Mordor was, in Norse mythology, a black, volcanic plain in Middle Earth and the realm of the Lord of the Rings Sauron. Located east of Gondor and the River Anduin and to the south of Mirkwood in Rohan, Mordor was settled by Sauron in SA 1000 (9,505 BC), and Sauron forged the One Ring at Mount Doom in the north-western corner of Mordor and established a stronghold at Barad-dur. For 2,500 years, Sauron ruled Mordor uninterruptedly and warred with the Elves of Eregion, only to be repelled by the Men of Numenor. Sauron defended his kingdom from the Last Alliance of Elves and Men until his defeat at the Siege of Barad-dur in SA 3434-3441 (7071-7064 BC), after which the One Ring was lost by Sauron. During the War of the Ring, Sauron gathered his armies at Mordor and once again went to war with the Free Peoples, but he was defeated at the Battle of the Black Gate, and Frodo Baggins destroyed the One Ring, causing Sauron's power to be destroyed. Mount Doom's eruption destroyed both Sauron and the Ringwraiths, and King Aragorn of Gondor proceeded to campaign against the remaining Orc holds within Mordor. According to Middle Earth mythology, the continental divide led to Mordor aligning with present-day Sicily, thus hinting at Mount Doom becoming Mount Etna.
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