,

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[music] the lands around the Argonath and Amon Hen lay empty and abandoned and the seat of seeing looked out

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And so, when the Argonath welcomed Aragorn back to Gondor in the very year the destiny would lead him to reclaim the kingship, they stood as mournful relics of a greatness which was fast fading into memory. And as the

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Fellowship drifted beneath those towering pillars of stone, a remarkable change suddenly fell upon Aragorn. No longer a ranger of the wilds was he, but a king sailing south to claim his birthright.

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"Fear not." said a strange voice behind him. Frodo turned and saw Strider and yet, not Strider. For the weather-worn ranger was no longer there.

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In the stern sat Aragorn, son of Arathorn, proud and erect, guiding the boat with skillful strokes. His hood was cast back and his dark hair was blowing in the wind. A light was in his eyes, a king returning from exile to his own

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land. "Fear not." he said. "Long have I desired to look upon the likenesses of Isildur and Anárion, my sires of old. Under their shadow, Elessar, the Elfstone, son of Arathorn of the House of Valandil, Isildur's son, heir of Valandil, has

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naught to dread." Beneath the gaze of his forefathers, Aragorn rose to his full stature.

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No longer was he the quiet and mysterious Strider who had ever cloaked his identity, but a bold figure of nobility.

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It was though the Argonath had awoken the long-buried majesty of Númenor that was always within him. The strength, the pride, and the nobility of his fathers, long dormant beneath hardship and humility, suddenly rose to the surface.

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And this moment of awakening and transformation beneath the great monument such as this is fitting when one remembers who Aragorn truly was. For the Dúnedain were known for their love of mighty monuments and great fortresses.

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The Númenóreans of Gondor were proud, peculiar, and archaic. And I think are best pictured in, say, Egyptian terms.

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In many ways they resembled Egyptians. The love of and power to construct the gigantic and massive, and in their great interest in ancestry and in tombs.

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Thus, the Argonath were more than silent watchers, more than a warning to those who attempted to sail on Gondor. They were an embodiment of the very spirit of Númenor.

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And in gazing upon them for the first time, Aragorn was finally presented with a stirring vision of the true undimmed glory of his mighty ancestors.

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And beneath the Argonath, that power was awakened once more, and a Strider the Ranger was lost.

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King Elessar finally awoke. Thank you very much for tuning into Realms Unraveled. I would like to take this opportunity to light the beacons and call for aid.

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If you did enjoy this video, I would ask that you kindly click the like button below. Also, I would be very grateful if you would consider subscribing and clicking on the bell icon.

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And until next time, farewell, fellow explorers of Middle-earth.

Topics:ArgonathGondorIsildurAnárionAragornNúmenorMiddle-earthLord of the RingsPeter JacksonRealms Unravelled

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the Argonath and whom do they represent?

The Argonath are two colossal statues representing Isildur and Anárion, the sons of Elendil and first rulers of Gondor.

How does the book’s depiction of the Argonath differ from the movies?

In the books, the passage between the Argonath is more perilous and dramatic, with a stronger emphasis on their imposing and terrifying nature.

Why were the Argonath built according to the transcript?

They were commissioned by King Romendacil to fortify Gondor’s borders and serve as a monument honoring his ancestors, acting as a deterrent to enemies.

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