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The automated door has a long and history in fantasy fiction. The trope’s origins are in the fable of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, but today, we pay homage to the godfather of modern fantasy fiction, JRR Tolkien - the man who invented a world called Middle Earth, peopled it with hobbits, elves, orcs and dwarves, and imagined magical doors, gates and barriers that go beyond mere automation.
1. The Entrance to the Mines of Moria
Elvish runes inscribed on the door to the Mines of Moria spell out the riddle: “Speak friend and enter.” The Wizard Gandalf tries several charms and entry spells all to no avail before he realises the simplicity of the riddle. He says the Elvish word for “friend” and the door opens (automatically).
2. The Back Door to the Lonely Mountain
In the children’s book The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins accompanies a group of dwarves to reclaim their stolen treasure from a dragon. The dragon’s lair is in the Lonely Mountain. To open the back door of the Lonely Mountain you need a key, but the keyhole can only be seen when the last moon of autumn and the sun are in the sky together. An over-the-top safety measure? Perhaps not if you have a mountain full of hoarded treasure to guard.
Each door of the Black Gate is ninety feet wide and set on stone wheels. The Dark Lord Sauron has clearly never considered automation. Instead, he uses two pairs of mountain trolls to lever the gates open whenever his army of orcs and goblins needs to get in or out.
4. The River at Rivendell
Elrond Half-Elven can control the level of the river that forms a barrier between his fiefdom and the rest of Middle Earth. When the black riders try to pursue Frodo Baggins into Rivendell, the river rises and drowns their horses. Quite how Elrond achieves this is never elaborated upon, but we assume some kind of automated sluice gate?
5. The Main Gate of Minas Tirith
The Main Gate at Minas Tirith is destroyed by a giant battering ram called Grond during the War of the Ring that takes place at the end of the Lord of the Rings. Afterwards it is rebuilt by Gimli the dwarf from steel and Mithril. Mithril is a made up metal of improbable strength and beauty. It makes you wonder why they didn’t think to build the gates out of that rather than wood to start with.
Do you want your own magical door? We can’t do disappearing keyholes and elvish runes, but we can supply you with the next best thing: an automatic garage door that will open at the touch of a button. Get in touch on 01603 787069 or drop into our showroom on the Sweet Briar Industrial Estate.
Do you have a favourite fantasy door? Let us know on Facebook or on Twitter at @AutoDoorsGates.
