Argonath (The Pillars of the Kings)
The Argonath in Fellowship of the Ring.
Place in Arda
Aliases	Gates of Argonath The Pillars of the Kings
Summary	The Northern Border of Gondor
Built by	Rómendacil II
Realm	Gondor
Lord	Kings of Gondor, Later disputed
Type	Statues
Lifespan	1340 Third Age – into the Fourth Age?

The Argonath, also known as The Gates of Argonath or The Pillars of Kings, is a monument comprising of two enormous statues carved in the likenesses of Isildur and Anárion, standing upon either side of the River Anduin at the northern approach to Nen Hithoel. It marked the northern border of Gondor, as nearby down south were previous outposts, the Amon Hen and the Amon Lhaw.

History Edit

It was originally constructed about TA 1340 at the order of Rómendacil II to mark the northern border of Gondor, although the realm was greatly diminished in size by the time the Fellowship of the Ring passed the Argonath on February 25, 3019. Each of the two figures was shown wearing a crown and a helm, with an axe in its right hand and its left hand raised in a gesture of defiance to the enemies of Gondor.

Portrayal in Adaptations Edit

In Peter Jackson's movie The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the Argonath is comprised of two large and highly detailed models, which are skillfully combined with live action footage and digital backgrounds to convey the proper sense of scale. Unlike in the book, in the movie the Argonath appears to portray Anarion and his father Elendil (shown holding a sword, not an axe, as portrayed during the film's prologue). Also seen in the movie is the quarry near one of the statues' feet, which the filmmakers reasoned would be necessary to provide stone blocks for the construction of the statues' uppermost sections.

External link Edit

• Argonath at Tolkien Gateway