What’s So Special About Mount Doom?

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1. Though we tend to think of volcanoes as ultimately hot, in fact even a medieval blacksmith's forge could reach higher temperatures (volcanoes have incomparably more total energy because they are huge, but in temperature alone they are not as extreme as we imagine). Surprisingly enough, most (natural) volcanoes will not melt even ordinary gold. There's a popular-science YouTube channel, I don't remember which, that once did a video demonstrating the fact. Another examined the idea of using volcanic lava lakes as garbage dumps by dropping a load of food waste into one, and it didn't even catch fire right away (it did after a minute or so). So by that, we must conclude that Orodruin was magical as well as merely thermal. Though on the other hand, it's doubtful Tolkien knew that about volcanic temperatures, so it's possible that his intention was simply a matter of heat.
2. Thangorodrim, the mountain above Morgoth's fortress Angband, is an interesting case perhaps worthy of a video of its own. In the published Silmarillion, it is clearly a volcano but it's given a mythical rather than geological explanation: Morgotg has his forges beneath it, and it's the fires of those forges that produce the volcanic phenomena. But in a note in passing (recently published in "The Nature of Middle- earth"), Tolkien said "Thangorodrim must be a natural volcano" so perhaps his intent was that, just like his follower Sauron, Morgoth used an existing volcano for his smithing. On the other hand again, that comes from very late writings when Tolkien was making an effort to align Middle-earth with accurate science about our world, an effort Christopher Tolkien chose not to include in the published Silmarillion because it was never fully realized, so perhaps it doesn't count. (What is and isn't Canon is yet another complex issue in the study of Tolkien's Legendarium.)

I wonder if balrogs could melt rings ? They are basically spirits of primordial fire yeah ? Or maybe those fiery gates in the east of the world where the Maia of the sun is ?

Loved the video and it makes sense in even every day terms.

A tool or material typically cannot be destroyed or even damaged by another of lesser quality or strength and durability. A hardened steel bolt cannot be easily damaged by a ball of aluminum foil using standard means. So from that basic framework alone, it's absolutely believable that the One Ring could only be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom.

Thank you so much for your hard work in these videos. When you say "Welcome" at the beginning, I truly do feel welcome. Partially because of your voice, which is one with the sound of both grace and knowledge. After every introduction, I sit in wait to be told of great tales of glory, the follies of a doomed people, or the unwavering fortitude of an unassuming hero just trying to get back home.

It´s allways funny to me how in some translations into other languages you really feel how Tolkien put his thumbs down and said "I want to highlight another possible translation of my original language". For example is the German translation (on which Tolkien himself worked) Mount Doom called "Schicksalsberg" -> "Mount of Destiny" which is very close to "Hill of Fate".

My personal favorite is how the Shire is in german "Auenland" which could be translated as land of meadows. Which is such tranquil name. You also see how Tolkien loved the german compound words in German

Sauron had some kind of control over or affinity with Orodruin, because he uses the mountain to create the cloud of gloom before the attack on Gondor and Rohan.

It has been a rather long while since I read the Silmarillion; my recollection is that The Flame of Creation (can't remember it's name – I'm so ashamed, lol) is within Arda. If this is the case, perhaps a volcano would seem to have more of that Flame's powers and magic than other parts of Arda. If Orodruin is the only volcano on Arda, and my recollection is correct, it seems a very special place, indeed.

GROND!!! GROND!!! GROND!!! GROND!!!

Morgoth musta put that machine that if you put a sword hilt into it and turn it releases water into the mountain causing it to explode and turn the lands into a dark land for the orcs

lol

Does anyone else remember a map from back in the 80s that showed a larger world, and a huge crack or pool of lava far, far north of Eriador?

You may have glossed over this, or I just wasn't paying close enough attention, but how does Gandalf know for sure the One Ring was forged in Mount Doom, and how does he know it can only be destroyed by its fires?