Dead Marshes
An area of swampland located to the east of the Emyn Muil and north of Dagorlad, the great, treeless open plain between the Marshes and Cirith Gorgor. The Dead Marshes were an unending network of pools filled with watercourses.
History
The marshes existed for a long time but were only named after the Battle of Dagorlad (SA 3434) between the forces of the Last Alliance of Men and Elves and the armies of Sauron.
During this battle, a large number of Elves were driven to the Dead Marshes under the command of King Malgalad. When the war was over, many of the dead were buried around the marshy area, but over time the marshes spread and engulfed the graves of the slain,[1] the area of the graves becoming called the Mere of Dead Faces. The faces of the dead and lit candles could be seen beneath the surface of the water, but they could not be reached. Anyone trying to do so perished, and joined them.
In 1944 of the Third Age, Eärnil, leading the Southern Army of Gondor and the remnants of the Northern army, caught the Wainriders unprepared as they celebrated their conquest of Gondor in their camp. When Wainrider King Ondoher and his guard were killed, Eärnil drove the Wainriders out of Ithilien, eastward over Dagorlad, where many perished in the Dead Marshes.
In 3017 Third Age, Gollum was found and caught near Dead Marshes and brought to Mirkwood by Aragorn to be held captive, though he escaped. Later, (March 1, 3019), when Sam and Frodo met Gollum in the Emyn Muil, during their mission to destroy the One Ring, Gollum told them he had found a secret way through the marshes. [2] and led them through. During the passage, they passed the Mere of Dead Faces, seeing the dancing lights that Gollum called ‘candles of corpses’.
During this battle, a large number of Elves were driven to the Dead Marshes under the command of King Malgalad. When the war was over, many of the dead were buried around the marshy area, but over time the marshes spread and engulfed the graves of the slain,[1] the area of the graves becoming called the Mere of Dead Faces. The faces of the dead and lit candles could be seen beneath the surface of the water, but they could not be reached. Anyone trying to do so perished, and joined them.
In 1944 of the Third Age, Eärnil, leading the Southern Army of Gondor and the remnants of the Northern army, caught the Wainriders unprepared as they celebrated their conquest of Gondor in their camp. When Wainrider King Ondoher and his guard were killed, Eärnil drove the Wainriders out of Ithilien, eastward over Dagorlad, where many perished in the Dead Marshes.
In 3017 Third Age, Gollum was found and caught near Dead Marshes and brought to Mirkwood by Aragorn to be held captive, though he escaped. Later, (March 1, 3019), when Sam and Frodo met Gollum in the Emyn Muil, during their mission to destroy the One Ring, Gollum told them he had found a secret way through the marshes. [2] and led them through. During the passage, they passed the Mere of Dead Faces, seeing the dancing lights that Gollum called ‘candles of corpses’.
Inspiration
In Tolkien’s letter to Professor L.W. Forster of 31 December 1960,[3] he notes the notion of the Dead Marshes owe something to Northern France after the Battle of the Somme, but that they owe more to William Morris and his Huns and Romans from The House of the Wolfings, or The Roots of the Mountains.
Adaptations
The Two Towers
Dead Marshes are portrayed in ‘The Lord of the Rings – The Two Towers’ by Peter Jackson as fog-filled lakes with fire as opposed to candle flames as suggested in the book. Frodo had fallen into a pool and was surrounded by ghostly wraiths before Gollum pulled him out.
