Palantíri

The palantíri (singular palantír), also known as the Seven Seeing-stones, or the Seven Stones (numbered for those in Middle-earth), were spherical glass-like or translucent stone objects used for communication and intelligence gathering. There were eight distinguished ones in total, with seven in Middle-earth.
== History ==
The palantíri were made by the Ñoldor in Eldamar, likely by Fëanor himself during his time in Aman in the Years of the Trees, and then given by the Elves to the Faithful Númenóreans, who kept them as heirlooms until the Fall of Númenor during the late Second Age. Seven of these stones were rescued and brought to Middle-earth by Elendil and his sons and set them in well-guarded Towers throughout the Realms in Exile. Since the livery of the heirs of Elendil contained seven stars, those stars probably represented the seven palantíri of the Dúnedain in exile.
The Dúnedain placed the stones across mostly large distances to communicate with one another. The stones were housed at these locations: Annúminas, Amon Sûl, and Elostirion in Arnor, and Osgiliath, Orthanc, Minas Ithil, and Minas Anor in Gondor. There was a Master-stone, separate from the Seven, which resided in Tol Eressëa, in the Tower of Avallónë.
Four of the stones are known to have been lost. The chief stone of the north, at Amon Sûl, was lost without an account and the stone from Annúminas was lost with Arvedui in the Icebay of Forochel in TA 1975. The chief stone of the south, in Osgiliath, was lost in the Kin-strife. The stone of Minas Ithil was captured by Sauron in TA 2002 and very likely destroyed in the destruction of Barad-dûr.
The stone of Elostirion was taken back to the Undying Lands on the Ring-bearers' ship. Only the stones of Minas Anor and Orthanc remained in Middle-earth, yet the stone of Minas Anor was marred, showing all but the most strong-willed the burning hands of Denethor II.
The palantíri were most readily used by the Heirs of Elendil, as well as those appointed to guard them; the stones responded best to those with the right to use them, hence Denethor's ability to utilize the stone of the White City easily, whereas Saruman struggled with its use, and was eventually overcome by the superior will of Sauron.
== Appearance & properties ==
The palantír were dark, perfectly smooth spheres of varying sizes; some were small and portable, around a foot in diameter, while others (particularly the master-stones) were too enormous to be lifted by Men. They were completely unmarked or unmarred, and even when unseated, they remained inviolable. The stones had permanent poles aligned with the center of the world, with permanent upper and nether poles. The circumferential faces were the ones that allowed viewing, receiving outside visions, and channeling them to the eye of the beholder on the opposite side; if one wished to look east, he would place himself on the western side of the orb, etc. Unlike the master stones, which could rotate and look in any direction, the smaller ones had fixed positions so that when looked at from a wrong direction, the face would appear blank to the surveyor. The palantíri could not transmit sound; they could only relay visions or intended thoughts of the users., "The Palantíri"
In one direction, they could see "for leagues", with the farthest places offering the least clarity. Their vision was not hindered by obstacles but by darkness. This was a method of security which protected the sight of the surveyor. Magnification was also possible for those with an extraordinary will; only the most potent and determined users could accomplish this. Palantíri could not pierce minds, for the transference of thought depended upon the wills and intentions of those communicating.
If two stones two communicated with each other, another viewer from a third stone would find them blank. The master stones of north and south were able to 'eavesdrop' on such external conversations, however. Some stones were specifically attuned to each other, such as the Ithil-stone and Anor-stone, as these belonged to the brothers Isildur and Anárion and were mounted in sister cities.
According to Gandalf, it was beyond Sauron and Saruman's skill to create palantíri, and that Sauron could not make the palantíri "lie" or convey false images (though the latter could show selective images to foster a false impression in the viewer). The palantíri were not initially inherently dangerous to use; however, after the Ithil-stone was captured by Sauron in TA 2002, they were no longer used by Gondor's rulers, as users could be ensnared by the Dark Lord, as later events would show.
== Usage ==
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Using a palantír required a person with great strength of will and wisdom. The palantíri were meant to be used by the Dúnedain to communicate and gain information throughout the Realms in Exile. The Stones responded best to those with the right to use them; the Kings themselves or their appointed Stewards or Wardens. During the War of the Ring, the palantíri were used by many individuals. Sauron used the Ithil-stone to take advantage of the users of the other two stones, the Orthanc-stone and Anor-stone but was also susceptible to deception himself.
When Saruman used the Orthanc-stone, he communed with Sauron - who had the Ithil-stone - and was enticed by his promises of power. By way of the Seeing Stones, the Wizard was shaped into a two-faced puppet that desired, or no longer opposed, his new master's victory. Through the palantír, Saruman was often called by Sauron to receive and carry out instructions, or to be probed when he concealed information. After his defeat, the Wizard lost the Seeing Stone when his footman, Wormtongue, threw it out in an attempt to strike him or their adversaries. Coming into possession of said palantír, Gandalf ultimately guessed how Saruman had been compelled into Sauron's service.
Denethor II, the last Ruling Steward of Gondor, attempted to use the Anor-stone in his later years to gain knowledge, but too often only saw what Sauron wished him to. The Dark Lord convinced the Steward over time that there was no hope for victory. (Denethor's palantír was located in a chamber of the White Tower, above Minas Tirith's throne room.) Denethor thought at first he had the might to stand against Sauron, and for some time was able to withstand Sauron's power mentally, but was aged prematurely as a result. But upon seeing in full the advance of the Morgul-host in the days leading up to the Siege of Gondor, Denethor turned to complete despair and was determined then to be burned on a pyre instead of mounting a (in his mind) hopeless defense of Minas Tirith. Gandalf suspected his possession of a palantír after obtaining the Orthanc-stone, but this was not proved until Denethor displayed it to him and Peregrin Took in the Hallows when his pyre had been prepared.
A week beforehand, Peregrin Took mistakenly used the Orthanc-stone, unwittingly fooling Sauron into believing that he had the One Ring. Aragorn II later deliberately used the Orthanc-stone to distract Sauron and display his identity to him, providing Frodo the opportunity to traverse the plains of Gorgoroth to complete his quest and causing Sauron to rush forward his plans to attack Gondor. Aragorn was able to wrench the stone to his will and learned of the Corsair threat approaching from the South.
== Etymology ==
In Quenya, palantíri means "far-seeing", from the word pal ("wide open") or palan ("far, distant"). Palantír is the singular form.
== Stones ==
Bold denotes master stones.
Palantiri of Númenor objects of great power holding the ability to let their master glimpse beyond their own realm of time. 
=== In Aman ===
*Master-stone - Tower of Avallónë in Tol Eressëa
=== In Gondor ===
*Master Stone of Osgiliath - Tower of the Done of Stars in Osgiliath (lost)
*Anor-stone - Minas Tirith (marred)
*Ithil-stone - Minas Ithil, later moved to Barad-dûr (lost)
* Orthanc-stone - Tower of Orthanc in Isengard
=== In Arnor ===
*Stone of Amon Sûl - Tower of Amon Sûl on Weathertop, later moved to Fornost Erain (lost)
*Stone of Annúminas - Annúminas, later moved to Fornost Erain (lost)
*Elendil's Stone - Elostirion in the Tower Hills, later moved to Aman
== In adaptations ==
=== The Return of the King (1980 film) ===
In the Rankin/Bass adaptation of , Denethor was shown to have a palantír. In it, he has seen that a black fleet of ships was sailing from the south up the River Anduin, believing it to be a devil's armada. However, he failed to realize before his demise that Aragorn was leading those ships.
=== The Lord of the Rings film trilogy ===
In Peter Jackson's ( included), the palantíri seen are those of Orthanc and Minas Ithil, depicted as roughly the size of a softball, with the smooth appearance of quartz. The Anor-stone is not revealed to be possessed by that Denethor; however, he states; "Do you think the eyes of the White Tower are blind? I have seen more than you know", implying his use of the palantír. 
The Orthanc-stone is revealed in to be in Saruman's possession when Gandalf consults him regarding the One Ring, and in turn, discovers that he is in league with Sauron and a traitor. Later, Saruman uses the palantír to formally commit Isengard to Sauron's war effort, and Sauron commands him to build an army "worthy of Mordor". The Orthanc stone isn't seen again until the early scenes of , at the arrival of the company from Helm's Deep, when Peregrin Took notices it lying in the shallow waters outside Orthanc and retrieves it, but Gandalf quickly demands that he hand it over. Later, in Edoras, Pippin is haunted by his initial encounter with the palantír and sneaks it out of Gandalf's possession to see it again. This time, Sauron is waiting and attacks Pippin's mind. Luckily, Pippin does not give him information about Frodo or the Ring.
The final use of the palantír is shown in the extended edition of the film, following the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, when Aragorn retrieves it in the throne room of Minas Tirith, where he confronts Sauron and reveals himself as the heir of Elendil wielding the reforged sword Andúril. Sauron is holding another palantír in his hand, presumed to be that of Minas Ithil. Sauron attempts to weaken Aragorn's resolve by revealing Arwen's fading life, which in turn causes Aragorn to drop the brooch Arwen had given him, shattering it on the throne room floor.
Under Saruman's use, a haze can be seen swirling about inside of it. When Gandalf throws a cloth over it, his brief contact reveals that the user on the other end is Sauron (having briefly glimpsed the Eye of Sauron). Later, when Pippin uses the palantír, the Eye of Sauron is fully revealed and gives off a fiery glow, seeming to bind Pippin's hands to the orb. The same phenomenon occurs with Aragorn's use of the palantír, although his hands do not seem bound to it.
=== The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power ===
In the fourth episode of , Queen Regent Míriel lets Galadriel have a look into the palantir of Númenor, where Galadriel sees a vision of the island's downfall.
In season two, Míriel is in the King's Tower, with Elendil. The latter supports her and is ready to carry out a coup d'état for her. She asks him what he saw in the Palantir. The captain is seen leaving the capital on horseback, as if lost. Míriel is relieved, the stone no longer shows the Fall of Númenor. She is willing to sacrifice herself and believes that her cousin's appointment to the throne has ended the threat. She asks Elendil to do nothing and to accept the new power without reacting.
=== Video games ===
In , the chief palantír of the north was used to protect fortifications and settlements in Arnor. Although this is also used as a weapon, it is peculiar to the game's plot and is not from the books.
In , a palantír is the main objective of the assault of Minas Ithil, now known as Minas Morgul. The Ithil-stone was guarded by Gondor troops and their general Castamir but was given to the Witch-king of Angmar as payment for the freedom of the general's daughter. The Seeing Stone was then safeguarded in Minas Morgul by the Nazgûl, then taken by Talion after he assaults the city.
== Trivia ==
* The Sigil stones in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, as well as The Elder Scrolls: Online, could be a reference to the Seeing-stones, having a very similar appearance.
*The technology company Palantir, which builds data harvesting, integration, and analysis software, is named after the palantíri. Additionally, their logo is modeled after a palantír.
== Translations ==
Foreign Language 	Translated name
Arabic 	بالانتيري
Armenian 	Պալանտիրի
Belarusian Cyrillic	Паланціры
Bengali 	পলান্তিরই
Bulgarian Cyrillic 	Палантири
Georgian 	პალანტირი
Greek 	Παλαντιρή
Gujarati 	પાલતીરી
Hebrew 	פאלאנטירי
Hindi 	पल्लेन्तिरी
Japanese 	パランティーリ
Kannada 	ಪಳಂತಿರಿ
Kazakh 	Палантири (Cyrillic) Palantïrï (Latin)
Korean 	팔란티르
Kyrgyz Cyrillic 	Палантири
Malayalam 	പലന്തിരി
Marathi 	पलंतीरी
Nepalese 	पलान्तीरी
Odia 	ପାଲାଣ୍ଟିରି
Persian 	پالانتیری
Polish 	palantíry
Punjabi 	ਪਲੈਂਟੀਰੀ
Russian 	Палантир
Serbian 	Палантири (Cyrillic) Palantiri (Latin)
Sinhalese 	පලන්තිරි
Tajik Cyrillic 	Палантири
Tamil 	பழந்திரி
Tatar 	Палантири
Telugu 	పలాంటిరి
Ukrainian Cyrillic 	Палантирі
Uzbek 	Палантири (Cyrillic) Palantiri (Latin)
Yiddish 	פּאַלאַנטירי
== References ==
Category:Arnor
Category:Gondor
Category:Magical objects
Category:Palantíri
Category:Quenya names & words
Category:Symbols
de:Palantír
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fr:Palantíri
it:Palantír
pl:Palantíry
ru:Палантиры
tr:Palantíri