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Battle of the Pelennor Fields

2018-05-31T02:08:49Z

142.44.139.84: added info to the infobox regarding forces numbers; also added my references to additional info

{{disambig-more|Battle of the Pelennor Fields|[[Battle of the Pelennor Fields (disambiguation)]]}}
{{cleanup}}{{sources}}
{{battle|
image=[[File:Per Sjögren - The Battle of the Pelennor Fields.jpg|300px]]|
name=Battle of the Pelennor Fields|
conflict=[[War of the Ring]]|
date=[[15 March]] {{TA|3019}}|
place=[[Minas Tirith]] and [[Pelennor Fields]], [[Gondor]]|
result= Victory of Gondor and Rohan|
side1=[[Gondor]], [[Rohan]], [[Arnor]]|
side2=[[Mordor]], [[Harad]], [[Rhûn]], [[Khand]]|
commanders1=*[[Denethor]] †
*[[Gandalf]]
*[[Imrahil]]
*[[Hirluin]] †
*[[Théoden]] †
*[[Grimbold]] †
*[[Éomer]]
*[[Aragorn]]
| commanders2=*[[Witch-king of Angmar]] †
*[[Gothmog (Lieutenant of Morgul)|Gothmog]] †
*[[Black Serpent]] †
| forces1=
* 5,000 [[Gondorian Military Forces|Gondorian soldiers]] + 250 [[Guards of the Citadel]]
* Less than 3,000 men from outlying provinces<ref>{{RK|MT}}</ref> (including a 700-strong contigent from [[Dol Amroth]]<ref>{{RK|MT}}</ref>)
* 6,000 [[Rohirrim]] cavalry soldiers<ref>{{RK|Muster}}</ref>
*30 [[Dúnedain of Arnor|Northern Dúnedain]]<ref>{{RK|Company}}</ref>
| forces2=
* 130,000 [[Orcs]]<ref>Foster, Robert (1971). Tolkien's World From A to Z, The Complete Guide to Middle Earth. Ballantine Books. pp. 48 & 49.</ref>
* 18,000 [[Easterlings]], [[Haradrim]], and [[Variags]]<ref>{{RK|Battle}}</ref>
* Several [[Oliphaunts]] and [[Trolls]]<ref>Foster, Robert (1971). Tolkien's World From A to Z, The Complete Guide to Middle Earth. Ballantine Books. pp. 48 & 49.</ref>
| casual1=Severe
| casual2=Near-total
}}{{wotr}}
The '''Battle of the Pelennor Fields''' was the greatest battle of the [[War of the Ring]], and indeed the largest of the entire [[Third Age]].

==History==
===Prelude===
{{seealso|Siege of Gondor}}
After the fall of [[Osgiliath]] there was no longer a barrier against the forces of [[Mordor]], which moved on the [[Pelennor Fields]] before the city on [[15 March]] {{TA|3019}} as the [[The Darkness|Great Darkness]] blotted out the sun. Almost all of Minas Tirith's civilian population was evacuated prior to the siege, and were sent southward to Gondor's southern fiefdoms.<ref>{{RK|V1}}</ref>

===Opposing Forces===

Mordor's troops consisted of some 18,000 [[Easterlings]] and [[Haradrim]],<ref name="Rohirrim">{{RK|Ride}}</ref> several Haradrim war [[Oliphaunts]], and tens of thousands of [[Orcs]]; the defenders' numbers were considerably less. the city's garrison likely was no more than 4,000,{{fact}} the survivors from Osgiliath probably numbered around 1,000{{fact}} (One third of that garrison were killed), there were about 6000{{fact}} men from southern [[Gondor]] who arrived just before the siege commenced.

===Battle===
Mordor's hosts set fire to the plains and farms outside of the city and hewed apart anyone they found, living or dead. The Orcs began digging trenches and setting up siege equipment and catapults. These were out of range of the city's defenses, as was the city out of theirs. Some of the defenders laughed and mocked this effort, one even claiming that Sauron himself could not break through Minas Tirith's walls.

Their laughter turned to peril and fear, however, when Mordor's massive catapults flung their shot extremely high, well over the city's walls and into the first level. Through Sauron's arts many projectiles detonated and burst into flame. Along with these the Orcs also launched the heads of Gondor's fallen soldiers and other Men they had slain over the walls, causing despair among the defenders.<ref>{{RK|V4}}</ref> Though these machines could still not inflict serious harm to the immense first wall, the great battering ram [[Grond (battering ram)|Grond]] (named after [[Morgoth]]'s weapon from the First Age) was put into action.

At midnight Grond rolled to the face of the city. The [[Witch-king]] cried out evil spells unto it, breaking the mighty main gate in only three swings, and the Witch-king rode into the city unchallenged, save by [[Gandalf]]. Before Gandalf's strength was put to the test, however, the cock crowed and the horns of [[Rohan]] were heard as around 6,000 of their riders joined the battle. Mordor's strategy for keeping Rohan out of the battle had failed twice, both through the defeat at Helm's Deep and the blockade in Anórien. So the Witch-king was forced to ride out and attack them instead of fighting Gandalf and destroying the city.

King Théoden's charge drove the Mordor forces from the northern half of the field, and charging the Haradrim cavalry he slew the Southron chieftain, the [[Black Serpent]], and cut down his standardbearer. Mordor's forces counter-attacked, however, and the Witch-king, having rode out to fight Rohan's charge, set upon them and racked them with fear.
[[File:Laurent Alquier - Éowyn's Stand in the Pelennor Fields.jpg|thumb|left|[[Laurent Alquier]] - ''Éowyn's Stand in the Pelennor Fields'']]
When the Witch-king's fell beast attacked King [[Théoden]] of Rohan, the king's horse [[Snowmane]] lost control, and was hit by a black dart. Snowmane fell with the king atop him, and the horse landed on him, mortally wounding him. All about the King were his slain knights, and any survivors fled from the Witch-king's terrifying visage. The fell beast raked its claws upon Snowmane's neck and readied to devour Théoden, but the warrior [[Dernhelm]], defending the king's body, stood tearful yet defiant, forbidding the Witch-king to defile the king's corpse. The Witch-king mocked him, telling him that no living man might hinder him. Éowyn threw off her disguise as Dernhelm and revealed herself as "no man at all". The Black Captain remained silent, as if he hesitated slightly due to [[Glorfindel]]'s prophecy, but heeded it no longer, ignoring the [[hobbits|Hobbit]] [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]] nearby and attacking Éowyn with great malice. She slew his fell beast, but the Witch-king rose from it, towering over her. With a violent cry that stung her ears like venom he threw his black mace upon her shield, splintering it and shattering her arm. She fell to her knees in bitter pain and he loomed over her, raising his mace to kill her. However, before he could do so, the Witch-king too fell; Merry had wounded him with a sword that had been forged centuries before during the war between [[Arnor]] and [[Angmar]] and which contained spells against the Witch-king. The spells finally found their target, for the Witch-king was distracted and possibly seriously weakened. Éowyn, with her last strength, drove her sword into the Witch-king's crown, her sword shattering and the Black Captain of Mordor slain, his spirit fading into a shrill voice on the wind. The [[Black Breath]] caused both Merry and Éowyn to become gravely ill, and Éowyn's ruined arm kept her from fighting any further that day. They were sent to the [[Houses of Healing]] in the city, and command of the Rohirrim then passed to Théoden's nephew and heir, Third Marshall Éomer. Though a demoralizing blow to Mordor's forces on the field, they held together, and Gothmog, Lieutenant of Minas Morgul, assumed command.

At the same time, [[Faramir]], son of [[Denethor]], Steward of Gondor, was also gravely wounded. Despairing at the visions of defeat that [[Sauron]] had sent him via his ''[[palantíri|palantír]]'', and believing Faramir to be beyond aid, Denethor prepared to burn himself and his son upon a funeral pyre. Only the intervention of [[Peregrin Took]] and Gandalf saved Faramir, but Denethor immolated himself before they could prevent him.

Meanwhile, the battle turned against the Rohirrim. The Southrons charged with their Mûmakil and wherever they went horses went wild with fear or were trampled underfoot, and the forces of Mordor rallied around them like islands of defence that the Rohirrim cavalry could not overtake. Éomer, grim after the death of Théoden but shocked by the unexpected (seeming) death of his sister Éowyn, the last living member of his family, flew into a [[berserker]] rage and charged his cavalry headlong into the larger enemy forces. So great was the wrath of the outnumbered Rohirrim at the death of their King that they broke through the superior Mordor forces, hammering deep wedges into the Mordor legions' front lines. His fury betrayed him, however; the horses panicked at the sight of the towering Mûmakil, and the Haradrim retreated amongst them. Gothmog retaliated against Éomer's advance, sending fierce Variags, elite Haradrim warriors, and monstrous Troll-men against the Rohirrim, and they were set into despair. The cavalry of Rohan were cut off from the rest of their allies. Éomer and his forces retreated to the docks near the Harlond south of the city where he desperately circled up his men on a hill and prepared to fight to the death. When he saw enemy reinforcements sailing up the River [[Anduin]], he sang a solemn and sorrowful dirge, though laughed as he did, preparing to die defiantly as Rohan's final leader.
[[File:Anke Eißmann - The Black Serpent founders.jpg|right|thumb|300px|[[Anke Eißmann]] - ''The Black Serpent founders'']]
One of the visions that Denethor had seen was of a fleet of enemy ships with black sails arriving at the landings to the south of the Pelennor in the Rammas, but what he had not seen was that they were actually manned by [[Aragorn]] and other [[Rangers of the North]], [[Gimli]], [[Legolas]], [[Elladan]], [[Elrohir]] and many reinforcements from southern fiefdoms of Gondor. As Aragorn's army drove north a great part of Mordor's forces were pinned between Aragorn and Éomer's cavalry, and were "caught between the hammer and the anvil". Without the Witch-king's leadership, and with vast numbers encroaching them on all sides, many of Mordor's troops panicked and began to flee; Aragorn's army then linked with Éomer's, and with their aid the tide of battle was finally turned. Despite the Orcs engaging in a cowardly and disorganized retreat, many Easterlings and Haradrim held their ground and fought proudly to the death, delaying the Western host and allowing others to rout. The vicinity of the Rammas Echor was soon empty of Sauron's forces, and a brief respite was won until the [[Battle of the Morannon|final battle]] before the [[Morannon|Black Gate]].

=== Aftermath ===

There is no clearly stated final death toll for the Battle of Pelennor Fields. There is a definite figure for the army of the Rohirrim that came to Gondor's defence; it consisted of 6,000 riders, and a full 2,000 were killed in the battle, including Théoden. Of the 6 to 7 thousand Gondorian defenders of Minas Tirith, and the large relief force of Gondor's southern provinces led by Aragorn, no definite figure remains. Two days after the battle, Aragorn led an army out to attack the Black Gate that consisted of 7,000 men (When he reached the Black Gate he had less than 6,000); 2,000 Rohirrim and 5,000 Gondorians. The size of Aragorn's relief force may have been over 5,000 or as little as 1,000, it is never stated. Éomer stated that very few of Rohan's horses remained, and either killed or wounded, he could not "hope to lead even two thousands" in the Last Debate. With a number around 18,000 at the least participating and only 7,000 remaining to march out to war, even a conservative estimate would place total Western losses at 9,000 and perhaps more. Forlong, Grimbold, Théoden, and Hirluin were slain in combat, and the near-defeat of Gondor led Steward Denethor to commit suicide during the siege. Minas Tirith itself suffered heavily in the siege, and its strongest gate was broken. A grey rain fell over the city and the plains following the battle's end, putting out many fires much to the relief of its inhabitants. Despite their losses, the arrival of reinforcements from the southern fiefs allowed Gondor to maintain a larger garrison in the city after the Siege than it had at the outset.

As for Mordor's losses, again, the size of Sauron's great army is not definitely known. The full host was estimated at perhaps 75,000. The Orcs and Trolls of Sauron made up most of the force, though it is known that there were some 18,000 [[Haradrim]]. (The Rohirrim, consisting of 6,000 riders, were "thrice outnumbered by the Haradrim alone".) Almost all of the attackers were slain or routed; though not specifically mentioned, all of the War [[Oliphaunts|Mûmakil]] were likely killed, along with numerous Trolls, Orcs, and Evil Men. Those whom escaped fled across the River Anduin to East Osgiliath, many drowning in the process; not one living thing was left in the vicinity of the Rammas. Few escaped, and those that did spread word of Gondor's wrathful victory in their homelands. Most grievous of all to Sauron was the permanent loss of the Witch-king, the Lord of the Nazgûl and his most powerful servant. The fate of Gothmog, Mordor's second commander in the battle, is not mentioned.

Although a great and almost miraculous victory, at the subsequent Last Debate, Gandalf counselled that militarily, Sauron would still defeat them. The Free Peoples had managed to destroy an army outnumbering them as much as 5 to 1, but lost nearly half of their own forces. Sauron had suffered a defeat, but he still had other legions and the force that attacked Minas Tirith, while substantial, was but a fraction of his total strength. Rohan and Gondor had been able to secure their flanks, eliminating the threat of Isengard and the Corsairs on the southern coasts, but Gandalf counselled that even with all of their forces concentrated in the main front near Minas Tirith, it would simply result in a war of attrition; either defensively or offensively, Sauron would tactically prevail. Thus, it was agreed that it was impossible to achieve a conventional military victory through strength of arms, and instead to risk all on a last throw of the dice by Aragorn leading a diversionary attack on the Black Gate, to aid Frodo's passage in Mordor.

==Portrayal in adaptations==
'''2003: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King]]'':'''
:The battle is the major centrepiece of the last film, although some of the events described above are simplified or altered for cinematic purposes. The Gondorian forces from the kingdom's fiefs are absent, replaced only by the [[Rohirrim]]. These are joined by Aragorn leading the "[[Oathbreakers|Army of the Dead]]" (instead of the Gondorian reinforcements) at the very end of the battle. Importance is given to the charge of the [[Oliphaunts|Mûmakil]], the death of [[Théoden]], and the [[Witch-king]]'s demise at the hands of [[Éowyn]].

:The battle begins with [[Sauron]]'s forces marching on the city and firing a volley of severed [[Gondorians|Gondorian]] heads over the walls (as in the book). Seeing [[Mordor]]'s overwhelming army, [[Denethor]] despairs, and [[Gandalf]] assumes command of the defenders. Both Sauron's army and the defenders of [[Minas Tirith]] exchange fire by way of catapults and trebuchets. Many Orcs and a few dozen Gondorian soldiers were killed, whilst some catapults and siege towers were destroyed. Then the [[Nazgûl|Ringwraiths]], mounted, on top of their [[fell beasts]], descended from the skies, spreading fear throughout the city and destroying many catapults. Meanwhile, [[Trolls]] bring forth the siege towers and engage the Gondorian troops and Gandalf in combat throughout the night. As the battle continues in the dark, the [[Orcs]] bring forth a giant battering ram named [[Grond (battering ram)|Grond]] and, with it, the [[Great Gate of Minas Tirith]] is shattered, allowing the Orcs, Trolls, and [[Wargs]] to invade the city. In the book, the populace was almost entirely evacuated before the battle. In the movie, the women and children remained, and many were slaughtered in the lower levels.

:By morning, the Gondorian soldiers had taken heavy casualties and retreated to the higher levels of Minas Tirith. There, Gandalf helps them to hold out until Théoden and six thousand Rohirrim arrive, decimating the invading Orcs and routing the Witch-king's right flank; however, [[Sauron]]'s reserves soon arrive with several [[Oliphaunts]], commanded by the [[Haradrim]], who turn the tide against the Rohirrim. Fortunately, [[Aragorn]] arrives later with the Army of the Dead (see [[Paths of the Dead]]), and they crush the remainder of Sauron's forces before entering Minas Tirith.

{{references}}
[[Category:Conflicts of the War of the Ring]]
[[de:Schlacht auf dem Pelennor]]
[[fr:encyclo:evenements:3a:guerres:bataille_des_champs_du_pelennor]]
[[fi:Pelennorin kenttien taistelu]]

Dol Guldur

2018-05-31T01:26:44Z

142.44.139.84: added info to infobox

{{Countdown}}
{{disambig-two|the stronghold in [[Mirkwood]]|[[Middle-earth Role Playing|MERP]] supplement|[[Dol Guldur (book)]]}}
{{location infobox
| name=Dol Guldur
| image=[[File:Matěj Čadil - Dol Guldur.jpg|250px]]
| caption="Dol Guldur" by Matěj Čadil
| pronun=
| othernames=[[Amon Lanc]]
| location=Southern [[Mirkwood]]
| typeFortified stronghold/outpost
| description=Barren hilltop later occupied by [[Sauron]] and [[Nazgûl]]
| regions=
| towns=
| inhabitants=[[Silvan Elves]], later [[Orcs]] and other Fell creatures
| created=Around [[TA 1100]]
| destroyed=[[Third Age 3019|TA 3019]]
| events=[[Attack on Dol Guldur]], [[Fall of Dol Guldur]]
}}
{{Pronounce|Dol Guldur.mp3|Ardamir}}

'''Dol Guldur''' ("Hill of Sorcery" in [[Sindarin]]),<ref>{{S|Index}}</ref> also called "the dungeons of the Necromancer",<ref>{{H|1}}</ref><ref>''"The sins of Middle Earth, Tolkien's use of Allegory"''. Chapter 6. Greenwood Press. pp. 86.</ref> was a stronghold of [[Sauron]] located in the south of [[Mirkwood]].

==History==
Dol Guldur was originally known as '''[[Amon Lanc]]''' ("Bald Hill") in [[Mirkwood|Greenwood the Great]].<ref>{{UT|Gladden}}, note 12, p. 280</ref> It had been the capital of [[Oropher]]'s [[Silvan Elves]], who had departed north to the Dark Mountains<ref>{{UT|Gladden}}, note 14, p. 280</ref> (later known as the [[Mountains of Mirkwood]]).

Somewhere after {{TA|1000}}, an evil presence took over Amon Lanc. It was in {{TA|1050|n}} that a [[shadow]] fell upon Greenwood and it began to be called [[Mirkwood]]).<ref name="TA">{{App|TA}}</ref> The hostile entity was known as "the [[Necromancer]]" by the peoples. [[Thranduil]] son of [[Oropher]] led his people over the [[Forest River]], where they remained.<ref>{{UT|6b}}, p. 259</ref>
[[File:John Howe - Pass the Doors of Dol Guldur.jpg|thumb|left|[[John Howe]] - ''Pass the Doors of Dol Guldur'']]
The [[White Council|Council of the Wise]] long feared the Necromancer might be none other than [[Sauron]] himself who secretly regained his powers after his defeat in the [[War of the Last Alliance]]. In {{TA|2063|n}} [[Gandalf]] went to Dol Guldur, and the "Necromancer", not yet powerful, fled to the [[East]] so as not to be identified.

After [[Watchful Peace|four centuries]] in {{TA|2460|n}}, just as [[the One Ring]] was found by [[Sméagol]] the [[Stoors|Stoor]], the "Necromancer" returned there.<ref name="TA"/>

A dark [[shadow]] and cloud flowed from Dol Guldur whereas a golden mist that came from [[Lothlórien]] to the west contended with the darkness coming from Mirkwood. In {{TA|2510}} when [[Eorl]] the Young was leading his riders to the [[Battle of the Field of Celebrant]] he steered his force westward to avoid the phenomenon of the shadow, and they entered the mist.<ref>{{UT|Cirion}}, p. 298</ref>

In {{TA|2845|n}} [[Thráin|Thráin II]], [[Kings of Durin's Folk|King of Durin's Folk]]-in-exile and holder of the [[Ring of Thrór|last]] of the [[Seven Rings]] of the [[Dwarves]], was on his way to the [[Lonely Mountain]]. He was captured near the eaves of Mirkwood, imprisoned and tortured in Dol Guldur's dungeons, and his Ring taken from him. In {{TA|2850|n}} Gandalf again entered Dol Guldur, found the dying Thráin, and was entrusted with the [[Thrór's Map|map]] and key to give to [[Thorin]], although Thráin could not tell him his own or his son's name before he died. Gandalf confirmed that the Necromancer, the master of Dol Guldur at that time, was Sauron.<ref name="TA"/>
[[File:Angus McBride - Dol Guldur.jpg|thumb|Angus McBride - ''Dol Guldur'']]
Gandalf returned to the [[White Council]] and urged an attack on Dol Guldur, but was overruled by [[Saruman]], who secretly had begun searching for the One Ring in the area by then. In {{TA|2941}} Saruman finally agreed to an attack, which occurred at the same time as the [[Quest of Erebor]]. This was carefully planned by Gandalf, so that Sauron and [[Smaug]] could not assist each other, as otherwise they could easily have done. During the attack, Sauron fled to [[Mordor]], his plans now ready.

In {{TA|2951|n}} Dol Guldur was reoccupied by [[Khamûl]], the second chief<ref>{{UT|Hunt}}, note 1, p. 352</ref>, and two other [[Nazgûl]].<ref name="TA"/>

In the following decades Dol Guldur must have rebuilt some of its power until the [[War of the Ring]], during which its forces made assaults upon the [[Woodland Realm]] and [[Lothlórien|Lórien]],<ref name=great/> causing grievous damage to the outlying woodlands. However each time they were driven back by [[Thranduil]] and [[Galadriel]] who held the power of [[Nenya]]; which only Sauron himself could have overcome.

Dol Guldur was finally destroyed and cleansed by the [[Elves]] of Lórien, led by [[Galadriel]], after Sauron's fall.<ref name=great>{{App|Great}}</ref>

==Etymology==
''Dol Guldur'' is [[Sindarin]] from ''dol'' "hill" and ''[[guldur]]'' "sorcery".{{fact}}

==Other versions of the legendarium==
The original name of Dol Guldur was Dol Dúgol, and on [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]]'s first map for ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' the hill was located much farther east than its later location (in square M-15 of Map II).<ref name="Map II">{{TI|MII}}, p. 305</ref> [[Christopher Tolkien]] explained that Map II had faint traces of green which suggested that Mirkwood originally extended farther to the east too.<ref>{{TI|First}}, p. 298</ref> The name Dol Dúgol was stricken out and the hill was moved to its later location on this map, but its name became Dol Dúghul before finally changing to Dol Guldur.<ref name="Map II"/>

==Portrayal in adaptations==
{{Gallery
|title=Dol Guldur in adaptations
|width=165
|height=140
|lines=3
|File:Dol Guldur.jpg|Dol Guldur in ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]''
|File:Galadriel dol guldur bfmeII.JPG|The [[Fall of Dol Guldur]] from ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II|The Battle for Middle-earth II]]''
}}
===Films===
'''2012: ''[[The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey]]'':'''
:Dol Guldur is depicted as a ruined and abandoned fortress of unknown origin. It features statues of the Nazgûl. [[Radagast]], not [[Gandalf]], enters Dol Guldur. He is attacked by the [[Witch-king]], obtains a [[Morgul-knife|Morgul blade]], and finds that Dol Guldur is occupied by a [[Sauron|Necromancer]]. He then travels to Gandalf to tell him the news and gives him the sword as proof.

'''2013: ''[[The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug]]'':'''
:Gandalf enters Dol Guldur to investigate its ruins. There he meets [[Azog]] and his army. He tries to escape, but is trapped by [[Sauron|the Necromancer]], who reveals to Gandalf his true identity. Gandalf is later seen trapped in one of the cages.

'''2014: ''[[The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies]]'':'''
:[[Galadriel]] enters Dol Guldur in order to rescue Gandalf. Accompanied by [[Saruman]] and [[Elrond]] they encounter Sauron and [[Nazgûl|the Nine]]. The [[Attack on Dol Guldur|Attack]] begins and Sauron flees to [[Mordor|the East]].

===Games===
'''2004: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: War of the Ring]]'':'''
:Dol Guldur makes appearance during both "Good" and "Evil" campaigns as a site of a major battleground.

'''2006: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II]]'':'''
:Dol Guldur is commanded by the [[Mouth of Sauron]], not [[Khamûl]]. Dol Guldur (or Mordor itself) sent a huge army of Orcs, Haradrim, and Trolls to assault [[Lonely Mountain|Erebor]]. The attack fails, and the Mouth of Sauron is killed along with all the attacking force. Dol Guldur is then itself attacked by a combined army of Elves and Dwarves led by [[Elrond]], [[Arwen]], [[Glorfindel]], [[Glóin]], and [[Dáin Ironfoot]]. After a long and hard struggle, the Elves and Dwarves finally overrun Dol Guldur and lay waste to the evil that dwelled there, ending Sauron's war campaign in the North once and for all.

:In the Evil Campaign, the Goblins from Dol Guldur eliminate the Elves and the Ents that guard the Forest Road in Mirkwood.

'''2007: ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]'':'''
:Dol Guldur is a central point in the game's second expansion, ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online: Siege of Mirkwood]]''. In its storyline, Celeborn and Galadriel organize a military campaign against Dol Guldur while the Fellowship still resides in Lothlórien (not to be confused with the later battle during the War of the Ring). The announced goal is to sow chaos into Orc forces by destroying as many of their troops, weapons and supplies as possible, to delay an inevitable assault upon Lothlórien. The true purpose, however, is to distract the Eye of Sauron from the company departing down the shores of Anduin. An assault by the Golden Host of the Galadhrim is successful despite minor losses and after establishing multiple camps throughout southern Mirkwood arrives at the walls of the fortress itself. However, without the White Lady they do not have the means of bringing down the walls, so the Elves prepare to swiftly fall back beyond Anduin before the main forces of the Enemy arrive. The players can also explore multiple locations within the Fortress, among them the Necromancer's Gate, the Ringwraith's Lair, the Dungeons of Dol Guldur, the chief tower named Barad Guldur and Sammath Gul - the chambers once occupied by the Dark Lord himself.

==See also==
* [[:Category:Images of Dol Guldur|Images of Dol Guldur]]
* [[Attack on Dol Guldur]]
* [[Fall of Dol Guldur]]
* [[Sauron|Necromancer]]
{{references}}
[[Category:Buildings]]
[[Category:Fortresses]]
[[Category:Rhovanion]]
[[Category:Sindarin locations]]

[[de:Dol Guldur]]
[[fi:Dol Guldur]]
[[fr:encyclo:geographie:villes_tours_et_forteresses:rhovanion:dol_guldur]]

Easterlings

2018-05-31T01:16:22Z

142.44.139.84: added info; also added my references

{{people infobox
| name=Easterlings
| image=[[File:John Howe - Easterlings.jpg|250px]]
| caption="Easterlings" by [[John Howe]]
| pronun=
| othernames=
| origin=
| location=Lands east of and including [[Rhûn]]; [[Rhovanion]]; [[March of Maedhros]]; [[Hithlum]]
| affiliation=[[Sauron]]
| rivalry=
| language=[[Westron]], and several different Eastern tongues
| members=[[Khamûl]], [[Easterlings (First Age)]] ([[Brodda]], [[Lorgan]], [[Ulfang]], [[Uldor]], [[Ulfast]], [[Ulwarth]], [[Bór]], [[Borlach]], [[Borlad]], [[Borthand]])
| lifespan=
| distinctions=Use of the war-wagons ([[Wainriders]] and [[Balchoth]])
| height=
| hair=Dark
| skin=Swarthy in the [[First Age]]
| clothing=
| weapons=Jagged spears (shorter, odd, glaive-like version for close combat)<ref name=cirion/>, swords, bows, axes<ref>{{RK|V6}}</ref>
}}
The '''Easterlings''' were [[Men]] who lived in the [[East]] of [[Middle-earth]], and were enemies of the [[Free peoples]].

== History ==
In the [[First Age]], Men [[Awakening of Men|awoke]] in [[Hildórien]] in the [[East]]. Some of them were early corrupted by [[Morgoth]], prompting others (the [[Edain]]) to migrate westwards.<ref name=dm>{{PM|Dwarves}}</ref>

Centuries later, after [[Dagor Bragollach]], tribes of [[Men]] joined the Edain in [[Beleriand]], long after their arrival. These [[Easterlings (First Age)|Swarthy Men]] came from the east, probably [[Eriador]] and were also called "Easterlings". Two of their leaders were [[Bór]] and [[Ulfang]].<ref>{{S|Fingolfin}}</ref>

[[File:Easterling.jpg|thumb|right|An Easterling in ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers]]'']]
In the [[Second Age]] [[Sauron]] escaped the judgment of the [[Valar]] and continued his former master's work, turning the Men of the [[East]] and [[South]] to evil and dominating them. Under the authority of the Dark Lord, many towns and walls of stone were built, and those under his influence became numerous and armed with iron. To these men, Sauron was feared as a king and god.<ref name=dm/><ref name=rings>{{S|Rings}}</ref> During the [[Dark Years]] Sauron dominated most of the [[Westlands]], and when Sauron was driven back to [[Mordor]], he continued his expansions eastwards gaining servants and worshippers.<ref name=dm/><ref>{{UT|Amroth}}</ref>

===Third Age===
After Sauron's defeat in the [[War of the Last Alliance]], these "Wild Men" were released by his tyranny but they still had [[The Darkness|darkness]] in their hearts. Evil and restless, they battled against each other and some withdrew to the hated West.<ref>{{UT|6b}}</ref> Thus they encountered the lands of [[Gondor]] and since then, tribes brought trouble periodically with several attacks and migrations. Even [[Northmen]] often assailed Gondor for a long time.<ref>{{TT|IV5}}</ref>

Easterlings often attacked Gondor from the plains between the [[Sea of Rhûn]] and the [[Ash Mountains]]. They first enter the records of [[Gondor]] in {{TA|490}} and [[Tarostar]] managed a first victory against them in {{TA|500}}. In {{TA|541}} they invaded [[Ithilien]] but [[Turambar (King of Gondor)|Turambar of Gondor]] destroyed the horde and conquered a new territory in [[Rhûn]] for Gondor.<ref name=gondor/>

In the following centuries, the Easterlings cease, while Gondor was free to extend its borders to [[South Gondor|the south]]. That was until the days of [[Narmacil I]] when the Easterlings resumed their attacks, even some greedy Northmen joined them. In {{TA|1248}} an Easterling army marched in the lands between [[Rhovanion]] and the [[Sea of Rhûn]]. Forces from Gondor - aided by Northmen of [[Rhovanion]] - defeated them and destroyed their camps and settlements east of the Inland Sea.<ref name=gondor/>

After this defeat, the Easterlings disappeared from the Gondorian records for some period, during which Gondor was again occupied with the south and the [[Corsairs of Umbar]].

=== The Wainriders ===
During that time tribes of Easterlings form the confederacy known as the '''[[Wainriders]]''' (q.v.) who would trouble the Kingdom and the Northmen.<ref name=gondor>{{App|Gondor}}</ref>

Gondor was weakened by the [[Great Plague]] and the Wainriders defeated the Gondorian army in {{TA|1856}}, raided the lands of [[Rhovanion]] and enslaved its people. Some of these lands eventually were reclaimed by King [[Calimehtar (King of Gondor)|Calimehtar]].

In {{TA|1944}} the Wainriders, allied with the [[Haradrim]] of [[Near Harad]] and the [[Variags]] of [[Khand]], managed a brief victory against Gondor, despite the assistance by the [[Éothéod]]; eventually they were [[Battle of the Camp|defeated]] in their camp during their celebrations.

After this defeat, the might of the Wainriders was broken although still held Rhovanion, and they retreated east. Most importantly, King [[Ondoher]] and both his sons were slain in that assault, an event that led to the extinction of the line of the [[Kings of Gondor]].

In {{TA|2063}} the Necromancer (who was actually Sauron) retreated from [[Dol Guldur]] for some centuries. That period was known as the [[Watchful Peace]] for the [[Westlands]], but during that time Sauron retreated to the East and managed to create a strong alliance between the various tribes of Easterlings.

===The Balchoth===
The '''[[Balchoth]]''' were a fierce race southeast of [[Mirkwood]], under orders of [[Dol Guldur]]<ref name=A1ivS>{{App|A1ivS}}</ref> and no doubt related to the [[Wainriders]].<ref name=cirion/> In {{TA|2510}} they and [[Orcs]] overran the plains of [[Calenardhon]] and almost destroyed the army of Steward [[Cirion]], but were defeated by the [[Éothéod]].<ref name=A1ivS/><ref name=cirion>{{UT|Cirion}}</ref>

In {{TA|2545}} some Easterlings renewed their attacks and entered the new-founded [[Rohan]]. Thus [[Eorl]] fell fighting in [[the Wold]].<ref>{{App|Mark}}</ref>

During these struggles, Sauron reclaimed Mordor unnoticed in {{TA|2941}}.

=== War of the Ring ===
Easterlings serving Mordor fought in the [[War of the Ring]] alongside the [[Haradrim]] and [[Variags]]. They appeared in the [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]] and the [[Battle of Dale]].

In the [[Fourth Age]] some Easterlings were subdued by [[Aragorn|King Elessar]] and King [[Éomer]].<ref>{{App|Eorl}}</ref>

== Culture ==
The Easterlings were in general more primitive than [[Gondor]]. They were motivated by [[Sauron]] to hate Gondor and seek its riches.

Troops mentioned in the Easterling forces aiding Sauron in the Third Age included swordsmen, spearmen, horsemen, mounted archers, and chariots ridden by chieftains.

The weapons that the Easterlings used were primarily crude, jagged spears, making them especially effective against cavalry, as well as a shorter, odd, glaive-like version used for close combat.<ref name=cirion/>

Some like the Wainriders and the Balchoth had large chariots, wagons, and wains which they used to run their foes down, as well as live in and used to fortify their camps.<ref name=cirion/> During the Battle of the [[Pelennor Fields]], Easterlings were bearded and used axes.<ref>{{RK|V6}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[:Category:Images of Easterlings|Images of Easterlings]]
{{references}}
[[Category:Men]]
[[Category:Easterlings]]
[[de:Ostlinge]]
[[fi:Itäläiset]]

Dwarves of Belegost

2018-05-30T02:02:16Z

142.44.139.84: added info

{{sources}}
{{people infobox
| name=Dwarves of Belegost
| image=
| caption=
| pronun=
| othernames=
| origin=
| location=[[Belegost]], [[Blue Mountains]]
| affiliation=Probably [[Broadbeams]]
| rivalry=
| language=[[Khuzdul]] [[Sindarin]]
| members=[[Azaghâl]]
| lifespan=c. 250 years
| distinctions=
| height=Five feet or less
| hair=
| skin=
| clothing=
| weapons=
}}
The '''Dwarves of Belegost''' were a people of [[Dwarves]] who dwelt in the city of Belegost, the northernmost of the two great Dwarf-cities that stood in the Blue Mountains during the [[First Age]].

They had generally better relations with the [[Elves]] than their neighbors in [[Nogrod]], and were behind the building of [[Menegroth]]. The Dwarves of Belegost were friends to the [[Sindar]]<ref name="Sindar">{{S|Sindar}}</ref> and later allies of the [[Noldor]] of [[Beleriand]].<ref>{{S|Noldor}}</ref> They first met the [[Noldor]] Elves near [[Rerir|Mount Rerir]] and a great friendship began between the two peoples; [[Maedhros]] once saved Lord [[Azaghâl]] from an [[Orcs|Orc]]-assault.<ref>{{UT|Narn}}, p. 75</ref> They joined the [[Union of Maedhros]] and fought bravely beside each other during the [[Nirnaeth Arnoediad]], where they lost their ruler Lord [[Azaghâl]] in battle to the dragon [[Glaurung]].

When the [[Dwarves of Nogrod]] assembled a great host of Dwarves to attack [[Doriath]], the Dwarves of Belegost tried to dissuade them from war, but their brethren from Nogrod did not heed their advice. These dwarves went on to fight in the [[Battle of the Thousand Caves]],<ref>{{S|Doriath}}</ref> and later met their demise the [[Battle of Sarn Athrad]]. After this tragedy the Dwarves of Belegost started leaving for [[Moria|Khazad-dûm]], for fear of reprisal from the Elves. There was much loathing between Elf and Dwarf from there on.<ref>{{UT|Concerning}}, p. 235</ref>

Belegost was later ruined in the [[War of Wrath]], and most of the dwarves left for Khazad-dûm. Some stayed to build, or rebuild, new homes and mines, along with the remaining [[Dwarves of Nogrod]]. However, Belegost seems to have been mostly abandoned.

In smithing, the Dwarves of Belegost were second only to the Dwarves of Nogrod. They learned many secrets in smithing from the Elves, and Elves from the Dwarves. They created many weapons for the Elves when evil began to stir in [[Beleriand]], and the smiths of Belegost were the first to create linked ring mail.

The essay Of Dwarves and Men in volume 12 of The History of Middle-earth mentions that the Dwarf-cities of Nogrod and Belegost were occupied by the [[Firebeard]] and [[Broadbeam]] clans. That source is not specific about which division of the Dwarves lived in which city, but based on the order of words used, the Dwarves of Belegost most likely derived from the Broadbeam line.

==Portrayal in adaptations==
'''1982-97: ''[[Middle-earth Role Playing]]'':'''
: The Dwarves of Belegost are called '''Thrár's Tribe'''.<ref>{{ICE|8004}}</ref><ref>[[Thomas Morwinsky]], "A Brief History of the Dwarven Mansions", in ''[[Other Minds]]'' issue 4 (July 2008)</ref>

==See also==
*[[Dwarves of Nogrod]]

{{References}}
[[Category:Dwarven peoples]]
[[de:Belegost]]
[[fi:Belegost]]

Azaghâl

2018-05-30T01:58:12Z

142.44.139.84: added info

__NOTOC__
{{dwarves infobox
| name=Azaghâl
| image=[[File:Jenny Dolfen - Azaghal.jpg|250px]]
| caption="Azaghâl" by [[Jenny Dolfen]]
| pronun=
| othernames=
| titles=[[Lord of Belegost]]
| position=
| location=[[Belegost]]
| affiliation=[[Union of Maedhros]]
| language=
| birth=
| birthlocation=
| rule=
| death={{FA|472}}
| deathlocation=[[Nirnaeth Arnoediad]]
| age=
| notablefor=Fatally injuring [[Glaurung]]
| house=Probably [[Broadbeams]]
| parentage=
| siblings=
| spouse=
| children=
| gender=Male
| height=
| hair=
| eyes=
| clothing=
| weapons=Axe and knife
| steed=
}}
'''Azaghâl''' was the Lord of the [[Dwarves of Belegost]] during the [[First Age]].

==History==
===Early History===
While traveling on the [[Dwarf-road of Beleriand|Dwarf-road]] in [[East Beleriand]], Azaghâl was waylaid by [[Orcs]]; [[Maedhros]] came to his rescue saving his life and treasure, and as a token of gratitude, the Dwarf king gave him his [[Dragon-helm of Dor-lómin|helm]] made by [[Telchar]].<ref>{{UT|Narn}}, p. 75</ref>

===Union of Maedhros===
Azaghâl and his Dwarves joined the [[Union of Maedhros]] and during the [[Nirnaeth Arnoediad]] the [[Dwarves of Belegost]] covered the retreat of the [[Sons of Fëanor]] by surrounding the Dragon [[Glaurung]]. They hewed at him with their axes, for his scales were not strong enough to shield him from the blows of Dwarven axes. In his rage Glaurung struck down Azaghâl, and crawled over him. With his last breath Azaghâl drove a knife into Glaurung's belly, so wounded him that he fled the field with many of the dismayed beasts of [[Angband]] following.
[[File:Joona Kujanen - The Fall of Azaghal.jpg|thumb|left|Joona Kujanen - ''The Fall of Azaghal'']]
The Dwarves raised up the body of their lord and bore him away; and with slow steps they walked behind singing a dirge in deep voices, as it were a funeral pomp in their country, and gave no heed to their foes; and none dared attack them.<ref>{{S|Fifth}}</ref>

==Etymology==
''Azaghâl'' is one of the few [[Khuzdul]] names known. It is not determined whether this was his birthname or an epithet. Its meaning is not known, but it has been argued that it is of the same [[Sundocarmë|Root]] as the [[Adûnaic]] verb ''[[azgara]]'', "to wage war" and even perhaps ''[[Azog]]''. ''Azaghâl'' would then mean "warrior".<ref>http://lalaith.vpsurf.de/Tolkien/Fr_Atani.html</ref>

{{references}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Azaghal}}

[[Category:Characters in The Silmarillion]]
[[Category:Dwarves]]
[[Category:First Age characters]]
[[Category:Khuzdul words]]
[[de:Azaghâl]]
[[fr:encyclo/personnages/nains/1a/azaghal]]
[[fi:Azaghâl]]

Durin's Folk

2018-05-28T23:56:18Z

142.44.139.84: added info to infobox

{{people infobox
| name=Longbeards
| image=[[File:Warren Mahy - Longbeard king.jpg|250px]]
| caption="[[:File:Warren Mahy - Longbeard king.jpg|Longbeard king]]" by Warren Mahy
| pronun=
| othernames=Longbeards
| origin=Descendants of [[Durin the Deathless]]
| location=[[Gundabad|Mount Gundabad]], [[Moria|Khazad-dûm]], [[Lonely Mountain|Erebor]], [[Grey Mountains]], [[Iron Hills]], [[Blue Mountains]], [[Thorin's Halls]], [[Glittering Caves]]
| affiliation=[[Last Alliance of Elves and Men]]
| rivalry=[[Elves]]
| language=[[Khuzdul]], [[Westron]], [[Sindarin]]
| members='''[[Durin]]''', [[Thorin]], [[Balin]], [[Dáin Ironfoot]], [[Gimli]]
| lifespan=Longer than other clans: c. 250 years
| distinctions=Oldest and wisest of the Dwarven clans Best relations with [[Elves]]
| height=
| hair=
| skin=
| clothing=
| weapons=
}}
'''Durin's Folk''' were the '''Longbeards''' (''[[Sigin-tarâg]]'' in [[Khuzdul]]), one of the seven kindreds of [[Dwarves]] whose leaders were from the [[House of Durin]]. Their first king was named [[Durin]], who was one of the seven [[Fathers of the Dwarves]].<ref name="Durin">{{App|Durin}}</ref>

==History==
===First Age===
In the deeps of time, the Fathers of the Dwarves awoke. Durin, who had slept alone at Mount [[Gundabad]],<ref name="Dwarves">{{PM|Dwarves}}</ref> wandered south along the [[Misty Mountains]] until he came upon [[Azanulbizar]]. In the caves above [[Kheled-zâram]], he founded the city of [[Moria|Khazad-dûm]], the home of Durin's Folk. Durin lived there so long he became known as Durin the Deathless, yet in the end he died before the end of the [[First Age]].<ref name="Durin"/>

The Dwarves of Khazad-dûm also colonized the [[Iron Hills]], which became Durin's Folk's primary source of iron-ore.<ref name=relations>{{PM|Relations}}, pp. 302-303</ref> The [[Old Forest Road|Dwarf-road of Mirkwood]] ran north-east to the Hills for the dwarf-traders and merchants between Khazad-dûm and the Hills.<ref>{{PM|XNotes}}, p. 323 (note 30)</ref> Durin's Folk also considered the [[Grey Mountains]], which lay between these two mansions, to be within their territory.<ref name=relations />

When [[Men]] first migrated west into [[Rhovanion]] and [[Eriador]], they encountered Durin's Folk. The Longbeards were the wisest and most farseeing of the seven kindreds and began dealing with Men, establishing an economy in which Men chiefly provided food in exchange for Dwarven work in building, road-construction, mining, and the crafting of tools and weapons. During this period the Longbeards adopted the speech of Men, keeping their own language to themselves.<ref name="Dwarves"/> Durin's Folk also battled against [[Morgoth]]'s [[Orcs]] and allied themselves with those Men who settled between the Grey Mountains and [[Mirkwood]], most of whom were associated with the [[House of Hador]].<ref name=relations />

===Second Age===
At the end of the First Age during the [[War of Wrath]] and the breaking of [[Thangorodrim]], the ancient cities of [[Nogrod]] and [[Belegost]] in the [[Blue Mountains]] had been ruined. In the [[Second Age]], about the year {{SA|40|n}},<ref name="SA">{{App|SA}}</ref> many Dwarves who lived in these cities left the destruction behind and came to Khazad-dûm, increasing its wealth and power.<ref name="Durin"/>

In {{SA|750|n}}, the [[Noldor]] established a new realm in [[Eregion]]. Being close to Khazad-dûm they established a friendship with Durin's Folk unlike any before between [[Elves]] and [[Dwarves]]. Although both peoples were enriched, eventually the Elves succumbed to the seduction of [[Sauron]] and forged the [[Rings of Power]] (the forging of these Rings began about {{SA|1500|n}} and one was given to [[Durin III]] in Khazad-dûm<ref name="Durin"/>). In {{SA|1693|n}} the [[War of the Elves and Sauron]] began. By {{SA|1697|n}}, Eregion was [[Sack of Eregion|destroyed]] and the Dwarves briefly fought the forces of Sauron outside their western gate. This led to the gates of Khazad-dûm being shut.<ref name="SA"/> During the [[Dark Years]] of Sauron's dominion, Durin's Folk remained enclosed in Khazad-dûm, which was unassailable from without. Its wealth remained unravished, but its people began to dwindle,<ref name="SA"/> and communication between it and the Iron Hills was cut off.<ref>{{PM|Relations}}, p. 306</ref>

In the [[Battle of Dagorlad]] in {{SA|3434|n}}, Durin's Folk sent forces to fight alongside the [[Last Alliance of Elves and Men]], and likely through the end of the [[War of the Last Alliance]].<ref>{{S|Rings}}</ref>

===Third Age===
During the reign of [[Durin VI]] in the [[Third Age]], the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm delved deeper and deeper for ''[[mithril]]'', which had become increasingly harder to find. In {{TA|1980|n}} however, they accidentally awoke a hidden [[Balrogs|Balrog]] that had fled from the coming of the [[Host of the West]] in the First Age, and killed King [[Durin VI]]. Finally in {{TA|1981|n}} his son [[Náin I]] was also killed and all the people of Khazad-dûm were either destroyed or fled far away.<ref name="Durin"/>

Most of Durin's Folk escaped to the north where in {{TA|1999|n}}<ref name="TA">{{App|TA}}</ref> [[Thráin I]] established a new capital within [[Lonely Mountain|Erebor]], becoming [[King under the Mountain]]. His son [[Thorin I]] left Erebor in {{TA|2210|n}}<ref name="TA"/> and travelled further north to settle in the Grey Mountains where most of Durin's Folk had gone. For a time they prospered there for the mountains were rich.<ref name="Durin"/>

Unfortunately, there were [[Dragons|dragons]] in the wastes north of the Grey Mountains, and in {{TA|2570|n}} they began [[War of the Dwarves and Dragons|making war]] against the Longbeards. The conflict came to a climax in {{TA|2589|n}} when King [[Dáin I]]<ref name="TA"/> and his second son [[Frór]] were killed by a great [[Cold-drakes|cold-drake]] outside [[Dáin's halls|his halls]].<ref name="Durin"/> Soon after, most of Durin's Folk left the Ered Mithrin with [[Grór]], Dáin's third son, leading many followers to the Iron Hills in {{TA|2590|n}}.<ref name="TA"/>

In the same year, Dáin's first son and heir, [[Thrór]], with his uncle [[Borin]] and the remainder of the departing Longbeards, returned to Erebor. There they prospered, winning the friendship of all Men nearby, and trafficking in ore with their kin in the Iron Hills.<ref name="Durin"/> News of the wealth of Erebor spread and reached the dragons, and in {{TA|2770|n}} [[Smaug]] suddenly descended upon the Mountain, and [[Sack of Erebor|sacked]] it.<ref name="TA"/> Although many Dwarves were killed, many escaped as well. Among them were King Thrór and his family who headed south into a long homeless wandering while most of the surviving Longbeards headed east to the Iron Hills.<ref name="Durin"/>

The followers of Thrór eventually settled in [[Dunland]]<ref name="Durin"/> where in {{TA|2790|n}} Thrór left "to see what I can find."<ref name="TA"/> With a companion, [[Nár]], he came to the east gate of Khazad-dûm and entered as a returning heir. For days Nár waited in hiding outside until Thrór’s body was tossed from the gates by the Orc-chieftain [[Azog]], who told Nár to go warn his kin never to return to Moria. Nár went back to [[Thráin]], Thrór's son to report what had happened. Now King and filled with anger, Thráin II sent word to all the houses of the Dwarves to prepare for war.<ref name="Durin"/>

By {{TA|2793|n}} the Dwarves had mustered a great host. Durin's Folk and large forces from the other Houses were ready to launch a [[War of the Dwarves and Orcs|war of vengeance]].<ref name="TA"/> For six years, From Gundabad to the [[Gladden River|Gladden]], they sacked and assaulted every Orc dwelling they could find. Defeating the [[Orcs]] through strength, matchless weapons, and burning anger.<ref name="Durin"/>

At last on a dark winter day in {{TA|2799|n}} the Dwarf-host came to Azanulbizar<ref name="TA"/> and found a great host of Orcs awaiting them. Undeterred, the Dwarves, led by Thráin II, made their assault, beginning the [[Battle of Azanulbizar]]. This final battle too the Dwarves won, but at great cost. In the end Azog was beheaded and Thrór was avenged, but the Dwarves could not take Khazad-dûm, for within still dwelt Durin's Bane.

With the war over the Dwarves dispersed. [[Dáin Ironfoot]] led his contingent of Longbeards back to the Iron Hills. Thráin II, with [[Thorin]], [[Balin]], [[Glóin]], and others of their following returned to Dunland. Soon though they uprooted and wandered in Eriador until they established themselves in the northern [[Ered Luin]] beyond the [[Lhûn|Lune]]. There they prospered and their numbers slowly grew.<ref name="Durin"/>

Thráin II decided to return to Erebor in {{TA|2841|n}} but as he travelled, he and his companions were pursued by Sauron's servants. One day in {{TA|2845|n}} Thráin was captured and imprisoned in [[Dol Guldur]]. Eventually, in {{TA|2850|n}}, [[Gandalf]] found him and received the key to Erebor, but the last of the [[Seven Rings]] had been taken and Gandalf was unable to rescue the Dwarf.<ref name="TA"/>

King Thorin II Oakenshield and his people continued to labor and traffic in the Ered Luin until one day Thorin sought and found Gandalf to solicit his counsel and aid in dealing with Smaug. Gandalf devised a plan for burglary, employing the service of [[Bilbo Baggins]] of [[the Shire]]. The plan succeeded and Smaug was slain, but in the subsequent [[Battle of Five Armies]] Thorin was killed. However his cousin Dáin Ironfoot, who led a contingent of Dwarves in the battle, entered Erebor and restored the Kingdom under the Mountain as King Dáin II.<ref name="Durin"/>

Durin's Folk grew strong in Erebor until during the [[War of the Ring]] their realm and that of the [[Kingdom of Dale]] were attacked by Sauron's northern forces. In the [[Battle of Dale]] in {{TA|3019|n}} King Dáin II fell and thereafter the Mountain was besieged. Upon the news of Sauron's downfall, however, the besieged routed the army of Sauron and Dáin's son, [[Thorin Stonehelm]] became the King under the Mountain as Thorin III.<ref>{{App|Great}}</ref> Eventually his descendant, [[Durin VII]], would lead Durin's Folk back to Khazad-dûm .<ref>{{PM|Aiv}}</ref>

Also after the fall of Sauron, [[Gimli]], the son of Glóin, brought some of Durin's Folk from Erebor south to [[Glittering Caves|Aglarond]] and there established a new Dwarf-realm. Gimli served as the [[Lord of the Glittering Caves]].<ref name="Durin"/>

==Inspiration==
Historically, the term "Longbeards" is the supposed original name of the [[Wikipedia:Lombards|Lombards]], but other than the name, there is no other significant similarities between the Lombards and the Durin's Folk.

{{References}}

{{dwarvenclans}}
{{durinskings}}

[[Category:Dwarves]]
[[Category:Longbeards]]

[[de:Durins Volk]]
[[fr:encyclo/peuples/nains/peuple_de_durin]]
[[fi:Durinin heimo]]

Dwarves of Erebor

2018-05-28T23:50:41Z

142.44.139.84: added info to origin

{{people infobox
| name=Dwarves of Erebor
| image=[[File:David T. Wenzel - Erebor trade.jpg|250px]]
| caption=
| pronun=
| othernames=
| origin=The original settlers were led by [[Thráin I]] of [[Durin's Folk]]
| location=[[Lonely Mountain|Erebor]], [[Khazad-Dûm]], [[Glittering Caves]]
| affiliation=
| rivalry=
| language=[[Khuzdul]], [[Westron]]
| members=[[Gimli]], [[Thorin|Thorin II Oakenshield]]
| lifespan=c. 250 years
| distinctions=
| height=Five feet or less
| hair=
| skin=
| clothing=
| weapons=
}}
The '''Dwarves of Erebor''' were those who dwelt in the halls of [[Lonely Mountain|Erebor]], beneath the [[Lonely Mountain]].

==History==
===Kingdom===
[[File:Ted Nasmith - Heart of the Mountain.jpg|thumb|[[Ted Nasmith]] - Heart of the Mountain]]
[[Thráin I]] established the [[Kingdom under the Mountain]] fleeing from Moria. During his time the [[Arkenstone]] was discovered, the most prized possession of the Kingdom. His son, [[Thorin I]], later became [[King under the Mountain]] but after seeing the wealth of the [[Dwarves of the Grey Mountains]], he abandoned Erebor.

When the [[Cold-drakes]] invaded the Grey Mountains, they drove most of the Dwarves out. [[Thrór]], a descendant of Thorin I, took some of his people and flew the Grey Mountains for Erebor. His brother [[Grór]] continued east with a great following of Durin's folk to the [[Iron Hills]] while himself refounded the kingdom of Erebor in {{TA|2590}}.

===Second Kingdom===
The Dwarves gained the friendship of the [[Northmen]] along the [[Celduin]] and had much trade of goods, beautiful trinkets, and weapons with the town of [[Dale]]. The Dwarves of Erebor also had much traffic of ores with their kinsmen in the Iron Hills and the region had peace and prosperity for many years.
[[File:David T. Wenzel - Dwarf-woman.jpg|thumb|left|The Dwarves flee Erebor and Dale]]
The Dwarves were properous, and made great wealth for themselves until they were dispossessed of their immense wealth by [[Smaug]] the Dragon, who flew south from the [[Grey Mountains|Ered Mithrin]] and [[Sack of Erebor|sacked]] their kingdom in {{TA|2770}}.

The Dwarves reclaimed their inheritance many years later under the leadership of [[Thorin|Thorin II]]. But it was the descendants of [[Dáin Ironfoot|Dáin II Ironfoot]] that ruled there ever after.

===Third Kingdom===
After the restoration thanks to [[Thorin and Company]], the Dwarves became again rich and prosperous under Dáin's rule, as the Dwarves exceeded their ancestors in masonry and mining. Dale was rebuilt as a kingdom and they had close friendship with the [[Elves of Mirkwood]].<ref>{{FR|Meetings}}</ref>

[[Balin]] and other Dwarves set out to [[Balin's Colony|reclaim Moria]] in {{TA|2989}}. Dáin did not give his blessing when Balin, but could not dissuade them.<ref name="Council">{{FR|Council}}</ref> It was only later learned the colony was destroyed after five years.<ref>{{FR|Bridge}}</ref>

===War of the Ring===
In {{TA|3018}}, a messenger came from [[Mordor]], enquiring about "[[Bilbo Baggins|Baggins]]" from "[[the Shire|Shire]]", promising the last three [[Seven Rings|Dwarf-rings]] to Dáin. The King asked time to think and he sent [[Glóin]] and his son [[Gimli]] to [[Elrond]] for council, and to warn Bilbo.<ref>{{FR|Council}}</ref>

The [[War of the Ring]] reached the North; King [[Brand]] fighting the [[Easterlings]] retreated from the River [[Carnen]] and was given aid by Dwarves in the [[Battle of Dale]]. After three days of fighting Dwarves and Men were driven back, and Brand was slain, followed by Dáin.<ref>{{UT|Erebor}}</ref> Several days later the Easterlings learned that the War was lost. When the new King [[Thorin Stonehelm|Thorin III Stonehelm]], son of Dáin, and Brand's [[Bard II]] saw this they came out of the mountain and routed their enemies.<ref name="Great">{{App|Great}}</ref>

Little is known of the reign of Thorin III, other than the Dwarves helped rebuild the cities of [[Minas Tirith]] and the fortress of [[Helm's Deep]]. Some of the Dwarves colonized the [[Glittering Caves]].

==Language and writing==
The Dwarves of Erebor spoke [[Khuzdul]] but used the [[Language of Dale]] for their public names.<ref>{{App|F1}}</ref>

Coming from Moria, the Dwarves brought with them the [[Angerthas Moria]], which however was modified further. For some reason some [[runes]] of Angerthas Moria were reverted back to their [[Elvish]] values in [[Angerthas]]. The resulting variation was known as [[Angerthas Erebor]].<ref>{{App|Cirth}}</ref>

==Members==
Noted Dwarves from Erebor were:

*'''[[Thráin I]]'''
*'''[[Thorin I]]'''
*'''[[Thrór]]'''
*[[Thráin|Thráin II]]
*[[Thorin]]
*[[Balin]], [[Dwalin]]
*[[Dori]], [[Nori]], [[Ori]]
*[[Óin]], [[Glóin]]
*[[Bifur]], [[Bofur]], [[Bombur]]
*[[Kíli]], [[Fíli]]
*[[Gimli]]
*[[Dáin Ironfoot|Dáin II Ironfoot]]
*[[Thorin Stonehelm|Thorin III Stonehelm]]
*[[Floi]], [[Loni]], [[Nali]], [[Frár]]
*[[Dís]]
*[[Frerin]]
*[[Fundin]]

{{References}}

[[Category:Dwarven peoples]]
[[de:Erebor]]
[[fi:Erebor]]

Elvenking's Halls

2018-05-28T21:21:41Z

142.44.139.84: added info; also added my references

{{location infobox
| name=Elvenking's Halls
| image=[[File:Eric Faure-Brac - Thranduil's Halls.jpg|250px]]
| caption="Thranduil's Halls" by Eric Faure-Brac
| pronun=
| othernames=
| location=Northeastern [[Mirkwood]], on the banks of the [[Forest River]]
| type=City
| description=The stronghold of the [[Woodland Realm]]
| regions=
| towns=
| inhabitants=[[Silvan Elves]]
| created=After {{TA|1050}}
| destroyed=
| events=
}}
The '''Elvenking's Halls'''<ref name="Map">{{H|Wilderland}}</ref> were a cave system in northern [[Mirkwood]], in which King [[Thranduil]] and many of the [[Elves of Mirkwood]] lived during most of the [[Third Age]] and into the [[Fourth Age]].

==Description==
The halls were just inside the eastern border of Mirkwood on the north bank of the [[Forest River]], some miles upstream from [[Lake-town|Esgaroth]].<ref name="Map"/> The great cave had many passages and wide halls and was more wholesome than the goblin tunnels in the [[Misty Mountains]]. While most of the Elves lived in the woods the king's halls served as his palace and treasure vault, and was also a fortress for the Elves in times of danger.<ref name="Flies">{{H|Flies}}</ref>

The entryway to the halls had huge stone doors<ref name="Flies"/> that were closed and secured by magic. The throne room for Thranduil was a great hall with pillars carved from the living rock. In lower levels were cells for prisoners and at the lowest part of the caves were the cellars of the king. These cellars were built over an underground stream so that empty barrels could be dropped into the water and floated out to the Forest River through a gate barred by a portcullis.<ref name="Barrels">{{H|Barrels}}</ref>

==History==
About {{TA|1050}} the [[Shadow]] began to fall upon [[Mirkwood|Greenwood]] (causing it to be called Mirkwood).<ref name="TA">{{App|TA}}</ref> In response, King Thranduil led his people to the north-east corner of the forest and delved there a fortress and series of great halls underground. He was inspired in this enterprise by [[Thingol]]'s halls of [[Menegroth]] in [[Doriath]] during the [[First Age]]<ref>{{UT|6b}}</ref>, and like Thingol, he used the skill of the [[Dwarves]]<ref>{{TT|Road}}</ref> to aid in making his stronghold, though the Elvenking's Halls of Mirkwood were less grand than that magnificent ancient cavern.
[[File:Henning Janssen - Blindfolded.jpg|thumb|left|[[Henning Janssen]] - ''Blindfolded'']]
In the autumn of {{TA|2941}}<ref name="TA"/> [[Thorin and Company]] were traversing Mirkwood and had run out of food. Spotting some woodland feasts the Company attempted to enter these gatherings but were thwarted each time. On the third attempt [[Thorin]] was captured and brought to Thranduil's halls where he was interrogated by the king. Angered by Thorin's refusal to answer his questions, Thranduil had Thorin locked in his innermost cell.<ref name="Flies"/>

Soon after, the twelve remaining dwarves (but not [[Bilbo Baggins]]) were taken by the Elves and brought to Thranduil's halls. They fared no better with the king and were also locked in the king's dungeon. Bilbo though, through the invisibility conferred by [[the One Ring|his ring]], roamed about the halls and discovered the cellars and the trap door leading to the underground stream. Through good luck Bilbo was able to obtain the keys to the dwarves' cells, free them, and pack them into empty barrels in the cellar. Workers then came and rolled the barrels through the trap door and thus the hobbit (riding one of the barrels) effected the escape of the Company from Thranduil's halls.<ref name="Barrels"/>

In {{TA|3017|n}}, [[Aragorn]] captured [[Gollum]] in the [[Dead Marshes]] and brought him to Thranduil's halls.<ref name="TA"/> As was told in the [[Council of Elrond]], Gollum was kept in prison but had been allowed to climb a tree, with guards to watch him.<ref>{{FR|II2}}</ref> About [[20 June]] {{TA|3018|n}}, [[Orcs]] attacked and Gollum disappeared.<ref name="Great">{{App|Great}}</ref>

During the [[War of the Ring]] Thranduil's realm had been invaded but on [[15 March]] {{TA|3019}} he was victorious over the forces of [[Dol Guldur]]. With the passing of [[Sauron]] Thranduil's domain was extended to the [[Mountains of Mirkwood]]<ref name="Great"/> but presumably he continued to live in the same halls.

==See also==
*[[:Category:Images of the Elvenking's Halls|Images of the Elvenking's Halls]]
{{references}}
{{companyroute}}
[[Category:Buildings]]
[[Category:Cities, towns and villages]]
[[Category:Elven realms]]
[[Category:Rhovanion]]

[[de:Thranduils Hallen]]
[[fi:Haltiakuninkaan salit]]
[[fr:galerie:faure-brac_eric:le_palais_de_thranduil]]

Smaug

2018-04-28T19:48:37Z

142.44.139.84:

{{Dragon infobox
| image=[[File:J.R.R. Tolkien - Conversation with Smaug (large).jpg|250px]]
| name=Smaug
| othernames=Smaug the Golden Lord Smaug the Impenetrable [[Trāgu]] (''[[#Other names and titles|see below]]'')
| realm=[[Lonely Mountain|Erebor]]<ref name="AppA3"/>
| hoard=Treasure of [[Thrór]], including the [[Arkenstone]]<ref name="AppA3"/>
| birth=Presumably (though not certainly) bred in [[Angband]] with the other [[fire-drakes]] in the late [[First Age]]<ref name="AppB2">{{App|B2}}</ref>
| death={{TA|2941}}<ref name="AppB2"/>
| deathlocation=[[Lake-town]]<ref name="H14">{{H|14}}</ref>
| slayer=[[Bard|Bard the Bowman]]<ref name="H14"/>
| type=''[[Urulókë]]; fire-drake''<ref name="Index">{{S|Index}}, entry ''Urulóki'': "''Quenya word meaning 'fire-serpent', dragon''"</ref>
| legs=Yes
| wings=Yes
| colour=Red-golden
}}
<center>{{Quote|Never laugh at live dragons, Bilbo you fool!|[[Bilbo Baggins]], to himself.<ref name="H12">{{H|12}}</ref>}}</center>
'''Smaug''' (birth unknown – [[Third Age]] {{TA|2941|n}}) was the greatest [[Fire-drakes|fire-breathing]] [[Dragons|dragon]] of the [[Third Age]]. Details of his origin are unknown (presumably bred in Angband in the late First Age), but in {{TA|2770}} he attacked the [[Lonely Mountain]] and the town of [[Dale]]. He claimed the treasure of the mountain for himself and forced [[Thrór]], [[King under the Mountain]], and [[Durin's Folk|his people]] into exile. [[Thorin]]'s [[Quest of Erebor|quest]] - with the help of his burglar [[Bilbo Baggins]] - to reclaim the treasure ended in success when Smaug was slain by [[Bard]] in {{TA|2941}}.<ref name="H14"/><ref name="AppA3"/><ref name="AppB2"/><ref name="H1">{{H|1}}</ref>

==Appearance==
[[File:John Howe - Smaug.jpg|left|thumb|200px|[[John Howe]] - ''Smaug'']]
When [[Bilbo Baggins]] first encounters Smaug he can hear his snoring - "''like the noise of a large pot galloping in the fire, mixed with the rumble of a gigantic tom-cat purring''" - but is most of all struck by the reddish glow and heat that Smaug gives off, both of which travel up the passage-way so Smaug is felt long before he is seen. His flames are green and scarlet.<ref name="H12"/>

{{Blockquote|There he lay, a vast red-golden dragon, fast asleep; thrumming came from his jaws and nostrils, and wisps of smoke, but his fires were low in slumber. Beneath him, under all his limbs and his huge coiled tail, and about him on all sides stretching away across the unseen floors, lay countless piles of precious things, [[gold]] wrought and unwrought, gems and jewels, and silver red-stained in the ruddy light. Smaug lay, with wings folded like an immeasurable bat, turned partly on one side, so that the hobbit could see his underparts and his long pale belly crusted with gems and fragments of gold from his long lying on his costly bed.|{{H|12}}}}

==History==
===Sack of Erebor===
:''See also: [[Sack of Erebor]]''
[[File:Ted Nasmith - Scouring the Mountain.jpg|thumb|right|[[Ted Nasmith]] - ''Scouring the Mountain'']]
Smaug was perhaps one of the dragons that infested the [[Grey Mountains]].<ref>{{HM|Guide}}, entry "Smaug"</ref> Hearing about the wealth of the [[Dwarves of Erebor]], Smaug first appeared in the history of [[Middle-earth]] in {{TA|2770}} flying south "''like a hurricane coming from the North''" and attacked the wealthy [[Dwarves|Dwarven]] kingdom of the [[Lonely Mountain]] and its adjacent lands: he first landed upon the mountain before going down the slopes and setting the woods on fire. When the [[dwarves]] came running out of the front gate Smaug killed them all before turning his attention to the men of [[Dale]], also killing most of their warriors including [[Girion]], [[Lord of Dale]] (but his wife and child safely fled to [[Lake-town]]<ref name="H14"/>). Returning to the mountain, he crawled into the [[Front Gate|front gate]] and left no dwarf he found alive.

Only [[Thrór]], [[King under the Mountain]], and his son [[Thráin|Thráin II]] managed to escape by using the [[Back Door|secret side-door]] (Thrór later gave the key to the secret door and [[Thrór's Map|a map]] of the Lonely Mountain to Thráin). Smaug claimed the treasure (which included the [[Arkenstone]] and [[Mithril#The Mithril Coat|a ''mithril'' shirt]]) for himself and laid there upon a bed of gold, for the next two centuries only occasionally leaving the mountain to carry away people (especially maidens) and continue the destruction of Dale.<ref name="H1"/><ref name="AppA3"/> The area surrounding the mountain became known as the [[Desolation of the Dragon]] as "''there was neither bush nor tree, and only broken and blackened stumps to speak of ones long vanished''".<ref name="H11"/>

===The Quest for Erebor===
:''See also: [[The Hobbit#Synopsis|The Hobbit]]''
[[File:Henning Janssen - Magnificent Guardian.jpg|thumb|left|[[Henning Janssen]] - ''Magnificient Guardian'']]
In {{TA|2850}}, [[Gandalf]], whilst spying on the [[Necromancer]] in [[Dol Guldur]], found a Dwarf imprisoned; near death, the dwarf gave Gandalf a key and a map. Unbeknownst to Gandalf at the time this dwarf was [[Thráin]], [[Kings of Durin's Folk|King of Durin's Folk]], who had been captured by the Necromancer in {{TA|2845}}. Having discovered that the Necromancer was indeed [[Sauron]], Gandalf was very concerned that Sauron could use Smaug to a devastating effect. It is for this reason that Gandalf sought a plan to neutralise the threat of Smaug and limit the potential power of Sauron in the north of Middle-earth.<ref name="UTErebor"/>

By chance on [[15 March]] {{TA|2941|n}}, Gandalf met [[Thorin|Thorin Oakenshield]] in [[Bree]] (although another source states that they met when Thorin overtook but started to talk to Gandalf on the road<ref name="UTErebor">{{UT|9}}</ref>). They discussed their desire to destroy Smaug and retake the Lonely Mountain; they later met in [[Thorin's Halls]] in the [[Blue Mountains]] to develop a plan. Gandalf wanted Thorin to take the [[hobbits|hobbit]] [[Bilbo Baggins]] as a ''burglar'' on their adventure to retake Erebor; this took considerable persuasion.<ref name="AppB2"/><ref name="AppA3"/>

Later in {{TA|2941}}, at the home of [[Bilbo Baggins]], Gandalf presented Thorin with the map and key, and accompanied them on part of [[Quest of Erebor|their quest]].<ref name=H1/> The party reached the mountain later that year on [[Durin's Day]].<ref name="H11">{{H|11}}</ref> They sent Bilbo in through the secret door to carry out his duty as their burglar; as Smaug lay dreaming of greed and violence, Bilbo stole a heavy two-handed cup from the dragon's vast hoard of treasure (which he used as a bed) and went back to the dwarves. Meanwhile Smaug had an uneasy dream:

{{Blockquote|a warrior, altogether insignificant in size but provided with a bitter sword and great courage, figured most unpleasantly|Narrator<ref name="H12"/><ref group="note">[[John D. Rateliff]] has suggested that this was initially written when Tolkien planned for Bilbo to kill Smaug. It was thus a prophetic dream of his own death. See {{HH|Conversations}}.</ref>}}

Upon awaking Smaug felt the draught from the tunnel which led to the secret door (from which he had previously heard untoward knocking). Already suspicious Smaug noticed that the cup was missing. This enraged Smaug beyond measure, causing him to leave his chamber and scour the mountainside for the intruder; remembering hearing strange noises from the passageway he failed to find the entrance, only eating their ponies.<ref name="H12"/>

Remembering a saying of [[Bungo Baggins|his father]]'s, "''every worm has a weak spot''", Bilbo offered to return to the dragon's lair - the Dwarves ardently accepted and, putting on [[the One Ring|the ring]], off he went. Bilbo believed that the dragon was fast asleep and that his presence would remain unknown to the dragon, however, Smaug was pretending to be asleep. He then spoke to Bilbo:

{{Blockquote|Well thief! I smell you and I feel your air. I hear your breath. Come along! Help yourself again, there is plenty and to spare!|Smaug to [[Bilbo Baggins]].}}

[[File:David Wyatt - Smaug.jpg|thumb|right|David Wyatt - ''Smaug'']]
But Bilbo was more shrewd than Smaug gave him credit: Bilbo praised the dragon and made sure that he did not reveal his real name, speaking only in [[Riddle-game|riddles]]. Smaug could not resist the fascination of what Bilbo had said (although he did remind him that flattery would not save his life) and needed to understand it, so they continued to talk; he was also intrigued to smell something new being puzzled by the never-before-encountered "hobbit-smell". Bilbo grew more and more uncomfortable in the presence of Smaug, but plucking up courage he revealed that he had not come for the treasure alone: Smaug laughed and mocked the notion that anyone could steal from him and get away with it. Bilbo eventually revealed the true purpose of his mission to Smaug, that of "''revenge''" - Smaug burst into a devastating laughter, shaking Bilbo to the floor, mocking the suggestion that anyone could achieve revenge, boasting about his achievements and strengths. Bilbo then suggested that dragon's were softer underneath, particularly in the chest: in response, and in an act of sheer vanity, Smaug rolled over and claimed that Bilbo's information was false and outdated. But Bilbo saw something crucial, thinking:

{{Blockquote|Old fool! Why there is a large patch in the hollow of his left breast as bare as a snail out of its shell!|Bilbo, to himself.}}

Bilbo had obtained the information that he had needed. He fled up the passage, leaving behind a dragon infuriated by the notion of "revenge", having the hair on the back of his head and heels singed off. When Bilbo returned to the door-step he regaled the dwarves with the story of his conversation with the dragon whilst the [[Thrushes|thrush]] was listening. Smaug left his lair once more and smashed the mountainside with strikes of his tail, trapping [[Thorin and Company]] inside the secret passage.<ref name="HInsider" />

===Death and aftermath===
Realizing that the [[Lake-men]] of [[Lake-town|Esgaroth]] must have helped the intruders - reinforced by Bilbo calling himself the "''Barrel-rider''," Smaug resolved to attack and destroy the town as a punitive measure. He approached it in a rage. The waters around it turned red but Smaug dared not get too close as the water would quench his fire; as the Lake-men had cut the bridges, Smaug flew above attacking and setting the town aflame, destroying the Great House with a swipe of his tail. The dragon's scales were impervious to the arrows of the defenders, but the thrush had flown to the town and informed [[Bard]] - a descendent of [[Girion]], [[Lord of Dale]] - of the bare spot in Smaug's armour. He was then able to kill Smaug by firing the [[Black Arrow]] directly into the vulnerable spot of his left breast. As Smaug fell he crashed into and destroyed Esgaroth.<ref name="H14"/>

After Smaug's death, [[Thorin and Company]] claimed the treasure as theirs by birthright. This created a conflict with Bard and the [[Thranduil|Elvenking]] of [[Mirkwood]], who each wanted a portion of the treasure as reimbursement for huge damage that Smaug had inflicted upon them. Thorin refused to share the treasure and had every intention of going to war with the [[Elves of Mirkwood]] and men of Esgaroth to defend his right to the treasure. However the sudden attack by the armies of [[Bolg]] brought the forces of the [[free peoples]] of Middle-earth together in the [[Battle of Five Armies]].<ref name="H15"/><ref name="H16">{{H|16}}</ref><ref name="H17">{{H|17}}</ref> After the Battle, Bilbo's fourteenth-share of the hoard was given over to Bard who sent some to Lake-town to aid its rebuilding.<ref name="H18">{{H|18}}</ref>

Following the death of Smaug a new Lake-town was built further north; Smaug's bones could be seen from the shore but the people were always fearful of it and no one dared go in the water to retrieve the gems or gold.<ref name="H14"/>

==Personality==
{{Blockquote|I kill where I wish and none dare resist. I laid low the warriors of old and their like is not in the world today. Then I was but young and tender. Now I am old and strong, strong strong, Thief in the Shadows!|Smaug to Bilbo.}}

Like all dragons, Smaug - described by [[Thorin|Thorin]] as "''a most specially greedy, strong and wicked worm''"<ref name="H1"/> - loves to hoard gold with a meticulous knowledge of his own collection as evidenced by his immediate spotting of the missing cup.<ref name="H12"/> Whilst being quick to anger in defence of his own wealth, he also exhibits a fierce intellect (as well as a curious fascination) in guessing/deciphering Bilbo's cryptic origins, a pride and vanity in his own armour, an arrogance in his own invulnerability (laughing at the suggestion that the dwarves would be able to have their revenge), and an ability to question Bilbo's loyalty to the dwarves.<ref name="H12"/>

==Inspiration==
[[File:John Howe - Smaug Destroys Lake-town.jpg|thumb|right|220px|[[John Howe]] - ''Smaug Destroys Lake-town'']]
{{Blockquote|Fafnir in the late Norse versions of the Sigurd-story is better; and Smaug and his conversation obviously is in debt there.|[[J.R.R. Tolkien]]<ref name="Letter122">{{L|122}}</ref>}}
In [[Letter 122]], Tolkien noted his lack of enthusiasm for the dragon in ''[[Beowulf (poem)|Beowulf]]''. Instead he stated his preference for the dragon-like creature [[Wikipedia:Fafnir|Fafnir]] from the late Norse versions of the [[Wikipedia:Sigurd|Sigurd-story]]. Indeed Tolkien wrote that Smaug's character owed much to Fafnir.<ref name="Letter122"/>

==Etymology==
Deriving from the same Old English and Germanic roots as ''[[Smials|smial]]'' and ''[[Sméagol|Smeagol]]'',<ref name="RW">{{HM|RW}}, pp. 190-1</ref> the name ''Smaug'' is "the past tense of the primitive Germanic verb ''[[Wiktionary:smeagan|Smugan]]'', to squeeze through a hole".<ref name="Letter25">{{L|25}}</ref> It has been suggested that Tolkien likely thought of [[Old English]] ''smeag'', a word used to describe a "[[worms|worm]]".<ref name=RW/>

==Other names and titles==
In drafts of the [[The Lord of the Rings Appendices|Appendices]], Tolkien wrote that ''[[Trāgu]]'' was the name of Smaug in the [[language of Dale]], "Dalish".<ref name="PM54">{{PM|II}}, p. 54</ref>

In the conversation between Smaug and Bilbo, Bilbo calls him "'''Smaug the Tremendous'''", "'''Smaug the Chiefest and Greatest of Calamities'''", "'''Smaug the Mighty'''", "'''Smaug the Unassessably Wealthy'''", "'''Lord Smaug the Impenetrable'''" and "'''Your Magnificence'''",<ref name="H12"/> and later Bilbo refers to him as "'''Smaug the Terrible'''" and [[Balin]] calls him "'''Old Worm'''".<ref name="HInsider">{{H|13}}</ref> When the [[dwarves]] learn of Smaug's demise they grab their harps and sing, referring to Smaug as the "'''Worm of Dread'''".<ref name="H15">{{H|15}}</ref> [[Appendix A]] uses the popular name "'''Smaug the Golden'''",<ref name="AppA3">{{App|A3}}</ref> whilst in "[[The Quest of Erebor]]" he is simply referred to as "'''The Dragon'''".

==Other versions of the Legendarium==
In a very early manuscript of ''[[The Hobbit]]'' Smaug was known as ''Pryftan''. Indeed [[John D. Rateliff]] refers to this manuscript as ''The Pryftan Fragment''.<ref>{{HH|I(a)}}, passim</ref> ''Pryftan'' is a simple [[Welsh]] compound that literally means "Worm of Fire."<ref>[[Mark T. Hooker]], ''[[Tolkien and Welsh]]'', pp. xxv, 36.</ref>

==Portrayal in adaptations==
{{Gallery
|title=Smaug in adaptations
|width=165
|height=140
|lines=2
|File:The Hobbit (1966 film) - Smaug.png|Smaug (named "Slag") in [[The Hobbit (1966 film)|''The Hobbit'' (1966 film)]]
|File:The Hobbit (1977 film) - Smaug.jpg|Smaug in the [[The Hobbit (1977 film)|''The Hobbit'' (1977 film)]]
|File:The Hobbit (1982 video game) - Smaug.png|Smaug in the [[The Hobbit (1982 video game)|1982 video game ''The Hobbit'']]
|File:Smaug_MERP.png| Smaug in [[Middle-earth Role Playing|MERP's]] [[Creatures of Middle-earth|''Creatures of Middle-earth'']]
|File:The Hobbit (2003) Smaug.jpg|Smaug in the [[The Hobbit (2003 video game)|2003 video game ''The Hobbit'']]
|File:The Hobbit - The Desolation of Smaug - Smaug2.jpg|Smaug in [[The Hobbit (film series)|''The Hobbit'' (film series)]]
}}
===Films===
'''1966: [[The Hobbit (1966 film)|''The Hobbit'' (1966 film)]]:'''
:Smaug is named "Slag", the Ancient Monster.{{fact}}

'''1977: [[The Hobbit (1977 film)|''The Hobbit'' (1977 film)]]:'''
:Smaug was voiced by American actor [[Richard Boone]]. In this version, Smaug is broadly similar in size and colour but his shape is less elongated due to being more weighty. Smaug's face is rounder, possessing more mammalian traits - resembling a mix between a cat and a bat - having bat-like ears and fur around the face and down the back. Also, his armour is never mentioned to be strengthened by lying on the treasure, but more resembles an extra padding of skin/scales, minus the bare patch.

'''2012: ''[[The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey]]'':'''
:Smaug is a [[wikipedia:Computer-generated imagery|CGI]]-motion capture creature produced by [[Weta Digital]], voiced by [[Benedict Cumberbatch]].<ref name="PJCasting">{{webcite|author=[[Peter Jackson]]|articleurl=http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150286515141558|articlename=The Hobbit Casting Update|dated=19-June-2011|website=[http://www.facebook.com/ Facebook]|accessed=23-Dec-2011}}</ref> He is shown with no front legs but walking on the wrists of his wings.

:Smaug's [[Sack of Erebor|sack]] of [[Dale]] and [[Lonely Mountain|Erebor]] is shown briefly during the prologue. The film ends with a glimpse of the [[Dragons|Dragon]]'s eye as he wakes, though he is buried under the treasure.

'''2013: ''[[The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug]]'':'''
:Smaug makes his full appearance in the second part. In his conversation with [[Bilbo Baggins|Bilbo]], he shows an awareness of [[the One Ring]] and [[Sauron|its master]], as well as the nearby presence of [[Thorin and Company]]. It is also observed by Bilbo that the [[Lake-men]]'s legend of [[Girion]] having loosened and removed a scale from the Dragon's breast was in fact true. When the [[Dwarves]] enter the mountain, Smaug chases them, finally catching up to them in the forges, where the Dwarves stage a [[Battle of the Forges|counterattack]], tricking Smaug into relighting the forges with his fire. They manage to cover Smaug in hot molten gold, but he sheds it off without difficulty. Smaug leaves them and flies off to [[Lake-town]] to seek revenge for what he perceives to be their part in Bilbo and the Dwarves' attack.

'''2014: ''[[The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies]]'':'''
:After destroying the majority of Lake-town, Smaug sees [[Bard]] attempting to take him on. He taunts the bowman, and, then, while charging him, Bard shoots his [[Black Arrow]] into the [[Fire-drakes|fire-drake]]'s vulnerable spot. While in the throes of death, Smaug flies up into the sky, where he takes his last breath and then falls to his watery grave in [[Long Lake]] (taking the [[Master of Lake-town]] in his boat with him along the way).

===Radio series===
'''1968: [[The Hobbit (1968 radio series)|''The Hobbit'' (1968 radio series)]]:'''
:[[Francis de Wolff]] provides Smaug's voice.

'''1979: [[The Hobbit (1979 radio series)|''The Hobbit'' (1979 radio series)]]:'''
:Smaug's name is pronounced "Smog".<ref>[[The Hobbit (1979 radio series)|''The Hobbit'' (1979 radio series)]], "Inside Information"</ref> [[Erik Bauersfeld]] performed the voice of the dragon.<ref>{{webcite|articleurl=http://www.discogs.com/JRR-Tolkien-The-Lord-Of-The-Rings-The-Hobbit/release/602426|articlename=J.R.R. Tolkien – The Lord Of The Rings & The Hobbit|website=[http://www.discogs.com Discogs.com]|accessed=23-Dec-2011}}</ref>

===Games===
'''1982: [[The Hobbit (1982 video game)|''The Hobbit'' (1982 video game)]]:'''
:The goal of this game is to plunder the treasuries of Smaug's Lair in the Lonely Mountain. While the computer is loading the game it shows a picture of Smaug with the Lonely Mountain on the background.<ref name="Newspaper">{{webcite|author=Phil Garratt|articleurl=http://www.worldofspectrum.org/showmag.cgi?mag=ZXComputing/Issue8304/Pages/ZXComputing830400076.jpg|articlename=Software Review: The Hobbit|website=[http://www.worldofspectrum.org WorldOfSpectrum.com]|accessed=23-Dec-2011}}</ref>

'''1988: [[Creatures of Middle-earth|''Creatures of Middle-earth'' (1st edition)]]:'''
:In this supplement to the 1st edition of ''[[Middle-earth Role Playing]]'', Smaug is put forward as a potential enemy should the gamesmaster wish to include the dragon in his or her story. Another dragon, Utumkodur, is described as Smaug's elder sister. <ref>Ruth Sochard Pitt, Jeff O'Hare, [[Pete Fenlon|Peter C. Fenlon, Jr.]], ''[[Creatures of Middle-earth]]'', 1st edn, pp. 51-52</ref>

'''1994: [[Creatures of Middle-earth (2nd edition)|''Creatures of Middle-earth'' (2nd edition)]]:'''
:In this supplement to the 2nd edition of ''[[Middle-earth Role Playing]]'', Smaug is described in some detail and given a brief history before his coming to Erebor. Smaug survived the destruction of [[Angband]] at the end of the [[First Age]] and settled at Anvilmount in the [[Grey Mountains]]. Here he found and defiled a First Age Adan holy place, destroying tombs and stealing a modest amount of treasure. Smaug was upset by his lack of wealth. Therefore when he heard the tale of the Dwarves of Erebor he knew that the great treasure should be his. ''Creatures of Middle-earth'' also describes Smaug as being the son of [[Ancalagon]], being one of a number of siblings including Throkmaw, Ruingurth, and Utumkodur.<ref>Ruth Sochard Pitt, Jeff O'Hare, [[Peter C. Fenlon, Jr.]], ''[[Creatures of Middle-earth (2nd edition)|Creatures of Middle-earth]]'', 2nd edn, pp. 112-115</ref>

'''2003: [[The Hobbit (2003 video game)|''The Hobbit'' (2003 video game)]]:'''
:Smaug was voiced by [[James Horan]].

==See also==
* [[:Category:Images of Smaug|Images of Smaug]]
* "[[The Quest of Erebor]]", a chapter of ''[[Unfinished Tales]]'' which provides more background information
* [[Chrysophylax]], the dragon in ''[[Farmer Giles of Ham]]''

==External links==

*[http://middle-earth.xenite.org/2013/02/27/where-did-smaug-come-from/ Where Did Smaug Come From?] by [[Michael Martinez]]

{{References|n}}
{{Dragons}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smaug}}

[[Category:Characters in The Hobbit]]
[[Category:Dragons]]
[[Category:Evil]]
[[Category:Featured Articles]]
[[Category:Germanic names]]
[[Category:Masculine names]]
[[Category:Third Age characters]]
[[de:Smaug]]
[[fa:اسماگ]]
[[fr:/encyclo/personnages/animaux/dragons/smaug]]
[[fi:Smaug]]

Smaug

2018-04-28T19:47:37Z

142.44.139.84:

{{Dragon infobox
| image=[[File:J.R.R. Tolkien - Conversation with Smaug (large).jpg|250px]]
| name=Smaug
| othernames=Smaug the Golden Lord Smaug the Impenetrable [[Trāgu]] (''[[#Other names and titles|see below]]'')
| realm=[[Lonely Mountain|Erebor]]<ref name="AppA3"/>
| hoard=Treasure of [[Thrór]], including the [[Arkenstone]]<ref name="AppA3"/>
| birth=Presumably (though not certainly) bred in [[Angband]] with the other [[fire-drakes]] in the late [[First Age]];<ref name="AppB2">{{App|B2}}</ref>
| death={{TA|2941}}<ref name="AppB2"/>
| deathlocation=[[Lake-town]]<ref name="H14">{{H|14}}</ref>
| slayer=[[Bard|Bard the Bowman]]<ref name="H14"/>
| type=''[[Urulókë]]; fire-drake''<ref name="Index">{{S|Index}}, entry ''Urulóki'': "''Quenya word meaning 'fire-serpent', dragon''"</ref>
| legs=Yes
| wings=Yes
| colour=Red-golden
}}
<center>{{Quote|Never laugh at live dragons, Bilbo you fool!|[[Bilbo Baggins]], to himself.<ref name="H12">{{H|12}}</ref>}}</center>
'''Smaug''' (birth unknown – [[Third Age]] {{TA|2941|n}}) was the greatest [[Fire-drakes|fire-breathing]] [[Dragons|dragon]] of the [[Third Age]]. Details of his origin are unknown (presumably bred in Angband in the late First Age), but in {{TA|2770}} he attacked the [[Lonely Mountain]] and the town of [[Dale]]. He claimed the treasure of the mountain for himself and forced [[Thrór]], [[King under the Mountain]], and [[Durin's Folk|his people]] into exile. [[Thorin]]'s [[Quest of Erebor|quest]] - with the help of his burglar [[Bilbo Baggins]] - to reclaim the treasure ended in success when Smaug was slain by [[Bard]] in {{TA|2941}}.<ref name="H14"/><ref name="AppA3"/><ref name="AppB2"/><ref name="H1">{{H|1}}</ref>

==Appearance==
[[File:John Howe - Smaug.jpg|left|thumb|200px|[[John Howe]] - ''Smaug'']]
When [[Bilbo Baggins]] first encounters Smaug he can hear his snoring - "''like the noise of a large pot galloping in the fire, mixed with the rumble of a gigantic tom-cat purring''" - but is most of all struck by the reddish glow and heat that Smaug gives off, both of which travel up the passage-way so Smaug is felt long before he is seen. His flames are green and scarlet.<ref name="H12"/>

{{Blockquote|There he lay, a vast red-golden dragon, fast asleep; thrumming came from his jaws and nostrils, and wisps of smoke, but his fires were low in slumber. Beneath him, under all his limbs and his huge coiled tail, and about him on all sides stretching away across the unseen floors, lay countless piles of precious things, [[gold]] wrought and unwrought, gems and jewels, and silver red-stained in the ruddy light. Smaug lay, with wings folded like an immeasurable bat, turned partly on one side, so that the hobbit could see his underparts and his long pale belly crusted with gems and fragments of gold from his long lying on his costly bed.|{{H|12}}}}

==History==
===Sack of Erebor===
:''See also: [[Sack of Erebor]]''
[[File:Ted Nasmith - Scouring the Mountain.jpg|thumb|right|[[Ted Nasmith]] - ''Scouring the Mountain'']]
Smaug was perhaps one of the dragons that infested the [[Grey Mountains]].<ref>{{HM|Guide}}, entry "Smaug"</ref> Hearing about the wealth of the [[Dwarves of Erebor]], Smaug first appeared in the history of [[Middle-earth]] in {{TA|2770}} flying south "''like a hurricane coming from the North''" and attacked the wealthy [[Dwarves|Dwarven]] kingdom of the [[Lonely Mountain]] and its adjacent lands: he first landed upon the mountain before going down the slopes and setting the woods on fire. When the [[dwarves]] came running out of the front gate Smaug killed them all before turning his attention to the men of [[Dale]], also killing most of their warriors including [[Girion]], [[Lord of Dale]] (but his wife and child safely fled to [[Lake-town]]<ref name="H14"/>). Returning to the mountain, he crawled into the [[Front Gate|front gate]] and left no dwarf he found alive.

Only [[Thrór]], [[King under the Mountain]], and his son [[Thráin|Thráin II]] managed to escape by using the [[Back Door|secret side-door]] (Thrór later gave the key to the secret door and [[Thrór's Map|a map]] of the Lonely Mountain to Thráin). Smaug claimed the treasure (which included the [[Arkenstone]] and [[Mithril#The Mithril Coat|a ''mithril'' shirt]]) for himself and laid there upon a bed of gold, for the next two centuries only occasionally leaving the mountain to carry away people (especially maidens) and continue the destruction of Dale.<ref name="H1"/><ref name="AppA3"/> The area surrounding the mountain became known as the [[Desolation of the Dragon]] as "''there was neither bush nor tree, and only broken and blackened stumps to speak of ones long vanished''".<ref name="H11"/>

===The Quest for Erebor===
:''See also: [[The Hobbit#Synopsis|The Hobbit]]''
[[File:Henning Janssen - Magnificent Guardian.jpg|thumb|left|[[Henning Janssen]] - ''Magnificient Guardian'']]
In {{TA|2850}}, [[Gandalf]], whilst spying on the [[Necromancer]] in [[Dol Guldur]], found a Dwarf imprisoned; near death, the dwarf gave Gandalf a key and a map. Unbeknownst to Gandalf at the time this dwarf was [[Thráin]], [[Kings of Durin's Folk|King of Durin's Folk]], who had been captured by the Necromancer in {{TA|2845}}. Having discovered that the Necromancer was indeed [[Sauron]], Gandalf was very concerned that Sauron could use Smaug to a devastating effect. It is for this reason that Gandalf sought a plan to neutralise the threat of Smaug and limit the potential power of Sauron in the north of Middle-earth.<ref name="UTErebor"/>

By chance on [[15 March]] {{TA|2941|n}}, Gandalf met [[Thorin|Thorin Oakenshield]] in [[Bree]] (although another source states that they met when Thorin overtook but started to talk to Gandalf on the road<ref name="UTErebor">{{UT|9}}</ref>). They discussed their desire to destroy Smaug and retake the Lonely Mountain; they later met in [[Thorin's Halls]] in the [[Blue Mountains]] to develop a plan. Gandalf wanted Thorin to take the [[hobbits|hobbit]] [[Bilbo Baggins]] as a ''burglar'' on their adventure to retake Erebor; this took considerable persuasion.<ref name="AppB2"/><ref name="AppA3"/>

Later in {{TA|2941}}, at the home of [[Bilbo Baggins]], Gandalf presented Thorin with the map and key, and accompanied them on part of [[Quest of Erebor|their quest]].<ref name=H1/> The party reached the mountain later that year on [[Durin's Day]].<ref name="H11">{{H|11}}</ref> They sent Bilbo in through the secret door to carry out his duty as their burglar; as Smaug lay dreaming of greed and violence, Bilbo stole a heavy two-handed cup from the dragon's vast hoard of treasure (which he used as a bed) and went back to the dwarves. Meanwhile Smaug had an uneasy dream:

{{Blockquote|a warrior, altogether insignificant in size but provided with a bitter sword and great courage, figured most unpleasantly|Narrator<ref name="H12"/><ref group="note">[[John D. Rateliff]] has suggested that this was initially written when Tolkien planned for Bilbo to kill Smaug. It was thus a prophetic dream of his own death. See {{HH|Conversations}}.</ref>}}

Upon awaking Smaug felt the draught from the tunnel which led to the secret door (from which he had previously heard untoward knocking). Already suspicious Smaug noticed that the cup was missing. This enraged Smaug beyond measure, causing him to leave his chamber and scour the mountainside for the intruder; remembering hearing strange noises from the passageway he failed to find the entrance, only eating their ponies.<ref name="H12"/>

Remembering a saying of [[Bungo Baggins|his father]]'s, "''every worm has a weak spot''", Bilbo offered to return to the dragon's lair - the Dwarves ardently accepted and, putting on [[the One Ring|the ring]], off he went. Bilbo believed that the dragon was fast asleep and that his presence would remain unknown to the dragon, however, Smaug was pretending to be asleep. He then spoke to Bilbo:

{{Blockquote|Well thief! I smell you and I feel your air. I hear your breath. Come along! Help yourself again, there is plenty and to spare!|Smaug to [[Bilbo Baggins]].}}

[[File:David Wyatt - Smaug.jpg|thumb|right|David Wyatt - ''Smaug'']]
But Bilbo was more shrewd than Smaug gave him credit: Bilbo praised the dragon and made sure that he did not reveal his real name, speaking only in [[Riddle-game|riddles]]. Smaug could not resist the fascination of what Bilbo had said (although he did remind him that flattery would not save his life) and needed to understand it, so they continued to talk; he was also intrigued to smell something new being puzzled by the never-before-encountered "hobbit-smell". Bilbo grew more and more uncomfortable in the presence of Smaug, but plucking up courage he revealed that he had not come for the treasure alone: Smaug laughed and mocked the notion that anyone could steal from him and get away with it. Bilbo eventually revealed the true purpose of his mission to Smaug, that of "''revenge''" - Smaug burst into a devastating laughter, shaking Bilbo to the floor, mocking the suggestion that anyone could achieve revenge, boasting about his achievements and strengths. Bilbo then suggested that dragon's were softer underneath, particularly in the chest: in response, and in an act of sheer vanity, Smaug rolled over and claimed that Bilbo's information was false and outdated. But Bilbo saw something crucial, thinking:

{{Blockquote|Old fool! Why there is a large patch in the hollow of his left breast as bare as a snail out of its shell!|Bilbo, to himself.}}

Bilbo had obtained the information that he had needed. He fled up the passage, leaving behind a dragon infuriated by the notion of "revenge", having the hair on the back of his head and heels singed off. When Bilbo returned to the door-step he regaled the dwarves with the story of his conversation with the dragon whilst the [[Thrushes|thrush]] was listening. Smaug left his lair once more and smashed the mountainside with strikes of his tail, trapping [[Thorin and Company]] inside the secret passage.<ref name="HInsider" />

===Death and aftermath===
Realizing that the [[Lake-men]] of [[Lake-town|Esgaroth]] must have helped the intruders - reinforced by Bilbo calling himself the "''Barrel-rider''," Smaug resolved to attack and destroy the town as a punitive measure. He approached it in a rage. The waters around it turned red but Smaug dared not get too close as the water would quench his fire; as the Lake-men had cut the bridges, Smaug flew above attacking and setting the town aflame, destroying the Great House with a swipe of his tail. The dragon's scales were impervious to the arrows of the defenders, but the thrush had flown to the town and informed [[Bard]] - a descendent of [[Girion]], [[Lord of Dale]] - of the bare spot in Smaug's armour. He was then able to kill Smaug by firing the [[Black Arrow]] directly into the vulnerable spot of his left breast. As Smaug fell he crashed into and destroyed Esgaroth.<ref name="H14"/>

After Smaug's death, [[Thorin and Company]] claimed the treasure as theirs by birthright. This created a conflict with Bard and the [[Thranduil|Elvenking]] of [[Mirkwood]], who each wanted a portion of the treasure as reimbursement for huge damage that Smaug had inflicted upon them. Thorin refused to share the treasure and had every intention of going to war with the [[Elves of Mirkwood]] and men of Esgaroth to defend his right to the treasure. However the sudden attack by the armies of [[Bolg]] brought the forces of the [[free peoples]] of Middle-earth together in the [[Battle of Five Armies]].<ref name="H15"/><ref name="H16">{{H|16}}</ref><ref name="H17">{{H|17}}</ref> After the Battle, Bilbo's fourteenth-share of the hoard was given over to Bard who sent some to Lake-town to aid its rebuilding.<ref name="H18">{{H|18}}</ref>

Following the death of Smaug a new Lake-town was built further north; Smaug's bones could be seen from the shore but the people were always fearful of it and no one dared go in the water to retrieve the gems or gold.<ref name="H14"/>

==Personality==
{{Blockquote|I kill where I wish and none dare resist. I laid low the warriors of old and their like is not in the world today. Then I was but young and tender. Now I am old and strong, strong strong, Thief in the Shadows!|Smaug to Bilbo.}}

Like all dragons, Smaug - described by [[Thorin|Thorin]] as "''a most specially greedy, strong and wicked worm''"<ref name="H1"/> - loves to hoard gold with a meticulous knowledge of his own collection as evidenced by his immediate spotting of the missing cup.<ref name="H12"/> Whilst being quick to anger in defence of his own wealth, he also exhibits a fierce intellect (as well as a curious fascination) in guessing/deciphering Bilbo's cryptic origins, a pride and vanity in his own armour, an arrogance in his own invulnerability (laughing at the suggestion that the dwarves would be able to have their revenge), and an ability to question Bilbo's loyalty to the dwarves.<ref name="H12"/>

==Inspiration==
[[File:John Howe - Smaug Destroys Lake-town.jpg|thumb|right|220px|[[John Howe]] - ''Smaug Destroys Lake-town'']]
{{Blockquote|Fafnir in the late Norse versions of the Sigurd-story is better; and Smaug and his conversation obviously is in debt there.|[[J.R.R. Tolkien]]<ref name="Letter122">{{L|122}}</ref>}}
In [[Letter 122]], Tolkien noted his lack of enthusiasm for the dragon in ''[[Beowulf (poem)|Beowulf]]''. Instead he stated his preference for the dragon-like creature [[Wikipedia:Fafnir|Fafnir]] from the late Norse versions of the [[Wikipedia:Sigurd|Sigurd-story]]. Indeed Tolkien wrote that Smaug's character owed much to Fafnir.<ref name="Letter122"/>

==Etymology==
Deriving from the same Old English and Germanic roots as ''[[Smials|smial]]'' and ''[[Sméagol|Smeagol]]'',<ref name="RW">{{HM|RW}}, pp. 190-1</ref> the name ''Smaug'' is "the past tense of the primitive Germanic verb ''[[Wiktionary:smeagan|Smugan]]'', to squeeze through a hole".<ref name="Letter25">{{L|25}}</ref> It has been suggested that Tolkien likely thought of [[Old English]] ''smeag'', a word used to describe a "[[worms|worm]]".<ref name=RW/>

==Other names and titles==
In drafts of the [[The Lord of the Rings Appendices|Appendices]], Tolkien wrote that ''[[Trāgu]]'' was the name of Smaug in the [[language of Dale]], "Dalish".<ref name="PM54">{{PM|II}}, p. 54</ref>

In the conversation between Smaug and Bilbo, Bilbo calls him "'''Smaug the Tremendous'''", "'''Smaug the Chiefest and Greatest of Calamities'''", "'''Smaug the Mighty'''", "'''Smaug the Unassessably Wealthy'''", "'''Lord Smaug the Impenetrable'''" and "'''Your Magnificence'''",<ref name="H12"/> and later Bilbo refers to him as "'''Smaug the Terrible'''" and [[Balin]] calls him "'''Old Worm'''".<ref name="HInsider">{{H|13}}</ref> When the [[dwarves]] learn of Smaug's demise they grab their harps and sing, referring to Smaug as the "'''Worm of Dread'''".<ref name="H15">{{H|15}}</ref> [[Appendix A]] uses the popular name "'''Smaug the Golden'''",<ref name="AppA3">{{App|A3}}</ref> whilst in "[[The Quest of Erebor]]" he is simply referred to as "'''The Dragon'''".

==Other versions of the Legendarium==
In a very early manuscript of ''[[The Hobbit]]'' Smaug was known as ''Pryftan''. Indeed [[John D. Rateliff]] refers to this manuscript as ''The Pryftan Fragment''.<ref>{{HH|I(a)}}, passim</ref> ''Pryftan'' is a simple [[Welsh]] compound that literally means "Worm of Fire."<ref>[[Mark T. Hooker]], ''[[Tolkien and Welsh]]'', pp. xxv, 36.</ref>

==Portrayal in adaptations==
{{Gallery
|title=Smaug in adaptations
|width=165
|height=140
|lines=2
|File:The Hobbit (1966 film) - Smaug.png|Smaug (named "Slag") in [[The Hobbit (1966 film)|''The Hobbit'' (1966 film)]]
|File:The Hobbit (1977 film) - Smaug.jpg|Smaug in the [[The Hobbit (1977 film)|''The Hobbit'' (1977 film)]]
|File:The Hobbit (1982 video game) - Smaug.png|Smaug in the [[The Hobbit (1982 video game)|1982 video game ''The Hobbit'']]
|File:Smaug_MERP.png| Smaug in [[Middle-earth Role Playing|MERP's]] [[Creatures of Middle-earth|''Creatures of Middle-earth'']]
|File:The Hobbit (2003) Smaug.jpg|Smaug in the [[The Hobbit (2003 video game)|2003 video game ''The Hobbit'']]
|File:The Hobbit - The Desolation of Smaug - Smaug2.jpg|Smaug in [[The Hobbit (film series)|''The Hobbit'' (film series)]]
}}
===Films===
'''1966: [[The Hobbit (1966 film)|''The Hobbit'' (1966 film)]]:'''
:Smaug is named "Slag", the Ancient Monster.{{fact}}

'''1977: [[The Hobbit (1977 film)|''The Hobbit'' (1977 film)]]:'''
:Smaug was voiced by American actor [[Richard Boone]]. In this version, Smaug is broadly similar in size and colour but his shape is less elongated due to being more weighty. Smaug's face is rounder, possessing more mammalian traits - resembling a mix between a cat and a bat - having bat-like ears and fur around the face and down the back. Also, his armour is never mentioned to be strengthened by lying on the treasure, but more resembles an extra padding of skin/scales, minus the bare patch.

'''2012: ''[[The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey]]'':'''
:Smaug is a [[wikipedia:Computer-generated imagery|CGI]]-motion capture creature produced by [[Weta Digital]], voiced by [[Benedict Cumberbatch]].<ref name="PJCasting">{{webcite|author=[[Peter Jackson]]|articleurl=http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150286515141558|articlename=The Hobbit Casting Update|dated=19-June-2011|website=[http://www.facebook.com/ Facebook]|accessed=23-Dec-2011}}</ref> He is shown with no front legs but walking on the wrists of his wings.

:Smaug's [[Sack of Erebor|sack]] of [[Dale]] and [[Lonely Mountain|Erebor]] is shown briefly during the prologue. The film ends with a glimpse of the [[Dragons|Dragon]]'s eye as he wakes, though he is buried under the treasure.

'''2013: ''[[The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug]]'':'''
:Smaug makes his full appearance in the second part. In his conversation with [[Bilbo Baggins|Bilbo]], he shows an awareness of [[the One Ring]] and [[Sauron|its master]], as well as the nearby presence of [[Thorin and Company]]. It is also observed by Bilbo that the [[Lake-men]]'s legend of [[Girion]] having loosened and removed a scale from the Dragon's breast was in fact true. When the [[Dwarves]] enter the mountain, Smaug chases them, finally catching up to them in the forges, where the Dwarves stage a [[Battle of the Forges|counterattack]], tricking Smaug into relighting the forges with his fire. They manage to cover Smaug in hot molten gold, but he sheds it off without difficulty. Smaug leaves them and flies off to [[Lake-town]] to seek revenge for what he perceives to be their part in Bilbo and the Dwarves' attack.

'''2014: ''[[The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies]]'':'''
:After destroying the majority of Lake-town, Smaug sees [[Bard]] attempting to take him on. He taunts the bowman, and, then, while charging him, Bard shoots his [[Black Arrow]] into the [[Fire-drakes|fire-drake]]'s vulnerable spot. While in the throes of death, Smaug flies up into the sky, where he takes his last breath and then falls to his watery grave in [[Long Lake]] (taking the [[Master of Lake-town]] in his boat with him along the way).

===Radio series===
'''1968: [[The Hobbit (1968 radio series)|''The Hobbit'' (1968 radio series)]]:'''
:[[Francis de Wolff]] provides Smaug's voice.

'''1979: [[The Hobbit (1979 radio series)|''The Hobbit'' (1979 radio series)]]:'''
:Smaug's name is pronounced "Smog".<ref>[[The Hobbit (1979 radio series)|''The Hobbit'' (1979 radio series)]], "Inside Information"</ref> [[Erik Bauersfeld]] performed the voice of the dragon.<ref>{{webcite|articleurl=http://www.discogs.com/JRR-Tolkien-The-Lord-Of-The-Rings-The-Hobbit/release/602426|articlename=J.R.R. Tolkien – The Lord Of The Rings & The Hobbit|website=[http://www.discogs.com Discogs.com]|accessed=23-Dec-2011}}</ref>

===Games===
'''1982: [[The Hobbit (1982 video game)|''The Hobbit'' (1982 video game)]]:'''
:The goal of this game is to plunder the treasuries of Smaug's Lair in the Lonely Mountain. While the computer is loading the game it shows a picture of Smaug with the Lonely Mountain on the background.<ref name="Newspaper">{{webcite|author=Phil Garratt|articleurl=http://www.worldofspectrum.org/showmag.cgi?mag=ZXComputing/Issue8304/Pages/ZXComputing830400076.jpg|articlename=Software Review: The Hobbit|website=[http://www.worldofspectrum.org WorldOfSpectrum.com]|accessed=23-Dec-2011}}</ref>

'''1988: [[Creatures of Middle-earth|''Creatures of Middle-earth'' (1st edition)]]:'''
:In this supplement to the 1st edition of ''[[Middle-earth Role Playing]]'', Smaug is put forward as a potential enemy should the gamesmaster wish to include the dragon in his or her story. Another dragon, Utumkodur, is described as Smaug's elder sister. <ref>Ruth Sochard Pitt, Jeff O'Hare, [[Pete Fenlon|Peter C. Fenlon, Jr.]], ''[[Creatures of Middle-earth]]'', 1st edn, pp. 51-52</ref>

'''1994: [[Creatures of Middle-earth (2nd edition)|''Creatures of Middle-earth'' (2nd edition)]]:'''
:In this supplement to the 2nd edition of ''[[Middle-earth Role Playing]]'', Smaug is described in some detail and given a brief history before his coming to Erebor. Smaug survived the destruction of [[Angband]] at the end of the [[First Age]] and settled at Anvilmount in the [[Grey Mountains]]. Here he found and defiled a First Age Adan holy place, destroying tombs and stealing a modest amount of treasure. Smaug was upset by his lack of wealth. Therefore when he heard the tale of the Dwarves of Erebor he knew that the great treasure should be his. ''Creatures of Middle-earth'' also describes Smaug as being the son of [[Ancalagon]], being one of a number of siblings including Throkmaw, Ruingurth, and Utumkodur.<ref>Ruth Sochard Pitt, Jeff O'Hare, [[Peter C. Fenlon, Jr.]], ''[[Creatures of Middle-earth (2nd edition)|Creatures of Middle-earth]]'', 2nd edn, pp. 112-115</ref>

'''2003: [[The Hobbit (2003 video game)|''The Hobbit'' (2003 video game)]]:'''
:Smaug was voiced by [[James Horan]].

==See also==
* [[:Category:Images of Smaug|Images of Smaug]]
* "[[The Quest of Erebor]]", a chapter of ''[[Unfinished Tales]]'' which provides more background information
* [[Chrysophylax]], the dragon in ''[[Farmer Giles of Ham]]''

==External links==

*[http://middle-earth.xenite.org/2013/02/27/where-did-smaug-come-from/ Where Did Smaug Come From?] by [[Michael Martinez]]

{{References|n}}
{{Dragons}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smaug}}

[[Category:Characters in The Hobbit]]
[[Category:Dragons]]
[[Category:Evil]]
[[Category:Featured Articles]]
[[Category:Germanic names]]
[[Category:Masculine names]]
[[Category:Third Age characters]]
[[de:Smaug]]
[[fa:اسماگ]]
[[fr:/encyclo/personnages/animaux/dragons/smaug]]
[[fi:Smaug]]

Durin's Axe

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'''Durin's Axe''' was part of the regalia and weaponry of the [[Kings of Khazad-dûm|Dwarf-kings of Khazad-dûm]].

==History==
The axe remained lost in [[Moria|Khazad-dûm]] after it was deserted in {{TA|1981}}. It was found again by [[Balin|Balin's]] [[Balin's Colony|expedition]], but lost again in {{TA|2994|n}}, when his colony was destroyed.<ref>{{FR|Bridge}}</ref>

[[de:Durins Axt]]
{{references}}

{{weapons}}
[[Category:Heirlooms]]
[[Category:Weapons]]

Durin I

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{{disambig-more|Durin|[[Durin (disambiguation)]]}}
{{dwarves infobox
| name=Durin
| image=[[File:Liz Danforth - Durin I.jpg|250px]]
| caption="Durin I" by [[Liz Danforth]]
| pronun=
| othernames=Durin the Deathless "Father of the Dwarves"
| titles=[[Kings of Durin's Folk|King of Durin's Folk]] [[Kings of Khazad-dûm|King of Khazad-dûm]]
| position=
| location=[[Moria|Khazad-dûm]]
| affiliation=
| language=[[Khuzdul]]
| birth=[[Years of the Trees]]
| birthlocation=[[Mount Gundabad]]
| rule= Ruled for centuries
| death=[[First Age]]
| deathlocation=[[Moria|Khazad-dûm]]
| age=at least 2,395
| notablefor=Discovering [[Khazad-Dûm]]
| house=Founded the [[House of Durin]]
| parentage=None; created by [[Aulë]]
| siblings=
| spouse=
| children=
| gender=Male
| height=
| hair=
| eyes=
| clothing=
| weapons=[[Durin's Axe]]
| steed=
}}
'''Durin I''' ([[Years of the Trees]] – [[First Age]]), also known as '''Durin the Deathless''' due to his longevity, was the first of the seven [[Fathers of the Dwarves]], the founder of the city of [[Moria|Khazad-dûm]], and the first king of the [[Longbeards]].

==History==
[[File:Ted Nasmith - Aulë and the Seven Fathers.jpg‎|thumb|left|[[Ted Nasmith]] - ''Aulë and the Seven Fathers'']]
Long before the awakening of the [[Elves]] it is said that Aulë, yearning for the [[Children of Ilúvatar]], fashioned the Seven [[Fathers of the Dwarves]] in a hall under the mountains in [[Middle-earth]]. Pleased with his work, Aulë was instructing his creations in the [[Khuzdul|speech]] he had devised for them when [[Ilúvatar]] rebuked him, pointing out that they were mere counterfeits that would only stand idle without Aulë’s will. Aulë humbled himself before Ilúvatar and prepared to destroy the Dwarves, but at that moment Ilúvatar gave them independent life. However, Ilúvatar would not suffer their arrival in the world before the Firstborn, so the seven fathers were laid to sleep until after the coming of the [[Elves]].<ref>{{S|Aule}}</ref>

Ilúvatar commanded Aulë to lay the sleeping fathers in deep places, each with a mate, save Durin the eldest who had none.<ref>{{L|212}}</ref> Durin was set to sleep under [[Mount Gundabad]] in the [[Misty Mountains]] during the [[Years of the Trees]].<ref>{{PM|Dwarves}}</ref>
===King of the Longbeards===
[[File:Ted Nasmith - Durin I Discovers the Three Peaks.jpg|thumb|left|[[Ted Nasmith]] - ''Durin I Discovers the Three Peaks'']]
When he awoke he journeyed south alone through the wild where no person ever wandered before, and gave name to "nameless hills and dells", perhaps [[Azanulbizar]] and the nearby features<ref>{{FR|Journey}}</ref>. He came upon [[Kheled-zâram]]. Looking upon [[Seven Stars|mysterious stars]] set [[Durin's Crown|like a crown]] reflected in its surface, he took this as a sign, and there in the caves above the lake, founded a great city. This was [[Moria|Khazad-dûm]], later called [[Moria]], and for many years it was the greatest Dwarven city in Middle-earth.<ref name="Durin">{{App|Durin}}</ref>

Durin was the founder of the [[Longbeards]] house, which became known as [[Durin's folk]]. He lived to a great age even by the measure of the Dwarves until he was known as "The Deathless". However, he was not actually immortal, and died sometime during the First Age.<ref name="Durin"/>

All that can be known for certain about his age, is that he was born before {{YT|1250}}<ref name="GA">{{GA|19}}</ref> and died before the end of the [[First Age]].<ref name="Durin"/> This makes Durin ''at least'' 2,395 years old, about ten-times the lifespan of [[Dwarves]].<ref group="note">[[coranar|Years of the Sun]]. Each Year of the Trees is equal to 9.582 Years of the Sun, and the Years of the Trees ended in the year 1500. So, 9.582 x 250 = 2,395.</ref>

==Legacy==
The Longbeards believed that Durin would return to them seven times, and in each reincarnation he will again be named Durin and reign as King. He did have six descendants that were named Durin, all were kings of Durin's folk.<ref name="Durin"/>

[[Durin's Axe]], a great heirloom of Durin's folk, was probably his; it was apparently found when [[Balin]] and [[Balin's colony|his colony]] came to Khazad-dûm in {{TA|2989}}.<ref>{{FR|Bridge}}</ref><ref>{{App|B2}}</ref>

==Etymology==
''Durinn'' is one of the Dwarfs in the ''[[Völuspá|Dvergatal]]''. The name means "Sleepy".<ref>Chester Nathan Gould, "Dwarf-Names: A Study in Old Icelandic Religion", published in ''Publications of the Modern Language Association of America'', Vol 44 (1929), issue #4, pp. 939-967</ref>

==Genealogy==
{{familytree/start}}
{{familytree| DU1 | |DU1='''DURIN I'''''fl. {{YT}}''}}
{{familytree| |:| | |}}
{{familytree| DU2 | |DU2=[[Durin II]]''fl. late {{FA}}/early {{SA}}''}}
{{familytree| |:| | |}}
{{familytree| DU3 | |DU3=[[Durin III]]''fl. mid {{SA}}''}}
{{familytree| |:| | |}}
{{familytree| DU4 | |DU4=[[Durin IV]]''fl. late {{SA}}/early {{TA}}''}}
{{familytree| |:| | |}}
{{familytree| DU5 | |DU5=[[Durin V]]''fl. late {{SA}}/early {{TA}}''}}
{{familytree| |:| | |}}
{{familytree| DUR | |DUR=[[Durin VI]] ''{{TA|1731}} - {{TA|1980|n}}''†}}
{{familytree/end}}

{{references|note}}
{{seq-start}}
{{seq-head
| name=Durin I
| race=dwarf
| house=[[Durin's Folk|House of Durin]]
}}
{{seq
| pvac=None
| prev=Position created
| prow=2
| list=[[Kings of Durin's Folk|King of Durin's Folk]]
| nvac=Unknown
| next=Next known: [[Durin II]]
| nrow=2
}}
{{seq
| list=[[Kings of Khazad-dûm|King of Khazad-dûm]]
}}
{{seq-end}}
{{durinskings}}
[[Category:Characters in The Silmarillion]]
[[Category:Dwarves]]
[[Category:First Age characters]]
[[Category:Longbeards]]
[[de:Durin I.]]
[[fr:encyclo:personnages:nains:1a:durin_ier]]
[[fi:Durin Kuolematon]]

Durin I

2018-04-28T01:07:37Z

142.44.139.84:

{{disambig-more|Durin|[[Durin (disambiguation)]]}}
{{dwarves infobox
| name=Durin
| image=[[File:Liz Danforth - Durin I.jpg|250px]]
| caption="Durin I" by [[Liz Danforth]]
| pronun=
| othernames=Durin the Deathless "Father of the Dwarves"
| titles=[[Kings of Durin's Folk|King of Durin's Folk]] [[Kings of Khazad-dûm|King of Khazad-dûm]]
| position=
| location=[[Moria|Khazad-dûm]]
| affiliation=
| language=[[Khuzdul]]
| birth=[[Years of the Trees]]
| birthlocation=[[Mount Gundabad]]
| rule= Ruled for centuries
| death=[[First Age]]
| deathlocation=[[Moria|Khazad-dûm]]
| age=At least 2,395
| notablefor=Discovering [[Khazad-Dûm]]
| house=Founded the [[House of Durin]]
| parentage=None; created by [[Aulë]]
| siblings=
| spouse=
| children=
| gender=Male
| height=
| hair=
| eyes=
| clothing=
| weapons=[[Durin's Axe]]
| steed=
}}
'''Durin I''' ([[Years of the Trees]] – [[First Age]]), also known as '''Durin the Deathless''' due to his longevity, was the first of the seven [[Fathers of the Dwarves]], the founder of the city of [[Moria|Khazad-dûm]], and the first king of the [[Longbeards]].

==History==
[[File:Ted Nasmith - Aulë and the Seven Fathers.jpg‎|thumb|left|[[Ted Nasmith]] - ''Aulë and the Seven Fathers'']]
Long before the awakening of the [[Elves]] it is said that Aulë, yearning for the [[Children of Ilúvatar]], fashioned the Seven [[Fathers of the Dwarves]] in a hall under the mountains in [[Middle-earth]]. Pleased with his work, Aulë was instructing his creations in the [[Khuzdul|speech]] he had devised for them when [[Ilúvatar]] rebuked him, pointing out that they were mere counterfeits that would only stand idle without Aulë’s will. Aulë humbled himself before Ilúvatar and prepared to destroy the Dwarves, but at that moment Ilúvatar gave them independent life. However, Ilúvatar would not suffer their arrival in the world before the Firstborn, so the seven fathers were laid to sleep until after the coming of the [[Elves]].<ref>{{S|Aule}}</ref>

Ilúvatar commanded Aulë to lay the sleeping fathers in deep places, each with a mate, save Durin the eldest who had none.<ref>{{L|212}}</ref> Durin was set to sleep under [[Mount Gundabad]] in the [[Misty Mountains]] during the [[Years of the Trees]].<ref>{{PM|Dwarves}}</ref>
===King of the Longbeards===
[[File:Ted Nasmith - Durin I Discovers the Three Peaks.jpg|thumb|left|[[Ted Nasmith]] - ''Durin I Discovers the Three Peaks'']]
When he awoke he journeyed south alone through the wild where no person ever wandered before, and gave name to "nameless hills and dells", perhaps [[Azanulbizar]] and the nearby features<ref>{{FR|Journey}}</ref>. He came upon [[Kheled-zâram]]. Looking upon [[Seven Stars|mysterious stars]] set [[Durin's Crown|like a crown]] reflected in its surface, he took this as a sign, and there in the caves above the lake, founded a great city. This was [[Moria|Khazad-dûm]], later called [[Moria]], and for many years it was the greatest Dwarven city in Middle-earth.<ref name="Durin">{{App|Durin}}</ref>

Durin was the founder of the [[Longbeards]] house, which became known as [[Durin's folk]]. He lived to a great age even by the measure of the Dwarves until he was known as "The Deathless". However, he was not actually immortal, and died sometime during the First Age.<ref name="Durin"/>

All that can be known for certain about his age, is that he was born before {{YT|1250}}<ref name="GA">{{GA|19}}</ref> and died before the end of the [[First Age]].<ref name="Durin"/> This makes Durin ''at least'' 2,395 years old, about ten-times the lifespan of [[Dwarves]].<ref group="note">[[coranar|Years of the Sun]]. Each Year of the Trees is equal to 9.582 Years of the Sun, and the Years of the Trees ended in the year 1500. So, 9.582 x 250 = 2,395.</ref>

==Legacy==
The Longbeards believed that Durin would return to them seven times, and in each reincarnation he will again be named Durin and reign as King. He did have six descendants that were named Durin, all were kings of Durin's folk.<ref name="Durin"/>

[[Durin's Axe]], a great heirloom of Durin's folk, was probably his; it was apparently found when [[Balin]] and [[Balin's colony|his colony]] came to Khazad-dûm in {{TA|2989}}.<ref>{{FR|Bridge}}</ref><ref>{{App|B2}}</ref>

==Etymology==
''Durinn'' is one of the Dwarfs in the ''[[Völuspá|Dvergatal]]''. The name means "Sleepy".<ref>Chester Nathan Gould, "Dwarf-Names: A Study in Old Icelandic Religion", published in ''Publications of the Modern Language Association of America'', Vol 44 (1929), issue #4, pp. 939-967</ref>

==Genealogy==
{{familytree/start}}
{{familytree| DU1 | |DU1='''DURIN I'''''fl. {{YT}}''}}
{{familytree| |:| | |}}
{{familytree| DU2 | |DU2=[[Durin II]]''fl. late {{FA}}/early {{SA}}''}}
{{familytree| |:| | |}}
{{familytree| DU3 | |DU3=[[Durin III]]''fl. mid {{SA}}''}}
{{familytree| |:| | |}}
{{familytree| DU4 | |DU4=[[Durin IV]]''fl. late {{SA}}/early {{TA}}''}}
{{familytree| |:| | |}}
{{familytree| DU5 | |DU5=[[Durin V]]''fl. late {{SA}}/early {{TA}}''}}
{{familytree| |:| | |}}
{{familytree| DUR | |DUR=[[Durin VI]] ''{{TA|1731}} - {{TA|1980|n}}''†}}
{{familytree/end}}

{{references|note}}
{{seq-start}}
{{seq-head
| name=Durin I
| race=dwarf
| house=[[Durin's Folk|House of Durin]]
}}
{{seq
| pvac=None
| prev=Position created
| prow=2
| list=[[Kings of Durin's Folk|King of Durin's Folk]]
| nvac=Unknown
| next=Next known: [[Durin II]]
| nrow=2
}}
{{seq
| list=[[Kings of Khazad-dûm|King of Khazad-dûm]]
}}
{{seq-end}}
{{durinskings}}
[[Category:Characters in The Silmarillion]]
[[Category:Dwarves]]
[[Category:First Age characters]]
[[Category:Longbeards]]
[[de:Durin I.]]
[[fr:encyclo:personnages:nains:1a:durin_ier]]
[[fi:Durin Kuolematon]]

Narsil

2018-04-28T00:56:40Z

142.44.139.84:

{{object infobox
| name=Narsil
| image=[[File:John Howe - Narsil.jpg|250px]]
| caption="Narsil" by [[John Howe]]
| pronun={{respell|nar|sil}}
| othernames="Sword That Was Broken", "The Sword Reforged"
| location=[[Nogrod]], [[Númenor]], [[Arnor]], [[Rivendell]]
| owner=[[Kings of Númenor]], [[Lords of Andúnië]], [[Elendil]], [[Kings of Arnor]], [[Kings of Arthedain]], [[Chieftains of the Dúnedain]]
| type=Weapon
| appearance=
| creator=[[Telchar]]
| created=[[First Age]]
| createdlocation=[[Nogrod]]
| destroyer=
| destroyed=
| destroyedlocation=
| notablefor=Cutting the [[One Ring]] of [[Sauron|Sauron's]] finger
}}
'''Narsil''' was a [[Dwarves|dwarven]]-sword wielded by King [[Elendil]] of the [[Dúnedain]]. It was later reforged as '''[[Andúril]]'''.

==History==
[[File:Donato Giancola - Telchar forging Narsil.jpg‎|thumb|left|[[Donato Giancola]] - ''Telchar forging Narsil'']]
The sword was forged during the [[First Age]] by the famed Dwarven-smith [[Telchar]] of [[Nogrod]].

In the [[Second Age]], Narsil was an heirloom of the descendants of Elros, the first [[King of Númenor]]. Although nothing is said of Narsil during this period, it eventually came into the hands of [[Elendil]], a distant descendant, towards the close of the Second Age.

Elendil carried Narsil in the [[Battle of Dagorlad]] where it shone with the light of the [[Sun]] and [[Moon]], and then in the [[Siege of Barad-dûr]]; but [[Sauron]] killed him and the sword broke into two pieces under him as he fell, and its light was extinguished. Elendil's son [[Isildur]] took up the sword and used its shard to cut [[the One Ring]] from the hand of Sauron. <ref name=rings/> Isildur took the shards home with him. Shortly before Isildur was killed in the second year of the [[Third Age]] in the [[Disaster of the Gladden Fields]], the shards were rescued by [[Ohtar]], esquire of Isildur<ref>{{FR|Council}}</ref>. He took them to [[Rivendell]], where Isildur's youngest son [[Valandil (King of Arnor)|Valandil]] was fostered, but [[Elrond]] foretold that it wouldn't be forged again until the One Ring was found agan and Sauron returned.<ref name=rings>{{S|Rings}}</ref>

The '''Shards of Narsil''' were one of the heirlooms of the [[Kings of Arnor]], and after the Northern Kingdom was destroyed they remained an heirloom of the [[Rangers of the North]]. It was not reforged until the [[War of the Ring]] at the end of the Third Age in Rivendell as '''[[Andúril]]''', the "Flame of the West", for [[Aragorn]], who was by that time the [[Chieftains of the Dúnedain|Chieftain of the Dúnedain]] and heir of Isildur.

He carried the sword during his journey south as part of the [[Fellowship of the Ring]], and fought with it in many instances. He referred to it as the "Sword That Was Broken" or "The Sword Reforged".

== Etymology ==
''Narsil'' is a [[Quenya]] name meaning "red and white flame".<ref>{{HM|UI}}, p. 231</ref><ref>{{PE|17}}, p. 29</ref> The name is said to consist of the [[Sundocarme|stems]] NAR ("fire"; cf. ''[[Nár (Quenya)|nár]]'' "fire") + THIL ("white light"). It was a symbolic name, pointing to the [[Sun]] and the [[Moon]], the "''chief heavenly lights, as enemies of darkness''".<ref>{{L|347}}, p. 425</ref>

==Portrayal in adaptations==
'''2001: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]]'':'''
:Narsil was not broken in two but in several parts, and by Sauron stepping on it instead of it breaking as Elendil fell.

:Unlike in the book, Aragorn does not bear them with him, but are kept on a display in [[Rivendell]]. Boromir drops the hilt on the floor and Aragorn is seen reverently replacing it back into the display. The sword is not reforged into Andúril until the third film.

'''2003: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King]]'':'''
[[Arwen]] persuades [[Elrond]] to have [[Elves|Elven]] smiths reforge it from the shards and bring to Aragorn.

'''2007: ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]'':'''
:The reforging of Narsil is experienced by the player in the quest arc called "The Blade that was Broken". The player sets out to find the last of the Silithair, shining adamants crafted by Elves of the [[house of Fëanor]] in days of old, in order for the Elf-smiths of Imladris to reforge the sword.<ref>[http://lorebook.lotro.com/wiki/Quest_Arc:The_Blade_That_Was_Broken Quest Arc: The Blade That Was Broken], Lorebook, lotro.com</ref>

'''2012: [[The Hobbit (film series)|''The Hobbit'' (film series)]]:'''
:As revealed in the trailer, [[Bilbo Baggins]] is seen to approach and examine the shards in curiosity, while in Rivendell. Although the Shards are not mentioned in [[The Hobbit|the book]], it establishes continuity with [[Peter Jackson|Peter Jackson's]] [[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (film series)]].

{{references}}

{{weapons}}
[[Category:Quenya names]]
[[Category:Swords]]
[[Category:Heirlooms]]
[[de:Narsil]]
[[fr:encyclo/artefacts/armes/narsil]]
[[fi:Narsil]]

Battle of the Pelennor Fields

2018-04-28T00:46:49Z

142.44.139.84:

{{disambig-more|Battle of the Pelennor Fields|[[Battle of the Pelennor Fields (disambiguation)]]}}
{{cleanup}}{{sources}}
{{battle|
image=[[File:Per Sjögren - The Battle of the Pelennor Fields.jpg|300px]]|
name=Battle of the Pelennor Fields|
conflict=[[War of the Ring]]|
date=[[15 March]] {{TA|3019}}|
place=[[Minas Tirith]] and [[Pelennor Fields]], [[Gondor]]|
result= Victory of Gondor and Rohan|
side1=[[Gondor]], [[Rohan]], [[White Mountains]] (Movie only)|
side2= [[Mordor]], [[Harad]], [[Rhûn]], [[Khand]] (Book only)|
commanders1=*[[Denethor]] †
*[[Gandalf]]
*[[Imrahil]] (Book only)
*[[Hirluin]] (Book only)†
*[[Théoden]] †
*[[Grimbold]] †
*[[Éomer]]
*[[Aragorn]]
* [[King of the Dead]] (Movie only)
| commanders2=*The [[Witch-king]] of [[Angmar]] †
*[[Gothmog (Lieutenant of Morgul)|Gothmog]] †
| forces1=
'''Book:'''
* 5,000 Gondorian soldiers + 250 [[Guards of the Citadel]]
* 6,000 men of [[South Gondor]]
* 6,000 [[Rohirrim]] soldiers
<hr />
'''Movie (Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King):'''
* 10,000 Gondorian soldiers + 3,000 [[Guards of the Citadel]]
* 6,000 [[Rohirrim]] soldiers
* 50,000 [[Oathbreakers]]
| forces2=
'''Book:'''
* 130,000 [[Orcs]]
* 18,000 [[Easterlings]], [[Haradrim]], and [[Variags]]
* several [[Oliphaunts]], [[Trolls]], [[Wargs]], and [[Great beasts]]
<hr />
'''Movie (Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King):'''
* 200,000 [[Orcs]]
* 1,000 [[Haradrim]] + 20 [[Oliphaunts]]
* Several thousand [[Easterlings]]
* 300 [[Trolls]]
* All [[Nazgul]]
| casual1=Severe
| casual2=Near-total
}}{{wotr}}
The '''Battle of the Pelennor Fields''' was the greatest battle of the [[War of the Ring]], and indeed the largest of the entire [[Third Age]].

==History==
===Prelude===
{{seealso|Siege of Gondor}}
After the fall of [[Osgiliath]] there was no longer a barrier against the forces of [[Mordor]], which moved on the [[Pelennor Fields]] before the city on [[15 March]] {{TA|3019}} as the [[The Darkness|Great Darkness]] blotted out the sun. Almost all of Minas Tirith's civilian population was evacuated prior to the siege, and were sent southward to Gondor's southern fiefdoms.<ref>{{RK|V1}}</ref>

===Opposing Forces===

Mordor's troops consisted of some 18,000 [[Easterlings]] and [[Haradrim]],<ref name="Rohirrim">{{RK|Ride}}</ref> several Haradrim war [[Oliphaunts]], and tens of thousands of [[Orcs]]; the defenders' numbers were considerably less. the city's garrison likely was no more than 4,000,{{fact}} the survivors from Osgiliath probably numbered around 1,000{{fact}} (One third of that garrison were killed), there were about 6000{{fact}} men from southern [[Gondor]] who arrived just before the siege commenced.

===Battle===
Mordor's hosts set fire to the plains and farms outside of the city and hewed apart anyone they found, living or dead. The Orcs began digging trenches and setting up siege equipment and catapults. These were out of range of the city's defenses, as was the city out of theirs. Some of the defenders laughed and mocked this effort, one even claiming that Sauron himself could not break through Minas Tirith's walls.

Their laughter turned to peril and fear, however, when Mordor's massive catapults flung their shot extremely high, well over the city's walls and into the first level. Through Sauron's arts many projectiles detonated and burst into flame. Along with these the Orcs also launched the heads of Gondor's fallen soldiers and other Men they had slain over the walls, causing despair among the defenders.<ref>{{RK|V4}}</ref> Though these machines could still not inflict serious harm to the immense first wall, the great battering ram [[Grond (battering ram)|Grond]] (named after [[Morgoth]]'s weapon from the First Age) was put into action.

At midnight Grond rolled to the face of the city. The [[Witch-king]] cried out evil spells unto it, breaking the mighty main gate in only three swings, and the Witch-king rode into the city unchallenged, save by [[Gandalf]]. Before Gandalf's strength was put to the test, however, the cock crowed and the horns of [[Rohan]] were heard as around 6,000 of their riders joined the battle. Mordor's strategy for keeping Rohan out of the battle had failed twice, both through the defeat at Helm's Deep and the blockade in Anórien. So the Witch-king was forced to ride out and attack them instead of fighting Gandalf and destroying the city.

King Théoden's charge drove the Mordor forces from the northern half of the field, and charging the Haradrim cavalry he slew the Southron chieftain, the [[Black Serpent]], and cut down his standardbearer. Mordor's forces counter-attacked, however, and the Witch-king, having rode out to fight Rohan's charge, set upon them and racked them with fear.
[[File:Laurent Alquier - Éowyn's Stand in the Pelennor Fields.jpg|thumb|left|[[Laurent Alquier]] - ''Éowyn's Stand in the Pelennor Fields'']]
When the Witch-king's fell beast attacked King [[Théoden]] of Rohan, the king's horse [[Snowmane]] lost control, and was hit by a black dart. Snowmane fell with the king atop him, and the horse landed on him, mortally wounding him. All about the King were his slain knights, and any survivors fled from the Witch-king's terrifying visage. The fell beast raked its claws upon Snowmane's neck and readied to devour Théoden, but the warrior [[Dernhelm]], defending the king's body, stood tearful yet defiant, forbidding the Witch-king to defile the king's corpse. The Witch-king mocked him, telling him that no living man might hinder him. Éowyn threw off her disguise as Dernhelm and revealed herself as "no man at all". The Black Captain remained silent, as if he hesitated slightly due to [[Glorfindel]]'s prophecy, but heeded it no longer, ignoring the [[hobbits|Hobbit]] [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]] nearby and attacking Éowyn with great malice. She slew his fell beast, but the Witch-king rose from it, towering over her. With a violent cry that stung her ears like venom he threw his black mace upon her shield, splintering it and shattering her arm. She fell to her knees in bitter pain and he loomed over her, raising his mace to kill her. However, before he could do so, the Witch-king too fell; Merry had wounded him with a sword that had been forged centuries before during the war between [[Arnor]] and [[Angmar]] and which contained spells against the Witch-king. The spells finally found their target, for the Witch-king was distracted and possibly seriously weakened. Éowyn, with her last strength, drove her sword into the Witch-king's crown, her sword shattering and the Black Captain of Mordor slain, his spirit fading into a shrill voice on the wind. The [[Black Breath]] caused both Merry and Éowyn to become gravely ill, and Éowyn's ruined arm kept her from fighting any further that day. They were sent to the [[Houses of Healing]] in the city, and command of the Rohirrim then passed to Théoden's nephew and heir, Third Marshall Éomer. Though a demoralizing blow to Mordor's forces on the field, they held together, and Gothmog, Lieutenant of Minas Morgul, assumed command.

At the same time, [[Faramir]], son of [[Denethor]], Steward of Gondor, was also gravely wounded. Despairing at the visions of defeat that [[Sauron]] had sent him via his ''[[palantíri|palantír]]'', and believing Faramir to be beyond aid, Denethor prepared to burn himself and his son upon a funeral pyre. Only the intervention of [[Peregrin Took]] and Gandalf saved Faramir, but Denethor immolated himself before they could prevent him.

Meanwhile, the battle turned against the Rohirrim. The Southrons charged with their Mûmakil and wherever they went horses went wild with fear or were trampled underfoot, and the forces of Mordor rallied around them like islands of defence that the Rohirrim cavalry could not overtake. Éomer, grim after the death of Théoden but shocked by the unexpected (seeming) death of his sister Éowyn, the last living member of his family, flew into a [[berserker]] rage and charged his cavalry headlong into the larger enemy forces. So great was the wrath of the outnumbered Rohirrim at the death of their King that they broke through the superior Mordor forces, hammering deep wedges into the Mordor legions' front lines. His fury betrayed him, however; the horses panicked at the sight of the towering Mûmakil, and the Haradrim retreated amongst them. Gothmog retaliated against Éomer's advance, sending fierce Variags, elite Haradrim warriors, and monstrous Troll-men against the Rohirrim, and they were set into despair. The cavalry of Rohan were cut off from the rest of their allies. Éomer and his forces retreated to the docks near the Harlond south of the city where he desperately circled up his men on a hill and prepared to fight to the death. When he saw enemy reinforcements sailing up the River [[Anduin]], he sang a solemn and sorrowful dirge, though laughed as he did, preparing to die defiantly as Rohan's final leader.
[[File:Anke Eißmann - The Black Serpent founders.jpg|right|thumb|300px|[[Anke Eißmann]] - ''The Black Serpent founders'']]
One of the visions that Denethor had seen was of a fleet of enemy ships with black sails arriving at the landings to the south of the Pelennor in the Rammas, but what he had not seen was that they were actually manned by [[Aragorn]] and other [[Rangers of the North]], [[Gimli]], [[Legolas]], [[Elladan]], [[Elrohir]] and many reinforcements from southern fiefdoms of Gondor. As Aragorn's army drove north a great part of Mordor's forces were pinned between Aragorn and Éomer's cavalry, and were "caught between the hammer and the anvil". Without the Witch-king's leadership, and with vast numbers encroaching them on all sides, many of Mordor's troops panicked and began to flee; Aragorn's army then linked with Éomer's, and with their aid the tide of battle was finally turned. Despite the Orcs engaging in a cowardly and disorganized retreat, many Easterlings and Haradrim held their ground and fought proudly to the death, delaying the Western host and allowing others to rout. The vicinity of the Rammas Echor was soon empty of Sauron's forces, and a brief respite was won until the [[Battle of the Morannon|final battle]] before the [[Morannon|Black Gate]].

=== Aftermath ===

There is no clearly stated final death toll for the Battle of Pelennor Fields. There is a definite figure for the army of the Rohirrim that came to Gondor's defence; it consisted of 6,000 riders, and a full 2,000 were killed in the battle, including Théoden. Of the 6 to 7 thousand Gondorian defenders of Minas Tirith, and the large relief force of Gondor's southern provinces led by Aragorn, no definite figure remains. Two days after the battle, Aragorn led an army out to attack the Black Gate that consisted of 7,000 men (When he reached the Black Gate he had less than 6,000); 2,000 Rohirrim and 5,000 Gondorians. The size of Aragorn's relief force may have been over 5,000 or as little as 1,000, it is never stated. Éomer stated that very few of Rohan's horses remained, and either killed or wounded, he could not "hope to lead even two thousands" in the Last Debate. With a number around 18,000 at the least participating and only 7,000 remaining to march out to war, even a conservative estimate would place total Western losses at 9,000 and perhaps more. Forlong, Grimbold, Théoden, and Hirluin were slain in combat, and the near-defeat of Gondor led Steward Denethor to commit suicide during the siege. Minas Tirith itself suffered heavily in the siege, and its strongest gate was broken. A grey rain fell over the city and the plains following the battle's end, putting out many fires much to the relief of its inhabitants. Despite their losses, the arrival of reinforcements from the southern fiefs allowed Gondor to maintain a larger garrison in the city after the Siege than it had at the outset.

As for Mordor's losses, again, the size of Sauron's great army is not definitely known. The full host was estimated at perhaps 75,000. The Orcs and Trolls of Sauron made up most of the force, though it is known that there were some 18,000 [[Haradrim]]. (The Rohirrim, consisting of 6,000 riders, were "thrice outnumbered by the Haradrim alone".) Almost all of the attackers were slain or routed; though not specifically mentioned, all of the War [[Oliphaunts|Mûmakil]] were likely killed, along with numerous Trolls, Orcs, and Evil Men. Those whom escaped fled across the River Anduin to East Osgiliath, many drowning in the process; not one living thing was left in the vicinity of the Rammas. Few escaped, and those that did spread word of Gondor's wrathful victory in their homelands. Most grievous of all to Sauron was the permanent loss of the Witch-king, the Lord of the Nazgûl and his most powerful servant. The fate of Gothmog, Mordor's second commander in the battle, is not mentioned.

Although a great and almost miraculous victory, at the subsequent Last Debate, Gandalf counselled that militarily, Sauron would still defeat them. The Free Peoples had managed to destroy an army outnumbering them as much as 5 to 1, but lost nearly half of their own forces. Sauron had suffered a defeat, but he still had other legions and the force that attacked Minas Tirith, while substantial, was but a fraction of his total strength. Rohan and Gondor had been able to secure their flanks, eliminating the threat of Isengard and the Corsairs on the southern coasts, but Gandalf counselled that even with all of their forces concentrated in the main front near Minas Tirith, it would simply result in a war of attrition; either defensively or offensively, Sauron would tactically prevail. Thus, it was agreed that it was impossible to achieve a conventional military victory through strength of arms, and instead to risk all on a last throw of the dice by Aragorn leading a diversionary attack on the Black Gate, to aid Frodo's passage in Mordor.

==Portrayal in adaptations==
'''2003: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King]]'':'''
:The battle is the major centrepiece of the last film, although some of the events described above are simplified or altered for cinematic purposes. The Gondorian forces from the kingdom's fiefs are absent, replaced only by the [[Rohirrim]]. These are joined by Aragorn leading the "[[Oathbreakers|Army of the Dead]]" (instead of the Gondorian reinforcements) at the very end of the battle. Importance is given to the charge of the [[Oliphaunts|Mûmakil]], the death of [[Théoden]], and the [[Witch-king]]'s demise at the hands of [[Éowyn]].

:The battle begins with [[Sauron]]'s forces marching on the city and firing a volley of severed [[Gondorians|Gondorian]] heads over the walls (as in the book). Seeing [[Mordor]]'s overwhelming army, [[Denethor]] despairs, and [[Gandalf]] assumes command of the defenders. Both Sauron's army and the defenders of [[Minas Tirith]] exchange fire by way of catapults and trebuchets. Many Orcs and a few dozen Gondorian soldiers were killed, whilst some catapults and siege towers were destroyed. Then the [[Nazgûl|Ringwraiths]], mounted, on top of their [[fell beasts]], descended from the skies, spreading fear throughout the city and destroying many catapults. Meanwhile, [[Trolls]] bring forth the siege towers and engage the Gondorian troops and Gandalf in combat throughout the night. As the battle continues in the dark, the [[Orcs]] bring forth a giant battering ram named [[Grond (battering ram)|Grond]] and, with it, the [[Great Gate of Minas Tirith]] is shattered, allowing the Orcs, Trolls, and [[Wargs]] to invade the city. In the book, the populace was almost entirely evacuated before the battle. In the movie, the women and children remained, and many were slaughtered in the lower levels.

:By morning, the Gondorian soldiers had taken heavy casualties and retreated to the higher levels of Minas Tirith. There, Gandalf helps them to hold out until Théoden and six thousand Rohirrim arrive, decimating the invading Orcs and routing the Witch-king's right flank; however, [[Sauron]]'s reserves soon arrive with several [[Oliphaunts]], commanded by the [[Haradrim]], who turn the tide against the Rohirrim. Fortunately, [[Aragorn]] arrives later with the Army of the Dead (see [[Paths of the Dead]]), and they crush the remainder of Sauron's forces before entering Minas Tirith.

{{references}}
[[Category:Conflicts of the War of the Ring]]
[[de:Schlacht auf dem Pelennor]]
[[fr:encyclo:evenements:3a:guerres:bataille_des_champs_du_pelennor]]
[[fi:Pelennorin kenttien taistelu]]

Elves of Mirkwood

2018-04-28T00:29:01Z

142.44.139.84:

{{sources}}{{expansion}}
{{people infobox
| name=Elves of Mirkwood
| image=[[File:David T. Wenzel - Mirkwood elves.jpg|250px]]
| caption=Mirkwood elves by [[David T. Wenzel]]
| pronun=
| othernames=
| origin=[[Silvan Elves]]
| location=[[Woodland Realm]], [[Thranduil's Halls]], [[Ithilien]]
| affiliation=
| rivalry=
| language=[[Silvan language]], [[Sindarin]], [[Westron]]
| members=[[Oropher]], [[Thranduil]], [[Legolas]], [[Galion]]
| lifespan=Immortal
| distinctions=
| height=
| hair=
| skin=
| clothing=
| weapons=
}}
The '''Elves of Mirkwood''' were [[Silvan Elves]] that lived in the [[Woodland Realm]] of northern [[Mirkwood]], under the rule of [[Thranduil]].

==History==
During the [[First Age]], the [[Valar]] summoned the first [[Elves]] to move with them to [[Valinor]]. There were three hosts that first set out to answer the call of the Valar. Of these, the largest host was that of the [[Teleri]]. They advanced very slowly, and would often lose sight of the other two, smaller hosts.<ref name="S3">{{S|3}}</ref> There was a time, when they reached the river [[Anduin]], one smaller leader of that host, [[Lenwë]], wished to go no further, and he and his people began to live in the forests surrounding the Anduin Vale as the remaining Teleri continued their journey to [[Valinor]]. Their descendants were the Silvan elves of [[Lothlórien]] and Greenwood the Great.<ref name="S3"/>

===Second Age===
During the [[Second Age]], many [[Sindar]] survivors, who did not sail to the [[Valinor|West]], did not wish to stay with the [[Noldor]] in [[Lindon]] and be dominated by them.<ref name="UT6b"/> They travelled eastward from Lindon and eventually ended up in Greenwood the Great, where the Silvan Elves of [[Nandorin]] descent lived. The Silvan Elves were ''[[morbin]]'',<ref>{{WJ|B}} (pp. 376-7, 380)</ref> but they shared the same Telerin ancestry. The Sindar longed to experience a more "rustic" and "natural" way of life and fully embraced and adopted their culture and language. [[Oropher]], a Sinda, was taken by them as lord and founded the [[Woodland Realm]] in {{SA|750}} with the capital at [[Amon Lanc]].<ref>{{PM|Second}}, p. 174</ref><ref name="UT6b">{{UT|6b}}</ref>

The Silvan Elves originally lived in the south of Greenwood, but over the course of the Age, [[Sauron]] came to [[Mordor]] and started building [[Barad-dûr]] in {{SA|1000}}<ref name="Gladden">{{UT|Gladden}}, note 14</ref> while the [[Dwarves of Khazad-dûm|Dwarves of Moria]] increased their power, and later, [[Galadriel]], who forsook [[Eregion]] due to the revolt of [[Gwaith-i-Mírdain]],<ref name="UT6">{{UT|6}}</ref> followed by [[Celeborn]], who defended that realm until its fall, retreated to [[Lothlórien|Lórien]] with the refugees of that land. The Silvan Elves across the Anduin gradually moved north to live around the [[Mountains of Mirkwood]].<ref name="UT6b">{{UT|6b}}</ref>

Oropher joined the [[Last Alliance of Elves and Men|Last Alliance]] by summoning a great army which joined with [[Amdír]]'s smaller force of [[Galadhrim|Lórien Elves]] to create one large host of Silvan Elves; the Silvan Elves were strong and brave, but they had poor armour and weapons in comparison with the [[Noldor]]. [[Amdír]] and Oropher were unwilling to submit to the supreme command of [[Gil-galad]], as such they suffered heavier losses in the [[War of the Last Alliance]].<ref name="UT6b"/> In the first assault upon [[Mordor]], Oropher and other brave and hasty Silvan Elves rushed forward before Gil-galad gave the signal to charge. Oropher charged to the fore of his men and was slain.

Over the course of the war, which ended with the [[Siege of Barad-dûr]] in {{SA|3441}}, two-thirds of the Silvan army had been lost. The remnants of the army returned to Greenwood under the command of Oropher's son, [[Thranduil]], and he was crowned king.<ref name="UT6b"/>

===Third Age===
With the return of [[Sauron]] around {{TA|1050}} southern Greenwood became dangerous and was renamed [[Mirkwood]]. Creatures like great spiders came to dwell in Mirkwood and Thranduil's folk retreated to the north-eastern corner of Mirkwood, where they fortified themselves near the [[Forest River]].

One day in {{TA|2941}} Thranduil and some of his folk were feasting in the woods when they were repeatedly disturbed by [[Thorin and Company|a party]] of [[Dwarves]]. After the third disturbance the Elves captured them. [[Thorin]] their leader, was brought before Thranduil but did not reveal the reason for their journey through Mirkwood. However the prisoners escaped with the help of a [[Hobbits|Hobbit]], [[Bilbo Baggins]], who escaped captivity by using his magic [[The One Ring|ring]].

After the Dwarves' escape Thranduil sent out messengers, who soon told him about the death of the [[Dragons|Dragon]] [[Smaug]], who had brutalized the Elves for years. He knew about the treasures, which Smaug had hoarded, and so he set out towards the [[Lonely Mountain]] with a company of Elves with spears and bows. On the way they met messengers from [[Bard]] in [[Lake-town]] who was seeking aid for his destroyed town. After the Elves had given food to the Lake-men and had helped them to build shelters against the oncoming winter, they were very surprised when they found out that Thorin and his company had survived Smaug's attacks, had taken possession of the Lonely Mountain and its treasures and that Thorin Oakenshield had claimed the title [[King under the Mountain]].

Bard demanded a part of the treasure for [[Dale]] and Lake-town, which Smaug had destroyed, as well as for himself because he had shot the dragon. When Thorin refused to give away parts of the treasure, Thranduil and Bard besieged the mountain and Thorin sent for aid from his cousin [[Dáin Ironfoot|Dáin II Ironfoot]]. After a few days Dáin's host approached and fight seemed unavoidable. But in the night Bilbo brought the [[Arkenstone]], a great jewel that Thorin valued above all to him open to negotiations. The next morning Bard and Thranduil entered into negotiations with an angered Thorin, who agreed to pay 1/14 share of the treasure in exchange for the stone. The next day Dáin arrived with his forces and although Thranduil was reluctant to start a war over gold, the dwarves proceeded to attack.

At the last moment, when the battle was almost joined between the two sides Gandalf intervened and revealed that while they were bickering amongst themselves, the [[Orcs]] of the [[Misty Mountains]] and [[Grey Mountains]] under [[Bolg]] were using the opportunity to march against them. They had been incited by Gandalf's earlier slaying of the [[Great Goblin]], but had now mobilized for a full-scale attack after hearing news of the death of the Dragon and the now relatively unguarded treasure hoard. The three commanders agreed that the Orcs were the enemies of all and previous grievances between them were put on hold in face of the greater threat. So the [[Battle of Five Armies]] began.

Thranduil's host was positioned on the southern side of the Mountain, and they were the first to charge. Many Elves were slain and things looked grim when the [[Eagles]] arrived on the battlefield. They turned the tide and the battle was won. The victors divided the treasure.

On [[21 March|March 21]], {{TA|3018}} [[Aragorn]] and [[Gandalf]] delivered [[Gollum]] as a prisoner to Thranduil. He was guarded day and night, but the Elves pitied him and allowed him to climb a tree that stood alone. When one night in June of 3018, Gollum refused to come down, the Elves were attacked by Orcs and Gollum could escape in the confusion. Thranduil sent his son [[Legolas]] to Rivendell to inform [[Elrond]], and in the [[Council of Elrond]] Legolas was selected as one of the nine members of the [[Fellowship of the Ring|Company of the Ring]].<ref>{{FR|II2}}</ref>

On [[15 March|March 15]], {{TA|3019}}, an army of [[Sauron]] from [[Dol Guldur]], tasked with destroying the Woodland Realm, attacked Mirkwood. There was a long [[Battle Under Trees]] and the woods were set on fire. But in the end Thranduil defeated the invaders.

Because the Shadow over Mirkwood was lifted, Thranduil and Celeborn renamed it [[Eryn Lasgalen]], the Wood of Greenleaves. They divided it up, so that Thranduil received the northern part as far as the Mountains, and Celeborn took the southern part below the [[Narrows of the Forest|Narrows]], naming it [[East Lórien]]. The wide forest in-between was given to the [[Beornings]] and the [[Woodmen]]<ref name="AppB">{{App|B}}</ref>.

After the destruction of [[Dol Guldur]] and the cleansing of Mirkwood, Thranduil and the Wood-Elves remained untroubled for many years.

After the fall of Sauron, [[Legolas]] brought elves from [[Mirkwood|Greenwood]], and they dwelt in [[Ithilien]], and once again it became the "fairest country in all the westlands".<ref>{{App|Durin}}</ref> Legolas and the Wood-Elves later worked together with Gimli and the Dwarves to rebuild and improve [[Minas Tirith]], capital city of [[Gondor]], the realm of their mutual friend King [[Aragorn|Aragorn Elessar]]<ref name="AppB"/>.

==Language==
It is unclear precisely what form of [[Sindarin]] and/or [[Silvan Elvish]] the Elves of Mirkwood spoke.

In "The Silvan Elves and Their Speech" Tolkien writes that, "Thranduil father of Legolas of the Nine Walkers was Sindarin, and that tongue was used in his house, though not by all his folk."<ref name="UT6a"/> This implies that Sindarin was the language of court and Silvan Elvish or the woodland tongue was the language of the people. It was later written that, "by the end of the Third Age the Silvan tongues had probably ceased to be spoken in the two regions that had importance at the time of the War of the Ring: Lórien and the realm of Thranduil in northern Mirkwood."<ref name="UT6a">{{UT|6a}}</ref> However, when Legolas related the song of Nimrodel, a song about a [[Third Age]] event, he said, "it is a fair song in our woodland tongue."<ref>{{FR|II6}} p. 330</ref><ref group="note">"Silvan Elvish is also referred to as the 'woodland tongue'." (J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia: Scholarship and Critical Assessment - Languages Invented by Tolkien - edited by Michael D. C. Drout, p. 339)</ref>

In "The Sindarin Princes of the Silvan Elves", Tolkien states that:

{{blockquote|Oropher had come among them with only a handful of Sindar, and they were soon merged with the Silvan Elves, adopting their language and taking names of Silvan form and style. This they did deliberately; for they . . . came from Doriath after its ruin, and had no desire to leave [[Middle-earth]], nor to be merged with the other Sindar of Beleriand, dominated by the Noldorin Exiles for whom the folk of Doriath had no great love. They wished indeed to become Silvan folk . . .|{{UT|6b}}}}

In [[Letter 347]], written in [[1972]], there is a note which states: "The Silvan Elves of Thranduil's realm did not speak [[Sindarin|S.]] but a related language or dialect."<ref>{{L|347}}</ref> This could be a mixture of [[Doriathrin]], or Old Sindarin, mixing with the Silvan Elvish of the Nandor and Avari.<ref group="note">See [[David Salo]]'s ''[[A Gateway to Sindarin]]'' p. 13</ref>

==See also==
*[[Woodland Realm]]

{{references|notes}}
[[Category:Elven peoples]]
[[Category:Nandor]]
[[Category:Silvan Elves]]

Grey Mountains

2018-04-28T00:25:29Z

142.44.139.84:

{{disambig-two|a mountain chain|[[Middle-earth Role Playing|MERP]] supplement|[[The Grey Mountains]]}}
{{location infobox
| name=Grey Mountains
| image=[[File:Matěj Čadil - Ered Mithrin.jpg|250px]]
| caption="Ered Mithrin" by Matěj Čadil
| pronun=
| othernames=''Ered Mithrin''
| location=North-west of [[Lonely Mountain|Erebor]], north of [[Mirkwood]]
| type=Mountain range
| description=A rich mountain range of many ores
| regions=
| towns=[[Dáin's halls|Dáin's Halls]]
| inhabitants=[[Durin's Folk]], [[Dragons]], and [[Orcs]]
| created=
| destroyed=
| events=[[War of the Dwarves and Dragons]], slaying of [[Scatha]] the Worm
| gallery=the Grey Mountains
}}
The '''Grey Mountains''' (or '''Ered Mithrin''' in [[Sindarin]]) was a large mountain range to the north of [[Rhovanion]]. Their western end connected to the [[Misty Mountains]] at the site of [[Gundabad|Mount Gundabad]].

==Geography==
North of the Grey Mountains lay the [[Northern Waste]].<ref name="UTmap">{{UT|Map}}</ref> In the west, where the Grey Mountains met with the [[Misty Mountains]] rose [[Gundabad|Mount Gundabad]], an ancient [[Dwarves|Dwarven]] holy site and later the capital for the [[Orcs]] of the north. The eastern end of the Grey Mountains was split into two chains, and in between lay the [[Withered Heath]], where [[Dragons]] bred. After that was a wide hilly plain, beyond which lay the [[Iron Hills]]. [[Lonely Mountain|Erebor]], the Lonely Mountain, lay south of the Grey Mountains.<ref name="UTmap"/>

From east to west the mountains stretched some 350 Númenórean Miles, and the sources of the Great River [[Anduin]], the river [[Greylin]], and the [[Forest River]] of [[Mirkwood]] arose in this range.<ref name="UTmap"/>

==History==
===Early history===
In the First Age, the Longbeards established mansions in [[Moria]] and the [[Iron Hills]], and they considered the Grey Mountains, which lay between these mansions, to be within their territory.<ref name=relations>{{PM|Relations}}, pp. 302-303</ref> Also during the First Age, some men—mostly associated with the House of Hador—settled between the Grey Mountains and Mirkwood, and they allied with the Longbeards against Morgoth's Orcs.<ref name=relations /> This alliance ended in the Second Age after [[Sauron]] destroyed [[Eregion]], which prompted the Longbeards to seal Moria. During this time, Orcs took control of the Grey Mountains.<ref>{{PM|Relations}}, p. 305</ref>

===Third Age===
In {{TA|1980}} a [[Durin's Bane|Balrog]] appeared in [[Moria]] and by the next year the Dwarves fled.<ref name="TA">{{App|TA}}</ref> Durin's folk were scattered. [[Thráin I]] reestablished the [[Kingdom under the Mountain]] but [[Thorin I]] went to the Grey Mountains where most of the Dwarves gathered.<ref name="Durin">{{App|Durin}}</ref> Nearly six hundred years later, [[Dragons]] began afflicting the Dwarves. In {{TA|2589|n}} [[Dáin I]] was slain by a Dragon and the Grey Mountain strongholds were abandoned after the [[Wars of the Dwarves and Dragons]]. About {{TA|2480|n}} [[Orcs]] had begun to infest the [[Misty Mountains]]<ref name="TA"/> and spread to the Grey Mountains, such that by {{TA|2941|n}} [[Gandalf]] the Wizard could say that the range was "simply stiff with goblins, hobgoblins, and orcs of the worst description".<ref>{{H|Queer}}</ref> However, after the [[Battle of Five Armies]] the number of Goblins in the Grey Mountains were greatly reduced (some three parts of them had perished).<ref>{{H|Return}}</ref>

There still was a remnant of the Dwarves in the Ered Mithrin after the core of the population left, but were probably few. Working whatever mines they could hold from the Orcs and Dragons, but is speculated that they may have left at some point as well. It is likely that the Dwarves reclaimed all their old halls and mines sometime during the [[Fourth Age]], if not after [[Dáin II Ironfoot]] became king of Durin's folk in the late Third Age.

== Other versions of the legendarium ==
Another line of "[[Grey Mountains (ancient)|Grey Mountains]]" in Middle-earth are seen on the [[Ambarkanta]] map.<ref>{{SM|Ambar}}</ref>

{{references}}

[[Category:Rhovanion]]
[[Category:Mountain ranges]]
[[Category:Dwarven realms]]
[[Category:Evil realms]]

[[de:Ered Mithrin]]
[[de:Graues Gebirge (Hinnenlande)]]
[[fi:Harmaavuoret]]
[[fi:Harmaavuoret (Esiajat)]]
[[fr:encyclo/geographie/reliefs/rhovanion/montagnes_grises]]

Grey Mountains

2018-04-28T00:23:30Z

142.44.139.84:

{{disambig-two|a mountain chain|[[Middle-earth Role Playing|MERP]] supplement|[[The Grey Mountains]]}}
{{location infobox
| name=Grey Mountains
| image=[[File:Matěj Čadil - Ered Mithrin.jpg|250px]]
| caption="Ered Mithrin" by Matěj Čadil
| pronun=
| othernames=''Ered Mithrin''
| location=North-west of [[Lonely Mountain|Erebor]], north of [[Mirkwood]]
| type=Mountain range
| description=A rich mountain range of many ores
| regions=
| towns=[[Dáin's halls|Dáin's Halls]]
| inhabitants=[[Durin's Folk]], [[Dragons]], and [[Orcs]]
| created=
| destroyed=
| events=[[War of the Dwarves and Dragons]], slaying of [[Scatha]] the Worm
| gallery=the Grey Mountains
}}
The '''Grey Mountains''' (or '''Ered Mithrin''' in [[Sindarin]]) was a large mountain range to the north of [[Rhovanion]]. Their western end connected to the [[Misty Mountains]] at the site of [[Gundabad|Mount Gundabad]].

==Geography==
North of the Grey Mountains lay the [[Northern Waste]].<ref name="UTmap">{{UT|Map}}</ref> In the west, where the Grey Mountains met with the [[Misty Mountains]] rose [[Gundabad|Mount Gundabad]], an ancient [[Dwarves|Dwarven]] holy site and later the capital for the [[Orcs]] of the north. The eastern end of the Grey Mountains was split into two chains, and in between lay the [[Withered Heath]], where [[Dragons]] bred. After that was a wide hilly plain, beyond which lay the [[Iron Hills]]. [[Lonely Mountain|Erebor]], the Lonely Mountain, lay south of the Grey Mountains.<ref name="UTmap"/>

From east to west the mountains stretched some 350 Númenórean Miles, and the sources of the Great River [[Anduin]], the river [[Greylin]], and the [[Forest River]] of [[Mirkwood]] arose in this range.<ref name="UTmap"/>

==History==
===Early history===
In the First Age, the Longbeards established mansions in [[Moria]] and the [[Iron Hills]], and they considered the Grey Mountains, which lay between these mansions, to be within their territory.<ref name=relations>{{PM|Relations}}, pp. 302-303</ref> Also during the First Age, some men—mostly associated with the House of Hador—settled between the Grey Mountains and Mirkwood, and they allied with the Longbeards against Morgoth's Orcs.<ref name=relations /> This alliance ended in the Second Age after [[Sauron]] destroyed [[Eregion]], which prompted the Longbeards to seal Moria. During this time, Orcs took control of the Grey Mountains.<ref>{{PM|Relations}}, p. 305</ref>

===Third Age===
In {{TA|1980}} a [[Durin's Bane|Balrog]] appeared in [[Moria]] and by the next year the Dwarves fled.<ref name="TA">{{App|TA}}</ref> Durin's folk were scattered. [[Thráin I]] reestablished the [[Kingdom under the Mountain]] but [[Thorin I]] went to the Grey Mountains where most of the Dwarves gathered.<ref name="Durin">{{App|Durin}}</ref> Nearly six hundred years later, [[Dragons]] began afflicting the Dwarves. In {{TA|2589|n}} [[Dáin I]] was slain by a Dragon and the Grey Mountain strongholds were abandoned after the [[Wars of the Dwarves and Dragons]]. About {{TA|2480|n}} [[Orcs]] had begun to infest the [[Misty Mountains]]<ref name="TA"/> and spread to the Grey Mountains, such that by {{TA|2941|n}} [[Gandalf]] the Wizard could say that the range was "simply stiff with goblins, hobgoblins, and orcs of the worst description".<ref>{{H|Queer}}</ref> However, after the [[Battle of Five Armies]] the number of Goblins in the Grey Mountains were greatly reduced (some three parts of them had perished).<ref>{{H|Return}}</ref>

It seems that some Dwarves still dwelt in the Ered Mithrin during the late [[Third Age]], so it is likely after the [[War of the Ring]], the Dwarves drove whatever Drakes and Orcs were left totally from the mountains, and reclaimed the rest of their halls and mines in the Grey Mountains.

== Other versions of the legendarium ==
Another line of "[[Grey Mountains (ancient)|Grey Mountains]]" in Middle-earth are seen on the [[Ambarkanta]] map.<ref>{{SM|Ambar}}</ref>

{{references}}

[[Category:Rhovanion]]
[[Category:Mountain ranges]]
[[Category:Dwarven realms]]
[[Category:Evil realms]]

[[de:Ered Mithrin]]
[[de:Graues Gebirge (Hinnenlande)]]
[[fi:Harmaavuoret]]
[[fi:Harmaavuoret (Esiajat)]]
[[fr:encyclo/geographie/reliefs/rhovanion/montagnes_grises]]

Dáin's hall

2018-04-28T00:21:03Z

142.44.139.84:

{{location infobox
| name=Dáin's Halls
| image=
| caption=
| pronun=
| othernames=
| location=Somewhere in the Grey Mountains
| type=City
| description=Seat of the [[King of Durin's Folk|King]]
| regions=
| towns=
| inhabitants=[[Durin's Folk]]
| created=[[Third Age]]
| destroyed=
| events=[[War of the Dwarves and Dragons]]
}}
'''Dáin's halls''' was a name used for the halls that formed the capital of the [[Grey Mountains]], the name coming from the [[Dwarves|Dwarf]]-king [[Dáin I]].<ref name="Durin">{{App|Durin}}</ref>

==History==
The Halls of Dáin were probably originally founded by the first exiled dwarves from [[Moria|Khazad-dûm]] who had fled the city because of the [[Balrogs|Balrog]]. However because there is no information on the halls, it can only be assumed that it was the capital of Durin's folk at the time.

It was most probably the seat of the [[King of Durin's Folk]] during the rule of [[Thorin I]] when most dwarves relocated to the Grey Mountains.

In {{TA|2589}}<ref>{{App|TA}}</ref> Dáin was killed by a great [[Cold-drakes|Cold-Drake]] along with his son [[Frór]] at the entrance to the city. A year later, most of [[Durin's Folk]] abandoned the mountains, and left for [[Lonely Mountain|Erebor]] and the [[Iron Hills]].<ref name="Durin"/>

It is possible that either under [[Dáin Ironfoot|Dáin II's]] or [[Thorin Stonehelm|Thorin III's]] reign that this city was retaken.

== See Also ==
*[[Dwarves of the Grey Mountains]]

{{references}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dain's halls}}
[[Category:Cities, towns and villages]]
[[Category:Dwarven realms]]
[[Category:Rhovanion]]

War of the Dwarves and Orcs

2018-04-28T00:11:17Z

142.44.139.84:

{{War
| previous=[[War of the Dwarves and Dragons]]
| next=[[War of the Ring]]
| name=War of the Dwarves and Orcs
| image=[[Image:Mikel Janin - Battle of Azanulbizar.jpeg|300px]]
| begin={{TA|2793}}
| end={{TA|2799}}
| place=The northern [[Misty Mountains]] and [[Gundabad|Mount Gundabad]]
| result=Crippling defeat for Orcs, pyrrhic victory for Dwarves
| battles=[[Sacking of Mount Gundabad]], various battles in mines, strongholds, and colonies, [[Battle of Azanulbizar]].
|side1=Dwarves of all Seven Houses, [[Durin's Folk|Longbeards]], [[Firebeards]], [[Broadbeams]], [[Blacklocks]], [[Stonefoots]], [[Ironfists]], and [[Stiffbeards]].
|side2=[[Orcs of the Misty Mountains]]
|commanders1=King [[Thráin|Thráin II]], [[Thorin]], [[Náin (son of Grór)|Náin]], various generals and/or Kings or Lords of the other Houses
|commanders2=[[Azog]] and likely other Orc-chieftains
|}}
The '''War of the Dwarves and Orcs''' was a great war fought between the two races.

==History==
=== Prelude ===
In {{TA|2770}} [[Lonely Mountain|Erebor]] was [[Sack of Erebor|sacked]] by the [[Dragons|Dragon]] [[Smaug]].<ref name="TA">{{App|TA}}</ref>. Many of the [[Dwarves]] of [[Durin's Folk]] were rendered homeless and wandered through western [[Middle-earth]], trying to make as best a living they could. After some years of wandering they settled down in [[Dunland]].<ref name="Durin">{{App|Durin}}</ref> Among these Dwarves were [[Thrór]], formerly the [[King under the Mountain]] now King of Durin's folk in exile, his son [[Thráin|Thráin II]] and grandson [[Thorin II]] who became later known as Thorin Oakenshield.<ref>{{H|Party}}</ref>

Thrór fell into despair after living many years in poverty, or perhaps the [[Rings of Power|Ring]] he wore was ultimately working evil upon its bearer.<ref name="Durin"/> Whatever the case, he decided to leave his people in {{TA|2790|n}}<ref name="TA"/> to seek out and look upon the ancestral halls of [[Moria|Khazad-dûm]]. Accompanied by his friend [[Nár]], they crossed the [[Redhorn Pass]] and came down to the [[Great Gates|East-gate of Moria]] where the Thrór took it upon himself to enter alone, despite the warnings of Nár who stayed behind in the dale.

Thrór was caught and slain by [[Azog]] the [[Orcs|Orc]]-chieftain who had ruled in Moria, and after a few days Thrór's head was branded with Azog's name and the corpse was thrown out of the gate where it was found by Nár. He was left alive to serve as a messenger to the Dwarves that Azog now claimed to be the King of Moria, and to stay away.

When Nár returned to the king's son Thráin, he told him of his father's murder and the Orc's warning. For seven days without eating or sleeping the new king sat, until he stood and cried "This cannot be borne!"<ref name="Durin"/>

From 2790 to {{TA|2793|n}}<ref name="TA"/> the [[Longbeards]] responded to this tragedy by gathering an army, and calling on all the other six Houses of the Dwarves for war.

=== Early Stages===
In 2793 the Dwarven host was ready, and departed for war; assailing and sacking all the Orc-holds they could find from [[Gundabad|Mount Gundabad]] in the north, to the [[Gladden River|Gladden]] in the south one by one.

Little is actually known about the six year-long war, however it is known that most of it was fought underground, in the great mines and tunnels of the Misty Mountains, where Dwarves excelled in combat.<ref name="Durin"/>

=== The Final Battle ===
The war came to a climax in {{TA|2799|n}}<ref name="TA"/> when the final battle was fought in the Dimrill Dale below the East-gate of [[Moria]], the [[Battle of Azanulbizar|Battle of Azanûlbizar]]. The Dwarves gained victory in this notoriously bloody encounter when reinforcements arrived late on the scene from the [[Iron Hills]]. Azog was slain by [[Dáin Ironfoot]].

In its aftermath, King Thráin wanted to enter reclaim the city, but the Dwarves not of Durin's folk refused, saying that the city was not their Fathers' House; they had honored Thrór's memory by fighting and that was enough. [[Dáin Ironfoot]] also warned the king that [[Durin's Bane]] still dwelt within Khazad-dûm.<ref name="Durin"/>

===Aftermath===
The war was very costly for the Dwarves: Nearly half of those involved in the final battle were killed and with a possibility of a couple thousand more being killed throughout the rest of the war. [[Náin (son of Grór)|Náin]], [[Frerin]], and [[Fundin]] were among the more notable casualties. Thráin II himself lost an eye and gained a limp, and Thorin was wounded when his shield broke and he had to use an oak branch to defend himself-hence the epithet "[[Oakenshield]]".<ref name="Durin"/>

The Orcs suffered irreparable damage to their numbers by war's end. Ten thousand alone were killed in the Dimrill Dale, and it seem highly likely that at least that many were killed throughout the previous six years of the war.
Those that survived the final battle (as many as 10,000 or so) fled south through [[Rohan]], seeking refuge in the [[White Mountains]] beyond, where they troubled the [[Rohirrim]] for two generations.<ref>{{App|Stewards}}</ref> In {{TA|2851}}<ref name="TA"/> King [[Walda]] was slain with all his companions by Orcs near [[Dunharrow]]. His son [[Folca]] hunted down and eliminated the last Orc-hold in the White Mountains.<ref>{{App|Mark}}, ''Second Line''</ref>

As a result of such losses, the [[Orcs of the Misty Mountains]] virtually disappeared as a threat to [[Eriador]] and [[Rhovanion|Wilderland]]. One and a half centuries later the Orcs of the North were recovering, but their numbers were permanently depleted to severely low levels in the aftermath of the [[Battle of Five Armies]] in {{TA|2941|n}}.<ref name="TA"/> It was here that [[Bolg]] son of Azog tried to avenge his father and the [[Great Goblin]], but in his failure three fourths of his people were killed.<ref>{{H|Return}}</ref>

The repercussions of the War of the Dwarves and Orcs likely even had an impact on the very outcome of the [[War of the Ring]].

==Notable Dwarven Participants==
*[[Thráin|Thráin II]] - Lost one eye and wounded in the leg
*[[Thorin]] - Wounded
*[[Frerin]] - Killed
*[[Fundin]] - Killed
*[[Náin (son of Grór)|Náin]] - Killed
*[[Dáin Ironfoot]] - Slew Azog
*[[Balin]]
*[[Glóin]]

== See Also ==
*[[Battle of Azanulbizar]]
*[[Second Sacking of Gundabad]]

{{references}}
{{seq-start}}
{{seq
| prev=[[Long Winter]]
| list=Major events of [[Middle-earth]]
| dates={{TA|2793}} - {{TA|2799}}
| next=[[Fell Winter (Third Age)|Fell Winter]]
}}
{{seq-end}}
[[Category:Conflicts of the Third Age]]
[[Category:Wars]]
[[fr:encyclo/evenements/3a/guerres/guerre_des_nains_et_des_orques]]
[[fi:Kääpiöiden ja örkkien sota]]

War of the Dwarves and Orcs

2018-04-28T00:10:54Z

142.44.139.84:

{{War
| previous=[[War of the Dwarves and Dragons]]
| next=[[War of the Ring]]
| name=War of the Dwarves and Orcs
| image=[[Image:Mikel Janin - Battle of Azanulbizar.jpeg|300px]]
| begin={{TA|2793}}
| end={{TA|2799}}
| place=The northern [[Misty Mountains]] and [[Gundabad|Mount Gundabad]]
| result=Crippling defeat for Orcs, pyrrhic victory for Dwarves
| battles=[[Sacking of Mount Gundabad]], various battles in mines, strongholds, and colonies, [[Battle of Azanulbizar]].
|side1=Dwarves of all Seven Houses, [[Durin's Folk|Longbeards]], [[Firebeards]], [[Broadbeams]], [[Blacklocks]], [[Stonefoots]], [[Ironfists]], and [[Stiffbeards]].
|side2=[[Orcs of the Misty Mountains]]
|commanders1=King [[Thráin|Thráin II]], [[Thorin]], [[Náin (son of Grór)|Náin]], various generals and/or Kings or Lords of the other Houses [[File:Example.jpg[[File:Example.jpg]]]]
|commanders2=[[Azog]] and likely other Orc-chieftains
|}}
The '''War of the Dwarves and Orcs''' was a great war fought between the two races.

==History==
=== Prelude ===
In {{TA|2770}} [[Lonely Mountain|Erebor]] was [[Sack of Erebor|sacked]] by the [[Dragons|Dragon]] [[Smaug]].<ref name="TA">{{App|TA}}</ref>. Many of the [[Dwarves]] of [[Durin's Folk]] were rendered homeless and wandered through western [[Middle-earth]], trying to make as best a living they could. After some years of wandering they settled down in [[Dunland]].<ref name="Durin">{{App|Durin}}</ref> Among these Dwarves were [[Thrór]], formerly the [[King under the Mountain]] now King of Durin's folk in exile, his son [[Thráin|Thráin II]] and grandson [[Thorin II]] who became later known as Thorin Oakenshield.<ref>{{H|Party}}</ref>

Thrór fell into despair after living many years in poverty, or perhaps the [[Rings of Power|Ring]] he wore was ultimately working evil upon its bearer.<ref name="Durin"/> Whatever the case, he decided to leave his people in {{TA|2790|n}}<ref name="TA"/> to seek out and look upon the ancestral halls of [[Moria|Khazad-dûm]]. Accompanied by his friend [[Nár]], they crossed the [[Redhorn Pass]] and came down to the [[Great Gates|East-gate of Moria]] where the Thrór took it upon himself to enter alone, despite the warnings of Nár who stayed behind in the dale.

Thrór was caught and slain by [[Azog]] the [[Orcs|Orc]]-chieftain who had ruled in Moria, and after a few days Thrór's head was branded with Azog's name and the corpse was thrown out of the gate where it was found by Nár. He was left alive to serve as a messenger to the Dwarves that Azog now claimed to be the King of Moria, and to stay away.

When Nár returned to the king's son Thráin, he told him of his father's murder and the Orc's warning. For seven days without eating or sleeping the new king sat, until he stood and cried "This cannot be borne!"<ref name="Durin"/>

From 2790 to {{TA|2793|n}}<ref name="TA"/> the [[Longbeards]] responded to this tragedy by gathering an army, and calling on all the other six Houses of the Dwarves for war.

=== Early Stages===
In 2793 the Dwarven host was ready, and departed for war; assailing and sacking all the Orc-holds they could find from [[Gundabad|Mount Gundabad]] in the north, to the [[Gladden River|Gladden]] in the south one by one.

Little is actually known about the six year-long war, however it is known that most of it was fought underground, in the great mines and tunnels of the Misty Mountains, where Dwarves excelled in combat.<ref name="Durin"/>

=== The Final Battle ===
The war came to a climax in {{TA|2799|n}}<ref name="TA"/> when the final battle was fought in the Dimrill Dale below the East-gate of [[Moria]], the [[Battle of Azanulbizar|Battle of Azanûlbizar]]. The Dwarves gained victory in this notoriously bloody encounter when reinforcements arrived late on the scene from the [[Iron Hills]]. Azog was slain by [[Dáin Ironfoot]].

In its aftermath, King Thráin wanted to enter reclaim the city, but the Dwarves not of Durin's folk refused, saying that the city was not their Fathers' House; they had honored Thrór's memory by fighting and that was enough. [[Dáin Ironfoot]] also warned the king that [[Durin's Bane]] still dwelt within Khazad-dûm.<ref name="Durin"/>

===Aftermath===
The war was very costly for the Dwarves: Nearly half of those involved in the final battle were killed and with a possibility of a couple thousand more being killed throughout the rest of the war. [[Náin (son of Grór)|Náin]], [[Frerin]], and [[Fundin]] were among the more notable casualties. Thráin II himself lost an eye and gained a limp, and Thorin was wounded when his shield broke and he had to use an oak branch to defend himself-hence the epithet "[[Oakenshield]]".<ref name="Durin"/>

The Orcs suffered irreparable damage to their numbers by war's end. Ten thousand alone were killed in the Dimrill Dale, and it seem highly likely that at least that many were killed throughout the previous six years of the war.
Those that survived the final battle (as many as 10,000 or so) fled south through [[Rohan]], seeking refuge in the [[White Mountains]] beyond, where they troubled the [[Rohirrim]] for two generations.<ref>{{App|Stewards}}</ref> In {{TA|2851}}<ref name="TA"/> King [[Walda]] was slain with all his companions by Orcs near [[Dunharrow]]. His son [[Folca]] hunted down and eliminated the last Orc-hold in the White Mountains.<ref>{{App|Mark}}, ''Second Line''</ref>

As a result of such losses, the [[Orcs of the Misty Mountains]] virtually disappeared as a threat to [[Eriador]] and [[Rhovanion|Wilderland]]. One and a half centuries later the Orcs of the North were recovering, but their numbers were permanently depleted to severely low levels in the aftermath of the [[Battle of Five Armies]] in {{TA|2941|n}}.<ref name="TA"/> It was here that [[Bolg]] son of Azog tried to avenge his father and the [[Great Goblin]], but in his failure three fourths of his people were killed.<ref>{{H|Return}}</ref>

The repercussions of the War of the Dwarves and Orcs likely even had an impact on the very outcome of the [[War of the Ring]].

==Notable Dwarven Participants==
*[[Thráin|Thráin II]] - Lost one eye and wounded in the leg
*[[Thorin]] - Wounded
*[[Frerin]] - Killed
*[[Fundin]] - Killed
*[[Náin (son of Grór)|Náin]] - Killed
*[[Dáin Ironfoot]] - Slew Azog
*[[Balin]]
*[[Glóin]]

== See Also ==
*[[Battle of Azanulbizar]]
*[[Second Sacking of Gundabad]]

{{references}}
{{seq-start}}
{{seq
| prev=[[Long Winter]]
| list=Major events of [[Middle-earth]]
| dates={{TA|2793}} - {{TA|2799}}
| next=[[Fell Winter (Third Age)|Fell Winter]]
}}
{{seq-end}}
[[Category:Conflicts of the Third Age]]
[[Category:Wars]]
[[fr:encyclo/evenements/3a/guerres/guerre_des_nains_et_des_orques]]
[[fi:Kääpiöiden ja örkkien sota]]

Durin IV

2018-04-28T00:08:52Z

142.44.139.84:

{{disambig-more|Durin|[[Durin (disambiguation)]]}}
{{dwarves infobox
| name=Durin IV
| image=
| caption
| pronun=
| othernames=
| titles=[[Kings of Durin's Folk|King of Durin's Folk]] [[Kings of Khazad-dûm|King of Khazad-dûm]]
| position=
| location=[[Moria|Khazad-dûm]]
| affiliation=
| language=[[Khuzdul]]
| birth=late [[Second Age]]/early [[Third Age]]
| birthlocation=
| rule=
| death=late [[Second Age]]/early [[Third Age]]
| deathlocation=
| age=
| notablefor=Sent forces to the [[Last Alliance]]
| house=[[House of Durin]]
| parentage=
| siblings=
| spouse=
| children=
| gender=Male
| height=
| hair=
| eyes=
| clothing=
| weapons=
| steed=
}}
'''Durin IV''' (Lived during late [[Second Age]] or early [[Third Age]]) was a King of [[Durin's folk]] who ruled the great [[Dwarves|Dwarven]] city of [[Moria|Khazad-dûm]], and the fourth king to have the name Durin. Like his father he bore a [[Ring of Thrór|Ring of Power]].<ref name="Durin">{{App|Durin}}</ref>

==History==
Like all Durins after [[Durin|Durin I]], he was given the name of the first of the [[Seven Fathers of the Dwarves]] because he greatly resembled him in both appearance and manner. Indeed it was believed among the Dwarves that he was the reincarnation of Durin I, though whether this is possible is unclear.<ref name="Durin"/> Durin IV was the King of Durin's Folk during the [[War of the Last Alliance]], and he sent a great army of Dwarves to fight alongside the [[Last Alliance of Elves and Men]].

==Etymology==
''Durinn'' is one of the Dwarfs in the ''[[Völuspá|Dvergatal]]''. The name means "Sleepy".<ref>Chester Nathan Gould, "Dwarf-Names: A Study in Old Icelandic Religion", published in ''Publications of the Modern Language Association of America'', Vol 44 (1929), issue #4, pp. 939-967</ref>

==Genealogy==
{{familytree/start}}
{{familytree| DU1 | |DU1=[[Durin|Durin I]]''fl. {{YT}}''}}
{{familytree| |:| | |}}
{{familytree| DU2 | |DU2=[[Durin II]]''fl. late {{FA}}/early {{SA}}''}}
{{familytree| |:| | |}}
{{familytree| DU3 | |DU3=[[Durin III]]''fl. mid {{SA}}''}}
{{familytree| |:| | |}}
{{familytree| DU4 | |DU4='''DURIN IV'''''fl. late {{SA}}/early {{TA}}''}}
{{familytree| |:| | |}}
{{familytree| DU5 | |DU5=[[Durin V]]''fl. late {{SA}}/early {{TA}}''}}
{{familytree| |:| | |}}
{{familytree| DUR | |DUR=[[Durin VI]] ''{{TA|1731}} - {{TA|1980|n}}''†}}
{{familytree/end}}

{{seq-start}}
{{seq-head
| race=dwarf
| house=[[House of Durin]]
}}
{{seq
| pvac=Unknown
| prev=Last known: [[Durin III]] (mid-[[Second Age]])
| prow=2
| list=[[Kings of Durin's Folk|King of Durin's Folk]]
| nvac=Unknown
| next=Next known: [[Durin V]]
| nrow=2
}}
{{seq
| list=[[Kings of Khazad-dûm|King of Khazad-dûm]]

}}
{{seq-end}}
{{references}}
{{durinskings}}
[[Category:Dwarves]]
[[Category:Longbeards]]
[[de:Durin IV.]]
[[fr:encyclo:personnages:nains:durin_iv]]

Siege of Barad-dûr

2018-04-28T00:04:05Z

142.44.139.84:

{{battle
| image=[[File:Abe Papakhian - I Behold (colour).jpg|300px]]
| name= Siege of Barad-dûr
| conflict= [[War of the Last Alliance]]
| date= {{SA|3434}} - {{SA|3441}}
| result=Last Alliance victory, disembodiment of [[Sauron]]
| place= [[Barad-dûr]], [[Mount Doom]], [[Mordor]]
| side1=[[Last Alliance of Elves and Men]]
| side2=Forces of [[Sauron]]
| commanders1=
{{Gil-galad blazon|died}}
* [[Elendil]]†
* [[Isildur]]
* [[Anárion]]†
* [[Thranduil]]
| commanders2= {{Sauron blazon}}
| forces1=Over 100,000 [[Elves]], [[Númenóreans|Men]], and [[Durin's Folk|Dwarves]]
| forces2=Smaller force than the [[Last Alliance]]
| casual1=Severe
| casual2=Entire force slain or captured
|}}

The '''Siege of Barad-dûr''' was the armed conflict that would end the [[War of the Last Alliance]] and the [[Second Age]]. It was the direct result of the [[Battle of Dagorlad]], where passage into [[Mordor]] was won by the [[Last Alliance of Elves and Men|Last Alliance]] at heavy cost.

== History ==
===The Siege===
In {{SA|3434}} the Last Alliance entered [[Mordor]]. The Orcs that survived the slaughter at Dagorlad were surrounded in Barad-dûr, Sauron's dark stronghold. There, the forces of [[Gil-galad]], [[Elendil]] and [[Thranduil]] laid siege to the tower, but could not breach its gates.

Sauron put together a strong defence with a seemingly unexhaustible supply of projectile and sorties throughout seven years, during which the Allies suffered heavy casualties. In {{SA|3440}}, Anárion's helmet was crushed by a thrown rock resulting in his death.

[[Second Age 3441|A year later]], however, Sauron went out with a sortie himself, and broke the leaguer. He came to [[Mount Doom]], where the two kings, Gil-galad and Elendil, fought with him in single combat. Sauron struck down Elendil, and his sword [[Narsil]] broke in two beneath him as he fell. [[Gil-galad]]'s face was scorched by the heat of Sauron's hand, killing him. Nonetheless Sauron was wounded in the fight with the two kings, and as he let his guard down, Isildur took up the broken hilt of his father's blade and hewed off Sauron's ring finger, defeating him.

=== Aftermath ===
The battle marked the (temporary) passing of Sauron, and the beginning of the [[Third Age]]. Gil-galad's heralds [[Círdan]] and [[Elrond]] advised Isildur to destroy the Ring by throwing it in the fires of Mount Doom. But instead Isildur replied: ''This I will have as weregild for my father's death, and my brother's. Was it not I who dealt the Enemy his death-blow?''<ref>{{S|Rings}}</ref>

Gondor prospered, and built fortresses on all the entrances to Mordor: the [[Morannon]], [[Durthang]] and the [[Tower of Cirith Ungol]]. Isildur wrote an account of the battle, describing his father and Gil-galad's duel with Sauron in detail and the lengthy siege itself.

With the death of Gil-galad, the [[Noldor]] were without a King as he left no heir. Elrond and Círdan returned to [[Lindon]]. Relations between Elves and Men worsened due to the deaths of Gil-galad and Elendil, and also Isildur's taking of the ring. The Last Alliance as it came to be known, would be the last time Elves would go to open war in Middle-earth ever again. The relationship between Men and Elves wouldn't be as close as they were in the first and second ages and never wholly repaired because the Elves were leaving Middle-earth for Aman.

Isildur remained in [[Minas Tirith]] some time<ref>{{FR|II2}}</ref>. When he did return North, he and his sons were [[Disaster of the Gladden Fields|ambushed]]. The Ring was lost in the tumult.<ref>{{UT|Disaster}}</ref>

Since the Ring was not unmade, Sauron was not completely destroyed: his spirit was able to live on. In the Third Age, he reassumed physical shape, and regained most of his old realm and allies. Ever after Sauron hunted for the Ring, dispatching his servants across Middle-earth to locate it. The Ring would come to be known as [[Isildur's Bane]], as its corruption afflicted him.

{{references}}

[[Category:Conflicts of the Second Age]]
[[Category:Sieges]]

[[de:Belagerung von Barad-dûr]]

Battle of Dagorlad

2018-04-28T00:02:50Z

142.44.139.84:

{{disambig-more|Battle of Dagorlad|[[Battle of Dagorlad (disambiguation)]]}}
{{battle
|image=
|name=Battle of Dagorlad
|conflict=[[War of the Last Alliance]]
|date={{SA|3434}}
|place=The plains of Dagorlad outside Mordor
|result=Decisive victory for the Allies
|side1=[[Last Alliance]]
|side2=Orcs, Easterlings, Southrons, Trolls, and other creatures and servants of Sauron
|commanders1=
{{Gil-galad blazon}}
*[[Elendil]]
*[[Elrond]]
*[[Oropher]] †
*[[Amdír]] †
|commanders2= {{Sauron blazon}}
|forces1=Hundreds of thousands of Men, Elves, and Dwarves
|forces2=Hundreds of thousands of Orcs, Fallen Men, and other evil creatures
|casual1=Many thousands
|casual2=Vast numbers, more than the allies|
}}
{{quote|It was a great battle. Tall Men with long swords, and terrible Elves, and Orcses shrieking. They fought on the plain for days and months at the Black Gates.|[[Gollum]]<ref name=Passage/>}}
The '''Battle of Dagorlad''' occurred in the year {{SA|3434|n}} of the [[Second Age]]. It was fought between the army of the [[Last Alliance of Elves and Men|Last Alliance]] under [[Gil-galad]] and [[Elendil]] and an army of [[Orcs]] and other creatures loyal to [[Sauron]]. The battle took place on the great, treeless, open plain between the [[Dead Marshes]] and [[Cirith Gorgor]].

== History ==
===Prelude===
{{main|War of the Last Alliance}}
The united host of Elves and Men crossed the [[Misty Mountains]] and marched south through the vale of [[Anduin]], where they were joined by the [[Silvan Elves]] led by [[Amdír]]<ref group=note>In the text in the [[Unfinished Tales]] Amdír is named [[Malgalad]].</ref> and [[Oropher]],<ref name="Silvan Princes">{{UT|6b}}</ref> with a great host from [[Moria|Khazad-dûm]].<ref name="Rings">{{S|Rings}}</ref>

The Alliance entered the vast plain near the [[Black Gate]], where they were joined by Anárion's forces from the south, and confronted at last the black legions of Mordor.

The Silvan Elves had little sympathy for the [[Sindar]] and [[Noldor]] that were led by Gil-galad. As a result they were indisposed to place themselves under the supreme command of the [[High King of the Noldor]].
===The Battle===
During preliminary skirmishing, the Silvan Elves defying Gil-galad's command, rashly charged against the numerous host of Mordor, before the King had given the order. The Silvans were valiant and doughty, but ill-equipped compared to their nobler kin. [[Oropher]] perished in the first onslaught while [[Amdír]] and his troops were cut off and driven into the marshes where half of his host perished.<ref name="Silvan Princes"/> This area became known afterwards as the [[Dead Marshes]], because of the thousands of bodies buried there. This battle raged for months.<ref name=Passage>{{TT|IV2}}</ref>

Elendil and Gil-galad eventually gained the upper hand. Thus Elves and Númenóreans finally pushed the enemy hordes back towards the [[Black Gate]] and broke through [[Cirith Gorgor]].<ref name="Rings"/>

===Aftermath===
A great part of Sauron's soldiers was slain in this battle. The Alliance was able to enter Mordor, establish a camp upon the [[Plateau of Gorgoroth]] and lay the [[Siege of Barad-dûr]] itself. Nevertheless Sauron still had enough supplies to defend the fortress for seven more years, until the siege was so pressing that he himself came forth, which led to the battle on the slopes of Orodruin in which Sauron was defeated and [[the One Ring]] taken from him.<ref name="Rings"/>

Oropher's son [[Thranduil]] survived the war and established his reign over the Silvan Elves in the [[Woodland Realm]].

The slain were buried and their graves eventually were engulfed by the [[Dead Marshes]].<ref name=Passage/>

In the [[Third Age]], the Dagorlad was the site of several battles between [[Gondor]] and various [[Easterlings|Easterling]] armies, and the climatic [[Battle of the Morannon]].

{{references|notes}}
[[Category:Conflicts of the Second Age]]
[[de:Schlacht auf der Dagorlad]]
[[fr:encyclo:evenements:2a:guerres:bataille_de_dagorlad]]
[[fi:Dagorladin taistelu]]

House of Dol Amroth

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[[File:Donato Giancola - Imrahil.jpg|thumb|[[Donato Giancola]] - Imrahil]]
The '''House of Dol Amroth''' was a noble house of [[Gondor]] whose male heirs were the [[Princes of Dol Amroth]] descended from [[Galador]] the first prince. Legend told that his father, [[Imrazôr]] [[the Númenórean]] married a [[Silvan Elves|Silvan Elf]] named [[Mithrellas]], and from that time forward the house and kin were noble by blood and fair in face and mind.<ref>{{PM|Elendil}}, ''The Line of Dol Amroth'', p. 221</ref>

The line of the Princes of Dol Amroth, though they were certainly [[Men]], in fact claimed a measure of [[Elvish]] blood. It was said that the first Prince, Galador, was half-elven: his father was Imrazôr the Númenórean, but his mother was an Elf-maid, Mithrellas. [[Imrahil]] was Galador's direct descendant through twenty-one generations, and so could himself claim distant descent from Mithrellas.

==The Family Tree of the House of Dol Amroth==
Showing the descendants of Galador, the first of the [[Princes of Dol Amroth]]. All information in the tree is from ''[[The Peoples of Middle-Earth]]'', "The Heirs of Elendil", either ''The Line of Dol Amroth'' or ''The House of Dol Amroth''.<ref>{{PM|Elendil}}, p. 221-223</ref> The figures after the names are those of birth and death where recorded (when only one figure is shown it is marked as either the date of birth, 'b.'). A dagger symbol, '†' signifies those who did not die of old age. A name preceded by '*' indicates one of the Princes. A name in ''italics'' indicates a woman.

===The Early Princes===
<div style="overflow-x: scroll; overflow-y: hidden; border: 1px solid #AAAAAA; padding: 3px; background: #EEEEEE;">
{{familytree/start}}
{{familytree |boxstyle=white-space:nowrap;background-color:#FFFFFF;|IMR|y|MIT|IMR=[[Imrazôr]] [[the Númenórean]] ''1950-2076''|MIT=''[[Mithrellas]]'' <ref group="note1">Mithrellas was a companion of [[Nimrodel]] who was lost in the woods of [[Belfalas]] and harboured by Imrazôr, who wed her.</ref>}}
{{familytree | |,|-|^|-|.| |}}
{{familytree |boxstyle=white-space:nowrap;background-color:#FFFFFF;|GAL| |GIL|GAL=* [[Galador]] ''2004-2129''|GIL=[[Gilmith]]}}
{{familytree | |!| | | | | |}}
{{familytree |boxstyle=white-space:nowrap;background-color:#FFFFFF;|SEC| | | | |SEC=* 2nd Prince ''2060-2203''}}
{{familytree | |!| | | | | |}}
{{familytree |boxstyle=white-space:nowrap;background-color:#FFFFFF;|THI| | | | |THI=* 3rd Prince ''2120-2254''}}
{{familytree | |!| | | | | |}}
{{familytree |boxstyle=white-space:nowrap;background-color:#FFFFFF;|FOU| | | | |FOU=* 4th Prince ''2172-2299''}}
{{familytree | |!| | | | | |}}
{{familytree |boxstyle=white-space:nowrap;background-color:#FFFFFF;|FIF| | | | |FIF=* 5th Prince ''2225-2348''}}
{{familytree | |!| | | | | |}}
{{familytree |boxstyle=white-space:nowrap;background-color:#FFFFFF;|SIX| | | | |SIX=* 6th Prince ''2274-2400''}}
{{familytree | |!| | | | | |}}
{{familytree |boxstyle=white-space:nowrap;background-color:#FFFFFF;|SEV| | | | |SEV=* 7th Prince ''2324-2458''}}
{{familytree | |!| | | | | |}}
{{familytree |boxstyle=white-space:nowrap;background-color:#FFFFFF;|EIG| | | | |EIG=* 8th Prince ''2373-2498''}}
{{familytree | |!| | | | | |}}
{{familytree |boxstyle=white-space:nowrap;background-color:#FFFFFF;|NIN| | | | |NIN=* 9th Prince ''2418-2540''}}
{{familytree | |!| | | | | |}}
{{familytree |boxstyle=white-space:nowrap;background-color:#FFFFFF;|TEN| | | | |TEN=* 10th Prince ''2463-2582''}}
{{familytree | |!| | | | | |}}
{{familytree |boxstyle=white-space:nowrap;background-color:#FFFFFF;|ELE| | | | |ELE=* 11th Prince ''2505-2623''}}
{{familytree | |!| | | | | |}}
{{familytree |boxstyle=white-space:nowrap;background-color:#FFFFFF;|TWE| | | | |TWE=* 12th Prince ''2546-2660''}}
{{familytree | |!| | | | | |}}
{{familytree |boxstyle=white-space:nowrap;background-color:#FFFFFF;|THI| | | | |THI=* 13th Prince ''2588-2701''}}
{{familytree | |!| | | | | |}}
{{familytree |boxstyle=white-space:nowrap;background-color:#FFFFFF;|FOU| | | | |FOU=* 14th Prince ''2627-2733''}}
{{familytree | |!| | | | | |}}
{{familytree |boxstyle=white-space:nowrap;background-color:#FFFFFF;|FIF| | | | |FIF=* 15th Prince ''2671-2746'' † <ref group="note1">The 15th prince was slain by [[Corsairs of Umbar]].</ref>}}
{{familytree | |!| | | | | |}}
{{familytree |boxstyle=white-space:nowrap;background-color:#FFFFFF;|SIX| | | | |SIX=* 16th Prince ''2709-2799'' † <ref group="note1">The 16th prince was slain in battle.</ref>}}
{{familytree | |!| | | | | |}}
{{familytree |boxstyle=white-space:nowrap;background-color:#FFFFFF;|SEV| | | | |SEV=* 17th Prince ''2746-2859''}}
{{familytree | |!| | | | | |}}
{{familytree |boxstyle=white-space:nowrap;background-color:#FFFFFF;|EIG| | | | |EIG=* 18th Prince ''2785-2899''}}
{{familytree | |!| | | | | |}}
{{familytree |boxstyle=white-space:nowrap;background-color:#FFFFFF;|AGL| | | | |AGL=* Aglahad}}
{{familytree/end}}
</div>
===Early Princes Notes===
<references group="note1"/>

===The Later Princes===
<div style="overflow-x: scroll; overflow-y: hidden; border: 1px solid #AAAAAA; padding: 3px; background: #EEEEEE;">
{{familytree/start}}
{{familytree |boxstyle=white-space:nowrap;background-color:#FFFFFF;| | | | | | |AGL| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |AGL=* [[Aglahad]] ''2827-2932''}}
{{familytree | | | | | | | |!| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |}}
{{familytree |boxstyle=white-space:nowrap;background-color:#FFFFFF;| | | | | | |ANG| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |ANG=* [[Angelimir]] ''2866-2977''}}
{{familytree | | | | | | | |!| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |}}
{{familytree |boxstyle=white-space:nowrap;background-color:#FFFFFF;| | | | | | |ADR| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |ADR=* [[Adrahil II]] ''2917-3010''}}
{{familytree | |,|-|-|-|v|-|^|-|-|-|-|-|.| | | | | | | | | | | |}}
{{familytree |boxstyle=white-space:nowrap;background-color:#FFFFFF;|IVR| |FIN|~|DEN| |IMR| | | | | | | | | | |IVR=''[[Ivriniel]]'' ''b. 2947''|FIN=''[[Finduilas]]'' ''2950-2987'' † <ref group="note2">Finduilas was said to wither in [[Minas Tirith]] away from the sea and died very young.</ref>|DEN=[[Denethor|Denethor II]]|IMR=* [[Imrahil]] ''2955-FoA 34''}}
{{familytree | | | | | | | |,|-|-|-|v|-|^|-|v|-|-|-|.| | | | | |}}
{{familytree |boxstyle=white-space:nowrap;background-color:#FFFFFF;| | | | | | |ELP| |ERC| |AMR| |LOT|~|EOM|ELP=* [[Elphir]] ''b. 2987''|ERC=[[Erchirion]] ''b. 2990''|AMR=[[Amrothos]] ''b. 2994''|LOT=''[[Lothíriel]]'' ''b. 2999''|EOM=King [[Éomer]] of [[Rohan]]}}
{{familytree/end}}
</div>
===Later Princes Notes===
<references group="note2"/>
{{references}}
[[Category:Princes of Dol Amroth]]
[[Category:Gondorians]]

Lord of Belegost

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'''Lord of Belegost''' was a title for one who ruled over the [[Dwarves|Dwarven]] city of [[Belegost]]. It seems that his people represented the [[Broadbeam]] clan, and it is possible that the Lord of Belegost was descended from one of the seven [[Fathers of the Dwarves]]. A heirloom of the Lords of Belegost had been the pearl [[Nimphelos]] given by [[Thingol]].<ref>{{S|Sindar}}</ref>

Most famous of Belegost's Lords, and indeed the only one independently named, was [[Azaghâl]].<ref>{{UT|Narn}}, p. 75</ref> He ruled in the later years of the [[First Age]], and it was for this Lord that the famous [[Dragon-helm of Dor-lómin]] was originally made. He fought with his people in the [[Nirnaeth Arnoediad]], where he was slain by [[Glaurung]], but he succeeded in wounding the [[Dragon]] so deeply that it fled back to [[Angband]].

{{references}}
[[Category:Dwarven Titles]]

Lord of Belegost

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'''Lord of Belegost''' was a title for one who ruled over the [[Dwarves|Dwarven]] city of [[Belegost]]. It seems that his people represented the [[Broadbeam]] clan, and it is possible that the Lord of Belegost was descended from one of the seven [[Fathers of the Dwarves]].. A heirloom of the Lords of Belegost had been the pearl [[Nimphelos]] given by [[Thingol]].<ref>{{S|Sindar}}</ref>

Most famous of Belegost's Lords, and indeed the only one independently named, was [[Azaghâl]]..<ref>{{UT|Narn}}, p. 75</ref> He ruled in the later years of the [[First Age]], and it was for this Lord that the famous [[Dragon-helm of Dor-lómin]] was originally made. He fought with his people in the [[Nirnaeth Arnoediad]], where he was slain by [[Glaurung]], but he succeeded in wounding the [[Dragon]] so deeply that it fled back to [[Angband]].

{{references}}
[[Category:Dwarven Titles]]

Lindon

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{{expansion}}
{{kingdom
| image=[[File:Matěj Čadil - Lindon.jpg|250px]]
| name=Lindon
| pronun=
| othernames=
| location=West of the [[Blue Mountains]]
| capital=
| towns=[[Forlond]], [[Grey Havens]], [[Harlond (Lindon)|Harlond]]
| regions=[[Forlindon|North]] and [[Harlindon|South]]
| population=[[Elves of Lindon]]
| language=[[Sindarin]]
| govern1=[[King of the Noldor|High-King of the Noldor]]
| govern2=[[Lord of the Grey Havens]]
| govern3=
| currency=
| holiday=
| precededby=[[Ossiriand]]
| event1=Established
| event1date={{SA|1}}
| event2=
| event2date=
| event3=
| event3date=
| event4=
| event4date=
| event5=
| event5date=
| followedby=
}}
{{quote|...the last whose realm was fair and free between the Mountains and the Sea.|''[[The Fall of Gil-galad]]''}}
'''Lindon''' was a region of the [[Westlands]]. Initially populated by [[Green-elves|Laiquendi]], in the following Ages it became an important Elvish realm, known for its harbors and Elven [[Ships]] that would sail for the [[Aman|West]].

==Geography==
Lindon was a name of [[Ossiriand]], a region west of the [[Blue Mountains]], in Eastern [[Beleriand]]. After the deluge of Beleriand in the [[War of Wrath]], Lindon became the westernmost land of the continent of [[Middle-earth]]. The [[Gulf of Lune]] broke into Lindon and the Blue Mountains and divided the realm into ''[[Forlindon]]'' (North Lindon) and ''[[Harlindon]]'' (South Lindon). The eastern border of Lindon was the [[River Lune]], beyond which was [[Arnor]].<ref name=eriador>{{App|Eriador}}</ref>

==History==
===The First Age===
{{main|Ossiriand}}
The name Lindon was first used by the exiled Noldor for the region of [[Ossiriand]].<ref>{{S|14}}</ref>

Lindon was the only part of Beleriand that survived the [[War of Wrath]], the rest of the land having been broken or submerged by the tumults.<ref name=PMII78>{{PM|II}}, p. 78</ref> However, [[Belegaer]] the Great Sea broke through the mountain chain, creating the [[Gulf of Lhûn]].

Many of the surviving [[Elves]] of drowned Beleriand, especially the exiled Noldor, relocated to Lindon by the beginning of the [[Second Age]], where they were ruled by [[Gil-galad]].<ref name=PMII78/>
===The Second Age: Kingdom of Gil-galad===
[[File:Liz Danforth - Elves of Lindon.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Liz Danforth]] - ''Elves of Lindon'']]
[[Gil-galad]] founded the '''''Kingdom of Lindon''''' in {{SA|1}} ruling over the Noldor and Sindar and all the [[Elves of Lindon]] alike. They also built the Havens ([[Mithlond]], and also likely [[Harlond (Lindon)|Harlond]] and [[Forlond]])<ref name=app>{{App|SA}}</ref> and many Elves left from there to [[Valinor]].

The [[Noldor]] mainly dwelt in Forlindon, and the Sindar (and surviving Green-elves{{fact}}) in Harlindon (a fief under the rule of [[Celeborn]]).<ref>{{PM|X}}, p. 328 (Note 65)</ref><ref>{{UT|6}}, (Introduction & Note 2)</ref> Presumably the surviving [[Edain]] also stayed for some time alongside the [[Elves of Lindon]], until they left for [[Elenna]] ({{SA|32}}). But there was some tension between the Elves; some of the Sindar did not wish to live under Gil-galad alongside the Noldor, and went to the [[Silvan Elves]] in the east, who were their [[Teleri]]n kin.<ref>{{UT|6b}}</ref> Some Noldor also left to found [[Eregion]] ({{SA|700}}), the second of the two Noldorin realms.

In {{SA|600}} [[Entulessë]], a ship from [[Númenor]] arrived in Mithlond where Gil-galad welcomed the [[Númenóreans]], before reestablishing contact with their [[Mannish]] kin, the [[Middle Men]].<ref>{{App|B1}}, entry "600"</ref><ref>{{UT|Island}}</ref>

During the [[War of the Elves and Sauron]], [[Sauron]] had overrun [[Eriador]]. The Elves called that time [[Dark Years|Days of Flight]] as many fled to Lindon where Sauron could not enter, and thence over the [[Sea]] to the [[Uttermost West]].<ref>{{S|Rings}}</ref> Eventually [[Tar-Minastir]] sent ships to Lindon, responding to Gil-galad's plea. The combined army of Elves and Númenóreans drove Sauron's forces out of Eriador.<ref name=app/>

In the tumult following the [[Downfall of Númenor]], Lindon suffered great loss as "''the sea rode in upon the land''", and therefore had shrunk when the Third Age began.<ref>{{PM|VI}}, p. 183</ref>

===The Third Age: Rule of Círdan===

After the War of the Last Alliance, most of the Ñoldor finally departed for [[Valinor]], and Lindon became depopulated, now ruled by Gil-galad's lieutenant, the [[Sindar]]in elf [[Círdan]] the Shipwright,{{fact}} who kept building ships for the departing Elves.

During the days of Kings, most of the [[High Elves]] that still lingered in [[Middle-earth]] were found in Lindon. Some Dwarves had dwelt in the eastern side of the Ered Luin, especially the part south of the Gulf, such as the [[Halls of Thorin]]. Men did not go to Lindon. In the [[Fourth Age]], few Elves remained, if any at all.<ref name=eriador/>

==Names and Etymology==

In a post-[[Lord of the Rings|LotR]] writing, [[J.R.R. Tolkien]] says that the name ''Lindon'' was coined by the Green-elves, derived from [[Nandorin]](?) *''Lindānā''. The Sindar called the country ''Dor Lindon'' and the Noldor ''Lindóne'' (or ''Lindónë''<ref>{{HM|IX}}</ref>) but both also adopted the name ''Lindon''.<ref name=WJC>{{WJ|C}}, p. 385</ref>

The name Lindon contains the element ''lin-'' "sing, song" as also seen in [[Lindar]].<ref>{{S|Appendix}}</ref> ''Lindon'' ([[Quenya|Q]], pron. {{IPA|[ˈlindon]}}) means "land of music",<ref>{{S|14}}</ref>

The translation "Land of the singers", conceived to be a name in the [[Nandorin|Ossiriandic]] tongue, has been suggested by [[David Salo]], [[Arden R. Smith|Arden Smith]], [[Patrick H. Wynne|Patrick Wynne]], et al. in their linguistic contribution to ''[[Arnor: The Land]]''

==Other Versions of the Legendarium==
In early versions of the ''[[The Lord of the Rings Appendices]]'', Gil-galad is said to have founded Lindon in {{SA}} 10.<ref>{{PM|VI}}, pp. 168, 173</ref>

==Portrayals in Adaptations==

''[[Middle-earth Role Playing]]'':'''
:A [[Lindon (MERP)|supplement on Lindon]] was never released by [[Iron Crown Enterprises|ICE]], although there were such plans,<ref>{{ICE|8014}}, p. 15</ref> and Jeff J. Erwin and Oliver Schick were commissioned to write supplements on Lindon and Mithlond, respectively (both supplements were nearly finished at the time ICE lost their license from [[Middle-earth Enterprises|Tolkien Enterprises]]).<ref>Oliver Schick, Mailing list message of 9 Oct 2007, at [http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/fan-modules/?v=1&t=directory&ch=web&pub=groups&sec=dir&slk=3 Yahoo groups Fan modules]</ref> However, scattered information on Lindon and its prominent individuals can be found in several supplements.<ref>{{ICE|8014}}, pp. 3-4, 10-11, 14-15</ref><ref>{{ICE|4002}}, pp. 16, 44-46</ref><ref>{{ICE|2022}}, pp. 61, 148</ref><ref>{{ICE|2023}}, pp. 68-69</ref>

==See also==

*[[Elves of Lindon]]

==External links==

*[http://middle-earth.xenite.org/2013/09/26/why-did-the-sindar-leave-lindon/ Why Did the Sindar Leave Lindon?] by [[Michael Martinez]]

{{references}}
{{Remnants}}
[[Category:Lindon| Lindon]]
[[Category:Regions]]
[[Category:Eriador]]
[[Category:Quenya locations]]
[[Category:Elven realms]]

[[de:Lindon]]
[[fi:Lindon]]
[[fr:encyclo/geographie/regions/lindon]]

Arnor

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{{kingdom
| image=
| name=Arnor
| pronun=
| othernames=North-kingdom
| location=[[Eriador]]
| capital=[[Annúminas]], later [[Fornost Erain]]
| towns=[[Lond Daer]], [[Tharbad]], [[Bree]]
| regions=[[Arthedain]], [[Cardolan]], [[Rhudaur]]
| population=[[Dúnedain]], [[Men]], [[Hobbits|Hobbits]], [[Elves]]
| language=[[Westron]]
| govern1=[[Kings of Arnor|King of Arnor]]
| govern2=[[King of the Reunited Kingdom]]
| govern3=Council of Arnor
| currency=
| holiday=
| precededby=
| event1=Founded
| event1date={{SA|3320}}
| event2=Divided
| event2date={{TA|861}}
| event3=Abandoned
| event3date={{TA|1974}}
| event4=Re-formed
| event4date={{FoA|1}}
| event5=
| event5date=
| followedby=
}}
{{Pronounce|Arnor.mp3|Ardamir}}

'''Arnor''', or the '''Northern Kingdom''', was a kingdom of the [[Dúnedain]] in the land of [[Eriador]] in [[Middle-earth]]. It was the original seat of the [[Kings of Arnor|High King of Arnor]] who ruled over both Arnor and Gondor.
==Geography==
Arnor included most of [[Eriador]], between the [[Lune]] (west of which was [[Lindon]]) and the rivers [[Greyflood]] and [[Loudwater]] (east of which was [[Rivendell]]).<ref>{{App|Eriador}}</ref>

The Dunedain or Arnor dwelt in many places in Eriador, and specifically the courses of the rivers Lune and [[Baranduin]] as well as [[Fornost]]. The capital was at Annúminas. By the later [[Third Age]] there were [[barrows]] and ruins at Cardolan and Rhudaur.<ref name=rings/>
=== Regions ===

* [[Arthedain]], core of the north-kingdom bordering the Lune
* [[Cardolan]], south of the [[Great East Road]], east of the Brandywine
* [[Rhudaur]], between the Weather Hills and the [[Misty Mountains]]

=== Cities, Fortresses and Watchtowers ===

* [[Annúminas]], the old capital on the shore of Lake Evendim
* [[Fornost]], the new capital of the successor state of Arthedain
* [[Bree]], a trading centre located on the Great East Road
* [[Lond Daer]], an old harbour town founded by Númenóreans
* [[Weathertop|Amon Sûl]], also called Weathertop, a watchtower on the highest of the Weather Hills
* [[Elostirion]], a watchtower in the Tower Hills
* [[Tharbad]], a fortified town and port along the River Greyflood on the southern border of Arnor
=== The ''[[Palantíri]]'' ===

The '''[[Palantíri]]''' or 'seeing stones' were spherical stones that could communicate with each other and give visual impressions to a skilled remote user. These stones were divided originally between [[Elendil]] and his two sons. They were usually heavily guarded and under the control of the kings. There were seven of these stones in total, with three of them assigned to the northern kingdom, with the other four going to Gondor.<ref name=rings/>{{rp|362}} They were:

* The [[Elostirion-stone]], kept in the tower of [[Elostirion]]. This was used to communicate with The Master Stone in [[Tol Eressëa]], the Lonely Isle of the Elves, along the [[Straight Road]]. It could not contact the other Middle-Earth stones.
* The [[Amon Sûl-stone]], kept in the watchtower of [[Weathertop|Amon Sûl]]. A large stone, it was often used to contact its corresponding large stone in Gondor, at the great dome in [[Osgiliath]].
* The [[Annúminas-stone]], kept in Arnor's capital city of [[Annúminas]]. Though one of the lesser stones, it was the stone most often used by the [[Kings of Arnor]].
==History==

=== Early History ===
Before the foundation of Arnor [[Eriador]] was home to [[Middle Men]] of [[Edain]] stock. A sizable [[Númenóreans]] population was formed, a result of the slow emigration that started under [[Tar-Meneldur]] and [[Tar-Aldarion]]. The early colonists soon interbred with the indigenous population of Eriador, favoured over the more southern regions (Gondor) because the [[Elves of Lindon]] under [[Gil-galad]] lived near it across the river [[Lhûn]].<ref name=rings>{{S|Rings}}</ref>{{rp|360}} Conversely, the [[King's Men]] settled more to the south in the later days. This led to a situation where [[Elendil]] arrived in an area populated by people who were mainly still [[Faithful]] and [[Elf-friends]]; and unlike, [[Gondor]] to the south, in Arnor much knowledge of the [[Elder Days]] was preserved.

[[File:Steven White Jr. - Ann18.jpg|left|220px|thumb|Steven White, Jr. - ''Palace Complex at Annúminas'']]
Elendil and his people reached Eriador sailing into the [[Gulf of Lune]]; they were aided by [[High King of the Noldor]] [[Gil-galad]] and his people, and his ships sailed up the [[Lune]] river. Gil-galad even built the [[Emyn Beraid]] for Elendil.<ref name=rings/> Elendil established the city of [[Annúminas]] as his capital. Arnor was founded at the end of the [[Second Age]] ({{SA|3320}}) by [[Elendil]], whose sons founded [[Gondor]] at the same time. The history of the [[Two Kingdoms|two kingdoms]] is intertwined; both kingdoms are known as the Realms of the [[Dúnedain]] in exile.

=== [[War of the Last Alliance]] ===

[[File:The Lord of the Rings - The Motion Picture Trilogy - Isildur 2.jpg|right|220px|thumb|''Isildur'' in Peter Jackson's ''Fellowship of the Ring'']] At the end of the Second Age, Arnor allied itself with Noldorin High King [[Gil-galad]] in a great alliance opposing Sauron, the [[Last Alliance of Elves and Men]]. In conjunction with southern forces from Gondor, they confronted Sauron's armies in the [[War of the Last Alliance]]. This war was fought over a period of several years on the [[Battle of Dagorlad|Dagorlad plain]] and in Mordor itself, at the [[Siege of Barad-dûr]]. Both [[Elendil]] and his son [[Anárion]] were slain in this conflict, but [[Isildur]] cut the One Ring from Sauron's finger and prevailed. [[Elrond]], Gil-galad's herald, urged Isildur to cast it into Mount Doom and destroy it, but Isildur refused, and the Ring survived. Arnor suffered heavy casualties in the war, and some parts of the land were partially depopulated.<ref>''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', [[Appendix A]], p. 1018.</ref>

Arnor's second king was [[Isildur]] who was also King of [[Gondor]]). He was killed in {{TA|2}} by [[Orcs]] in the disastrous [[Disaster of the Gladden Fields]]. His three eldest sons were killed with him, but the fourth and youngest, [[Valandil (King of Arnor)|Valandil]], who had remained at [[Rivendell]] due to his youth, became king of Arnor. [[Isildur]] also lost [[the One Ring]] at this time, when it slipped off his finger as he tried to escape pursuing Orcs. Arnor never fully recovered from the devastating loss of manpower it suffered in the war against Sauron.

Because [[Valandil (King of Arnor)|Valandil]] and his heirs did not claim the throne of [[Gondor]] the realms were split, but Arnor's ruler kept the title [[High King of the Dúnedain|High King]], whereas in the south the ruler was 'just' King.

=== Decline and Breakup ===

{{Transcribed|Tengwar Arnor.png|Arnor|Tengwar, Sindarin mode}}
Arnor's capital was [[Annúminas]] on [[Lake Evendim]], but by {{TA|861}} [[Fornost Erain]] had taken its place. No longer a site of such importance, Annúminas became depopulated and was slowly abandoned.

 After the death of its tenth king, [[Eärendur (King of Arnor)|Eärendur]], in {{TA|861}}, Arnor was shaken by civil war between his three sons. The eldest, [[Amlaith]], claimed Kingship over all Arnor but was reduced to only ruling the region of Arthedain as his kingdom, while the other sons founded the breakaway kingdoms of [[Cardolan]] and [[Rhudaur]].

Arnor was refounded ''de jure'' by [[Arthedain|Arthedain's]] king [[Argeleb I]], when [[Cardolan]] placed itself under the suzerainty of Arthedain. However, even Arthedain was eventually destroyed. The people of Arnor were mostly wiped out by the continuing wars, but the [[Hobbits]] survived in [[the Shire]], Men survived in [[Bree]] and probably other villages, and the [[Dúnedain]] of Arnor created new homes in the [[Angle of Eriador|Angle]] south of [[Rivendell]], where some of them became known as the [[Rangers of the North]].<ref name="lotr1018">''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', [[Appendix A]], p. 1018.</ref>

=== Conflict with Angmar ===

[[File:Grant Gould - The Witch King.jpg|right|thumb|220px|Eliot Gould - ''The Witch King'']] Arnor's greatest enemy in the north by the middle of the Third Age was Angmar, ruled by the [[Witch-king|Witch King of Angmar]]. During the reign of Malvegil (c. {{TA|1300}}), this new power arose beyond the [[Ettenmoors]]. This land became populated with the Orcs and men of Sauron, and began attacking Rhudaur and Cardolan. Eventually this Witch-king was identified as in fact the chief of Sauron's Ringwraiths. Years later, Argeleb I of [[Arthedain]], reasserted control over [[Cardolan]], and fortified a line along the [[Weather Hills]]. Despite this action, Argeleb fell in battle with Angmar and its ally, [[Rhudaur]]. His son Arveleg, however, counterattacked in conjunction with Cardolan and drove the enemy back. He held this frontier in force for quite some years successfully.

[[File:BFME2 - Weathertop.jpg|left|220px|thumb|''Weathertop'' from BFME2]] Then in {{TA|1409}}, Angmar crossed the Hoarwell river into Cardolan and attacked again. This time, Weathertop was captured and Arveleg fell in battle. While Amon Sûl fell, the ''palantír'' was recovered and taken to Fornost. While Cardolan was laid waste, Angmar was eventually stopped by Elven forces from [[Lindon]] and [[Rivendell]], where [[Elrond]] countered them.

=== The [[Great Plague]] ===

Another threat appeared to the northern successor kingdoms, this time one that swords and spears could not deter. A [[Great Plague|major plague]] began in the east, in the vicinity of the [[Sea of Rhûn]], northeast of [[Mordor]]. After doing great damage in [[Rhovanion]], it struck [[Osgiliath]] in Gondor in {{TA|1636}}, killing [[Telemnar|King Telemnar]] and his family. In seriously affected areas, the plague killed 50% or more of the populace. This plague, which barely affected western Gondor, spread northwards to [[Cardolan]].

In Cardolan, it struck severely, wiping out the last of Dúnedain of [[Cardolan]] at the [[Barrow-downs]]. The Witch-king, exploiting the tragedy, sent evil spirits, the [[Barrow-wights]], to infest the area. The Hobbits of the Shire were damaged by it, but not heavily. The plague lost its strength, however, at this point, so that most of [[Arthedain]] was unaffected.<ref name="lotr1023">''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', [[Appendix A]], p. 1023.</ref>

=== The Fall of Arthedain ===

In {{TA|1974}}, the final chapter in [[Arthedain|Arthedain's]] history began. The Witch-king attacked during the harsh winter weather. The capital of [[Fornost]] fell, and the remaining Arnorian forces were driven over the Lune river into Lindon. King [[Arvedui]] was compelled to flee to [[Forochel]], and ask aid of the Snowmen there. His son, [[Aranarth]], journeyed to [[Círdan]] at the Havens to inform him of Arthedain's fall. Círdan responded by sending a ship north to rescue Arvedui. When the [[Snowmen of Forochel]] saw the ship arrive, they were uncomfortable and nervous about the escape plan.<ref name="lotr1018">''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', [[Appendix A]], p. 1018.</ref> Their chief replied to Arvedui:
{{quote|Do not mount on this sea-monster! If they have them, let the seamen bring us food and other things that we need, and you may stay here till the Witch-king goes home. For in summer his power wanes; but now his breath is deadly, and his cold arm is long.|''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', [[Appendix A]], p. 1018}}

It turned out that the Snowmen were right. A storm blew in that night and drove the ice towards the shore, and the ship was crushed and sank, with great loss of life, including King Arvedui. He unfortunately fulfilled [[Malbeth|Malbeth the Seer's]] prophecy about him at his birth that he would be the 'Last king' of Arthedain. So the North-kingdom ended, but the [[Hobbits]] survived in the Shire. They eventually chose a [[Thain]] from among themselves to replace the King, and the first of these was [[Bucca of the Marish]], in {{TA|1979}}.

=== Showdown with Angmar ===

Envoys from Arthedain had journeyed to Gondor to ask assistance from the southern Dúnedain in fighting the Witch-king's forces. Gondor, however, was preoccupied with its own threats from the [[Easterlings]], and so could not respond immediately. Gondor had been in a weakened condition since the death of King Ondoher and his two sons in the [[Battle of the Camp]] fighting the Easterlings in {{TA|1944}}. [[Arvedui]] of Arnor tried to claim the southern throne but this claim was rejected by Gondor. [[Eärnil II|Eärnil]], the victorious commander in the above battle and a member of the royal house, claimed the throne, and was confirmed by the Gondorian royal council.<ref name="lotr1023">''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', [[Appendix A]], p. 1023.</ref>

[[File:Amir Salehi - Servant of Death.jpg|right|220px|thumb|Amir Salehi - ''Servant of Death'']]King Arvedui sent increasingly urgent messages to Gondor about the crisis he faced from Angmar's continuing assaults. [[Eärnil II]] was unable to react quickly due to his need to order Gondor after succeeding to the throne, however. The king sent his son and heir [[Eärnur]] north to the Havens with a powerful fleet. Unfortunately, it was not in time to save [[Arthedain]], and the northern kingdom perished. When Eärnur's naval forces landed in the [[Grey Havens]], they dazzled both Men and Elves with their size and majesty. From these ships debarked the most powerful army seen in the north of Middle-earth in centuries. Círdan's people were quite impressed with the strength of Gondor's army, particularly its [[Gondorian Military Forces#Gondorian Knights and Cavalry Forces|cavalry forces]], dominated by riders from the [[Vales of Anduin]]. [[Círdan]] and Eärnur combined their forces, along with the remnant of Arnor's army, in the greatest joint Elf-Man army since the [[War of the Last Alliance]]; this great [[Host of the West (Arnor)|Host of the West]] re-crossed the River Lune and marched northward.<ref name="lotr1026">''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', p. 1026.</ref> These allies drove relentlessly toward the Arnorian capital of [[Fornost]], where the Witch-king had occupied the palace complex there.

=== Angmar is Vanquished ===

When the Witch-king saw the invading [[Host of the West (Arnor)|Host]], he failed to take it for the serious threat that it in fact was. Instead of awaiting the invaders in the fortress city of Fornost, he confidently marched his forces out to meet them in the open. He expected to defeat them as easily as Arvedui's forces the previous year. But there was an appreciable difference this time-- the ground and naval might of Gondor. The allied Host continued to advance, and instead of establishing a merely defensive position, they attacked him from the [[Hills of Evendim]], and a [[Battle of Fornost|large battle]] broke out. The Witch-king's army could not stand before the allies, however, and began to retreat back towards their capital. Any hopes for an orderly withdrawal were in vain, however.

[[Gondorian Military Forces#Gondorian Knights and Cavalry Forces|Gondorian cavalry forces]], attacking from the north, routed the forces of Angmar, and put them to flight signalling an end to what became known as the [[Battle of Fornost]]. The Witch-king, in full flight, forsook his new conquests, and made for Angmar. But the cavalry under [[Eärnur]] continued the pursuit and rode down what remained of his forces. To add to his difficulties, an Elven force under [[Glorfindel]] also attacked from [[Rivendell]], and completed his forces' destruction. At the last, the Witch-king charged Eärnur in frustration, but his horse shied away from the evil wraith. As Eärnur once again mastered his horse, Glorfindel uttered his famous prophecy:
{{quote|Do not pursue him! He will not return to this land. Far off yet is his doom, and not by the hand of man will he fall.|''The Lord of the Rings'', [[Appendix A]], p. 1027.}}
This prophecy would not be fulfilled until a thousand years later, at the [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]].

=== [[Chieftains of the Dúnedain]] ===

After the death of King Arvedui, his son, [[Aranarth]], perceived that the northern Dúnedain had become too few to reestablish the realm of [[Arthedain]]. He took his dwindling people and turned them into wanderers who traveled from place to place in [[Eriador]]. Instead of calling himself a king or prince, he assumed the title [[Chieftains of the Dúnedain|Chieftain]]. Through them the royal line of Arnor was maintained successfully for a thousand years until the refounding of Arnor in {{FoA|1}}. Aranarth brought his son [[Arahael]] to [[Rivendell]] and gave him to [[Elrond]] for safekeeping until he was grown. This became a tradition that was followed through the rest of the Third Age. Also brought to Elrond were the heirlooms of the House of Elendil: the [[Sceptre of Annúminas]], the [[Ring of Barahir]], the shards of [[Narsil]], and the [[Star of Elendil]].<ref name="lotr1018">''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', [[Appendix A]], p. 1018.</ref>

So the Dúnedain survived in the shadows, waiting for a better day when the kingdom of Arnor would be reborn. There were sixteen Chieftains in direct descent, with [[Aragorn|Aragorn Elessar]] being the last. There were many perils in Eriador in that time, and many of the Chieftains died premature deaths. One of these was Aragorn II's father, [[Arathorn II]], who was slain by Orcs raiding the area.

=== [[War of the Ring]] ===

The Kingdom of Arnor had been fallen for a thousand years by the time the [[War of the Ring]] broke out, but northern forces did participate in the War. [[Aragorn|Aragorn II]] was a [[Rangers of the North|Dúnedain Ranger of the North]], and there were several hundred of them operating during the conflict. A company of this group accompanied Aragorn through the [[Paths of the Dead]] and during the attack on [[Umbar]] which captured the Corsair fleet. They participated at the last battle, fighting under his banner, at the [[Battle of the Morannon]], where [[Sauron]] was finally thrown down.

There was conflict in other areas of the North. There were three different invasions of [[Lothlórien]], which were thrown back by the Elven army under [[Celeborn]] and [[Thranduil]]. Finally, Celeborn led an attack resulting in the [[Fall of Dol Guldur|capture of Dol Guldur]] and put an end to Sauron's northern threat.

There was also a battle fought in [[the Shire]], between Saruman's [[Ruffians]] and [[Hobbits|Hobbit]] militia forces. This was the last battle fought in the [[War of the Ring]], and resulted in the death of Saruman and the death or capture of his followers. This became known as the [[Battle of Bywater]], and represents the Hobbit contribution to the War.<ref name="lotr992-996">''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', [[The Scouring of the Shire]], pp. 992-996.</ref>

== Restoration and the [[Reunited Kingdom]] ==

[[File:Rowena Morrill - The Last Steward of Gondor.jpg|left|220px|thumb|Rowena Morrill - ''The Last Steward of Gondor'']]Faramir, son of Denethor II the last Ruling Steward, presented his rod of office to the new king, and received it back from him. [[Aragorn|Aragorn II]] then was crowned by [[Gandalf]] as [[Aragorn|King Elessar]], refounded the Kingdom of Arnor as part of the [[Reunited Kingdom]], and made [[Annúminas]] his new capital city.<ref name="lotr1019">''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', [[Appendix A]], p. 1019.</ref> He was wed to the Elven princess Arwen, who became [[Arwen|Queen Evenstar]] of Arnor and Gondor. After the fall of [[Sauron]] Arnor was safe again for resettlement of Men, and although it remained less populated than [[Gondor]] to the south, in time Arnor became a more densely populated region again, even if it had dwindled in size due to the independence of [[the Shire]]. The area encompassed by the Reunited Kingdom now encompassed the territory of the [[Two Kingdoms]] at their greatest extent. In the North, this included all the land between the [[Lune|River Lune]] and the [[Misty Mountains]], and in the South included all the land between Dunland in the west, to the [[Far Harad]] southwards, to [[Rhûn]] in the east. The reborn kingdom continued on into the Fourth Age, with [[Eldarion]] eventually succeeding his father to the throne of this now empire-sized state.

== Languages ==

Many people in Arnor were of Númenórean stock. However, aside from the Exiles, most had long since mingled with non-Númenórean peoples; the predominant language spoken by them was [[Westron]].<ref>{{App|F}}</ref> At least some of the population, especially the upper classes, were fluent in [[Sindarin]], while [[Quenya]] was studied as a language of lore. Many early place names and the names of the [[House of Isildur|royal house]] were Quenya, but by the 8th century of the [[Third Age]], Quenya had given way to Sindarin.

== Etymology ==

'''''Arnor''''' was the colloquial name for the '''North Kingdom'''. The North Kingdom, as the land was called at its conception, was also known as ''Turmen Follondiéva'' in [[Quenya]] and ''Arthor na Forlonnas'' in [[Sindarin]]. These names quickly fell out of use, in favour of ''Arnor'': the ''Land of the King'', so called for the kingship of [[Elendil]], and to seal its precedence over the [[Gondor|southern realm]]. In full, poetic Sindarin, it was called ''Arannor'', which mirrored its Quenya name, '''''Arandórë'''''.<ref>{{PE|17}}, p. 28</ref> Though technically ''Arandórë'' would have a Sindarin form ''Ardor'', [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]] chose ''Arnor'' because it sounded better. This linguistic change was ascribed to a later, Mannish development of Sindarin.<ref name="L347">{{L|347}}</ref><ref>{{HM|RC}}, p. 17</ref> The form '''''Arnanórë''''' is also seen.<ref name="L347" />

==Portrayal in adaptations==
'''2002: {{tttee}}:'''
:Peter Jackson's movies do not mention the long history of how Arnor and Gondor diverged, nor do they mention Arnor by name. The one passing reference to it is in a scene from the Extended Edition, when Aragorn reveals to Éowyn that he is actually eighty-seven years old. She realises that he must be one of the [[Dúnedain]], a descendant of Númenor blessed with long life, but says that she thought his race had passed into legend. Aragorn acknowledges that he is one of the Dúnedain, and explains that there are not many of his people left, because "the Northern kingdom was destroyed long ago".

==See also==
* [[Kings of Arnor]]
* [[Kings of Gondor]]
* [[Gondor]]
* [[War of the Last Alliance]]
* [[War of the Ring]]

{{References}}

[[Category:Arnor| ]]
[[Category:Eriador]]
[[Category:Regions]]
[[Category:Sindarin locations]]

[[de:Arnor]]
[[fi:Arnor]]
[[fr:encyclo/geographie/royaumes/arnor]]

Dolmed

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{{sources}}{{cleanup}}
{{location infobox
| name=Mount Dolmed
| image=
| caption=
| pronun=
| othernames=
| location=[[Blue Mountains]]
| type=Mountain
| description=A large mountain, where the two Fathers of the Western Dwarf Houses awoke
| regions=
| towns=
| inhabitants=[[Dwarves of the Blue Mountains]]: [[Firebeards]] and [[Broadbeams]]
| created=
| destroyed=
| events=
}}
'''Mount Dolmed''' was a mountain in the [[Blue Mountains|Ered Luin]].

==History==
Mount Dolmed loomed over the only known pass from [[Eriador]] into [[Beleriand]]. It was here that according to the [[Dwarves]] two of the [[Fathers of the Dwarves]], the founders of the [[Broadbeams]] and the [[Firebeards]], awoke. Their descendants later established the Dwarven cities of [[Nogrod]] and [[Belegost]].

The two cities were established on the Eastern side of the mountain. Just a little of North-east of Dolmed was Belegost, and a little to the South-east was Nogrod.

In {{YT|1497}}, the [[First Battle of Beleriand]] was fought between the [[Elves]], and the forces of [[Morgoth]]. In the end the Elves had the victory and the surviving [[Orcs]] fled east toward the Ered Luin. They were however met by the Dwarves and annihilated by them.

Almost five hundred years later, a short [[War of the Elves and Dwarves|war]] occurred between the [[Elves of Doriath]] and the [[Dwarves of Nogrod]]. In {{FA|503}}, after returning from their victory in [[Menegroth]], the Dwarves were [[Battle of Sarn Athrad|ambushed]] at [[Sarn Athrad]] and slaughtered. The survivors were climbing the slopes of Mount Dolmed when they were waylaid and annihilated by [[Ents]].

==Fate==
[[File:Didier Willis - Mount Dolmed and Amon Ereb.png|thumb|Collage of maps showing a mountain peak slightly apart the main range of the [[Blue Mountains]] and apparently coinciding with Mount Dolmed's location.]]
Some [[Tolkienists]] such as [[Robert Foster]] and [[Karen Fonstad]] speculate that after the [[War of Wrath]] Dolmed was destroyed when the Ered Luin were broken and the [[Gulf of Lune]], broke through it.<ref>[[Robert Foster]], ''[[The Complete Guide to Middle-earth]]'', page 89</ref><ref>[[Karen Wynn Fonstad]], ''[[The Atlas of Middle-earth]]'', p. 37</ref>

However, [[Ronald Kyrmse|Ronald E. Kyrmse]]<ref>[[Ronald Kyrmse]], "The Geographical Relation between Beleriand and Eriador" in ''[[Mallorn_(journal)|Mallorn]]'' no. [[Mallorn_26|26]], September 1989, pp. 25–27</ref> and later [[Didier Willis]]<ref>[[Didier Willis]], Bulletin de géographie ''Hiswelóce'', special issue no. 1, Winter 1994 (French); [http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/site3/articles.php?lng=en&pg=41 Mystères géographiques n°1 : Mont Dolmed & cités naines] (c. 2000), [http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/site3/index.php?lng=fr Hiwelokë], accessed March 23rd, 2011 (French); revised and augmented in "Du Beleriand aux confins de Rhûn" in ''[[Tolkien, le façonnement d'un monde]]'', vol. 2, 2014, pp. 197-230.</ref> independently noted a prominent unidentified mountain exactly on the location of Dolmed in the map of Beleriand as well as Mount [[Rerir]] to the north. This, coupled with a reinterpretation of Tolkien's maps, shows that Dolmed at least partially survived the devastation.

==Etymology==
The name means "wet head" in [[Sindarin]], from ''[[dol]]'' and ''[[med]]''. The word for head is used often in Sindarin to refer to hills.

{{references}}
[[Category:Beleriand]]
[[Category:Mountains]]
[[Category:Sindarin locations]]
[[de:Dolmed]]
[[fi:Dolmedin vuori]]
[[fr:encyclo/geographie/reliefs/beleriand/mont_dolmed]]

Thorin's hall

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{{sources}}
{{unnamed}}
{{kingdom
| image=[[File:Thorin's Halls.jpg|250px]]
| name=Thorin's Halls
| pronun=
| othernames=
| location=[[Blue Mountains]]
| capital=
| towns=
| regions=
| population=[[Durin's Folk]]
| language=[[Westron]], [[Khuzdul]]
| govern1=[[King of Durin's Folk]]
| govern2=
| govern3=
| currency=
| holiday=
| precededby=
| event1=Founded
| event1date={{TA|2802}}
| event2=
| event2date=
| event3=
| event3date=
| event4=
| event4date=
| event5=
| event5date=
| followedby=[[Lonely Mountain]]
}}
'''Thorin's Halls''' were the main western realm of [[Durin's Folk]], led by King [[Thráin|Thráin II]] and later [[Thorin|Thorin II Oakenshield]].

==History==
===Establishment and Thráin's reign===
Several years after the [[Sack of Erebor]] by the dragon [[Smaug]], the exiled [[Kings of Durin's Folk|King of Durin's folk]] [[Thrór]] was murdered by [[Orcs]]. [[Thráin|Thráin II]] led a host of Dwarves from his and other house in a [[War of the Dwarves and Orcs | great war]] against the [[Orcs of the Misty Mountains]]. After that, Thráin's people moved to the hills of [[Dunland]] and stayed for some time before moving to the [[Blue Mountains]] and established their Halls in the year {{TA|2802}}.

For nearly forty years Thráin ruled his people in the Ered Luin, but was driven to obsession by his [[Ring of Thrór | ring of power]]. In {{TA|2841|n}} he left with a small group of followers to return to the Erebor determined to kill Smaug and take his father's realm back. But in {{TA|2845|n}} while encamped on the eves of [[Mirkwood]] Thráin was captured by the servants of the [[Necromancer]] and taken to [[Dol Guldur]]; where he was tortured till his death many years later. His followers including [[Balin]] and [[Dwalin]] did not know his fate, and after searching for days they returned to the Ered Luin.

===Thorin's rule===
Thorin was made ruler of Durin's folk, and under his leadership his people prospered, their trade increased as well as their numbers, not only from birth, but wandering Longbeards heard of Thorin's realm and came to him.
[[File:Matěj Čadil - Thorin in Blue Mountains.jpg|thumb|left|[[Matěj Čadil]] - ''Thorin in Blue Mountains'']]
Thorin ruled in the Ered Luin for nearly one hundred years, until he met [[Gandalf]] the Wizard who helped him concoct a plan to take back Erebor from Smaug; he left his halls for the last time on a [[Quest of Erebor|quest to take back his former home]]. After many months [[Thorin and Company]] took the mountain as theirs and Thorin declared himself [[King under the Mountain]] after Smaug was killed; but after a [[Battle of Five Armies | great battle]] with Orcs and [[Wargs]] Thorin was mortally wounded and died, never being able to enjoy the realm he gained.

===Dissolvement as the Capital===
After Thorin's death, his cousin [[Dáin Ironfoot|Dáin II Ironfoot]] of the [[Iron Hills]] became king of Durin's folk; and when news reached [[Dwarves of the Blue Mountains | Durin's folk in the Ered Luin]] that Erebor was retaken, it is believed that most of them moved to the Lonely Mountain. therefore, Thorin's Halls became a sub-realm of Durin's folk.

==Portrayal in Adaptations ==

'''2007: ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]'':'''
:Thorin's Halls is one of the major cities in the game, referred to as "Thorin's Hall". Following the death of Thorin, many [[Longbeards]] move away and the rule of Thorin's Hall falls to the [[Dourhands]] - the clan of Dwarves who are slowly corrupted by the Dark Lord. In {{TA}} 3016 King Dain sends a company of Longbeards to reclaim Thorin's Hall and Dourhands are thrown out, [[Dwalin]] becomes the ruler and maintains his position until {{TA|3019}}. Thorin's Hall is where the Dwarven characters begin their journey in Middle-Earth: the city itself is safe from dangers, but outlying outposts face the threats of wild beasts, remaining Dourhands and occasional [[Orcs#Orcs and Goblins|Goblins]].

{{references}}
* {{App|Durin}}
* {{UT|Quest}}
* {{PM|Dwarves}}, pages 313, 328

[[Category:Eriador]]
[[Category:Dwarven realms]]

[[de:Thorins Hallen]]

Kingdom under the Mountain

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{{kingdom
| image=[[File:Jef Murray - The Lonely Mountain 2.jpg|250px]]
| name=Kingdom under the Mountain
| pronun=
| othernames=
| location=The [[Lonely Mountain]]; north of [[Lake-town]], west of the [[Iron Hills]]
| capital=
| towns=
| regions=
| population=[[Durin's Folk]]
| language=[[Westron]], [[Khuzdul]]
| govern1=[[King of Durin's Folk]]
| govern2=[[King under the Mountain]]
| govern3=
| currency=
| holiday=
| precededby=
| event1=Founded
| event1date={{TA|1999}}
| event2=Abandoned
| event2date={{TA|2210}}
| event3=Reclaimed
| event3date={{TA|2590}}
| event4=Lost to Smaug
| event4date={{TA|2770}}
| event5=Reclaimed
| event5date={{TA|2941}}
| followedby=
}}
The '''Kingdom under the Mountain''' was the name given to the Dwarf realm of [[Lonely Mountain|Erebor]].<ref name="Durin">{{App|Durin}}</ref> It was founded in {{TA|1999}} when [[Thráin I]] came to the Lonely Mountain<ref name="TA">{{App|TA}}</ref> and discovered the [[Arkenstone]].<ref name="Durin"/> The kingdom lasted until {{TA|2770|n}} when [[Smaug]] the [[Dragons|Dragon]] invaded and either killed the Dwarves or forced them to leave. When Smaug was slain in {{TA|2941|n}}, [[Dáin Ironfoot]] became King Dáin II and the kingdom was restored.<ref name="TA"/>

==History==
In {{TA|1980}}, King [[Durin VI]] was killed by [[Durin's Bane|the Balrog]], and in {{TA|1981}} after the death of Durin's oldest son and heir King [[Náin I]]; the next in line [[Thráin I]] with the rest of his people fled Khazad-dûm (renamed Moria).

Thráin, with those who would follow him, went to the colony in the [[Lonely Mountain]] in {{TA|1999}}. Where he made himself [[King under the Mountain]], and relocated the capital of the Longbeards. Under Thráin's rule the [[Arkenstone]] was discovered, and many riches were mined from its depths; After Thráin's death and his son [[Thorin I]] had ruled for ten years, he abandoned the Mountain in {{TA|2210}} for the [[Grey Mountains]]; where his people were now gathering.

===Decline===
After King Thorin left the mountain was once again a colony, and its status as capital city was transferred to the Ered Mithrin.

It was nearly four hundred years before Durin's folk returned in mass to the Lonely Mountain. The reason for this being that the [[Dwarves of the Grey Mountains]] had been fighting a [[War of the Dwarves and Dragons |war]] against the [[Dragons]], who had plagued the Dwarves for hundreds of years. In the year {{TA|2589}} King [[Náin II]] and middle son [[Frór]] were killed by a great [[Cold-drakes|Cold-drake]] at the entrance to their halls, which led to the decision by the two remaining heirs, [[Thrór]] and [[Grór]], to leave the mountains with those who wished to follow them,

===Re-establishment===
The [[Third Age 2590|following year]] the now king Thrór, led a group back to the Lonely Mountain, while his brother Grór led another portion to the Iron Hills, and even some stayed behind in the Ered Mithrin.

Thrór eventually made it to the Lonely Mountain, and declared himself [[King under the Mountain]]. Under Thrór's rule the Lonely Mountain once again became the capital of Durin's folk, the [[Dwarves of Erebor]] became the best smiths and masons in Wilderland, trade increased with their kinsman in the Iron Hills and elsewhere, and they also became very rich.

===[[Sack of Erebor]] and exile===
But with this new found prosperity came trouble. It wasn't long before the great dragon [[Smaug]] heard of their great wealth, and one day decided to take their treasure for himself. In the year {{TA|2770}} Smaug descended on the mountain in a ball of fire. He killed King [[Girion]] of [[Dale]] with many of his knights, and he killed a large amount of the Dwarves living in the mountain. Most of the survivors fled to the Iron Hills, others went with the royal family into exile, and some simply went their own way.

While Durin's folk wandered from the mountain to [[Dunland]] to the northern [[Blue Mountains]]; they ever longed for the halls of the Lonely Mountain.

===The [[Quest of Erebor]] and restoration===
[[File:Brian Durfee - Returned Exiles.jpg|thumb|left|Brian Durfee - ''Returned Exiles'']]
In {{TA|2941}} with Gandalf's council, [[Thorin |Thorin Oakenshield]] and a [[Thorin and Company|company of twelve dwarves]], with the help of the [[Hobbits|Hobbit]] [[Bilbo Baggins]], undertook the Quest of Erebor and retook the city and treasure. In the meantime the Dragon Smaug went to destroy [[Lake-town|Esgaroth]], only to be killed by a man named [[Bard]].

Thorin was free to proclaim himself King under the Mountain. However the mountain was besieged by the Men of Esgaroth and the [[Elves of Mirkwood]], who wished recompensation for the damage done by the dragon. [[Dáin Ironfoot]] arrived to support Thorin, but a great host of [[Orcs]] and [[Wargs]] came to take the mountain. Then the Elves, Men, and Dwarves were united and [[Battle of Five Armies|fought]] against them. After Thorin's and his nephews' deaths, Dáin was made King of Durin's folk and of the mountain. Finally after so many years of longing the Longbeards finally returned to the Lonely Mountain.

===Prosperity and the [[War of the Ring]]===
Under Dáin's rule the Dwarves of the Lonely Mountain became very rich and prosperous. They rebuilt the town of [[Dale]], their trade greatly increased with their kinsman in the Iron Hills once again and with Men; and the Lonely Mountain was restored to its original greatness. But once again trouble began to brew in the east. The Men of Dale were nearing war with the [[Easterlings]], and in the year {{TA|3019}} an emissary from [[Sauron]] came to Dáin and said that if he were to give up the location of Bilbo (who had discovered the [[The One Ring|Ring of Power]] in his travels) that Sauron would return to him the three remaining [[Seven Rings|Dwarven rings]]. But being wary of the emissary, Dáin sent his kinsmen [[Glóin]] to [[Rivendell]] to warn Bilbo that Sauron was after him.

Several months later war broke out between Dale and the East. Dale was driven from their borders at the river Running, and was besieged in their city of Dale for three days in what became the [[Battle of Dale]]. Even with the aid of the Dwarves they could not stop the advance of the Easterlings; and on the third day as the Men and Dwarves retreated into the mountain, King [[Brand]] and King Dáin were killed at its very gates. The Dwarves and Men held out for several days until word reached the ears of the Easterlings that the great hosts of Sauron in the south had been defeated in the [[Battle of the Morannon]]. With this news fear fell on the besiegers. When the besieged saw this they came forth from the Lonely Mountain, and attacked their enemy driving them from Dale across the Running, never to be bothered again.

After the death of his father, [[Thorin Stonehelm|Thorin III Stonehelm]] became King of Durin's folk and King-under-the-Mountain. Little is known of his reign other than his people helping rebuild the cities of [[Gondor]] and the fortress of [[Helm's Deep]], and part of his people moving to the [[Glittering Caves]].

{{references}}
[[Category:Cities, towns and villages]]
[[Category:Dwarven realms]]

[[de:Königreich unter dem Berg]]
[[fi:Vuorenalainen Kuningaskunta]]
[[fr:encyclo/geographie/royaumes/royaume_sous_la_montagne]]

Glittering Caves

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{{location infobox
| name=Glittering Caves
| image=[[File:Ted Nasmith - The Glittering Caves.jpg|250px]]
| caption="The Glittering Caves" by [[Ted Nasmith]]
| pronun=
| othernames=''Aglarond''
| location=[[White Mountains]], behind [[Helm's Deep]]
| type=Cave; later [[Dwarf realms|dwarven realm]]
| description=Beautiful jewelled caverns
| regions=
| towns=
| inhabitants=[[Rohirrim]], later [[Durin's Folk]]
| created=
| destroyed=
| events=[[Battle of the Hornburg]]
| gallery=the Glittering Caves
}}
The '''Glittering Caves''', also called '''Aglarond''', were the spectacular jewelled caverns that lay in the [[White Mountains]] behind [[Helm's Deep]] in [[Rohan]].

==Overview==
The Glittering Caves were located behind [[Helm's Deep]] under the three peaks of the [[Thrihyrne]] in the northwestern arm of the [[White Mountains]]. The Glittering Caves extended deep under the mountains, with many passages, stairs, halls, and chambers. The floors were sandy and the ceilings were high, domed vaults. The walls were polished stone set with gems and crystals and veins of ore.<ref>{{TT|III8}}</ref>

The entrance to the caves was behind the [[Deeping Wall]] in a narrow gorge that could be defended long against an onslaught, making them an ideal refuge location.

[[Gimli]] called the Glittering Caves one of the marvels of the Northern World. Reportedly, Legolas was left speechless after visiting them, one of the few times that a dwarf has bested an elf with words.

==History==
Aglarond was explored during the [[Second Age]] by [[Númenóreans]], although it is unclear exactly when and by whom.<ref>{{S|V}},p. 291</ref> Later, after the founding of [[Rohan]] it was used as a storage space and refuge for [[Rohirrim]] who used the [[Hornburg]].

===War of the Ring===
During the [[Battle of the Hornburg]] on [[3 March|3]]-[[4 March]], {{TA|3019}}, many of the women, children, and elderly people of the [[Westfold]] took refuge in the Glittering Caves. Livestock and food were stored there as well.

Some [[Orcs]] crept through a culvert in the Deeping Wall and entered the gorge but were killed or driven back by the defenders. Then the Deeping Wall was breached by an explosive device and the Enemy forces entered the Deep. Many of the [[Rohirrim]] including [[Éomer]] were driven back to the Glittering Caves, and with them was Gimli.<ref>{{TT|III7}}</ref>

After the war Gimli brought [[Legolas]] to see the caves; the Elf was so impressed that he was silent and said that only Gimli could fittingly describe them.<ref>{{RK|VI6}}</ref>

===As a Dwarven colony===
When [[Gimli|Gimli Elf-friend]] was held up in the caves, he was amazed by their beauty. After the [[War of the Ring]] he brought from [[Lonely Mountain|Erebor]] part of [[Durin's Folk]] and founded a [[Dwarf realms|colony]] in the caves, becoming the first [[Lord of the Glittering Caves]]. The Dwarves of the Glittering Caves carefully tended the stone walls and opened new ways and chambers and hung lamps that filled the caverns with light. The Glittering Caves became one of the most important realms of the [[Dwarves]] at the beginning of the [[Fourth Age]].<ref>{{App|Durin}}</ref>

==Etymology==
''Aglarond'' is [[Sindarin]] and contains the elements [[aglar]]+[[rond]], therefore "caves of glory". However since the word ''aglar'' is related to ''light'', the [[Westron]] "Glittering Caves" can be the exact translation.

The Rohirrim called them ''[[Glǽmscrafu]]''<ref>{{UT|Isen}}, Appendix (ii)</ref> or '''Caverns of Helm's Deep'''.

==Inspiration==
The Glittering Caves are one of very few locations in [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]]'s work that are associated with a real place. They were inspired by the [[wikipedia:Cheddar Gorge and Caves|Cheddar Gorge]] in [[wikipedia:Somerset|Somerset]].<ref>{{L|321}}</ref>

{{References}}

[[Category:Caves]]
[[Category:Dwarven realms]]
[[Category:Rohan]]
[[de:Aglarond]]
[[fi:Aglarond]]
[[fr:encyclo:geographie:reliefs:montagnes_blanches:cavernes_etincelantes]]

Dwarves

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{{sources}}
{{race infobox
| name=Dwarves
| image=[[File:Alarie - A bunch of dwarves.jpg|250px]]
| caption="A bunch of dwarves" by [[:Category:Images by Alarie|Alarie]]
| pronun=
| othernames=''Naugrim'' ([[Sindarin|S]]), ''Nogothrim'' ([[Sindarin|S]]).''[[Khazâd]]'' ([[Khuzdul|K]]), ''[[Hadhod]]rim'' ([[Sindarin|S]]), ''[[Casar]]i'' ([[Quenya|Q]])
| origin=Created by [[Aulë]]
| location=[[Moria|Khazad-dûm]], [[Belegost]], [[Nogrod]], [[Lonely Mountain|Erebor]], [[Iron Hills]], [[Orocarni]], [[Glittering Caves]], [[Grey Mountains]], [[Blue Mountains]], [[Gundabad]]
| affiliation=
| rivalry=[[Elves]], [[Orcs]]
| language=[[Khuzdul]] ([[Dwarvish]]), [[Iglishmêk]] (sign language), [[Westron]]
| people='''Clans:''' [[Durin's Folk|Longbeards]], [[Firebeards]], [[Broadbeams]], [[Ironfists]], [[Stiffbeards]], [[Blacklocks]], [[Stonefoots]], [[Petty-dwarves]] '''Groups:''' [[Dwarves of Belegost|Belegost Dwarves]], [[Dwarves of Erebor|Erebor Dwarves]], [[Dwarves of Khazad-dûm|Khazad-dûm Dwarves]], [[Dwarves of Nogrod|Nogrod Dwarves]], [[Dwarves of the Blue Mountains|Blue Mountain Dwarves]], [[Dwarves of the Grey Mountains|Grey Mountain Dwarves]], [[Dwarves of the Iron Hills|Iron Hill Dwarves]]
| members=[[Durin]], [[Gimli]], [[Thorin]], [[Dáin Ironfoot]], [[Azaghâl]], [[Mîm]], [[Balin]]
| lifespan=c. 250-350 years<ref name="LOTRProjectStats">{{webcite|author=Emil Johansson|articleurl=http://lotrproject.com/statistics/#lifeexpectancy|articlename=Lord of the Rings in Statistics|website=[http://lotrproject.com/ Lord of the Rings Project]|accessed=15 April 2018}}</ref>
| distinctions=Stocky; bearded; never bald; especially hardy and loyal; notoriously stubborn
| height=
| hair=Blond, brown, black, blue, red, and (when older) grey or white
| skin=
| clothing=
| weapons=Often axes, swords, hammers, mattocks
}}
{{quote|Since they were to come in the days of the power of [[Morgoth|Melkor]], [[Aulë]] made the dwarves strong to endure. Therefore they are stone-hard, stubborn, fast in friendship and in enmity, and they suffer toil and hunger and hurt of body more hardily than all other speaking peoples; and they live long, far beyond the span of Men, yet not forever.|[[The Silmarillion]], "[[Of Aulë and Yavanna]]"}}
The '''Dwarves''', or '''''[[Khuzd|Khazâd]]''''' in their own tongue, were beings of short stature, often friendly with [[Hobbits]] although long suspicious of [[Elves]]. They were typically blacksmiths and stoneworkers by profession, unrivaled in some of their arts even by the Elves.

While there were several tribes (Houses) of the Dwarves, the most prominent was that of the [[Durin's Folk|Longbeards]].

==History==
===Origin===
Unlike Elves and [[Men]], the Dwarves are not counted among the [[Children of Ilúvatar]]. Their creator was [[Aulë#Names and etymology|Mahal]], known as [[Aulë]] the Smith. Aulë created the Seven [[Fathers of the Dwarves]], from whom all other Dwarves are descended, deep beneath an unknown mountain somewhere in [[Middle-earth]]. However, Aulë did not have the divine power to grant independent life to any creation, and the dwarves were bound to his will. [[Ilúvatar]] came and reprimanded Aulë, who confessed his desire to create more living things, but in repentance lifted his hammer to destroy the dwarves. Even as the blow was about to land, the dwarves cowered and begged for mercy, as Ilúvatar had taken pity and given true life to the creations of his child, including them in His plan for [[Arda]]. However, Ilúvatar did not wish them to wake before the [[Elves]], whom he intended to be the first-born. Ilúvatar granted the Dwarves life, and therefore they are known as the Adopted Children of Ilúvatar, but he bade Aulë lay them to sleep in their chamber deep beneath the mountain, and they were to awake after the [[Awakening of the Elves]].<ref name=S2>{{S|2}}</ref>

[[File:BFME2 - Dwarf 4.jpg|thumb||Dwarves as portrayed in [[The Battle for Middle-earth II]] game.]]
The Seven Fathers awoke in their places in pairs with their wives, though [[Durin|Durin I]] had awoken alone. The seven different groups of Dwarf-folk originated in the locations where the Seven Fathers of the Dwarves first awoke.<ref>{{PM|XNotes}}</ref><ref>{{PM|X}}</ref>

The seven clans of the Dwarves were:

* [[Longbeards]], Durin's Folk, originally from [[Gundabad]].
* [[Firebeards]] and [[Broadbeams]], originally from [[Mt. Dolmed]].
* [[Ironfists]] and [[Stiffbeards]], originated in the East.
* [[Blacklocks]] and [[Stonefoots]], originated in the East.

Durin settled in the caves above [[Kheled-zâram]] which later became the greatest of Dwarf realms, [[Moria|Khazad-dûm]]. Therefore the halls of the Longbeards were not located near the halls of another Dwarf-kingdom.

There was also an eighth group of Dwarves that was not a separate member from these seven kindreds, but composed of exiles from each: the [[Petty-dwarves]], who were hunted like animals to the point of extinction by the [[Elves]] in the First Age.

===First Age===
The Dwarves for many years did not know any other folk, until Firebeards and Broadbeams had their first meeting with the [[Elves]] in [[Beleriand]] in the year {{YT|1250|n}} of the [[Years of the Trees]]. From that time on there was friendship between the [[Sindar]] and the Dwarves, and they began exchanging knowledge and creating ring-mails and many other works; the [[Dwarves of Nogrod]] were unmatched in Middle-earth in smithing. They delved the caves of [[Menegroth]], and adopted the [[cirth|writing]] of [[Daeron]]. It was the Dwarves who told the Sindar about [[Orcs]] attacking their Elven kin on the other side of the mountains, which prompted King [[Thingol]] to begin a build up of arms which the Dwarves made for him.

Later on a great army of Orcs attacked the Elves, but in the [[First Battle of Beleriand]] were defeated and fled. Those that got away ran south right into an army of Dwarves who issued from Mount Dolmed and destroyed them.

After the [[Return of the Noldor]], [[Finrod|Finrod Felagund]] desired to settle himself in the [[Caves of Narog]] and the Dwarves of the Ered Luin aided him and gave him the dwarven name ''Felak-gundu'' (''[[Felagund]]''). They eventually made for him the [[Nauglamír]]. This necklace without equal contained one of the [[Silmarils]], and sparked jealousy and conflicts over its true ownership. These initial conflicts receded by the beginning of the Second Age, but were rekindled to a new intensity by the discord sown by [[Sauron]]. They eventually created a rivalry and mistrust between Elves and Dwarves that endured to the end of the Third Age, when [[Gimli]] the Dwarf bridged the distance between the two races by developing a deep admiration for lady [[Galadriel]] and forming a strong friendship with [[Legolas]] the Elf.

Things finally came to a head between the forces of Morgoth and the Elves, Men, and Dwarves in the [[Nirnaeth Arnoediad]]. The Dwarves fought for the [[Union of Maedhros]]

In early [[Second Age]] most of the [[Firebeards]] and [[Broadbeams]] houses migrated to [[Moria|Khazad-dûm]] from their cities in the [[Blue Mountains]] which were ruined during the sinking of Beleriand.

===Second Age===
The Dwarves had little participation in most of the important events involving the other races. However their friendship with the Elves perhaps became more close than ever; the Dwarves of [[Moria]] maintained close connections to the [[Gwaith-i-Mírdain]] of [[Eregion]]; the [[Doors of Durin]] of Moria were built to facilitate the communication between the two people, and was constructed jointly by both races.

When Eregion was sacked by [[Sauron]]'s forces, the Dwarves assailed them from behind however it was too late to stop him from conquering all [[Eriador]].<ref name="UTGalad">{{UT|Galadriel}}</ref>
[[File:Liz Danforth - Annatar and the Seven Rings.png|thumb|[[Liz Danforth]] - ''Annatar and the seven rings'']]
When "[[Annatar]]" distributed the Rings of Power, he gave [[seven Rings|seven]] to Dwarf Lords in order to subdue and control them. However, they did not have the same effect as they did over Men. Dwarves did not shift into the [[wraith-world]] and in fact resisted domination. The Rings only augmented their greed and ability to create riches.

At the end of the Age, very few Dwarves participated in the [[War of the Last Alliance|great War]], with some joining the side of [[Sauron]]. The [[Dwarves of Moria]] joined the great host of the [[Last Alliance of Elves and Men]].<ref name=rings>{{S|Rings}}</ref>

===Third Age===

[[File:Angus McBride - Dwarves.jpg|thumb|left|[[Angus McBride]] - ''The Dwarves are upon You!'']]
In [[Third Age 1980]], after centuries of greedy digging for ''[[mithril]]'' and other minerals, the Dwarves woke a [[Durin's Bane|Balrog]] that was sleeping in the deeps of the Misty Mountains since the First Age. The Dwarves fled Khazad-dum, which from then on was called ''Moria'', which means "Black pit".

Most of Durin's folk left for the [[Grey Mountains]] in the North, while some followed the new king, [[Thráin I]], who briefly went to [[Lonely Mountain|Erebor]] in {{TA|1999}}. For more than 300 years the [[Dwarves of the Grey Mountains]] prospered until the Dragons in the far North started to gain strength. Some fled to the [[Iron Hills]], while most followed the new king [[Thrór]] to Erebor to start a new [[Kingdom under the Mountain]]. There, they prospered for over 200 years until the dragon [[Smaug]] descended in {{TA|2770}}. The King and his company went in exile South, while most of the survivors went to the Iron Hills.

Durin's folk settled in [[Dunland]], and in {{TA|2790}} King Thrór traveled North to Moria where he was killed by the [[Orcs|Goblin]] king [[Azog]]. Thrór's son [[Thráin|Thráin II]] (who had received the Last of the Seven Rings from his father before his departure) summoned all the Houses of Dwarves to war. Thus began the [[War of Dwarves and Orcs]], in which the Dwarves destroyed all the Goblin strongholds in the [[Misty Mountains]] culminating to the great [[Battle of Azanulbizar]] where all the dwarven clans united. The Goblin hosts issuing from Moria were strong and relentless until the arrival of fresh [[Dwarves of the Iron Hills]]. The Battle ended with the victory of Dwarves, but at great cost. The Dwarven clans however were unwilling to repopulate Moria. Thráin therefore came to the [[Blue Mountains]] and established his realm there.

[[File:Angelo Montanini - Dori.jpg|thumb|[[Angelo Montanini]] - ''Dori'']]
The Wizard [[Gandalf]] was instrumental into helping Thráin's son Thorin in reclaiming the Kingdom of Erebor. Thorin gathered around him [[Thorin and Company|twelve dwarves]], mostly from his own line, and was joined by [[Gandalf]] and [[Bilbo Baggins]]. The [[Quest of Erebor]] ended with the death of [[Smaug]]. After a quarrel with the Men and Elves over the unguarded hoard, the Dwarves - assisted by those from the [[Iron Hills]] - united with the Men and Elves to fight the attacking Goblins and Wargs, in what was called the [[Battle of Five Armies]], where Thorin was killed.

[[Gimli]] son of Glóin joined the [[Fellowship of the Ring]] as a representative of the Dwarves and befriended [[Legolas]] during the [[War of the Ring]].

===Fourth Age===
Not much is known about the Dwarves in the [[Fourth Age]]. After the [[War of the Ring]], [[Gimli]] brought a part of Durin's Folk from Erebor to the Glittering Caves behind Helm's Deep and founded a colony there. Subsequently, Gimli went on many travels with his friend Legolas, and History lost track of their fate. Through their friendship and influence, the feud between the two races that had lasted for millennia finally ended, shortly before the departure of the last Elves from Middle-earth. It is rumored that Gimli and Legolas eventually boarded a ship that sailed down the river Anduin, out to sea and across to Valinor in the year {{FoA|120}}. Gimli would thus have become the only Dwarf to ever be permitted to cross to the Undying Lands.

[[Durin VII]] (the Last), retook Moria and brought Khazad-dûm back to its original splendor, and the Longbeards lived there till the "world grew old and the days of Durin's race ended".

==Nature==
They were 4.5 - 5 feet (1.35 - 1.52 m) tall and their more distinctive characteristic was their beard which they have from the beginning of their lives, male and females alike; and which they shave only in shame.<ref name=wj13>{{WJ|13}}</ref>

As creations of Aulë, they were attracted to the substances of Arda and crafts. They mined and worked precious metals throughout the mountains of Middle-earth, but had a tendency toward gold lust, and committed their share of rash and greedy acts. Among these was the dispute over the [[Nauglamír]], which led to the slaying of Elu [[Thingol]] and stirred up the initial suspicion between Elves and Dwarves to open hatred.<ref name=rings/>

Dwarves generally lived far from the sea and avoided getting on boats, as they disliked the sound of the ocean and were afraid of it.<ref name=S10>{{S|10}}</ref>
===Hardiness===
The Dwarves were created by Aulë to be strong, resistant to fire and the evils of Morgoth. They were hardier than any other race, secretive, stubborn, and steadfast in enmity or loyalty.

Despite their short stature, they were known for their strength and endurance in battle, as well as their fury, particularly when avenging their fallen kin, and for being some of the greatest warriors in all of Middle-earth. They fought valiantly in many wars and battles over the Ages holding axes.<ref name=wj13/>

Sickness was almost unknown to the Dwarves, as they were immune to human diseases.<ref name=PMAiv/>

They were generally less corruptible than Men. When Sauron attempted to enslave the Free Folk of Middle-earth using the [[Rings of Power]], the Elves completely resisted his power (indeed, his hand had never sullied the [[Three Rings]]), while the [[Nine Rings]] utterly corrupted the Men who bore them into the [[Ringwraiths]]. In contrast, the Dwarves were sturdy and resistant enough that Sauron was not able to dominate them using the [[Seven Rings]]. At most, the Seven Rings sowed strife among the Dwarves and filled their wearers with an insatiable greed for gold, but they did not turn them into wraiths subservient to the Dark Lord, and he considered his plan to have failed. Sauron was furious at the Dwarves' resistance, spurring his drive to recapture the Seven Rings from them.

Another example was [[Gimli]], who, while [[Saruman]] used the power in his voice and the [[Rohirrim]] were spell-bound by his magic, Gimli was unmoved and commented that Saruman's words cannot be trusted, causing Saruman to be angered enough to lose his charm.<ref>{{TT|Voice}}</ref>

===Lifespan===
The lifespan of Dwarves was varied depending on their ancestry. The Longbeards were particularly long-lived, but by the Third Age their lifespan was diminished and they lived, on average, 250 years. Until they were around 30 years of age, Dwarves were considered too young for heavy labor or war (hence the slaying of Azog by [[Dain Ironfoot]] at age 32 was a great feat). By the age of 40, Dwarves were hardened into the appearance that they would keep for most of their lives. Between the approximate ages of 40 and 240, most Dwarves were equally hale and able to work and fight with vigor. They took on the appearance of age only about ten years before their death, wrinkling and greying rapidly, but never going bald. Occasionally they would live up to 300 years of age, and [[Dwalin]] reached the rare lifespan of 340 years (comparable to a Middle Man living to 100).<ref name=PMAiv>{{PM|Aiv}}</ref>

Although Dwarves did not suffer from diseases, corpulence could affect them. In prosperous circumstances, many grew fat by the age of 200 and became physically inept.<ref name=PMAiv>{{PM|Aiv}}</ref>

==Culture and family==
The Dwarves' numbers, although they sometimes flourished, often faced periods of decline, especially in periods of war. The slow increase of their population was due to the rarity of [[Dwarf-women]], who made up only about a third of the total population. Dwarves seldom wedded before the age of ninety or more, and rarely had so many as four children. They took only one husband or wife in their lifetime, and were jealous, as in all matters of their rights. The number of Dwarf-men that married was actually less than a third, for not all the Dwarf-women took husbands; some desired none, some wanted one they could not have and would have no other. Many Dwarf-men did not desire marriage because they were absorbed in their work.<ref name=AppA3>{{App|A3}}</ref><ref name=PMAiv/>

Dwarf-women seldom walked abroad, and that only in great need. When they did travel, they were so alike Dwarf-men in voice, appearance, and garb that it was hard for other races to tell them apart. They were likewise seldom named in genealogies, joining their husbands' families. The only Dwarf-woman named in Tolkien's legendarium is [[Dís]], sister of Thorin Oakenshield, who was given a place in the records because of the gallant deaths of her sons, Fíli and Kíli. The scarcity of women, their rare mention, and their identical looks with the males, coupled with the Dwarves' secretive culture, led many to mistakenly believe that Dwarves were born out of stone, and upon death they returned to that stone.<ref name=AppA3/><ref name=PMAiv/>

Dwarves are fiercely devoted to their parents and children. In their desire for their children to grow up hardy and enduring, they may treat them harshly, but they will protect them at all costs. Dwarves resent injuries to their children and to their parents more than injuries to themselves.<ref name=PMAiv/>

==Religion==
The Dwarves loved and revered the Vala Aulë.<ref name=S10/><ref name=S2>{{S|2}}</ref>

Of old the Elves believed that the Dwarves would have no future in [[Arda Unmarred]], but the Dwarves themselves held to a promise that Ilúvatar would hallow them and adopt them as his Children. They maintained that after death Aulë (Mahal) cared for them, gathering them to the [[Halls of Mandos]] with the other Children of Ilúvatar, though in halls set apart. It is said that after the Last Battle they will work alongside Aulë in the remaking of Arda.<ref name=S2/>

==Language==
The Dwarven language was created by Aulë, and was called [[Khuzdul]]. It was a strange language to Elves and Men, and few non-Dwarves learned it, because it was difficult, and the Dwarves kept it secret, preferring to communicate in the languages of their neighbors. Only one Khuzdul phrase was well known to outsiders: the ancient battle cry, going back to at least the First Age: "''Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu!''", which means "Axes of the Dwarves! The Dwarves are upon you!". The Dwarves taught Khuzdul carefully to their children, as a learned language, not a cradle-tongue, and thus the language changed very little over the ages, unlike those of other races.
The Dwarves also devised a secret language of gestures to communicate between themselves in silence, the ''[[iglishmêk]]''.<ref>{{WJ|Quendi}}, p. 395</ref>

==Names==
The Dwarves called themselves the ''[[Khazâd]]'', the name Aulë gave them; this is adapted as '''''[[Hadhod]]'''rim'' in [[Sindarin]], and '''''[[Casar]]'''i'' in [[Quenya]]. Casari was the common word for Dwarves among the [[Noldor]], but the [[Sindar]] usually called them ''Naugrim'' or ''Nogothrim'', the Stunted People.<ref>{{App|F2}}</ref>

An epithet for the Dwarves in [[Quenya]] was ''Auleonnar'', meaning "offspring of Aule".<ref>{{HM|PM}}, p. 391</ref>

In their dealings with people of other races, the Dwarves did not reveal their true names, rather adopting new names in other languages (the [[petty-dwarves]] were an exception). During the Third Age, the Longbeards used [[northern Mannish]] names in public.

==Inspiration==
Almost all the names of the Dwarves of Middle-earth are taken from the Old Norse [[Völuspá]].

According to Tolkien, the "real 'historical'" plural of ''dwarf'' is ''dwarrows'' or ''dwerrows''. He once referred to ''dwarves'' as "a piece of private bad grammar" (''[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien|Letters]]'', 17), but in Appendix F to ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' he explains that if we still spoke of ''dwarves'' regularly, English might have retained a special plural for the word ''dwarf'' as with ''man''. The form ''dwarrow'' only appears in the word ''Dwarrowdelf'', a name for [[Moria]]. Tolkien used ''Dwarves'', instead, which corresponds with ''Elf'' and ''Elves'', making its meaning more apparent. The use of a different term also serves to set Tolkien's Dwarves apart from the similarly-named creatures in mythology and fairy-tales.

The enduring popularity of Tolkien's books, especially ''[[The Hobbit]]'' and ''[[The Lord of the Rings]],'' has led to the popular use of the term ''dwarves'' to describe this race in fantasy literature. Before Tolkien, the term ''dwarfs'' (with a different spelling) was used, as seen in ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs''. In fact, the latter spelling was so common that the original editor of ''The Lord of the Rings'' "corrected" Tolkien's ''dwarves'' to ''dwarfs'' (''[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]]'', 138).

==Other versions of the Legendarium==
In the earliest versions of Tolkien's Middle-earth mythology (see: ''[[The History of Middle-earth]]'') the dwarves were evil beings created by [[Morgoth|Melkor]].

In an earlier version of the legendarium it is hinted that the Dwarves do not know about Ilúvatar, or that they disbelieve his existence, but later writings contradict that suggestion.<ref name="#">{{LT2|IV}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[:Category:Images of Dwarves|Images of Dwarves]]

==External links==

*"[http://lingwe.blogspot.se/2013/02/did-tolkien-coin-plural-dwarves.html Did Tolkien coin the plural “dwarves”?]" by [[Jason Fisher]]

{{references}}
{{Dwarvenclans}}
[[Category:Dwarves| ]]
[[Category:Races]]
[[de:Zwerge]]
[[fr:encyclo/peuples/nains/nains]]
[[fi:Kääpiöt]]

Ithilien

2018-04-27T22:47:50Z

142.44.139.84:

{{cleanup}}
{{kingdom
| image=[[File:Mark Fisher - Ithilien.png|250px]]
| name=Ithilien
| pronun=
| othernames=
| location=Between [[Anduin]] and [[Ephel Dúath]]
| capital=[[Minas Morgul|Minas Ithil]] (before {{TA|2002}}) [[Emyn Arnen]] ([[Fourth Age]])
| towns=[[Henneth Annûn]] (outpost)
| regions=[[North Ithilien|North]] and [[South Ithilien|South]]
| population=[[Gondorians]], [[Rangers of Ithilien]], [[Elves of Mirkwood|Elves from Mirkwood]]
| language=[[Westron]], [[Gondor Sindarin]]
| govern1=[[King of Gondor]]/[[King of the Reunited Kingdom]]
| govern2=[[Stewards of Gondor]]
| govern3=[[Prince of Ithilien]]/[[Lord of Emyn Arnen]]
| currency=
| holiday=
| precededby=
| event1=Founded
| event1date={{SA|3320}}
| event2=Deserted
| event2date={{TA|2901}}
| event3=Reclaimed
| event3date={{TA|3019}}
| event4=
| event4date=
| event5=
| event5date=
| followedby=
}}

'''Ithilien''' ([[Sindarin|S]], pron. {{IPA|[iˈθiljen]}}) was a region and fiefdom of [[Gondor]].

==History==
Historians in [[Gondor]] believed that, in the [[First Age]], the [[Drúedain|Woses]] reached the region and were the first to cross the [[Anduin]] (probably near [[Cair Andros]]).<ref>{{UT|Druedain}}</ref>

Old records preserved in [[Gondor]] indicate that the name ''[[Arnen]]'' was once used for the larger part of the region during the [[Second Age]].<ref>{{VT|42a}}, p. 17</ref>
[[File:Matěj Čadil - Minas Ithil.jpg|thumb|left|Matěj Čadil - ''Minas Ithil'']]
When [[Elendil]] and his sons founded the [[Realms in Exile]], Ithilien took its name after his son, [[Isildur]]. Of old its chief city was ''Minas Ithil'', the Tower of the Moon. It was briefly captured by [[Sauron]] in {{SA|3429}} but was restored. Ithilien was a fair and prosperous land during the [[Second Age]] and the first part of the [[Third Age]], when Gondor was strong and Mordor deserted.

In {{TA|541}} [[Easterlings]] invaded northern Ithilien and King [[Rómendacil I]] was killed .<ref name="TA"/>
[[File:Alan Lee - Cirith Ungol.jpg|left|thumb|"Cirith Ungol" by [[Alan Lee]]]]
[[Amon Dîn]] was used as a fortified outpost of Minas Tirith keeping watch over the passage into North Ithilien from [[Dagorlad]] and any attempt by enemies to cross the [[Anduin]] near [[Cair Andros]].<ref name="Cirion">{{UT|Cirion}}</ref><ref>{{HM|RC}}, p. 510</ref> The [[Tower of Cirith Ungol]] was also defending Ithilien from attacks from Sauron's remaining servants and stopped them from returning to Mordor, guarding the high pass over the [[Ephel Dúath]]. Gondor occupied the fortress until {{TA|1636}} when the [[Great Plague]] killed large parts of the population. During the plague most of the people of [[Osgiliath]] fled the city for the western dales or the woods of Ithilien.

After the disastrous [[Battle of the Plains]] in {{TA|1856}}, Ithilien was the only land east of the river Anduin to be occupied as the others were abandoned.

In {{TA|1899}}, Marhwini warned [[Calimehtar (King of Gondor)|King Calimehtar]] that the [[Wainriders]] were plotting to raid [[Calenardhon]] over the [[Undeeps]]. Calimehtar therefore provoked the Wainriders out of Ithilien, and his horsemen, joined by a large [[éored]] led by [[Marhwini]], drove the Wainriders back.<ref name="Cirion"/>

In {{TA|1944}}, [[Wainriders]] from [[Rhûn]] made an alliance with the [[Haradrim]], and a dual attack on Ithilien was launched. While the Wainriders assaulted Ithilien from the north, the armies of the Haradrim crossed the [[Poros]] and invaded [[South Ithilien]]. The Gondorian [[Captain of the Southern Army|Captain]] [[Earnil II|Eärnil]] leading Gondor's inferior [[Southern Army]], defeated the Haradrim, and then turned north, [[Battle of the Camp|took]] the Wainriders into surprise and pushed many of them into the swamplands of the [[Dead Marshes]].

When Minas Ithil was captured by Mordor in {{TA|2002}} it was renamed [[Minas Morgul]], the Tower of Black Sorcery. During the [[Watchful Peace]] the lords of Morgul had secretly bred the [[Uruk-hai]], and in {{TA|2475}} these creatures assailed and overran Ithilien, captured [[Osgiliath]] and destroyed the great stone-bridge.
===Deserting===
[[Boromir (Steward of Gondor)|Boromir]] defeated the host of Morgul and regained Ithilien. However, from that time on no people dwelt in that region, and for Gondor there was never full peace again until after the defeat of Sauron.<ref>{{App|Stewards}}</ref>

In {{TA|2885}}, Ithilien was invaded in great strength, King [[Folcwine]] of [[Rohan]] fulfilled the [[Oath of Eorl]] and sent many men to Gondor. With their aid Steward [[Túrin II]] won a victory at the crossings of [[Poros]], though the princes [[Fastred (son of Folcwine)|Fastred]] and [[Folcred]] were slain.<ref name=TA>{{App|TA}}</ref>
[[File:Ted Nasmith - Henneth Annûn.jpg|thumb|[[Ted Nasmith]] - ''Henneth Annun'']]
The majority of the people of Ithilien fled across the [[Anduin]] to escape war ({{TA|2901}})<ref name=TA/>, but the [[Stewards of Gondor]] still kept scouts there, operating out of secret locations such as [[Henneth Annûn]]. Those who stayed fled to regions such as [[Lossarnach]] when [[Mount Doom]] erupted in {{TA|2954}}. [[Steward]] [[Ecthelion II]] constructed the [[Rammas Echor]] as part of the now necessary defenses of [[Gondor]].<ref>{{HM|RC}}, p. 546</ref>
[[File:Angus McBride - Ambush.jpg|thumb|left|[[Angus McBride]] - ''Ambush'']]
The descendants of the people who had dwelt in Ithilien, formed the corps of the [[Rangers of Ithilien]].

===War of the Ring and later===

During the [[War of the Ring]], in early March {{TA|3019}}, [[Faramir]] the son of the Steward [[Denethor]], was leading the [[Rangers of Ithilien]] to ambush Haradrim who would pass through Ithilien. That same time, [[Gollum]] led [[Frodo Baggins]] and [[Samwise Gamgee]] through Ithilien on their way to [[Cirith Ungol]] and into Mordor, and Faramir allowed them to continue when he was satisfied they were not agents of [[Sauron]].
[[File:Alan Lee - Oliphaunt.jpg|thumb|"Oliphaunt" by [[Alan Lee]]]]
When the [[Host of the West]] marched on the [[Morannon]], [[Mablung (ranger of Ithilien)|Mablung]] and his troops discovered an ambush by Orcs and Easterlings that lay hid in Ithilien. The ambush was quickly turned.<ref>{{RK|V10}}</ref>

During the [[Fourth Age]], Ithilien was ruled by the [[Prince of Ithilien|Princes of Ithilien]], a line that started with Faramir and [[Éowyn]], who became known as the White Lady of Ithilien. Minas Morgul was not repopulated, and Faramir had his throne in [[Emyn Arnen]]. After the fall of Sauron, [[Legolas]] brought elves from [[Mirkwood|Greenwood]], and they dwelt in Ithilien, and once again it became the fairest country in all the westlands.<ref>{{App|Durin}}</ref>

==Geography==
[[Image:Ted_Nasmith_-_First_Sight_of_Ithilien.jpg|left|thumb|[[Ted Nasmith]] - ''First Sight of Ithilien'']]
Ithilien was the only part of Gondor on the eastern side of the [[Anduin]], wedged in between the river and the [[Ephel Dúath]]. The northern border must have been around the [[Dead Marshes]] and its southern border was the river [[Poros]]. The region was further divided into [[North Ithilien|North]] and [[South Ithilien]] (the division was made at or near the [[Cross-roads]]).

[[Iris]]es, [[Anemones]], [[Eglantine]], [[lilies]], [[water-lilies]] and [[Asphodel]] grew in Ithilien<ref>{{TT|Herbs}}</ref>. [[Lebethron]]<ref>{{TT|Journey}}</ref> and [[Culumalda]] grew especially in the woods around the [[Field of Cormallen]].<ref name=RC>{{HM|RC}}, pp. 625-6 (citing from the [[Unfinished index]])</ref><ref name=SApp>{{S|Appendix}} (entry for ''mal-'')</ref>

==Etymology==
{{Pronounce|Ithilien.mp3|Ardamir}}
''Ithilien'' is a [[Sindarin]] name meaning "land of the moon".<ref>{{HM|UI}}, p. 233</ref> It has been suggested that the name consists of the elements ''[[Moon#Other names|Ithil]]'' ("moon") + the affix ''[[-nd|end]]''.<ref>[http://www.tolkiendil.com/langues/english/i-lam_arth/compound_sindarin_names Compound Sindarin Names in Middle-earth] at [http://www.tolkiendil.com Tolkiendil.com] (accessed 20 July 2011)</ref>

{{references}}
{{FellowshipRoute}}
[[Category:Regions]]
[[Category:Gondor]]
[[Category:Sindarin locations]]

[[fr:encyclo/geographie/regions/gondor/ithilien]]

Battle of Five Armies

2018-04-27T22:33:35Z

142.44.139.84:

{{Countdown}}
{{disambig-more|Battle of Five Armies|[[Battle of Five Armies (disambiguation)]]}}
{{battle
|image=[[File:Matt Stewart - The Battle Under the Mountain.jpg|300px]]|
name=Battle of Five Armies
|conflict=Battle of Five Armies
|date=[[23 November]] {{TA|2941}} (speculative)<ref name="KWF99">[[Karen Wynn Fonstad]], ''[[The Atlas of Middle-earth]]'' (second edition), page 99</ref>
|place=the slopes of Erebor, and the Valley and ruins of Dale
|result=Victory for the Elves, Men, and Dwarves
|side1=[[Woodland Realm]], [[Lake-town]], [[Iron Hills]], and [[Eagles]]
|side2=[[Misty Mountains]], [[Grey Mountains]] (Book only), [[Dol Guldur]] (Movie only), [[Gundabad]]
|commanders1=
*[[Gandalf]]
*[[Thranduil]]
*[[Bard|Bard the Bowman]]
*[[Dáin Ironfoot|Dáin]]
*[[Thorin|Thorin]] †
*[[Gwaihir]]
|commanders2=
*[[Azog]] (Movie only) †
* [[Bolg]] †
|forces1=
'''Book:'''
* 1,000 Elf spearmen + several hundred more archers
* 200-300 [[Lake-men]]
* 500+ [[Dwarves of the Iron Hills]]
* many [[Eagles]]
<hr />
'''Movie (Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies):'''
* 10,000 [[Silvan elves]] of the [[Woodland Realm]]
* 7,000 [[Dwarves of the Iron Hills]] + 500 calvalrymen
* 5,000 [[Lake-men]]
* many [[Eagles]]
|forces2=
'''Book:'''
"A vast host" of Goblins and Wargs; possibly 10,000-25,000
<hr />
'''Movie (Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies):'''
* 30,000 [[Orcs]] of [[Dol Guldur]]
* 10,000 [[Orcs]] of [[Gundabad]]
* 40 [[Orc]] [[berserker]]s
* 100 [[Wargs]]
* 900 [[Bats]]
* 450 [[Orcs of the Misty Mountains]]
* 30 [[Trolls]] and [[Olog-hai]]s
* 55-60 [[Ogres]]
|casual1=Many
|casual2=Very heavy
}}

The '''Battle of Five Armies''' was an important battle waged in {{TA|2941}}.<ref>{{App|TA}}</ref> The five warring parties were the [[Orcs#Goblins|Goblins]] and the [[Wargs]] against [[Men]], [[Elves]] and [[Dwarves]] on and near the [[Lonely Mountain]].

==History==
=== Prelude ===

Thorin and Company, including the "master-thief" [[Bilbo Baggins]] trying to
recapture the heirloom of their fathers' (and possibly to kill Smaug, too, and thus to recapture the whole Kingdom) had camped without at [[Lonely Mountain|Erebor]] for some weeks. Bilbo had already done some exploration of the old hallways using the [[Back Door]] and had stolen a golden cup from the treasure. By this deed and by Bilbo's bold speech Smaug's anger was kindled.

Erroneously believing, due to some remarks Bilbo had made during his conversation with Smaug,<ref name="Inside">{{H|Inside}}</ref> that some scheme of the Men of [[Lake-town|Esgaroth]] was the reason for the Dwarves' (and Bilbo's) presence, Smaug flew to Esgaroth to show them who is "the true [[King under the Mountain]]".<ref name="Inside">{{H|Inside}}</ref> Smaug's fires burned down the whole town, but the dragon was killed by [[Bard|Bard the Bowman]]. The [[Elves of Mirkwood]] soon learned that Smaug had been killed and thus set forth to claim the treasure, believing there was no one left who had a claim on it. Having heard of the disaster that had struck the befriended men, the Elven host turned aside to offer any help that could be provided. Some day after the Elves had arrived at the [[Long Lake]] a united host of Men and Elves set forth towards Erebor, believing that the Dwarves had been among the first casualties of Smaug's wrath. To their surprise they found Thorin and Company quite alive, the gate to the halls beneath Erebor barred by a wall and themselves treated as foes, coming armed towards the gates.<ref name="Fire">{{H|Fire}}</ref>

For several reasons Bard, being heir of [[Girion]], Lord of [[Dale]], claimed one twelfth of the treasure: first, he was the dragonslayer and without him, the Dwarves could never have reclaimed their old home. Second, a great deal of Dale's treasure had been robbed by Smaug and thus belonged rightfully to Bard and not the Dwarves. Third, the men of Esgaroth had helped the Dwarves on their journey and now had suffered severely; their whole city burned to the ground and their stocks being destroyed by Smaug, whose anger in the end was only risen by the Dwarves alone. Therefore they demanded compensation and Bard intended to pay it from the part of the treasure he claimed.<ref name="Gathering">{{H|Gathering}}</ref>

Yet Thorin rebuked these claims. He would not fulfill any of the conditions as long as an armoured Elven host camped near Erebor. For the Elves did not have any claims on the treasure and Thorin himself had been imprisoned by the Elves.<ref name="Gathering">{{H|Gathering}}</ref>

As a result, [[Thorin and Company]] were trapped in a bloodless siege, with [[Thranduil]] and Bard hoping to wait him out.<ref name="Gathering">{{H|Gathering}}</ref> However, Thorin had sent messages of his plight to his relatives using as messengers talking [[Ravens]] that lived on the Lonely Mountain. These reached [[Dáin Ironfoot]] of the nearby Iron Hills, and he marched to Erebor with 500 heavily armed [[Dwarves of the Iron Hills]], most of them skilled veterans of the [[War of the Dwarves and Orcs]]<ref name="Thief">{{H|Thief}}</ref>. When Dain's forces arrived, battle was almost joined between the two sides (now ''three'' armies were on the field) but at the last moment [[Gandalf]] intervened between the two and revealed that while they were bickering amongst themselves, the Goblins of the [[Misty Mountains]] and [[Grey Mountains]] under [[Bolg]] were using the opportunity to march against them. They had been incited by Gandalf's earlier slaying of the [[Great Goblin]], but had now mobilized for a full-scale attack after hearing news of the death of the Dragon and the now relatively unguarded treasure hoard.<ref name=Burst>{{H|Burst}}</ref>

=== The Battle ===

The three commanders agreed that the Goblins and Wargs were the enemies of all and previous grievances between them were put on hold in face of the greater threat. They arranged their forces on the two spurs of the Mountain that lined the valley leading to the now-sealed off great [[Front Gate|Gate of Erebor]]; the only entrance to the Mountain that remained unblocked (any others had been destroyed by Smaug long before). The 500 Dwarves and 200 or so Lake-men formed up on one spur and over 1000 Elves on the other, while a light rear-guard lined across the mouth of the valley to lure the Goblins between the two spurs of the mountain, and thus destroy them. [[Bilbo Baggins]] tried to sit out the battle on [[Ravenhill]] which was held by the Elves and where also Gandalf had withdrawn to.<ref name=Burst>{{H|Burst}}</ref>

[[File:Joona Kujanen - Battle of Five Armies - Men of Esgaroth.jpg|300px|thumb|left|'''Battle of Five Armies: Men of Esgaroth''' by Joona Kujanen.]]Soon the Goblins and Wargs arrived, and at first the plan worked: they were lured into the chokepoint and took heavy losses. However, due to their superior numbers, the allied Free peoples did not hold the advantage long. The second wave was even worse than the first, and due to their sheer number now many Goblins scaled the mountain from the opposite side, and began to attack the arrayed forces from above and behind, as the main wave pressed forward. The battle raged across the Mountain, and then a great noise was heard: Thorin and his 12 Dwarf companions inside the mountain had thrown down a section of the stone wall they had erected across the mouth of the gates, killing many Goblins. Thorin and Company emerged, covered in the best armour and armed with the best weapons in Erebor. Then Thorin cried, "''Rally to me my kinsfolk''," and charged down into the valley to join the battle with many Dwarves and many Men and Elves joining them. Thorin advanced through the Goblins' ranks all the way up to the gigantic Goblins that formed the Bodyguard of Bolg, but could not get past them. Also his battle-line was too short, the flanks unprotected and thus his attack soon crumbled, Thorin and many others were cut off and hard beset by Bolg's bodyguard. The battle degenerated into a chaotic close quarters melee, no quarter asked or given.<ref name=Burst>{{H|Burst}}</ref>

As the battle was turning fully against the Free Folk, a large army of Giant [[Eagles]] of the Misty Mountains arrived, led by the [[Great Eagle]]. Bilbo was the first to spot their entrance on the scene and began shouting that "the Eagles are coming!", a shout that was then continued among the other troops of the Free Folk. At this point Bilbo was knocked in the head by a large stone thrown by a Goblin from above on the Mountain, and he was knocked out.<ref name="Burst">{{H|Burst}}</ref> With the support of the Giant Eagles, the Goblins that had scaled Erebor were driven off. The tide was eventually turned, when [[Beorn]] himself arrived at the battle, apparently having heard news that a large army of Goblins were on the move. This time he did not appear in his former shape of a giant Man, but in that of a gigantic Bear. Beorn drove through the Goblin lines, but paused to carry the wounded Thorin out of the battle with his paw. Beorn then returned to the battle with even greater wrath and smashed the ranks of the Bodyguard of [[Bolg]], ultimately killing Bolg. The Goblins panicked and scattered, to be picked off by hunting forces from the victors later.<ref name="Return">{{H|Return}}</ref>

=== Aftermath ===

[[Thorin]] had been mortally wounded on the field, and his nephews [[Fíli]] and [[Kíli]] died defending him as he lay on the ground with shield and body. Thorin died soon after the battle, after he had met Bilbo one last time and had taken back the harsh words he had spoken before.

After defeating the Goblins and Wargs, the victors divided the treasure. Bard took [[Bilbo Baggins|Bilbo]]'s fourteenth share of the gold and silver in return for the [[Arkenstone]], whereupon he shared his reward with the [[Master of Lake-town]] and gave the Elvenking [[Thranduil]] the emeralds of [[Girion]]. Bilbo, despite having forfeited his share, was offered a rich reward by [[Dáin Ironfoot]] but refused to take more than two small chests of gold and silver.

It is said that three quarters of the Goblin warriors of the North were killed on that day. The Goblins of the Misty Mountains and the Dwarves both were significantly spent after the battle, and until the [[War of the Ring]], the North remained quiet on both sides.<ref name="Return"/>

==Other of the Legendarium==versions
In its first versions, the conflict around Erebor ended after the Siege. While Bard and the Elvenking laid siege, Gandalf would arrive and negotiate a peace treaty. The actual Battle, dubbed by [[John D. Rateliff]] the "Battle of Anduin Vale", would be on the return journey, in what would later be known as the [[Vales of Anduin]]. There, Goblins and Wargs would waylay Bilbo. The Five armies in this incarnation were the Goblins, the Wargs, the Woodelves, the Woodmen, and [[Beorn|Beorn Medwed]] leading a troop of bears.<ref name=TBo5A">[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], [[John D. Rateliff]] (ed.), ''[[The History of The Hobbit|The History of The Hobbit: Return to Bag-End]]'', pages 713-4</ref>

==Portrayal in adaptations==
'''1966: [[The Hobbit (1966 film)|''The Hobbit'' (1966 film)]]:'''
:The battle is completely omitted. Bilbo kills the dragon, and returns home.<ref name="Deitch">{{webcite|articleurl=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=UBnVL1Y2src|articlename=The Hobbit.mp4|dated=5 January 2012|website=YouTube|accessed=10 January 2012}}</ref>

'''1977: [[The Hobbit (1977 film)|''The Hobbit'' (1977 film)]]:'''
:The "Five Armies" are the Elves, the Men, the Dwarves, the Goblins (and [[Wargs]]) and the Eagles. Bilbo estimates the force of the Men and Elves on 10,000, but this may not be an accurate estimate. The number of Dwarves of [[Thorin and Company]] to have died is seven, but only Thorin and [[Bombur]] are named among the dead. Only [[Glóin]] is shown as having survived the battle.

'''2003: [[The Hobbit (2003 video game)|''The Hobbit'' (2003 video game)]]:'''
:The battle takes up most of the last chapter. Because Bilbo is the main character, his role in the battle is much expanded. After leaving Thranduil, he has to fight his way to Balin, [[Lianna]], [[Corwin]], Gandalf, Beorn, and ultimately Bolg.

'''2014: [[The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies|''The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies'']]:'''
:The battle comprises the majority of the film. The five armies are described as Elves, Men, Dwarves, and two armies of Orcs - one from Dol Guldur and the other from [[Gundabad]].<ref>[[The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (extended edition)]] Appendices</ref>

{{references}}

[[Category:Conflicts of the Third Age]]
[[Category:Sieges]]
[[de:Schlacht der Fünf Heere]]
[[fr:encyclo:evenements:3a:guerres:bataille_des_cinq_armees]]
[[fi:Viiden Armeijan Taistelu]]

Battle of Five Armies

2018-04-27T22:32:45Z

142.44.139.84:

{{Countdown}}
{{disambig-more|Battle of Five Armies|[[Battle of Five Armies (disambiguation)]]}}
{{battle
|image=[[File:Matt Stewart - The Battle Under the Mountain.jpg|300px]]|
name=Battle of Five Armies
|conflict=Battle of Five Armies
|date=[[23 November]] {{TA|2941}} (speculative)<ref name="KWF99">[[Karen Wynn Fonstad]], ''[[The Atlas of Middle-earth]]'' (second edition), page 99</ref>
|place=the slopes of Erebor, and the Valley and ruins of Dale
|result=Victory for the Elves, Men, and Dwarves
|side1=[[Woodland Realm]], [[Lake-town]], [[Iron Hills]], and [[Eagles]]
|side2=[[Misty Mountains]], [[Grey Mountains]] (Book only), [[Dol Guldur]] (Movie only), [[Gundabad]] (Movie only)
|commanders1=
*[[Gandalf]]
*[[Thranduil]]
*[[Bard|Bard the Bowman]]
*[[Dáin Ironfoot|Dáin]]
*[[Thorin|Thorin]] †
*[[Gwaihir]]
|commanders2=
*[[Azog]] (Movie only) †
* [[Bolg]] †
|forces1=
'''Book:'''
* 1,000 Elf spearmen + several hundred more archers
* 200-300 [[Lake-men]]
* 500+ [[Dwarves of the Iron Hills]]
* many [[Eagles]]
<hr />
'''Movie (Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies):'''
* 10,000 [[Silvan elves]] of the [[Woodland Realm]]
* 7,000 [[Dwarves of the Iron Hills]] + 500 calvalrymen
* 5,000 [[Lake-men]]
* many [[Eagles]]
|forces2=
'''Book:'''
"A vast host" of Goblins and Wargs; possibly 10,000-25,000
<hr />
'''Movie (Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies):'''
* 30,000 [[Orcs]] of [[Dol Guldur]]
* 10,000 [[Orcs]] of [[Gundabad]]
* 40 [[Orc]] [[berserker]]s
* 100 [[Wargs]]
* 900 [[Bats]]
* 450 [[Orcs of the Misty Mountains]]
* 30 [[Trolls]] and [[Olog-hai]]s
* 55-60 [[Ogres]]
|casual1=Many
|casual2=Very heavy
}}

The '''Battle of Five Armies''' was an important battle waged in {{TA|2941}}.<ref>{{App|TA}}</ref> The five warring parties were the [[Orcs#Goblins|Goblins]] and the [[Wargs]] against [[Men]], [[Elves]] and [[Dwarves]] on and near the [[Lonely Mountain]].

==History==
=== Prelude ===

Thorin and Company, including the "master-thief" [[Bilbo Baggins]] trying to
recapture the heirloom of their fathers' (and possibly to kill Smaug, too, and thus to recapture the whole Kingdom) had camped without at [[Lonely Mountain|Erebor]] for some weeks. Bilbo had already done some exploration of the old hallways using the [[Back Door]] and had stolen a golden cup from the treasure. By this deed and by Bilbo's bold speech Smaug's anger was kindled.

Erroneously believing, due to some remarks Bilbo had made during his conversation with Smaug,<ref name="Inside">{{H|Inside}}</ref> that some scheme of the Men of [[Lake-town|Esgaroth]] was the reason for the Dwarves' (and Bilbo's) presence, Smaug flew to Esgaroth to show them who is "the true [[King under the Mountain]]".<ref name="Inside">{{H|Inside}}</ref> Smaug's fires burned down the whole town, but the dragon was killed by [[Bard|Bard the Bowman]]. The [[Elves of Mirkwood]] soon learned that Smaug had been killed and thus set forth to claim the treasure, believing there was no one left who had a claim on it. Having heard of the disaster that had struck the befriended men, the Elven host turned aside to offer any help that could be provided. Some day after the Elves had arrived at the [[Long Lake]] a united host of Men and Elves set forth towards Erebor, believing that the Dwarves had been among the first casualties of Smaug's wrath. To their surprise they found Thorin and Company quite alive, the gate to the halls beneath Erebor barred by a wall and themselves treated as foes, coming armed towards the gates.<ref name="Fire">{{H|Fire}}</ref>

For several reasons Bard, being heir of [[Girion]], Lord of [[Dale]], claimed one twelfth of the treasure: first, he was the dragonslayer and without him, the Dwarves could never have reclaimed their old home. Second, a great deal of Dale's treasure had been robbed by Smaug and thus belonged rightfully to Bard and not the Dwarves. Third, the men of Esgaroth had helped the Dwarves on their journey and now had suffered severely; their whole city burned to the ground and their stocks being destroyed by Smaug, whose anger in the end was only risen by the Dwarves alone. Therefore they demanded compensation and Bard intended to pay it from the part of the treasure he claimed.<ref name="Gathering">{{H|Gathering}}</ref>

Yet Thorin rebuked these claims. He would not fulfill any of the conditions as long as an armoured Elven host camped near Erebor. For the Elves did not have any claims on the treasure and Thorin himself had been imprisoned by the Elves.<ref name="Gathering">{{H|Gathering}}</ref>

As a result, [[Thorin and Company]] were trapped in a bloodless siege, with [[Thranduil]] and Bard hoping to wait him out.<ref name="Gathering">{{H|Gathering}}</ref> However, Thorin had sent messages of his plight to his relatives using as messengers talking [[Ravens]] that lived on the Lonely Mountain. These reached [[Dáin Ironfoot]] of the nearby Iron Hills, and he marched to Erebor with 500 heavily armed [[Dwarves of the Iron Hills]], most of them skilled veterans of the [[War of the Dwarves and Orcs]]<ref name="Thief">{{H|Thief}}</ref>. When Dain's forces arrived, battle was almost joined between the two sides (now ''three'' armies were on the field) but at the last moment [[Gandalf]] intervened between the two and revealed that while they were bickering amongst themselves, the Goblins of the [[Misty Mountains]] and [[Grey Mountains]] under [[Bolg]] were using the opportunity to march against them. They had been incited by Gandalf's earlier slaying of the [[Great Goblin]], but had now mobilized for a full-scale attack after hearing news of the death of the Dragon and the now relatively unguarded treasure hoard.<ref name=Burst>{{H|Burst}}</ref>

=== The Battle ===

The three commanders agreed that the Goblins and Wargs were the enemies of all and previous grievances between them were put on hold in face of the greater threat. They arranged their forces on the two spurs of the Mountain that lined the valley leading to the now-sealed off great [[Front Gate|Gate of Erebor]]; the only entrance to the Mountain that remained unblocked (any others had been destroyed by Smaug long before). The 500 Dwarves and 200 or so Lake-men formed up on one spur and over 1000 Elves on the other, while a light rear-guard lined across the mouth of the valley to lure the Goblins between the two spurs of the mountain, and thus destroy them. [[Bilbo Baggins]] tried to sit out the battle on [[Ravenhill]] which was held by the Elves and where also Gandalf had withdrawn to.<ref name=Burst>{{H|Burst}}</ref>

[[File:Joona Kujanen - Battle of Five Armies - Men of Esgaroth.jpg|300px|thumb|left|'''Battle of Five Armies: Men of Esgaroth''' by Joona Kujanen.]]Soon the Goblins and Wargs arrived, and at first the plan worked: they were lured into the chokepoint and took heavy losses. However, due to their superior numbers, the allied Free peoples did not hold the advantage long. The second wave was even worse than the first, and due to their sheer number now many Goblins scaled the mountain from the opposite side, and began to attack the arrayed forces from above and behind, as the main wave pressed forward. The battle raged across the Mountain, and then a great noise was heard: Thorin and his 12 Dwarf companions inside the mountain had thrown down a section of the stone wall they had erected across the mouth of the gates, killing many Goblins. Thorin and Company emerged, covered in the best armour and armed with the best weapons in Erebor. Then Thorin cried, "''Rally to me my kinsfolk''," and charged down into the valley to join the battle with many Dwarves and many Men and Elves joining them. Thorin advanced through the Goblins' ranks all the way up to the gigantic Goblins that formed the Bodyguard of Bolg, but could not get past them. Also his battle-line was too short, the flanks unprotected and thus his attack soon crumbled, Thorin and many others were cut off and hard beset by Bolg's bodyguard. The battle degenerated into a chaotic close quarters melee, no quarter asked or given.<ref name=Burst>{{H|Burst}}</ref>

As the battle was turning fully against the Free Folk, a large army of Giant [[Eagles]] of the Misty Mountains arrived, led by the [[Great Eagle]]. Bilbo was the first to spot their entrance on the scene and began shouting that "the Eagles are coming!", a shout that was then continued among the other troops of the Free Folk. At this point Bilbo was knocked in the head by a large stone thrown by a Goblin from above on the Mountain, and he was knocked out.<ref name="Burst">{{H|Burst}}</ref> With the support of the Giant Eagles, the Goblins that had scaled Erebor were driven off. The tide was eventually turned, when [[Beorn]] himself arrived at the battle, apparently having heard news that a large army of Goblins were on the move. This time he did not appear in his former shape of a giant Man, but in that of a gigantic Bear. Beorn drove through the Goblin lines, but paused to carry the wounded Thorin out of the battle with his paw. Beorn then returned to the battle with even greater wrath and smashed the ranks of the Bodyguard of [[Bolg]], ultimately killing Bolg. The Goblins panicked and scattered, to be picked off by hunting forces from the victors later.<ref name="Return">{{H|Return}}</ref>

=== Aftermath ===

[[Thorin]] had been mortally wounded on the field, and his nephews [[Fíli]] and [[Kíli]] died defending him as he lay on the ground with shield and body. Thorin died soon after the battle, after he had met Bilbo one last time and had taken back the harsh words he had spoken before.

After defeating the Goblins and Wargs, the victors divided the treasure. Bard took [[Bilbo Baggins|Bilbo]]'s fourteenth share of the gold and silver in return for the [[Arkenstone]], whereupon he shared his reward with the [[Master of Lake-town]] and gave the Elvenking [[Thranduil]] the emeralds of [[Girion]]. Bilbo, despite having forfeited his share, was offered a rich reward by [[Dáin Ironfoot]] but refused to take more than two small chests of gold and silver.

It is said that three quarters of the Goblin warriors of the North were killed on that day. The Goblins of the Misty Mountains and the Dwarves both were significantly spent after the battle, and until the [[War of the Ring]], the North remained quiet on both sides.<ref name="Return"/>

==Other of the Legendarium==versions
In its first versions, the conflict around Erebor ended after the Siege. While Bard and the Elvenking laid siege, Gandalf would arrive and negotiate a peace treaty. The actual Battle, dubbed by [[John D. Rateliff]] the "Battle of Anduin Vale", would be on the return journey, in what would later be known as the [[Vales of Anduin]]. There, Goblins and Wargs would waylay Bilbo. The Five armies in this incarnation were the Goblins, the Wargs, the Woodelves, the Woodmen, and [[Beorn|Beorn Medwed]] leading a troop of bears.<ref name=TBo5A">[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], [[John D. Rateliff]] (ed.), ''[[The History of The Hobbit|The History of The Hobbit: Return to Bag-End]]'', pages 713-4</ref>

==Portrayal in adaptations==
'''1966: [[The Hobbit (1966 film)|''The Hobbit'' (1966 film)]]:'''
:The battle is completely omitted. Bilbo kills the dragon, and returns home.<ref name="Deitch">{{webcite|articleurl=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=UBnVL1Y2src|articlename=The Hobbit.mp4|dated=5 January 2012|website=YouTube|accessed=10 January 2012}}</ref>

'''1977: [[The Hobbit (1977 film)|''The Hobbit'' (1977 film)]]:'''
:The "Five Armies" are the Elves, the Men, the Dwarves, the Goblins (and [[Wargs]]) and the Eagles. Bilbo estimates the force of the Men and Elves on 10,000, but this may not be an accurate estimate. The number of Dwarves of [[Thorin and Company]] to have died is seven, but only Thorin and [[Bombur]] are named among the dead. Only [[Glóin]] is shown as having survived the battle.

'''2003: [[The Hobbit (2003 video game)|''The Hobbit'' (2003 video game)]]:'''
:The battle takes up most of the last chapter. Because Bilbo is the main character, his role in the battle is much expanded. After leaving Thranduil, he has to fight his way to Balin, [[Lianna]], [[Corwin]], Gandalf, Beorn, and ultimately Bolg.

'''2014: [[The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies|''The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies'']]:'''
:The battle comprises the majority of the film. The five armies are described as Elves, Men, Dwarves, and two armies of Orcs - one from Dol Guldur and the other from [[Gundabad]].<ref>[[The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (extended edition)]] Appendices</ref>

{{references}}

[[Category:Conflicts of the Third Age]]
[[Category:Sieges]]
[[de:Schlacht der Fünf Heere]]
[[fr:encyclo:evenements:3a:guerres:bataille_des_cinq_armees]]
[[fi:Viiden Armeijan Taistelu]]

Battle of Azanulbizar

2018-04-27T22:29:12Z

142.44.139.84:

{{battle
| image=[[File:Mikel Janin - Battle of Azanulbizar.jpeg|300px]]
| name=Battle of Azanulbizar
| conflict=War of the Dwarves and Orcs
| date={{TA|2799}}
| place=The Dimrill Dale and the steps of the East-gate of Moria
| result=Pyrrhic victory for the Dwarves
| side1=Dwarves
| side2=Orcs
| commanders1=*[[Thráin|Thráin II]]
*[[Thorin]]
*[[Náin son of Grór|Náin]] †
*[[Dáin Ironfoot|Dáin II Ironfoot]]
*Commanders of other Houses|
commanders2=*[[Azog]] †
| forces1=6,000-10,000 [[Durin's Folk|Longbeards]], [[Broadbeams]], [[Firebeards]], and Houses of the far East
| forces2=15,000-20,000 Orcs from Moria, and the remnants of other Orc-dwellings throughout the [[Misty Mountains]]
| casual1="Beyond the count of grief." Half dead or dying.<ref name="AppDurin"/>
| casual2=10,000 orcs,<ref name="PMA">{{PM|A}}, p. 278</ref>
}}
The '''Battle of Azanulbizar''' ({{TA|2799}}) was the final battle in the [[War of the Dwarves and Orcs]]. It was fought beneath the [[Great Gates|East-gate of Moria]] in the valley of Azanulbizar, called ''[[Nanduhirion]]'' in [[Sindarin]] or ''[[Dimrill Dale]]'' in [[Westron]]. Therefore the event is also known as the '''Battle of Nanduhirion''' and the '''Battle of Dimrill Dale'''.

==Background==
The War of the Dwarves and Orcs began when [[Azog]] the [[Orcs|Orc]]-chieftain of [[Moria]] captured and mutilated [[Thrór]], King of [[Durin's Folk]]. Azog branded his own name in runes onto Thrór's severed head, then let Thrór's companion [[Nár]] escape so that all [[Dwarves]] would know that an Orc now ruled Moria. Full of righteous fury, Thrór's son [[Thráin|Thráin II]] summoned a great army of Dwarves, including those not of Durin's Folk ([[Firebeards]] and [[Broadbeams]] from the [[Blue Mountains]], and others from the far East of Middle-earth). For six years they systematically sacked the Orc strongholds of the [[Misty Mountains]], until only Moria was left. There the Orcs that had survived the destruction had gathered to Azog.

==Opposing Forces==
The exact number for the Dwarves was not specified, but it can be estimated at being somewhere between six to ten thousand Longbeards, Firebeards, Broadbeams, Ironfists, Stonefoots, Blacklocks, and Stiffbeards.
This is based off the assumption that the other Dwarf houses sent no more then a few thousand each to take part in the war, because they could not have sent too many for economic, financial and defense reasons. The Longbeards (Durin's Folk) could not have mustered a proper fighting force of no more than 1-3,000, because of a severely depleted populace and financial/economic problems (especially Thraín's following).<ref name="AppDurin">{{App|Durin}}</ref>

The Orcs, as stated above, came from Moria, and from as far north as [[Gundabad|Mount Gundabad]]. Their numbers can be estimated at fifteen to twenty thousand Orcs.<ref name="AppDurin"/>

==The Battle==
[[File:Jacek Kopalski - Náin at Azanulbizar.jpg|thumb|left|Jacek Kopalski - ''Náin at Azanulbizar'']]
The battle began on a dark winter day, and no sun was said to have shined through the clouds. The Dwarves had marched into the Dimrill Dale where they found the East-Gate and sent up a great noise. They discovered that on the western slopes above thousands of Orcs had gathered, while more still came pouring out of the gate. The Dwarves there stood outnumbered and on the lower end of a sloping hill.

The first Vanguard led by King Thráin, assaulted the slopes only to be driven back with casualties. In a woods near the Mirrormere, the dwarves noted that [[Frerin]] youngest son of Thráin was slain along with [[Fundin]], father of [[Balin]]; and many others. Thraín himself was wounded, as was his eldest son [[Thorin|Thorin II Oakenshield]], whose shield was broken during the battle, forcing him to resort to using an oak branch that he cut off a tree to defend himself.

Elsewhere, the battle swayed back and forth until [[Náin (son of Grór)|Náin]] from the [[Iron Hills]] arrived with a contingent of fresh troops. Náin and his Dwarves cut through the Orc lines with their mattocks shouting, "AZOG! AZOG! AZOG!" until they had reached the steps of the gate, at which Naín called Azog to come out and fight. When Azog emerged from the inner gate with his guards, Náin was exhausted and half blind with rage. He tried to swing as hard as he could, but Azog darted aside and Náin missed, splintering his mattocks on the ground. The orc kicked him in the leg when he dodged the Dwarf's blow, making him stumble, at which point Azog attempted to thrust and behead him, succeeding only in breaking Náin's neck because of the strong mail he was wearing. Náin died instantly.

Even as Azog gloated over his duel, he looked out over the valley which the east gate overlooks, and came to the realization that his entire force was routed. Those that could were fleeing southwards, and all his guard was dead. With that he fled back to the gate. Náin's son, [[Dáin Ironfoot|Dáin]], leaped up the steps after him with his red axe, and there before the gate he decapitated the Orc chieftain, thus ending the battle.
The slaying of Azog was considered an amazing feat, as Dáin was only 32 years of age (very young for a Dwarf). Dáin would later become [[King under the Mountain]] as [[Dáin Ironfoot|Dáin II Ironfoot]].<ref name="AppDurin"/>

==Aftermath==
[[File:Steamey - Vengeance.jpg|thumb|Steamey - ''Vengeance'']]
The Dwarves were victorious, but half of their forces were dead or mortally wounded. The Orcs suffered even worse casualties, with ten thousand dead. After the battle, Thráin wanted to enter and reclaim Moria, the ancestral home of Durin's folk. However, due to their losses, the other Houses not willing to participate, and since Dáin had seen [[Durin's Bane]] beyond the East-gate, Thráin refrained from entering.<ref name="AppDurin"/>

The Dwarves stripped their dead so the Orcs could not plunder them, and cut down all the trees in the valley, which was to remain bare ever after. They made many pyres on which to burn their dead. They could not bury them all in tombs of stone, as was their custom, because it would take too long. From then on those that died in Dimrill Dale were known proudly as ''Burned Dwarves''.

The Houses parted ways, returning to their homes to the North, East, and West. Thráin, with what was left of the Longbeard contingent, went back to [[Dunland]] and wandered in [[Eriador]], eventually settling in the Southern Blue Mountains. There Durin's folk repopulated slowly, waiting for the day when they could take back the halls of [[Lonely Mountain|Erebor]] and Khazad-dum.<ref name="AppDurin"/>

==Repercussions==
Although the Dwarves suffered heavy casualties, the battle would have lasting effects for the [[Orcs of the Misty Mountains]]. Their numbers were severely reduced after the battle and never fully recovered.

The depletion of the Orc population contributed to the survival of [[Thorin and Company]] on their journey to Erebor, as well as the victory of the Elves, Men, and Dwarves at the [[Battle of Five Armies]]. It also allowed [[Balin]], in {{TA|2989}}, to attempt the [[Balin's Colony|recolonization of Moria]].

==Portrayal in adaptations==
'''2012: ''[[The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey]]'':'''

:Referred to as the '''Battle of [[Moria]]''' in this [[The Hobbit (film series)|film trilogy]] (and portrayed more as an isolated battle rather than the final conflict for an entire war), the battle is presented in a flashback sequence as [[Balin]] recounts [[Thorin]]'s past to [[Bilbo Baggins]]. The narrative of the battle has been heavily condensed. In the film version, rather than recounting Thrór's death at the hands of [[Azog]] and the resulting war of many years, Balin simply says that after [[Smaug]] drove the [[Dwarves of Erebor|Dwarves]] from [[Lonely Mountain|Erebor]], Thrór attempted to lead all of his people back to their ancestral realm in Moria, only to find that the [[Orcs]] had gotten there first. [[Azog]] does decapitate [[Thrór]], but the deed takes place during the battle itself, and the head is thrown at Thorin's feet rather than [[Nár]]'s. Balin similarly condenses [[Thráin]]'s story, stating that he went mad with grief and wandered away, and his people never knew if he was dead or captured. [[Dáin Ironfoot]] is completely absent from the story, and it is Thorin who rallies the dwarves by facing Azog in single combat and hacking off his left arm at the elbow. The wounded Azog is dragged back into Moria by his subordinates, and the Dwarves assume he has died of his injuries, but he survives to appear in a present-time sub-plot in which he is hunting Thorin and Company for revenge. No mention is made of the burning of the Dwarves' dead, but Balin, [[Dwalin]], [[Bifur]], and Thorin are seen in the aftermath of the battle walking amidst heaps of their slain kin, and Balin recalls the battle as a pyrrhic victory, and the number of dead as beyond the count of grief, echoing closely the wording of the account from [[Appendix A]] of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''.

{{references}}

[[Category:Conflicts of the Third Age]]
[[de:Schlacht von Azanulbizar]]
[[fr:encyclo:evenements:3a:guerres:bataille_d_azanulbizar]]
[[fi:Azanulbizarin taistelu]]

Battle of the Morannon

2018-04-27T22:27:42Z

142.44.139.84:

{{battle
| image=[[File:The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King - Battle of the Morannon.jpg|300px]]
| name=Battle of the Morannon
| conflict=[[Battle of the Morannon]]
| date=[[25 March]] {{TA|3019}}
| place=[[Dagorlad]]
| result=Decisive victory for Gondor and Rohan Final defeat of Sauron
| side1=[[Gondor]], [[Rohan]]
| side2=[[Mordor]], [[Rhûn]] (Book only), [[Khand]] (Book only), [[Harad]] (Book only)
| commanders1=*[[Aragorn]]
*[[Gandalf]]
*[[Imrahil]] (Book only)
*[[Éomer]]
| commanders2=
* [[Sauron]]†
* [[Khamûl]]†
* [[Mouth of Sauron]]†
| forces1=
'''Book:'''
* 5,000 Gondorian and [[Rohirrim]] infantry
* 1,000 Gondorian and [[Rohirrim]] cavalry
*[[Eagles]]
<hr />
'''Movie (Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King):'''
* 500-700 [[Gondorian]] soldiers
* 400-600 [[Rohirrim]] soldiers
* several [[Eagles]]
| forces2=
'''Book:'''
* 60,000 [[Orcs]], [[Easterlings]], [[Haradrim]], and [[Variags]]
* several [[Olog-hai]]
* 8 [[Nazgul]] + [[Fell beasts]]
<hr />
'''Movie (Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King):'''
* 10,000 [[Orcs]]
* several [[Olog-hai]]
* 8 [[Nazgul]] + [[Fell beasts]]
| casual1=Light to moderate
| casual2=Complete destruction of [[Sauron]]'s armies
*All Nazgûl
*Some Evil men captured or pardoned
}}
{{wotr}}

The '''Battle of the Morannon''', also known as the '''Battle of the Black Gate''', was the last major battle against [[Sauron]] in the [[War of the Ring]], fought at the Black Gate of [[Mordor]] on [[25 March]] {{TA|3019}}.<ref name=Great>{{App|Great}}</ref> The army of the West, 6,000 strong by now, led by [[Aragorn]] marched on the gate as a diversionary feint to distract [[Sauron]]'s attention from [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] and [[Samwise Gamgee|Sam]], who were carrying [[the One Ring]] through Mordor. It was hoped that Sauron would think Aragorn had the Ring and was now trying to use it to overthrow Mordor.<ref>{{RK|V9}}</ref>

==History==
=== Prelude ===
{{seealso|Last Debate}}
Initially, the Army of the West had been composed of 7,000 men, but many were stationed at various places along the way. A strong guard of archers were stationed at the [[Cross-roads]], in case enemy troops came from the [[Cirith Ungol|Morgul Pass]] or from the South. In addition, Aragorn dismissed the faint of heart, who would not go to the [[Dagorlad]], ordering them to liberate [[Cair Andros]] on the river Anduin. This resulted in the departure of 1,000 men, leaving 6,000 to continue on towards the [[Black Gate]]. Upon arrival, Aragorn defensively arrayed his forces upon two [[Slag-hills]] with a mire of mud and stinking pools between his army and the Gate.

Before the battle began, Sauron sent one of his servants, the [[Black Númenóreans|Black Númenórean]] called the [[Mouth of Sauron]], to speak with the Captains of the West. He tried to trick [[Gandalf]] into believing Sauron held Frodo captive, displaying as evidence items that had belonged to Frodo and Sam (Sam's sword, an [[Elven cloaks|Elven cloak]], and Frodo's [[Mithril#The Mithril Coat|''mithril'' coat]]) The Mouth threatened that Frodo would be tortured if the West did not agree to Sauron's terms of surrender. The terms included: the disbanding of the armies of the West, an oath to never take up arms, the rebuilding of Isengard, and the turning over of all lands West to Sauron. (It is clear that while Sauron knew there was a Hobbit in Mordor, he did not know why. He also probably did not know there were two.)

Gandalf, however, refused to be swayed, took the items from the Mouth of Sauron, and sent him away. Amazed and angered, the Mouth of Sauron rode back to the Black Gate, let it be opened, and the forces of Sauron marched out. At the same time, more of Sauron's forces that had been hidden in the hills around the Black Gate came forth, thus surrounding and outnumbering the Men of the West by at least ten to one. Less than six thousand Men of the West were fielded.

=== The Battle ===
Against Aragorn's army was arrayed Sauron's hordes of [[Orcs]], [[Trolls]], and barbarian [[Men|Mannish]] allies such as the [[Easterlings]] and [[Haradrim]]. An exact count is not given of the number of Sauron's forces, and though they numbered in the tens of thousands at least, the battle is said to not have been quite as large as the preceding [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]]. Sauron "had taken the proffered bait in jaws of steel", and the dismayed soldiers of the West were trapped. Aragorn arranged his men in a circular formation around two hills in front of the Morannon, with the best soldiers of the West arranged in the front where the assault would be at its most bitter.

The slag pools near the hills proved a hindrance for many of Sauron's forces, but trolls easily passed through the pools and crashed into the hosts of the West, bashing through them as smiths hewing hot iron. Many of the Orcs and Men were unable to climb up to face the Western host, and instead shot arrows and projectiles at them. During the fighting, [[Beregond]] was wounded by a Troll-chief, and as it reached its claws out for him [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]] drove the blade of [[Westernesse]] through the creature before it could slay his comrade.

During the course of the battle, the eight remaining [[Nazgûl]] attacked the army of the West. The [[Eagles]] of the [[Misty Mountains]], led by [[Gwaihir]] the Windlord, arrived and attacked the Ringwraiths. The main host of Mordor managed to reach that of the West's, and despair was set among them. The Orcs laughed cruelly as they smashed against the Western forces, which began to dwindle, and the Ringwraiths overhead filled them with terror.<ref name=Battle>{{RK|V10}}</ref> At that moment, when all hope seemed lost, Frodo put on the One Ring and Sauron realized that Frodo was inside [[Mount Doom]]. The Nazgûl immediately left the battle to intercept Frodo. The hosts of Mordor were suddenly without direction; the Orc laughter ceased, the Evil Men hesitated, and many knights of the West began to repel the attackers in a charge. Gandalf ordered them to halt, for the hour of doom was about to come. Indeed, [[Gollum]] bit the Ring off Frodo's finger and then accidentally fell into the [[Cracks of Doom|Crack of Doom]], and Sauron's power was overthrown.<ref>{{RK|VI3}}</ref>

The Nazgûl had been flying over Mount Doom just as it underwent a gigantic volcanic eruption, and they were all destroyed in the firestorm. [[Barad-dûr]], the Black Gate, and the [[Towers of the Teeth]] collapsed to ruin. The Orcs and other creatures of Sauron were completely directionless with the Dark Lord's demise and fled mindlessly; some falling into pits, others outright killing themselves, and many fleeing. Many Easterlings fled as well or surrendered, though others banded together in their hatred and fought on stalwartly.<ref>{{RK|VI4}}</ref>

=== Aftermath ===
The desperate gambit of the West had succeeded, even as Frodo ultimately succumbed to the Ring. It was destroyed forever, and Sauron was disembodied permanently, his shadow fading away from Barad-dûr. Many surviving Orcs and Men retreated to the mountains or northward, where fighting against Sauron's remaining forces would continue for several weeks, notably at [[Dol Guldur]] in [[Mirkwood]] and at [[Lonely Mountain|Erebor]], but the power of the Dark Lord of Mordor was no more. The Western soldiers, weary and many injured, rested and healed before the host marched back to [[Minas Tirith]].<ref name=Great/>

Months later, the [[Battle of Bywater]] in [[the Shire]] against ruffians led by [[Saruman]], and the subsequent killing of Saruman and [[Gríma|Wormtongue]] on the very doorstep of [[Bag End]], ended the [[War of the Ring]].<ref>{{RK|VI8}}</ref>

{{references}}
[[Category:Conflicts of the War of the Ring]]
[[de:Schlacht am Morannon]]
[[fr:encyclo:evenements:3a:guerres:bataille_de_la_morannon]]

Battle of the Pelennor Fields

2018-04-27T22:26:36Z

142.44.139.84:

{{disambig-more|Battle of the Pelennor Fields|[[Battle of the Pelennor Fields (disambiguation)]]}}
{{cleanup}}{{sources}}
{{battle|
image=[[File:Per Sjögren - The Battle of the Pelennor Fields.jpg|300px]]|
name=Battle of the Pelennor Fields|
conflict=[[War of the Ring]]|
date=[[15 March]] {{TA|3019}}|
place=[[Minas Tirith]] and [[Pelennor Fields]], [[Gondor]]|
result= Victory of Gondor and Rohan|
side1=[[Gondor]], [[Rohan]], [[White Mountains]] (Movie only)|
side2= [[Mordor]], [[Harad]], [[Rhûn]], [[Khand]] (Book only)|
commanders1=*[[Denethor]] †
*[[Gandalf]]
*[[Imrahil]] (Book only)
*[[Hirluin]] (Book only)†
*[[Théoden]] †
*[[Grimbold]] †
*[[Éomer]]
*[[Aragorn]]
* [[King of the Dead]] (Movie only)
| commanders2=*The [[Witch-king]] of [[Angmar]] †
*[[Gothmog (Lieutenant of Morgul)|Gothmog]] †
* [[Black Serpent]] (Book only) †
| forces1=
'''Book:'''
* 5,000 Gondorian soldiers + 250 [[Guards of the Citadel]]
* 6,000 men of [[South Gondor]]
* 6,000 [[Rohirrim]] soldiers
<hr />
'''Movie (Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King):'''
* 10,000 Gondorian soldiers + 3,000 [[Guards of the Citadel]]
* 6,000 [[Rohirrim]] soldiers
* 50,000 [[Oathbreakers]]
| forces2=
'''Book:'''
* 130,000 [[Orcs]]
* 18,000 [[Easterlings]], [[Haradrim]], and [[Variags]]
* several [[Oliphaunts]], [[Trolls]], [[Wargs]], and [[Great beasts]]
<hr />
'''Movie (Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King):'''
* 200,000 [[Orcs]]
* 1,000 [[Haradrim]] + 20 [[Oliphaunts]]
* Several thousand [[Easterlings]]
* 300 [[Trolls]]
* All [[Nazgul]]
| casual1=Severe
| casual2=Near-total
}}{{wotr}}
The '''Battle of the Pelennor Fields''' was the greatest battle of the [[War of the Ring]], and indeed the largest of the entire [[Third Age]].

==History==
===Prelude===
{{seealso|Siege of Gondor}}
After the fall of [[Osgiliath]] there was no longer a barrier against the forces of [[Mordor]], which moved on the [[Pelennor Fields]] before the city on [[15 March]] {{TA|3019}} as the [[The Darkness|Great Darkness]] blotted out the sun. Almost all of Minas Tirith's civilian population was evacuated prior to the siege, and were sent southward to Gondor's southern fiefdoms.<ref>{{RK|V1}}</ref>

===Opposing Forces===

Mordor's troops consisted of some 18,000 [[Easterlings]] and [[Haradrim]],<ref name="Rohirrim">{{RK|Ride}}</ref> several Haradrim war [[Oliphaunts]], and tens of thousands of [[Orcs]]; the defenders' numbers were considerably less. the city's garrison likely was no more than 4,000,{{fact}} the survivors from Osgiliath probably numbered around 1,000{{fact}} (One third of that garrison were killed), there were about 6000{{fact}} men from southern [[Gondor]] who arrived just before the siege commenced.

===Battle===
Mordor's hosts set fire to the plains and farms outside of the city and hewed apart anyone they found, living or dead. The Orcs began digging trenches and setting up siege equipment and catapults. These were out of range of the city's defenses, as was the city out of theirs. Some of the defenders laughed and mocked this effort, one even claiming that Sauron himself could not break through Minas Tirith's walls.

Their laughter turned to peril and fear, however, when Mordor's massive catapults flung their shot extremely high, well over the city's walls and into the first level. Through Sauron's arts many projectiles detonated and burst into flame. Along with these the Orcs also launched the heads of Gondor's fallen soldiers and other Men they had slain over the walls, causing despair among the defenders.<ref>{{RK|V4}}</ref> Though these machines could still not inflict serious harm to the immense first wall, the great battering ram [[Grond (battering ram)|Grond]] (named after [[Morgoth]]'s weapon from the First Age) was put into action.

At midnight Grond rolled to the face of the city. The [[Witch-king]] cried out evil spells unto it, breaking the mighty main gate in only three swings, and the Witch-king rode into the city unchallenged, save by [[Gandalf]]. Before Gandalf's strength was put to the test, however, the cock crowed and the horns of [[Rohan]] were heard as around 6,000 of their riders joined the battle. Mordor's strategy for keeping Rohan out of the battle had failed twice, both through the defeat at Helm's Deep and the blockade in Anórien. So the Witch-king was forced to ride out and attack them instead of fighting Gandalf and destroying the city.

King Théoden's charge drove the Mordor forces from the northern half of the field, and charging the Haradrim cavalry he slew the Southron chieftain, the [[Black Serpent]], and cut down his standardbearer. Mordor's forces counter-attacked, however, and the Witch-king, having rode out to fight Rohan's charge, set upon them and racked them with fear.
[[File:Laurent Alquier - Éowyn's Stand in the Pelennor Fields.jpg|thumb|left|[[Laurent Alquier]] - ''Éowyn's Stand in the Pelennor Fields'']]
When the Witch-king's fell beast attacked King [[Théoden]] of Rohan, the king's horse [[Snowmane]] lost control, and was hit by a black dart. Snowmane fell with the king atop him, and the horse landed on him, mortally wounding him. All about the King were his slain knights, and any survivors fled from the Witch-king's terrifying visage. The fell beast raked its claws upon Snowmane's neck and readied to devour Théoden, but the warrior [[Dernhelm]], defending the king's body, stood tearful yet defiant, forbidding the Witch-king to defile the king's corpse. The Witch-king mocked him, telling him that no living man might hinder him. Éowyn threw off her disguise as Dernhelm and revealed herself as "no man at all". The Black Captain remained silent, as if he hesitated slightly due to [[Glorfindel]]'s prophecy, but heeded it no longer, ignoring the [[hobbits|Hobbit]] [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]] nearby and attacking Éowyn with great malice. She slew his fell beast, but the Witch-king rose from it, towering over her. With a violent cry that stung her ears like venom he threw his black mace upon her shield, splintering it and shattering her arm. She fell to her knees in bitter pain and he loomed over her, raising his mace to kill her. However, before he could do so, the Witch-king too fell; Merry had wounded him with a sword that had been forged centuries before during the war between [[Arnor]] and [[Angmar]] and which contained spells against the Witch-king. The spells finally found their target, for the Witch-king was distracted and possibly seriously weakened. Éowyn, with her last strength, drove her sword into the Witch-king's crown, her sword shattering and the Black Captain of Mordor slain, his spirit fading into a shrill voice on the wind. The [[Black Breath]] caused both Merry and Éowyn to become gravely ill, and Éowyn's ruined arm kept her from fighting any further that day. They were sent to the [[Houses of Healing]] in the city, and command of the Rohirrim then passed to Théoden's nephew and heir, Third Marshall Éomer. Though a demoralizing blow to Mordor's forces on the field, they held together, and Gothmog, Lieutenant of Minas Morgul, assumed command.

At the same time, [[Faramir]], son of [[Denethor]], Steward of Gondor, was also gravely wounded. Despairing at the visions of defeat that [[Sauron]] had sent him via his ''[[palantíri|palantír]]'', and believing Faramir to be beyond aid, Denethor prepared to burn himself and his son upon a funeral pyre. Only the intervention of [[Peregrin Took]] and Gandalf saved Faramir, but Denethor immolated himself before they could prevent him.

Meanwhile, the battle turned against the Rohirrim. The Southrons charged with their Mûmakil and wherever they went horses went wild with fear or were trampled underfoot, and the forces of Mordor rallied around them like islands of defence that the Rohirrim cavalry could not overtake. Éomer, grim after the death of Théoden but shocked by the unexpected (seeming) death of his sister Éowyn, the last living member of his family, flew into a [[berserker]] rage and charged his cavalry headlong into the larger enemy forces. So great was the wrath of the outnumbered Rohirrim at the death of their King that they broke through the superior Mordor forces, hammering deep wedges into the Mordor legions' front lines. His fury betrayed him, however; the horses panicked at the sight of the towering Mûmakil, and the Haradrim retreated amongst them. Gothmog retaliated against Éomer's advance, sending fierce Variags, elite Haradrim warriors, and monstrous Troll-men against the Rohirrim, and they were set into despair. The cavalry of Rohan were cut off from the rest of their allies. Éomer and his forces retreated to the docks near the Harlond south of the city where he desperately circled up his men on a hill and prepared to fight to the death. When he saw enemy reinforcements sailing up the River [[Anduin]], he sang a solemn and sorrowful dirge, though laughed as he did, preparing to die defiantly as Rohan's final leader.
[[File:Anke Eißmann - The Black Serpent founders.jpg|right|thumb|300px|[[Anke Eißmann]] - ''The Black Serpent founders'']]
One of the visions that Denethor had seen was of a fleet of enemy ships with black sails arriving at the landings to the south of the Pelennor in the Rammas, but what he had not seen was that they were actually manned by [[Aragorn]] and other [[Rangers of the North]], [[Gimli]], [[Legolas]], [[Elladan]], [[Elrohir]] and many reinforcements from southern fiefdoms of Gondor. As Aragorn's army drove north a great part of Mordor's forces were pinned between Aragorn and Éomer's cavalry, and were "caught between the hammer and the anvil". Without the Witch-king's leadership, and with vast numbers encroaching them on all sides, many of Mordor's troops panicked and began to flee; Aragorn's army then linked with Éomer's, and with their aid the tide of battle was finally turned. Despite the Orcs engaging in a cowardly and disorganized retreat, many Easterlings and Haradrim held their ground and fought proudly to the death, delaying the Western host and allowing others to rout. The vicinity of the Rammas Echor was soon empty of Sauron's forces, and a brief respite was won until the [[Battle of the Morannon|final battle]] before the [[Morannon|Black Gate]].

=== Aftermath ===

There is no clearly stated final death toll for the Battle of Pelennor Fields. There is a definite figure for the army of the Rohirrim that came to Gondor's defence; it consisted of 6,000 riders, and a full 2,000 were killed in the battle, including Théoden. Of the 6 to 7 thousand Gondorian defenders of Minas Tirith, and the large relief force of Gondor's southern provinces led by Aragorn, no definite figure remains. Two days after the battle, Aragorn led an army out to attack the Black Gate that consisted of 7,000 men (When he reached the Black Gate he had less than 6,000); 2,000 Rohirrim and 5,000 Gondorians. The size of Aragorn's relief force may have been over 5,000 or as little as 1,000, it is never stated. Éomer stated that very few of Rohan's horses remained, and either killed or wounded, he could not "hope to lead even two thousands" in the Last Debate. With a number around 18,000 at the least participating and only 7,000 remaining to march out to war, even a conservative estimate would place total Western losses at 9,000 and perhaps more. Forlong, Grimbold, Théoden, and Hirluin were slain in combat, and the near-defeat of Gondor led Steward Denethor to commit suicide during the siege. Minas Tirith itself suffered heavily in the siege, and its strongest gate was broken. A grey rain fell over the city and the plains following the battle's end, putting out many fires much to the relief of its inhabitants. Despite their losses, the arrival of reinforcements from the southern fiefs allowed Gondor to maintain a larger garrison in the city after the Siege than it had at the outset.

As for Mordor's losses, again, the size of Sauron's great army is not definitely known. The full host was estimated at perhaps 75,000. The Orcs and Trolls of Sauron made up most of the force, though it is known that there were some 18,000 [[Haradrim]]. (The Rohirrim, consisting of 6,000 riders, were "thrice outnumbered by the Haradrim alone".) Almost all of the attackers were slain or routed; though not specifically mentioned, all of the War [[Oliphaunts|Mûmakil]] were likely killed, along with numerous Trolls, Orcs, and Evil Men. Those whom escaped fled across the River Anduin to East Osgiliath, many drowning in the process; not one living thing was left in the vicinity of the Rammas. Few escaped, and those that did spread word of Gondor's wrathful victory in their homelands. Most grievous of all to Sauron was the permanent loss of the Witch-king, the Lord of the Nazgûl and his most powerful servant. The fate of Gothmog, Mordor's second commander in the battle, is not mentioned.

Although a great and almost miraculous victory, at the subsequent Last Debate, Gandalf counselled that militarily, Sauron would still defeat them. The Free Peoples had managed to destroy an army outnumbering them as much as 5 to 1, but lost nearly half of their own forces. Sauron had suffered a defeat, but he still had other legions and the force that attacked Minas Tirith, while substantial, was but a fraction of his total strength. Rohan and Gondor had been able to secure their flanks, eliminating the threat of Isengard and the Corsairs on the southern coasts, but Gandalf counselled that even with all of their forces concentrated in the main front near Minas Tirith, it would simply result in a war of attrition; either defensively or offensively, Sauron would tactically prevail. Thus, it was agreed that it was impossible to achieve a conventional military victory through strength of arms, and instead to risk all on a last throw of the dice by Aragorn leading a diversionary attack on the Black Gate, to aid Frodo's passage in Mordor.

==Portrayal in adaptations==
'''2003: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King]]'':'''
:The battle is the major centrepiece of the last film, although some of the events described above are simplified or altered for cinematic purposes. The Gondorian forces from the kingdom's fiefs are absent, replaced only by the [[Rohirrim]]. These are joined by Aragorn leading the "[[Oathbreakers|Army of the Dead]]" (instead of the Gondorian reinforcements) at the very end of the battle. Importance is given to the charge of the [[Oliphaunts|Mûmakil]], the death of [[Théoden]], and the [[Witch-king]]'s demise at the hands of [[Éowyn]].

:The battle begins with [[Sauron]]'s forces marching on the city and firing a volley of severed [[Gondorians|Gondorian]] heads over the walls (as in the book). Seeing [[Mordor]]'s overwhelming army, [[Denethor]] despairs, and [[Gandalf]] assumes command of the defenders. Both Sauron's army and the defenders of [[Minas Tirith]] exchange fire by way of catapults and trebuchets. Many Orcs and a few dozen Gondorian soldiers were killed, whilst some catapults and siege towers were destroyed. Then the [[Nazgûl|Ringwraiths]], mounted, on top of their [[fell beasts]], descended from the skies, spreading fear throughout the city and destroying many catapults. Meanwhile, [[Trolls]] bring forth the siege towers and engage the Gondorian troops and Gandalf in combat throughout the night. As the battle continues in the dark, the [[Orcs]] bring forth a giant battering ram named [[Grond (battering ram)|Grond]] and, with it, the [[Great Gate of Minas Tirith]] is shattered, allowing the Orcs, Trolls, and [[Wargs]] to invade the city. In the book, the populace was almost entirely evacuated before the battle. In the movie, the women and children remained, and many were slaughtered in the lower levels.

:By morning, the Gondorian soldiers had taken heavy casualties and retreated to the higher levels of Minas Tirith. There, Gandalf helps them to hold out until Théoden and six thousand Rohirrim arrive, decimating the invading Orcs and routing the Witch-king's right flank; however, [[Sauron]]'s reserves soon arrive with several [[Oliphaunts]], commanded by the [[Haradrim]], who turn the tide against the Rohirrim. Fortunately, [[Aragorn]] arrives later with the Army of the Dead (see [[Paths of the Dead]]), and they crush the remainder of Sauron's forces before entering Minas Tirith.

{{references}}
[[Category:Conflicts of the War of the Ring]]
[[de:Schlacht auf dem Pelennor]]
[[fr:encyclo:evenements:3a:guerres:bataille_des_champs_du_pelennor]]
[[fi:Pelennorin kenttien taistelu]]

Battle of the Pelennor Fields

2018-04-27T22:24:14Z

142.44.139.84:

{{disambig-more|Battle of the Pelennor Fields|[[Battle of the Pelennor Fields (disambiguation)]]}}
{{cleanup}}{{sources}}
{{battle|
image=[[File:Per Sjögren - The Battle of the Pelennor Fields.jpg|300px]]|
name=Battle of the Pelennor Fields|
conflict=[[War of the Ring]]|
date=[[15 March]] {{TA|3019}}|
place=[[Minas Tirith]] and [[Pelennor Fields]], [[Gondor]]|
result= Victory of Gondor and Rohan|
side1=[[Gondor]], [[Rohan]], [[White Mountains]] (Movie only)|
side2= [[Mordor]], [[Harad]], [[Rhûn]], [[Khand]] (Book only)|
commanders1=*[[Denethor]] †
*[[Gandalf]]
*[[Imrahil]] (Book only)
*[[Hirluin]] (Book only)†
*[[Théoden]] †
*[[Grimbold]] †
*[[Éomer]]
*[[Aragorn]]
* [[King of the Dead]] (Movie only)
| commanders2=*The [[Witch-king]] of [[Angmar]] †
*[[Gothmog (Lieutenant of Morgul)|Gothmog]] †
* [[Black Serpent]] (Book only) †
| forces1=
'''Book:'''
* 5,000 Gondorian soldiers + 250 [[Guards of the Citadel]]
* 6,000 men of [[South Gondor]]
* 6,000 [[Rohirrim]] soldiers
<hr />
'''Movie:'''
* 10,000 Gondorian soldiers + 3,000 [[Guards of the Citadel]]
* 6,000 [[Rohirrim]] soldiers
* 50,000 [[Oathbreakers]]
| forces2=
'''Book:'''
* 130,000 [[Orcs]]
* 18,000 [[Easterlings]], [[Haradrim]], and [[Variags]]
* several [[Oliphaunts]], [[Trolls]], [[Wargs]], and [[Great beasts]]
<hr />
'''Movie:'''
* 200,000 [[Orcs]]
* 1,000 [[Haradrim]] + 20 [[Oliphaunts]]
* Several thousand [[Easterlings]]
* 300 [[Trolls]]
* All [[Nazgul]]
| casual1=Severe
| casual2=Near-total
}}{{wotr}}
The '''Battle of the Pelennor Fields''' was the greatest battle of the [[War of the Ring]], and indeed the largest of the entire [[Third Age]].

==History==
===Prelude===
{{seealso|Siege of Gondor}}
After the fall of [[Osgiliath]] there was no longer a barrier against the forces of [[Mordor]], which moved on the [[Pelennor Fields]] before the city on [[15 March]] {{TA|3019}} as the [[The Darkness|Great Darkness]] blotted out the sun. Almost all of Minas Tirith's civilian population was evacuated prior to the siege, and were sent southward to Gondor's southern fiefdoms.<ref>{{RK|V1}}</ref>

===Opposing Forces===

Mordor's troops consisted of some 18,000 [[Easterlings]] and [[Haradrim]],<ref name="Rohirrim">{{RK|Ride}}</ref> several Haradrim war [[Oliphaunts]], and tens of thousands of [[Orcs]]; the defenders' numbers were considerably less. the city's garrison likely was no more than 4,000,{{fact}} the survivors from Osgiliath probably numbered around 1,000{{fact}} (One third of that garrison were killed), there were about 6000{{fact}} men from southern [[Gondor]] who arrived just before the siege commenced.

===Battle===
Mordor's hosts set fire to the plains and farms outside of the city and hewed apart anyone they found, living or dead. The Orcs began digging trenches and setting up siege equipment and catapults. These were out of range of the city's defenses, as was the city out of theirs. Some of the defenders laughed and mocked this effort, one even claiming that Sauron himself could not break through Minas Tirith's walls.

Their laughter turned to peril and fear, however, when Mordor's massive catapults flung their shot extremely high, well over the city's walls and into the first level. Through Sauron's arts many projectiles detonated and burst into flame. Along with these the Orcs also launched the heads of Gondor's fallen soldiers and other Men they had slain over the walls, causing despair among the defenders.<ref>{{RK|V4}}</ref> Though these machines could still not inflict serious harm to the immense first wall, the great battering ram [[Grond (battering ram)|Grond]] (named after [[Morgoth]]'s weapon from the First Age) was put into action.

At midnight Grond rolled to the face of the city. The [[Witch-king]] cried out evil spells unto it, breaking the mighty main gate in only three swings, and the Witch-king rode into the city unchallenged, save by [[Gandalf]]. Before Gandalf's strength was put to the test, however, the cock crowed and the horns of [[Rohan]] were heard as around 6,000 of their riders joined the battle. Mordor's strategy for keeping Rohan out of the battle had failed twice, both through the defeat at Helm's Deep and the blockade in Anórien. So the Witch-king was forced to ride out and attack them instead of fighting Gandalf and destroying the city.

King Théoden's charge drove the Mordor forces from the northern half of the field, and charging the Haradrim cavalry he slew the Southron chieftain, the [[Black Serpent]], and cut down his standardbearer. Mordor's forces counter-attacked, however, and the Witch-king, having rode out to fight Rohan's charge, set upon them and racked them with fear.
[[File:Laurent Alquier - Éowyn's Stand in the Pelennor Fields.jpg|thumb|left|[[Laurent Alquier]] - ''Éowyn's Stand in the Pelennor Fields'']]
When the Witch-king's fell beast attacked King [[Théoden]] of Rohan, the king's horse [[Snowmane]] lost control, and was hit by a black dart. Snowmane fell with the king atop him, and the horse landed on him, mortally wounding him. All about the King were his slain knights, and any survivors fled from the Witch-king's terrifying visage. The fell beast raked its claws upon Snowmane's neck and readied to devour Théoden, but the warrior [[Dernhelm]], defending the king's body, stood tearful yet defiant, forbidding the Witch-king to defile the king's corpse. The Witch-king mocked him, telling him that no living man might hinder him. Éowyn threw off her disguise as Dernhelm and revealed herself as "no man at all". The Black Captain remained silent, as if he hesitated slightly due to [[Glorfindel]]'s prophecy, but heeded it no longer, ignoring the [[hobbits|Hobbit]] [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]] nearby and attacking Éowyn with great malice. She slew his fell beast, but the Witch-king rose from it, towering over her. With a violent cry that stung her ears like venom he threw his black mace upon her shield, splintering it and shattering her arm. She fell to her knees in bitter pain and he loomed over her, raising his mace to kill her. However, before he could do so, the Witch-king too fell; Merry had wounded him with a sword that had been forged centuries before during the war between [[Arnor]] and [[Angmar]] and which contained spells against the Witch-king. The spells finally found their target, for the Witch-king was distracted and possibly seriously weakened. Éowyn, with her last strength, drove her sword into the Witch-king's crown, her sword shattering and the Black Captain of Mordor slain, his spirit fading into a shrill voice on the wind. The [[Black Breath]] caused both Merry and Éowyn to become gravely ill, and Éowyn's ruined arm kept her from fighting any further that day. They were sent to the [[Houses of Healing]] in the city, and command of the Rohirrim then passed to Théoden's nephew and heir, Third Marshall Éomer. Though a demoralizing blow to Mordor's forces on the field, they held together, and Gothmog, Lieutenant of Minas Morgul, assumed command.

At the same time, [[Faramir]], son of [[Denethor]], Steward of Gondor, was also gravely wounded. Despairing at the visions of defeat that [[Sauron]] had sent him via his ''[[palantíri|palantír]]'', and believing Faramir to be beyond aid, Denethor prepared to burn himself and his son upon a funeral pyre. Only the intervention of [[Peregrin Took]] and Gandalf saved Faramir, but Denethor immolated himself before they could prevent him.

Meanwhile, the battle turned against the Rohirrim. The Southrons charged with their Mûmakil and wherever they went horses went wild with fear or were trampled underfoot, and the forces of Mordor rallied around them like islands of defence that the Rohirrim cavalry could not overtake. Éomer, grim after the death of Théoden but shocked by the unexpected (seeming) death of his sister Éowyn, the last living member of his family, flew into a [[berserker]] rage and charged his cavalry headlong into the larger enemy forces. So great was the wrath of the outnumbered Rohirrim at the death of their King that they broke through the superior Mordor forces, hammering deep wedges into the Mordor legions' front lines. His fury betrayed him, however; the horses panicked at the sight of the towering Mûmakil, and the Haradrim retreated amongst them. Gothmog retaliated against Éomer's advance, sending fierce Variags, elite Haradrim warriors, and monstrous Troll-men against the Rohirrim, and they were set into despair. The cavalry of Rohan were cut off from the rest of their allies. Éomer and his forces retreated to the docks near the Harlond south of the city where he desperately circled up his men on a hill and prepared to fight to the death. When he saw enemy reinforcements sailing up the River [[Anduin]], he sang a solemn and sorrowful dirge, though laughed as he did, preparing to die defiantly as Rohan's final leader.
[[File:Anke Eißmann - The Black Serpent founders.jpg|right|thumb|300px|[[Anke Eißmann]] - ''The Black Serpent founders'']]
One of the visions that Denethor had seen was of a fleet of enemy ships with black sails arriving at the landings to the south of the Pelennor in the Rammas, but what he had not seen was that they were actually manned by [[Aragorn]] and other [[Rangers of the North]], [[Gimli]], [[Legolas]], [[Elladan]], [[Elrohir]] and many reinforcements from southern fiefdoms of Gondor. As Aragorn's army drove north a great part of Mordor's forces were pinned between Aragorn and Éomer's cavalry, and were "caught between the hammer and the anvil". Without the Witch-king's leadership, and with vast numbers encroaching them on all sides, many of Mordor's troops panicked and began to flee; Aragorn's army then linked with Éomer's, and with their aid the tide of battle was finally turned. Despite the Orcs engaging in a cowardly and disorganized retreat, many Easterlings and Haradrim held their ground and fought proudly to the death, delaying the Western host and allowing others to rout. The vicinity of the Rammas Echor was soon empty of Sauron's forces, and a brief respite was won until the [[Battle of the Morannon|final battle]] before the [[Morannon|Black Gate]].

=== Aftermath ===

There is no clearly stated final death toll for the Battle of Pelennor Fields. There is a definite figure for the army of the Rohirrim that came to Gondor's defence; it consisted of 6,000 riders, and a full 2,000 were killed in the battle, including Théoden. Of the 6 to 7 thousand Gondorian defenders of Minas Tirith, and the large relief force of Gondor's southern provinces led by Aragorn, no definite figure remains. Two days after the battle, Aragorn led an army out to attack the Black Gate that consisted of 7,000 men (When he reached the Black Gate he had less than 6,000); 2,000 Rohirrim and 5,000 Gondorians. The size of Aragorn's relief force may have been over 5,000 or as little as 1,000, it is never stated. Éomer stated that very few of Rohan's horses remained, and either killed or wounded, he could not "hope to lead even two thousands" in the Last Debate. With a number around 18,000 at the least participating and only 7,000 remaining to march out to war, even a conservative estimate would place total Western losses at 9,000 and perhaps more. Forlong, Grimbold, Théoden, and Hirluin were slain in combat, and the near-defeat of Gondor led Steward Denethor to commit suicide during the siege. Minas Tirith itself suffered heavily in the siege, and its strongest gate was broken. A grey rain fell over the city and the plains following the battle's end, putting out many fires much to the relief of its inhabitants. Despite their losses, the arrival of reinforcements from the southern fiefs allowed Gondor to maintain a larger garrison in the city after the Siege than it had at the outset.

As for Mordor's losses, again, the size of Sauron's great army is not definitely known. The full host was estimated at perhaps 75,000. The Orcs and Trolls of Sauron made up most of the force, though it is known that there were some 18,000 [[Haradrim]]. (The Rohirrim, consisting of 6,000 riders, were "thrice outnumbered by the Haradrim alone".) Almost all of the attackers were slain or routed; though not specifically mentioned, all of the War [[Oliphaunts|Mûmakil]] were likely killed, along with numerous Trolls, Orcs, and Evil Men. Those whom escaped fled across the River Anduin to East Osgiliath, many drowning in the process; not one living thing was left in the vicinity of the Rammas. Few escaped, and those that did spread word of Gondor's wrathful victory in their homelands. Most grievous of all to Sauron was the permanent loss of the Witch-king, the Lord of the Nazgûl and his most powerful servant. The fate of Gothmog, Mordor's second commander in the battle, is not mentioned.

Although a great and almost miraculous victory, at the subsequent Last Debate, Gandalf counselled that militarily, Sauron would still defeat them. The Free Peoples had managed to destroy an army outnumbering them as much as 5 to 1, but lost nearly half of their own forces. Sauron had suffered a defeat, but he still had other legions and the force that attacked Minas Tirith, while substantial, was but a fraction of his total strength. Rohan and Gondor had been able to secure their flanks, eliminating the threat of Isengard and the Corsairs on the southern coasts, but Gandalf counselled that even with all of their forces concentrated in the main front near Minas Tirith, it would simply result in a war of attrition; either defensively or offensively, Sauron would tactically prevail. Thus, it was agreed that it was impossible to achieve a conventional military victory through strength of arms, and instead to risk all on a last throw of the dice by Aragorn leading a diversionary attack on the Black Gate, to aid Frodo's passage in Mordor.

==Portrayal in adaptations==
'''2003: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King]]'':'''
:The battle is the major centrepiece of the last film, although some of the events described above are simplified or altered for cinematic purposes. The Gondorian forces from the kingdom's fiefs are absent, replaced only by the [[Rohirrim]]. These are joined by Aragorn leading the "[[Oathbreakers|Army of the Dead]]" (instead of the Gondorian reinforcements) at the very end of the battle. Importance is given to the charge of the [[Oliphaunts|Mûmakil]], the death of [[Théoden]], and the [[Witch-king]]'s demise at the hands of [[Éowyn]].

:The battle begins with [[Sauron]]'s forces marching on the city and firing a volley of severed [[Gondorians|Gondorian]] heads over the walls (as in the book). Seeing [[Mordor]]'s overwhelming army, [[Denethor]] despairs, and [[Gandalf]] assumes command of the defenders. Both Sauron's army and the defenders of [[Minas Tirith]] exchange fire by way of catapults and trebuchets. Many Orcs and a few dozen Gondorian soldiers were killed, whilst some catapults and siege towers were destroyed. Then the [[Nazgûl|Ringwraiths]], mounted, on top of their [[fell beasts]], descended from the skies, spreading fear throughout the city and destroying many catapults. Meanwhile, [[Trolls]] bring forth the siege towers and engage the Gondorian troops and Gandalf in combat throughout the night. As the battle continues in the dark, the [[Orcs]] bring forth a giant battering ram named [[Grond (battering ram)|Grond]] and, with it, the [[Great Gate of Minas Tirith]] is shattered, allowing the Orcs, Trolls, and [[Wargs]] to invade the city. In the book, the populace was almost entirely evacuated before the battle. In the movie, the women and children remained, and many were slaughtered in the lower levels.

:By morning, the Gondorian soldiers had taken heavy casualties and retreated to the higher levels of Minas Tirith. There, Gandalf helps them to hold out until Théoden and six thousand Rohirrim arrive, decimating the invading Orcs and routing the Witch-king's right flank; however, [[Sauron]]'s reserves soon arrive with several [[Oliphaunts]], commanded by the [[Haradrim]], who turn the tide against the Rohirrim. Fortunately, [[Aragorn]] arrives later with the Army of the Dead (see [[Paths of the Dead]]), and they crush the remainder of Sauron's forces before entering Minas Tirith.

{{references}}
[[Category:Conflicts of the War of the Ring]]
[[de:Schlacht auf dem Pelennor]]
[[fr:encyclo:evenements:3a:guerres:bataille_des_champs_du_pelennor]]
[[fi:Pelennorin kenttien taistelu]]

Battle of the Morannon

2018-04-27T22:22:26Z

142.44.139.84:

{{battle
| image=[[File:The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King - Battle of the Morannon.jpg|300px]]
| name=Battle of the Morannon
| conflict=[[Battle of the Morannon]]
| date=[[25 March]] {{TA|3019}}
| place=[[Dagorlad]]
| result=Decisive victory for Gondor and Rohan Final defeat of Sauron
| side1=[[Gondor]], [[Rohan]]
| side2=[[Mordor]], [[Rhûn]] (Book only), [[Khand]] (Book only), [[Harad]] (Book only)
| commanders1=*[[Aragorn]]
*[[Gandalf]]
*[[Imrahil]] (Book only)
*[[Éomer]]
| commanders2=
* [[Sauron]]†
* [[Khamûl]]†
* [[Mouth of Sauron]]†
| forces1=
'''Book:'''
* 5,000 Gondorian and [[Rohirrim]] infantry
* 1,000 Gondorian and [[Rohirrim]] cavalry
*[[Eagles]]
<hr />
'''Movie:'''
* 500-700 [[Gondorian]] soldiers
* 400-600 [[Rohirrim]] soldiers
* several [[Eagles]]
| forces2=
'''Book:'''
* 60,000 [[Orcs]], [[Easterlings]], [[Haradrim]], and [[Variags]]
* several [[Olog-hai]]
* 8 [[Nazgul]] + [[Fell beasts]]
<hr />
'''Movie:'''
* 10,000 [[Orcs]]
* several [[Olog-hai]]
* 8 [[Nazgul]] + [[Fell beasts]]
| casual1=Light to moderate
| casual2=Complete destruction of [[Sauron]]'s armies
*All Nazgûl
*Some Evil men captured or pardoned
}}
{{wotr}}

The '''Battle of the Morannon''', also known as the '''Battle of the Black Gate''', was the last major battle against [[Sauron]] in the [[War of the Ring]], fought at the Black Gate of [[Mordor]] on [[25 March]] {{TA|3019}}.<ref name=Great>{{App|Great}}</ref> The army of the West, 6,000 strong by now, led by [[Aragorn]] marched on the gate as a diversionary feint to distract [[Sauron]]'s attention from [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] and [[Samwise Gamgee|Sam]], who were carrying [[the One Ring]] through Mordor. It was hoped that Sauron would think Aragorn had the Ring and was now trying to use it to overthrow Mordor.<ref>{{RK|V9}}</ref>

==History==
=== Prelude ===
{{seealso|Last Debate}}
Initially, the Army of the West had been composed of 7,000 men, but many were stationed at various places along the way. A strong guard of archers were stationed at the [[Cross-roads]], in case enemy troops came from the [[Cirith Ungol|Morgul Pass]] or from the South. In addition, Aragorn dismissed the faint of heart, who would not go to the [[Dagorlad]], ordering them to liberate [[Cair Andros]] on the river Anduin. This resulted in the departure of 1,000 men, leaving 6,000 to continue on towards the [[Black Gate]]. Upon arrival, Aragorn defensively arrayed his forces upon two [[Slag-hills]] with a mire of mud and stinking pools between his army and the Gate.

Before the battle began, Sauron sent one of his servants, the [[Black Númenóreans|Black Númenórean]] called the [[Mouth of Sauron]], to speak with the Captains of the West. He tried to trick [[Gandalf]] into believing Sauron held Frodo captive, displaying as evidence items that had belonged to Frodo and Sam (Sam's sword, an [[Elven cloaks|Elven cloak]], and Frodo's [[Mithril#The Mithril Coat|''mithril'' coat]]) The Mouth threatened that Frodo would be tortured if the West did not agree to Sauron's terms of surrender. The terms included: the disbanding of the armies of the West, an oath to never take up arms, the rebuilding of Isengard, and the turning over of all lands West to Sauron. (It is clear that while Sauron knew there was a Hobbit in Mordor, he did not know why. He also probably did not know there were two.)

Gandalf, however, refused to be swayed, took the items from the Mouth of Sauron, and sent him away. Amazed and angered, the Mouth of Sauron rode back to the Black Gate, let it be opened, and the forces of Sauron marched out. At the same time, more of Sauron's forces that had been hidden in the hills around the Black Gate came forth, thus surrounding and outnumbering the Men of the West by at least ten to one. Less than six thousand Men of the West were fielded.

=== The Battle ===
Against Aragorn's army was arrayed Sauron's hordes of [[Orcs]], [[Trolls]], and barbarian [[Men|Mannish]] allies such as the [[Easterlings]] and [[Haradrim]]. An exact count is not given of the number of Sauron's forces, and though they numbered in the tens of thousands at least, the battle is said to not have been quite as large as the preceding [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]]. Sauron "had taken the proffered bait in jaws of steel", and the dismayed soldiers of the West were trapped. Aragorn arranged his men in a circular formation around two hills in front of the Morannon, with the best soldiers of the West arranged in the front where the assault would be at its most bitter.

The slag pools near the hills proved a hindrance for many of Sauron's forces, but trolls easily passed through the pools and crashed into the hosts of the West, bashing through them as smiths hewing hot iron. Many of the Orcs and Men were unable to climb up to face the Western host, and instead shot arrows and projectiles at them. During the fighting, [[Beregond]] was wounded by a Troll-chief, and as it reached its claws out for him [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]] drove the blade of [[Westernesse]] through the creature before it could slay his comrade.

During the course of the battle, the eight remaining [[Nazgûl]] attacked the army of the West. The [[Eagles]] of the [[Misty Mountains]], led by [[Gwaihir]] the Windlord, arrived and attacked the Ringwraiths. The main host of Mordor managed to reach that of the West's, and despair was set among them. The Orcs laughed cruelly as they smashed against the Western forces, which began to dwindle, and the Ringwraiths overhead filled them with terror.<ref name=Battle>{{RK|V10}}</ref> At that moment, when all hope seemed lost, Frodo put on the One Ring and Sauron realized that Frodo was inside [[Mount Doom]]. The Nazgûl immediately left the battle to intercept Frodo. The hosts of Mordor were suddenly without direction; the Orc laughter ceased, the Evil Men hesitated, and many knights of the West began to repel the attackers in a charge. Gandalf ordered them to halt, for the hour of doom was about to come. Indeed, [[Gollum]] bit the Ring off Frodo's finger and then accidentally fell into the [[Cracks of Doom|Crack of Doom]], and Sauron's power was overthrown.<ref>{{RK|VI3}}</ref>

The Nazgûl had been flying over Mount Doom just as it underwent a gigantic volcanic eruption, and they were all destroyed in the firestorm. [[Barad-dûr]], the Black Gate, and the [[Towers of the Teeth]] collapsed to ruin. The Orcs and other creatures of Sauron were completely directionless with the Dark Lord's demise and fled mindlessly; some falling into pits, others outright killing themselves, and many fleeing. Many Easterlings fled as well or surrendered, though others banded together in their hatred and fought on stalwartly.<ref>{{RK|VI4}}</ref>

=== Aftermath ===
The desperate gambit of the West had succeeded, even as Frodo ultimately succumbed to the Ring. It was destroyed forever, and Sauron was disembodied permanently, his shadow fading away from Barad-dûr. Many surviving Orcs and Men retreated to the mountains or northward, where fighting against Sauron's remaining forces would continue for several weeks, notably at [[Dol Guldur]] in [[Mirkwood]] and at [[Lonely Mountain|Erebor]], but the power of the Dark Lord of Mordor was no more. The Western soldiers, weary and many injured, rested and healed before the host marched back to [[Minas Tirith]].<ref name=Great/>

Months later, the [[Battle of Bywater]] in [[the Shire]] against ruffians led by [[Saruman]], and the subsequent killing of Saruman and [[Gríma|Wormtongue]] on the very doorstep of [[Bag End]], ended the [[War of the Ring]].<ref>{{RK|VI8}}</ref>

{{references}}
[[Category:Conflicts of the War of the Ring]]
[[de:Schlacht am Morannon]]
[[fr:encyclo:evenements:3a:guerres:bataille_de_la_morannon]]

Battle of the Hornburg

2018-04-27T22:14:19Z

142.44.139.84: small edit; added battle box info of the strength based on the movie

{{sources}}
{{battle
|image=[[File:Alan Lee - The Battle of the Hornburg.jpg|300px]]
|name=Battle of the Hornburg
|conflict=[[War of the Ring]]
|date=3-4 March {{TA|3019}}
|place=[[Helm's Deep]] (especially the [[Hornburg]])
|result=Victory for the [[Rohirrim]]
|side1= [[Rohirrim]], [[Fangorn Forest]], [[Lothlórien]] (Movie only)
|side2= [[Isengard]], [[Dunland]] (Book only)
|commanders1=*[[Théoden]]
*[[Éomer]]
*[[Aragorn]]
*[[Erkenbrand]] (Book only)
*[[Gandalf]]
*[[Haldir]] (Movie only) †
|commanders2=*Unknown [[Uruk-hai]] commander †
|forces1=
'''Book:'''
* 3000 Rohirrim
* A "forest" of [[Huorns]]
<hr />
'''Movie (Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers):'''
* 300 [[Rohirrim]] soldiers
* 400 [[Galadhrim]] warriors
* Re-inforced by 2,000 [[Rohirrim]] soldiers
* A "forest" of [[Huorns]]
|forces2= 10,000 at the least
|casual1= Heavy, but precise numbers are unknown. Most of the elven warriors perished (Movie only)
|casual2= The entire force of Uruk-hai. Many Dunlendings slain but the rest surrendered (Book only)
}}
{{wotr}}
The '''Battle of the Hornburg''', also popularly referred to as the '''Battle of Helm's Deep''', took place at the mountain fortress of the [[Hornburg]] in the valley of [[Helm's Deep]] in [[Rohan]]. Taking place over the night of the [[3 March|3]]-[[4 March]] {{TA|3019}}, it saw the attacking [[Uruk-hai]] of [[Saruman]] defeated by the [[Rohirrim]] led by [[Théoden]] and [[Erkenbrand]].

== The Armies ==

=== Rohan ===

The army of Rohan consisted of 1000 cavalry forces from [[Edoras]] led by King Théoden. This force included [[Aragorn]], [[Gimli]], [[Legolas]], and Théoden's nephew [[Éomer]]. This army joined with Rohan's garrison of around 1000 at the [[Hornburg]].

The army was reinforced by 1000 scattered Rohirrim troops from the [[Westfold]] rallied by [[Gandalf]] and led by [[Erkenbrand]]. A forest of [[Huorns]] entered the valley independently, seeking revenge on Saruman's orcs.

=== Isengard ===

The army of [[Saruman]] consisted of his specially bred [[Uruk-hai]] [[orcs]] supported by [[Dunlendings]]. The total size of the Isengard force isn't specified, but it was mentioned by Saruman to be in the "tens of thousands" while conversing with [[Gríma]] in the tower of Orthanc at Isengard.

==History==
=== Prelude ===
On [[March 3]] seeking to take the fight away from his people, [[Théoden]] brought around a thousand horsemen to the [[Fords of Isen]] along with any others in [[Edoras]]. On their way they found [[Ceorl]] who reported a defeat to the Fords; Théoden then redirected his troops to Helm's Deep, which was commanded by [[Gamling]] in his lord [[Erkenbrand]]'s absence.
=== The Battle ===
The forces of Saruman arrived at the valley of [[Helm's Deep]] in the middle of the night and quickly scaled over the first defense, [[Helm's Dike]], and attempted to break down the fortress's gate with a battering ram. But [[Aragorn]], [[Éomer]], and some other Rohirrim attacked, through a postern gate on the side of the Hornburg, scattering the forces threatening the doors.

The Orcs and Dunlendings then raised hundreds of ladders to scale the wall. Aragorn and Éomer had to repeatedly move the defenders, who were getting weary, to repel the Orcs coming up the ladders and crossing the wall. However, some Orcs had crept in though a culvert which let a stream out of Helm's Deep, and while the defenders were busy with the assault on the wall, they suddenly attacked, having made it past the wall. The defenders quickly reacted and drove back the Orcs, and the culvert was blocked up under supervision by [[Gimli]].

[[File:John Howe - The Charge of the Rohirrim at Helm's Deep.jpg|thumb|left|[[John Howe]] - ''The Charge of the Rohirrim at Helm's Deep'']]However, the enemies reentered the culvert and caused an explosion using a device of Saruman's. This made a wide hole in the wall, and Saruman's forces could not be stopped. The defenders retreated to the [[Glittering Caves]] and to the Hornburg. Soon Saruman's forces used their blasting fire to gain entrance to the keep. At this moment, however, the horn of Helm's Deep was sounded, and after a moment a sortie led by Théoden and Aragorn rode forth, followed by men on foot from the keep, and the defenders of the caves , who made a break-out attempt and were driving the enemy out of the deep. Théoden and Aragorn cut through the Orcs and Dunlendings and arrived at Helm's Dike.

Both armies then noticed that many trees, [[Huorns]], had moved to block a possible escape route for the Orcs. Then [[Gandalf]], [[Erkenbrand]], and a thousand riders from the Westfold arrived, and charged. The Dunlendings were so terrified of Gandalf that they could no longer fight. The Orcs lost control and ran into the trees, where the Huorns destroyed them. Thus, Rohan won the battle.

=== Aftermath ===

After the battle those Dunlendings who surrendered were given amnesty by King Théoden and allowed to return to home. The Rohirrim required that all hostilities cease, and that the Dunlendings retreat behind the [[Isen]] river again. The slain Dunlendings were buried in a mound of their own apart from the Orc carcasses. The next night those carcasses disappeared and the [[Death Down]] was left by the departing Huorns.<ref>{{TT|III8}}</ref>

== Portrayal in Adaptations==
'''2002: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers]]'':'''
:The Battle of the Hornburg is a key part of this film. The amount of time spent around the battle in the movie was much more than in the original book. In the context of the film, it is referred to as the ''Battle of Helm's Deep'', a title which was never used by Tolkien but which is often used by fans, probably because it occupies a chapter entitled "Helm's Deep".

:One difference in the film is the leading up to the battle: in the book the army of the Rohirrim is going to the [[Fords of Isen]] when they decide to redirect to the Deep and anticipate the forces of Saruman which is consisted of [[Dunlendings]]. In the film, the whole people of Edoras is relocated to the Deep for protection against Saruman's Orcs who eventually find them. The Battle is given a dramatic weight as women and children are hiding in the [[Glittering Caves]] and the very existence of the Rohirrim is decided by the outcome.

:One major difference is that [[Elrond]], at the prompting of [[Galadriel]], sends a contingent of [[Elves|Elven]] archers to reinforce the defence of the keep. A similar event takes place in the novel, in which [[Elrond]] and [[Galadriel]] send a company of Aragorn's fellow [[Rangers of the North|Rangers]], accompanied by Elrond's sons, [[Elladan]] and [[Elrohir]], bringing the gift of a banner and the advice to take the [[Paths of the Dead]]. In the book, however, this takes place after the Battle of the Hornburg.

:In the book, it is never made explicitly clear by what method the Uruk-hai cause the explosion that blasts a hole in the Deeping Wall, with Aragorn just vaguely calling it "some devilry of Orthanc". It's not clear whether this was some magical attack caused by Saruman from Orthanc (similar to the avalanche on Caradhras in the first movie), or some sort of invention of Saruman's. The movie explicitly shows that Saruman, fitting with his theme of misusing his knowledge to empower his armies with a sort of proto-Industrial Revolution, makes his own gunpowder and uses it to make blasting charges that the Uruk-hai then ignite.

:In the movie, the thousands of troops of Saruman laid siege to the fortress which was defended by around 300 men (many of whom were too young or too old to fight) which the Rohirrim could muster and the aforementioned Elven Archers. When Legolas says there are "300" Rohirrim there he may have meant ''at that time'' as more were fleeing to the fortress, because visually there are more than 300 Rohirrim appearing on screen in the battle. This reference to "300 against 10,000" was probably meant as a reference to the ancient Battle of Thermopylae. These forces suffered heavy losses, but held out till dawn when Gandalf arrived with thousands of riders who finally turned the tide of the battle and sent Saruman's forces into retreat.These riders were led by Éomer in the film, whereas they were led by Erkenbrand in the book.

'''2013 : ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online: Helm's Deep]]'':'''
:The Battle of the Hornburg is a key part of the Epic Storyline of this expansion.

{{References}}
[[Category:Conflicts of the War of the Ring]]
[[Category:Sieges]]
[[de:Schlacht um die Hornburg]]
[[fi:Ämyrilinnan taistelu]]

Dwarves

2018-04-14T18:39:51Z

142.44.139.84:

{{sources}}
{{race infobox
| name=Dwarves
| image=[[File:Alarie - A bunch of dwarves.jpg|250px]]
| caption="A bunch of dwarves" by [[:Category:Images by Alarie|Alarie]]
| pronun=
| othernames=''Naugrim'' ([[Sindarin|S]]), ''Nogothrim'' ([[Sindarin|S]]).''[[Khazâd]]'' ([[Khuzdul|K]]), ''[[Hadhod]]rim'' ([[Sindarin|S]]), ''[[Casar]]i'' ([[Quenya|Q]])
| origin=Created by [[Aulë]]
| location=[[Moria|Khazad-dûm]], [[Belegost]], [[Nogrod]], [[Lonely Mountain|Erebor]], [[Iron Hills]], [[Orocarni]], [[Glittering Caves]], [[Grey Mountains]], [[Blue Mountains]], [[Gundabad]]
| affiliation=
| rivalry=[[Elves]], [[Orcs]]
| language=[[Khuzdul]] ([[Dwarvish]]), [[Iglishmêk]] (sign language), [[Westron]]
| people='''Clans:''' [[Durin's Folk|Longbeards]], [[Firebeards]], [[Broadbeams]], [[Ironfists]], [[Stiffbeards]], [[Blacklocks]], [[Stonefoots]], [[Petty-dwarves]] '''Groups:''' [[Dwarves of Belegost|Belegost Dwarves]], [[Dwarves of Erebor|Erebor Dwarves]], [[Dwarves of Khazad-dûm|Khazad-dûm Dwarves]], [[Dwarves of Nogrod|Nogrod Dwarves]], [[Dwarves of the Blue Mountains|Blue Mountain Dwarves]], [[Dwarves of the Grey Mountains|Grey Mountain Dwarves]], [[Dwarves of the Iron Hills|Iron Hill Dwarves]]
| members=[[Durin]], [[Gimli]], [[Thorin]], [[Dáin Ironfoot]], [[Azaghâl]], [[Mîm]], [[Balin]]
| lifespan=c. 250-350 years
| distinctions=Stocky; bearded; never bald; especially hardy and loyal; notoriously stubborn
| height=
| hair=Blond, brown, black, blue, red, and (when older) grey or white
| skin=
| clothing=
| weapons=Often axes, swords, hammers, mattocks
}}
{{quote|Since they were to come in the days of the power of [[Morgoth|Melkor]], [[Aulë]] made the dwarves strong to endure. Therefore they are stone-hard, stubborn, fast in friendship and in enmity, and they suffer toil and hunger and hurt of body more hardily than all other speaking peoples; and they live long, far beyond the span of Men, yet not forever.|[[The Silmarillion]], "[[Of Aulë and Yavanna]]"}}
The '''Dwarves''', or '''''[[Khuzd|Khazâd]]''''' in their own tongue, were beings of short stature, often friendly with [[Hobbits]] although long suspicious of [[Elves]]. They were typically blacksmiths and stoneworkers by profession, unrivaled in some of their arts even by the Elves.

While there were several tribes (Houses) of the Dwarves, the most prominent was that of the [[Durin's Folk|Longbeards]].

==History==
===Origin===
Unlike Elves and [[Men]], the Dwarves are not counted among the [[Children of Ilúvatar]]. Their creator was [[Aulë#Names and etymology|Mahal]], known as [[Aulë]] the Smith. Aulë created the Seven [[Fathers of the Dwarves]], from whom all other Dwarves are descended, deep beneath an unknown mountain somewhere in [[Middle-earth]]. However, Aulë did not have the divine power to grant independent life to any creation, and the dwarves were bound to his will. [[Ilúvatar]] came and reprimanded Aulë, who confessed his desire to create more living things, but in repentance lifted his hammer to destroy the dwarves. Even as the blow was about to land, the dwarves cowered and begged for mercy, as Ilúvatar had taken pity and given true life to the creations of his child, including them in His plan for [[Arda]]. However, Ilúvatar did not wish them to wake before the [[Elves]], whom he intended to be the first-born. Ilúvatar granted the Dwarves life, and therefore they are known as the Adopted Children of Ilúvatar, but he bade Aulë lay them to sleep in their chamber deep beneath the mountain, and they were to awake after the [[Awakening of the Elves]].<ref name=S2>{{S|2}}</ref>

[[File:BFME2 - Dwarf 4.jpg|thumb||Dwarves as portrayed in [[The Battle for Middle-earth II]] game.]]
The Seven Fathers awoke in their places in pairs with their wives, though [[Durin|Durin I]] had awoken alone. The seven different groups of Dwarf-folk originated in the locations where the Seven Fathers of the Dwarves first awoke.<ref>{{PM|XNotes}}</ref><ref>{{PM|X}}</ref>

The seven clans of the Dwarves were:

* [[Longbeards]], Durin's Folk, originally from [[Gundabad]].
* [[Firebeards]] and [[Broadbeams]], originally from [[Mt. Dolmed]].
* [[Ironfists]] and [[Stiffbeards]], originated in the East.
* [[Blacklocks]] and [[Stonefoots]], originated in the East.

Durin settled in the caves above [[Kheled-zâram]] which later became the greatest of Dwarf realms, [[Moria|Khazad-dûm]]. Therefore the halls of the Longbeards were not located near the halls of another Dwarf-kingdom.

There was also an eighth group of Dwarves that was not a separate member from these seven kindreds, but composed of exiles from each: the [[Petty-dwarves]], who were hunted like animals to the point of extinction by the [[Elves]] in the First Age.

===First Age===
The Dwarves for many years did not know any other folk, until Firebeards and Broadbeams had their first meeting with the [[Elves]] in [[Beleriand]] in the year {{YT|1250|n}} of the [[Years of the Trees]]. From that time on there was friendship between the [[Sindar]] and the Dwarves, and they began exchanging knowledge and creating ring-mails and many other works; the [[Dwarves of Nogrod]] were unmatched in Middle-earth in smithing. They delved the caves of [[Menegroth]], and adopted the [[cirth|writing]] of [[Daeron]]. It was the Dwarves who told the Sindar about [[Orcs]] attacking their Elven kin on the other side of the mountains, which prompted King [[Thingol]] to begin a build up of arms which the Dwarves made for him.

Later on a great army of Orcs attacked the Elves, but in the [[First Battle of Beleriand]] were defeated and fled. Those that got away ran south right into an army of Dwarves who issued from Mount Dolmed and destroyed them.

After the [[Return of the Noldor]], [[Finrod|Finrod Felagund]] desired to settle himself in the [[Caves of Narog]] and the Dwarves of the Ered Luin aided him and gave him the dwarven name ''Felak-gundu'' (''[[Felagund]]''). They eventually made for him the [[Nauglamír]]. This necklace without equal contained one of the [[Silmarils]], and sparked jealousy and conflicts over its true ownership. These initial conflicts receded by the beginning of the Second Age, but were rekindled to a new intensity by the discord sown by [[Sauron]]. They eventually created a rivalry and mistrust between Elves and Dwarves that endured to the end of the Third Age, when [[Gimli]] the Dwarf bridged the distance between the two races by developing a deep admiration for lady [[Galadriel]] and forming a strong friendship with [[Legolas]] the Elf.

Things finally came to a head between the forces of Morgoth and the Elves, Men, and Dwarves in the [[Nirnaeth Arnoediad]]. The Dwarves fought for the [[Union of Maedhros]]

In early [[Second Age]] most of the [[Firebeards]] and [[Broadbeams]] houses migrated to [[Moria|Khazad-dûm]] from their cities in the [[Blue Mountains]] which were ruined during the sinking of Beleriand.

===Second Age===
The Dwarves had little participation in most of the important events involving the other races. However their friendship with the Elves perhaps became more close than ever; the Dwarves of [[Moria]] maintained close connections to the [[Gwaith-i-Mírdain]] of [[Eregion]]; the [[Doors of Durin]] of Moria were built to facilitate the communication between the two people, and was constructed jointly by both races.

When Eregion was sacked by [[Sauron]]'s forces, the Dwarves assailed them from behind however it was too late to stop him from conquering all [[Eriador]].<ref name="UTGalad">{{UT|Galadriel}}</ref>
[[File:Liz Danforth - Annatar and the Seven Rings.png|thumb|[[Liz Danforth]] - ''Annatar and the seven rings'']]
When "[[Annatar]]" distributed the Rings of Power, he gave [[seven Rings|seven]] to Dwarf Lords in order to subdue and control them. However, they did not have the same effect as they did over Men. Dwarves did not shift into the [[wraith-world]] and in fact resisted domination. The Rings only augmented their greed and ability to create riches.

At the end of the Age, very few Dwarves participated in the [[War of the Last Alliance|great War]], with some joining the side of [[Sauron]]. Some of the [[Dwarves of Moria]] joined the great host of the [[Last Alliance of Elves and Men]].<ref name=rings>{{S|Rings}}</ref>

===Third Age===

[[File:Angus McBride - Dwarves.jpg|thumb|left|[[Angus McBride]] - ''The Dwarves are upon You!'']]
In [[Third Age 1980]], after centuries of greedy digging for ''[[mithril]]'' and other minerals, the Dwarves woke a [[Durin's Bane|Balrog]] that was sleeping in the deeps of the Misty Mountains since the First Age. The Dwarves fled Khazad-dum, which from then on was called ''Moria'', which means "Black pit".

Most of Durin's folk left for the [[Grey Mountains]] in the North, while some followed the new king, [[Thráin I]], who briefly went to [[Lonely Mountain|Erebor]] in {{TA|1999}}. For more than 300 years the [[Dwarves of the Grey Mountains]] prospered until the Dragons in the far North started to gain strength. Some fled to the [[Iron Hills]], while most followed the new king [[Thrór]] to Erebor to start a new [[Kingdom under the Mountain]]. There, they prospered for over 200 years until the dragon [[Smaug]] descended in {{TA|2770}}. The King and his company went in exile South, while most of the survivors went to the Iron Hills.

Durin's folk settled in [[Dunland]], and in {{TA|2790}} King Thrór traveled North to Moria where he was killed by the [[Orcs|Goblin]] king [[Azog]]. Thrór's son [[Thráin|Thráin II]] (who had received the Last of the Seven Rings from his father before his departure) summoned all the Houses of Dwarves to war. Thus began the [[War of Dwarves and Orcs]], in which the Dwarves destroyed all the Goblin strongholds in the [[Misty Mountains]] culminating to the great [[Battle of Azanulbizar]] where all the dwarven clans united. The Goblin hosts issuing from Moria were strong and relentless until the arrival of fresh [[Dwarves of the Iron Hills]]. The Battle ended with the victory of Dwarves, but at great cost. The Dwarven clans however were unwilling to repopulate Moria. Thráin therefore came to the [[Blue Mountains]] and established his realm there.

[[File:Angelo Montanini - Dori.jpg|thumb|[[Angelo Montanini]] - ''Dori'']]
The Wizard [[Gandalf]] was instrumental into helping Thráin's son Thorin in reclaiming the Kingdom of Erebor. Thorin gathered around him [[Thorin and Company|twelve dwarves]], mostly from his own line, and was joined by [[Gandalf]] and [[Bilbo Baggins]]. The [[Quest of Erebor]] ended with the death of [[Smaug]]. After a quarrel with the Men and Elves over the unguarded hoard, the Dwarves - assisted by those from the [[Iron Hills]] - united with the Men and Elves to fight the attacking Goblins and Wargs, in what was called the [[Battle of Five Armies]], where Thorin was killed.

[[Gimli]] son of Glóin joined the [[Fellowship of the Ring]] as a representative of the Dwarves and befriended [[Legolas]] during the [[War of the Ring]].

===Fourth Age===
Not much is known about the Dwarves in the [[Fourth Age]]. After the [[War of the Ring]], [[Gimli]] brought a part of Durin's Folk from Erebor to the Glittering Caves behind Helm's Deep and founded a colony there. Subsequently, Gimli went on many travels with his friend Legolas, and History lost track of their fate. Through their friendship and influence, the feud between the two races that had lasted for millennia finally ended, shortly before the departure of the last Elves from Middle-earth. It is rumored that Gimli and Legolas eventually boarded a ship that sailed down the river Anduin, out to sea and across to Valinor in the year {{FoA|120}}. Gimli would thus have become the only Dwarf to ever be permitted to cross to the Undying Lands.

[[Durin VII]] (the Last), retook Moria and brought Khazad-dûm back to its original splendor, and the Longbeards lived there till the "world grew old and the days of Durin's race ended".

==Nature==
They were 4.5 - 5 feet (1.35 - 1.52 m) tall and their more distinctive characteristic was their beard which they have from the beginning of their lives, male and females alike; and which they shave only in shame.<ref name=wj13>{{WJ|13}}</ref>

As creations of Aulë, they were attracted to the substances of Arda and crafts. They mined and worked precious metals throughout the mountains of Middle-earth, but had a tendency toward gold lust, and committed their share of rash and greedy acts. Among these was the dispute over the [[Nauglamír]], which led to the slaying of Elu [[Thingol]] and stirred up the initial suspicion between Elves and Dwarves to open hatred.<ref name=rings/>

Dwarves generally lived far from the sea and avoided getting on boats, as they disliked the sound of the ocean and were afraid of it.<ref name=S10>{{S|10}}</ref>
===Hardiness===
The Dwarves were created by Aulë to be strong, resistant to fire and the evils of Morgoth. They were hardier than any other race, secretive, stubborn, and steadfast in enmity or loyalty.

Despite their short stature, they were known for their strength and endurance in battle, as well as their fury, particularly when avenging their fallen kin, and for being some of the greatest warriors in all of Middle-earth. They fought valiantly in many wars and battles over the Ages holding axes.<ref name=wj13/>

Sickness was almost unknown to the Dwarves, as they were immune to human diseases.<ref name=PMAiv/>

They were generally less corruptible than Men. When Sauron attempted to enslave the Free Folk of Middle-earth using the [[Rings of Power]], the Elves completely resisted his power (indeed, his hand had never sullied the [[Three Rings]]), while the [[Nine Rings]] utterly corrupted the Men who bore them into the [[Ringwraiths]]. In contrast, the Dwarves were sturdy and resistant enough that Sauron was not able to dominate them using the [[Seven Rings]]. At most, the Seven Rings sowed strife among the Dwarves and filled their wearers with an insatiable greed for gold, but they did not turn them into wraiths subservient to the Dark Lord, and he considered his plan to have failed. Sauron was furious at the Dwarves' resistance, spurring his drive to recapture the Seven Rings from them.

Another example was [[Gimli]], who, while [[Saruman]] used the power in his voice and the [[Rohirrim]] were spell-bound by his magic, Gimli was unmoved and commented that Saruman's words cannot be trusted, causing Saruman to be angered enough to lose his charm.<ref>{{TT|Voice}}</ref>

===Lifespan===
The lifespan of Dwarves was varied depending on their ancestry. The Longbeards were particularly long-lived, but by the Third Age their lifespan was diminished and they lived, on average, 250 years. Until they were around 30 years of age, Dwarves were considered too young for heavy labor or war (hence the slaying of Azog by [[Dain Ironfoot]] at age 32 was a great feat). By the age of 40, Dwarves were hardened into the appearance that they would keep for most of their lives. Between the approximate ages of 40 and 240, most Dwarves were equally hale and able to work and fight with vigor. They took on the appearance of age only about ten years before their death, wrinkling and greying rapidly, but never going bald. Occasionally they would live up to 300 years of age, and [[Dwalin]] reached the rare lifespan of 340 years (comparable to a Middle Man living to 100).<ref name=PMAiv>{{PM|Aiv}}</ref>

Although Dwarves did not suffer from diseases, corpulence could affect them. In prosperous circumstances, many grew fat by the age of 200 and became physically inept.<ref name=PMAiv>{{PM|Aiv}}</ref>

==Culture and family==
The Dwarves' numbers, although they sometimes flourished, often faced periods of decline, especially in periods of war. The slow increase of their population was due to the rarity of [[Dwarf-women]], who made up only about a third of the total population. Dwarves seldom wedded before the age of ninety or more, and rarely had so many as four children. They took only one husband or wife in their lifetime, and were jealous, as in all matters of their rights. The number of Dwarf-men that married was actually less than a third, for not all the Dwarf-women took husbands; some desired none, some wanted one they could not have and would have no other. Many Dwarf-men did not desire marriage because they were absorbed in their work.<ref name=AppA3>{{App|A3}}</ref><ref name=PMAiv/>

Dwarf-women seldom walked abroad, and that only in great need. When they did travel, they were so alike Dwarf-men in voice, appearance, and garb that it was hard for other races to tell them apart. They were likewise seldom named in genealogies, joining their husbands' families. The only Dwarf-woman named in Tolkien's legendarium is [[Dís]], sister of Thorin Oakenshield, who was given a place in the records because of the gallant deaths of her sons, Fíli and Kíli. The scarcity of women, their rare mention, and their identical looks with the males, coupled with the Dwarves' secretive culture, led many to mistakenly believe that Dwarves were born out of stone, and upon death they returned to that stone.<ref name=AppA3/><ref name=PMAiv/>

Dwarves are fiercely devoted to their parents and children. In their desire for their children to grow up hardy and enduring, they may treat them harshly, but they will protect them at all costs. Dwarves resent injuries to their children and to their parents more than injuries to themselves.<ref name=PMAiv/>

==Religion==
The Dwarves loved and revered the Vala Aulë.<ref name=S10/><ref name=S2>{{S|2}}</ref>

Of old the Elves believed that the Dwarves would have no future in [[Arda Unmarred]], but the Dwarves themselves held to a promise that Ilúvatar would hallow them and adopt them as his Children. They maintained that after death Aulë (Mahal) cared for them, gathering them to the [[Halls of Mandos]] with the other Children of Ilúvatar, though in halls set apart. It is said that after the Last Battle they will work alongside Aulë in the remaking of Arda.<ref name=S2/>

==Language==
The Dwarven language was created by Aulë, and was called [[Khuzdul]]. It was a strange language to Elves and Men, and few non-Dwarves learned it, because it was difficult, and the Dwarves kept it secret, preferring to communicate in the languages of their neighbors. Only one Khuzdul phrase was well known to outsiders: the ancient battle cry, going back to at least the First Age: "''Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu!''", which means "Axes of the Dwarves! The Dwarves are upon you!". The Dwarves taught Khuzdul carefully to their children, as a learned language, not a cradle-tongue, and thus the language changed very little over the ages, unlike those of other races.
The Dwarves also devised a secret language of gestures to communicate between themselves in silence, the ''[[iglishmêk]]''.<ref>{{WJ|Quendi}}, p. 395</ref>

==Names==
The Dwarves called themselves the ''[[Khazâd]]'', the name Aulë gave them; this is adapted as '''''[[Hadhod]]'''rim'' in [[Sindarin]], and '''''[[Casar]]'''i'' in [[Quenya]]. Casari was the common word for Dwarves among the [[Noldor]], but the [[Sindar]] usually called them ''Naugrim'' or ''Nogothrim'', the Stunted People.<ref>{{App|F2}}</ref>

An epithet for the Dwarves in [[Quenya]] was ''Auleonnar'', meaning "offspring of Aule".<ref>{{HM|PM}}, p. 391</ref>

In their dealings with people of other races, the Dwarves did not reveal their true names, rather adopting new names in other languages (the [[petty-dwarves]] were an exception). During the Third Age, the Longbeards used [[northern Mannish]] names in public.

==Inspiration==
Almost all the names of the Dwarves of Middle-earth are taken from the Old Norse [[Völuspá]].

According to Tolkien, the "real 'historical'" plural of ''dwarf'' is ''dwarrows'' or ''dwerrows''. He once referred to ''dwarves'' as "a piece of private bad grammar" (''[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien|Letters]]'', 17), but in Appendix F to ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' he explains that if we still spoke of ''dwarves'' regularly, English might have retained a special plural for the word ''dwarf'' as with ''man''. The form ''dwarrow'' only appears in the word ''Dwarrowdelf'', a name for [[Moria]]. Tolkien used ''Dwarves'', instead, which corresponds with ''Elf'' and ''Elves'', making its meaning more apparent. The use of a different term also serves to set Tolkien's Dwarves apart from the similarly-named creatures in mythology and fairy-tales.

The enduring popularity of Tolkien's books, especially ''[[The Hobbit]]'' and ''[[The Lord of the Rings]],'' has led to the popular use of the term ''dwarves'' to describe this race in fantasy literature. Before Tolkien, the term ''dwarfs'' (with a different spelling) was used, as seen in ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs''. In fact, the latter spelling was so common that the original editor of ''The Lord of the Rings'' "corrected" Tolkien's ''dwarves'' to ''dwarfs'' (''[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]]'', 138).

==Other versions of the Legendarium==
In the earliest versions of Tolkien's Middle-earth mythology (see: ''[[The History of Middle-earth]]'') the dwarves were evil beings created by [[Morgoth|Melkor]].

In an earlier version of the legendarium it is hinted that the Dwarves do not know about Ilúvatar, or that they disbelieve his existence, but later writings contradict that suggestion.<ref name="#">{{LT2|IV}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[:Category:Images of Dwarves|Images of Dwarves]]

==External links==

*"[http://lingwe.blogspot.se/2013/02/did-tolkien-coin-plural-dwarves.html Did Tolkien coin the plural “dwarves”?]" by [[Jason Fisher]]

{{references}}
{{Dwarvenclans}}
[[Category:Dwarves| ]]
[[Category:Races]]
[[de:Zwerge]]
[[fr:encyclo/peuples/nains/nains]]
[[fi:Kääpiöt]]

Witch-king

2018-04-14T18:25:25Z

142.44.139.84:

{{footnotes}}
{{evil infobox
| name=The Witch-king of Angmar
| image=[[File:Melissa Hitchcock - The Black Captain.jpg|250px]]
| caption="The Black Captain" by [[:Category:Images by Melissa Hitchcock|Melissa Hitchcock]]
| pronun=
| othernames=Black Captain, Chief of the Nine, Lord of Minas Morgul
| titles=
| position=Lord of the [[Nazgûl]]
| location=[[Angmar]] [[Minas Morgul]]
| affiliation=[[Sauron]]
| language=[[Black Speech]], [[Westron]]
| birth=[[Second Age]]
| birthlocation=
| rule=
| death=[[15 March]], {{TA|3019}}
| deathlocation=[[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]]
| age=4200+
| notablefor=[[Arnor#The Fall of Arthedain|Fall of Arnor]] Establishing [[Angmar]] Fall of [[Minas Ithil]] and [[Osgiliath]] Deaths of [[Eärnur]], [[Boromir (Steward of Gondor)|Boromir]], and [[Théoden]] Stabbing [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]]
| parentage=
| siblings=
| spouse=
| children=
| race=[[Black Númenórean]] (early) [[Nazgûl|Ringwraith]] (later)
| gender=Male
| height=Tallest of the Nazgûl
| hair=Gleaming
| eyes=
| clothing=Crown
| weapons=[[Morgul-knife]]; [[Black Breath]]; A great black mace
| steed=Black horse
| gallery=the Witch-king
}}
{{quote|In rode the Lord of the Nazgûl. A great black shape against the fires beyond he loomed up, grown to a vast menace of despair. In rode the Lord of the Nazgûl, under the archway that no enemy ever yet had passed, and all fled before his face.|"[[The Siege of Gondor]]"<ref name="Siege">{{RK|Siege}}</ref>}}
The '''Witch-king of Angmar''' was the chief of the [[Nazgûl]], King of [[Angmar]] and [[Sauron]]’s great captain in his wars. A [[Wraiths|wraith]], the Witch-king of Angmar was nearly indestructible, a terrifying warrior, and a cunning strategist.

==History==
Some time after Sauron seized the [[Rings of Power]] in the [[Sack of Eregion]], {{SA|1697}} he gave [[Nine Rings|nine of them]] to [[Men|Mannish]] kings, sorcerers and other warriors.<ref>{{S|Rings}}, p. 289</ref> With the power of their rings, the Nine achieved glory and grew wealthy, but they eventually started hating life as they were slowly drawn under Sauron’s dominion. In the end, they all became the dreadful [[Nazgûl|Ringwraiths]].

The one later known as the Witch-king was one of these, likely one of the unnamed three lords of [[Númenor]] to take the rings.<ref>{{S|Akallabeth}}, p. 267, Ballantine Books p. 320</ref> <ref>[[The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion]], p. 20</ref> He first appeared in the histories as a Ringwraith in {{SA|2251}}. Being the most powerful of the Nazgûl, he became their chief and the most feared servant of his master Sauron.

When [[Mordor]] fell in {{SA|3441}}, the Nazgûl vanished into the shadows and were not heard of again for a long time.<ref name="appendixB">{{App|B}}</ref>

===Early Power in Angmar===
More than a thousand years later, in c. {{TA|1050|n}} of the [[Third Age]], [[Sauron]] began to rebuild his power in [[Dol Guldur]]. In c. {{TA|1300|n}} his Nazgûl also reappeared and the Witch-king established his realm, [[Angmar]], in the north.<ref name="appendixB">[[The Lord of the Rings]], [[Appendix B]]</ref> His capital was [[Carn Dûm]], on the northernmost peak of the [[Misty Mountains]]. He summoned men, [[orcs]] and other creatures of evil inclination to his banner. No one knew that he was actually a servant of the long-dormant [[Sauron]] and few that he was a wraith.<ref name="AppA">[[The Lord of the Rings]], [[Appendix A]] (iii), [[Houghton Mifflin]] p. 320 </ref>

In the north, disunity plagued the [[Dúnedain]] of [[Arnor]]. They had divided into three kingdoms: [[Cardolan]], [[Rhudaur]] and [[Arthedain]], and were constantly at war with one another.<ref name="AppA">[[The Lord of the Rings]], [[Appendix A]] (iii), Houghton Mifflin p. 320 </ref> The Witch-king saw the North-kingdom of Arnor as more vulnerable than the South-kingdom of Gondor.<ref name="Malvegil">[[The Peoples of Middle-earth]], [[The Heirs of Elendil]], entry for [[Malvegil]], [[HarperCollins]] p. 193-194 </ref> He played upon their opposition, sending in infiltrators and taking over the hearts of the men of that land. By {{TA|1349|n}}, the government of Rhudaur was controlled by men secretly in his service,<ref name="Malvegil">[[The Peoples of Middle-earth]], [[The Heirs of Elendil]], entry for [[Malvegil]], [[HarperCollins]] p. 193-194</ref> and he secretly aided them in their wars against the other kingdoms.<ref name="Argeleb">[[The Peoples of Middle-earth]], [[The Heirs of Elendil]], entry for [[Argeleb I]], [[HarperCollins]] p. 194</ref> He then struck at a time of great hostility among the three, in {{TA|1409|n}}. Rhudaur in the east fell first, and most of the Dúnedain there were hunted down and slaughtered by sorcerers.<ref name="Arveleg">[[The Peoples of Middle-earth]], [[The Heirs of Elendil]], entry for [[Arveleg I]], [[HarperCollins]] p. 194 </ref> Cardolan was ravaged and the [[Tower of Amon Sûl]], held by the men of Arthedain, was placed under siege. King [[Arveleg I]] was slain and the tower was destroyed, but the coveted ''[[Amon Sûl-stone|palantír]]'' escaped in the hands of the surviving men of Arthedain and was brought to [[Fornost]].<ref name="Palantiri16">[[Unfinished Tales]], [[The Palantíri]], note 16, [[Houghton Mifflin]] p. 413 </ref>

The Witch-king continued to press the men of Arthedain, laying siege to Fornost, and he might have taken over all of Arnor in that one offensive. But [[Araphor]], the 18-year-old son of Arveleg, came to leadership and, with the help of the ancient elf [[Círdan]] of [[Lindon]], repelled the Witch-king’s forces at Fornost and the [[North Downs]].<ref name="ten">[[The Lord of the Rings]], [[Appendix A]] (iii), [[Houghton Mifflin]] pp. 321-322</ref> [[Elrond]] brought an army of [[Elves]] from [[Rivendell]] and [[Lothlórien]], and the Witch-king was pushed back and subdued.

===Twilight of Angmar===
The Witch-king sat silent in Carn Dûm, rebuilding his armies and preparing for a final assault on [[Arthedain]], last of the Arnorian kingdoms. The [[Dark Plague]] came and went in {{TA|1636|n}}, taking with it the last of the Dúnedain of [[Cardolan]]. The Witch-king sent [[barrow-wights]] to inhabit the barrows in [[Barrow-downs|Tyrn Gorthad]].<ref name="ten">[[The Lord of the Rings]], [[Appendix A]] (iii), [[Houghton Mifflin]] pp. 321-322</ref> In {{TA|1974|n}}, he felt that his power was sufficiently restored to begin the advance.

His attack was sudden, but not unexpected. King [[Arvedui]] sent a message to King [[Eärnil II]] of [[Gondor]] the year before, but help did not arrive in time. [[Fornost]] fell, and the Witch-king took up residence there in the palace.<ref name="eleven">[[The Lord of the Rings]], [[Appendix A]] (iv), [[Houghton Mifflin]] pp. 331-332</ref> Arvedui held out as best as he might on the [[North Downs]], but at last fled north with the treasured ''[[palantíri]]'' of [[Amon Sûl-stone|Amon Sûl]] and [[Annúminas-stone|Annúminas]]. He would not return, for he perished in a shipwreck in {{TA|1975|n}}. With him the ''palantíri'' were lost forever in the icy seas of [[Forod]]. The already-diminished North-kingdom ended, and [[Arnor]] fell.<ref name="ten">[[The Lord of the Rings]], [[Appendix A]] (iii), [[Houghton Mifflin]] pp. 321-322</ref>

Meanwhile, a coalition in the south had formed. Eärnil sent his son, [[Eärnur]], north with a great fleet, all that Gondor could spare. They arrived at [[Lindon]] and joined with the folk of Círdan. Círdan summoned all that would come: surviving Dúnedain of Arnor and elves of Lindon.<ref name="eleven">[[The Lord of the Rings]], [[Appendix A]] (iv), [[Houghton Mifflin]] pp. 331-332</ref> Even a company of [[Hobbits|hobbit]] archers went to their aide.<ref name="ten">[[The Lord of the Rings]], [[Appendix A]] (iii), [[Houghton Mifflin]] pp. 321-322</ref> The Witch-king had grown overconfident and, instead of staying behind his fortifications, initiated the attack. The [[Battle of Fornost]] was fought on the plain between [[Nenuial]] and the North Downs. The Witch-king may not have anticipated the strength brought against him, but for whatever reason the alliance gained the upper hand. His army began to fall back toward Fornost, but Eärnur’s magnificent horsemen struck from the north and the Witch-king was routed.<ref name="eleven">[[The Lord of the Rings]], [[Appendix A]] (iv), [[Houghton Mifflin]] pp. 331-332</ref>

He decided to flee to Angmar and the safety of Carn Dûm, but the cavalry, with Eärnur himself in the lead, overtook him. Moreover, the ranks of the allies swelled, as an army of elves from [[Rivendell]] came led by the mighty hero of old, [[Glorfindel]]. Angmar was purged of men and orcs, and all seemed lost for the Witch-king in the face of such numbers. But the Witch-king himself came at the last, robed and masked in black and riding a black horse, and attempted to kill Eärnur with his own hands. But Eärnur’s horse shied away and fled, and the Witch-king laughed. But Glorfindel came on his white horse, and faced with such power the Witch-king fled. He vanished into the shadows and no-one marked where he had gone.<ref name="eleven">[[The Lord of the Rings]], [[Appendix A]] (iv), [[Houghton Mifflin]] pp. 331-332</ref>

Eärnur wanted to pursue, but Glorfindel held him back and made his famous prophecy.

{{Blockquote|He will not return to this land. Far off yet is his doom, and not by the hand of man will he fall.|Glorfindel, ''[[The Return of the King]]'', [[Appendix A]] (iv)}}

===Lord of Minas Morgul===
The Witch-king escaped to [[Mordor]], and gathered the other Ringwraiths about him in {{TA|1980|n}}.<ref name="appendixB">[[The Lord of the Rings]], [[Appendix B]]</ref> Angmar and Carn Dûm were lost, and so in {{TA|2000|n}} the Witch-king began a two-year siege of [[Minas Ithil]], eventually capturing the place and turning it into his residence. It was renamed [[Minas Morgul]], and the ''[[Ithil-stone|palantír]]'' was sent to Sauron. The Witch-king sent an aura of fear in [[Gondor]], and much of [[Ithilien]] was deserted.<ref name="eleven">[[The Lord of the Rings]], [[Appendix A]] (iv), [[Houghton Mifflin]] pp. 331-332</ref>

Eärnur succeeded his father as King of Gondor, and still held the Witch-king in especial hostility due to his humiliation at the Battle of Fornost. The year of his coronation the Witch-king sent him a taunting challenge, but [[Mardil|Mardil Voronwë]] the steward restrained Eärnur from rash action. Seven years later the challenge was repeated, and Eärnur rode with a small escort to Minas Morgul. None that rode thither ever returned, and there was no longer a King in Gondor.<ref name="eleven">[[The Lord of the Rings]], [[Appendix A]] (iv), [[Houghton Mifflin]] pp. 331-332</ref>

After this the Witch-king bided his time. He and the Nazgûl built up their armies, including the terrible new orc-race of [[uruks]]. In {{TA|2475|n}} he sent them out to capture [[Osgiliath]], which they did successfully. They were driven out by [[Boromir (Steward of Gondor)|Boromir]], [[Ruling Steward|Steward]] of [[Gondor]], but Osgiliath now lay completely in ruins. Boromir went on to retake Ithilien, so that even the Witch-king feared him. But he was killed by a Morgul-wound, and so his rule was but twelve years.<ref name="twelve">[[The Lord of the Rings]], [[Appendix A]] (iv), [[Houghton Mifflin]] p. 333</ref>

===Hunt for the Ring===
Sauron declared himself openly in {{TA|2951|n}}, and sent three of his Ringwraiths to [[Dol Guldur]] (though the Witch-king was left in Minas Morgul). Then, by lucky chance, the creature [[Gollum]] was captured and interrogated. Under torture, the wretched creature revealed the tale of [[the One Ring]] and how it came to be in his possession. But from his words Sauron misunderstod that the land of the hobbits who stole the Ring was on the banks of the [[Gladden River]], whence Gollum originally came from.<ref name="thirteen">{{UT|Hunt}}, [[Houghton Mifflin]] p. 338-341</ref> Sauron sent the Nine, under the leadership of the Witch-king, invisible and uncloaked, to search for the Ring after the assault of Osgiliath.

[[Khamûl]], the Witch-king’s lieutenant, reported that he was unable to find the “[[the Shire|Shire]]” in the vales of [[Anduin]]. The Witch-king was determined to search north and west until Gollum was found, or the Shire. But plans were halted when Sauron received word of the prophecy in Gondor and the doings of the turncoat [[Saruman]], and concluded that the Wise did not yet have possession of the Ring. He sent the Ringwraiths to [[Isengard]] in the form of [[Nazgûl|Black Riders]], too late to prevent the escape of the captured wizard [[Gandalf]], but had words with Saruman. Saruman, already a traitor to both sides due to his transparent lust for the Ring, fortified himself in Isengard. The Witch-king did not have enough power with him to assault Saruman in his great fortress, but had words with him. Saruman convinced the Witch-king that Gandalf alone knew where the Shire and the Ring was, and so the Nine passed into [[Rohan]] in search of him.<ref name="thirteen"/>

They came upon the traitor called [[Gríma|Wormtongue]] and questioned him. The terrified man told them everything he knew; that Gandalf had passed through Rohan, where the Shire was, and even that Saruman had lied to them. The Witch-king spared Wormtongue’s life, foreseeing that Wormtongue would bring ruin to Saruman. He divided his wraiths into four pairs, and went with the swiftest to [[Minhiriath]]. Along the way they captured several spies of Saruman, and found to their delight charts and maps of the Shire. They sent along the spy to [[Bree]], warning them that they now belonged to Mordor, not Saruman.<ref name="thirteen"/>

They came to [[Sarn Ford]], but the [[Dúnedain]] [[Rangers of the North|Rangers]] prevented them from crossing. They sent for their great captain, the chieftain [[Aragorn|Aragorn II]], who alone could well resist the wraiths, but he was away, and the Ringwraiths captured the ford and killed many of the Rangers.<ref name="thirteen"/> The Witch-king sent three Ringwraiths under Khamûl into the Shire while he went east with the others.<ref name="appendixB">{{App|B}}</ref> But they had come too late: the Ring had moved on in the hands of a hobbit, [[Frodo Baggins]].

===Pursuit of the Ring===
[[File:Ted Nasmith - Fire on Weathertop.jpg|thumb|right|220px|[[Ted Nasmith]] - ''Fire on Weathertop'']]Khamûl was unsuccessful, but brought word from the spy they had spared in Bree. The man had witnessed a vanishing act on Frodo's part, and had organized an attack on the inn. The Witch-king guessed that Frodo would head east, and sent four wraiths to [[Weathertop]], the ruins of the tower he had destroyed long ago. He went south along the [[Greenway]] and discovered nothing. Gandalf followed them, but the Witch-king let him slip ahead, and attacked him on Weathertop. Gandalf escaped at dawn, and again the Witch-king divided his force and sent four after the wizard.

The Ring walked almost right into his hands. The captain of the Dúnedain, Aragorn II, had become the guide of the hobbits, and led them to Weathertop, where they were spotted and attacked. The Witch-king advanced on Frodo, and the terrified hobbit put on the Ring, seeing them as they truly were. When Frodo resisted, and invoked the name of [[Varda|Elbereth]], the Witch-king stabbed Frodo in the shoulder. The tip of his blade broke off and sent poison through the hobbit’s veins. Then Aragorn counterattacked with flaming brands. The Witch-king departed with the other Nazgûl, believing that his objective was completed.

He resumed the pursuit quickly, though, and found that Khamûl had been driven from the [[Last Bridge]] by his old enemy [[Glorfindel]]. The Witch-king, who only had one companion with him, was likewise unable to confront him openly. They regrouped and went south, rejoining with the other four. They managed to pick up the trail of the company of the Ring, and despite hindrance from Glorfindel and Aragorn managed to pursue Frodo alone on [[Asfaloth]]. The pursuit came to the [[Ford of Bruinen]], and there Frodo compelled the horse to stop. The Witch-king saw his defiance and laughed, breaking his sword with a movement of his hand. But the waters of the [[Bruinen]] rose at [[Elrond]]'s command, sweeping the Nine downstream.<ref name="fourteen">[[The Fellowship of the Ring]], [[Flight to the Ford]]</ref>

===War of the Ring===
[[File:Angus McBride - Gandalf facing Witch-king.gif|thumb|left|[[Angus McBride]] - ''Gandalf facing the Witch-king'']]
The Witch-king took the only surviving horse back to [[Mordor]], arriving there in December. He then sent aid to the other eight Nazgûl, and they returned in secret. In [[Minas Morgul]] they prepared for a grand invasion of [[Gondor]] at the order of their master. The Witch-king was given by Sauron added "demonic" force.<ref name="fifteen">[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]], [[Letter 210]], p. 272</ref> On 10 March {{TA|3019|n}}, the signal was given and Minas Morgul was emptied. The Witch-king rode at the head of the army in black, upon a black horse, as he had in the time of the wars of Angmar. As the Witch-king passed out of the gates of the dead city, he sensed the presence of Frodo. He was disturbed, but continued on through Ithilien.

With the Witch-king in command, [[Osgiliath]] soon fell.<ref name="Siege">{{RK|Siege}}</ref> The defeat was attributed to his superior numbers, and his terrible presence which made all hearts to quail. The [[Rammas Echor]] was breached, and the [[Pelennor Fields]] were overrun. Other wraiths he sent out mounted on [[Fell beasts]]. [[Faramir]], [[Ruling Steward|Steward]] [[Denethor|Denethor II]]'s son, was wounded by a dart and the [[Black Breath|black breath]], but his company was saved by a sortie. Then the Witch-king laid siege to [[Minas Tirith]] itself, sending fire and the heads of the dead Gondorians into the city via catapults. Then he launched the assault.

He sent [[Grond (battering ram)|Grond]] out first, accompanying it in person so as to be the first to enter the city. Three times Grond struck the gate, empowered by the sorcery of the Witch-king. The third time the Gate shattered in a flash of fire. The Witch-king passed into Minas Tirith, but was confronted by Gandalf on [[Shadowfax]]. Gandalf forbade him entry, but the Witch-king laughed and put on a show of power.

{{Blockquote|The Black Rider flung back his hood, and behold! he had a kingly crown; and yet upon no head visible was it set. The red fires shone between it and the mantled shoulders vast and dark. From a mouth unseen there came a deadly laughter. 'Old fool!' he said. 'Old fool! This is my hour. Do you not know Death when you see it? Die now and curse in vain!' And with that he lifted high his sword and flames ran down the blade.|''[[The Return of the King]]'', [[The Siege of Gondor]]}}.

===The Fall of the Witch-king===
[[File:Nick Deligaris - Éowyn and Nazgûl.jpg|thumb|350px|Nick Deligaris - ''Éowyn and Nazgûl'']]
As Gandalf stood resolute before the Witch-king, the [[Rohirrim]] arrived. Thus he departed, mounting a fell beast and descending upon King [[Théoden]] who led the attack. [[Snowmane]], the King's horse, collapsed with a dart in the side, and Théoden was crushed beneath him. But the rider [[Dernhelm]] defied the Witch-king. The Witch-king threatened Dernhelm with a terrible death, but the rider revealed that she was a woman, [[Éowyn]], and the Witch-king remembered the words of Glorfindel. He hesitated, but then moved forward. Éowyn decapitated the fell beast, but the Witch-king rose and struck her down with his mace, breaking her shield-arm. Then the hobbit [[Meriadoc Brandybuck]] stabbed him in the sinew of his leg with the [[Daggers of Westernesse|blade of Westernesse]] (though there was much pain in Meriadoc's arm afterward), as he drew back to kill the woman. Then Éowyn rose and drove her sword through where his invisible head was, and the sword broke as his crown toppled. The Witch-king gave a great and horrible wail, perishing at last.<ref name="Pelennor">{{RK|Battle}}</ref>

So the prophecy of Glorfindel was fulfilled, for the Witch-king did not fall at the hands of a man, but at the hands of [[Éowyn|a woman]] and [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|a hobbit]]. With his defeat, and the coming of Aragorn II in the black ships, the [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]] was lost by Sauron.

==Names==
* Witch-king of Angmar - "Witch" most likely coming from his background in sorcery, and "king" after his establishment of the realm of Angmar in 1300.
* Witch-lord of Angmar - A variant of the above title.
* Lord of the Nazgûl
* Lord of the Ringwraiths
* Chieftain of the Ringwraiths
* Lord of the Nine Riders
* King of the Nine Riders
* Wraith-lord
* Wraith-king
* High Nazgûl
* Lord of Morgul
* Morgul-lord
* King of Minas Morgul
* Black Captain
* Captain of Despair
* [[Dwimmerlaik]]
* Lord of Carrion

==Etymology==
While in modern English ''witch'' has mostly female connotations, referring to a hag or sorceress, in middle-English ''wicche'' had no gender distinction; the preference of ''witch'' for female persons (the males referred more usually as ''wizzards'') evolved later through the centuries.

Tolkien uses the archaic, gender-unspecific meaning of the term; of course, the word [[Wizards|Wizard]] refers exclusively to the [[Maiar]] [[Istari]].

==Inspirations==
An undead witch-king named ''Þráinn'' appears in ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hrómundar_saga_Gripssonar Hrómundar saga Gripssonar]''. It is possible that this was Tolkien's source of inspiration.

The prophecy that the Witch-king would fall "not by the hand of man" and the fulfillment of the prophecy occurring as a technicality (being slain by a hobbit and a woman) bears a striking resemblance to the prophecy regarding the title character's death in Shakespeare's Macbeth, where it was foretold that Macbeth will be slain "not by man born of woman" and is then killed by Macduff, born by caesarian section. Tolkien was familiar with the play, having reputedly taken inspiration for the Last March of the Ents from the same source (See article ''[[Ents]]'' for details).

==Portrayal in adaptations ==
The Witch-king's true name is never given, and therefore among [[Tolkien fandom|Tolkien fans]], the Witch-king is often simply called ''Angmar'', after the name of the realm he founded and led. It is possible that he was one of the three [[Black Númenóreans]] Tolkien stated had become Nazgûl, or possibly [[Isilmo]], a Númenórean prince and father of Tar-Minastir. This possibility was adopted by the now defunct [[Middle-earth Role Playing]] game and [[Mithril Miniatures]] where he is named ''Er-Murazor'', a Númenórean prince and younger son of [[Tar-Ciryatan]].
<center><gallery>
File:The Return of the King (1980 film) - Witch-King.jpg|<center>The Witch-king in [[The Return of the King (1980 film)|''The Return of the King'' (1980 film)]]</center>
File:The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King - Witch-king.jpg|<center>The Witch-king in ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King]]''</center>
File:Witchking ea rotk.jpg|<center>The Witch-king from [[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (video game)|''The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King'' (video game)]]</center>
File:The Lord of the Rings online Shadows of Angmar - Witch-king 1.jpg|<center>The Witch-king in ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]''</center>
File:The Lord of the Rings War in the North - Witch-king of Angmar.png|<center>The Witch-king in ''[[The Lord of the Rings: War in the North]]''</center>
</gallery></center>
===Films===
'''1978: [[The Lord of the Rings (1978 film)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (1978 film)]]:'''
:The Witch-king is shown with no distinction from the other [[Nazgûl|Ringwraiths]]; all are robed in brown and black, and none seem to be able to talk clearly.

'''1980: [[The Return of the King (1980 film)|''The Return of the King'' (1980 film)]]:'''
:The Witch-king is portrayed as a humanoid figure with no head. Red eyes glare under a golden crown. His dialogue is more or less as in the books, albeit in a strange and somewhat unfitting electronic voice. After a stab from behind by [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]], [[Éowyn]] beheads him. It is worthy of note that the Witch-king is seen with the [[Red Eye]] of [[Barad-dûr]] as his emblem and faction, rather than the grim moon of [[Minas Morgul]].

'''2001-03: [[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (film series)]]:'''
:The Witch-king is called the "Witch-king of [[Angmar]]", the "Lord of the [[Nazgûl]]", and the "Greatest of the Nine" by [[Gandalf]] in ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King|The Return of the King]]''; however, no other mention of the kingdom of Angmar itself is made. Also, in that film, there is no mention of [[Glorfindel]]'s prophecy; there is only a claim among the enemy that "no man can kill" the Witch-king. Like the other Nazgûl, he is depicted as a humanoid figure shrouded in a hooded black robe; his only distinguishing feature is a mask-like spiked helmet with a huge mouth. His first mention is when Gandalf tells [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]] while in Minas Tirith that the Dark Lord has not yet revealed his "deadliest" servant: the Witch-king, the one that "stabbed [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] on [[Weathertop]]".

:During the [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]], the Witch-king's army uses the ram [[Grond (battering ram)|Grond]] to break through the city gates early in the battle (after the failure of a lesser ram), and the Witch-king is not present to confront Gandalf as he is in the book. The confrontation takes place later, as Pippin and Gandalf race to the tombs to save [[Faramir]], and the Witch-king intercepts them. Unlike in the book, this meeting decisively favors the Witch-king, who breaks Gandalf's staff and throws the wizard to the ground before leaving to deal with the arrival of the [[Rohirrim]]. Gandalf's face shows obvious fear in this scene, in comparison to the resolution (for "victory or death") in the books.

:The Witch-king's destruction on the battlefield occurs with less dialogue than in the book, and the weapons used to destroy him are both mundane: Merry's sword is not a [[Daggers of Westernesse|dagger]] from the [[Barrow-downs]], but rather the Rohirric sword that [[Théoden]] had as a child.

:Eight actors are known to have played some part of the Witch-king.
# An unidentified extra portrayed the "King of Men" in the prologue. He was chosen to be the Witch-king simply because he was the smallest of the nine.
# [[Shane Rangi]] did the horse chase.
# [[Fran Walsh]] provided the "Ringwraith scream".
# Effects technician Ben Price played the Witch-king in "many scenes"<ref>http://www.decipher.com/content/2004/07/072904lotrwetaprops.html</ref>
# [[Brent McIntyre]] is officially credited as the Witch-king in ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring|The Fellowship of the Ring]]''. He stabbed Frodo.
# [[Lawrence Makoare]] filled the robe of the Witch-king in ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King|The Return of the King]]''.
# [[Mark Ferguson]] filled the heavy armoured costume when Makoare felt claustrophobic.<ref>http://www.markferguson.net/articles/interview_Nautilus20.html</ref>
# [[Andy Serkis]] provided the voice of the Witch-king in ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]]''.

'''2012-14: [[The Hobbit (film series)|''The Hobbit'' (film series) ]]:'''
:The Witch-king is mentioned to have been defeated years ago, and his body sealed by the "Men of the North" in a very deep and dark tomb in the "[[High Fells of Rhudaur]]". His [[wraith]], apparently summoned by the [[Sauron#Sauron's Return|Necromancer]], is encountered by [[Radagast]] in the ruins of [[Dol Guldur]], but the [[Wizards|Wizard]] fends him off and salvages the Witch-king's [[Morgul-knife|Morgul blade]] in the struggle.

:In the [[Attack on Dol Guldur]], The Witch-King, along with the other Nazgûl, participates by fighting [[Saruman]] and [[Elrond]], members of the [[White Council]]. In the end, he and the other Nine are driven [[Mordor]] by [[Galadriel]] and her [[Phial of Galadriel|phial]], [[Sauron|his master]] also eventually following suit.

===Radio series===
'''1956: [[The Lord of the Rings (1955 radio series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (1955 radio series)]]:'''
:The Black Captain is played by [[Felix Felton]].<ref name="RT1727">Radio Times, Volume 133, No. 1727, [[14 December|December 14]], [[1956]]</ref>

'''1981: [[The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (1981 radio series)]]:'''
:The role of The Lord of the Nazgul, as he is always credited in this production, is expanded with material from ''[[The Hunt for the Ring]]''. He is the second speaking character in the series: he is the one who captures [[Gollum]], though he is not identified as such until the credits. [[Philip Voss]] provided the voice for The Lord of the Nazgul.

===Games===
'''2002: [[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (video game)|''The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring'' (video game)]]:'''
:The Witch-king is shown without distinction of the other Nazgûl.

'''2003: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (video game)|''The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King'' (video game)]]'':'''
:The Witch-king's role and voice are similar to that of the film, but his appearance is different. An early helmet design, that had been removed from the film because it resembled [[Sauron]]'s helm too much, was used here, presumably because there was no time to make a new character model.

'''2004: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: War of the Ring]]'':'''
:Witch-King is one the main "Hero" units for the Servants of Sauron, his signature ability is being able to turn Wights into Nazgûl. The evil campaign storyline shows him reclaiming Dol Guldur for Sauron.

'''2004: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth]]'':'''
:Witch-King is a "Hero" unit for Mordor faction. He is an airborne unit riding on a Fell Beast and one of the strongest units in the game.

'''2006: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II]]'':'''
:In addition to his appearance from the first game, the Witch-King can now also dismount and become a landscape unit armed with a mace.

'''2007: ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]'':'''
:The Witch-king is a non-playable character present in several scenes. His most memorable appearance takes place in the Great Barrow within the Barrow-Downs. There are also multiple references to him in quest dialogue, the most notable is that the Witch-King for whatever reason cannot return to rule [[Carn Dum]] and instead has erected a Steward named [[Mordirith]] to rule in his place, in mockery of the Stewards of Gondor.

'''2009: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: Conquest]]'':'''
:In the campaign for the "Evil" side, the Witch-King is revived by other Nazgûl after Sauron reclaims The One Ring.

''''2011: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: War in the North]]'':'''
:The Witch-king appears in a flashback of the playable characters during the prologue of the game. He and the other [[Nazgûl]] attack and destroy the [[Rangers of the North|Ranger]] camp at [[Sarn Ford]]. Shortly after he speaks with [[Agandaûr]], who explains that he has assembled an army in [[Fornost]]. The Witch-king commands him to return and attack immediately, to aid in the [[Hunt of the Ring]].<ref>[[The Lord of the Rings: War in the North]], ''Prologue''</reF>

==See also==
*'''[[:Category:Images of the Witch-king|Images of the Witch-king]]'''
*[[Nazgûl|Ringwraiths]]

{{references}}

[[Category:Characters in The Lord of the Rings]]
[[Category:Featured Articles]]
[[Category:Nazgûl]]
[[Category:Second Age characters]]
[[Category:Third Age characters]]
[[de:Der Hexenkönig von Angmar]]
[[fr:encyclo/personnages/hommes/3a/nazgul/roi-sorcier]]
[[fi:Noitakuningas]]