Palantír
From the One Wiki to Rule Them All, the Lord of the Rings Encyclopedia.
- For other uses of Palantír see also: Palantír (disambiguation)
A Palantír was the Quenyan for 'that-which-looks-far-away' and was an object in Middle-Earth.
[edit] Overview
The Palantír are seeing stones made by Fëanor in Aman during the Elder Days, given by the Elves to the Numenoreans, and were kept as heirlooms until Fall of Numenor during the Second Age; seven of which were rescued from the Downfall and brought to Middle-Earth by Elendil and his sons.
The Dunedain placed the stones across large distances in order to communicate with the rest of the Realms in Exile. Locations of which these stones were kept: Annúminas, Amon Sul (Weathertop) and Elostirion (Tower Hills) in the north, and Osgiliath, Orthanc, Minas Ithil, and Minas Anor in the south. The Masterstone resides in Tol Eressëa, in the Tower of Avallónë.
Four of the stones are known to have been lost. The chief stone of the north, at Amon Sul, along with the stone from Annúminas, was lost with Arvedui in the cold northern seas. The chief stone of the south, in Osgiliath, was lost during the Kin-strife. The stone of Minas Ithil was captured by Sauron, and very likely destroyed during the Downfall of Barad-dûr.
The stone of Elostirion was taken back to the Undying Lands on the Ringbearers' ship. Only the stones of Minas Anor and Orthanc remain in Middle-earth.
[edit] Appearance
The palantíri, in appearance, were dark, perfectly smooth spheres of varying sizes; some were small and portable while others were too large to be lifted by Men.
[edit] Usage
The palaníri were meant to be used by the Dúnedain to communicate throughout the Realms in Exile. However the chief palantir of the north could be used to protect fortifications/ and settlements and also can be used as a great weapon, at the end of the Third Age, during the time of the War of the Ring, the palantíri were used by many individuals. Sauron used the Ithil-stone to take advantage of the users of the other two stones, the Orthanc-stone and Anor-stone, but was also susceptible to deception himself. While Saruman was trying to use the Orthanc-stone, Sauron convinced Saruman to join with him. Denethor II attempted to use the Anor-stone to gain knowledge, but Sauron convinced Denethor there was no hope for victory against him. Denethor thought he had the might to stand against Sauron. And for some time he was able to withstand Sauron's power. Peregrin Took mistakenly used the Orthanc-stone, thus fooling Sauron to believe Saruman had the One Ring. Aragorn purposely used the Orthanc-stone to reveal himself and his ancestry to Sauron, thus drawing Sauron's army out of his lands to battle him.
