Dates

The name Cirith Ungol seems to have come into use after the end of the Second Age¹

Location

In the high Ephel Dúath, on the western borders of Mordor

Settlements

The pass was guarded by the Tower of Cirith Ungol

Important peaks

The pass led over Ephel Dúath, the Mountains of Shadow on the borders of Mordor

Pronunciation

ki'rith oo'ngol

Meaning

'Cleft of the spider' (also translated, less literally, as 'pass of the spider')

Other names

Cirith Dúath, The High Pass; sometimes spelt Kirith Ungol²

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Cirith Ungol

The High Pass where Shelob lurked

The pass through Ephel Dúath on the western borders of Mordor that lay above the tower of Minas Morgul.

1	At least, in accounts of the War of the Last Alliance at the end of the Second Age, this pass is given the older name of Cirith Dúath ('cleft of shadows') rather than Cirith Ungol ('cleft of the spider').
2	The name of this pass appears as Kirith Ungol on the large-scale map included with earlier editions of The Lord of the Rings, while in later editions this older spelling has been amended to Cirith Ungol. The pronunciation is the same regardless of spelling.

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