Orthanc

[Alchisiel]

I've been looking at different sites, did a search here at the Downs, checked the appendices, and I can find nothing about what happened to Orthanc after the War of the Ring. I haven't finished reading the books but I am at the point where Gandalf is at Isengard and can't wait to find out what happens to Orthanc. I know what happens in the rest of the story from the movies but wanted to read the story because it's been my experience that the book is always better than the movie. So far I'm right!!

[dancing spawn of ungoliant]

From the Unfinished Tales, 3rd age, ch 1...

After king Elessar had been crowned in Gondor, he started to rearrange his kingdom and among the first tasks was the re-building of Orthanc. There he was going to place the palantir of Saruman.
...
Elessar and his men found many treasures (robbed from Edoras) there and the lost white stone, Elendilmir was there also.

The text above is not straight quoted from the book due to the lack of an English copy.

Probably Orthanc become settled by some gondorian guards or something.

[Oroaranion]

well seeing as the tower of Orthanc cannot be brought down, then i suppose it has to be made into a guard tower or something. im also quite sure that it says something about what Orthanc becomes in the Appendices in LotR.

[Firefoot]

I don't think there is anything in the appendices. I'm pretty sure that it is all in UT, the information from which Dancing Spawn of Ungoliant already posted.

But yeah, it was probably made into a guard tower and there was a palantir set up there.

[Gil-Galad]

I've read elsewhere that Orthanc and the valley that Orhtanc was i nwas given to the Ents, becasue of there sufferings of Saruman... so basically Fangorn Forest spread into Isengard nad Orthanc was made into a tower for the Ents

[Althern]

Any chance of telling us where you read that?

[rutslegolas]

i agree with gil-galad .
i think that the valley of orthanc was given by king elessar to the ents and they made it into a garden full of trees . and treebeard was its master and not a squirrel would pass into orthanc without his knowing

and i also think that it was a outer outpost of minas arnor

[The Perky Ent]

Y'all are probably right, but how would they drain the water from Isengard? Would the Ents soak it up, or does Gondor have one big water pump? I think Elessar gave Orthac to the Ents just 'cause he liked them. I'm not sure what they'd do with it...mabey make it the official spot for the entmoot, but i guess Treebeard would be happy to own Orthanc!:cool:

[Noxomanus]

'Hoom...yes,indeed my young tourist friends! This tower of...well,because you're hasty people,Orthanc....was indeed given to the Ents by the King of the Fields..I could tell you some great stories about it...hoom...but don't ask me about that...that treekiller Saruman..'

[Gil-Galad]

King of Fields your referring to makes mae thing of the Rohirrim, is that what your refrerring to?

[Noxomanus]

No. Treebeard calls Aragorn the King of the Fields when he arrives at Isengard after his marriage.It's in LotR.

[Gorwingel]

Well I think that you are all correct about the actual valley (or Isengard) going to the Ents. But I think I heard something about the actual tower becoming an outpost (and a wonderful place to get a great view) for Gondor because of course the tower had originally belonged to them.

[Hot, crispy nice hobbit]

I just noticed a comment by Pippin about the Ent's assault on Orthanic:

'Many of the Ents were hurling themselves against the Orthanic-rock; but that defeated them. It is very smooth and hard. Some wizardry is in it, perhaps, older and stronger than Saruman's Anyway they could not get a grip on it, or make a crack in it; and they were bruising and wounding themselves against it.

How is it that the Numenoreans should built the Tower of Orthanic with impregnable black rock, but construct the outer ring with soft stone? Do they rationalise that if the outer ring is broken, it is still possible to defend the Tower? The Ents had a merry time with the outer fortifications, but the Tower itself, they could not harm... sure tell you something about the Numenorean architecture...

On the other hand, if some "wizardry" is really on the tower itself, then who placed it?

[Gil-Galad]

The Tower was made by the Numernoreans(sp?) but then later ages, when that race dwindled, a ring was built around it becasue of the threat of Angmar coming south or the Dunlending's taking it, thats my theory...

[The Perky Ent]

Yes, mabey there is Nemenorian powers hiddin in Orthac that not even Saruman knows! And i'm glad that Isengard went to the Ents, because we deserve it :) :) I wonder if Aragorn ever visited Isengard...

[Orophin]

As far as I know it was given to Treebeard and his ents because of the suffering they endured while they were fighting Saruman. They made things grow there again, and it became a beautiful place again. That's pretty much all I know. Later on it migh have become a base of Gondor but I really do not know.

[Gil-Galad]

i don't think theres nothring really "wizardy" about it, its just an old tower that pranksters throw eggs at... ;)

[Celebaglar]

From the Unfinished Tales, 3rd age, ch 1...

After king Elessar had been crowned in Gondor, he started to rearrange his kingdom and among the first tasks was the re-building of Orthanc. There he was going to place the palantir of Saruman.
...
Elessar and his men found many treasures (robbed from Edoras) there and the lost white stone, Elendilmir was there also.

The text above is not straight quoted from the book due to the lack of an English copy.

Probably Orthanc become settled by some gondorian guards or something.

I believe that Treebeard stated that Isengard was to grow many things, and become beautiful as it were a garden. I think he meant that it would be reclaimed by the trees, of the fate of Orthanc, I can give only my oppinion and best guess that it would become forgotten or abandoned, like Weathertop or Amon Hen.

[Gil-Galad]

it probaly just got absorbed in Fangorn and stood as reminder for the fury of the ents...