# LOTR-ROTK Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 12, 2004, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-rotk-question/254675 "2004-07-12T06:48:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mithgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Mithgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mithgard)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-rotk-question/254675/1 "2004-07-12T06:48:38Z")
In the movie ROTK, when Sam, Frodo, and Smeagol are outside the gates of Cirith Ungol about to ascent the winding staircase, there is a greenish-energy-beam-type-thing that shoots out of one of the towers. Gandalf and Pippin see it from Minas Tirith. The question is, does anyone know what that was or what it is supposed to signify? Its been buggin me everytime I watch it. 😛 thanks -Mith ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-rotk-question/254675/2 "2004-07-12T07:50:24Z")
Orcs lighting farts? ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-rotk-question/254675/3 "2004-07-12T08:12:20Z")
A magical signal flare indicating it was time to roll out the armies. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-rotk-question/254675/4 "2004-07-12T08:29:52Z")
> [@Silentgoldfish](#): > > A magical signal flare indicating it was time to roll out the armies. A brilliant tactic. A signal indicating it is time to roll out the armies which is _visible_ from the _enemy’s capital city_!!! No wonder Mordor got their asses kicked. Dummies. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![elfbabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b782af/32.png) [@elfbabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfbabe)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-rotk-question/254675/5 "2004-07-12T09:52:41Z")
Nitpick: They’re outside the gates of Minas Morgul(Tower of Sorcery), home of the Witch-King of Angmar. Cirith Ungol(Pass of the Spider) is the nasty cobwebby place up at the top with the big ol’ spider in it. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-rotk-question/254675/6 "2004-07-12T12:01:53Z")
> [@bienville](#): > > A brilliant tactic. A signal indicating it is time to roll out the armies which is _visible_ from the _enemy’s capital city_!!! No wonder Mordor got their asses kicked. Dummies. 😃 🙂 Sauron’s preferred methods were terror and despair. I’d wager that the Mordor flare and the Minas Morgul reply would only deepen the impending sense of doom hanging over Minas Tirith. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-rotk-question/254675/7 "2004-07-12T12:34:42Z")
1920’s style. . . first one of these ever for me ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-rotk-question/254675/8 "2004-07-12T15:12:30Z")
> [@Grey](#): > > 🙂 > > Sauron’s preferred methods were terror and despair. I’d wager that the Mordor flare and the Minas Morgul reply would only deepen the impending sense of doom hanging over Minas Tirith. Sauron’s two preferred methods were terror, despair and fanatical dedication to Morgoth – THREE, three preferred … sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-rotk-question/254675/9 "2004-07-12T15:18:46Z")
Get the pointy chair! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-rotk-question/254675/10 "2004-07-12T15:23:15Z")
From _The Two Towers_ > [@](#): > > ‘Come, Mr. Frodo,’ said Sam. ‘He’s right again. We can’t stay here.’ > ‘All right,’ said Frodo in a remote voice, as of one speaking half asleep. ‘I will try.’ Wearily he got to his feet. > > ``` > But it was too late. At that moment the rock quivered and trembled beneath them. The great rumbling noise, louder than ever before, rolled in the ground and echoed in the mountains. Then with searing suddenness there came a great red flash. Far beyond the eastern mountains it leapt into the sky and splashed the lowering clouds with crimson. In that valley of shadow and cold deathly light it seemed unbearably violent and fierce. Peaks of stone and ridges like notched knives sprang out in staring black against the uprushing flame in Gorgoroth. Then came a great crack of thunder. > > And Minas Morgul answered. There was a flare of livid lightnings: forks of blue flame springing up from the tower and from the encircling hills into the sullen clouds. > > ``` So according to the book there were two signals. The first, coming probably from Barad Dur, meaning “go forth and conquer.” The second, from Minas Morgul, meaning, “I hear and obey.” Both were calculated to inspire fear and dread. It’s not as if the coming invasion were a secret, after all. ---
**Author:** ![Chunky\_Bum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Chunky\_Bum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chunky_Bum)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-rotk-question/254675/11 "2004-07-12T15:23:32Z")
In the book, a red spike of fire had first shot up from Barad-dur, and then Minas Morgul answered with it’s own signal (a beam of light). Basically Barad-dur was giving the go ahead to release the Morgul forces, onto Minas Tirith, and Minas Morgul signaled back with ‘Roger that.’ ---
**Author:** ![Mithgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Mithgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mithgard)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-rotk-question/254675/12 "2004-07-12T19:19:56Z")
> [@elfbabe](#): > > Nitpick: They’re outside the gates of Minas Morgul(Tower of Sorcery), home of the Witch-King of Angmar. Cirith Ungol(Pass of the Spider) is the nasty cobwebby place up at the top with the big ol’ spider in it. you are absolutely correct Elfbabe, my mistake. I’m embarrased to have made such a mistake (in my defence…I did post this around 4am :P) ---
**Author:** ![Mithgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Mithgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mithgard)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-rotk-question/254675/13 "2004-07-12T19:23:13Z")
> [@Kizarvexius](#): > > From _The Two Towers_ > > So according to the book there were two signals. The first, coming probably from Barad Dur, meaning “go forth and conquer.” The second, from Minas Morgul, meaning, “I hear and obey.” > > Both were calculated to inspire fear and dread. It’s not as if the coming invasion were a secret, after all. Thanks for looking that up dude. I think that that is a perfect hint that I should re-read the books again. The movies are distorting things that happened in the book 😛 Shucksss…I guess i _have_ to read them again =)