Pelennor Fields

The Pelennor Fields, the fair and fertile townlands of Minas Tirith, form the broad plain that lies between the City of Gondor and the Great River Anduin. Enclosed by the great out-wall called the Rammas Echor, these fields were once rich with tilth, orchards, and homesteads, served by many rills flowing down from the highlands. They were the last line of defence before the seven walls of the City itself, and it was here that the fate of the West was decided in the greatest battle of the War of the Ring.

The Siege and the Breaking of the Rammas

After the fall of Osgiliath, the forces of Mordor, led by the Witch-king of Angmar, swept across the Pelennor. The Rammas Echor was breached by blasting-fire and the fields were overrun. The retreating Gondorian forces under Faramir were harried by Orcs and the winged Nazgûl, and the plain became a scene of rout and slaughter. Denethor, watching from the White Tower, released a desperate sortie of mounted knights, led by the Prince of Dol Amroth, which checked the enemy and allowed the survivors to reach the Gate. The Pelennor was then abandoned to the Enemy, who filled it with trenches of fire and siege-engines, and the City was besieged.

The Ride of the Rohirrim and the Battle

At dawn on March 15, the Rohirrim, led by King Théoden, arrived from the north. The horns of Rohan sounded as they charged across the Pelennor, breaking the siege-lines. Théoden himself slew the chieftain of the Haradrim, but was then crushed by his horse Snowmane, struck by a dart from the winged steed of the Witch-king. Éowyn, disguised as Dernhelm, confronted the Lord of the Nazgûl and, with the aid of Meriadoc Brandybuck, slew him, fulfilling the prophecy that he would not fall by the hand of man. The battle raged across the plain, with the Rohirrim and the men of Gondor hard-pressed by Easterlings, Southrons, and the great Mûmakil.

The Arrival of the Black Fleet and Victory

At the height of the battle, when hope seemed lost, a fleet of black ships was seen sailing up the Anduin from the Harlond. The Corsairs of Umbar were expected, but instead the ships bore Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and the Grey Company, who had taken the Paths of the Dead. Aragorn unfurled the banner of the King, and his arrival turned the tide. The hosts of Mordor were caught between the hammer and the anvil, and by nightfall the Pelennor was cleared of every living foe. The field was covered with the dead, including Théoden, and the great Battle of the Pelennor Fields was won, though at a grievous cost.

Aftermath and Significance

The Pelennor Fields became a place of burial and memory. The mounds of the fallen were raised, and the grass grew green again. The victory here was the turning point of the War of the Ring, breaking the siege of Minas Tirith and allowing the Captains of the West to march on the Black Gate. The plain itself, once a symbol of Gondor's peaceful prosperity, was transformed into a testament to the courage and sacrifice that saved the West from the Shadow.