Tiedosto:MatejCadil-Watchers.png

Yhteenveto

Matěj Čadil: The Light of Hope – detail 5: Cirith Ungol

Lähde: Matej Čadilin DeviantArt-sivut

Kuvaus (tekijä):

• Detailed view of the last corner panel of my picture The Light of Hope.

He looked about, and then within the shadow of the gate he saw the Two Watchers. They were like great figures seated upon thrones. Each had three joined bodies, and three heads facing outward, and inward, and across the gateway. The heads had vulture-faces, and on their great knees were laid clawlike hands. They seemed to be carved out of huge blocks of stone, immovable, and yet they were aware: some dreadful spirit of evil vigilance abode in them. They knew an enemy. Visible or invisible none could pass unheeded. They would forbid his entry, or his escape.

Hardening his will Sam thrust forward once again, and halted with a jerk, staggering as if from a blow upon his breast and head. Then greatly daring, because he could think of nothing else to do, answering a sudden thought that came to him, he drew slowly out the phial of Galadriel and held it up. Its white light quickened swiftly, and the shadows under the dark arch fled. The monstrous Watchers sat there cold and still, revealed in all their hideous shape. For a moment Sam caught a glitter in the black stones of their eyes, the very malice of which made him quail; but slowly he felt their will waver and crumble into fear.

He sprang past them; but even as he did so, thrusting the phial back into his bosom, he was aware, as plainly as if a bar of steel had snapped to behind him, that their vigilance was renewed. And from those evil heads there came a high shrill cry that echoed in the towering walls before him. Far up above, like an answering signal, a harsh bell clanged a single stroke.

The Lord of the Rings. Book IV, Chapter 1: The Tower of Cirith Ungol

• One of the main sources of inspiration for the whole Light of Hope picture was Sam's beautiful dialogue in the end of the Two Towers, just before they enter Shelob's lair, about the great tales never ending and they being part of the same tale as Beren and Eärendil. So from the beginning, I wanted to include one of the scenes with the hobbits from this part of the story. There are several that could fit in here quite well: Frodo facing Shelob with the star-glass (crying "Aiya Eärendil elenion ancalima!"), Sam later facing Shelob with the star-glass, Sam coming through the gate, Sam singing the song in the tower (In western lands beneath the Sun) or Sam seeing the star out of Mordor as a sign of hope. But I already depicted two of them not so long ago: Sam vs Shelob and the Star of Hope. So I chose the other great moment where the Star-glass is used besides confronting Shelob, that is Sam's arrival to the Tower of Cirith Ungol, through the gateway where he confronts the power of the Two Watchers.
• Image size: 1960x2853px 8.06 MB
• Published: Oct 19, 2021

Käyttöoikeus: Kuvan tekijä Matěj Čadil on ystävällisesti antanut Kontuwikille luvan käyttää kuviaan. Kuvan muu käyttö ilman tekijän lupaa on kielletty.

Lisenssi