In Lord of the Rings, the ring-bearer and his companions enter the Old Forest- where the trees have mysterious powers that allow them to hypnotize, and use their roots to entrap, intruders. These ancient woodlands symbolize nature’s all-encompassing dominion over everything man-made. The Vijayanagar Empire was utterly destroyed in the mid-1500s. Palaces and temples razed to the ground, deities shattered and monuments demolished. Kingdoms rose and fell around the City of Victory’s ruins that were slowly taken over by the forces of nature. Creepers slithered and wrapped themselves around the cracked ceilings and lintels. Water tanks were carpeted in moss

Read more