Places in Middle-earth
Morgai
Type: Mountains, Hills, Promontories
Region: Mordor/Allies
Meaning: Mor means dark. If Gai is from gaer, it could possibly come from the stem gaya, which means awe.
Other Names It is also referred to as the Inner ring of the fence of Mordor.
Location: A ridge that ran along the inner side of the Ephel Dúath, lower than the Mountain. Between the Morgai and the Ephel Dúath was a gully that Frodo and Sam used to enter Gorgoroth.
Description: "Hard and cruel and bitter was the land that met his gaze. Before his feet the highest ridge of the Ephel Dúath fell steeply in great cliffs down into a dark trough, on the further side of which there rose another ridge, much lower, its edge notched and jagged with crags like fangs that stood out black against the red light behind them: it was the grim Morgai, the inner ring of the fences of the land...
"About the lowest tier, two hundred feet below where Sam now stood, there was a battlemented wall enclosing a narrow court. Its gate, upon the near south-eastern side, opened on a broad road, the outer parapet of which ran upon the brink of a precipice, until it turned southward and went winding down into the darkness to join the road that came over the Morgul Pass. Then on it went through a jagged rift in the Morgai out into the valley of Gorgoroth and away to Barad-dûr."
From The Return of the King, LoTR Book 6, Ch 1, The Tower of Cirith Ungol
"The eastern faces of the Ephel Dúath were sheer, falling in cliff and precipice to the black trough that lay between them and the inner ridge. A short way beyond the way-meeting, after another steep incline, a flying bridge of stone leapt over the chasm and bore the road across into the tumbled slopes and glens of the Morgai. With a desperate spurt Frodo and Sam dashed along the bridge; but they had hardly reached its further end when they heard the hue and cry begin. Away behind them, now high above on the mountain-side, loomed the Tower of Cirith Ungol, its stones glowing dully. Suddenly its harsh bell clanged again, and then broke into a shattering peal. Horns sounded. And now from beyond the bridge-end came answering cries. Down in the dark trough, cut off from the dying glare of Orodruin, Frodo and Sam could not see ahead, but already they heard the tramp of iron-shod feet, and upon the road there rang the swift clatter of hoofs.
"‘Quick, Sam! Over we go!’ cried Frodo. They scrambled on to the low parapet of the bridge. Fortunately there was no longer any dreadful drop into the gulf, for the slopes of the Morgai had already risen almost to the level of the road; but it was too dark for them to guess the depth of the fall."
From The Return of the King, LoTR Book 6, Ch 2, The Land of Shadow
Contributors: docmon, 25 Sept 05
