Henneth Annun Reseach Center

Timeline Event

Dawnless Day arrives

Event Type: Environment/Disease

Age: 3rd Age - Ring War

Date: March 10, 3019

Description:

An event in the prelude to the Siege of Minas Tirith; see that entry for an overview:
'[The] day is getting darker instead of lighter: darker and darker. As far as I can tell, it isn't midday yet'....

'Is there a storm coming? If so it's going to be the worst there ever was....' [Sam] listened. 'What's that? Thunder, or drums...?'

'I don't know,' said Frodo. 'It's been going on for a good while now. Sometimes the ground seems to tremble, sometimes it seems to be the heavy air throbbing in your ears.'....

Looking out from the covert [Sam] could see only a dun, shadowless world, fading slowly into a featureless, colourless gloom. It felt stifling but not warm.

The Two Towers, LoTR Book 4, Ch 7, Journey to the Cross-roads

'[What] is the good even of food and drink under this creeping shadow...? The very air seems thick and brown! Do you often have such glooms when the wind is in the East?'

'Nay,' said Beregond, 'this is no weather of the world. This is some device of his malice; some broil of fume from the Mountain of Fire that he sends to darken hearts and counsel. And so it doth indeed.'

The Return of the King, LoTR Book 5, Ch 4, The Siege of Gondor

From the sunless dawn until evening the heavy shadow had deepened, and all hearts in the City were oppressed. Far above a great cloud streamed slowly westward from the Black Land, devouring light, borne upon a wind of war; but below the air was still and breathless, as if all the Vale of Anduin waited for the onset of a ruinous storm.

The Return of the King, LoTR Book 5, Ch 4, The Siege of Gondor

The world was darkling. The very air seemed brown, and all things about were black and grey and shadowless; there was a great stillness. No shape of cloud could be seen, unless it were far away westward, where the furthest groping fingers of the great gloom still crawled onwards and a little light leaked through them. Overhead there hung a heavy roof, sombre and featureless, and light seemed rather to be failing than growing.

Merry saw many folk standing, looking up and muttering: all their faces were grey and sad, and some were afraid. With a sinking heart he made his way to the king.... [Beside Hirgon] stood now another man,... speaking to the king.

'It comes from Mordor, lord,' he said. 'It began last night at sunset. From the hills in the Eastfold of your realm I saw it rise and creep across the sky, and all night as I rode it came behind eating up the stars. Now the great cloud hangs over all the land between here and the Mountains of Shadow; and it is deepening. War has already begun.'

The Return of the King, LoTR Book 5, Ch 3, The Muster of Rohan

[Presently] the trumpets rang.... Dull they seemed and harsh in the heavy air, braying ominously....

All the lands were grey and still; and ever the shadow deepened before them, and hope waned in every heart.

The Return of the King, LoTR Book 5, Ch 3, The Muster of Rohan

Contributors:
Elena Tiriel 3Sep04, 2Oct04

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