What is Cirith Ungol, and why did Gondor build a fortress facing its own land instead of Mordor? This deep dive climbs the Spider's Pass to explain how the most consequential ground in The Lord of the Rings ended up unguarded.Gondor cut the tower into the Ephel Duath to keep evil in, not out. The Great Plague of Third Age 1636 emptied it - no siege ever took Cirith Ungol - and in the year 2000 the Nazgul came out through the pass nobody was watching.Guarding it instead is Shelob, last child of Ungoliant, older than Barad-dur, loyal to nobody. Sauron feeds her; he has never commanded her. Then Torech Ungol, the Phial of Galadriel, Sam Gamgee's stand, and a garrison that destroyed itself over a mithril shirt.🕐 CHAPTERS:0:00 Cirith Ungol: The Spider's Pass Into Mordor | Tolkien Lore Explained1:12 The Cleft of the Spider5:16 Gondor Ran Out of Men10:14 The Tenant Who Was There First14:53 The Most Tragic Moment in the Tale19:04 Eight Thousand Years of Light23:39 The Garrison That Killed Itself27:54 The One Small Garden#lotr #tolkien #ringsofpower #gollum #samwisegamgee #middleearth📖 Read more: https://rangeroftherealms.com/episodes/cirith-ungol-the-spiders-pass-into-mordor-tolkien-lore-explained/📚 MORE FROM RANGER OF THE REALMS:🔹 Channel: https://youtube.com/@RangeroftheRealms🔹 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1cBIiWA4DzPVubntEqH2cr🔹 Website: https://rangeroftherealms.com☕ Support: https://ko-fi.com/rangeroftherealms🎬 A DREAMBYTES PRODUCTIONThe works of J.R.R. Tolkien remain under copyright to the Tolkien Estate.This is a fan work created for educational and entertainment purposes.