Boldog
Encyclopedia
Boldog is the name of an Orc Captain in J. R. R. Tolkien
's fictional Middle-earth
during the First Age.
As told in the Lays of Beleriand, Boldog, a formidable Orc
Captain, by direct command of Morgoth
, leads a Host of Orcs on a great razzia to ravage the realm of Doriath and capture Lúthien
, the daughter of its King Thingol and Queen Melian, the Maia
. Boldog drives his Host south over the highlands of Dorthonion
and through the enchanted forest of Taur-nu-Fuin following the Orcs' Road of Haste into the Pass of Anach which cuts down the mountains of Ered Gorgoroth and across the shadowed valley of Nan Dungortheb. There where fell darkness meet the mists of the magic, protective List Melian, the Girdle of Melian, just east of the river Mindeb the Orc-host reached the border of Doriath. To meet the deadly threat posed by Boldog's invasion in force, Thingol musters his full might with his two great Captains, Beleg
and Mablung
. He leads the army of Sindarin
Elves
beyond the North March of Doriath. Thingol and Boldog meet in single combat in the midst of the battle. Thingol wielded his Dwarf
-forged sword, Aranrúth, Boldog fought with an iron spear of some note that was later used by Mablung in the Hunt of the Wolf. Thingol slays Boldog, the Orc-host is utterly defeated and the remnants destroyed by being driven into Taur-nu-Fuin.
The Battle of the North March is the culminating battle of a series of attacks in Morgoth's campaign against Doriath following his victories in the Dagor Bragollach, Battle of Sudden Flame, the fourth Great Battle of Beleriand that broke the Siege of Angband
. Other battles and events around Doriath include Beleg's victory in Brethil over an Orc-legion and the defeat of the Orc-army in East Beleriand
as well as Lúthien's triumph over Sauron
at Tol Sirion and the taking of the Silmaril
from Morgoth's Crown in Angband by Beren
and Lúthien. In contrast with Morgoth's success in the Dagor Bragollach, his campaign against Doriath was a series of setbacks and defeats at the hands of Thingol and his forces which inspired resistance and restored hope to the free peoples of Beleriand.
Details of Boldog's Raid are scattered through numerous texts and versions of texts but not included in the Silmarillion as published by Christopher Tolkien, however, no aspect of it is in serious contradiction with the general story and its presence in such primary Middle-earth sources, as the Lay of Leithian is intended to be, argues for its continued inclusion. Boldog's independent command of a Host of Orcs with its formidable objectives indicates that he is several cuts above most other Orc Captains and Champions and it is thought elsewhere in the sources that he is of some lesser order of the Maiar
serving Morgoth.
Boldog is considered as a particularly important orc in Tolkien's legendarium; he is one of only three orcs (the others being Bolg and Azog) to have been named in Tolkien's works before the writing of The Lord of the Rings
.
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's fictional Middle-earth
Middle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....
during the First Age.
"Boldog he sent, but Boldog was slain:
strange ye were not in Boldog's train."
As told in the Lays of Beleriand, Boldog, a formidable Orc
Orc (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings, Orcs or Orks are a race of creatures who are used as soldiers and henchmen by both the greater and lesser villains of The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings — Morgoth, Sauron and Saruman...
Captain, by direct command of Morgoth
Morgoth
Morgoth Bauglir is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth legendarium. He is the main antagonist of The Silmarillion, figures in The Children of Húrin, and is mentioned briefly in The Lord of the Rings.Melkor was the most powerful of the Ainur, but turned to darkness and became...
, leads a Host of Orcs on a great razzia to ravage the realm of Doriath and capture Lúthien
Lúthien
Lúthien Tinúviel is a fictional character in the fantasy-world Middle-earth of the English author J. R. R. Tolkien. She appears in The Silmarillion, the epic poem The Lay of Leithian, The Lord of the Rings and the Grey Annals, as well as in other material.-Character overview:Lúthien is a Telerin ...
, the daughter of its King Thingol and Queen Melian, the Maia
Maia (Middle-earth)
The Maiar are beings from J. R. R. Tolkien's high fantasy legendarium. They are lesser Ainur who entered Eä in the beginning of time. Tolkien uses the term Valar to refer both to all the Ainur who entered Eä, and specifically to the greatest among them, the fourteen Lords and Queens of the Valar...
. Boldog drives his Host south over the highlands of Dorthonion
Dorthonion
In the fictional world of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, Dorthonion , later Taur-nu-Fuin, was a highland region of the First Age, lying immediately to the north of Beleriand, and south of the plains of Ard-galen that extended north to Morgoth's stronghold of Thangorodrim...
and through the enchanted forest of Taur-nu-Fuin following the Orcs' Road of Haste into the Pass of Anach which cuts down the mountains of Ered Gorgoroth and across the shadowed valley of Nan Dungortheb. There where fell darkness meet the mists of the magic, protective List Melian, the Girdle of Melian, just east of the river Mindeb the Orc-host reached the border of Doriath. To meet the deadly threat posed by Boldog's invasion in force, Thingol musters his full might with his two great Captains, Beleg
Beleg
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Beleg is a major character who appears in numerous books, tales and poems about the First Age of Middle-earth such as The Silmarillion, The Lays of Beleriand and the Children of Húrin.-Name:...
and Mablung
Mablung
Mablung is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium.Mablung was a Sindarin Elf who served in the army of King Elu Thingol of Doriath...
. He leads the army of Sindarin
Sindarin
Sindarin is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien, and used in his secondary world, often called Middle-earth.Sindarin is one of the many languages spoken by the immortal Elves, called the Eledhrim or Edhellim in Sindarin....
Elves
Elf (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Elves are one of the races that inhabit a fictional Earth, often called Middle-earth, and set in the remote past. They appear in The Hobbit and in The Lord of the Rings, but their complex history is described more fully in The Silmarillion...
beyond the North March of Doriath. Thingol and Boldog meet in single combat in the midst of the battle. Thingol wielded his Dwarf
Dwarf (Middle-earth)
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Dwarves are a race inhabiting the world of Arda, a fictional prehistoric Earth which includes the continent Middle-earth....
-forged sword, Aranrúth, Boldog fought with an iron spear of some note that was later used by Mablung in the Hunt of the Wolf. Thingol slays Boldog, the Orc-host is utterly defeated and the remnants destroyed by being driven into Taur-nu-Fuin.
The Battle of the North March is the culminating battle of a series of attacks in Morgoth's campaign against Doriath following his victories in the Dagor Bragollach, Battle of Sudden Flame, the fourth Great Battle of Beleriand that broke the Siege of Angband
Siege of Angband
The Siege of Angband or "The Long Peace" in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fictional universe was the siege of the Noldor around the fortress of Morgoth in the early centuries of the Years of the Sun, which began following the Dagor Aglareb. For the most part, it was a time of plenitude, peace and...
. Other battles and events around Doriath include Beleg's victory in Brethil over an Orc-legion and the defeat of the Orc-army in East Beleriand
Beleriand
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional legendarium, Beleriand was a region in northwestern Middle-earth during the First Age. Events in Beleriand are described chiefly in his work The Silmarillion, which tells the story of the early ages of Middle-earth in a style similar to the epic hero tales of Nordic...
as well as Lúthien's triumph over Sauron
Sauron
Sauron is the primary antagonist and titular character of the epic fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.In the same work, he is revealed to be the same character as "the Necromancer" from Tolkien's earlier novel The Hobbit...
at Tol Sirion and the taking of the Silmaril
Silmaril
The Silmarils are three brilliant jewels which contained the unmarred light of the Two Trees in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. The Silmarils were made out of the crystalline substance silima by Fëanor, a Noldorin Elf, in Valinor during the Years of the Trees...
from Morgoth's Crown in Angband by Beren
Beren
Beren is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He appears in The Silmarillion. Huan spoke to him.-Character overview:...
and Lúthien. In contrast with Morgoth's success in the Dagor Bragollach, his campaign against Doriath was a series of setbacks and defeats at the hands of Thingol and his forces which inspired resistance and restored hope to the free peoples of Beleriand.
Details of Boldog's Raid are scattered through numerous texts and versions of texts but not included in the Silmarillion as published by Christopher Tolkien, however, no aspect of it is in serious contradiction with the general story and its presence in such primary Middle-earth sources, as the Lay of Leithian is intended to be, argues for its continued inclusion. Boldog's independent command of a Host of Orcs with its formidable objectives indicates that he is several cuts above most other Orc Captains and Champions and it is thought elsewhere in the sources that he is of some lesser order of the Maiar
Maia (Middle-earth)
The Maiar are beings from J. R. R. Tolkien's high fantasy legendarium. They are lesser Ainur who entered Eä in the beginning of time. Tolkien uses the term Valar to refer both to all the Ainur who entered Eä, and specifically to the greatest among them, the fourteen Lords and Queens of the Valar...
serving Morgoth.
Boldog is considered as a particularly important orc in Tolkien's legendarium; he is one of only three orcs (the others being Bolg and Azog) to have been named in Tolkien's works before the writing of The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
.