What is the whole story behind Minas Morgul, Gondor, and Mordor?

[Galadriel55]

I remember reading somewhere in LOTR (might have been the end of FOTR or the beginning of the second half of TTT) that "eye" is the name that Frodo gave to the force that he felt searching for him. However, this term is used by other characters as well. When does it first appear?

PS: the term "palantir" is curious as well. It's never mentioned until Gandalf discovers what the stone is. After that point, many characters mention the palantiri in an off-hand way, but it sound somewhat unnatural. They all start talking palantirs after the discovery. (Even people like Denethor who have no idea about the story of Saruman's stone talk palantirs! It's creepy!)

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

I remember reading somewhere in LOTR (might have been the end of FOTR or the beginning of the second half of TTT) that "eye" is the name that Frodo gave to the force that he felt searching for him. However, this term is used by other characters as well. When does it first appear?

PS: the term "palantir" is curious as well. It's never mentioned until Gandalf discovers what the stone is. After that point, many characters mention the palantiri in an off-hand way, but it sound somewhat unnatural. They all start talking palantirs after the discovery. (Even people like Denethor who have no idea about the story of Saruman's stone talk palantirs! It's creepy!)

Well, Denethor talks palantíri because he owns one.

But generally, of course, it is assumed that Sauron got his hands on the Ithil-stone and that's what was at Barad-Dur and that's how he had trapped Saruman and Denethor.

"The Eye" is more like a metaphor for Sauron's current form by the time of LotR, where he is not really corporeal in the strict sense, and he is more like a "presence" which has certain attributes: and one of the most important thing about him seems to be that he "sees". This is where the Eye comes from, and I am curious as to whether this has something to do with Sauron himself or if it is a direct consequence of the Palantír (since that would mean that the Eye is a rather new symbol, only a hundred or so years old - would make sense in one way, on the other hand, I am rather interested as to what Sauron would have as his symbol earlier on, since we are all so much used to this... now I must confess that I am rather uncertain, I don't know whether there is any mention of the "Eye" prior to these late-third-Age events, resp. after Sauron's return to Mordor...).

[Pitchwife]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

"The Eye" is more like a metaphor for Sauron's current form by the time of LotR, where he is not really corporeal in the strict sense, and he is more like a "presence" which has certain attributes

Ai, Legate, the world must be coming to end if even you have fallen for this movie-meme! From the mouth of an eye-witness (no pun intended):

Originally Posted by LotR Book IV, The Black Gate is Closed

'He has only four [fingers] on the Black Hand, but they are enough', said Gollum shuddering.

If he had a hand, with the finger Isildur cut off still missing, I dare say he must have had a body.

Originally Posted by the above

now I must confess that I am rather uncertain, I don't know whether there is any mention of the "Eye" prior to these late-third-Age events, resp. after Sauron's return to Mordor...).

Yes, there is:

Originally Posted by The Silmarillion, Of the Rings of Power...

There now he brooded in the dark, until he had wrought for himself a new shape; and it was terrible, for his fair semblance had departed for ever when he was cast into the abyss at the drowning of Númenor. He took up again the Great Ring and clothed himself in power; and the malice of the Eye of Sauron few even of the great among Elves and Men could endure.

(referring to the end of the Second Age)