September 28, 2002

Re: The Two Towers
Steve

A recent article stated that "The Two Towers are Orthanc and Barad-dur."

Actually, the Two Towers (according to Tolkien's own words) were Orthanc and Minas Morgul. The first because it features heavily in the Gandalf/Aragorn plot-line, the second because it features in the Frodo/Sam/Gollum book (the trek past Minas Morgul, and up to Cirith Ungol which is above Minas Morgul). This is a question that has bugged me for many years, but I discovered the answer recently. Can't remember the exact reference, but it is there, in Tolkien's own hand (I think in the "The story continues in...." bit at the end of the Fellowship book.

Though I can see why Mr Jackson has swapped Minas Morgul for Barad-dur in the film title. No sense in introducing even more confusion into the issue....