New OOTS products from CafePress
New OOTS t-shirts, ornaments, mugs, bags, and more
Results 1 to 6 of 6
  1. - Top - End - #1
    Titan in the Playground
    Join Date
    Feb 2011

    Default Is There A Larger, Real-World Edoras?

    What I’m looking for is a scaled-up version of the site of Edoras in Rohan. Properly speaking, Edoras is the name of Theoden’s capital in the valley of Harrowdale; I can’t find a separate name for the hill it was built on.

    The real-world location of the Edoras filming site is Mount Sunday, and I’m trying to find a much larger version of that: an isolated rocky formation rising from a broad, level plain. Mount Sunday is more of a rocky hill, but I’m looking for something more like a moderate-sized mountain, capable of supporting a structure and population greater than Minas Tirith.

    The geological term is inselberg, and I’ve tried looking through a variety of those with no success. The closest I can find is a beautiful formation in Sarek National Park in Sweden, but it’s still not large enough for what I’m thinking—and doesn’t have that “outsized Edoras” feel I’m going for. Can anyone think of another natural feature that would be a better fit?

  2. - Top - End - #2
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Lizardfolk

    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Is There A Larger, Real-World Edoras?

    Would a mesa work? Because the grand mesa in Colorado is 500 square miles.
    Quote Originally Posted by The Glyphstone View Post
    Vibranium: If it was on the periodic table, its chemical symbol would be "Bs".

  3. - Top - End - #3
    Troll in the Playground
     
    PaladinGuy

    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    UK
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Is There A Larger, Real-World Edoras?

    Quote Originally Posted by Palanan View Post
    What I’m looking for is a scaled-up version of the site of Edoras in Rohan. Properly speaking, Edoras is the name of Theoden’s capital in the valley of Harrowdale; I can’t find a separate name for the hill it was built on.
    I assume you mean a scaled up version of the hill-fort? A good starting point might be to web search for hill forts.
    There is a very good reason you won't find a name for the hill in the books - Edoras was near the centre of a depression in a pretty flat plain.

    (For me, Edoras is one of the most annoying pieces of completely inappropriate setting in the films, to make it look good Jackson put Edoras on top of a brilliant natural fortress - three sides being much steeper than could be sensibly assaulted - and then left in the line from the book about it being "completely indefensible", a line that really did not work for that Edoras.
    Next worst is probably the aerial shots of Bilbo and the dwarves heading East in The Hobbit part one - it's a lovely view of trackless countryside which doesn't really work for a party taking the main road...)

  4. - Top - End - #4
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Ninja_Prawn's Avatar

    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    UK

    Default Re: Is There A Larger, Real-World Edoras?

    Quote Originally Posted by Khedrac View Post
    a brilliant natural fortress - three sides being much steeper than could be sensibly assaulted
    If this is what the OP is looking for, you probably won't find many in the real world that are significantly larger than Mount Sunday. All the ones I know (Castle Rock in Edinburgh, Castle Hill in Stirling and Dumbarton Rock in... Dumbarton) are volcanic plugs - that is to say solidified magma from the inside of volcanoes, left over after the original volcano has eroded away. They generally have three steep sides and one narrow, accessible one due to the prevailing wind, but there's a limit to how big they're going to be.

    The other thing that comes to mind is Mount Kilimanjaro. That's practically an inselberg, but I doubt you could build much on it.
    Last edited by Ninja_Prawn; 2018-02-18 at 03:26 PM.
    Lydia Seaspray by Oneris!

    Spoiler: Acclaim
    Show
    Winner of Spellbrew Contest I & Subclass Contest II
    Quote Originally Posted by JNAProductions View Post
    That is the perfect ending. Thread done, Ninja_Prawn won.
    Quote Originally Posted by KorvinStarmast View Post
    We love our ninja prawn.
    Quote Originally Posted by Professor Gnoll View Post
    NinjaPrawn, you are my favourite.
    Quote Originally Posted by Sir cryosin View Post
    Ninja you're like the forum's fairy godmother.
    Quote Originally Posted by ThinkMinty View Post
    This is why you're the best, Ninja Prawn.

    A Faerie Affair

    Homebrew: Sig

  5. - Top - End - #5
    Colossus in the Playground
     
    BlackDragon

    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Manchester, UK
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Is There A Larger, Real-World Edoras?

    What about Table Mountain in Cape Town? The plateau on the top of that is about 2 miles across, plenty of room for a large-ish settlement but not so large you lose the essential "mountain-ness" of it.

  6. - Top - End - #6
    Titan in the Playground
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Dallas, TX
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Is There A Larger, Real-World Edoras?

    Quote Originally Posted by Khedrac View Post
    (For me, Edoras is one of the most annoying pieces of completely inappropriate setting in the films, to make it look good Jackson put Edoras on top of a brilliant natural fortress - three sides being much steeper than could be sensibly assaulted - and then left in the line from the book about it being "completely indefensible", a line that really did not work for that Edoras.
    Next worst is probably the aerial shots of Bilbo and the dwarves heading East in The Hobbit part one - it's a lovely view of trackless countryside which doesn't really work for a party taking the main road...)
    My most inappropriate setting in the movies is right before the moment Sam says that if he takes one more step, he'll be further from home than he's ever been - while he's still in the Shire. That's fine, but we just saw mountains in the background.

    But Bilbo specifically said that he's leaving the Shire because "I want to see mountains again. Mountains, Gandalf!"

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •