Minecraft Middle Earth is a Minecraft community that recreates the world described by JRR Tolkien and his writings. Everyone can participate in organized events in which we collaborate to create major landmarks, terrain, caves, castles, towns, farms and more.
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Introduction
Henneth Annûn, also called the Window of the Sunset, or Window on the West, was a hidden refuge of the Rangers of Ithilien in the northern part of Ithilien along the Ephel Duath, the Mountains of Shadow. The waterfall cascading over the cliff-face had originally run through the cave itself, but was altered to flow over one of the entrances; this likeness to a window gave Henneth Annûn its name. There are two entrances into the cave system- one being the route through which Samwise Gamgee and Frodo were led, and the other being the window itself. At the bottom of the window was a bowl full of sharp stone knives. Source: Henneth Annûn
Detailed description
Of course Henneth Annun is a well known location on the Frodo and Sam's way to Mordor. Thus leaving it so lackluster and boring felt somewhat disappointing to me and @LeBlancGandalf. Hence we went to work and quickly found a decent design for the cliffs and just improving that already made a world of difference. On top of that removing some of the largest trees, especially at the very tops of the cliffs helps giving some actual sense of scale to the location, which it didn't have before. Furthermore the caves, which felt empty and lifeless, we'd like to spice up and make more interesting.
Henneth Annun is a major location in Lord of the Rings and described in much detail.
My main issue with the current version is that it is NOT AT ALL the "Window of the Sunset" described here:
The Two Towers - The Window on the West said:
They stood on a wet floor of polished stone, the doorstep, as it were, of a rough-hewn gate of rock opening dark behind them. But in front a thin veil of water was hung, so near that Frodo could have put an outstretched arm into it. It faced westward. The level shafts of the setting sun behind beat upon it, and the red light was broken into many flickering beams of ever-changing colour. It was as if they stood at the window of some elven-tower, curtained with threaded jewels of silver and gold, and ruby, sapphire and amethyst, all kindled with an unconsuming fire.
It is way too deep in the terrain to see the sunset from the cave as they do in the books. Best would be to make a wide valley all the way down to Anduin like in this description:
The Two Towers - The Window on the West said:
Then they turned aside again, to the right, and came quickly to a small river in a narrow gorge: it was the same stream that trickled far above out of the round pool, now grown to a swift torrent, leaping down over many stones in a deep-cloven bed, overhung with ilex and dark box-woods. Looking west they could see, below them in a haze of light, lowlands and broad meads, and glinting far off in the westering sun the wide waters of the Anduin.
From that point the Hobbits were blindfolded but still remembered a lot of the path down to the cave:
The Two Towers - The Window on the West said:
After a little they found that they were on a path descending steeply; soon it grew so narrow that they went in single file, brushing a stony wall on either side; their guards steered them from behind with hands laid firmly on their shoulders. Now and again they came to rough places and were lifted from their feet for a while, and then set down again. Always the noise of the running water was on their right hand, and it grew nearer and louder. At length they were halted. Quickly Mablung and Damrod turned them about, several times, and they lost all sense of direction. They climbed upwards a little: it seemed cold and the noise of the stream had become faint. Then they were picked up and carried down, down many steps, and round a corner. Suddenly they heard the water again, loud now, rushing and splashing. All round them it seemed, and they felt a fine rain on their hands and cheeks.
They turned and passed under the low forbidding arch. At once they found themselves in a rock-chamber, wide and rough, with an uneven stooping roof. A few torches were kindled and cast a dim light on the glistening walls. Many men were already there. Others were still coming in by twos and threes through a dark narrow door on one side. As their eyes grew accustomed to the gloom the hobbits saw that the cave was larger than they had guessed and was filled with great store of arms and victuals.
At one time the water flowed down through this cave and out of the arch, but its course was changed further up the gorge, by workmen of old, and the stream sent down in a fall of doubled height over the rocks far above. All the ways into this grot were then sealed against the entry of water or aught else, all save one. There are now but two ways out: that passage yonder by which you entered blindfold, and through the Window-curtain into a deep bowl filled with knives of stone.
From this description it's clear that the cave was natually made by the stream flowing though. Thus those side tunnels in the current layout doesn't seem credible to me. The entrance tunnel is of course made by men. But I doubt they would make more tunnels just to place a few beds at the end. If more space was needed it would make much more sense to enlarge the natural main cave. Also the main cave is very short. If it's made by an underground stream it should be more elongated. The cave must been very large actually. Faramir had some 200 or 300 men with him.
Even the furniture and the arrangements of the cave are decribed in detail:
The Two Towers - The Window on the West said:
The hobbits were taken to a corner and given a low bed to lie on, if they wished. Meanwhile men busied themselves about the cave, quietly and in orderly quickness. Light tables were taken from the walls and set up on trestles and laden with gear. This was plain and unadorned for the most part, but all well and fairly, made: round platters, bowls and dishes of glazed brown clay or turned box-wood, smooth and clean. Here and there was a cup or basin of polished bronze; and a goblet of plain silver was set by the Captain's seat in the middle of the inmost table.
They were led then to seats beside Faramir: barrels covered with pelts and high enough above the benches of the Men for their convenience. Before they ate, Faramir and all his men turned and faced west in a moment of silence. Faramir signed to Frodo and Sam that they should do likewise. 'So we always do,' he said, as they sat down, 'we look towards Numenor that was, and beyond to Elvenhome that is, and to that which is beyond Elvenhome and will ever be.
After the meal Frodo and Sam talking with Faramir in more private in a space separated by curtains:
The Two Towers - The Window on the West said:
When all was done Faramir led them to a recess at the back of the cave, partly screened by curtains; and a chair and two stools were brought there. A little earthenware lamp burned in a niche.
But that place was not completely separated from the tables:
The Two Towers - The Window on the West said:
Frodo and Sam sprang from their stools and set themselves side by side with their backs to the wall, fumbling for their sword-hilts. There was a silence. All the men in the cave stopped talking and looked towards them in wonder. But Faramir sat down again in his chair and began to laugh quietly, and then suddenly became grave again.
The same place that is used for eating is also where the men sleep:
The Forbidden Pool said:
Sam, waking suddenly by some instinct of watchfulness, saw first his master's empty bed and leapt to his feet. Then he saw two dark figures, Frodo and a man, framed against the archway, which was now filled with a pale white light. He hurried after them, past rows of men sleeping on mattresses along the wall.
Now Sam sees the entrance tunnel he was carried down blindfolded before:
The Forbidden Pool said:
They went first along a black passage, then up many wet steps, and so came to a small flat landing cut in the stone and lit by the pale sky, gleaming high above through a long deep shaft. From here two flights of steps led: one going on, as it seemed, up on to the high bank of the stream; the other turning away to the left. This they followed. It wound its way up like a turret-stair. At last they came out of the stony darkness and looked about. They were on a wide flat rock without rail or parapet. At their right, eastwards, the torrent fell, splashing over many terraces, and then, pouring down a steep race, it filled a smooth-hewn channel with a dark force of water flecked with foam, and curling and rushing almost at their feet it plunged sheer over the edge that yawned upon their left.
That high rock seems to be reachable only be that second tunnel, why else should they have made that otherwise. And we get some more description of the pool here:
The Forbidden Pool said:
Far below them they saw the white waters pour into a foaming bowl, and then swirl darkly about a deep oval basin in the rocks, until they found their way out again through a narrow gate, and flowed away, fuming and chattering, into calmer and more level reaches.
Here again is mentioned that the land downstreams is more level towards Anduin. Now Anborn leads Frodo down to the pool and he sees the actual entrance to the hideout:
The Forbidden Pool said:
Anborn grunted and led the way down the winding stair to the landing, and then up the other stair, until at last they came to a narrow opening shrouded with thick bushes. Passing silently through, Frodo found himself on the top of the southern bank above the pool. It was now dark and the falls were pale and grey, reflecting only the lingering moonlight of the western sky. He could not see Gollum. He went forward a short way and Anborn came softly behind him. 'Go on!' he breathed in Frodo's ear. 'Have a care to your right. If you fall in the pool, then no one but your fishing friend can help you. And forget not that there are bowmen near at hand, though you may not see them.' Frodo crept forward, using his hands Gollum-like to feel his way and to steady himself. The rocks were for the most part flat and smooth but slippery.
From Anborn's warning I guess there is some kind of (dangerous) path down to the pool at the southern rim.
The drawings in the Atlas sum up all these descriptions very well:
Henneth Annun is such a cool place. And it's one of the few places that are described in much detail but don't have a epic visualisation in the movies. Thus there are no expectations of movie fan we want to fulfil.
This give us a rare chance to make it as much as in the books as possible to please book fans like me. It's the most beautiful place in all of Middle-earth for me. I would be so happy to stand below the arch like Frodo, watch the sunset and feel like being in the book.
I am happy to announce that the caves of Henneth Annun are now fully explorable. @Raffyyy and I also updated the gorge upstream and area around it, which has in my opinion turned out great. I tried to keep an eye on the lore as close as possible and tried to recreate some of the scenes which also happened in the book. Only thing left now is the valley below, which I'm sure Eriol is going work hard on and I'm sure it'll look fantastic once done. I encourage you to do /ptime 1835 and /fbt off and look west through the Window, and experience the beautiful sunset. I'll also post some screenshots in this comment. Thanks everyone who helped out with this project so far! I really appreciate it