Map of Thror

Thror's Map is the parchment plan of the Lonely Mountain that Gandalf delivers to Thorin Oakenshield, setting the entire quest in motion. It is the central document of the expedition, bearing runes, a secret entrance marked by a pointing hand, and hidden moon-letters that reveal the crucial condition for opening the hidden door.

Origin and Delivery

The map was made by Thror, Thorin's grandfather, and was given to his son Thrain for safekeeping before Thror went to the mines of Moria, where he was killed by Azog the Goblin. Thrain later disappeared, and Gandalf found him a prisoner in the dungeons of the Necromancer, witless and wandering, having forgotten almost everything except the map and the key. Thrain gave the map to Gandalf to pass on to his son, and Gandalf chose his own time and way for handing it over, finally presenting it to Thorin during the Unexpected Party at Bag-End. The map is spread on the table in the light of a big lamp with a red shade, and it is accompanied by a small silver key with a long barrel and intricate wards, which Thorin fastens upon a fine chain that hangs about his neck and under his jacket.

Contents and Features

The map is a plan of the Mountain, showing the lands about it, including Mirkwood and the Withered Heath where the great dragons bred. A dragon is marked in red on the Mountain. The most important feature is a secret entrance: a rune on the West side, with a hand pointing to it from the other runes, marking a hidden passage to the Lower Halls. The runes on the map state that the door is "Five feet high the door and three may walk abreast." The map also bears moon-letters, rune-letters that cannot be seen when looked at directly, but only when the moon shines behind them, and with the more cunning sort, it must be a moon of the same shape and season as the day when they were written. Elrond, holding the map up to the light of a broad silver crescent moon, reads the moon-letters: "Stand by the grey stone when the thrush knocks, and the setting sun with the last light of Durin's Day will shine upon the key-hole." Durin's Day is the first day of the dwarves' New Year, the first day of the last moon of Autumn on the threshold of Winter, when the last moon of Autumn and the sun are in the sky together.

Role in the Quest

The map is the key to the entire quest. Without it, Thorin and his company would have had no clear idea what to do, only a vague plan of going East as far as the Long Lake and then facing the trouble of the Front Gate. The map reveals the existence of the Side-door, which makes burglary a viable strategy instead of requiring a mighty warrior or hero. Bilbo Baggins, who loves maps and has a large one of the Country Round with all his favourite walks marked in red ink hanging in his hall, often borrows Thorin's map and gazes at it, pondering over the runes and the message of the moon-letters. It is he who makes the dwarves begin the dangerous search on the western slopes for the secret door. The map's information proves essential when, at the very last moment of autumn, the thrush knocks on the grey stone, the setting sun shines through the opening, and the key fits and turns, opening the door into the Mountain.

Significance

Thror's Map is more than a practical guide; it is a symbol of the lost heritage of the dwarves and the hope of reclaiming their treasure. It connects the present quest to the past, bearing the initials of Thror and Thrain and the memory of the prosperous kingdom under the Mountain. The map's moon-letters, written on a midsummer's eve in a crescent moon long ago, introduce an element of ancient magic and precise timing, making the success of the quest dependent on interpreting and fulfilling an old prophecy. The map is ultimately the document that transforms a vague desire for revenge and treasure into a concrete, achievable plan, and it remains in Thorin's possession throughout the journey, a constant reminder of their purpose.