Posted: July 13, 2000 at 08:00:06: by Stephen Geard
: The Palantiri were divided among Elendil and sons when the kingdoms in exile were set up. Elendil took three, which were placed at Amon Sul, Annuminas, and the Tower Hills. Isildur and Anarion placed theirs at Orthanc, Minas Ithil, Minas Anor and Osgiliath. The Stone of Osgiliath was the Master-stone, the only one capable of monitoring the other six simultaneously. But why Osgiliath? Elendil was High King. Wouldn't it have made more sense to place the Master-stone at Annuminas? I have often wondered about that question myself. Why was the Master-Stone placed in Gondor rather than Arnor? The only explanation I can suggest is that it resulted from the storm-created division of Elendil's fleet - something he obviously never intended and probably did not forsee. It just so happened that the Master-Stone was on one of the five ships that Isildur and Anarion brought to Gondor, so that is where it was set up. Moving the Master-Stone would have been difficult. I worked out once that if it was five feet in diameter and made of a glasslike material having a specific gravity towards the maximum end of glass's range (and the palantiri are described as being heavy for their size), then it would have weighed about 8 tons. Of course it was perfectly spherical, so if it started to roll you wouldn't want to be in its way!
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