Zirakzigil was one of the three peaks of the Misty Mountains in Middle-Earth. It was also known as SIlvertine in Khuzdul and Celebdil in Sindarin by the Elves. All over Moria, Zirakzigil was the only area not situated under the mountain. It could be reached through the Durin’s Way from the Door to the Clouds. The location was known for Gandalf’s fight against Durin’s Bane, who was the mighty fire demon Balrog.
Etymology
Zirakzigil is most likely translated to “silver spike”. However, it is not clear which part of the word means “silver” and which one means “spike”. Its other names SIlvertine and Celebdil means “silverpoint”.
Description
Zirakzigil is a mountain, located alongside Fanuidhol and Caradhras. Beneath these mountains lie the cavernous halls of Moria - Khazad-dum, the ancient dwarf kingdom. On top of its peak stands the Durin’s Tower. It was rumored that Durin the Deathless stood upon Zirakzigil’s peak once but that piece of information is lost.
History
The elves called the summit of the mountains Zirakzigil. They constructed a spiraling staircase known as the Endless Stairs in the olden times. The staircase featured several thousand steps and went all the way from the root of the mountain up to its peak. On the cliff of the peak, they built the Durin’s Tower. As the end of the Third Age came close, the tower and the staircase were remembered only in the legends. Later in 3019, Gandalf and Balrog went up the Endless Stairs from the depths of Moria and reached the peak of Zirakzigil. They wound up in the Battle of the Peak which went on for two to three days. They battled in a narrow area upon Celebdil. [1] During their fight, they destroyed Durin’s Tower leaving it in ruins, and also blocked the staircase causing destruction. The fight was also known as the great battle of lightning and flame as the sun shone fiercely above the clouds and smoke and vapor and steam rose. They continued fighting there until Gandalf threw Balrog down from the mountain. Balrog broke the side of the mountain as he fell. It is known as The Broken Cleft. Even Gandalf breathed his last as darkness took him away. Gandalf’s body laid on the top of the mountain for nineteen days until Eru gave him a new birth and sent him back to Middle-Earth. He was in a trance for three days before Windlord Gwaihir found him and took him to Lothlorien. There, Gandalf was healed and dressed in white, thus he came to be known as Gandalf the White who was more powerful than earlier.
Portrayal In Adaptations
The Lord of The Rings - The Two Towers
In the second movie of Peter Jackson’s trilogy, Durin’s tower is shown at the peak of Zirakzigil. It is shown as the location where Gandalf fought with the Balrog of Morgoth.
The Lord of The Ring (Online Game)
Zirakzigil is a playable location in the region of Moria.
References
Categories:
Khuzdul words
Mountains
