In its role as a prequel, Rings of Power undertakes the significant task of setting the stage for the familiar Lord of the Rings narrative. This involves establishing key landscapes, events, and shaping characters into the figures known during the Third Age. At times, these connections are subtle, while other instances are more overt. A recent episode presents a noteworthy example of this link, offering a reminder of the world before it descends into darkness.
The latest episode of Rings of Power season two, titled “Halls of Stone,” updates audiences on the various storylines in Eregion and Khazad-dûm, briefly uniting them in a memorable moment. To celebrate the creation of seven rings for the Dwarven realms, Lord Celebrimbor invites Narvi, the lead miner from Khazad-dûm, to his Forge in the heart of Eregion. This event marks a celebration of renewed diplomatic ties between Elves and Dwarves, and the duo collaborates on a physical testament to their alliance. The episode reveals that these massive stone doorways, a blend of Dwarven and Elven craftsmanship, are destined to become the legendary Doors of Durin, the new western entryway to Khazad-dûm.
These doors, which appear thousands of years later in the books and the movie adaptation of Fellowship of the Ring, feature a magical riddle—“Speak friend, and enter”—that initially puzzles Gandalf and his companions. This scene serves not only as a nod to the future but also as a reminder of the bright world that is steadily being overshadowed in Rings of Power, forecasting the impending tragedies for both Eregion and Khazad-dûm. Tolkien’s original works provide minimal details about Narvi and the doors’ creation, other than their formation early in the Second Age as a symbol of Celebrimbor and Narvi’s enduring friendship, demarcating the borders of Eregion’s kingdom and the beginning of Durin’s mountainous domain.
The doors were enchanted with a straightforward spell. From the inside, they could be opened with a simple push, but gaining entrance from the outside required following instructions inscribed by Celebrimbor on the door’s surface in Ithildin, a special form of Mithril that illuminated under moonlight, otherwise remaining nearly invisible. The word “Mellon,” meaning “Friend” in Sindarin, would cause the doors to open.
The narrative of these doors turns tragic, much like the stories unfolding in Rings of Power. During the War Between Elves and Sauron, Sauron’s army sacked Ost-in-Edhil, Eregion’s capital. The Dwarves of Khazad-dûm, assisted by a contingent of Elves from Lindon, intervened to save Elrond’s forces from complete annihilation. Though they succeeded in buying time for Elrond to lead Eregion’s survivors to safety and establish Rivendell, the Dwarves and their allies were eventually forced to retreat. They sealed the Doors of Durin, which remained closed for thousands of years, even as the kingdom fell to goblins and the Balrog. Over time, the knowledge of how to open the doors externally was lost until Gandalf and the Fellowship rediscovered them in the Third Age.
Despite the doors’ introduction in Rings of Power as symbols of friendship, the narrative swiftly shifts towards the dark events that will ultimately seal them for centuries. The same episode highlights Sauron’s escalating influence as Annatar, convincing Celebrimbor to forge nine rings of power for humanity’s leaders. Concurrently, King Durin of Khazad-dûm begins to succumb to the effects of his own ring, embarking on a perilous path that will lead to the downfall of his kingdom. Nonetheless, this episode offers a fleeting yet uplifting moment amidst the encroaching darkness, demonstrating the harmony and unity possible among Middle-earth’s inhabitants in times of peace.
