The Palantíri

Item from The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Seeing-stones — seven indestructible crystal spheres that allow communication and far-sight across vast distances, now corrupted into instruments of Sauron's will.

Also known as: palantíri, palantír, Seeing-stones, the Seven Stones

What They Know

• Seven stones were made — their locations: Minas Tirith, Orthanc, Osgiliath (lost in river), Minas Ithil (taken by Sauron), and three in the north (all lost)
• Sauron controls the Ithil-stone and uses it to corrupt anyone who touches another palantír
• A strong-willed user can resist Sauron's influence — Aragorn did so with the Orthanc stone, revealing himself as the heir of Isildur
• Denethor's use of the Minas Tirith palantír drove him to despair and eventual madness
• The stones cannot lie — but they can selectively show truths designed to deceive

Connections

• corrupts — denethor
• corrupts — saruman
• created_by — feanor

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