All stories have a beginning, a point at
which a mere concept becomes a firm and tangible reality in the mind of an author
providing the catalyst for what is to come. While we have already covered the conclusion of
the great tapestry which Tolkien wrought for us with our video on the War of the Ring, this video
will detail the inception of his Middle-Earth. The first age of Middle-Earth was one of strife
and heartbreak, yet also great beauty and joy - a paradox in and of itself, one which can be
fully encapsulated within the microcosm of the Silmarils. For these jewels would cause
mountains to be levelled, great battles to be waged, unparalleled heroism in the face
of a foe of incomparable malice and wroth, yet most importantly of all, Unnumbered Tears
were to be brought to the shores of Middle-Earth in their name. It is in these uncompromisingly
dark days that the names of Feanor, Fingolfin, Maedhros, Húrin and a myriad more were
to be etched and engraved into the very cornerstone of Tolkien’s mythos and, in doing
so, forever alter the world which they fought for with such quiet desperation. In this video,
we will talk about the rise of Morgoth and how he dominated Beleriand. These long videos are
extremely difficult to make, so consider liking, commenting, sharing and subscribing to
help us in our struggle with the algorithm. We all know where this leads by the time of
the third age, but how there’s a new story in Middle Earth in which a new ring of power
disrupts the flow of history. You’ll find this tale in ‘The Lord of the Rings: Heroes
of Middle Earth’, the sponsor for this video. It’s a game about collecting good and evil
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will be added to the game: Elrond. To get him, first you need to unlock 5 elven characters.
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prepare for the arrival of Elrond, and plenty more legendary characters in the future, in
The Lord of the Rings Heroes of Middle Earth. Before the creation, there was Eru Ilúvatar -
Father of all, wielder of the Flame Imperishable, and the Supreme Deity who subsequently saw fit to
create the Ainur. The Ainur or Holy Ones were a group of primordial spirits fashioned from the
Flame Imperishable itself. The universe - Eä, and Arda - the world upon which the events of
the Silmarillion take place were created through the Ainulindalë or the Music of Ainur, who all
were in harmony, save for one of them - Melkor, who disrupted it with discordant tones.
Upon the creation of Arda, the Ainur descended to the surface deciding to live there as long as
it should last and fourteen of the most powerful among them became the Valar or the Powers of
the World. Melkor who would come to be known as Morgoth claimed Lordship over Arda, the
other Valar opted for Manwë who despite not being as powerful as Melkor understood
the thoughts of Eru more than any other. Melkor turned away from such a path becoming the
first Dark Lord and forever altering the future of Arda. The remaining Ainur who were lesser in power
were to become the Maiar following their descent. The Valar would then set about bettering
the world they found themselves in, however, Melkor would continuously disrupt their efforts
as he had initially in disrupting their music. For a long time, Melkor set his might against
that of the other Valar and held the upper hand due to his immense strength ensuring that Arda
remained shapeless due to his destructive nature. That was of course until the mighty Tulkas
made his way to Arda and upon his descent tipped the balance in favour of the Valar
forcing Melkor to flee from Arda for a time. This departure allowed the Valar to make
something of the world in preparation for the coming of the Elves. They constructed
two Great Lamps - Illuin the Silver Lamp to the North and Ormal the Golden Lamp to the
South, which brought light to the world, setting their main place of dwelling within their
light. This caused an explosion in biological life which came to be known as the First Spring,
but it was not to last, as Melkor returned to Arda along with a number of Maiar Spirits
who had attuned themselves to his music. Melkor then created a mighty fortress in the
North naming it Utumno and to defend raised the Iron Mountains. Decay would begin to emerge
from this portion of Arda, alerting the Valar. It was too late: Melkor emerged from
Utumno bringing and casting the lamps down. The fire contained within them burned through a
vast portion of Arda and in attempting to contain such wanton destruction Melkor was allowed
to flee north. Following this destruction, the Valar withdrew to the continent of Aman and
upon this land built Valinor, allowing Melkor to assume his reign over Middle Earth. In creating
Valinor, the Vala Yavanna the Giver of Fruits sang into existence the Two Trees, Silver Telperion
considered to be male and the Golden Laurelin deemed female. They would provide the light the
world now lacked, starting the Years of the Trees. Meanwhile, Melkor turned the once beautiful
Middle Earth into a dark and cruel land filled with terrible creatures. He also built a lesser
fortress to the West as a bulwark against the Valar - Angband. The Valar were unsure where the
Elves would awake and remained unwilling to wage open war and risk them. As a result, Melkor sent
spirits to assault the fledgling Elves in the form of great horsemen in order to cause them to fear
the Vala Oromë - Lord of the Forests, who would be the first to come upon them on his forays
into Middle Earth. Melkor then began capturing the Elves through his servants, corrupting them
through torture and foul magic, crafting the first Orcs in mockery of the Elves and Eru Ilúvatar. The
remaining Elves were aided by Oromë who quickly came to love them and determined that he would
not allow them to be consumed by Melkor’s hatred. Melkor’s ascendancy was challenged, as Vala Oromë
forced the other Valar into immediate action, and in the War of the Powers, the overwhelming
force of the Valar devastated the enemy, forcing him to retreat to Utumno, and after a
brutal siege, the Valar dragged Melkor from its darkness, bounding him with the great chain
- the Angainor which had been forged by the Vala Aulë the great smith of the Valar. Melkor was
brought to Valinor where he pleaded for clemency. This was granted, but he was to remain chained
within the Halls of Mandos for three ages.[1] While this seemed to be the end of the matter,
the Valar had failed to fully destroy Utumno, leaving many of its pits and vaults
unexplored and as a result, a corrupted Maiar Sauron remained at large. The Valar also
didn’t destroy the Balrogs also known as the Valaraukar who gathered at the ruined remnants
of Angband and began a lengthy hibernation in preparation for the return of their Dark Lord.
Oromë returned to the Elves to summon them to Aman to live in peace and harmony among the
Valar. However, many of them feared the immense power which the Valar had unleashed in their war
against Melkor and they sent three representatives to inspect Aman. Ingwë, Finwë, and Elwë returned
speaking of the glory and bliss of Valinor, and this began the Great Journey which also came to be
known as the Sundering of the Elves, as all of the Elvish people agreed to join the Valar in Valinor
apart from the Avari who chose to remain[2] . Of the three main groups of Elves who agreed
to make their way to Valinor the Vanyar and the Ñoldor were most eager and reached the coast
first being taken to Valinor on an island of Tol Eressëa with the Vala Ulmo guiding them across
the Belegaer also known as the Sundering Sea. The Teleri drawn to the forests and rivers of
Middle Earth were the slowest of the groups, allowing their curiosity to get the better of
them. This caused them to separate into multiple splinter groups such as the Nandor who would go on
to become the Wood-Elves of Wilderland and later that of Beleriand. Many of the Teleri who disliked
the sea withdrew settling in the wooded areas of Region and Neldoreth that would later come to
be known as the Doriath. The Teleri who were drawn most deeply to the sea settled the Western
Shores becoming the Falathrim and would be ruled by the Elf Círdan who would found the coastal
cities of Eglarest and Brithombar. However, the majority of the Teleri would eventually
leave Middle Earth and go to the island Tol Eressëa led by Olwë, who would become their king,
as his brother Elwë never returned to Valinor. The three Elven clans would develop their own
differing and rich cultures with Ingwë becoming the King of the Vanyar and Finwë of the Ñoldor.[3]
Following the end of his sentence, Melkor feigned repentance, and Manwë incapable of
comprehending his corruption, ordered his release. For a time, Melkor behaved once more as the
true thought of Eru which he had initially been formed to represent. However, Tulkas and
Ulmo, the Valar most associated with water, were slow to forgive and remained vigilant. In
truth, his immense defeat at the hands of the Valar had roused even greater malice within
Melkor, who sought to bring ruin to Aman. Gazing upon the paradise the Elves now enjoyed,
Melkor’s greatest desire became the corruption of this race and he found the Ñoldor the most
willing to listen. Melkor spread lies among them, bringing the Valar and particular their reasoning
for bringing the Elves to Aman to disrepute. He claimed the Valara neglected to inform the
Elves of the coming of the race of Man and a vast portion of the Noldor now believed that the Valar
had stolen their birthright - Middle Earth, by bringing them to Aman to allow the Men to inhabit
those lands exclusively. the Ñoldor and they would begin to openly dissent against the Valar,
with the chief amongst these dissidents being Fëanor, the firstborn son of the Finwë.
Born in Valinor during the Years of the Trees, Fëanor drew so much strength from his mother
Miriel that she voluntarily left her life to go to the Halls of Mandos. After some time, his
father, Finwë, would remarry an Elvish woman Indis who bore him four further children
Fingolfin, Finarfin, Findis, and Irimë. Fëanor disliked his mother-in-law and wasn’t
fond of his half-siblings. He lived apart from them during this time as an apprentice to the
master smith Mahtan, learning his craft at the feet of the Vala Aulë himself. Mahtan taught him
much of metallurgy and he would soon marry his daughter Nerdanel, who bore him seven sons[4]
. Fëanor spent the majority of his time either in solitude or among his children who were
completely loyal to him. He became restless exploring the majority of Aman and continuously
crafting new and increasingly masterful works. The greatest achievement of Fëanor was the
creation of the three breathtaking gems - Silmarils. He captured the intermingled light of
the Two Trees of Valinor and sealed it into three large diamond-like gems. Their beauty brought
great praise to Fëanor and he came to love these gems above all else, coveting them with immense
greed, ignoring that the light which ensured their beauty was not of his own making. He would
vainly put the jewels on display one day before fearing for their welfare the next and guarding
them from all but his closest family members. His greed and jealousy would eventually cause him to
keep the jewels under lock and key at all times. In spite of his immense hatred and fear of Melkor,
Fëanor became the loudest Noldor expressing discontent with the stewardship of the Valar,
who were distracted by this young Princeling, which allowed Melkor to continue his
work in the background unperturbed. The Valar did not act immediately, as was
their way, and were only roused to action when Fëanor threatened his brother Fingolfin
with violence, causing them to summon the Elf to the Ring of Doom [5] to answer for his actions.
Feanor claimed that Melkor had convinced him that his half-brother sought to usurp his heirship to
his father’s position and to take from him the Silmarils. Tulkas immediately departed in search
of his hated enemy, but Melkor could not be found. Although he was provoked by Melkor, Fëanor’s
actions and their consequences remained his own, and the Valar exiled him to Formenos in
the hills to the north of Valinor and he went away taking with him an immense treasure
including the Silmarils. In a show of support, Finwë renounced his Kingship and joined his son in
exile refusing to take up the mantle of rulership again so long as Fëanor remained in exile.
Sometime later, Melkor came to Formenos feigning friendships in an attempt to wrest
from the Elf his most prized possessions. Fëanor saw through this and refused the Dark
Lord’s platitudes shutting the doors of Formenos. Fearing the ill portents of this visit, Finwë
reported the incident to the Valar, who once again failed to catch Melkor. The latter fled,
unwilling to face the might of his counterparts, before coming to Avatahar and finding Ungoliant -
a primordial the origin of which remains unknown, who took the shape of a spider of gigantic
proportions. Melkor promised the Great Spider that he would finally satiate her
unrelenting hunger and led her back to Valinor. Seven years after Fëanor’s exile, the
Valar decided to reconcile with the Ñoldor and announced a great feast to which
the exile was also invited. During the feast, Fingolfin recognized the seniority of his
brother before the gathered crowds and Fëanor begrudgingly accepted this acknowledgment.
Their father Finwë did not get to see this, as he had stayed at home keeping to his promise to
remain in Formenos until his son’s exile was over. Unfortunately for the Valar, they have left the
Trees unguarded, allowing Melkor to use a great spear and pierce them: Ungoliant started feasting
upon the sap which flowed from the foul gashes, drained the Trees, and poisoned them, causing them
to wither and die, plunging Aman once more into darkness. The Valar realizing that the only way to
restore the Two Trees was through the Silmarils, asked for them from Fëanor who refused to give
them up of his own free will, stating that forcing his hand would make them no better than Melkor.
This all-encompassing darkness caused fear and despair across Valinor and in this confusion
Melkor slayed Finwë, stealing the Silmarils and Fëanor’s other gems. However, the Silmarils were
of immense purity and they burned Melkor’s hands with unimaginable agony. Still, he refused
to release them and was brutally burned. With the Valar chasing them, Melkor and Ungoliant
fled north, cloaked by the Unlight of the latter. Crossing the Grinding Ice of the Helcaraxë
they made their way to Middle Earth. Here they came to the region of Lammoth,
and Melkor sought to abandon his companion. Ungoliant quickly saw through Melkor’s ruse,
demanding that he surrender the gems in order to her hunger. However, the Vala refused,
prompting Ungoliant to attack. Empowered from draining the Two Trees she was able
to weave her dark webbing around Melkor. The cries of pain and woe this drew from the
Dark Lord awakened the Balrogs from their sleep in Angband’s darkest depths. They swiftly came to
their Lord’s aid driving away the Great Spider who fled before their might. Melkor, anticipating
that his actions would not come without consequences began to rebuild his fell fortress
of Angband to stand before what was yet to come. Upon learning of what had transpired, Fëanor
cursed Melkor naming him Morgoth or Black Foe of the World. Ignoring his exile Fëanor the
now King of his people returned the city of the Ñoldor to Tirion and gave a dark speech:
“Fair shall the end be,’ he cried, ‘though long and hard shall be the road! Say
farewell to bondage! But say farewell also to ease! Say farewell to the weak! Say
farewell to your treasures - more still shall we make! Journey light. But bring with you
your swords! For we will go further than Tauros, endure longer than Tulkas: we will never turn back
from pursuit. After Morgoth to the ends of the Earth! War shall he have and hatred undying.
But when we have conquered and have regained the Silmarils that he stole, then behold! We, we
alone, shall be the lords of the unsullied Light, and masters of the bliss and the beauty
of Arda! No other race shall oust us!” His rage blinded him causing, causing
the new King to include many of the lies Morgoth had fed him and simultaneously unfairly
blaming much of his suffering upon the Valar. While this alone roused the anger of his
people, what was to come next would forever alter the future of Arda. Fëanor swore an
oath upon the name of Eru Ilúvatar himself: ‘Be he foe or friend, be he foul or clean,
brood of Morgoth or bright Vala, Elda or Maia or Aftercomer,
Man yet unborn upon Middle-earth, neither law, nor love, nor league of swords,
dread nor danger, not Doom itself, shall defend him from Fëanor, and Fëanor’s kin,
whoso hideth or hoardeth, or in hand taketh, finding keepeth or afar casteth
a Silmaril. This swear we all: death we will deal him ere Day’s ending,
woe unto world’s end! Our word hear thou, Eru Allfather! To the everlasting
Darkness doom us if our deed faileth. On the holy mountain hear in witness
and our vow remember, Manwë and Varda!”
As the Oath of Fëanor against him was being sworn,
the newly renamed Morgoth set about strengthening his position by restoring his mighty fortress of
Angband. Preparing for the expected backlash of the Elves, Morgoth hastily rebuilt his armies
breeding a vast innumerable horde of Orcs and other foul denizens, while simultaneously
mounting the Silmarils into his Iron Crown. Despite these preparations, the fury of the
Ñoldor would surprise even the fallen Valar. The oratory skills of Fëanor had swayed the
majority of the Elves gathered, however, it was not long before dissent broke out as to
who should lead such a host to Middle Earth. Although Fëanor was technically the High
King, many Ñoldor disliked him and his younger half-brother Fingolfin was seen as a greater
unifying force due to the love which the vast majority of the Ñoldor bore him. Fingolfin was
not eager to embark on an expedition but he had already sworn an oath to uphold his brother’s
rights as the eldest and also feared that Fëanor’s rash and selfish actions would lead
his people to a disaster. At the same time, his son Fingon had been utterly swayed by Fëanor
and urged his father to join in the expedition. So they set out with Fëanor leading the first
host, Fingolfin marching at the head of a second larger host, and Finarfin commanding the third
much smaller and more reluctant group. Every tenth Ñoldor decided to stay in Tirion either for
the love of their home or the love of the Valar. Fëanor’s just now realized that he had no way of
transporting his army. Middle-Earth and Aman were at this point connected by Helcaraxë - a region
which was immensely treacherous and bitterly cold even for the resilient Elves at the height of
their power, and the shifting ice was deemed to be impassable for a force this size. Thoughts
then turned to the construction of a mighty fleet to ferry the Ñoldor, however, there were
no shipwrights among them and even if this had not been the case, the construction process would
have given Morgoth too long to prepare for their coming. Fëanor instead made his way to the home
of the sea-faring Teleri Alqualondë. The Teleri didn’t want to leave Aman and would not part with
their ships as they prized these finely wrought white vessels above all else. Fëanor lectured the
Teleri that they owed the Ñoldor for instructing them in the correct manner to construct buildings
and cities, but the Lord of the Teleri Olwë would not be swayed and urged Fëanor to remain in Aman.
A furious Fëanor refused to accept this and understanding that much of the Ñoldor had been
easily manipulated by his oratory, he once more made use of his charismatic presence and convinced
the host to aid him in taking the ships by force. The Teleri resisted putting up a staunch
defence of their home, throwing many of the Ñoldor into the sea and driving back the
far more heavily armed host three times. It is at this point the less impassioned second
host led by Fingolfin came upon the battle as it continued to rage before Alqualondë.
Believing the Teleri were the aggressors his larger force joined the fray, allowing
the ships to be wrested from their owner’s control. Many of the mariners were slaughtered.
A Maia of the Inner Seas Ossë associated with the Lord of Waters Valar Ulmo was deeply
outraged due to his love of the Teleri. Although he was prevented from intervening
directly in the battle, Ossë summoned terrible storms in retribution causing many Ñoldor
casualties. This divine retribution was furthered by the emergence of a figure which is
believed to have been Mandos himself, who uttered the words that would be later known as the Doom
of Mandos in response to the First Kinslaying: "Tears unnumbered ye shall shed; and the
Valar will fence Valinor against you, and shut you out, so that not even the echo of
your lamentation shall pass over the mountains. On the House of Fëanor the wrath of the Valar
lieth from the West unto the uttermost East, and upon all that will follow them, it shall
be laid also. Their Oath shall drive them, and yet betray them, and ever snatch away the
very treasures that they have sworn to pursue. To evil end shall all things turn that they
begin well; and by treason of kin unto kin, and the fear of treason, shall this come to pass.
The Dispossessed shall they be for ever. ..." This exiled the Ñoldor from Valinor and placed
a curse upon them that the war against Morgoth would bring nothing but misery to their people.
The Ñoldor were now utterly forsaken and would no longer receive either welcome or aid from
Valinor. Fëanor and his house were cursed with Mandos foretelling a great degree of suffering
and hardship to be their lot in no small part due to the oath sworn to regain the Silmarils at
any cost. The figure also made it clear to all gathered there that the war against Morgoth was to
be hopeless, as the combatants being merely Elves could not help to overcome a Vala. Listening to
the Doom of his people, a heartbroken Finarfin who had not participated in the Kinslaying turned
his host back cursing Fëanor. This smaller host was pardoned by the Valar with Finarfin now
serving as the High King of the Ñoldor in Tirion. Meanwhile, Morgoth made his first move in
what came to be known as the First Battle of Beleriand wherein the Sindarin Elves who had not
travelled to Valinor had to fight the forces of Morgoth while the Ñoldor still remained in Aman.
Morgoth sent forth two great armies to seize the Southern territories of the Sindarin Elves, and
these hosts passed through the vale of Sirion and East between Aros and Gelion. King Thingol
of Doriath maintained a well-armed force having defended Beleriand from countless horrors coming
from the North, but despite his preparations, he faced a number of setbacks. The Western host of
Orcs plundered much of West Beleriand ravaging the countryside and Lord Círdan of the Havens of Falas
marched out to meet them but was soundly defeated. He was then forced to retreat behind the walls
of Eglarest and Brithombar which were besieged, effectively cutting Thingol off
from his allies in the West. Detachments from both of Morgoth’s armies then
entered Thingol’s territory, but the Elven defenses held here. King of Doriath’s main focus
was placed upon the bulk of the Orcish forces which were assaulting his ally King Denethor of
the Laiquendi who was hard pressed to hold them at bay. Denethor had answered Thingol’s call to arms,
but his people were lightly armed and no match for the arms and armour of Angband. Laiquendi were
soon pushed back to the Amon Ereb, where they were to make their last stand against a swirling
sea of vicious Orcs. They gave a good account of themselves but were slain to an Elf before they
could be relieved. When Thingol’s forces arrived, they were so enraged by the destruction of
their allies that the Orcs stood no chance against their might and they were slaughtered
with only a small number surviving only to be slain by the Dwarves of Mount Dolmed.[1]
Although this was nominally a victory, the Havens remained under siege and Thingol summoned all the
Sindar who wished to live in peace to the forests of Region and Neldoreth. Thingol’s wife Maiar
Melian, had some power and she used her magic: hereafter the lands of Thingol became enclosed
under her protection by the magical barrier which came to be known as the Girdle of Melian
in a land forever after known as Doriath. With no aid forthcoming the Havens remained under siege
and with the Laiquendi King dead, the remainder of his people returned to their forests in Ossiriand
pledging to live in secrecy, distrusting outsiders and never naming another King, while some would go
to Doriath merging with the Elves residing there. Meanwhile, Fëanor had defied the Doom of his
people and continued onwards, heading northwards: the temperatures dropped off steeply and the
skies continued to darken indicating that they were now approaching Helcaraxë. At this point,
many of the already reluctant Ñoldor began to express their discontent. Ossë’s storms had
destroyed much of the fleet and there were no longer enough ships to bring all of the
Ñoldor to Middle-Earth at once. the Doom of Mandos still hung over them and none among them
wished to be left on Aman while the rest crossed. Fëanor noticed this bubbling discontent as well
as the logistical issues which now plagued his mighty force, so he took counsel with the only
Elves he truly trusted at this point, his sons. Those loyal to Fëanor still maintained
control of the remaining fleet, therefore as the dissension continued to
grow the High King simply left all those whose loyalty to him was not absolute in Aman,
slipping away quietly one night with the ships. This force arrived at Losgar in a land known
as Lammoth to the far west of Beleriand. Upon their arrival Fëanor eldest son Maedhros
asked who was to bring the ships back to ferry the remainder of their people. In response,
his father cruelly decided to burn the ships and abandon the rest of his kinsmen. Maedhros
was not happy with this course of action but refused to speak up to his father. He stood
stoically gazing upon the burning fleet. The world at this point was still flat and as
such Fingolfin’s host could see the flames in the distance making them aware of the treachery
of their kin. The choice was presented to them to either return to Tirion in disgrace or make
the treacherous crossing over the Helcaraxë. They decided upon the latter in order to give them
the opportunity to confront the errant Fëanor. A further contributing factor to this
decision was the unwitting participation of Fingolfin’s warriors in the kinslaying:
they remained unsure as to how they would be judged should they return to Valar.
This brutal journey across the grinding ice sheets was a lengthy and costly affair
that took the lives of many of the Ñoldor, increasing their animosity towards their
supposed High King and his followers. With the arrival of the Ñoldor to Beleriand,
the War of the Jewels began with the first battle coming as a pre-emptive strike on the part
of the Dark Lord. He became aware of the coming of Fëanor and his host: the gates of Angband
were swung open and a vast horde of the foul denizens of the Dark emerged, with Morgoth’s
orders to assault the Elves before they could attain a proper foothold and erect effective
defences. This battle came to be known as the Battle under the Stars or Dagor-nuin-Giliath, as
the Sun and the Moon had not yet been created. The battle started when the Ñoldor arrived
unexpectedly at the Firth of Drengist, passing through the Gate of the Ñoldor into Hithlum and
encamping upon the Northern Shore of Lake Mithrim. Although the Orcish horde far outnumbered
the Elves, the Ñoldor were still empowered by the light of Valinor and easily beat
them back, leading to a hasty retreat. The ever-rash Fëanor was not happy with such a
victory and led his host in hot pursuit of the Orcs who retreated North through Ard-galen.
In an attempt to take the vengeful Fëanor by surprise, Morgoth’s forces which had been
besieging the Havens of Falas since the First Battle of Beleriand marched North to
attack the Ñoldor from the rear. However, a force led by Fëanor’s third son Celegorm the Fair
intercepted and ambushed them at Eithel Sirion, trapping the Orcs between two Ñoldorin hosts. The
Orcs fought with all the vicious brutality of an entrapped rodent for ten days while encircled at
the Fens of Serech, but they could not hope to match the gleaming host of Elves that descended
upon them. The Orcs were slain until only a minuscule group of them persisted and fled and the
reckless Fëanor whose wrath reached its zenith at this point pursued even this small group. His
anger overrode his wisdom and, in his attempts, to catch the remnants of Morgoth’s army he
passed too far from the main portion of his own force and seeing this the Orcs turned and
faced the High King of the Ñoldor at the very edge of Dor Daedeloth. With the proximity of the
field of battle to Angband, the Orcs were soon reinforced by a group of Balrogs who quickly
slew the Elves who stood with their High King. Despite his faults, Fëanor faults embodied much
of the power and glory which defined his race and stood alone against the very greatest of
the Dark Lord’s servants refusing to bend or break in spite of their fell power. While his
struggle was heroic in every sense of the word, it remained doomed as he took many
wounds yet continued onward undaunted. Fëanor’s ferocity required the very Lord
of the Balrogs and the strongest of its kind to ever walk the lands of Middle-Earth
Gothmog to mortally wound the High King. Just as this fiery beast looked set to
slay Fëanor, his sons came to his aid, driving off the Balrogs and Orcs rescuing their
father. They hurried from the battlefield carrying their father to safety, however, Fëanor asked
them to stop, knowing that the wounds he had sustained would take his life. Looking
upon Angband he cursed Morgoth thrice, but his defiance would die with him as when gazing
upon the immensity of the fortress he finally realized the truth of Mandos’ words that the
Ñoldor alone could not overthrow the Dark Lord. Still, he instructed his sons to
maintain their oaths and avenge him. As he passed on, the fiery spirit which had so
defined him left his body burning it to ash. Immediately after this skirmish ended, the Moon
rose, and with the rising of such light among the skies came Fingolfin and his second even
larger force of Ñoldor arrived in Lhammoth. Here they were attacked by a large force of Orcs
which had initially been sent by Morgoth to attack Fëanor’s host from the rear in what came to be
known as the Battle of Lhammoth. Fingolfin was caught unawares by this ambush and before he
managed to drive off the Dark Lord’s force, his son Argon was slain, spurring the Ñoldor
to pursue the Orcs and completely destroy them. With the passing of Fëanor and the ascension of
his son Maedhros to the position of High King of the Ñoldor, the War of the Jewels had begun
in earnest. The Dagor-nuin-Giliath and Battle of Lhammoth were mere precursors to the
true consequences of the Doom of Mandos. It was not long after the Dagor-nuin-Giliath and
Fëanor’s passing, that an envoy from the Dark Lord came to the Elves acknowledging defeat. This envoy
offered terms that included the possible return of a Silmaril. Maedhros was cautious in going out to
meet this embassy though and brought with him more troops than was deemed necessary. His caution
was well founded, but his preparations proved to be inadequate, as Morgoth had also expected
treachery and sent a greater force including a number of Balrogs. When the two groups met,
the Elves were slain en masse despite fighting valiantly and Maedhros was captured. Morgoth
quickly sent word to the Ñoldor that if they were to forswear their oath and turn aside from
the path of vengeance, Maedhros would be released unharmed. The Elves were not so easily fooled,
however, and sent no answer knowing Maedhros would never be released in spite of their actions.
Morgoth’s response was a brutal one, much in keeping with his nature. Maedhros was hung from
the face of a precipice of Thangorodrim by the wrist of his right hand, using a band forged from
unbreakable steel, and was forced to hang from this steep point in immense pain, while he gazed
upon the plains where his people were unable to come to his aid, due to the impenetrable
fortifications the Dark Lord had erected. A further complication and what would ultimately
prove to be Maedhros’ salvation came in the guise of the internal divisions of the Ñoldor.
Following their victory at the Battle of Lammoth, Fingolfin chased down the surviving Orcs, who
had caused the death of his youngest child. They chased them to the very fortress of Angband,
however, the forces of the Dark Lord did not come out to meet the Elvish threat. This was not due to
the threat posed by Fingolfin’s host, but rather the first rising of the Sun, as this creation of
the Vala Aulë forced the servants of Morgoth to cower within the halls and dungeons of Angband.
While this was viewed as the triumph of Elven valour over the deafening darkness of Morgoth,
none among the Elvish peoples could be truly aware of what this rising was to symbolise. Chronicler
writes: “...and Anar the Fire-golden, fruit of Laurelin, they named the Sun. But the Noldor named
[it] Vása, the Heart of Fire, that awakens and consumes; for the Sun was set as a sign for the
awakening of Men and the waning of the Elves”. Still, the coming of the Sun and the
Moon meant that the First Age has begun. Fingolfin then led his host to the northern
shores of Lake Mithrim, where they came into contact with the Fëanorian element of the Ñoldor,
whom they had not seen since their great betrayal. Tensions between the two factions threatened
to lead them into a civil war, were it not for the heroic actions of son Fingolfin, Fingon.
Maedhros was the cousin of Fingon and a great friend of his, in spite of the animosity between
the two factions. Hearing of his dear cousin’s imprisonment, Fingon endeavored to rescue him
from the immense suffering of his captivity. Oddly enough, he was aided in
this endeavor by Morgoth himself. In response to the emergence of the Sun and the
Moon, Morgoth was left with little option but to blanket, the skies around Angband with an almost
impenetrable set of clouds, formed primarily of ash and smoke, in order to shield his servants
from the damage which the light could cause them. Still, the servants of the Dark Lord
displayed their inherent cowardice by refusing to leave Angband, as they were still
left in fear of the newly emerged lights. So, the valiant Fingon approached Angband,
aided by the darkness of the ash clouds, with the cowardly Orcs allowing him to reach
Thangorodrim without encountering any resistance. However as Angband remained virtually
impenetrable, Fingon instead decided to sing a song of defiance, refusing to give in
to the despair Morgoth had hoped to instill in all who came to gaze upon his abode. This proved
fortuitous as Maedhros hearing the song, joined in, allowing Fingon to locate his cousin. However,
when he neared his friend, Fingon realized that he could not save him. Unwilling to continue to
live in perpetual despair and anguish through his imprisonment, Maedhros begged Fingon to shoot him.
Though it broke his heart to consider the loss of his friend, Fingon acquiesced to the
request. However before he loosed the arrow, he prayed to Manwë to grant the arrow speed,
in order to reduce Maedhros’ suffering. This prayer and plea for mercy were heard by
Thorondor the King of the Eagles, who prevented Fingon from engaging in yet another kinslaying,
before flying him up to Maedhros’s side. Here a further terrible realization that the
band could not be broken led Maedhros to once more beg for death. Instead, Fingon severed his
friend’s hand, allowing them to escape on the back of Thorondor who returned them to their kin.
Here the true courage and compassion displayed by this son of Fingolfin stayed the impending
disaster of civil war. Maedhros recovered from his wound swiftly and in gratitude for the
rescue and as an attempt of sorts to atone for his father’s betrayal Maedhros relinquished
all claim to the High Kingship, making his uncle Fingolfin the High King of the Ñoldor,
an act his brothers were in no way happy about. Seeing that this may cause issues down the line,
Maedhros moved the more prone to anger and rash decision-making of his brothers to an area around
the Hill of Himring, where he would rule what would come to be known as the March of Maedhros.
Despite his miraculous recovery, Maedhros never forgot nor forgave the suffering which was
wrought upon him and this drove him to become an even greater and more deadly swordsman with his
left hand than he had ever been with his right. Furthermore, upon his lands, he raised an imposing
fortress with the dual purpose of separating his fiery brothers from the people of Fingolfin and
also because he wished any attack coming from Angband to fall upon him first, so he may avenge
his ill-treatment at the hands of the Dark Lord. Meanwhile, under the capable stewardship of
Fingolfin, who became the first High King of the Ñoldor in the 7th year of t[1] he First
Age, many mighty kingdoms were established in Beleriand which would prove to be a match
for the continued assaults of Morgoth. The next such great test for the Elvish
race came in the Dagor Aglareb, which was the third great battle fought in the First Age.
While Morgoth’s legions were initially terrified by the emergence of the Sun and the Moon, they
soon overcame this fear. The Iron Mountains would spew forth flame, as Morgoth sent forward
many smaller groups of Orcs who first made their way through to the Pass of Sirion and then
Maglor’s Gap. They would fight a number of minor skirmishes along the way as they penetrated deeply
into the areas of East and West Beleriand. They were ultimately destroyed by the Southern Ñoldor
forces in conjunction with the Elves who were led by Círdan of the Falas, however, this was naught
more than an ill portent of what was yet to come. The Elves though immensely powerful were far
from a unified front, outside of the Ñoldor. Doriath remained protected and as
such shut away from the wider world, with its people unwilling to fight. The
Laiquendi of Ossiriand also refused to fight any further battles after the loss of their
leader Denethor in the First Battle of Beleriand. In the 60th year of the First Age, the main
force of Orcs sallied forth from Angband: immense in size it spilled forth into Dorthonion
where the twin sons of Finarfin Angrod and Aegnor barely held them at bay. The time they bought
preventing the innumerable hordes of Orc from sweeping over the highlands of Dorthonion proved
pivotal and gave enough time for Fingolfin and Maedhros to rally their respective forces in
what would be a devastating counter-attack. They met the legions of Morgoth on the plains of
Lothlann and trapping the Orcs between them in a hammer and anvil type affair. This envelopment
left the Orcs hopelessly out-maneuvered with Fingolfin coming from the West and Maedhros
marching in from the East. The majority of Morgoth’s host was slaughtered wholesale, with
some of the Orcs attempting to break out and escape towards the safety of Angband. The Elves
still furious from the pillaging of their lands by the Orcish raiding parties pursued them all the
way to the Fortress and in sight of the gates of Angband cut each and every Orc down without mercy.
Dagor Aglareb - which can be translated as the Glorious Battle from the Elvish, represented the
first ever complete victory of the Elves over the machinations of the Dark Lord and is seen as the
starting point of the watchful peace which would come to be known as the Siege of Angband. Siege
is however a misnomer, as it was a four hundred long year Ñoldor blockade of Angband. The Elves
were unable to actually assault the fortress due to its immense size and fortifications and
instead merely battled any parties of Orcs that attempted to sally out in the intervening
period, as the encirclement was incomplete. Still, the Elves were strong and the impact of
these small sorties was considered negligible by them. This would ultimately prove to be their
undoing, as the forces of Morgoth which emerged from the impassable North flank of the fortress
which was near the unguarded Iron Mountains, were able to take prisoners. Morgoth could then
coerce these prisoners and bring them to his side, a fact the Ñoldor remained ignorant of.
Fingolfin considered taking direct action against the fortress, however, he underestimated
the true power of Morgoth and never earnestly engaged in such a strike, preferring to watch the
realms of the Elves flourish under the long peace. The majority of Elves did not wish to engage in
such action either, believing the cost in the lives of their people to be too great. Unbeknownst
to them, they did not even possess the strength to overthrow Angband. According to the author: “… for
the Ñoldor did not yet comprehend the fullness of the power of Morgoth, not [nor?] understand that
their unaided war upon him was without final hope, whether they hasted or delayed.” While this
point in the First Age represented the great epoch of the strength of the Elves, the rising
of the Sun and Moon in the sky symbolized that their time as a dominant race even at
this point would eventually be eclipsed. The Elves were not the only creations of Eru
who stood against Morgoth, and the Dwarves aided them in the costly First Battle of Beleriand.
They forged great alliances with the Elves, with both peoples prospering from the trade which
ensued, allowing the creation of great halls and masterful pieces of metalwork, including the
invention of the famous Dwarf-mail and the finest steel the still young world had ever bore
witness to. The most prominent of these holds were Belegost and Nogrod in the Blue Mountains and the
Great Halls of Khazad-dûm in the Misty Mountains. Even more consequential in the battles
to come however was the emergence of the race of man, or the Edain, in Hildórien,
following the first rising of the Sun. Unfortunately, Morgoth acted quickly, corrupting
many of these early men prior to their migration. This migration involved the separation
of the first men into two hosts, one which went north reaching the Sea of
Rhûn, with the second group moving southwest. This northern host endured a further schism,
with the Lesser Folk dwelling in the hills to the southwest of the sea and the Greater Folk
living in the woods on the northeastern shores. Meanwhile, the southern group began to speak an
entirely different language and were joined by strange peoples whom they referred to as Drûg.
After a period of time, the Greater and Lesser Folk resumed their migration, crossing Rhovanion
while the Southern host of men reached the White Mountains. During the crossing of Eriador, the
Greater Folk acted as the vanguard, however, they would eventually be surpassed by the Lesser Folk,
who under the leadership of Balan was the first to cross the Blue Mountains and reach Beleriand. The
following year the southern tribe led by Haldad crossed the Blue Mountains and was followed
by the Greater Folk led by Marach. Initially, these groups settled in Estolad within the
lands of Amrod and Amras, with many befriending the Elves living in Beleriand and entering
their service in return for land and title. “In this way, it came to pass that the Edain dwelt
in the lands of the Eldar, some here, some there, some wandering, some settled in kindreds or small
peoples; and the most part of them soon learned the Grey-elven tongue, both as a common speech
among themselves and because many were eager to learn the lore of the Elves. But after a time the
Elf-kings, seeing that it was not good for Elves and Men to dwell mingled together without order,
and that Men needed lords of their own kind, set regions apart where Men could live their own
lives, and appointed chieftains to hold these lands freely. They were the allies of the Eldar
in war, but marched under their own leaders. Yet many of the Edain had delight in the friendship
of the Elves, and dwelt among them for so long as they had leave; and the young men often took
service for a time in the hosts of the kings.” It is at this time that the divisions between the
Race of Man were firmly established, leading to the creation of three Houses of Man. Firstly the
House of Bëor, who were dark-haired and of stout build, resembling the Ñoldor above all the other
races of Elves. They were initially discovered by the son of Finarfin and the Lord of Nargothrond,
Finrod Felagund, who brought them to the lands of the Ñoldor Lord Amrod. They would remain fiercely
loyal to the House of Finarfin and later took up residence in the Lands of Dorthonion.
The Second House of the Edain would come to be known as the Haladin or House
of Haleth. They were dark-haired but of slighter and smaller build than the first
house and were immensely reclusive in nature. As a result they preferred to stay separate from
the other men and would be granted permission to settle in the Forest of Brethil in Doriath
and preferred to generally stay out of wars. The final House was initially known as the House
of Marach due to their leader of the same name, however, it would later come to be known as
the House of Hador after one of the greatest of the Elf-friends among their number.
The Hador was the tallest of the three houses and sported golden hair resembling the
Vanyar Elves. They were an extremely numerous tribe of a war-like nature, which caused
the Green Elves of Ossiriand to fear them. They first settled in Estolad before migrating
to the Ered Wethrin or Mountain of Shadows and finally making their home in Dor-lómin. Their
loyalty lay with the High King himself Fingolfin. While at first the peace provided by the
Siege allowed the Elves and the Edain to grow ever closer, the seeds of Morgoth’s taint
and corruption were already being sewn by his servants. “To corrupt or destroy whatsoever arose
new and fair was ever the chief desire of Morgoth; and doubtless he had this purpose also in
his errand: by fear and lies to make Men the foes of the Eldar, and bring them
up out of the east against Beleriand.” The weakness of men to stand before this
corruption and remained unaltered by its malice and hatred, would ultimately prove
the undoing not only of the siege but also the last great time of peace to be enjoyed by
the Elves of Middle Earth within Beleriand. The Ñoldor defenses had held against all
assaults the Dark Lord had sent their way following their great victory in the Dagor
Aglareb. This forced Morgoth to change tact, as he had realized orcs alone were no match
for the besiegers. Instead, he relied on spies to decide his next significant foray into
Beleriand. The superiority of the Elves at this time was evidenced by the green grass which
had begun to grow even at the gates of Angband. This was purely symbolic, as Morgoth had bred an
innumerable force of orcs and other fell beasts within the expanse of Angband. Still, something
greater than orcs would be required to take on the Elves. And Morgoth created the first dragon.
The Ñoldor, unaware of the creation of a beast of such unprecedented power, had even considered
launching an assault upon the gates of Angband. Yet despite the best plans of Fingolfin, the
Doom of Mandos still hung over the Ñoldor, and even at the height of their powers,
such a victory lay beyond their grasp. While nearly all of the Elven Lords had rejected
this plan due to the immense losses that would be incurred, they remained unaware of the futility of
their continued struggle even when their position was at its most secure. Morgoth had been aware of
his strengths, yet he arrogantly underestimated the combined power of Men and Elves, which
prompted him to assault the Alliance before he had amassed enough force to destroy the free peoples.
The Dagor Bragollach was to begin upon a bitterly cold night in the middle of winter
of the year 455 of the First Age. At this point in the four centuries-long siege,
the Elves had become laxer in their vigilance, which was to prove nigh on catastrophic for
their people. On a night in which the watch was particularly lax, in no small part due to the
fierce intensity of the cold, Thangorodrim and the Iron Mountains loosed a flood of flame and noxious
gases. The green grass which had grown over the past four hundred years across Ard-Galen was
consumed to be replaced by a vast sweeping desert, which was renamed Anfauglith - the Gasping Dust.
“There came a time of winter, when night was dark and without moon; and the wide plain of
Ard-galen stretched dim beneath the cold stars, from the hill-forts of the Noldor to the feet
of Thangorodrim. The watch-fires burned low, and the guards were few; on the plain, few were
waking in the camps of the horsemen of Hithlum. Then suddenly Morgoth sent forth great rivers
of flame that ran down swifter than Balrogs from Thangorodrim, and poured over all the plain; and
the Mountains of Iron belched forth fires of many poisonous hues, and the fume of them stank upon
the air, and was deadly. Thus Ard-galen perished…” Many of the Elves were killed immediately by this
unprecedented attack, while the survivors fled. The Elven horsemen rode South desperately to
warn their brethren of what came in their wake. Their primary consideration,
however, was merely survival. The legions of Morgoth followed the fires,
and their composition primarily consisted of Orcs of such numbers the Elves had never before
witnessed, supplemented with Balrogs and Glaurung, the Father of Dragons, the most brutal of the
Dark Lord’s servants. Morgoth’s strategy was simple yet exceedingly deadly, even in the face
of the formidable defenses, the Elves had erected during the great peace. The haste of the advance
was so great that the ring of fortifications, which consisted of the individual Elven
Kingdoms, was isolated and forced to fight alone. Though many would have despaired in the face
of such darkness, the Elves and their Edain allies steeled themselves for the fight
to come with only valor to provide solace. Despite their bravery, the highlands of Dorthonion
were overrun in short order. The free peoples made the Orcs pay for every inch of land they took.
According to our chronicler: “The sons of Finarfin bore most heavily the brunt of the assault,
and Angrod and Aegnor were slain; beside them fell Bregolas, lord of the house of Bëor, and
a great part of the warriors of that people.” Upon the plain of Lothlann, many of Maglor’s
horsemen were burnt to a crisp by the intense flames of the Father of Dragons. Now
practically undefended, Maglor’s Gap was taken by the legions of Orcs who followed Glaurung.
This gave the Dark Lord passage to Beleriand. Maglor took with him what warriors had survived
the onslaught and retreated to Himring, where they provided vital assistance to
Maedhros. The fortress, supplemented by the bright blades and the ash-stained hauberks
of Maglor’s Riders, withstood the onslaught. Maedhros hefted his blade in his only hand,
cutting a bloody swathe through the legions of the Dark Lord wherever it was required of him.
The situation remained desperate on all fronts, however. The ferocity of the sons of Fëanor
Celegorm and Curufin alone could not hold the Pass of Aglon, and they were forced to retreat
in the face of the black legions of Morgoth. With the sons of the greatest scion of the
Elvish race unable to stand in their way, the Orcs streamed through Mount Rerir and moved
into East Beleriand. They brutally despoiled the landscape and slaughtered the Elves and Edain who
resided there. Glaurung then polluted and defiled Lake Helevorn, permanently marring its beauty.
Caranthir, the darkest and most brutal of the sons of Fëanor, realized the futility of
the defense of his position and retreated back to the hill of Amon Ereb. There
he and Amrod, Fëanor’s youngest son, had constructed formidable defenses to be used
as the bedrock of the counter-offensive to come. This counter-attack allowed for a methodical and
slow-paced approach to reclaim the despoiled lands of Eastern Beleriand and was only made possible
through the courage displayed by Maglor and Maedhros to the North. Here the Dark Lord’s
forces broke as a wave upon the clifftop, the brothers unwilling to bend or break before this
tide, allowing their kinsmen the breathing room necessary to either hold or break forward. The
ferocity of Maedhros in those days was unmatched, allowing him to initiate his counter-offensive,
and he reclaimed the Pass of Aglon as a result. This action plugged a glaring gap in the
Elvish lines, which effectively denied the denizens of the dark entrance
into Beleriand through this avenue. In the Western reaches of the Elvish lines,
Minas Tirith’s proud and stoutly built watch tower stood its silent vigil upon the Pass of
Sirion. King Finrod Felagund built this tower, and its command lay with Orodreth, son of
Finarfin. Having been made aware of the breaking of the Siege of Angband, Finrod hastily amassed
a mighty host and marched to reinforce the Pass. The King was caught at unawares by an
innumerable orcish rabble and ambushed at the marshy Fens of Serech, where the
Orcs inflicted a heavy toll upon the Elves, which effectively avenged the brutal destruction
of their ancestors during the Dagor-nuin-Giliath. The numbers of Orcs were so great that
the King himself was almost slain if not for the timely intervention of King
Barahir and the men of Dorthonion. Barahir had become aware of the plight of his
Elvish allies and descended upon the Orcs, reaping a brutal harvest of black blood and misshapen
bodies, which allowed him to rescue the King. Finrod, who had barely escaped with his life,
owed a debt of gratitude to this man of the House of Bëor, one which he could never truly
repay. Yet as a form of immediate compensation for the bravery of the Edain, Finrod bestowed upon
Barahir one of his rings. This would become known as the Ring of Barahir and was passed down through
generations of man, eventually reaching a certain Aragorn son of Arathorn, the future King Elessar.
In conjunction with the ring, Finrod also swore a solemn oath on that bloody day that he would
answer if Barahir or his kin called for aid. After this exchange, Finrod led what remained
of his host and people South to Nargothrond. Barahir would not so quickly leave his home to
the vile machinations of the servants of Morgoth. This great king of the Edain fought with
every ounce of his being against what seemed to be the great doom of the alliance
of men and elves. The struggle was brutal, with the men of Dorthonion unable to match the
seemingly endless tide of Orcs which continued to sew death and destruction. The Edain of
the House of Beor slowly died almost to a man, which left a band of twelve men to Barahir
with which he would continue the fight. The remaining women and children fled to the forest
Brethil though their path was long and dangerous. Fortunately, however, the mountain forts
of the mountain range of the Ered Wethrin surrounding the region of Hithlum were able
to hold. The assault upon these well-wrought and valiantly defended bastions was a horrifying
sight to behold, and the garrisons barely held, in no small part, due to the protections afforded
by the mountains against the fires of Morgoth. The Dagor Bragallach had brought crashing down
the watchful peace and the Siege of Angband. The roiling rivers of flame and hosts
of misshapen cruel orcish warriors, which followed in its destructive wake, had
scattered the sons of Fëanor across the North. These brave warriors harnessed
the ferocity and prowess of their forebearer to hold the line despite
near-cataclysmic casualties. However, this was not the end of the catastrophic losses
the Elvish people would suffer during the fourth great battle of the War of the Jewels, as word
had reached the High King of what had occurred. The High King of the Ñoldor Fingolfin, one who
stood upon the very highest echelon of the Elvish people since their coming in the wake of Fëanor’s
fury, was overwrought with grief and despair. The immense casualties detailed to the High
King threatened to overcome him, as he believed that his people could never recover from the
ruination which had been visited upon the Ñoldor. Yet from the depths of his desperation, Fingolfin
emerged bearing a rage of such inexpressible fury that he was likened to the Vala Oromë.
The High King threw all caution to the wind. In early 456, he mounted as swift a
steed as he could find, set his eye upon the darkness threatening the destruction of the
free peoples, and rode North to meet it head-on. None dared halt his advance as his steed carried
him across the once green plains of Ard Galen, now forever desolated by the malice of
Morgoth, until he came to the gates of Angband. The High King dismounted and, with bravery
unmatched since the very artificer of the Silmarils had drawn his final breath,
challenged the Dark Lord to single combat. Fingolfin smote upon the gates of Angband
and cried out his challenge for all to hear, and although Morgoth remained near the
apex of his strength, he hesitated. In those days, the Dark Lord was deemed to be the
“mightiest of all things in this world,” yet he hesitated and knew the most mortal of emotions in
that brief moment. Faced with the righteous fury and incredible courage of one of the mightiest
warriors ever to grace the lands of Middle Earth, the Dark Lord Morgoth knew the chilling
iciness of fear that pierced his very being. Yet the challenge issued by the High King could
not remain unanswered. In the depths of Angband, Morgoth arrayed himself. He donned black armor and
took up his mighty Warhammer Grond, the Hammer of the Underworld. The massive gates of Angband swung
open, and the Dark Lord strode forward to meet his foe as his servants watched on expectantly.
Undeterred by the inescapable Doom of Mandos, Fingolfin knew no fear and drew from its sheath
the blade Ringil. According to the chronicler, “Fingolfin gleamed beneath it as a star;
for his mail was overlaid with silver, and his blue shield was set with crystals; and he
drew his sword Ringil, that glittered like ice.” The duel commenced with the combatants making a
direct tilt for one another. Morgoth hefted Grond, attempting to end the conflict with a single
blow, and each strike of the Hammer of the Underworld brought with it the fierce intensity
of a lightning strike, leaving a smoldering crater where it struck the ground. Yet Fingolfin
displayed the grace and poise characteristic of his people and avoided each blow. Calmly he struck
Morgoth back before nimbly avoiding yet another killing blow from Grond. Seven such strikes were
landed upon the Dark Lord, with Ringil biting with an icy chill each time it struck, and it is said
that the craters left by Grond were filled with the blood of the warhammer’s wielder.
Despite the strength of the High King, he was just an Elf, and his opponent was one of
the mightiest of the Vala. Fingolfin grew weary, and this weariness was to be his downfall.
On three separate occasions, the Dark Lord made contact with his fearsome strikes, and in
each instance, the High King rose to his feet and continued the fight. None could discredit the
strength of character this required, yet each time Fingolfin rose, his feet were less steady, and his
evasions of the hammer strike increasingly ragged. Courage alone would prove insufficient
in discrediting the Doom of Mandos, and on that day, it was proven true that no
power of the Elves alone could defeat Morgoth. Fingolfin, in his weariness, became less and less
aware of his surroundings and, in a desperate attempt to evade Grond once more, stumbled into
one of the craters the hammer had created. Morgoth now knew that victory was imminent and descended
into the crater. Here he placed a great armoured boot upon Fingolfin’s neck. This ended the life of
the High King. However, with what energy remained, Fingolfin struck out one last time with the icy
blade Ringil. This last sword stroke left a brutal impression upon the heel of the Dark Lord, who had
already been weakened by grasping the Silmarils and in the labors required to corrupt Arda.
Elf’s strike left Morgoth with a permanent limp. Having slain the High King of the Ñoldor,
Morgoth’s undeniable malice shone through in the actions which followed. He took the body and
broke it with the vile intent of feeding what had indeed been a noble challenger to his wolves. Yet
this would not come to be. The King of the Eagles, Thorondor, unwilling to let such an indignity come
to pass, swooped down from the skies and slashed Morgoth’s face with his fierce talons.
This caught the Dark Lord at unawares, which allowed the King of the Eagles to reclaim
the High King of the Ñoldor’s broken body. Thorondor brought the body to a mountaintop
that overlooked Gondolin’s hidden city within its protective valley. Turgon, heartbroken for
the death of his forebear, raised a cairn to guard over Fingolfin’s remains and Fingon, with a
deep wrenching sorrow within his heart, took upon himself the title of High King of the Ñoldor.
The Elves would never make songs celebrating the valiant battle a mere Elf had waged against
a being of such unquantifiable power as Morgoth, for they endured such heartbreak and despair even
at the thought of his passing. Nor did the Orcs ever create crude or boastful songs to jeer the
loss of their foes’ great High King, even though the victory belonged to their master. Morgoth,
though victorious, would bear the limp and wounds inflicted upon him by Fingolfin and by Thorondor,
until the very dying days of the War of Wrath The aftermath of the Dagor Bragallach was a
stalemate of sorts. Although Morgoth remained nominally the victor, the victory threatened
to be pyrrhic if he did not proceed cautiously. The Dark Lord’s losses were significant, and the
Elves had already begun a successful, if measured, counter-offensive. He had underestimated the
valour and strength of the Elves, whose spirited resistance had not been accounted for in his
plans. The actions of the Edain and their bravery, perhaps despite or maybe due to their mortality,
had also prevented the complete victory Morgoth sought so desperately. As a result, he withdrew
the main host of his orcish legions within the gates of Angband and began to devise a strategy
to bring the free peoples’ unnumbered tears. "Among the tales of sorrow and of ruin that came
down to us from the darkness of those days there are yet some in which amid weeping there is joy
and under the shadow of death light that endures. And of these histories most fair still in the ears
of the Elves is the tale of Beren and Lúthien." We pick up our story in the immediate
aftermath of the Dagor Bragallach, two years after the initial conflict
had devolved into a stalemate. The Isle of Tol Sirion bore upon it the
finely wrought fortress of Minas Tirith, which had resisted this initial assault under the
capable stewardship of Orodreth, nephew of Finrod. Still, the island, which guarded one of
the most assailable routes into Beleriand, was never far from the gaze of Morgoth.
So, the Dark Lord sent his most able servant, the greatest of the Maia, who turned aside from
the light, Sauron, to take it. Orodreth could not withstand the assault despite his best efforts
and withdrew from the island to Nargothrond with what forces now remained to him. What had once
been a fair isle was despoiled by Sauron and would be known Tol-in-Gaurhoth, a haven for his
werewolves, a home to foul magic. On this Isle of the Werewolves, Sauron began to consolidate his
power with his two mightiest servants; Draugluin, the sire and mightiest of the Werewolves, and
his very herald, the vampire Thuringwethil. However, in the highlands of Dorthonion, the
resistance of Barahir and his companions was unrelenting despite their increasingly difficult
situation. The outlaw band consisted of Barahir's son Beren, his nephews Baragund the elder
and Belegund the younger, Rahruin, Dairuin, Dagnir, Ragnor, Arthad, Urthel, Hathaldir
the Young, Gildor, and Gorlim the Unhappy. This group caused untold damage to the forces of
Morgoth in the area from their base of operations in Tarn Aeluin, infuriating the servants of the
Dark Lord. In response, they were unrelenting in the attempts to hunt down the final remnants
of this proud people. Their methods were brutal, as they effectively treated their prey as mere
animals, but they were continually frustrated in each attempt to bring Barahir's band to
retribution. The company continued the fight for some five years, killing an immense number of the
Orcs, yet this could not continue indefinitely, as courage alone could not turn back the unending
Orcish tides that desolated their homeland. In FA 460, one of the last men of Ladros left
in Dorthonion, Gorlim, son of Angrim, went out to hunt while the company was camped in the South
of Ladros. Before the coming of the great flame, this had been Gorlim's home, and while out on the
hunt, he went to see the ruin of what had once been his home. He gazed through a window and was
treated to a vision of his wife, Eilinel, who was supposedly dead. This vision had dire consequences
for Barahir's company, as Gorlim decided to search for his wife in his heartbroken state. He
came out of hiding and was soon waylaid and taken captive by Orcs, who brought him in chains
before the Lieutenant of the Dark Lord, Sauron. The latter's cunning in those days was
unmatched, and he poured honeyed words into this forlorn man of Ladros, promising
that Eilinel would be returned to him. All that would be required of him was
to give up the location of his friends. With a heavy heart, Gorlim agreed and revealed
the position of Barahir and his companions. Yet it seemed that in these days, betrayal
could only be rewarded with further betrayal. Sauron told Gorlim that the vision he had come
across was naught more than a specter that he had devised: his wife - the most precious thing Gorlim
had believed to be left to him- was already dead. "Nonetheless, I will grant thy prayer," said
Sauron, "And thou shalt go to Eilinel and be set free of my service." And so Gorlim was
executed without mercy as Sauron turned his eyes upon one of the greatest thorns
in the side of the armies of Morgoth. Sauron's forces ambushed the men of Barahir
upon the Tarn Aeluin, and they were slain to a man except for Barahir's son Beren. Fortunately
for father and son alike, Beren had been engaged in an errand away from the camp when the Orcs
assaulted and brutally destroyed the company. Beren came upon the remains of his father and was
stricken with grief. He knew that such a great man required a fitting burial. Yet his father's
hand had been severed, and with it, the greatest heirloom of their house - Ring of Barahir
was lost without any chance of reclamation. As Beren set himself to the task of raising a
cairn for his fallen father, Gorlim appeared before him as a specter. The traitor revealed
his misdeeds and attempted to make amends. He informed Beren of what had happened to the
ring and then bid him farewell before returning hopefully to the side of his slain wife.
With this information in hand, Beren would return the favor in kind for his Orcish foes.
He hunted down the band responsible for the murder of his father and friends, killing the
Orc chieftain Gorgol the Butcher. In doing so, he achieved what solace he could attain given
the circumstances and reclaimed his father's severed hand and the Ring of Barahir with it.
In the aftermath of this successful ambush, Beren would make a life for himself as he slaughtered
many of Morgoth's servants. He became a friend of the birds and animals of the forest during his
four years in which he acted as a solitary outlaw. Beren would not hunt nor kill any of these beasts,
reserving his strength at arms solely for the servants of Morgoth. This son of Barahir feared
not the final embrace of death, only that he would be taken captive by those he sought to receive
the ever-growing price now put on his head. His position within the only land he had
known as home became untenable when Sauron began to pursue him. A price had been placed
upon his head by Morgoth, which was matched by the bounty placed upon the crowned head of
Fingon Felagund. Beren proved so effective in his guerrilla tactics that Sauron was granted an
army to track down the last of Barahir's company. He would supplement this force with
werewolves, among them the greatest of their number Draugluin the sire of their
kind, and such fell beasts that contained within their being spirits of a horrifying nature,
which Sauron had bound within their bodies. Therefore Beren was forced to flee South through
the horrors of the Ered Gorgoroth and the forests of Nan Dungortheb into Doriath, where he
was able to breach the Girdle of Melian. The Ered Gorgoroth and the Dungortheb, in
particular, would have caused any lesser man's imminent and brutal slaughter. In this dark
and terrible place, the offspring of Ungoliant now made their home, trapping all living beings
who foolishly delved too deeply into the area. These spiders were monsters of such a dark
and ancient nature that they were born in the long dark before the sun's rising, and they
hunted Beren silently throughout his journey. Yet he would endure and make it through
relatively unscathed to Doriath, where he would meet and become instantly entranced by
Lúthien. Lúthien was a princess of the Sindar and the beloved daughter of the elvish king Thingol
and the Maia Melian. This chance meeting would begin the greatest love story in all of the great
ages of Middle Earth while simultaneously setting in motion events that would have devastating
consequences for the race of Elves and the Edain. Lúthien also called Tinúviel – the nightingale by
Beren was known as the most beautiful of all the Children of Ilúvatar, embodying the grace and
perfection most characteristic of the Elvish peoples in their heyday. She was the only daughter
of one of the greatest Elvish Kings in all Beleriand and a being of immense power due to her
mother being of the Maia, so it came as a shock to everyone that she fell in love with an Edain
outlaw who had nothing more to his name than his courage and strength at arms. The news garnered
a particularly frosty reception from Thingol, who tacitly accepted their betrothal should
Beren meet the bride price. This price, however, was one even a man of Beren's stature and courage
could not possibly hope to attain, as Thingol wished to receive a Silmaril from Morgoth's iron
crown in return for his daughter's hand. Yet Beren had once known anguish and despair, yet Lúthien
provided the salve for such woe, and even faced with the impossible, Beren would not allow the
darkness of his fate to overwhelm him so long as the chance of a life with Lúthien lay before
him. "For little price,' he said, 'do Elven kings sell their daughters: for gems, and things
made by craft. But if this be your will, Thingol, I will perform it. And when we meet again my shall
hold a Silmaril from the Iron Crown; for you have not looked the last upon Beren son of Barahir."
With this talk of defiance, the Quest of the Silmaril began, and Beren immediately made
haste for Nargothrond. Here he asked for the counsel of Finrod Felagund, the Elf who owed
his very life to Beren's forebear Barahir. Felagund knew that such oaths as the one he had
sworn on that bloody day could not be set aside so quickly, and as such, he passed to his
brother Orodreth the crown of Nargothrond. The sons of Feanor, who dwelled within
his Kingdom Celeform and Curufin, watched proceedings keenly as Finrod, Beren, and
ten loyal companions set out along the Narog and traveled to its very source within the Falls of
Irvin. There they came upon and slaughtered a band of Orcs. Afterward, Finrod utilized all
of his craft to disguise the company as the now-deceased Orcs, to potentially pass through
the Tol-in-Gaurhoth without being detected. Yet the cunning of Sauron was too great. Having
had his suspicion aroused by their conduct, the greatest servant of the Dark lord
stripped the companions of their disguises and took them prisoner, following a long and
protracted duel with Finrod through song. In the deepest pit of the fortress, Sauron sent
his werewolves to devour the brave companions of Finrod one by one to ensure they divulged the
purpose of their quest. Yet they remained loyal; before long, the only two survivors were Beren and
Finrod. When the time came for Beren to be eaten, Finrod Felagund, unwilling to let the son of the
man who had saved his life be murdered before his very eyes, attacked the werewolf with his bare
hands. The struggle was fierce, with the unarmed Finrod eventually striking down his foe, though
at a high cost, as he was mortally wounded in the encounter. In the deepest darkest pit of the
very fortress he had once constructed, one of the wisest and most beloved of the Noldor's life
ended, but he kept his oath with his final breath. Hope had just been extinguished for the son of
Barahir, yet upon his capture, Lúthien had felt a crushing weight upon her heart and set out in
pursuit of her great love. Unfortunately, she met Noldorin princes Celegorm and Curufin alongside
their hound Huan. The princes offered their help, but Celegorm fell in love with the princess,
captured her, and took her to Nargothrond. Yet the great hound Huan had become entranced by
the Elf and spoke aloud for the first time. He granted her his counsel and helped her to escape.
They made with great haste to Tol-in-Gaurhoth, arriving at the hour of Felagund's death. This
arrival drew a cruel smile to the lips of Sauron, who foresaw the great reward he would receive
for Lúthien's capture. Morgoth would look upon his servant with great favor if he were to
bring such a prize. Beren's quest now hung upon a knife's edge, with no more than the Hound
of the Valar Huan standing in Sauron's way. In order to capture Lúthien, Sauron sent all
of his werewolves including their great sire Draugluin, yet Huan would not yield before them.
The great hound of the Valar gave not an inch and slaughtered each and every assailant who came to
take the woman he so deeply adored. Sauron watched on as his servants were brought low by the hound
and knew that the situation would require his own intervention. The future Dark Lord took the form
of a great and formidable wolf as he engaged Huan in combat. Yet even he could not defeat the Hound
of the Valar and was forced to yield the island. This left Tol-in-Gaurhoth in the hands of Lúthien
who cleared the taint of the land and freed Beren. The pair then buried Finrod and left the island
behind them. Unfortunately, now that the danger has seemingly dissipated, the ever-loyal Huan had
to return to his master Celegorm, depriving them of a formidable ally in the struggle to come.
Yet this loyalty was to be tested as Celegorm and Curufin crossed paths with Beren
and Lúthien near the Forest of Brethil. They aimed to kill Beren and take Lúthien
captive, however, Huan was unwilling to allow such a foul act to be committed. Beren then took
from Curufin his horse and knife Angrist and gave him permission to return to his people humbled.
Yet the malice of Curufin remained, and he took from his brother his bow and fired upon Lúthien,
forcing Beren to dive before the arrow. Beren was wounded and was about to be killed, but Huan
drove off the brothers. He also brought with him an herb that Lúthien used to save the life of her
love. Following that, they returned to Doriath. In Doriath, Beren entrusted the life of Lúthien
to the guardianship of Huan, as he knew he had to return to the North to finish his quest of taking
the Silmarils from the Dark Lord Morgoth. He now believed this would be his final act, and as
such, he sang the farewell Song of Parting, yet aid came unbidden as Huan and Lúthien returned
to his side. Huan spoke for only the second time, stating that Beren would no longer be able to save
Lúthien from her fate. “From the shadow of death, you can no longer save Luthien, for by her love
she is now subject to it.” So he allowed her to accompany him further as they took upon themselves
the guise of Draugluin and the bat-like messenger of Sauron, known as Thuringwethil, to pass
through the Anfauglith without being accosted. As the pair reached the very gates of Angband
weary beyond belief, a previously unknown threat lay before them. Following the retreat of the
Elves from the Ard-Galen, a venomous new warden had been placed before the fortress - a wolf of
immense proportions Carcharoth also called the Red Maw, who had already heard news of Draugluin’s
demise and hence was suspicious of the pair. Yet Lúthien through her magic was able to command
the wolf to sleep and the duo was able to descend to the very depths of Angband, before coming face
to face with the Dark Lord in his throne room. This hall patrolled by Balrogs was filled with
horrors never witnessed before by the eyes of the free peoples, and the very strength of the
gaze of Morgoth robbed Lúthien of her disguise. Yet Lúthien’s courage shone through
once more as she was undaunted by the vile horrors which she now faced and instead
of cowering beneath the weight of her doom, she offered to sing for the Dark Lord. As
she evaded his sight, she began to sing a piece of such unimaginable beauty and blinding
power, that Morgoth was forced to dream of the Void and alongside the rest of his court fell
into a deep darkened slumber. Beren recognized what must be done and put aside his disguise,
taking from its sheath the blade of the son of Feanor Angrist and taking from Morgoth’s crown
a Silmaril. Yet this mere man deigned that if he could garner a single Silmaril he could bring with
him all three. His very blade was to betray him, however. Angrist snapped with a sharp fragment
of the finely wrought blade striking the cheek of the Dark Lord, which caused him to arouse and
awaken the legions of Angband from their slumber. The gravity of their situation became clear
to Beren and Lúthien immediately, which caused them to flee with all haste to the surface. Yet
they had merely left the frying pan and emerged instantly into the flame, as Carcharoth, who was
created to take on the Hound of the Valar Huan, was now awake and furious of the deception
of Lúthien. Beren attempted to drive him off using the light of the Silmaril, which momentarily
tempered his rage with a sliver of fear. Yet this was not to last, as the blackened spirit of the
beast drove him once more into a rage. Carcharoth grasped the right hand of Beren within his great
maw severing it and consuming the Silmaril. This seared the innards of the mighty wolf and
he fled South, emitting such howls of madness as to drive fear into the heart of any of the free
peoples he was to encounter. According to our chronicler: “So terrible did he become in his
madness that all the creatures of Morgoth that abode in that valley fled far away for he slew
all living things that stood in his path, and burst from the North with ruin upon the world.”
Carcharoth was designed as such a beast of chaos and ruin that his very fangs were
laced with a potent and fatal venom, which left Beren mortally wounded. The Quest
it seemed was to end in heartbreak and despair, yet unbidden came Thorondor with his eagles, and
from the blackened skies of the Anfauglith they saved the duo from the grasps of the legions
of Angband. They bore Beren and Lúthien South passing above the glimmering jewel of the hidden
city of Gondolin, yet even this heartening sight could not assuage Lúthien’s despair for the
imminent passing of the great love of her life. The eagles left the pair in the glade where
they had first met in Doriath and Huan came once more to their side. There they tended the
son of Barahir, as he lay wracked by dreams of such pain and anguish that a lesser man would
have been taken by them. Just as the despair of Lúthien reached its apex, the eyes of Beren
fluttered open and he unexpectedly awoke. The name Erchamion which meant “the One-handed”
in Sindarin was bestowed upon the most valorous of men. There they dwelt for a time in such happiness
and joy, yet Beren could not set aside his oath to Thingol and he returned Lúthien to his father.
News of their return had spread far and wide in the interim so therefore upon their arrival in
Menegroth, they had garnered a sizable welcome. They recounted the tales of adversity and woe
which had befallen them since they had initially departed. Astonished by the perseverance and
strength a mere man had displayed in the face of an impossible task, Thingol softened in
his attitude towards the son of Barahir. He now held it in his thoughts that no power of
elf or man, Maiar, Valar, or any other such being upon the face of Arda could stand between the
fate of his daughter and this man of Dorthonion. Before the very throne of her father, Beren took
the hand of Lúthien and all seemed well for a time, yet their peace and joy were not to last.
For from the North came the howling Carcharoth, the Red Maw, as he
devastated the lands he made his way through. As he was empowered by the Silmaril of Feanor
even the Girdle of Melian could not prevent his entry into Doriath. A party was assembled to
confront the foul beast before he brought ruin and devastation upon the land that Thingol as King had
sworn to defend. The company consisted of Huan, captain of the marchwarden rangers Mablung,
chief of marchwarden rangers Beleg Strongbow, Beren Erchamion, and Thingol himself. As they
rode out to meet with a being of such immense power that the outcome of any encounter remained
firmly upon a knife’s edge, a great darkness fell upon the heart of Lúthien who now saw all
colour, beauty, and life drained from the world. Near the Northern waterfalls of Esgalduin, the
party met with the great wolf. Carcharoth launched his immense frame upon the King, yet Beren
placed himself between Thingol and the taker of his right hand. In doing so he saved the King of
Doriath’s life but was mortally wounded himself. The great wolf was eventually slain by Huan,
however, the Great Hound of the Valar gave his own life in the process, bading a
fond farewell to his dear friend Beren. Following this morose parting, Mablung ripped open
the stomach of the wolf and took from Carcharoth the Silmaril, placing it in the one remaining
hand of the son of Barahir. Beren turned to look Thingol in the eye and bade him take
from him the Silmaril. The king eventually acquiesced and Beren uttered his lat words “Now
the Quest is achieved and my doom full wrought.” The survivors of the party brought his body back
to Menegroth and Lúthien came forth to meet the company. She now felt grief unequaled and asked
of her love to wait for her beyond the Western Sea and despite his dire condition, his eyes fluttered
open once more so that he could look upon her one last time. With his death, the Quest for the
Silmaril was at an end, yet the Tale of Beren and Lúthien was yet to reach its final conclusion.
Beren’s spirit lingered within the Hall of Mandos, in the hopes that he may one day yet see Lúthien
upon the dimmest shores of the Outer Sea, so that he could bestow upon her one final
farewell. For from those shores the spirits of all Men were to depart the world never to return,
as was the necessity of the Gift of Ilúvatar. Heartbroken beyond all belief, the very spirit
of Lúthien left her body and made its way to the Halls of Mandos, where she knelt before the
Vala themselves and sang a song of such woe and sorrow so as to move even Mandos to pity.
Yet even with the power afforded to him, Mandos could not alter the fates of the Children
of Ilúvatar, so he turned to Manwe who further sought the counsel of Ilúvatar so moved
was he by the plight of Beren and Lúthien. This counsel allowed two choices to Lúthien. For
her valor, the extraordinary nature of the labours she had achieved throughout her lifetime and the
grief she had been forced to bear throughout she could be permitted to stay in Valinor. There all
of her pain and sorrow, which she had endured throughout her life would be forgotten. There
was one important caveat for this option however, Beren could not follow her along such a path.
The second option would be a return to Middle Earth with Beren, where she would live out a
mortal life with no guarantee of joy. They would both be subject to a second death, following the
end of their mortal lives. Despite this, she chose to face such a second brush with death for the
sake of Beren. In doing so she forsook the Undying Lands and so it came to be that Lúthien Tinúviel
and Beren Erchamion, would live out a mortal life together as the fairest of the Elves forsook
her gift of immortality for the love of a man. Soon after this exceptional decision on
Lúthien’s part, which had been taken in the aftermath of the return of a Silmaril,
word reached Maedhros of their Quest. In an act that none of the sons of Feanor had up
until this point been able to replicate, Maedhros had become convinced that Morgoth was far from the
invincible foe they had once imagined him to be. This brought hope to the fiercest of
the sons of Feanor, who now believed it possible to end for good and all the
dominion of Morgoth. This alliance of the Great Houses of the Elves and Edain would
come to be known as the Union of Maedhros. In the Dagor Bragollach, the sudden onslaught of
Morgoth had caused the loss of the entirety of the North of Beleriand. The new line in the sand, some
twenty years after the defeat of the free peoples, consisted of the fortified strongholds
of Nargothrond, Hithlum, and Himring. This line was further substantiated by Gondolin,
which still lay hidden within its vale, unable to be assaulted or even located by the forces of
the Dark Lord. While the Dagor Bragallach had inflicted crushing casualties upon the
Elves and their allies, a strength that Maedhros yet hoped to harness remained.
In the year 468 of the First Age, Maedhros was able to bring to his
cause Elves, Men, and Dwarves, able to set aside the deserved reputation of the
sons of Feanor for division. The Dwarves of the Blue Mountains supplied the armies of the Union
as well as forging brutal instruments of war. The preparations of Maedhros and his alliance even
led to word reaching the hidden city of Gondolin. Here Turgon began to make his own arrangements,
as, despite the city’s hidden nature, he didn’t want the Union of Maedhros to
stand against the might of Morgoth alone. Yet the wounds inflicted by Maedhros’ brothers and
his father, Fëanor, were not so easily forgotten. Orodreth refused to lend his aid to the Union,
due to the evil wrought by Celegorm and Curufin, which inadvertently caused the death of Finrod,
which had poisoned the ruler of Nargothrond against the sons of Feanor. Likewise, Thingol had
sworn an oath in which he would never take up arms alongside the sons of Fëanor again. His disdain
was further enforced by the arrogant demands of Feanor’s sons to give to them the Silmaril
retrieved by Beren and Luthien. Although Melian had counseled Thingol to surrender the jewel,
he had begun to covet the Silmaril and refused. In response, Celegorm and Curufin promised to
destroy Doriath should they be successful in the battle against Morgoth, forcing Thingol to
strengthen his border defences to ensure the brothers' wrath was not visited upon his lands.
Therefore, only a token force came to the aid of the Union from the realms of Doriath and
Nargothrond. Against the command of Orodreth, from Nargothrond came a minor company with Gwindor
at its head, who joined the Union in the hopes of avenging the capture of Gelmir during the Dagor
Bragollach. Only the marchwardens Mablung and Beleg made their way from the Girdle to join in
the supposed great deeds which now lay ahead. In the absence of a true uniting force in the
now-deceased Fingolfin, the Elves were fractured. Undeterred, Maedhros set his mind to the
task at hand. An able tactician, he used all that was left to his disposal and invited
the newly arrived Easterlings to join his force. The head of the Union divided the strength
available to him into two separate forces to attack Angband. Maedhros was to lead his slightly
larger army to the dusty plains of Anfauglith and in doing so he would draw out the true force
of Morgoth’s host. He would then engage them on the once grassy knolls of that plain,
and this would then allow Fingon’s hidden army to emerge from the Ered Wethrin and flank
the Dark Lord’s hordes utterly routing them. Maedhros took command of the force in the East,
bringing with him all his brothers to act as his lieutenants in the battle to come. The Eastern
army was composed of the formidable heavily armed and armoured Dwarves of Nogrod and Belegost,
Maedhros’ Elves and Bór’s Men of the Himring and the men of Amon Ereb commanded by Caranthir
and Ulfang. The Western host commanded by Fingon, also included Men and Elves of Hithlum, Elves of
the Falas, the minor contingents of Nargothrond, Beleg and Mablung of Doriath and the Haladin
of Brethil. Maedhros believed that with the force he had amassed the very gates of Angband
could be sealed shut, ensuring that Morgoth would be permanently driven underground never to
re-emerge and make war upon Elf or Edain again. The Union began its move North with clinical
efficiency, the combined forces easily cleared the Orc bands who had terrorised Beleriand and
Dorthonion, before reaching a suitable area for a final muster. While this seemed to be a victory
for the Union, the hasty retreat of the Orcs before the formidable alliance, alerted Morgoth to
their intent and he drew to him his most trusted lieutenants to provide him with counsel against
what was to come. Maedhros had shown his hand too early, prior to full mobilization and
this would prove detrimental. Further spies within the combined forces of the free peoples
could also be found within the Easterlings. Chief among them in a grand conspiracy to
derail Maedhros was Ulfang and his companions. These traitors were to provide the information
necessary for Morgoth to array his armies in such a way as to counter Maedhros’ well
laid plans in short order. As a result, a gargantuan host with Glaurung and his brood
at its head was sent to attack Maedhros’ host and Fingon’s army remained unaware of this counter
manoeuvre. As Fingon arrived into the designated point of the Ered Wethrin, smoke and flame began
to pour forth both from Thangorodrim and the Iron Mountains. This caused the heart of every Elf and
Man gathered there to sink, as they became aware that the Dark Lord had uncovered their plans
and in doing so obtained the upper hand. As doubt began to fester within the ranks of Fingon’s
host, hope once more came unbidden from the South, as Turgon came to the aid of the Union bringing
with him some ten thousand warriors of Gondolin. The hopes of the Union were once more rekindled,
yet even as the battle hung in the balance the Doom of Mandos would yet bear down upon all
who fought against the overpowering darkness. Morgoth was aware of the locations of both
armies and the method in which Maedhros hoped to use Fingon’s host as a hammer against his
anvil. In order to draw them out Morgoth sent a massive army of Orcs to taunt them down from
the hills, yet even this force was but a mere fraction of what he could bring to bear
and as such, would act as a mere decoy. Fingon was a wise commander however and refused to
give in to the taunts of the Orcs, instead keeping his forces hidden as Maedhros had ordered.
Yet disaster was to strike the Western army, as the leader of the Orcish army sent forth
a group of riders to parley with the Elves, among their number was Gelmir brother of
Gwindor who had been tortured and blinded by the Dark Lord’s servants. This enraged Gwindor
and the host from Nargothrond, yet what was to come would drive them into a fury. To draw out the
Elvish host, the riders began to dismember Gelmir, with Gwindor and his company in the front
line able to witness the entire torrid affair. Driven mad by the cruel and brutal death
inflicted upon his brother, Gwindor broke formation and charged wildly into the Orcish
lines, accompanied by the warriors of Nargothrond. Their fury was so intense, that the vastly
outnumbered Elves cut a bloody swathe through the Orcish centre, but they did not stop there
as their momentum drove them ever onwards. Fingon at this point recognized that the fury of
Gwindor had begun to seep into the remainder of his host and knew that restraining them was
a fool’s errand. The leader of the Western host sounded the charge and the entire force was
committed to the fray. The swiftness of Fingon’s decision negated Morgoth’s cunning, as the charge
was so brutal in its haste that the entire Orcish army was annihilated before the Dark Lord could
send sufficient reinforcements. Gwindor’s fury ensured that the charge would continue right
to the very gates of Angband, where the guard was slaughtered by his company, and they strode
through the very outer gates of the fortress. Within the depths of Angband upon his throne
Morgoth, the most powerful being in all of Middle Earth, once more knew fear, as he visibly trembled
while Gwindor and his company pounded upon his gates. “Ever in the forefront of the battle went
Gwindor and the Elves of Nargothrond, and even now they could not be restrained; and they burst
through the Gate and slew the guards upon the very stairs of Angband, and Morgoth trembled upon his
deep throne, hearing them beat upon his doors.” Yet they were quickly surrounded
by a swirling tide of foes, who trapped them within the courtyard. All were
slain, bar Gwindor who was taken as a captive. Fingon valiantly attempted to reach them, but
it was in vain, and his efforts left the host brutally exposed. When Morgoth released
his true strength from many secret doors throughout Thangorodrim, the attempt of the Elvish
army to save Gwindor was to cost them dearly. Fingon was forced to retreat from Angband’s
walls, with immense casualties being wrought upon his troops. In particular, the rearguard
composed of the Men of Brethil was destroyed almost to a man and among the fallen
was the lord of the Haladin Haldir. While this initial encounter was a brutal
setback for the free peoples, it was the fourth day of the battle in which the Nírnaeth
Arnoediad, or Battle of Unnumbered Tears, began. Fingon’s forces had continued to retreat, yet
casualties were likewise mounting, however, early on the fourth day, this host was reinforced
by Turgon’s ten thousand, who had refused to join the reckless charge earlier in the conflict. The
Gondolin phalanx brought the Orcish advance to a stuttering halt, as it broke through their lines,
allowing them to meet with Fingon’s personal guard, among them the son of Galdor Húrin. With
the aid of the warriors of the hidden vale, the army of Angband was driven back long
enough to allow an unmolested retreat to ensue. While the Western Host may have earned a brief
respite, the Eastern Host would enjoy no such thing. Maedhros had been utterly defeated by
the innumerable hordes of Morgoth combined with the treacherous Easterlings led by Ulfang
the Black. Ulfang and his sons were to lose their lives in the ensuing battle, however, the
damage had already been done at this point and the combined treachery in conjunction with the
brutal flames of the dragons would have led to the complete destruction of the host if not for
the Dwarves. The denizens of Belegost, who were naturally resistant to heat and fire while
also being clad in iron masks providing extra protection, made up the rearguard of the host.
Their King, Azaghâl, recognized that if they did not intervene, Glaurung would continue to wreak
untold havoc upon the surviving Elves and Edain. He, therefore, took decisive action and, with
his warriors, formed a ring around Glaurung, buying precious time for their
brothers-in-arms to escape. Their weapons were so finely wrought and wielded
with such strength and valour by the Dwarves of Belegost, that not even the armored hide of
Glaurung was impervious to their axe strikes. Infuriated by the unending hail of blows
that continued to rain down upon him, the great dragon brought low Azaghâl and crawled
over him with his mighty frame. The King of the Dwarves remained an unyielding opponent even
in his final moments, however and with the last ounce of strength available to him,
he ran the master-crafted dagger, which he had kept at his side throughout the
battle, across the stomach of the mighty beast. This caused Glaurung to let out a long and loud
cry of pain and flee the field in agony, as he brought with him all of the beasts of Morgoth, who
had been harrying the fleeing Elves and Edain up until this point. The Dwarves heartbroken at the
loss of their beloved king, picked up his broken body and carried it upon their stout shoulders
in a solemn procession, as they marched the entire way home. The fury and ferocity of the
Dwarves were unmatched, and no servant of the Dark Lord was willing to impede their progress.
The sacrifice of the Dwarves on that day saved all seven of the sons of Feanor through their
rearguard action, even though their host was now scattered throughout Ossiriand and all
hope of victory had now passed before them, as neither Elf nor Edain could overcome
the Doom which now lay before them. With Maedhros and the sons of Feanor utterly
routed in the East, Morgoth’s troops who had engaged them now made their way with the utmost
swiftness to engage the remaining forces of Fingon. They would arrive just as the Elves had
begun to withdraw and in order to prevent any form of orderly retreat, they engaged them immediately.
The Elves fought valiantly, yet the very herald of their destruction Gothmog soon arrived upon the
field of battle accompanied by his troll guard. In an attempt to bring a hasty end to any form
of an organized defence of the Elvish position, Gothmog immediately engaged Fingon in single
combat. The battle-hardened Elf proved to be a match even for the High Captain of Angband and
slayer of Feanor, matching him blow for blow and refusing to yield even an inch against such a
formidable foe. Unfortunately for the Western host the Balrogs knew nothing of honour and
another of Gothmog’s company restrained the noble elf from behind with his flaming whip.
Gothmog then approached the leader of the remaining army of the free peoples and with
his black axe split Fingon’s skull in twain, and with his passing the valiant resistance of Elf
and Edain deteriorated into an utterly lost cause. It is at this point that Húrin saw that the
field was lost and urged Turgon to flee with all haste to Gondolin, for as long as the hidden city
remained Morgoth’s victory could not be complete. He gave his vow to cover their retreat
essentially offering to sacrifice his life, so that a hope no matter how dismal it may seem
would persist. The King agreed with a heavy heart and made his withdrawal, as Huor, Húrin and
those men of Dor-Lómin who had survived the onslaught so far erected a living wall of
spear and shield across the Fens of Serech. This noble sacrifice on their part allowed
the battered and broken remnants of the Elvish contingent to make it back to the valley of
Gondolin without giving away its location. The men of Dor-Lómin sold their lives dearly
in the dying embers of the War of the Jewels, with the field littered with Orcish
bodies as the rearguard numbers dwindled until none, but none except
Húrin remained to continue the fight. With the oath to fight to the last to protect
Turgon and his people at the forefront of his mind, Húrin fought on alone. With his sword and
spear now lost to him, he hefted a great axe that belonged to a slain Orcish captain and brought
low seventy of the enemy’s number with this crude weapon. Each time the blade rose and made
a sickening impact upon the unending tide of the great enemy a mighty cry would usher from Húrin’s
lips, “Aurë entuluva!” Day shall come again. Seventy times was the stirring call heard upon
that black day, yet even this formidable scion of a warrior dynasty could not stay the coming of
the night and the terrors which were soon to be loosed upon all he held dear. For among this group
were a great number of the troll guard of Morgoth, whose caustic blood caused the axe to be destroyed
as it simply began to fade away in Húrin’s hands, this would prove to be the end of the final
ounce of resistance in Northern Beleriand. As he had been left effectively unarmed, Gothmog
captured the last of the rearguard of Dor-Lómin and brought him in chains to Angband.[GI1]
Following on from the Nírnaeth Aernoediad and the shedding of Unnumbered tears, by Elf, Edain and
Dwarf in equal measure, Morgoth had effectively achieved as complete victory as he could have
imagined. The power of the Free Peoples to engage him in open combat was utterly broken, all of the
people of Hithlum had been destroyed and the sons of Feanor scattered. All Beleriand, bar Doriath
still within the protection of the Girdle of Melian, had been razed by the Orcish rabble and
the Havens of the Falas had also been sacked. Morgoth paid little heed to the surviving
kingdoms of Nargothrond and Doriath, for he knew that they posed little threat to
him now in their diminished states. Morgoth further displayed his cruel guile by betraying his
Easterling allies, as he trapped them in Hithlum under penalty of death, which deprived them
of the newly won fertile lands of Beleriand. Yet the victory was not entirely complete due to
the time won by the living wall of the Dor-Lómin, as the newly crowned High King of the Noldor
Turgon and his city Gondolin remained hidden from the gaze of the Dark Lord. In the hopes
of discovering its location, Húrin was brought to the Dark Lord, yet he would not reveal the
city’s location and instead mocked Morgoth, insisting he would never betray Turgon. In
response, a curse of titanically terrible proportions was laid upon Húrin and his kin, with
the valorous man of Dor-Lómin bound to a chair upon Thangorodrim, where he would be forced to
watch the brutal tale unfold before his very eyes. “Sit now there; and look out upon the lands
where evil and despair shall come upon those whom you lovest. Thou hast dared to mock
me, and to question the power of Melkor, Master of the fates of Arda. Therefore with my
eyes thou shalt see, and with my ears shalt hear; and never shalt thou move from this place
until all is fulfilled unto its bitter end.” Following on from the Nirnaeth Aernoediad the
Free Peoples of Middle-Earth reached their lowest ebb since the coming of Feanor and
the Noldor to the shores of the continent. The great victories and hard won equilibrium which
had been established in the intervening years had all been for nought. As the Doom of Mandos still
hung upon the Free Peoples removing any chance of overcoming the impending darkness which spread
from the Gates of Angband with a slow unceasing certainty to which none amongst the Free Peoples
could halt. Yet even in this point in Tolkien’s mythos whereupon the night was at its darkest,
the efforts of those who had come before, who had so freely given their lives in the service of
a greater cause than themselves were not in vain. For as long as even the slightest sparking
ember of hope remained to those who persisted, the future would remain far from set. It is in
the lens cruel beauty that the First Age of Middle Earth and the War of the Jewels cements itself as
the bedrock upon which the fantasy genre now rests ands such is to be J.R.R .Tolkien’s great legacy.
The next few videos in this series will conclude our tale with the War of Wrath
and the coming of the Valar, but we are planning to cover the battles of many
other fantasy, sci-fi, and space opera universes, so make sure you have subscribed and pressed the
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