List of Middle-earth wars and battles
Encyclopedia
J. R. R. Tolkien
's Middle-earth
fantasy writings include many wars and battles set in the lands of Aman
, Beleriand
, Númenor
, and Middle-earth
. These are related in his various books such as The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales and other posthumously published books edited by his son Christopher Tolkien
.
These are given below in an in-universe, fictional chronology:
The first and most well-known, the Kinslaying at Alqualondë (Swanhaven) is a battle that first appears in print in The Silmarillion
. It involves the Noldor
in Elves
under their king, Fëanor
, against their fellow Elves, the Teleri
.
Against the will of the godlike Valar
, Fëanor had induced the Noldor to leave Valinor
to make war upon the Dark Lord Morgoth
in revenge for the theft of his Silmaril
li jewels and the murder of his father Finwë
. As the easiest route to Middle-earth
was by sea, Fëanor and his sons led one host of the Noldor to the city of Alqualondë and asked the sea-faring Teleri of Alqualondë for their vessels. The Teleri refused to help them defy the Valar.
Bitter fighting broke out (although it is not clear who began the fighting, the Silmarillion states that fighting began when the Noldor attempted to take control of the Teleri's ships) and eventually many (perhaps hundreds) of Elves on both sides were slain. Though the Teleri were lightly armed, they were able to defend themselves to some degree until a second host of the Noldor, led by Fëanor's half-nephew Fingon
, arrived together with some of his father Fingolfin
's people, overwhelming the Teleri.
The sea rose and destroyed many of the boats to punish the Noldor for this cruel act.
Fingon's people assumed erroneously the Teleri had attacked the Noldor under orders of the Valar, and joined the fight. In the end many of the Teleri were slain and the ships taken. Though the Teleri
forgave the Noldor
by the end of the First Age
of Middle-earth, they still refused to fight in the War of Wrath
. All Elves that followed Fëanor and continued towards Middle-earth fell under the Doom of Mandos.
The episode appears in Tolkien's earliest Middle-earth-related writings, published in The Book of Lost Tales
. In the earliest surviving version, the "Noldoli" steal the ships of the "Solosimpi" without any fighting. When a concept of a battle was developed, the location was first called "Kopas Alqalunten". In a late version of the legendarium, Galadriel
fought on the side of the Teleri
, her mother Eärwen
's people, against the Fëanorians.
The Sack of Doriath
where Dior
was killed by the Sons of Fëanor
is referred to as the Second Kinslaying in The Silmarillion
, and the attack by the Sons of Fëanor on the Mouths of Sirion where Elwing
was attacked is called the Third Kinslaying. The last Kinslaying is considered the cruellest of them all because many women and children were also murdered by the Fëanorians.
It was stated by Eönwë
herald of Manwë
that because of these evil deeds the remaining Sons of Fëanor had lost all right to the Silmaril
s, and when Maedhros
and Maglor
finally got them, they burned their hand, driving Maedhros to suicide and Maglor to wander the Earth forever.
The civil war in Gondor
in the Third Age
called the Kin-strife is also sometimes called a Kinslaying.
's fictional Middle-earth
, the First Battle of Beleriand is the first battle of the Wars of Beleriand
, fought by the Sindar
in Elves
, led by Elu Thingol
, King of Doriath
and Lord of Beleriand
, against the armies of Morgoth
, the Great Enemy, the Dark Lord
.
The battles between the Elves
of Beleriand
and the forces of Morgoth
are often referred to as the Battles of Beleriand, but also as the War of the Jewels as the Silmaril
li were behind them all.
The First Battle of Beleriand
was fought before the Noldor
arrived, and was fought by the Sindar
and Laiquendi
Elves.
The Second Battle was Dagor-nuin-Giliath
("Battle-under-Stars"), fought by the Noldor following Fëanor
and his Seven Sons
, in which the Noldor were victorious but Fëanor was slain by Balrog
s. During this battle the Battle of Lhammoth was fought by the host of Fingolfin
.
The Third Battle was Dagor Aglareb
("Glorious Battle"), which led to the Siege of Angband
. Various minor battles were fought during the Siege which are not counted.
The Fourth Battle was the Dagor Bragollach
("Battle of Sudden Flame"), in which the Siege was broken and Fingolfin
was slain by Morgoth.
The Fifth Battle was the Nírnaeth Arnoediad
("Unnumbered Tears"), in which the Noldor were utterly defeated.
Years later, the Battle of Tumhalad
, in which the elven forces under Orodreth
and Túrin
were defeated by Angband forces under Glaurung
, led to the sack of Nargothrond
.
The Last Battle of Beleriand, called the Great Battle and the War of Wrath
, ended the First Age
of Arda
and destroyed Beleriand, for the wrath of the Valar
was so great that it caused Beleriand to sink under the Sea
.
. This is one of the great wars of Middle-earth, and it is sometimes informally referred to as the Invasion of Eriador
. It is the war caused by the forging of the One Ring
.
The war began in , almost a century after Sauron
had deceived the Noldor
smiths of Eregion
and had secretly forged the One Ring
to rule over the other Rings of Power
. When Sauron put on the One Ring, Celebrimbor
, lord of Eregion, realised that the Elves had been betrayed and revolted against the Dark Lord's influence. With his disguise uncovered, Sauron then demanded that all of the great rings in Eregion be surrendered to him, as all of them were made with Sauron's counsel, except the Three Rings
of the Elves
. Celebrimbor refused and sent the Three to Gil-galad
and Galadriel
, while Sauron raised a great force to invade Eriador.
Messages of the invasion were sent north to Lindon
where the High King Gil-galad ruled, and he began amassing his forces, preparing for war. He also appealed for help from Tar-Minastir of Númenor
and the latter obliged, but the Númenóreans were delayed.
In S.A. 1695 Sauron had reached Eregion, though his vanguard was temporarily driven off by Celeborn
's sortie. (While Celeborn's wife Galadriel had entered Moria
to reach Lothlórien, Celeborn himself refused to enter the mansion of the dwarves, and he was disregarded in Eregion by Celebrimbor until the One Ring.) Elrond
had been sent to Eregion by Gil-galad but Sauron's host was great enough to ward him off while concentrating on the assault upon Eregion. In S.A. 1697 Celebrimbor tried to make a last stand at the doors of the Ost-in-Edhil, the main fortress of Eregion where the Noldor's chief works were held, but he was overwhelmed and taken captive. Placed under torment, he revealed the location of the Nine and Seven rings but would tell nothing about the Three
, at which Sauron put him to death. It is clear that Sauron seized the Nine from Eregion, though it is less sure whether he or Celebrimbor had given the Seven to the Dwarves.
Elrond gathered with Celeborn and the survivors of Eregion and they were almost overwhelmed by Sauron's pursuit, but the Dark Lord's host was unexpectedly assailed in the rear by Durin
of Moria and some Elves of Lórien. Sauron then halted his advance and drove the Dwarves back but he could accomplish little as Khazad-dûm
's gates were closed. Afterwards, Sauron harboured deep hatred for Moria and ordered his Orcs to trouble the Dwarves at every turn. Elrond managed to escape to the north and established Imladris
.
Sauron's armies advanced, almost unopposed save for small bands of Men and Elves which his forces easily dealt with. By S.A. 1699 all of Eriador
fell under Sauron's control. Imladris was besieged, and Lindon cut off from Imladris and Khazad-dûm. The Dark Lord had correctly guessed that the Three Rings
were with Gil-galad in Lindon and sent his main host there, though it was weakened because he had to break off a detachment to keep Elrond pinned down at Imladris.
The next year, the great army of Númenor
which was sent by Tar-Minastir landed in Lindon
, at Tharbad on the Gwathló
, and south near Pelargir. The intervention at Lindon was in the nick of time, as Gil-galad and Círdan were desperately holding Mithlond, but the arrival of the Númenóreans turned the tide and Sauron was heavily defeated and driven back. The Dark Lord was subsequently forced on the retreat after the great slaughter on the Brandywine. The Númenórean admiral Ciryatur landed forces further south at Lond Daer and hurried up the river to Tharbad, catching Sauron in the rear for the second time. At the resulting Battle of the Gwathló
, Sauron was utterly routed and he fled back to Mordor
with only his guard. His remaining army besieging Imladris was caught between the allies and destroyed. The war ended in S.A. 1701 but Eregion was gone, and most of Eriador was in ruins.
Sauron was at his pinnacle of his power, militarily, when he initiated the war. This conflict is perhaps the only time that Sauron managed to, for a short while, master most of the North of Middle-earth. However, the strength of Elves was still then great enough to resist him, and his forces were no match for the superior might of the Númenóreans. While Tar-Minastir's forces soon left to return home, the greater part of the Elves' main hosts survived (save for the destruction of Celebrimbor's company) and remained in Middle-earth. As Sauron's armies had been annihilated, he was unable to move out of Mordor for a time. In order to rebuild his former strength, Sauron decided against challenging the Númenóreans directly, only attacking their Middle-earth settlements after most of the Númenóreans departed as a shadow fell upon Númenor.
Some fifteen hundred years later, Sauron would exact his revenge against the Númenóreans by corrupting Ar-Pharazôn, the king, and causing the utter downfall of Númenor
. However, a remnant (the Lords of Andúnië) escaped the ruin and established the kingdoms of Arnor
and Gondor
, the latter being close to Mordor
. Meanwhile, the power of Gil-galad had spread east of the Misty Mountains to Greenwood the Great
and even towards Mordor during Sauron's absence. Sauron attacked first, hoped to defeat his enemies before they could unite, but his own power was not yet fully rebuilt and he underestimated the strength of the Exiles and the Elves. His assault on the newfound realm of Gondor led to the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, which overthrew him.
In the Third Age, when Sauron returned, he was but a shadow of his former power as he had lost the One Ring. Still, he had greater forces than the Men and the Elves, who had themselves declined precipitously. Indeed, Sauron was relatively more powerful in the Third Age than he had been at his strongest in the Second Age. Near the end of the Third Age, as told in The Fellowship of the Ring
, Gandalf
tells Frodo Baggins
that Sauron needed to recover the One Ring in order to "cover the lands in a second darkness"; the first darkness either referring to Sauron's invasion of Eriador, or Morgoth
, the Great Enemy, during the First Age
.
Around the end of the War of the Elves and Sauron, the great forests in Enedwaith and Minhiriath, which the Gwathló flows through, have been completely destroyed. The Númenóreans since Tar-Aldarion
had already been felling many trees for shipbuilding, incurring the wrath of the locals when the extent of the devastation became known. Sauron allied himself with some of the tribes to harass the Númenóreans, setting fire in the woods and burning their wood-stores; the Númenóreans responded by ruthlessly felling timber without any thought of conservation or replanting.
Though both the 1978 animated film and the 2001 live-action film based on The Lord of the Rings show the forging of the Rings of Power, the War of the Elves and Sauron is skipped and the films go straight to the much later War of the Last Alliance.
when Elves and Men formed an alliance in response to the threat of conquest by the Dark Lord Sauron
. It includes the Battle of Dagorlad and the Siege of Barad-dûr.
In The Lord of the Rings
, Elrond
describes the Last Alliance to Frodo Baggins
, comparing it to the Host of Valinor
that overthrew the Great Enemy Morgoth
in the War of Wrath
at the end of the First Age
:
Sauron had contended with the Elves
and the Men
of Númenor
for mastery of Middle-earth and the Rings of Power
in the War of the Elves and Sauron. He was defeated and driven out of Eriador
in the year 1701 of the Second Age. During this war the Elves suffered great losses. Over the next 1500 years, Sauron extended his power eastward and the kingdom of Númenor on the island of Andor
flourished, even receiving the submission of Sauron. It was eventually destroyed at the height of its military power due to the machinations of Sauron in the year 3319. The Dúnedain
, survivors of the catastrophe, formed realms in exile in Middle-earth.
Sauron feared the kingdoms in exile, Arnor
and Gondor
and he attacked Gondor in S.A. 3429. Sauron took Minas Ithil
in a sudden assault while Anárion
managed to hold Osgiliath and halt Sauron's advance. In response, Elendil
, High King of the Dúnedain and Isildur
and Anárion
, formed an alliance with Gil-galad
, the last High King of the Noldor
, and they raised a great host to contest Sauron.
The Elves of Lindon
, led by Gil-galad, and the Men of Arnor, led by Elendil, built in the north the fortress and the watchtower of Amon Sûl, Weathertop
, over two years while gathering their armies. Their great host then marched to Rivendell
, and there made preparations and armaments for nearly three years. In the year 3434 they went over the Misty Mountains
at the High Pass and the Redhorn Pass, and were joined by the army of the Dwarves
of Moria
. The Alliance host then crossed the bridge over the river Anduin
, meeting the armies of the Silvan Elves
of Lórinand and Greenwood the Great
in the hosts of Amdír and Oropher, and marched south down the east bank where they met up with the Men of Gondor and then met Sauron's forces before Mordor.
While Isildur's elder son and heir, Elendur, accompanied his father throughout the entire conflict except the last challenge upon Orodruin, his younger brothers Aratan
and Ciryon
were not involved in the main assault. They were sent by Isildur to man the recaptured city of Minas Ithil, as a reserve in case Sauron tried to escape through the passes of the mountains.
In S.A. 3434, the Alliance engaged and defeated Sauron's hosts in the Battle of Dagorlad, having fought over several months on the great plain of Dagorlad. However, the Silvan Elves would not place their armies under the supreme command of Gil-galad. Amdír's forces were cut and driven into the Dead Marshes
, while Oropher led a reckless assault on Mordor in which he was slain. Rule of the Silvan Elves and field command of their remaining forces, barely a third of their original strength, passed to Oropher's son Thranduil
. Alliance forces breached the Black Gate of Mordor, and besieged the Dark Lord's fortress of Barad-dûr. The shapes of the fallen remained in the water of the Dead Marshes into the later Ages. Gollum described it as "...a great battle. Tall Men with long swords, and terrible Elves, and Orcses shrieking. They fought on the plains for days and months at the Black Gates."
The Siege of Barad-dûr
lasted for seven years. The Alliance suffered heavy losses from missiles and fire cast from the tower, and Sauron also sent many sorties against the attackers. Anárion was killed by a stone cast from the tower, and his helm, a forerunner of the crown of Minas Anor
, was destroyed.
Eventually Sauron emerged from the tower and engaged the Alliance forces personally near Orodruin, battling the commanders Gil-galad and Elendil, with only Elrond, Círdan, and Isildur standing by them. Gil-galad and Elendil were slain, with the latter's sword Narsil
breaking beneath him as he fell. However, Sauron was overthrown and Elendil's son Isildur used the hilt-shard of Narsil to cut the One Ring
from Sauron's hand.
Bereft of the power of the One Ring, Sauron's physical form was unbound and his dissipated spirit would not take form again in Middle-earth for two and a half thousand years. After the victory over Sauron, the death of Gil-galad and Elendil, and irreplaceable casualties to the Elves, the Last Alliance dissolved.
Many of the Eldar mourned the victory as bittersweet for the One Ring was kept by Isildur, who later perished and lost it in the Gladden Fields
. Thus, despite the sacrifice of the Elves and Men, the Ring was not destroyed and the opportunity to defeat Sauron once and for all was missed. The war resulted in the first weakening of Lindon and Arnor. The Second Age ended with the war's conclusion and the Third Age
of the World began.
In Peter Jackson
's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the details of the war are not included and only the final "Battle of Mount Doom", as it is sometimes called, is shown. Notable differences from the book are: Elrond, who calls himself a herald in the book, is shown giving orders; unidentified Gil-galad is briefly glimpsed, but his death is not shown; Dwarves are not mentioned or shown during the battle; Sauron kills Elendil with his mace; Narsil is broken under Sauron's foot into many pieces, instead of two; Isildur cuts off most of Sauron's fingers on his outstretched hand, instead of just one; Sauron eventually explodes; Anárion and Círdan are omitted overall.
.
After the War of the Last Alliance, Isildur remained in Gondor
for two years before returning to Arnor
, reordering the kingdom and instructing his late brother's son Meneldil, who became king after Isildur's departure from Gondor. Although he sent most of his army back home, he kept some two hundred with him. They set out for Rivendell
, as Isildur had left his youngest son and wife there, expecting to march there within forty days.
As the sun was setting and the army was preparing to make camp for the night, a large band of orcs appeared out of the trees and attacked. The orcs had many more warriors than Isildur, and Isildur gave his father's sword, Narsil
into the keeping of his squire, Ohtar
, whom he commanded to escape to Rivendell. Ohtar escaped the orcs and came into Elrond
's valley some months later.
Isildur and his army were able to easily beat off the attack with their superior tactics and armour. He was still concerned and the army moved down closer to the river, although they expected the orcs to send only scouts after Isildur's stronger force as they would usually do after being defeated. However the One Ring
was calling out to all the servants of its recently fallen master, crying to be rescued.
The orcs attacked again after less than a mile, committing all of their forces and they soon had the Dúnedain surrounded. Although the archers were taking out many of the orcs, there were far too few and the sun was setting. The orcs attacked at the sound of their trumpets but were kept back by the long reach of the Dúnedain weaponry. They drew back to reconsider and charged again. This time two or even more orcs would jump up at a single Dúnadan and crush him. The victim was then dragged out and killed. Isildur lost two sons this way.
Although the orcs paid as much as five-to-one, they could afford it. Isildur and Elendur, his last son, rallied the Dúnedain. Elendur commanded his father to don the ring, becoming invisible, to flee and sealed his own fate. Soon all of the remaining Dúnedain were dead, apart from two unnamed men who later escaped and Estelmo, the squire of Elendur, who had been clubbed on the head and then covered in bodies of his comrades.
Isildur was able to make his way to the Anduin
before casting off his greatsword and armour. Still wearing the Ring, he swam to the other side; however, as he did, the One Ring slipped off his finger, and Isildur was shot through the throat by an orc-archer set there for just such a purpose. The Ring sank to the bottom of the Great River, where it would remain for the next 2500 years.
Thranduil
, King of Greenwood, hastened to the battle, hoping to save the Dúnedain, but he was unable to do anything beyond stopping the mutilation of their corpses.
.
The unrest that created the Kin-strife began when Valacar, the son of the Gondorian king Rómendacil II, married a woman of the Northmen
of Rhovanion
, Vidumavi. She bore him a son Eldacar, but many Gondorians of Númenórean blood were angered by this mixing of blood of Middle Men and Númenóreans, and the coastal provinces grew increasingly restless as Valacar aged.
When in 1432 of the Third Age
Eldacar succeeded his father the unrest grew into open rebellion, as many Gondorians saw Eldacar as a halfbreed who had no right to rule. The chief of them was his distant relative Castamir the Usurper, Captain of Ships, who in T.A. 1437 besieged Eldacar in Osgiliath and forced him into exile. During the siege Osgiliath was burned, and the great Dome of Stars was destroyed, and the palantír
kept there was lost. Castamir also murdered Eldacar's son and heir Ornendil
. Eldacar fled to his relatives in Rhovanion.
A full decade later, in T.A. 1447, a rebellion against Castamir's cruel rule took place, and Eldacar returned with Rhovanion troops. Many Dúnedain joined him. Eldacar managed to kill Castamir at the Battle of the Crossings of Erui, but Castamir's sons and many of their supporters fled south. After a siege lasting a year Pelargir fell to Eldacar and the surviving rebels left for Umbar
. Eldacar could not follow them, as the fleet was under Castamir's control.
Not only did Gondor lose the city of Umbar for four centuries and gain a new enemy in the Corsairs of Umbar
, descendants of Castamir's sons, but also many of the Númenóreans of purest blood were killed during the civil war, leaving Gondor weakened.
The Kin-strife was, along with the Great Plague, one of the chief reasons for the abandonment of the fortresses in and surrounding Mordor
, and the first disaster leading to Gondor's slow decline . Another reason for the abandoning of the provinces of Gondor in Mordor was because of the increasing threat of the ringwraiths.
, the Appendices of The Return of the King
, and Unfinished Tales
. "Battle of the Camp" refers mainly to the final battle of the conflict of Gondor with the Wainriders.
In the year 1945 of the Third Age, the Wainrider people from the east 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 northern assault of the Wainriders was met by the King of Gondor himself, Ondoher, with his two sons Artamir and Faramir. The Easterlings swept through Gondor's forces, cutting down the King and his heirs and routing his army. Their victory complete, and with Gondor seemingly defenceless before them, the Wainriders paused in North Ithilien to celebrate their conquest.
Their allies in the south had met with much less success. The Gondorian Captain Eärnil
had led Gondor's smaller Southern Army to victory over the Haradrim, destroying their army in South Ithilien, to the north of the Poros. After his victory, Eärnil turned north.
The feasting Wainriders suddenly found their success reversed, as Eärnil appeared with his Southern Army, reinforced by fleeing members of Ondoher's defeated northern troops. Eärnil's army descended on the unprepared Wainriders, driving many of them into the swamplands of the Dead Marshes
. That eastern people, for so long a dreaded enemy of Gondor, never marched against Gondor again. The battle was named after where it had taken place: the Battle of the Camp.
Because there was no heir apparent to the throne, Ondoher and his sons having been killed in the battle, Eärnil was chosen as King by Pelendur
, the Steward of Gondor. Eärnil was elected king for his deeds, heritage, and because of the Steward's influence, however he was still of the royal house since he was a direct male-line descendant of King Telumehtar Umbardacil. Eärnil however was not of the ruling line, as his great-grandfather Arciryas was the brother of Narmacil II.
The initial attack by the Wainriders is expanded in more detail in the Unfinished Tales
chapter Cirion and Eorl. There, it states that the Wainriders attempted two invasions of Gondor. In both wars, the Éothéod
(also known as the Northmen) were allies of Gondor, long before the formal pact of Cirion
and Eorl which saw them move to Rohan
.
During the first attack, Narmacil II was slain but his son Calimehtar (Ondoher's father) rallied the armies of Gondor and counter-attacked forty years later at Dagorlad. In the nick of time, the famed cavalry of the Éothéod attacked the Wainriders in the flank and caused the latter to break and flee. Calimehtar then withdrew as his army had lost one third of its strength, but the Éothéod harried the Wainriders as they fled, inflicting great loss on the Easterlings. The Éothéod had their own feud with the Wainriders, who had captured and enslaved many of their homes before the invasion of Gondor. Simultaneously as Calimehtar fought the Wainriders, the Northmen captives rebelled, though since the insurgency was made up of mostly boys and old men, they suffered heavy losses against the Easterling guards.
The second attack was where Ondoher was slain and Eärnil destroyed the Wainriders in the Battle of the Camp. Though Gondor had raised an army to meet the threat, and also divided up the forces to deal with the southern attack from Harad, Ondoher had underestimated the direction and suddenness of the initial Wainrider charge and was slain along with his son Artamir and most of his guard. Indeed, the unanticipated success of the Wainriders' assault was also their undoing, as Ondoher's nephew Minohtar managed to rally the disorderly forces of Gondor, preventing their wholesale destruction. As the situation improved for the time and as they were joined with their Éothéod allies, Minohtar gave an order to be sent to Minas Tirith
which proclaimed that Faramir was now the King. It was then that the leader of the Éothéod said that Faramir had been slain. Faramir was initially ordered to remain in Minas Tirith as regent but went battle in disguise and was killed; the Éothéod found tokens on his body indicating that he was the Prince. On the thirteenth day of battle, Gondor's rearguard was unable to check the Wainriders' advance into Ithilien and Minohtar was slain by an arrow. The men of Gondor carried his body out of the fray and fled, but the Wainriders halted their advance to hold a feast.
While the battle was a success in the fact that Angmar was defeated, it came too late for Gondor's sister-realm of Arnor (the last remaining part of Arnor, Arthedain had been conquered a year before in 1974, and the last King of Arnor Arvedui
had drowned in the Ice-Bay of Forochel).
The battle was named for Fornost the old capital city of Arthedain, and was fought in the plains before the city. With Gondor came Men
from Rhovanion, Elves
from Lindon, and the remainder of the Dúnedain of Arnor (among them Aranarth the Crown-Prince of Arthedain), and, according to the Hobbit
s, a company of archers from the Shire
, who never returned.
Angmar rode west to meet the assault, and seeing this, the cavalry of Gondor under Eärnur rode north into the Hills of Evendim to wait in ambush. As the main army of Gondor met the enemy and the battle began, the cavalry of Gondor attacked Angmar in the rear. Realizing that his forces were being completely destroyed, the Witch-king of Angmar fled away east. Eärnur rode after him, but his horse shied away. Then Glorfindel
attacked, and the Witch-king fled east to escape Glorfindel's wrath, disappearing from the north. At this time Glorfindel prophesied the Witch-king would fall not "by the hand of man". The Witch-king was later killed in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields by Merry and Éowyn who were a Hobbit and a woman respectively and were as such "no man."
Thus the north was freed from the evil of Angmar, but Arnor was no more: those that remained of its people became the Rangers of the North
.
. The Field of Celebrant was a flat region of grass land, bordered in the east by the River Anduin
, to the north by the wood of Lothlórien, to the south by the River Limlight and to the west by the Misty Mountains
. It received its name from the river that ran through Lothlórien.
In the year 2510 of the Third Age
, a fierce group of Easterlings
, known as the Balchoth, waged open war against a weakened Gondor
, and had already overrun most of Gondor's northern provinces. Gondor had no allies left east of Anduin
, and against hope had sent three pairs of messengers north to the Éothéod
, ancient allies of Gondor.
In T.A. 2510 the Balchoth crossed Anduin, via the shallow Undeeps, passing into the Wold in the north of the Gondorian province of Calenardhon. They met little resistance as Calenardhon had been sparsely populated since the Plague of T.A. 1636, and by the time the North Army of Gondor appeared from the South of Calenardhon, the bulk of the Balchoth army had already crossed. The North Army counter-attacked, and was driven North over the River Limlight and onto the Field of Celebrant, cut off from the later reinforcements by the Balchoth host. By the time the South Army appeared, the North Army had come under attack by an Orc
band which by chance or design had descended from the mountains, and the Dúnedain
were backed against the river in a hopeless situation.
At this time the Éothéod under their leader Eorl the Young suddenly appeared, unexpected by friend or foe. Eorl had received the message from the last messenger, Borondir the only one to survive the journey, and had rushed south.
The Éothéod also crossed the Anduin at the Undeeps of the river, and broke on the rear of the Balchoth. The Balchoth were completely defeated and the Gondorian armies saved. The Éothéod continued their foray into northern Gondor, scattering and destroying all the Balchoth in Calenardhon.
After the Battle the Steward of Gondor Cirion
gave the Éothéod the entire land of Calenardhon to dwell in as thanks. Eorl and Cirion swore an oath of eternal allegiance on the hill of Amon Anwar. The Éothéod founded the kingdom of Rohan
.
's Northfarthing. A band of Orcs
from the Misty Mountains, led by a chief called Golfimbul, was confronted by Bandobras "Bullroarer" Took, younger brother to the Thain of the Shire, and a force of hobbits. Golfimbul was killed and the orcs were defeated. According to legend, Bullroarer decapitated the orc chieftain with one swing of his club; Golfimbul's head rolled down a rabbit hole, and thus the game of golf
was allegedly invented. This event preceded the War of the Ring
by more than 250 years.
This battle is referred to in Battle for Middle-earth 2, in the Evil Campaign, giving reason for the Goblins to invade and enslave the Shire.
In Lord of the Rings Online the skull of Golfimbul is found by people following the story-quests in the shire.
Appendix A and History of Middle-earth Volume XII.
The War began when the elderly exiled Dwarven
King Thrór, heir of Durin
, wandered alone into Moria
and was murdered by Azog the Orc
in 2790 of the Third Age
. Not only did Azog murder him, but branded his own name upon the Dwarf's severed head — the body was hacked to pieces and fed to the crows. Azog gloated over this act and not only prevented the Dwarves from recovering Thrór's head but insultingly tossed a money bag in mock "payment" for the head.
From T.A. 2790 to 2793 the Longbeards that were Durin's folk
responded to this insult by gathering their forces, calling on all the other Dwarf houses for help. In T.A. 2793 the combined armies of the Dwarves attacked, sacking one by one all the Orc-holds of the Misty Mountains
from Mount Gundabad in the north to the peak of Methedras in the south.
Most of the war was fought underground, in the great mines and tunnels of the Misty Mountains, where Dwarves excel in combat, and as such they went unaided by the other Free Peoples. The war was said to be very terrible, with neither side showing any mercy. The Dwarves had the upper hand, however, thanks to their prowess and their superior weapons and the great wrath that was in them.
The war climaxed in T.A. 2799, when a final battle was fought in the valley outside the eastern gates of Moria, the Battle of Nanduhirion or Azanulbizar as the Dwarves called it. It was later said that the memory of that battle still causes "Orcs to shudder and Dwarves to weep." The battle initially went against the Dwarves, for the Orcs had the high ground and the greater numbers, and being a dark day in winter there was no sun to bother the orcs. The tide was only turned when a last contingent of fresh warriors from the Iron Hills, led by Náin son of Grór, arrived to reinforce the wavering Dwarves. Azog was slain by Dáin Ironfoot
, son of Náin, and his head stuck on a pike with the money bag stuck inside the mouth. The Orc-host suffered vast casualties with some 10,000 killed and the remaining remnant routed.
After the battle, Thráin II
son of Thrór wanted to enter Moria and reclaim it, but the Dwarves not of Durin's folk refused, saying they had honoured Durin's memory by fighting, and this was enough. What remained of Durin's folk could not alone muster a force strong enough to enter Moria. Most importantly Dain, who alone had looked into the threshold of Moria, saw that the Balrog, called Durin's Bane, was still present. Since the Balrog was beyond the ability of the Dwarves to defeat (as they had learned to their cost when it drove them from Moria more then nine hundred years before) Thrain was forced to withdraw.
The war was also very costly for the Dwarf race, as nearly half of those involved were killed or seriously wounded. Náin son of Grór, Frerin second son of Thráin II, and Fundin son of Farin, the father of Balin
were among the more noted casualties. Thráin II himself lost an eye, and his elder son Thorin
earned his epithet "Oakenshield" after he used an oak branch to defend himself after being wounded.
After the battle the Dwarves stripped their dead, and lacking the time or resources for proper tombs cremated them. The war proved something of a pyrrhic victory, since while Thror was avenged the cost to the Dwarven race had been massive, and they remained exiled from Moria (due to the Balrog
) and the Lonely Mountain, (due to Smaug
). Though Durin's folk would regroup at the blue mountains and regain some prosperity after the war, it would be another hundred and fifty years before Thrain's son Thorin, led the expedition that retook Erebor and more than two hundred until Gandalf finally destroyed the Balrog, clearing the path to retake Moria.
During the conflict many Orcs fleeing south through Rohan
, trying to claim a refuge in the White Mountains
beyond, troubled the Rohirrim for two generations. Other effects of the war were that the Orcs of the Misty Mountains virtually disappeared as a threat for Eriador
and Wilderland: the goblins of the High Pass near Rivendell
were some of the few survivors.
150 years later the Orcs of the North still had not fully recovered, but their population was further reduced during the Battle of Five Armies in 2941, where Bolg son of Azog tried to avenge his father; Bolg was killed by Beorn
.
, was fought between the Goblins and the Wargs of Moria and the Misty Mountains against the Men
of the Long Lake, the Elves
of Mirkwood
, the Dwarves
on and near the Lonely Mountain and the great Eagles of the Misty Mountains. The hobbit
Bilbo Baggins
, the wizard Gandalf the Grey, and Beorn
, also took part and are more single characters involved on the side of the men, dwarves and elves, rather than forming a separate army.
Smaug
was a dragon who had destroyed the dwarven kingdom below Erebor and the neighbouring wealthy town of Dale many years before, driving Thorin II Oakenshield, heir of Durin
, into exile. Smaug stole all the treasure of Erebor and Dale, gathering it into a deep chamber under the Mountain, where he lived thereafter.
Prior to the battle, Esgaroth
, the town of the Men of the Long Lake, was attacked by Smaug, who had discovered Thorin's secret expedition, and had found out who had aided them — the Men of the Long Lake. Bard the Bowman, the heir of the Lords of Dale, killed the dragon. However, the town was destroyed in the process.
The Wood elves learned that Smaug was dead, and wanted a share of the ancient dwarves' treasure. Hearing of the Lake men's trouble, they changed course and left supplies there. The Men of the Long Lake who were still unharmed marched with the Elves north to the Mountain, because some of the treasure belonged to Bard, and because they wanted compensation for their losses. However, Thorin refused them any treasure.
Thorin's company was then trapped in a bloodless siege, with Thranduil
, King of Mirkwood, and Bard hoping to wait him out. However, Thorin had sent messages of his plight to his relatives using talking messenger Ravens that lived on the Lonely Mountain. These reached Dáin II Ironfoot of the nearby Iron Hills, and he marched to Erebor with over 500 heavily armed dwarves, most of them skilled veterans of the War of the Dwarves and Orcs. When Dáin'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.
The three commanders agreed that the Goblins 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 gate; the only entrance to the Mountain. The Dwarves and Lake-men formed up on one spur and the Elves on the other, while a light rear-guard lined across the mouth of the valley to lure the Goblins between the two, and thus destroy them. Bilbo Baggins hid himself with his ring, hoping to avoid the battle.
Soon the Goblins and Wargs arrived (and now four armies were on the field, the Goblins and Wargs being counted as one army), and at first the plan worked: they were lured into the choke point by a thin line of men of Lake-town and took heavy losses. However, due to their inferior numbers, the allied Free Folk did not hold the advantage long. The second wave of Goblins and Wargs was even worse than the first, and now many Goblins scaled the mountain from the opposite side, attacking the arrayed forces from above and behind as the main wave pressed forward. The battle raged across the Mountain. Then a great noise was heard: Thorin and his 12 Dwarf companions inside the mountain had thrown down the stone wall they had erected across the mouth of the gates, killing many Goblins. Thorin and his companions then charged out to join the battle, covered from head to toe in the finest armour and weapons contained in the treasure hoard of Erebor. Thorin advanced through the Goblins' ranks all the way up to the gigantic Goblins that formed the bodyguard of Bolg, whom he could not get past. He was outflanked and surrounded, and was forced to form his troops into a great circle.
As the battle was turning fully against the Free Folk, a large force of Eagles of the Misty Mountains arrived (and now there were five armies), led by the Lord of the Eagles. 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, and he passed out. With the support of the Eagles, who cast down the goblins from the mountain itself, the Free Folk were freed to fight on just one front in the valley rather than have to divide themselves, the battle turned back against the Goblins. Then Beorn himself arrived at the battle, apparently having heard news that a large army of Goblins was on the move. This time he did not appear in his former shape of a large Man, but had changed his skin to that of a huge 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, his wrath redoubled, and smashed the ranks of the bodyguard of Bolg, pulling down that great goblin and crushing him in ruin before the Goblin horde. The Goblins then panicked and scattered, to be picked off by hunting forces from the victors.
Thorin had been mortally wounded on the field, and his nephews Fíli and Kíli died defending him as he lay on the ground. Thorin died soon after the battle, after meeting Bilbo one last time.
After defeating the Goblins and Wargs, the victors divided the treasure. Bard took 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 Elven-king Thranduil the emeralds of Girion. Bilbo, despite having forfeited his share, was offered the richest reward for helping the other dwarves of the expedition out of many dangers, but, anticipating difficulty transporting the load back home, and not being too fond of treasure, refused to take more than two small chests of gold and silver and his small suit of mithril
chainmail.
The battle is featured in the animated version of The Hobbit, where many more of Thorin's company die.
TSR, Inc.
released two editions of a war-game based on "The Battle of Five Armies," designed by Larry Smith in the 1970s using cardboard tokens and a map of the area around the Lonely Mountain as a game area. The game was criticized for a lack of clarity in the rules, and praised for evoking the onslaught of the Warg and Goblin army.
In 1985 by Iron Crown Enterprises
in 1985 released their version of The Battle of Five Armies developed by Richard H. Britton, Coleman Charlton, and John Crowell, again taking the theme of a wargame and using card counters and a paper map.
The multi-Origin Award
-winning Middle-earth Strategic Gaming (formerly Middle-earth Play-by-Mail) uses the Battle of Five Armies as an introductory scenario to the full game and includes characters and armies from the book.
In 2005, Games Workshop
released a Battle of Five Armies tabletop wargame, designed by Rick Priestley
using highly detailed 10 mm figures sculpted by Mark Harrison, based on Games Workshop's Warmaster
rules and designed for the home player.
and the free peoples of Middle-earth
for control of the One Ring
and dominion over the continent. It took place at the end of the Third Age
. Together with the Quest of Mount Doom, it is one of the overarching events of The Lord of the Rings
.
, son of King Théoden of Rohan, was alerted by his scouts to the mustering taking place in Isengard
. He manned both sides of the ford and went forward leaving three companies of riders to guard the eastern side. Early in the morning, he crossed over to the western side with a force mainly consisting of archers and cavalry. He planned to take the forces of Uruk-hai by surprise.Theodred was given the task of holding the fords alongside his men, unfortunately he did not reiceive help from any of Gondor's forces due to many delays.
However, Saruman had tricked the scouts; his army was already marching out to attack the ford. Twenty miles to the north of the ford, Théodred encountered the vanguard of the Uruk-hai and quickly cut through their lines. He then charged at the main force, who were prepared for the attack and were stationed behind trenches planted with pikes. Reinforcements came out of Isengard and outflanked the cavalry, nearly surrounding them. Hastily, Théodred ordered a retreat; but the Uruk-hai could not be shaken off that easily. Grimbold
, who was in command of the Rohirrim rearguard, had to cut down their pursuers many times.
Saruman's eastern force was much smaller but more dangerous. It contained mounted Dunlendings, Warg
riders, half-orcs
, and Uruk-hai berserker
s. The Rohirrim guard on the eastern side of the ford had been driven into retreat, and their attackers recrossed the ford to attack Théodred on both sides. Théodred and his men had dismounted on an islet to cover Grimbold's retreat. At the same time Grimbold's force was being attacked from the western side, and as Grimbold looked east, he saw Théodred's force being driven from the islet to a hill. Grimbold and a few men raced toward Théodred's position. Théodred was cutting his way through the Uruk-hai lines. But by the time Grimbold reached him, Théodred had fallen, cut down by a giant orc. Grimbold slew the orc and then found himself defending Théodred's body from orcs. He himself would have been killed had it not been for Elfhelm
.
Elfhelm had been leading four companies towards Helm's Deep
, when it was reported to him that two Warg Riders had been spotted. He rode at full speed to the ford and, seeing the situation, ordered his men to charge. Before long his men held the western side of the ford. They then charged on the islet. From this surprise attack most of the Uruk-hai retreated toward Isengard. When they reached the islet they found Grimbold defending Théodred's body against two huge orcs. Elfhelm rushed to his aid and felled one orc while Grimbold slew the other.
When they lifted Théodred's body, they found he was still alive. He lived long enough only to say, "Let me lie here—to keep the ford until Éomer
comes." The enemy attack ended by nightfall. The Rohirrim had held the ford, but suffered heavy losses and were now leaderless.
of the Westfold. However, until he arrived from Helm's Deep, Grimbold held the position. Elfhelm did not want to hold the Fords, as he argued that it provided little defence, but Grimbold was not willing to wholly abandon it, partially due to the tradition of Westfold. The two commanders later reached a compromise.
Grimbold decided to place foot soldiers at the ford and put Elfhelm's men on the east side where he expected the attack to come from.
Saruman sent a small force, but which was still enough to outnumber the defenders. The attackers forced Grimbold to retreat across the ford with heavy losses. Grimbold held the eastern side of the ford and waited for Elfhelm to come to his aid. More than half of Saruman's force was attacking Grimbold's position.
Some warg riders and their followers pushed through the gap between the two Rohirrim forces and tried to surround Elfhelm. Although he knew Grimbold was in danger, Elfhelm retreated eastwards. Grimbold was still holding his position when he saw torches coming from the north and from Isengard — the vanguard of Saruman's reinforcements advancing towards him. Before he knew it, they had crossed the ford. He could not hold the ford so he retreated to his camp and made a shield wall around it.
Even though the Rohirrim were surrounded, the forces of Isengard could not break through. Grimbold knew he could not hold out forever. With no sign of Elfhelm and no help from Erkenbrand, he decided to try to break out. He mounted all the riders for whom he had horses and made a gap on the east side of the wall through which the riders passed. They formed into two groups and attacked the north and south sides simultaneously. In the ensuing confusion, the remaining Rohirrim retreated on foot as quickly as they could in the dark.
in J. R. R. Tolkien
's novel The Lord of the Rings
. Published in the volume The Two Towers
, it is recounted in the chapter "Helm's Deep", and the aftermath is briefly shown in the next one, "Flotsam and Jetsam".
The battle pitted the forces of the Wizard
Saruman
against the Rohirrim under King Théoden
, who had taken refuge in the mountain fortress of the Hornburg at Helm's Deep
.
After being released from his malevolent adviser Gríma Wormtongue
's influence by the benevolent Wizard Gandalf
, Théoden set out to the Fords of Isen
, where his marshal Erkenbrand
was fighting Saruman's forces. However, Théoden found out that they had been scattered. Gandalf advised him to take refuge in the Hornburg fortress of Helm's Deep, an area named after one of their kings. Then Gandalf left on some unexplained errand. Théoden's army went to the area, where local people were commanded by a captain called Gamling the Old
. Many of the forces there were too old or too young. The women and children of Théoden's capital Edoras were safe in Dunharrow
, led by the King's niece Éowyn
.
The forces of Saruman, common Orcs and Uruk-hai, along with some orc-human hybrids (called "half-orcs and goblin-men" — which may have referred to or included the Uruk-hai themselves) and human Dunlendings, arrived at the valley of Helm's Deep in the middle of the night during a storm. Meanwhile, Legolas
the Elf and Gimli
the Dwarf agreed to compete, to see which one could kill the most orcs.
The attackers quickly scaled over the first defence, Helm's Dike, forcing the defenders there to fall back to the fortress. When the Orcs were close, the defenders drove them back with arrows and stones, but they managed to get close to the wall after multiple charges. They attempted to break down the gate with a battering ram, but a sortie led by Aragorn and Éomer scattered the forces.
The Orcs and Dunlendings then raised hundreds of ladders to scale the wall. Aragorn and Éomer repeatedly motivated the tired defenders to repel the Orcs coming up the ladders. However, some Orcs had crept in through a culvert
which let a stream out of Helm's Deep, and while the defenders were busy with the assault on the wall, they were suddenly attacked from behind. This was repulsed and the culvert was blocked up under Gimli's supervision.
However, the enemies re-entered the culvert and blasted a wide hole in the wall using an ambiguous explosive device invented by Saruman, a "blasting-fire". The defenders then retreated to the Glittering Caves, Éomer and Gimli among them.
Soon Saruman's forces broke through the gate and gained entrance to the fortress. At this moment, however, the horn of King Helm
was sounded, and a cavalry charge led by Théoden and Aragorn rode forth, followed by all the Rohirrim left inside. They cut their way through the Orcs and broke free.
Both armies then noticed that many Huorns had moved to block a possible escape route for the Orcs. Then Gandalf arrived on Shadowfax, with Erkenbrand and a thousand infantry — the remaining strength of the Rohirrim that had been routed at the Fords of Isen
. They charged into the fray. The Dunlendings were so terrified of Gandalf that they could no longer fight. The Orcs lost control and ran into the "forest" of Huorn
s, where they were completely annihilated.
After the battle, those Dunlendings who surrendered were given amnesty by King Théoden and allowed to return home (much to their surprise, since Saruman had told them that the men of Rohan would burn all survivors alive). The Rohirrim required that all hostilities cease, and that the Dunlendings retreat behind the River Isen again and never recross while bearing arms.
Among the Rohirrim dead was Háma, captain of Théoden's personal guard and doorward of his hall (he plays a significant role in the previous chapter, "The King of the Golden Hall"). Gimli was wounded, but had killed 42 to Legolas' 41.
The event is sometimes called the Battle of Helm's Deep, a title which was never used by Tolkien but which is often used by readers and other fans, this has led to the misconception that the term "Helm's Deep" refers to the fortress. Properly speaking, the fortress is the Hornburg (Anglo-Saxon = horn fortress) and Helm's Deep is the ravine behind it. In one of his letters regarding a proposed film adaptation, Tolkien protested the use of Helm's Deep, stating that, "the 'defence of the Hornburg' would be a better title, since Helm's Deep, the ravine behind, is not shown" (Letters
, 210).
al battle
from J. R. R. Tolkien
’s Middle-earth legendarium. It is an important event in the War of the Ring
because it signifies the destruction of Saruman
's army production facilities.
After a three day long Entmoot, an army of Ent
s and Huorns set off for the tower-fortress of Isengard, making terrifying music. They arrived and began their attack on March 2, the time of their attack was fortunate because they arrived just when the wizard Saruman was emptying Isengard for a final assault on Rohan
. As a result, there were few left to defend Isengard besides Saruman himself.
Once the army of Isengard had left for Rohan, the Ents launched their attack on the walls. Attempts were made to hinder them with arrows, but these only served to irritate the attackers further, and, in a matter of minutes the gate and much of the southern wall was reduced to ruin. As Merry and Pippin later recounted to their friends, Ents are so strong that their punches can crumple iron like tinfoil, and they can tear apart solid rock like breadcrusts. A ring of Huorns surrounded Isengard and killed all escaping Orcs.
Once the gate and walls had been reduced to rubble, a young Ent named Bregalad or ‘Quickbeam’ in the Westron
tongue, spotted Saruman, and made for him, shouting ‘The Tree Killer!’, for his people and all Fangorn forest in general had suffered from heavy deforestation to fuel the furnaces of Saruman. He was followed by other Ents, but Saruman narrowly succeeded in escaping into the tower of Orthanc. Once in the tower, he activated spouts and vents all over the plain, scorching many Ents who had entered the fortress. One ent, Beechbone, was unlucky enough to be caught fully in one of the fiery blasts, and the death of this ent by Saruman's fire caused the ent host to go berserk. The hobbit
s Meriadoc Brandybuck
and Peregrin Took
, who were present there and later narrated the battle to the Three Hunters, recounted the fury of the Ents, saying that their enraged roars were enough to crack the stones. They destroyed the buildings and machinery on the plain, but could do nothing to hurt the tower itself.
At this point the Ents took counsel, and came up with a new plan of attack. By digging trenches and destroying Saruman's dam, the Ents and Huorns diverted the course of the river Isen itself, causing it to flood the ‘bowl’ of Isengard, submerging everything but the tower and filling in all the tunnels and holes where the machinery of war had been. The destruction of Isengard was complete, although Saruman was still untouched in the tower.
Saruman’s sound defeat at the Battle of the Hornburg
and the destruction of his fortress rendered him incapable of causing the West any military harm, although he still had the power of his persuasive and commanding voice, with which he could still do (and did do) further harm. Had the Ents not destroyed Isengard, although Saruman's main army had been destroyed he could still have withstood a siege with his few remaining forces behind Isengard's normally impregnable walls, and bided his time until he could renew his strength. In the films by Peter Jackson, Saruman is stabbed by Wormtongue (who perishes from an arrow from Legolas) and falls to his death from the top of Orthanc.
Tolkien later noted that the destruction of Isengard by the Ents was based on his disappointment in Macbeth
; when "Birnham Wood be come to Dunsinane", Tolkien was less than thrilled that it amounted to men walking on stage with leaves in their hats. He decided that when he did that scene for himself, he would do it right.
's The Lord of the Rings
. It is an encounter between the Orcs
of Dol Guldur
and Mordor
against the Galadhrim of Lothlórien under Celeborn
and Galadriel
. The battle was one of the largest of the war and the victory of the Elves allowed Celeborn to lead an assault on Dol Guldur, where Galadriel ended the evil influence of Sauron
in Mirkwood.
It is unknown how the Orc army crossed the River Anduin, though the North Undeep seems the most likely crossing-point. Forces from Dol Guldur, reinforced with Orcs from Mordor assaulted Lothlórien three times, assisted at least once in a joint attack from the west by the orcs of Moria. Though the battles are not described in detail by Tolkien, the fair woods of the borders of Lothlórien suffered grievous harm by fire, but the valour of the Elves prevented the enemy from penetrating too deeply into their forest realm. Thrice the enemy attacked and the three times the assaults were driven back.
The valour of the Elven people that defended Lórien was great, though the main reason why Lórien was not conquered was a secret power that dwelt in the land, protecting it from harm and creating a powerful ward against all evil: such power was Galadriel, aided by Nenya, the Ring of Adamant. In fact, Tolkien states that the only way Lórien could have been conquered was if Sauron had come there himself to lead the attack.
The forces of Dol Guldur were defeated and fled south towards into Fangorn Forest. Treebeard and a host of Ents, having already laid ruin to Isengard
some days before, set out to prevent them entering Rohan
. Remnants of despairing Orcs fled eastward but were either killed by the tree-shepherds or drowned in the River Anduin.
Following the battle, Celeborn and Galadriel led the Galadhrim across the Anduin in a fleet of many small elf boats. They entered Mirkwood
and attacked Dol Guldur. Then, Galadriel came forth and threw down the walls and cleansed its pits, mirroring the actions of Lúthien
in Tol-Sirion, ending the grasp of evil in the forest. As news of the victory of King Elessar down south reached the Wood Elves, Thranduil
(who had recently defeated an army in the Battle of Mirkwood
) met with Celeborn on April 6.
Mirkwood was divided between Thranduil (who claimed the North), the Beornings (who settled in the middle, the 'Narrows') and Celeborn who added the southern half to his realm, renaming it 'Eastern Lórien'. Despite these victories, the Elven presence in Middle-earth continued to dwindle and Galadriel departed over the Sea at the end of the Third Age.
The Battle of Mirkwood, also known as Battle Under the Trees, is an incident in J. R. R. Tolkien
's fictional world of Middle-earth. In his legendarium
it takes place during the War of the Ring at the end of the Third Age.
The Battle of Mirkwood was a major and prolonged series of battles in the War of the Ring
. The Orcs
of Dol Guldur
tried to take Mirkwood and defeat the elves there but were repulsed. Sauron's main objective in the northern theatre of the war was the assault on Lothlórien, and the majority of the forces from Dol Guldur were used to attack it. Dol Guldur used its remaining forces against Thranduil's realm, to try to secure their flank. Sauron's plan was that his Easterling allies would join the attack on Thranduil, overwhelming them, thus allowing Dol Guldur to focus all of its forces on Lothlórien. However, the Easterlings were occupied with besieging the Dwarves at Lonely Mountain, and were never able to join the attack on Thranduil. Fierce fighting raged throughout the forest, and there was "great ruin of fire" as woods were set alight during the battle. King Thranduil
led his elves to victory and defeated the orcs, then with the help of Galadriel
advanced on Dol Guldur after Sauron
's fall, and destroyed the evil place.
. He first planned to attack his most powerful enemy, the land of Gondor. But in order to destroy Gondor's capital, Minas Tirith
, he first needed to capture Osgiliath, Gondor's former capital city, strategically positioned on the Anduin
, the Great River. Fords across the river were located in Osgiliath (half of the city was located on each side of the river) that were the only path a large army could cross the Anduin for hundreds of miles up or downstream (the crossing was also possible at Cair Andros or Pelargir, but Osgiliath was the most direct). If captured, Sauron could freely move his main army across the river and to the primary target of his strategy in the war, Minas Tirith.
The battle to control the ruins of Osgiliath had actually been fought, on and off, for over a century since the fall of Ithilien to Mordor. Minas Tirith was surrounded by the Rammas Echor, a fortified wall encircling the Pelennor Fields and meeting up with Osgiliath, where the Causeway Forts were built and garrisoned, though Osgiliath itself remained in ruins. This outwall fell into disrepair as the kingdom declined.
A renewed offensive by Mordor to take the city had begun in June 3018. The Eastern half of the city soon fell to the Orcs, but they were pushed back from the western bank by Boromir
who was able to destroy the last standing bridge in the city which connected the two banks of the river. This temporarily halted Mordor's offensive for the time, with Gondor possessing the West of the city and Mordor the East. This lull in Mordor's offensive was probably due to the fact that the attack was mostly a probe of Gondor's defences rather than an all out attack. During this break in heavy fighting Boromir left Gondor to seek counsel at Rivendell
about a dream he and his brother shared about Isildur's Bane; he would never return.
During this time, Faramir
, Boromir's brother, led several Ranger attacks deep into Mordor-occupied Ithilien, ambushing enemy armies moving to the Black Gate; Frodo and Sam stumbled into one such attack on a group of Haradrim.
When the Great Signal from Mordor went up and another answered from Minas Morgul, the War of the Ring
properly began (although Isengard
had been fighting before this and Sauron had been pursuing his other fronts to the north). Thus the Battle of Osgiliath was the first battle of the war in the south.
Before Mordor's assault, the Steward Denethor
ordered Faramir to lead a force out of Minas Tirith to reinforce the garrison. Gandalf also went back and forth from Minas Tirith to Osgiliath, aiding Faramir and escorting the wounded. However, Mordor was prepared. Months beforehand, the Orcs in East Osgiliath had been secretly constructing massive numbers of boats and rafts, and swelled by reinforcements they swarmed across the River Anduin to the Gondorian positions on the other bank.
After long and heavy fighting the troops under Faramir's command were forced to retreat, first to the Causeway Forts on the Rammas Echor where they delayed the enemy at a great loss. The orcs blasted through the wall and the men pulled back to Minas Tirith
itself. Faramir himself was badly wounded in the retreat, when a poisoned arrow pierced him while he fought off a mounted Harad champion; more severe damage was done by the Black breath of the Nazgûl
, but Prince Imrahil
of Dol Amroth led a cavalry charge ordered by Denethor to rescue the rearguard and routed the enemy temporarily. In the meantime, the Orcs made makeshift repairs to several destroyed bridges. The main combined army of Mordor then arrived, formed from those that Frodo saw leaving Minas Morgul, but this was "but one and not the greatest of the hosts that Mordor now sent forth": a far greater army that had massed at the Black Gate joined them at Osgiliath, and the combined forces now entered the western bank of Osgiliath. More also came from the fords at Cair Andros, which was recently captured, but they would not reach Minas Tirith until later.
With Osgiliath now completely in the hands of Mordor, the vast army of Sauron marched from the city and surrounded Minas Tirith, beginning the siege of Gondor and leading directly into the Battle of the Pelennor Fields
.
's fantasy fiction
, the Battle of the Pelennor Fields is the battle for the city of Minas Tirith
between the forces of Gondor
and its allies, and the forces of the Dark Lord Sauron
. Tolkien recounts this battle in The Return of the King
, the third volume of his 1954-55 novel The Lord of the Rings
as originally printed.
The battle is one of the central battles of the War of the Ring
, the war in which the Third Age
of Middle-earth
comes to a close. It takes place on 15 March, T.A. 3019 upon the Pelennor Fields, the townlands and fields between Minas Tirith and the River Anduin.
The concept and history of composition of the battle is detailed in the fourth volume of The History of the Lord of the Rings
.
The city of Minas Tirith was besieged following the fall of Osgiliath and the Rammas Echor, Gondor's final barriers against the forces of Mordor. In the retreat to the city, Faramir, son of Denethor
, Steward of Gondor, was severely wounded. Since the despairing Steward refused to leave his son's side, the Wizard
Gandalf
took command of the city's defences. Meanwhile, the enemy forces assembled before the city on the Pelennor Fields. The Great Darkness blotted out the sun. The Nazgûl
, Sauron's most feared servants, flew over the battlefield on fell beasts, causing the defenders' morale to waver.
Catapults and siege towers made repeated and ultimately futile attacks on the walls, but this was not their real objective: the true purpose of the siege towers was to thin out the city's defenses and draw men away from the great gate itself. Sauron's forces were finally able to breach the city gate using the giant battering ram Grond. The Witch-king entered alone at dawn and was confronted by Gandalf. However, at that moment the Rohirrim arrived and charged into battle.
Sauron's army from Minas Morgul
, led by the Witch-king of Angmar
(chief of the Nazgûl
or Ringwraiths) greatly outnumbered the combined armies of Gondor and its allies. Sauron's forces included Southrons of Harad
, who brought elephantine beasts called mûmakil (or Oliphaunts), Easterlings
from Rhûn
and Variags from Khand, as well as great numbers of Orcs
and Trolls
. Tolkien describes the army as the greatest to issue from that vale since the days of Isildur
's might, no host so fell and strong in arms had yet assailed the fords of Anduin
; and yet it was but one and not the greatest of the hosts that Mordor now sent forth.
The defenders' numbers were considerably less. Following his defeat at Osgiliath, Tolkien writes that Faramir is outnumbered by ten times and he loses one third of his men. Tolkien gives a catalogue of companies from outlying provinces of Gondor that come to the aid of Minas Tirith; the contingent is numbered at less than 3,000. Prominent among them were a company of knights and footmen of Dol Amroth
, led by their lord Prince Imrahil
. As Gondor's coastal towns were being attacked by the Corsairs of Umbar
, the troops sent to Minas Tirith were all these areas could spare.
6,000 Riders of Rohan (Rohirrim) arrived at dawn, and over 2,000 Men from the coastal towns of Gondor sailed up the river. These had been relieved by a company of Rangers of the North
(representing Gondor's long-fallen sister realm Arnor
) led by Aragorn
, and the Dead Men of Dunharrow
. The Men of Rohan (Rohirrim) were thrice outnumbered by the Haradrim alone.
The battle begins immediately following Gandalf's denying the Witch-king's entry into the city.
After breaking the gate with the ram Grond, the Witch-king rode under the archway that no enemy ever yet had passed. Gandalf, mounted upon his horse Shadowfax, stood in his way. But before the two could fight, a cock
crowed, whereupon the horns of the Rohirrim were heard echoing through the arriving dawn, and the battle proper began. The Rohirrim bypassed Sauron's lookouts thanks to the mysterious Wild Men
of Drúadan Forest.
After charging the ranks of Mordor, the Rohirrim secured the outer wall, destroyed siege engines and camps, and drove off Haradrim cavalry. The Witch-king (on his winged fell beast) went straight for Théoden. The king's horse was killed by a dart, and it fell and crushed the king.
The King's niece Éowyn
(disguised as Dernhelm, a man) challenged the Witch-king. Long ago, it had been prophesied that the Witch-king would not die "by the hand of man". In the ensuing combat she was gravely injured. The Hobbit
Meriadoc Brandybuck
, who had accompanied "Dernhelm", intervened and stabbed the Witch-king with his enchanted sword. The Witch-king was bitterly wounded due to that particular sword's special magic. Éowyn then "drove her sword between crown and mantle", slaying him. Both weapons that struck his undead flesh were destroyed as well.
Théoden died without realizing his niece was present. Her brother Éomer, now the king, discovered their bodies. Furious, he charged his cavalry without order into the enemy forces. Meanwhile, nearly every fighting man had left Minas Tirith to join the battle, led by Imrahil and other local captains. Imrahil rode up to Éowyn and found she still lived. She and Merry were sent to be healed in the city. The Ringwraith's Black Breath
had made them both gravely ill, as with Faramir earlier. Their arms were left numb and cold after striking the Witch-king, and Éowyn's other arm was broken in the mélee.
Before the Rohirrim arrived, Denethor prepared to burn himself and his son upon a funeral pyre, believing Faramir to be beyond cure. Only the intervention of the Hobbit Pippin Took
, a guard named Beregond, and Gandalf saved Faramir, but Denethor immolated himself before they could stop him. Tolkien indirectly states that Théoden's death could have been prevented if Gandalf had helped the Rohirrim instead, as he had intended.
The battle soon turned against Gondor and their allies, despite the growing daylight. Gothmog
, lieutenant of Minas Morgul, brought forward reinforcements. The forces of Mordor rallied behind the mûmakil of the Haradrim. Éomer was cut off from the Gondorians and surrounded by the enemy. As he prepared to make a last stand
, he saw a fleet of enemy ships with black sails sailing up the River Anduin
. They were the ships of the Corsairs of Umbar, seemingly more of Sauron's reinforcements, but manned by Aragorn
and his Rangers of the North
, Gimli
the Dwarf
, Legolas
the Elf
, the Half-elven
brothers Elladan and Elrohir
and troops from south Gondor. Much of Sauron's forces were pinned between Aragorn and Éomer's forces. The tide of battle turned in favour of Gondor, yet fighting lasted until the end of the day. A brief respite was won until the Battle of the Black Gate
.
Various artists have illustrated the battle or elements of it, including Alan Lee, John Howe, the Brothers Hildebrandt, and Ted Nasmith
.
Sauron Defeated, the fourth volume of The History of the Lord of the Rings
, part of the History of Middle-earth
series, contains superseded versions of the battle. Some changes of detail are apparent. For example, Théoden dies by a projectile to the heart instead of being crushed by his horse; when Éowyn reveals her sex she has cut her hair short, a detail absent from the final version. Tolkien also considered killing off both Théoden and Éowyn.
The battle has been analysed in various publications:
War and the Works of J.R.R. Tolkien by Tolkien scholar
Janet Brennan Croft examines the influence of World War I and II on Tolkien's fantasy writings, and the development of his attitude towards war.
Michael D. C. Drout
's "Tolkien's Prose Style and its Literary and Rhetorical Effects", featured in the academic journal Tolkien Studies
, published by West Virginia University Press
, analyses Tolkien's writing style and deduces influence from and parallels with King Lear
. Drout also writes about the evolution of events in the narrative using material from the History of Middle-earth series.
The events of the battle are also analysed in Fantasy: The Liberation of Imagination by Richard Matthews, which explores "how fantasy uses the elements of enchantment and the supernatural to explode everyday reality and create profound insights into essential human realities."
's The Lord of the Rings
during the War of the Ring
. An earlier battle in the same location which re-established the Dwarven kingdom was called the Battle of Five Armies.
The Dwarves
of the Lonely Mountain (also known as Erebor) and the Men
of Dale refused to acknowledge the overlordship and alliance of Sauron
. While his larger southern armies invaded Gondor
, a Host of Easterlings advanced in the north to extend his dominion and to prevent the armies of his enemies joining together under one banner.
On March 17 of the year 3019 in the Third Age, Sauron sent a host of Easterlings to attack Dale. The combined forces of the Men of Dale under King Brand and the Dwarves of the Lonely Mountain under King Dáin Ironfoot marched out to meet the Easterlings in battle. Sauron's forces were probably more numerous, though the armies of Dale and Erebor would have possessed an advantage due to their superior Dwarven-made weaponry. After three days of heavy close-quarters fighting, Brand and Dáin were forced to retreat to the Lonely Mountain. A few sturdy warriors led by Brand and Dáin fought bravely before the Gate of Erebor, which was not taken. Dáin was killed as he stood defending the body of his ally Brand. The defenders of the Mountain were now under siege.
The forces of Gondor and Rohan
defeated the main power of Sauron in the southern theatre
on March 25 and this caused the northern Easterling army to lose heart. Seeing the morale of their foes sapped, the Army of Dale under the new Kings — Bard II and Thorin III Stonehelm — managed to lift the siege on March 27 and drove the Easterlings out of Dale.
The battle was very important for the future of Middle-earth. Though it could not change the outcome of the War of the Ring, which was tied to fate of the One Ring
, it diverted another portion of Sauron's strength from Lórien and Rivendell, and a quick complete victory by Sauron's Easterling armies would have allowed them to join up with Sauron's forces from Dol Guldur
in their attacks on the woodland realm of Mirkwood
. This would have enabled Mordor's armies to wreak havoc, possibly as far west as Eriador before the armies of the west defeated them.
Dale was rebuilt following the siege of the Lonely Mountain, and Thorin and Bard sent their ambassadors to King Elessar's coronation. Later, many dwarves were led south by Gimli
, one of the companions of Aragorn
in the War of the Ring. They colonised Aglarond
, the glittering caves in Helm's Deep.
The battle was recounted in one of the appendices of The Return of the King
.
's legendarium
, the Battle of the Morannon or Battle of the Black Gate is a fictional event that took place at the end of the War of the Ring
. It is depicted in The Return of the King
, the third volume of his fantasy
book The Lord of the Rings
.
This was the final major battle against Sauron in the War of the Ring
, fought at the Black Gate of Mordor. The Army of the West, led by Aragorn, marched on the gate as a diversionary feint to distract Sauron's attention from Frodo
and 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. As the journey progressed, Aragorn was credited openly as "the King Elessar" by their heralds to challenge Sauron, though he was not yet formally crowned.
Aragorn and the other captains had around 7,000 soldiers of Gondor and Rohan available to fight; they left some in Minas Tirith to defend against assault, and sent 3,000 Rohirrim under Elfhelm
to rout another army holding the west road to Anórien. Thus they marched with about 6,000 foot and 1,000 cavalry.
At the Crossroads, Aragorn and other captains left the main force for a while with a small company of troops and surveyed Minas Morgul from afar, finally setting the Morgul Vale on fire. They also left some archers to guard the Crossroads.
They were also later ambushed by Orcs and Easterlings on the very spot where Faramir
and the Rangers of Ithilien
had ambushed a company of Haradrim some days ago, but the enemy was beaten back without much loss. However, it was realized that this was an intentionally weak feint, meant to try to lure them into thinking that Sauron's army was incapable of mounting a strong attack when in fact it was. Later, some whose fear overcame them were sent to retake and hold Cair Andros, an island in the Great River, used as a fortress by Gondor. Thus the Army of the West was less than 6,000 strong at the Black Gate.
Before the battle began, Sauron sent one of his servants, the 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
cloak, and Frodo's mithril
shirt.) The Mouth threatened that Frodo would be tortured if the West did not agree to Sauron's terms of surrender. (It is clear that while Sauron knew there was a Hobbit in Mordor, he did not know why.) 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 and the forces of Sauron advanced. At the same time, more of Sauron's forces that had been hidden in the hills around the Black Gate came forth, thus surrounding the Men of the West. Sauron's army outnumbered that of the West by at least ten to one. It is not clear who commanded the field for Sauron. The Army of the West divided itself into two rings upon two great hills of rubble opposite the gate: Aragorn, Gandalf, and the sons of Elrond were on the left ring, with Éomer, Imrahil, and the Knights of Dol Amroth on the right.
Against Aragorn's army was arrayed Sauron's hordes of Orcs, Trolls, and Mannish allies such as the Easterlings and Southrons (Haradrim). An exact count is not given of the number of Sauron's forces, though Tolkien says they were "ten times and more than ten times" the size of Aragorn's army. This puts the size of Sauron's army at greater than 60,000. The Olog-hai, improved Trolls much like the Uruk-hai
were improved Orcs, first made an appearance.
During the course of the battle, the Hobbit Peregrin Took, marching as one of the Tower Guard of Minas Tirith
, managed to kill one of the Olog-hai leaders. The remaining eight Nazgûl hovered over the Army of the West and spread fear and confusion. The Eagles of the Misty Mountains
, led by Gwaihir the Windlord, arrived and attacked the Ringwraiths. 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. However, Gollum
bit the Ring off Frodo's finger, and then both he and the ring accidentally fell into the Crack of Doom, and Sauron's power was overthrown.
The Nazgûl flew 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 as their foundations were built with the Ring's magic. Sauron's physical body perished yet again for what would be the last time. His gigantic shadow formed in the sky and reached out in wrath to the heroes, but it was blown away by a strong wind, and his spirit, which had been housed in a tall humanoid form ever since the start of the Age, was left forever bodiless and impotent.
The Orcs and other creatures of Sauron were left completely directionless with the Dark Lord's demise and were easily defeated by the Army of the West. Some slew themselves, while others fled to hide in dark places. The proud Easterlings and Southrons fought on bravely, though eventually many threw down their weapons and surrendered later to be sent home in peace by Aragorn ending the Easterlings and Southrons hate for Gondor.
Fighting against Sauron's remaining forces would continue in the northern theatre of the War of the Ring for several weeks, notably in Mirkwood
, Lothlórien, Dol Guldur
and at Erebor, but the power of Sauron, the Dark Lord of Mordor, was no more.
Months later, the Battle of Bywater in the Shire
against ruffians led by Saruman
, and the subsequent killing of Saruman and Wormtongue
on the very doorstep of Bag End, ended the War of the Ring.
."
The Battle of Bywater was a battle between the Hobbits of The Shire
and a band of ruffians who followed "Sharkey" (the Wizard Saruman
). The battle was considered to be the last of the War of the Ring
. The Shire-folk were roused by the leadership of Meriadoc Brandybuck
(Merry) and Peregrin Took
(Pippin), knights of Rohan
and Gondor
, respectively. Merry slew the leader of the ruffians, a squint-eyed Orcish-looking brute.
The Battle of Bywater occurred on November 3, 1419 by Shire-reckoning in the Shire Calendar (3019 of the Third Age) and was the last military engagement of the War of the Ring. It was only the second battle ever fought within the borders of the Shire since its founding over 1400 years before; the first was the Battle of Greenfields, which was fought in the year 1147 by Shire-reckoning (2747 of the Third Age).
Ruffians had been sent by Sharkey to suppress the Hobbit revolt breaking out in Bywater. However, the Hobbits' scouts gave them advanced warning. The Hobbits then devised a plan to surround and trap the ruffians when they arrived. Makeshift mobile roadblocks were made out of carts and wagons, and after the ruffians reached the centre of the town the road was blocked in front and behind them. The ruffians then tried to fight their way out through the Hobbits, some breaking through. These were then encircled and engaged until the battle was won.
The Shire Hobbits rallied under the leadership of Merry and Pippin. The courage and skill that Merry and Pippin had discovered during their journey with the Fellowship of the Ring and during the War of the Ring, had made them confident in their abilities, and this enabled them to rally the Shire-folk against the invaders. Technically, Pippin was still a Knight of Gondor, as King Elessar
had not released him from service but granted him indefinite leave, and when he departed Aragorn reminded Pippin that his restored kingship now extended to the old northern lands which included the Shire. Therefore, Pippin saw himself as fighting off the ruffians with the authority of the King supporting him. Samwise Gamgee
also fought in the battle. Frodo Baggins
was also present at the battle, though he did not fight: he spent the battle making sure that ruffians who threw down their weapons were not killed.
The next day, Frodo, and his three companions, leading the Hobbits of the Shire, marched to Hobbiton. There Frodo confronted Saruman and exiled him from the Shire. Then Wormtongue killed Saruman by slitting his throat, on the doorstep of Bag End. Before Frodo could react, the Hobbits of the Shire shot Wormtongue dead with three arrows. Thus, the last stroke of the War of the Ring fell at the very door from which Frodo had first begun his adventure.
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 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....
fantasy writings include many wars and battles set in the lands of Aman
Aman
-External links:*...
, 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...
, Númenor
Númenor
Númenor is a fictional place in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings. It was a huge island located in the Sundering Seas to the west of Middle-earth, the main setting of Tolkien's writings, and was known to be the greatest realm of Men...
, and 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....
. These are related in his various books such as The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales and other posthumously published books edited by his son Christopher Tolkien
Christopher Tolkien
Christopher Reuel Tolkien is the third and youngest son of the author J. R. R. Tolkien , and is best known as the editor of much of his father's posthumously published work. He drew the original maps for his father's The Lord of the Rings, which he signed C. J. R. T. The J...
.
These are given below in an in-universe, fictional chronology:
The Kinslayings
The Kinslayings are the collective term for the only three battles ever fought between the Eldar.The first and most well-known, the Kinslaying at Alqualondë (Swanhaven) is a battle that first appears in print in The Silmarillion
The Silmarillion
The Silmarillion is a collection of J. R. R. Tolkien's mythopoeic works, edited and published posthumously by his son Christopher Tolkien in 1977, with assistance from Guy Gavriel Kay, who later became a noted fantasy writer. The Silmarillion, along with J. R. R...
. It involves the Noldor
Noldor
In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Noldor are Elves of the Second Clan who migrated to Valinor and lived in Eldamar. The Noldor are called Golodhrim or Gódhellim in Sindarin, and Goldoi by Teleri of Tol Eressëa. The singular form of the Quenya noun is Noldo and the adjective is Noldorin...
in 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...
under their king, Fëanor
Fëanor
Fëanor is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium who plays an important part in The Silmarillion. He was the eldest son of Finwë, the High King of the Noldor, and his first wife Míriel Serindë...
, against their fellow Elves, the Teleri
Teleri
In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Teleri, Those who come last in Quenya were the third of the Elf clans who came to Aman...
.
Against the will of the godlike Valar
Vala (Middle-earth)
The Valar are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. They are first mentioned in The Lord of the Rings, but The Silmarillion develops them into the Powers of Arda or the Powers of the World...
, Fëanor had induced the Noldor to leave Valinor
Valinor
Valinor is a fictional location in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the realm of the Valar in Aman. It was also known as the Undying Lands, along with Tol Eressëa and the outliers of Aman. This is something of a misnomer; only immortal beings were allowed to reside there, but the land itself,...
to make war upon the Dark Lord 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...
in revenge for the theft of his 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...
li jewels and the murder of his father Finwë
Finwë
Finwë, sometimes surnamed Noldóran, is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He was the first High King of the Elven Noldor to lead his people on the journey from Middle-earth to Valinor in the blessed realm of Aman. He was a great friend of Elu Thingol, the King of Doriath...
. As the easiest route to 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....
was by sea, Fëanor and his sons led one host of the Noldor to the city of Alqualondë and asked the sea-faring Teleri of Alqualondë for their vessels. The Teleri refused to help them defy the Valar.
Bitter fighting broke out (although it is not clear who began the fighting, the Silmarillion states that fighting began when the Noldor attempted to take control of the Teleri's ships) and eventually many (perhaps hundreds) of Elves on both sides were slain. Though the Teleri were lightly armed, they were able to defend themselves to some degree until a second host of the Noldor, led by Fëanor's half-nephew Fingon
Fingon
Fingon is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is introduced in The Silmarillion.-Character overview:...
, arrived together with some of his father Fingolfin
Fingolfin
Fingolfin is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, appearing in The Silmarillion.-Internal history:He was a High King of the Noldor in Beleriand, second eldest son of Finwë, full brother of Finarfin, and half-brother of Fëanor, who was the eldest of Finwë's sons. His mother was...
's people, overwhelming the Teleri.
The sea rose and destroyed many of the boats to punish the Noldor for this cruel act.
Fingon's people assumed erroneously the Teleri had attacked the Noldor under orders of the Valar, and joined the fight. In the end many of the Teleri were slain and the ships taken. Though the Teleri
Teleri
In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Teleri, Those who come last in Quenya were the third of the Elf clans who came to Aman...
forgave the Noldor
Noldor
In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Noldor are Elves of the Second Clan who migrated to Valinor and lived in Eldamar. The Noldor are called Golodhrim or Gódhellim in Sindarin, and Goldoi by Teleri of Tol Eressëa. The singular form of the Quenya noun is Noldo and the adjective is Noldorin...
by the end of the First Age
First Age
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the First Age, or First Age of the Children of Ilúvatar is the heroic period in which most of Tolkien's early legends are set...
of Middle-earth, they still refused to fight in the War of Wrath
War of Wrath
The War of Wrath, or the Great Battle, is a key plot development in J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium, portraying the final war against Morgoth at the end of the First Age....
. All Elves that followed Fëanor and continued towards Middle-earth fell under the Doom of Mandos.
The episode appears in Tolkien's earliest Middle-earth-related writings, published in The Book of Lost Tales
The Book of Lost Tales
The Book of Lost Tales is the title of a collection of early stories by J. R. R. Tolkien, and of the first two volumes of Christopher Tolkien's 12-volume series The History of Middle-earth, in which he presents and analyses the manuscripts of those stories, which were the earliest form of the...
. In the earliest surviving version, the "Noldoli" steal the ships of the "Solosimpi" without any fighting. When a concept of a battle was developed, the location was first called "Kopas Alqalunten". In a late version of the legendarium, Galadriel
Galadriel
Galadriel is a character created by J.R.R. Tolkien, appearing in his Middle-earth legendarium. She appears in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales....
fought on the side of the Teleri
Teleri
In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Teleri, Those who come last in Quenya were the third of the Elf clans who came to Aman...
, her mother Eärwen
Eärwen
Eärwen is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. She is the daughter of Olwë of Alqualondë, and the wife of Finarfin and mother of Galadriel....
's people, against the Fëanorians.
The Sack of Doriath
Doriath
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Doriath is the realm of the Sindar, the Grey Elves of King Thingol in Beleriand. Along with the other great forests of Tolkien's legendarium such as Mirkwood, Fangorn and Lothlórien it serves as the central stage in the theatre of its time, the First Age...
where Dior
Dior Eluchíl
Dior Eluchíl is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is a character in The Silmarillion, which was published posthumously in 1977...
was killed by the Sons of Fëanor
Sons of Fëanor
In J. R. R. Tolkien's world of Middle-earth, the seven sons of Fëanor, the eldest prince of the Noldor, led their people from Valinor to rule over kingdoms in the Northeast of Beleriand:...
is referred to as the Second Kinslaying in The Silmarillion
The Silmarillion
The Silmarillion is a collection of J. R. R. Tolkien's mythopoeic works, edited and published posthumously by his son Christopher Tolkien in 1977, with assistance from Guy Gavriel Kay, who later became a noted fantasy writer. The Silmarillion, along with J. R. R...
, and the attack by the Sons of Fëanor on the Mouths of Sirion where Elwing
Elwing
Elwing is a character of Middle-earth, created by J. R. R. Tolkien. She is Half-elven but counted among the Elves, notable for saving a Silmaril from the destruction of the Havens of Sirion and, with her husband Eärendil, going to the Valar to ask their help for the people of Middle-earth...
was attacked is called the Third Kinslaying. The last Kinslaying is considered the cruellest of them all because many women and children were also murdered by the Fëanorians.
It was stated by Eönwë
Eönwë
Eönwë is a supporting character in J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium. He first appears in print in the posthumously published The Silmarillion, though his character had existed long before its original publication in 1977.-Biography:...
herald of Manwë
Manwë
Manwë is a god or Vala of the Elven pantheon imagined by J. R. R. Tolkien. He is described in The Silmarillion.Manwë was the King of the Valar, husband of Varda Elentári, brother of the Dark Lord Melkor, and King of Arda. He lived atop Mount Taniquetil, the highest mountain of the world, in the...
that because of these evil deeds the remaining Sons of Fëanor had lost all right to 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...
s, and when Maedhros
Maedhros
Maedhros is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. First introduced in The Silmarillion and later mentioned in Unfinished Tales and The Children of Húrin, he is one of the most enduring characters in The Silmarillion, and has been the subject of paintings by artists such as Jenny...
and Maglor
Maglor
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Maglor is a fictional character, the second son of Fëanor and Nerdanel. He was the greatest poet and bard of the Noldor and was said to have inherited more of his mother's gentler temperament....
finally got them, they burned their hand, driving Maedhros to suicide and Maglor to wander the Earth forever.
The civil war in Gondor
Gondor
Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth by the end of the Third Age. The third volume of The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, is concerned with the events in Gondor during the War of the Ring and with...
in the Third Age
Third Age
The Third Age is a time period from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. The history of Middle-earth is to be taken fictionally as a history of the real Earth....
called the Kin-strife is also sometimes called a Kinslaying.
Battles of Beleriand
In J. R. R. TolkienJ. 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....
, the First Battle of Beleriand is the first battle of the Wars of Beleriand
Battles of Beleriand
In J. R. R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion, there were many battles between the Elves of Beleriand and the forces of Morgoth.These battles are often referred to as the Battles of Beleriand, but also as the War of the Jewels as the Silmarilli were behind them all.#The First Battle of Beleriand was...
, fought by the Sindar
Sindar
In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the fictional Sindar are Elves of Telerin descent. They are also known as the Grey Elves. Their language is Sindarin...
in 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...
, led by Elu Thingol
Thingol
Elu Thingol is a fictional character in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He appears in The Silmarillion, The Lays of Beleriand and Children of Húrin as well as in numerous stories in the many volumes of The History of Middle-earth...
, King of Doriath
Doriath
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Doriath is the realm of the Sindar, the Grey Elves of King Thingol in Beleriand. Along with the other great forests of Tolkien's legendarium such as Mirkwood, Fangorn and Lothlórien it serves as the central stage in the theatre of its time, the First Age...
and Lord of 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...
, against the armies 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...
, the Great Enemy, the Dark Lord
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...
.
The battles between the 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...
of 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...
and the forces 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...
are often referred to as the Battles of Beleriand, but also as the War of the Jewels as 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...
li were behind them all.
The First Battle of Beleriand
First Battle of Beleriand
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, the First Battle of Beleriand is the first battle of the Wars of Beleriand, fought by the Sindarin Elves, led by Elu Thingol, King of Doriath and Lord of Beleriand, against the armies of Morgoth, the Great Enemy, the Dark Lord.-History:Morgoth,...
was fought before the Noldor
Noldor
In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Noldor are Elves of the Second Clan who migrated to Valinor and lived in Eldamar. The Noldor are called Golodhrim or Gódhellim in Sindarin, and Goldoi by Teleri of Tol Eressëa. The singular form of the Quenya noun is Noldo and the adjective is Noldorin...
arrived, and was fought by the Sindar
Sindar
In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the fictional Sindar are Elves of Telerin descent. They are also known as the Grey Elves. Their language is Sindarin...
and Laiquendi
Laiquendi
In the fictional works of J. R. R. Tolkien the Laiquendi are an ethnic group of Elves, so named because their attire was often green.-History and origin:...
Elves.
The Second Battle was Dagor-nuin-Giliath
Dagor-nuin-Giliath
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, the Dagor-nuin-Giliath is the second battle of the Wars of Beleriand, but the first involving the Noldor....
("Battle-under-Stars"), fought by the Noldor following Fëanor
Fëanor
Fëanor is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium who plays an important part in The Silmarillion. He was the eldest son of Finwë, the High King of the Noldor, and his first wife Míriel Serindë...
and his Seven Sons
Sons of Fëanor
In J. R. R. Tolkien's world of Middle-earth, the seven sons of Fëanor, the eldest prince of the Noldor, led their people from Valinor to rule over kingdoms in the Northeast of Beleriand:...
, in which the Noldor were victorious but Fëanor was slain by Balrog
Balrog
Balrogs are fictional demonic beings who appear in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. Such creatures first appeared in print in his novel The Lord of the Rings, though they figured in earlier writings that posthumously appeared in The Silmarillion and other books.Balrogs are described as...
s. During this battle the Battle of Lhammoth was fought by the host of Fingolfin
Fingolfin
Fingolfin is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, appearing in The Silmarillion.-Internal history:He was a High King of the Noldor in Beleriand, second eldest son of Finwë, full brother of Finarfin, and half-brother of Fëanor, who was the eldest of Finwë's sons. His mother was...
.
The Third Battle was Dagor Aglareb
Dagor Aglareb
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, as told in the Silmarillion, the Dagor Aglareb was the third battle of the Wars of Beleriand during the First Age, known as the Glorious Battle....
("Glorious Battle"), which led to 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...
. Various minor battles were fought during the Siege which are not counted.
The Fourth Battle was the Dagor Bragollach
Dagor Bragollach
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, the Dagor Bragollach was the fourth battle of the Wars of Beleriand...
("Battle of Sudden Flame"), in which the Siege was broken and Fingolfin
Fingolfin
Fingolfin is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, appearing in The Silmarillion.-Internal history:He was a High King of the Noldor in Beleriand, second eldest son of Finwë, full brother of Finarfin, and half-brother of Fëanor, who was the eldest of Finwë's sons. His mother was...
was slain by Morgoth.
The Fifth Battle was the Nírnaeth Arnoediad
Nirnaeth Arnoediad
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium of Middle-earth, the Nírnaeth Arnoediad or Unnumbered Tears was the climactic Fifth Battle in the Wars of Beleriand.-The Fifth Battle as told in The Silmarillion:...
("Unnumbered Tears"), in which the Noldor were utterly defeated.
Years later, the Battle of Tumhalad
Battle of Tumhalad
In J.R.R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, the Battle of Tumhalad was the last battle of the Elves of the kingdom of Nargothrond...
, in which the elven forces under Orodreth
Orodreth
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Orodreth was an Elf of the First Age, the son of Angrod and nephew of Finrod Felagund, and a ruler of Nargothrond....
and Túrin
Túrin Turambar
Túrin Turambar is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. "Turambar and the Foalókë", begun in 1917, is the first appearance of Túrin in the legendarium. J.R.R...
were defeated by Angband forces under Glaurung
Glaurung
Glaurung is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth legendarium. He is introduced in The Silmarillion as the first of the Dragons. He is also a major antagonist in The Children of Húrin. He was known as The Deceiver, The Golden, The Great Worm and the Worm of...
, led to the sack of Nargothrond
Nargothrond
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Nargothrond , called Nulukkhizdīn by the Dwarves, was the stronghold built by Finrod Felagund...
.
The Last Battle of Beleriand, called the Great Battle and the War of Wrath
War of Wrath
The War of Wrath, or the Great Battle, is a key plot development in J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium, portraying the final war against Morgoth at the end of the First Age....
, ended the First Age
First Age
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the First Age, or First Age of the Children of Ilúvatar is the heroic period in which most of Tolkien's early legends are set...
of Arda
Arda
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Arda is the name given to the Earth in a period of prehistory, wherein the places mentioned in The Lord of the Rings and related material once existed...
and destroyed Beleriand, for the wrath of the Valar
Vala (Middle-earth)
The Valar are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. They are first mentioned in The Lord of the Rings, but The Silmarillion develops them into the Powers of Arda or the Powers of the World...
was so great that it caused Beleriand to sink under the Sea
Belegaer
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Belegaer, the Great Sea or the Sundering Seas, is the sea of Arda that is west of Middle-earth....
.
War of the Elves and Sauron
The War of the Elves and Sauron was a great conflict fought in the Second AgeSecond Age
The Second Age is a time period from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. Tolkien intended for the history of Middle-earth to be considered fictionally as a precursor to the history of the real Earth....
. This is one of the great wars of Middle-earth, and it is sometimes informally referred to as the Invasion of Eriador
Eriador
Eriador is a large region in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional world of Middle-earth. In the Second Age, and possibly much earlier, it was largely forested, but the Dúnedain felled most of the forests to build ships. Much of it was encompassed in the early Third Age by the kingdom of Arnor, which...
. It is the war caused by the forging of the One Ring
One Ring
The One Ring is a fictional artifact that appears as the central plot element in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy novels. It is described in an earlier story, The Hobbit , as a magic ring of invisibility. The sequel The Lord of the Rings describes its powers as being more encompassing than...
.
The war began in , almost a century after 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...
had deceived the Noldor
Noldor
In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Noldor are Elves of the Second Clan who migrated to Valinor and lived in Eldamar. The Noldor are called Golodhrim or Gódhellim in Sindarin, and Goldoi by Teleri of Tol Eressëa. The singular form of the Quenya noun is Noldo and the adjective is Noldorin...
smiths of Eregion
Eregion
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Eregion or Hollin was a kingdom of the Noldorin Elves in Eriador during the Second Age, located near the West Gate of Moria under the shadow of the Hithaeglir . Its capital was Ost-in-Edhil...
and had secretly forged the One Ring
One Ring
The One Ring is a fictional artifact that appears as the central plot element in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy novels. It is described in an earlier story, The Hobbit , as a magic ring of invisibility. The sequel The Lord of the Rings describes its powers as being more encompassing than...
to rule over the other Rings of Power
Rings of Power
The Rings of Power in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium are magical rings created by Sauron or by the Elves of Eregion under Sauron's tutelage...
. When Sauron put on the One Ring, Celebrimbor
Celebrimbor
Celebrimbor is a fictional character In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. His name means "silver fist" or "Hand of silver" in Sindarin ....
, lord of Eregion, realised that the Elves had been betrayed and revolted against the Dark Lord's influence. With his disguise uncovered, Sauron then demanded that all of the great rings in Eregion be surrendered to him, as all of them were made with Sauron's counsel, except the Three Rings
Three Rings
In Tolkien's legendarium, the Three Rings are magical artifacts forged by the Elves of Eregion. After the One Ring, they are the most powerful of the twenty Rings of Power....
of the 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...
. Celebrimbor refused and sent the Three to Gil-galad
Gil-galad
Ereinion Gil-galad is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is mentioned in The Lord of the Rings, and featured in The Silmarillion.- Character overview :...
and Galadriel
Galadriel
Galadriel is a character created by J.R.R. Tolkien, appearing in his Middle-earth legendarium. She appears in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales....
, while Sauron raised a great force to invade Eriador.
Messages of the invasion were sent north to Lindon
Lindon (Middle-earth)
Lindon is the land beyond the Ered Luin, the Blue Mountains, in the northwest of Middle-earth in the fictional universe of J. R. R. Tolkien. It is the westernmost land of the continent. The Gulf of Lune divides it into Forlindon and Harlindon...
where the High King Gil-galad ruled, and he began amassing his forces, preparing for war. He also appealed for help from Tar-Minastir of Númenor
Númenor
Númenor is a fictional place in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings. It was a huge island located in the Sundering Seas to the west of Middle-earth, the main setting of Tolkien's writings, and was known to be the greatest realm of Men...
and the latter obliged, but the Númenóreans were delayed.
In S.A. 1695 Sauron had reached Eregion, though his vanguard was temporarily driven off by Celeborn
Celeborn
Celeborn is a fictional character in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He appears in The Lord of the Rings as the Elven husband of Galadriel, Lord of the Galadhrim; and co-ruler along with Galadriel of Lothlórien. He was the father of Celebrían — the wife of Elrond — and thus the...
's sortie. (While Celeborn's wife Galadriel had entered Moria
Moria (Middle-earth)
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Moria was the name given by the Eldar to an enormous underground complex in north-western Middle-earth, comprising a vast network of tunnels, chambers, mines and huge halls or 'mansions', that ran under and ultimately through the Misty Mountains...
to reach Lothlórien, Celeborn himself refused to enter the mansion of the dwarves, and he was disregarded in Eregion by Celebrimbor until the One Ring.) Elrond
Elrond
Elrond Half-elven is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is introduced in The Hobbit, and plays a supporting role in The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion.-Character overview:...
had been sent to Eregion by Gil-galad but Sauron's host was great enough to ward him off while concentrating on the assault upon Eregion. In S.A. 1697 Celebrimbor tried to make a last stand at the doors of the Ost-in-Edhil, the main fortress of Eregion where the Noldor's chief works were held, but he was overwhelmed and taken captive. Placed under torment, he revealed the location of the Nine and Seven rings but would tell nothing about the Three
Three Rings
In Tolkien's legendarium, the Three Rings are magical artifacts forged by the Elves of Eregion. After the One Ring, they are the most powerful of the twenty Rings of Power....
, at which Sauron put him to death. It is clear that Sauron seized the Nine from Eregion, though it is less sure whether he or Celebrimbor had given the Seven to the Dwarves.
Elrond gathered with Celeborn and the survivors of Eregion and they were almost overwhelmed by Sauron's pursuit, but the Dark Lord's host was unexpectedly assailed in the rear by Durin
Durin
Durin is the name of seven Kings of Dwarves in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. They were held by the Dwarves to be the reincarnations of the first one, Durin the Deathless, resembling him in appearance and said to have preserved memories of their 'earlier lives'.Tolkien took the name Durin, like...
of Moria and some Elves of Lórien. Sauron then halted his advance and drove the Dwarves back but he could accomplish little as Khazad-dûm
Moria (Middle-earth)
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Moria was the name given by the Eldar to an enormous underground complex in north-western Middle-earth, comprising a vast network of tunnels, chambers, mines and huge halls or 'mansions', that ran under and ultimately through the Misty Mountains...
's gates were closed. Afterwards, Sauron harboured deep hatred for Moria and ordered his Orcs to trouble the Dwarves at every turn. Elrond managed to escape to the north and established Imladris
Rivendell
Rivendell is an Elven outpost in Middle-earth, a fictional realm created by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was established and ruled by Elrond in the Second Age of Middle-earth...
.
Sauron's armies advanced, almost unopposed save for small bands of Men and Elves which his forces easily dealt with. By S.A. 1699 all of Eriador
Eriador
Eriador is a large region in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional world of Middle-earth. In the Second Age, and possibly much earlier, it was largely forested, but the Dúnedain felled most of the forests to build ships. Much of it was encompassed in the early Third Age by the kingdom of Arnor, which...
fell under Sauron's control. Imladris was besieged, and Lindon cut off from Imladris and Khazad-dûm. The Dark Lord had correctly guessed that the Three Rings
Three Rings
In Tolkien's legendarium, the Three Rings are magical artifacts forged by the Elves of Eregion. After the One Ring, they are the most powerful of the twenty Rings of Power....
were with Gil-galad in Lindon and sent his main host there, though it was weakened because he had to break off a detachment to keep Elrond pinned down at Imladris.
The next year, the great army of Númenor
Númenor
Númenor is a fictional place in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings. It was a huge island located in the Sundering Seas to the west of Middle-earth, the main setting of Tolkien's writings, and was known to be the greatest realm of Men...
which was sent by Tar-Minastir landed in Lindon
Lindon (Middle-earth)
Lindon is the land beyond the Ered Luin, the Blue Mountains, in the northwest of Middle-earth in the fictional universe of J. R. R. Tolkien. It is the westernmost land of the continent. The Gulf of Lune divides it into Forlindon and Harlindon...
, at Tharbad on the Gwathló
Gwathló
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, the river Gwathló or Greyflood is a river in middle Eriador.The Sindarin name Gwathló was adapted from the name Gwathir, given to the river by the Númenóreans in the Second Age...
, and south near Pelargir. The intervention at Lindon was in the nick of time, as Gil-galad and Círdan were desperately holding Mithlond, but the arrival of the Númenóreans turned the tide and Sauron was heavily defeated and driven back. The Dark Lord was subsequently forced on the retreat after the great slaughter on the Brandywine. The Númenórean admiral Ciryatur landed forces further south at Lond Daer and hurried up the river to Tharbad, catching Sauron in the rear for the second time. At the resulting Battle of the Gwathló
Gwathló
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, the river Gwathló or Greyflood is a river in middle Eriador.The Sindarin name Gwathló was adapted from the name Gwathir, given to the river by the Númenóreans in the Second Age...
, Sauron was utterly routed and he fled back to Mordor
Mordor
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, Mordor or Morhdorh was the dwelling place of Sauron, in the southeast of northwestern Middle-earth to the East of Anduin, the great river. Orodruin, a volcano in Mordor, was the destination of the Fellowship of the Ring in the quest to...
with only his guard. His remaining army besieging Imladris was caught between the allies and destroyed. The war ended in S.A. 1701 but Eregion was gone, and most of Eriador was in ruins.
Sauron was at his pinnacle of his power, militarily, when he initiated the war. This conflict is perhaps the only time that Sauron managed to, for a short while, master most of the North of Middle-earth. However, the strength of Elves was still then great enough to resist him, and his forces were no match for the superior might of the Númenóreans. While Tar-Minastir's forces soon left to return home, the greater part of the Elves' main hosts survived (save for the destruction of Celebrimbor's company) and remained in Middle-earth. As Sauron's armies had been annihilated, he was unable to move out of Mordor for a time. In order to rebuild his former strength, Sauron decided against challenging the Númenóreans directly, only attacking their Middle-earth settlements after most of the Númenóreans departed as a shadow fell upon Númenor.
Some fifteen hundred years later, Sauron would exact his revenge against the Númenóreans by corrupting Ar-Pharazôn, the king, and causing the utter downfall of Númenor
Akallabêth
Akallabêth is the fourth part of the fantasy work The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien. It is relatively short, consisting of about thirty pages.-Synopsis:...
. However, a remnant (the Lords of Andúnië) escaped the ruin and established the kingdoms of Arnor
Arnor
Arnor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings. Arnor, or the Northern Kingdom, was a kingdom of the Dúnedain in the land of Eriador in Middle-earth. The name probably means "Land of the King", from Sindarin Ara- + dor...
and Gondor
Gondor
Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth by the end of the Third Age. The third volume of The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, is concerned with the events in Gondor during the War of the Ring and with...
, the latter being close to Mordor
Mordor
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, Mordor or Morhdorh was the dwelling place of Sauron, in the southeast of northwestern Middle-earth to the East of Anduin, the great river. Orodruin, a volcano in Mordor, was the destination of the Fellowship of the Ring in the quest to...
. Meanwhile, the power of Gil-galad had spread east of the Misty Mountains to Greenwood the Great
Mirkwood
Mirkwood is a name used for two distinct fictional forests in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. In the First Age, the highlands of Dorthonion north of Beleriand were known as Mirkwood after falling under Morgoth's control. During the Third Age, the large forest in Rhovanion, east of the Anduin in ...
and even towards Mordor during Sauron's absence. Sauron attacked first, hoped to defeat his enemies before they could unite, but his own power was not yet fully rebuilt and he underestimated the strength of the Exiles and the Elves. His assault on the newfound realm of Gondor led to the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, which overthrew him.
In the Third Age, when Sauron returned, he was but a shadow of his former power as he had lost the One Ring. Still, he had greater forces than the Men and the Elves, who had themselves declined precipitously. Indeed, Sauron was relatively more powerful in the Third Age than he had been at his strongest in the Second Age. Near the end of the Third Age, as told in The Fellowship of the Ring
The Fellowship of the Ring
The Fellowship of the Ring is the first of three volumes of the epic novel The Lord of the Rings by the English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It takes place in the fictional universe Middle-earth. It was originally published on July 29, 1954 in the United Kingdom...
, Gandalf
Gandalf
Gandalf is a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. In these stories, Gandalf appears as a wizard, member and later the head of the order known as the Istari, as well as leader of the Fellowship of the Ring and the army of the West...
tells Frodo Baggins
Frodo Baggins
Frodo Baggins is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium.He is the main protagonist of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. He was a hobbit of the Shire who inherited Sauron's Ring from Bilbo Baggins and undertook the quest to destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom...
that Sauron needed to recover the One Ring in order to "cover the lands in a second darkness"; the first darkness either referring to Sauron's invasion of Eriador, or 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...
, the Great Enemy, during the First Age
First Age
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the First Age, or First Age of the Children of Ilúvatar is the heroic period in which most of Tolkien's early legends are set...
.
Around the end of the War of the Elves and Sauron, the great forests in Enedwaith and Minhiriath, which the Gwathló flows through, have been completely destroyed. The Númenóreans since Tar-Aldarion
Tar-Aldarion
Tar-Aldarion is a character from J. R. R. Tolkien’s legendarium.He was the sixth King of Númenor, succeeding his father, Tar-Meneldur. He was a great mariner, and during his time Númenor started to invest more in its navy and strengthened its presence overseas in Middle-earth. He wedded Erendis in...
had already been felling many trees for shipbuilding, incurring the wrath of the locals when the extent of the devastation became known. Sauron allied himself with some of the tribes to harass the Númenóreans, setting fire in the woods and burning their wood-stores; the Númenóreans responded by ruthlessly felling timber without any thought of conservation or replanting.
Though both the 1978 animated film and the 2001 live-action film based on The Lord of the Rings show the forging of the Rings of Power, the War of the Elves and Sauron is skipped and the films go straight to the much later War of the Last Alliance.
War of the Last Alliance
The War of the Last Alliance is a conflict at the end of the Second AgeSecond Age
The Second Age is a time period from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. Tolkien intended for the history of Middle-earth to be considered fictionally as a precursor to the history of the real Earth....
when Elves and Men formed an alliance in response to the threat of conquest by the Dark Lord 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...
. It includes the Battle of Dagorlad and the Siege of Barad-dûr.
In 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...
, Elrond
Elrond
Elrond Half-elven is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is introduced in The Hobbit, and plays a supporting role in The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion.-Character overview:...
describes the Last Alliance to Frodo Baggins
Frodo Baggins
Frodo Baggins is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium.He is the main protagonist of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. He was a hobbit of the Shire who inherited Sauron's Ring from Bilbo Baggins and undertook the quest to destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom...
, comparing it to the Host of Valinor
Valinor
Valinor is a fictional location in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the realm of the Valar in Aman. It was also known as the Undying Lands, along with Tol Eressëa and the outliers of Aman. This is something of a misnomer; only immortal beings were allowed to reside there, but the land itself,...
that overthrew the Great Enemy 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...
in the War of Wrath
War of Wrath
The War of Wrath, or the Great Battle, is a key plot development in J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium, portraying the final war against Morgoth at the end of the First Age....
at the end of the First Age
First Age
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the First Age, or First Age of the Children of Ilúvatar is the heroic period in which most of Tolkien's early legends are set...
:
"I remember well the splendour of their banners ... It recalled to me the glory of the Elder DaysElder DaysIn the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Elder Days are the first Ages of Middle-earth.During the Second and Third Age, the term referred to the First Age and before, but in the Fourth Age the term began to be applied to all three ages which came before: a time before the dominance of Men and the...
and the hosts of BeleriandBeleriandIn 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...
, so many great princes and captains were assembled. And yet not so many, nor so fair, as when ThangorodrimThangorodrimIn the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Thangorodrim was a group of three volcanic mountains in the Iron Mountains in the north of Middle-earth during the First Age...
was broken, and the Elves deemed that evil was ended for ever, and it was not so."
Sauron had contended with the 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...
and the Men
Man (Middle-earth)
The race of Men in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth books, such as The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, refers to humanity and does not denote gender...
of Númenor
Númenor
Númenor is a fictional place in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings. It was a huge island located in the Sundering Seas to the west of Middle-earth, the main setting of Tolkien's writings, and was known to be the greatest realm of Men...
for mastery of Middle-earth and the Rings of Power
Rings of Power
The Rings of Power in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium are magical rings created by Sauron or by the Elves of Eregion under Sauron's tutelage...
in the War of the Elves and Sauron. He was defeated and driven out of Eriador
Eriador
Eriador is a large region in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional world of Middle-earth. In the Second Age, and possibly much earlier, it was largely forested, but the Dúnedain felled most of the forests to build ships. Much of it was encompassed in the early Third Age by the kingdom of Arnor, which...
in the year 1701 of the Second Age. During this war the Elves suffered great losses. Over the next 1500 years, Sauron extended his power eastward and the kingdom of Númenor on the island of Andor
Númenor
Númenor is a fictional place in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings. It was a huge island located in the Sundering Seas to the west of Middle-earth, the main setting of Tolkien's writings, and was known to be the greatest realm of Men...
flourished, even receiving the submission of Sauron. It was eventually destroyed at the height of its military power due to the machinations of Sauron in the year 3319. The Dúnedain
Dúnedain
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the Dúnedain were a race of Men descended from the Númenóreans who survived the sinking of their island kingdom and came to Eriador in Middle-earth, led by Elendil and his sons, Isildur and Anárion...
, survivors of the catastrophe, formed realms in exile in Middle-earth.
Sauron feared the kingdoms in exile, Arnor
Arnor
Arnor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings. Arnor, or the Northern Kingdom, was a kingdom of the Dúnedain in the land of Eriador in Middle-earth. The name probably means "Land of the King", from Sindarin Ara- + dor...
and Gondor
Gondor
Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth by the end of the Third Age. The third volume of The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, is concerned with the events in Gondor during the War of the Ring and with...
and he attacked Gondor in S.A. 3429. Sauron took Minas Ithil
Minas Morgul
Minas Morgul , also known by its earlier name of Minas Ithil , is a fictional fortified city in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth...
in a sudden assault while Anárion
Anárion
Anárion is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. His name is derived from Anar, which means "Sun" in Tolkien's invented language of Quenya...
managed to hold Osgiliath and halt Sauron's advance. In response, Elendil
Elendil
Elendil is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He appears in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....
, High King of the Dúnedain and Isildur
Isildur
Isildur is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He appears in the author's books The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales....
and Anárion
Anárion
Anárion is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. His name is derived from Anar, which means "Sun" in Tolkien's invented language of Quenya...
, formed an alliance with Gil-galad
Gil-galad
Ereinion Gil-galad is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is mentioned in The Lord of the Rings, and featured in The Silmarillion.- Character overview :...
, the last High King of the Noldor
Noldor
In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Noldor are Elves of the Second Clan who migrated to Valinor and lived in Eldamar. The Noldor are called Golodhrim or Gódhellim in Sindarin, and Goldoi by Teleri of Tol Eressëa. The singular form of the Quenya noun is Noldo and the adjective is Noldorin...
, and they raised a great host to contest Sauron.
The Elves of Lindon
Lindon (Middle-earth)
Lindon is the land beyond the Ered Luin, the Blue Mountains, in the northwest of Middle-earth in the fictional universe of J. R. R. Tolkien. It is the westernmost land of the continent. The Gulf of Lune divides it into Forlindon and Harlindon...
, led by Gil-galad, and the Men of Arnor, led by Elendil, built in the north the fortress and the watchtower of Amon Sûl, Weathertop
Weathertop
In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, Weathertop is a hill in the Eriador region of Middle-earth, the southernmost and highest summit of the Weather Hills...
, over two years while gathering their armies. Their great host then marched to Rivendell
Rivendell
Rivendell is an Elven outpost in Middle-earth, a fictional realm created by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was established and ruled by Elrond in the Second Age of Middle-earth...
, and there made preparations and armaments for nearly three years. In the year 3434 they went over the Misty Mountains
Misty Mountains
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy world of Middle-earth, the Misty Mountains is a mountain range, running for 795 miles from north to south, between Eriador and the valley of the Great River, Anduin, and...
at the High Pass and the Redhorn Pass, and were joined by the army of the Dwarves
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....
of Moria
Moria (Middle-earth)
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Moria was the name given by the Eldar to an enormous underground complex in north-western Middle-earth, comprising a vast network of tunnels, chambers, mines and huge halls or 'mansions', that ran under and ultimately through the Misty Mountains...
. The Alliance host then crossed the bridge over the river Anduin
Anduin
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Anduin is the Sindarin name for the Great River of Wilderland, the longest river in the Third Age . The ancestors of the Rohirrim called it Langflood. It flowed from its source in the Grey and Misty Mountains to the Mouths of Anduin in the Great Sea...
, meeting the armies of the Silvan Elves
Silvan Elves
Silvan Elves are an ethnic group of Elves in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, mainly the Elves of Mirkwood and Lothlórien.In the First Age the Elves of Ossiriand, or Laiquendi, were also referred to as wood-elves....
of Lórinand and Greenwood the Great
Mirkwood
Mirkwood is a name used for two distinct fictional forests in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. In the First Age, the highlands of Dorthonion north of Beleriand were known as Mirkwood after falling under Morgoth's control. During the Third Age, the large forest in Rhovanion, east of the Anduin in ...
in the hosts of Amdír and Oropher, and marched south down the east bank where they met up with the Men of Gondor and then met Sauron's forces before Mordor.
While Isildur's elder son and heir, Elendur, accompanied his father throughout the entire conflict except the last challenge upon Orodruin, his younger brothers Aratan
Aratan
In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, Aratan was Isildur's second son and at the time of his death, Heir Presumptive to the High-Kingship of Arnor and Gondor. He was sent with his younger brother Ciryon to garrison the city of Minas Ithil and the pass of Cirith Ungol...
and Ciryon
Ciryon
In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, Ciryon was Isildur's third son. In the War of the Last Alliance he was sent with his older brother Aratan to garrison the city of Minas Ithil and the pass of Cirith Ungol on the borders of Mordor and Ithilien, in case Sauron tried to escape through the pass...
were not involved in the main assault. They were sent by Isildur to man the recaptured city of Minas Ithil, as a reserve in case Sauron tried to escape through the passes of the mountains.
In S.A. 3434, the Alliance engaged and defeated Sauron's hosts in the Battle of Dagorlad, having fought over several months on the great plain of Dagorlad. However, the Silvan Elves would not place their armies under the supreme command of Gil-galad. Amdír's forces were cut and driven into the Dead Marshes
Dead Marshes
The Dead Marshes is a fictional place from J. R. R. Tolkien's universe, Middle-earth.-Literature:Once a part of the ancient battlefield of Dagorlad, the Dead Marshes lie north-west of the Morannon, the principal entrance to Mordor...
, while Oropher led a reckless assault on Mordor in which he was slain. Rule of the Silvan Elves and field command of their remaining forces, barely a third of their original strength, passed to Oropher's son Thranduil
Thranduil
Thranduil is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is a supporting character in The Hobbit, and is referenced briefly in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales.-In literature:...
. Alliance forces breached the Black Gate of Mordor, and besieged the Dark Lord's fortress of Barad-dûr. The shapes of the fallen remained in the water of the Dead Marshes into the later Ages. Gollum described it as "...a great battle. Tall Men with long swords, and terrible Elves, and Orcses shrieking. They fought on the plains for days and months at the Black Gates."
The Siege of Barad-dûr
Barad-dûr
Barad-dûr is the fortress of Sauron in the heart of the black land of Mordor and close to Mount Doom in the fantasy world of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings...
lasted for seven years. The Alliance suffered heavy losses from missiles and fire cast from the tower, and Sauron also sent many sorties against the attackers. Anárion was killed by a stone cast from the tower, and his helm, a forerunner of the crown of Minas Anor
Minas Tirith
Minas Tirith , originally named Minas Anor, is a fictional city and castle in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings. It became the heavily fortified capital of Gondor in the second half of the Third Age...
, was destroyed.
Eventually Sauron emerged from the tower and engaged the Alliance forces personally near Orodruin, battling the commanders Gil-galad and Elendil, with only Elrond, Círdan, and Isildur standing by them. Gil-galad and Elendil were slain, with the latter's sword Narsil
Narsil
Narsil is a fictional sword featured in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. It is introduced in The Lord of the Rings as having once belonged to King Elendil of the Dúnedain...
breaking beneath him as he fell. However, Sauron was overthrown and Elendil's son Isildur used the hilt-shard of Narsil to cut the One Ring
One Ring
The One Ring is a fictional artifact that appears as the central plot element in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy novels. It is described in an earlier story, The Hobbit , as a magic ring of invisibility. The sequel The Lord of the Rings describes its powers as being more encompassing than...
from Sauron's hand.
Bereft of the power of the One Ring, Sauron's physical form was unbound and his dissipated spirit would not take form again in Middle-earth for two and a half thousand years. After the victory over Sauron, the death of Gil-galad and Elendil, and irreplaceable casualties to the Elves, the Last Alliance dissolved.
Many of the Eldar mourned the victory as bittersweet for the One Ring was kept by Isildur, who later perished and lost it in the Gladden Fields
Gladden Fields
The Gladden Fields is a location in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. In his works, the Gladden Fields are located where the Gladden river joins the Anduin....
. Thus, despite the sacrifice of the Elves and Men, the Ring was not destroyed and the opportunity to defeat Sauron once and for all was missed. The war resulted in the first weakening of Lindon and Arnor. The Second Age ended with the war's conclusion and the Third Age
Third Age
The Third Age is a time period from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. The history of Middle-earth is to be taken fictionally as a history of the real Earth....
of the World began.
In Peter Jackson
Peter Jackson
Sir Peter Robert Jackson, KNZM is a New Zealand film director, producer, actor, and screenwriter, known for his The Lord of the Rings film trilogy , adapted from the novel by J. R. R...
's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the details of the war are not included and only the final "Battle of Mount Doom", as it is sometimes called, is shown. Notable differences from the book are: Elrond, who calls himself a herald in the book, is shown giving orders; unidentified Gil-galad is briefly glimpsed, but his death is not shown; Dwarves are not mentioned or shown during the battle; Sauron kills Elendil with his mace; Narsil is broken under Sauron's foot into many pieces, instead of two; Isildur cuts off most of Sauron's fingers on his outstretched hand, instead of just one; Sauron eventually explodes; Anárion and Círdan are omitted overall.
Disaster of the Gladden Fields
The Disaster of the Gladden Fields, also known as the Battle of the Gladden Fields was a short battle taking place under the eaves of Greenwood the Great forest, in the second year of the Third AgeThird Age
The Third Age is a time period from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. The history of Middle-earth is to be taken fictionally as a history of the real Earth....
.
After the War of the Last Alliance, Isildur remained in Gondor
Gondor
Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth by the end of the Third Age. The third volume of The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, is concerned with the events in Gondor during the War of the Ring and with...
for two years before returning to Arnor
Arnor
Arnor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings. Arnor, or the Northern Kingdom, was a kingdom of the Dúnedain in the land of Eriador in Middle-earth. The name probably means "Land of the King", from Sindarin Ara- + dor...
, reordering the kingdom and instructing his late brother's son Meneldil, who became king after Isildur's departure from Gondor. Although he sent most of his army back home, he kept some two hundred with him. They set out for Rivendell
Rivendell
Rivendell is an Elven outpost in Middle-earth, a fictional realm created by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was established and ruled by Elrond in the Second Age of Middle-earth...
, as Isildur had left his youngest son and wife there, expecting to march there within forty days.
As the sun was setting and the army was preparing to make camp for the night, a large band of orcs appeared out of the trees and attacked. The orcs had many more warriors than Isildur, and Isildur gave his father's sword, Narsil
Narsil
Narsil is a fictional sword featured in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. It is introduced in The Lord of the Rings as having once belonged to King Elendil of the Dúnedain...
into the keeping of his squire, Ohtar
Ohtar
Ohtar is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium.In the story "The Disaster of the Gladden Fields" found in Tolkien's Unfinished Tales, Ohtar was introduced as squire to Isildur, the Númenórean prince who cut the ruling ring from the hand of Sauron at the end of the Second Age...
, whom he commanded to escape to Rivendell. Ohtar escaped the orcs and came into Elrond
Elrond
Elrond Half-elven is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is introduced in The Hobbit, and plays a supporting role in The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion.-Character overview:...
's valley some months later.
Isildur and his army were able to easily beat off the attack with their superior tactics and armour. He was still concerned and the army moved down closer to the river, although they expected the orcs to send only scouts after Isildur's stronger force as they would usually do after being defeated. However the One Ring
One Ring
The One Ring is a fictional artifact that appears as the central plot element in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy novels. It is described in an earlier story, The Hobbit , as a magic ring of invisibility. The sequel The Lord of the Rings describes its powers as being more encompassing than...
was calling out to all the servants of its recently fallen master, crying to be rescued.
The orcs attacked again after less than a mile, committing all of their forces and they soon had the Dúnedain surrounded. Although the archers were taking out many of the orcs, there were far too few and the sun was setting. The orcs attacked at the sound of their trumpets but were kept back by the long reach of the Dúnedain weaponry. They drew back to reconsider and charged again. This time two or even more orcs would jump up at a single Dúnadan and crush him. The victim was then dragged out and killed. Isildur lost two sons this way.
Although the orcs paid as much as five-to-one, they could afford it. Isildur and Elendur, his last son, rallied the Dúnedain. Elendur commanded his father to don the ring, becoming invisible, to flee and sealed his own fate. Soon all of the remaining Dúnedain were dead, apart from two unnamed men who later escaped and Estelmo, the squire of Elendur, who had been clubbed on the head and then covered in bodies of his comrades.
Isildur was able to make his way to the Anduin
Anduin
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Anduin is the Sindarin name for the Great River of Wilderland, the longest river in the Third Age . The ancestors of the Rohirrim called it Langflood. It flowed from its source in the Grey and Misty Mountains to the Mouths of Anduin in the Great Sea...
before casting off his greatsword and armour. Still wearing the Ring, he swam to the other side; however, as he did, the One Ring slipped off his finger, and Isildur was shot through the throat by an orc-archer set there for just such a purpose. The Ring sank to the bottom of the Great River, where it would remain for the next 2500 years.
Thranduil
Thranduil
Thranduil is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is a supporting character in The Hobbit, and is referenced briefly in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales.-In literature:...
, King of Greenwood, hastened to the battle, hoping to save the Dúnedain, but he was unable to do anything beyond stopping the mutilation of their corpses.
Kin-strife
The Kin-strife was a disastrous civil war in GondorGondor
Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth by the end of the Third Age. The third volume of The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, is concerned with the events in Gondor during the War of the Ring and with...
.
The unrest that created the Kin-strife began when Valacar, the son of the Gondorian king Rómendacil II, married a woman of the Northmen
Northmen (Middle-earth)
J. R. R. Tolkien adopted the term Northmen in his fiction; his "Northmen" were Men that lived in the north of Rhovanion in Middle-earth, and were friendly to Gondor....
of Rhovanion
Rhovanion
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Rhovanion or Wilderland was a large region of northern Middle-earth. It extended to the east as far as the inland Sea of Rhûn; north to the Grey Mountains and Iron Hills, home of the Dwarves; west to the range of the Hithaeglir, or Misty Mountains; and south to...
, Vidumavi. She bore him a son Eldacar, but many Gondorians of Númenórean blood were angered by this mixing of blood of Middle Men and Númenóreans, and the coastal provinces grew increasingly restless as Valacar aged.
When in 1432 of the Third Age
Third Age
The Third Age is a time period from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. The history of Middle-earth is to be taken fictionally as a history of the real Earth....
Eldacar succeeded his father the unrest grew into open rebellion, as many Gondorians saw Eldacar as a halfbreed who had no right to rule. The chief of them was his distant relative Castamir the Usurper, Captain of Ships, who in T.A. 1437 besieged Eldacar in Osgiliath and forced him into exile. During the siege Osgiliath was burned, and the great Dome of Stars was destroyed, and the palantír
Palantír
A palantír is a magical artifact from J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy legendarium. A palantír A palantír (pl. palantíri) is a magical artifact from J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy legendarium. A palantír A palantír (pl. palantíri) is a magical artifact from J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy legendarium. A palantír...
kept there was lost. Castamir also murdered Eldacar's son and heir Ornendil
Ornendil
In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, Ornendil was the elder son of King Eldacar of Gondor. In the siege of Osgiliath during the Gondorian civil war, Ornendil's father was driven out by Castamir the Usurper. However, Ornendil did not escape with his father and was put to death by Castamir...
. Eldacar fled to his relatives in Rhovanion.
A full decade later, in T.A. 1447, a rebellion against Castamir's cruel rule took place, and Eldacar returned with Rhovanion troops. Many Dúnedain joined him. Eldacar managed to kill Castamir at the Battle of the Crossings of Erui, but Castamir's sons and many of their supporters fled south. After a siege lasting a year Pelargir fell to Eldacar and the surviving rebels left for Umbar
Umbar
Umbar is a fictional place in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. It was a great haven and seaport to the far south of Gondor in Middle-earth.'Umbar' was a name—of unknown meaning—given to the area by its original inhabitants...
. Eldacar could not follow them, as the fleet was under Castamir's control.
Not only did Gondor lose the city of Umbar for four centuries and gain a new enemy in the Corsairs of Umbar
Corsairs of Umbar
The Corsairs of Umbar were a fleet of Men of Umbar in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, allied to Sauron in his war against Gondor.-Literature:...
, descendants of Castamir's sons, but also many of the Númenóreans of purest blood were killed during the civil war, leaving Gondor weakened.
The Kin-strife was, along with the Great Plague, one of the chief reasons for the abandonment of the fortresses in and surrounding Mordor
Mordor
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, Mordor or Morhdorh was the dwelling place of Sauron, in the southeast of northwestern Middle-earth to the East of Anduin, the great river. Orodruin, a volcano in Mordor, was the destination of the Fellowship of the Ring in the quest to...
, and the first disaster leading to Gondor's slow decline . Another reason for the abandoning of the provinces of Gondor in Mordor was because of the increasing threat of the ringwraiths.
Battle of the Camp
The Battle of the Camp is recounted in The SilmarillionThe Silmarillion
The Silmarillion is a collection of J. R. R. Tolkien's mythopoeic works, edited and published posthumously by his son Christopher Tolkien in 1977, with assistance from Guy Gavriel Kay, who later became a noted fantasy writer. The Silmarillion, along with J. R. R...
, the Appendices of The Return of the King
The Return of the King
The Return of the King is the third and final volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, following The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers.-Title:...
, and Unfinished Tales
Unfinished Tales
Unfinished Tales is a collection of stories and essays by J. R. R. Tolkien that were never completed during his lifetime, but were edited by his son Christopher Tolkien and published in 1980.Unlike The Silmarillion, for which the narrative fragments were modified to connect into a consistent and...
. "Battle of the Camp" refers mainly to the final battle of the conflict of Gondor with the Wainriders.
In the year 1945 of the Third Age, the Wainrider people from the east made an alliance with the Haradrim, and a dual attack on Ithilien
Ithilien
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Ithilien is a region and fiefdom of Gondor.Ithilien, or "Moon-land," is the easternmost province of Gondor, the only part of Gondor across the Great River Anduin lying between the river and the Mountains of Shadow , subdivided by the stream of...
was launched. While the Wainriders assaulted Ithilien from the north, the armies of the Haradrim crossed the Poros and invaded South Ithilien.
The northern assault of the Wainriders was met by the King of Gondor himself, Ondoher, with his two sons Artamir and Faramir. The Easterlings swept through Gondor's forces, cutting down the King and his heirs and routing his army. Their victory complete, and with Gondor seemingly defenceless before them, the Wainriders paused in North Ithilien to celebrate their conquest.
Their allies in the south had met with much less success. The Gondorian Captain Eärnil
Eärnil II
Eärnil II is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's universe of Middle-earth. He was born in T.A. 1883. In 1945 Third Age he was elected as the thirty-second King of Gondor after his predecessor, King Ondoher, was slain in battle. In the previous year a two-pronged attack had been launched...
had led Gondor's smaller Southern Army to victory over the Haradrim, destroying their army in South Ithilien, to the north of the Poros. After his victory, Eärnil turned north.
The feasting Wainriders suddenly found their success reversed, as Eärnil appeared with his Southern Army, reinforced by fleeing members of Ondoher's defeated northern troops. Eärnil's army descended on the unprepared Wainriders, driving many of them into the swamplands of the Dead Marshes
Dead Marshes
The Dead Marshes is a fictional place from J. R. R. Tolkien's universe, Middle-earth.-Literature:Once a part of the ancient battlefield of Dagorlad, the Dead Marshes lie north-west of the Morannon, the principal entrance to Mordor...
. That eastern people, for so long a dreaded enemy of Gondor, never marched against Gondor again. The battle was named after where it had taken place: the Battle of the Camp.
Because there was no heir apparent to the throne, Ondoher and his sons having been killed in the battle, Eärnil was chosen as King by Pelendur
Pelendur
Pelendur is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, appearing The Return of the King.He was Steward of Gondor in the year 1944 Third Age. He was born in T.A...
, the Steward of Gondor. Eärnil was elected king for his deeds, heritage, and because of the Steward's influence, however he was still of the royal house since he was a direct male-line descendant of King Telumehtar Umbardacil. Eärnil however was not of the ruling line, as his great-grandfather Arciryas was the brother of Narmacil II.
The initial attack by the Wainriders is expanded in more detail in the Unfinished Tales
Unfinished Tales
Unfinished Tales is a collection of stories and essays by J. R. R. Tolkien that were never completed during his lifetime, but were edited by his son Christopher Tolkien and published in 1980.Unlike The Silmarillion, for which the narrative fragments were modified to connect into a consistent and...
chapter Cirion and Eorl. There, it states that the Wainriders attempted two invasions of Gondor. In both wars, the Éothéod
Éothéod
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Éothéod were a group of Northmen who became the ancestors of the Rohirrim. The word, meaning "horse people", is a compound of the Old English words éoh and théod ; it is cognate with Old Norse jóþjóð...
(also known as the Northmen) were allies of Gondor, long before the formal pact of Cirion
Cirion
Cirion is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's universe of Middle-earth. He is first mentioned in the Appendices of Return of the King as the twelfth ruling Steward of Gondor. His role is later expanded in Unfinished Tales....
and Eorl which saw them move to Rohan
Rohan
Rohan is a realm in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy era of Middle-earth. It is a grassland which lies north of its ally Gondor and north-west of Mordor, the realm of Sauron, their enemy . It is inhabited by the Rohirrim, a people of herdsmen and farmers who are well-known for their horses and cavalry....
.
During the first attack, Narmacil II was slain but his son Calimehtar (Ondoher's father) rallied the armies of Gondor and counter-attacked forty years later at Dagorlad. In the nick of time, the famed cavalry of the Éothéod attacked the Wainriders in the flank and caused the latter to break and flee. Calimehtar then withdrew as his army had lost one third of its strength, but the Éothéod harried the Wainriders as they fled, inflicting great loss on the Easterlings. The Éothéod had their own feud with the Wainriders, who had captured and enslaved many of their homes before the invasion of Gondor. Simultaneously as Calimehtar fought the Wainriders, the Northmen captives rebelled, though since the insurgency was made up of mostly boys and old men, they suffered heavy losses against the Easterling guards.
The second attack was where Ondoher was slain and Eärnil destroyed the Wainriders in the Battle of the Camp. Though Gondor had raised an army to meet the threat, and also divided up the forces to deal with the southern attack from Harad, Ondoher had underestimated the direction and suddenness of the initial Wainrider charge and was slain along with his son Artamir and most of his guard. Indeed, the unanticipated success of the Wainriders' assault was also their undoing, as Ondoher's nephew Minohtar managed to rally the disorderly forces of Gondor, preventing their wholesale destruction. As the situation improved for the time and as they were joined with their Éothéod allies, Minohtar gave an order to be sent to Minas Tirith
Minas Tirith
Minas Tirith , originally named Minas Anor, is a fictional city and castle in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings. It became the heavily fortified capital of Gondor in the second half of the Third Age...
which proclaimed that Faramir was now the King. It was then that the leader of the Éothéod said that Faramir had been slain. Faramir was initially ordered to remain in Minas Tirith as regent but went battle in disguise and was killed; the Éothéod found tokens on his body indicating that he was the Prince. On the thirteenth day of battle, Gondor's rearguard was unable to check the Wainriders' advance into Ithilien and Minohtar was slain by an arrow. The men of Gondor carried his body out of the fray and fled, but the Wainriders halted their advance to hold a feast.
Battle of Fornost
The Battle of Fornost was fought in the year 1975 of the Third Age by an army under Eärnur, Crown-Prince of Gondor, against Angmar, under its Witch-king, the Lord of the Ringwraiths.While the battle was a success in the fact that Angmar was defeated, it came too late for Gondor's sister-realm of Arnor (the last remaining part of Arnor, Arthedain had been conquered a year before in 1974, and the last King of Arnor Arvedui
Arvedui
Arvedui is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium.Arvedui was the son of King Araphant of Arthedain. He was born in T.A. 1864 and came to the throne in 1964 at the death of his father...
had drowned in the Ice-Bay of Forochel).
The battle was named for Fornost the old capital city of Arthedain, and was fought in the plains before the city. With Gondor came Men
Man (Middle-earth)
The race of Men in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth books, such as The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, refers to humanity and does not denote gender...
from Rhovanion, 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...
from Lindon, and the remainder of the Dúnedain of Arnor (among them Aranarth the Crown-Prince of Arthedain), and, according to the Hobbit
Hobbit
Hobbits are a fictional diminutive race who inhabit the lands of Middle-earth in J. R. R. Tolkien's fiction.Hobbits first appeared in the novel The Hobbit, in which the main protagonist, Bilbo Baggins, is the titular hobbit...
s, a company of archers from the Shire
Shire (Middle-earth)
The Shire is a region of J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, described in The Lord of the Rings and other works. The Shire refers to an area settled exclusively by Hobbits and largely removed from the goings-on in the rest of Middle-earth. It is located in the northwest of the continent, in...
, who never returned.
Angmar rode west to meet the assault, and seeing this, the cavalry of Gondor under Eärnur rode north into the Hills of Evendim to wait in ambush. As the main army of Gondor met the enemy and the battle began, the cavalry of Gondor attacked Angmar in the rear. Realizing that his forces were being completely destroyed, the Witch-king of Angmar fled away east. Eärnur rode after him, but his horse shied away. Then Glorfindel
Glorfindel
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Glorfindel is a name used twice for an Elf appearing in the tales of Middle-earth. He is introduced in various material relating to the First Age of Middle-earth, including The Silmarillion. The second instance is for a character of The Lord of the Rings, which...
attacked, and the Witch-king fled east to escape Glorfindel's wrath, disappearing from the north. At this time Glorfindel prophesied the Witch-king would fall not "by the hand of man". The Witch-king was later killed in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields by Merry and Éowyn who were a Hobbit and a woman respectively and were as such "no man."
Thus the north was freed from the evil of Angmar, but Arnor was no more: those that remained of its people became the Rangers of the North
Rangers of the North
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the Rangers of the North, also known as the Dúnedain of the North, were the descendants of the Dúnedain from the lost kingdom of Arnor...
.
Battle of the Field of Celebrant
The Battle of the Field of Celebrant was a fierce battle fought on the Field of Celebrant, which ultimately led to the creation of the kingdom of RohanRohan
Rohan is a realm in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy era of Middle-earth. It is a grassland which lies north of its ally Gondor and north-west of Mordor, the realm of Sauron, their enemy . It is inhabited by the Rohirrim, a people of herdsmen and farmers who are well-known for their horses and cavalry....
. The Field of Celebrant was a flat region of grass land, bordered in the east by the River Anduin
Anduin
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Anduin is the Sindarin name for the Great River of Wilderland, the longest river in the Third Age . The ancestors of the Rohirrim called it Langflood. It flowed from its source in the Grey and Misty Mountains to the Mouths of Anduin in the Great Sea...
, to the north by the wood of Lothlórien, to the south by the River Limlight and to the west by the Misty Mountains
Misty Mountains
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy world of Middle-earth, the Misty Mountains is a mountain range, running for 795 miles from north to south, between Eriador and the valley of the Great River, Anduin, and...
. It received its name from the river that ran through Lothlórien.
In the year 2510 of the Third Age
Third Age
The Third Age is a time period from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. The history of Middle-earth is to be taken fictionally as a history of the real Earth....
, a fierce group of Easterlings
Easterlings
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, "Easterling" and "Easterlings" were generic terms for Men who lived in the east of Middle-earth, who mostly fought under Morgoth and Sauron, not directly but rather on behalf of their own High Lord....
, known as the Balchoth, waged open war against a weakened Gondor
Gondor
Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth by the end of the Third Age. The third volume of The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, is concerned with the events in Gondor during the War of the Ring and with...
, and had already overrun most of Gondor's northern provinces. Gondor had no allies left east of Anduin
Anduin
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Anduin is the Sindarin name for the Great River of Wilderland, the longest river in the Third Age . The ancestors of the Rohirrim called it Langflood. It flowed from its source in the Grey and Misty Mountains to the Mouths of Anduin in the Great Sea...
, and against hope had sent three pairs of messengers north to the Éothéod
Éothéod
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Éothéod were a group of Northmen who became the ancestors of the Rohirrim. The word, meaning "horse people", is a compound of the Old English words éoh and théod ; it is cognate with Old Norse jóþjóð...
, ancient allies of Gondor.
In T.A. 2510 the Balchoth crossed Anduin, via the shallow Undeeps, passing into the Wold in the north of the Gondorian province of Calenardhon. They met little resistance as Calenardhon had been sparsely populated since the Plague of T.A. 1636, and by the time the North Army of Gondor appeared from the South of Calenardhon, the bulk of the Balchoth army had already crossed. The North Army counter-attacked, and was driven North over the River Limlight and onto the Field of Celebrant, cut off from the later reinforcements by the Balchoth host. By the time the South Army appeared, the North Army had come under attack by an 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...
band which by chance or design had descended from the mountains, and the Dúnedain
Dúnedain
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the Dúnedain were a race of Men descended from the Númenóreans who survived the sinking of their island kingdom and came to Eriador in Middle-earth, led by Elendil and his sons, Isildur and Anárion...
were backed against the river in a hopeless situation.
At this time the Éothéod under their leader Eorl the Young suddenly appeared, unexpected by friend or foe. Eorl had received the message from the last messenger, Borondir the only one to survive the journey, and had rushed south.
The Éothéod also crossed the Anduin at the Undeeps of the river, and broke on the rear of the Balchoth. The Balchoth were completely defeated and the Gondorian armies saved. The Éothéod continued their foray into northern Gondor, scattering and destroying all the Balchoth in Calenardhon.
After the Battle the Steward of Gondor Cirion
Cirion
Cirion is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's universe of Middle-earth. He is first mentioned in the Appendices of Return of the King as the twelfth ruling Steward of Gondor. His role is later expanded in Unfinished Tales....
gave the Éothéod the entire land of Calenardhon to dwell in as thanks. Eorl and Cirion swore an oath of eternal allegiance on the hill of Amon Anwar. The Éothéod founded the kingdom of Rohan
Rohan
Rohan is a realm in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy era of Middle-earth. It is a grassland which lies north of its ally Gondor and north-west of Mordor, the realm of Sauron, their enemy . It is inhabited by the Rohirrim, a people of herdsmen and farmers who are well-known for their horses and cavalry....
.
Battle of Greenfields
The Battle of Greenfields was fought in the year 2747 of the Third Age at the ShireShire (Middle-earth)
The Shire is a region of J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, described in The Lord of the Rings and other works. The Shire refers to an area settled exclusively by Hobbits and largely removed from the goings-on in the rest of Middle-earth. It is located in the northwest of the continent, in...
's Northfarthing. A band of Orcs
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...
from the Misty Mountains, led by a chief called Golfimbul, was confronted by Bandobras "Bullroarer" Took, younger brother to the Thain of the Shire, and a force of hobbits. Golfimbul was killed and the orcs were defeated. According to legend, Bullroarer decapitated the orc chieftain with one swing of his club; Golfimbul's head rolled down a rabbit hole, and thus the game of golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
was allegedly invented. This event preceded the War of the Ring
War of the Ring
In the fictional high fantasy-world of J. R. R. Tolkien, the War of the Ring was fought between Sauron and the free peoples of Middle-earth for control of the One Ring and dominion over the continent. The War of the Ring took place at the end of the Third Age. Together with the Quest of Mount Doom,...
by more than 250 years.
This battle is referred to in Battle for Middle-earth 2, in the Evil Campaign, giving reason for the Goblins to invade and enslave the Shire.
In Lord of the Rings Online the skull of Golfimbul is found by people following the story-quests in the shire.
War of the Dwarves and Orcs
The War of the Dwarves and Orcs was a great war fought between the two races. Accounts of the war are found in The Lord of the RingsThe 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...
Appendix A and History of Middle-earth Volume XII.
The War began when the elderly exiled Dwarven
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....
King Thrór, heir of Durin
Durin
Durin is the name of seven Kings of Dwarves in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. They were held by the Dwarves to be the reincarnations of the first one, Durin the Deathless, resembling him in appearance and said to have preserved memories of their 'earlier lives'.Tolkien took the name Durin, like...
, wandered alone into Moria
Moria (Middle-earth)
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Moria was the name given by the Eldar to an enormous underground complex in north-western Middle-earth, comprising a vast network of tunnels, chambers, mines and huge halls or 'mansions', that ran under and ultimately through the Misty Mountains...
and was murdered by Azog the 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...
in 2790 of the Third Age
Third Age
The Third Age is a time period from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. The history of Middle-earth is to be taken fictionally as a history of the real Earth....
. Not only did Azog murder him, but branded his own name upon the Dwarf's severed head — the body was hacked to pieces and fed to the crows. Azog gloated over this act and not only prevented the Dwarves from recovering Thrór's head but insultingly tossed a money bag in mock "payment" for the head.
From T.A. 2790 to 2793 the Longbeards that were Durin's folk
Durin's folk
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, Durin's folk, also known as the Longbeards, were the most important clan of Dwarves. Their name comes from that of their first king, Durin I "The Deathless". They were the eldest and greatest of the seven Dwarf-clans.They originally...
responded to this insult by gathering their forces, calling on all the other Dwarf houses for help. In T.A. 2793 the combined armies of the Dwarves attacked, sacking one by one all the Orc-holds of the Misty Mountains
Misty Mountains
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy world of Middle-earth, the Misty Mountains is a mountain range, running for 795 miles from north to south, between Eriador and the valley of the Great River, Anduin, and...
from Mount Gundabad in the north to the peak of Methedras in the south.
Most of the war was fought underground, in the great mines and tunnels of the Misty Mountains, where Dwarves excel in combat, and as such they went unaided by the other Free Peoples. The war was said to be very terrible, with neither side showing any mercy. The Dwarves had the upper hand, however, thanks to their prowess and their superior weapons and the great wrath that was in them.
The war climaxed in T.A. 2799, when a final battle was fought in the valley outside the eastern gates of Moria, the Battle of Nanduhirion or Azanulbizar as the Dwarves called it. It was later said that the memory of that battle still causes "Orcs to shudder and Dwarves to weep." The battle initially went against the Dwarves, for the Orcs had the high ground and the greater numbers, and being a dark day in winter there was no sun to bother the orcs. The tide was only turned when a last contingent of fresh warriors from the Iron Hills, led by Náin son of Grór, arrived to reinforce the wavering Dwarves. Azog was slain by Dáin Ironfoot
Dáin II Ironfoot
Dáin II Ironfoot was a Dwarf and king of Erebor in J. R. R. Tolkien's high fantasy legendarium concerning Middle-earth. His story is told primarily in Appendix A of The Lord of the Rings, and he appears briefly in The Hobbit....
, son of Náin, and his head stuck on a pike with the money bag stuck inside the mouth. The Orc-host suffered vast casualties with some 10,000 killed and the remaining remnant routed.
After the battle, Thráin II
Thráin II
Thráin II is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He is first mentioned in The Hobbit, and more of his history is given in Unfinished Tales.A Dwarven king, Thráin is the son of Thrór and father of Thorin Oakenshield...
son of Thrór wanted to enter Moria and reclaim it, but the Dwarves not of Durin's folk refused, saying they had honoured Durin's memory by fighting, and this was enough. What remained of Durin's folk could not alone muster a force strong enough to enter Moria. Most importantly Dain, who alone had looked into the threshold of Moria, saw that the Balrog, called Durin's Bane, was still present. Since the Balrog was beyond the ability of the Dwarves to defeat (as they had learned to their cost when it drove them from Moria more then nine hundred years before) Thrain was forced to withdraw.
The war was also very costly for the Dwarf race, as nearly half of those involved were killed or seriously wounded. Náin son of Grór, Frerin second son of Thráin II, and Fundin son of Farin, the father of Balin
Balin (Middle-earth)
Balin is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He is an important supporting character in The Hobbit, and is mentioned in The Fellowship of the Ring.-In the books:...
were among the more noted casualties. Thráin II himself lost an eye, and his elder son Thorin
Thorin Oakenshield
Thorin Oakenshield, son of Thráin, son of Thrór, King Under the Mountain is a major character in The Hobbit and is mentioned in passing in The Lord of the Rings...
earned his epithet "Oakenshield" after he used an oak branch to defend himself after being wounded.
After the battle the Dwarves stripped their dead, and lacking the time or resources for proper tombs cremated them. The war proved something of a pyrrhic victory, since while Thror was avenged the cost to the Dwarven race had been massive, and they remained exiled from Moria (due to the Balrog
Balrog
Balrogs are fictional demonic beings who appear in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. Such creatures first appeared in print in his novel The Lord of the Rings, though they figured in earlier writings that posthumously appeared in The Silmarillion and other books.Balrogs are described as...
) and the Lonely Mountain, (due to Smaug
Smaug
Smaug is a fictional character in the novel The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien. He is a dragon, and the main antagonist within the story.-The Hobbit:...
). Though Durin's folk would regroup at the blue mountains and regain some prosperity after the war, it would be another hundred and fifty years before Thrain's son Thorin, led the expedition that retook Erebor and more than two hundred until Gandalf finally destroyed the Balrog, clearing the path to retake Moria.
During the conflict many Orcs fleeing south through Rohan
Rohan
Rohan is a realm in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy era of Middle-earth. It is a grassland which lies north of its ally Gondor and north-west of Mordor, the realm of Sauron, their enemy . It is inhabited by the Rohirrim, a people of herdsmen and farmers who are well-known for their horses and cavalry....
, trying to claim a refuge in the White Mountains
White Mountains (Middle-earth)
The White Mountains, a loose translation of the Sindarin Ered Nimrais "Whitehorn Mountains", is a fictional mountain range in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. The mountains are named after the glaciers of their highest peaks...
beyond, troubled the Rohirrim for two generations. Other effects of the war were that the Orcs of the Misty Mountains virtually disappeared as a threat for Eriador
Eriador
Eriador is a large region in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional world of Middle-earth. In the Second Age, and possibly much earlier, it was largely forested, but the Dúnedain felled most of the forests to build ships. Much of it was encompassed in the early Third Age by the kingdom of Arnor, which...
and Wilderland: the goblins of the High Pass near Rivendell
Rivendell
Rivendell is an Elven outpost in Middle-earth, a fictional realm created by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was established and ruled by Elrond in the Second Age of Middle-earth...
were some of the few survivors.
150 years later the Orcs of the North still had not fully recovered, but their population was further reduced during the Battle of Five Armies in 2941, where Bolg son of Azog tried to avenge his father; Bolg was killed by Beorn
Beorn
Beorn is a fictional character created by J. R. R. Tolkien. He appears in The Hobbit as a shape-shifter , a man who could assume the appearance of a great black bear.-Literature:...
.
Battle of Five Armies
The Battle of Five Armies, depicted in The HobbitThe Hobbit
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, better known by its abbreviated title The Hobbit, is a fantasy novel and children's book by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published on 21 September 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the New York Herald...
, was fought between the Goblins and the Wargs of Moria and the Misty Mountains against the Men
Man (Middle-earth)
The race of Men in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth books, such as The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, refers to humanity and does not denote gender...
of the Long Lake, the 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...
of Mirkwood
Mirkwood
Mirkwood is a name used for two distinct fictional forests in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. In the First Age, the highlands of Dorthonion north of Beleriand were known as Mirkwood after falling under Morgoth's control. During the Third Age, the large forest in Rhovanion, east of the Anduin in ...
, the Dwarves
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....
on and near the Lonely Mountain and the great Eagles of the Misty Mountains. The hobbit
Hobbit
Hobbits are a fictional diminutive race who inhabit the lands of Middle-earth in J. R. R. Tolkien's fiction.Hobbits first appeared in the novel The Hobbit, in which the main protagonist, Bilbo Baggins, is the titular hobbit...
Bilbo Baggins
Bilbo Baggins
Bilbo Baggins is the protagonist and titular character of The Hobbit and a supporting character in The Lord of the Rings, two of the most well-known of J. R. R...
, the wizard Gandalf the Grey, and Beorn
Beorn
Beorn is a fictional character created by J. R. R. Tolkien. He appears in The Hobbit as a shape-shifter , a man who could assume the appearance of a great black bear.-Literature:...
, also took part and are more single characters involved on the side of the men, dwarves and elves, rather than forming a separate army.
Smaug
Smaug
Smaug is a fictional character in the novel The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien. He is a dragon, and the main antagonist within the story.-The Hobbit:...
was a dragon who had destroyed the dwarven kingdom below Erebor and the neighbouring wealthy town of Dale many years before, driving Thorin II Oakenshield, heir of Durin
Durin
Durin is the name of seven Kings of Dwarves in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. They were held by the Dwarves to be the reincarnations of the first one, Durin the Deathless, resembling him in appearance and said to have preserved memories of their 'earlier lives'.Tolkien took the name Durin, like...
, into exile. Smaug stole all the treasure of Erebor and Dale, gathering it into a deep chamber under the Mountain, where he lived thereafter.
Prior to the battle, Esgaroth
Esgaroth
Esgaroth, or Lake-town is a fictitious community of Men upon the Long Lake, in The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien. The town is constructed entirely of wood and stands upon wooden pillars sunk into the bed of the Long Lake, south of the Lonely Mountain and east of Mirkwood...
, the town of the Men of the Long Lake, was attacked by Smaug, who had discovered Thorin's secret expedition, and had found out who had aided them — the Men of the Long Lake. Bard the Bowman, the heir of the Lords of Dale, killed the dragon. However, the town was destroyed in the process.
The Wood elves learned that Smaug was dead, and wanted a share of the ancient dwarves' treasure. Hearing of the Lake men's trouble, they changed course and left supplies there. The Men of the Long Lake who were still unharmed marched with the Elves north to the Mountain, because some of the treasure belonged to Bard, and because they wanted compensation for their losses. However, Thorin refused them any treasure.
Thorin's company was then trapped in a bloodless siege, with Thranduil
Thranduil
Thranduil is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is a supporting character in The Hobbit, and is referenced briefly in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales.-In literature:...
, King of Mirkwood, and Bard hoping to wait him out. However, Thorin had sent messages of his plight to his relatives using talking messenger Ravens that lived on the Lonely Mountain. These reached Dáin II Ironfoot of the nearby Iron Hills, and he marched to Erebor with over 500 heavily armed dwarves, most of them skilled veterans of the War of the Dwarves and Orcs. When Dáin'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
Misty Mountains
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy world of Middle-earth, the Misty Mountains is a mountain range, running for 795 miles from north to south, between Eriador and the valley of the Great River, Anduin, and...
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 Goblins 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 gate; the only entrance to the Mountain. The Dwarves and Lake-men formed up on one spur and the Elves on the other, while a light rear-guard lined across the mouth of the valley to lure the Goblins between the two, and thus destroy them. Bilbo Baggins hid himself with his ring, hoping to avoid the battle.
Soon the Goblins and Wargs arrived (and now four armies were on the field, the Goblins and Wargs being counted as one army), and at first the plan worked: they were lured into the choke point by a thin line of men of Lake-town and took heavy losses. However, due to their inferior numbers, the allied Free Folk did not hold the advantage long. The second wave of Goblins and Wargs was even worse than the first, and now many Goblins scaled the mountain from the opposite side, attacking the arrayed forces from above and behind as the main wave pressed forward. The battle raged across the Mountain. Then a great noise was heard: Thorin and his 12 Dwarf companions inside the mountain had thrown down the stone wall they had erected across the mouth of the gates, killing many Goblins. Thorin and his companions then charged out to join the battle, covered from head to toe in the finest armour and weapons contained in the treasure hoard of Erebor. Thorin advanced through the Goblins' ranks all the way up to the gigantic Goblins that formed the bodyguard of Bolg, whom he could not get past. He was outflanked and surrounded, and was forced to form his troops into a great circle.
As the battle was turning fully against the Free Folk, a large force of Eagles of the Misty Mountains arrived (and now there were five armies), led by the Lord of the Eagles. 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, and he passed out. With the support of the Eagles, who cast down the goblins from the mountain itself, the Free Folk were freed to fight on just one front in the valley rather than have to divide themselves, the battle turned back against the Goblins. Then Beorn himself arrived at the battle, apparently having heard news that a large army of Goblins was on the move. This time he did not appear in his former shape of a large Man, but had changed his skin to that of a huge 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, his wrath redoubled, and smashed the ranks of the bodyguard of Bolg, pulling down that great goblin and crushing him in ruin before the Goblin horde. The Goblins then panicked and scattered, to be picked off by hunting forces from the victors.
Thorin had been mortally wounded on the field, and his nephews Fíli and Kíli died defending him as he lay on the ground. Thorin died soon after the battle, after meeting Bilbo one last time.
After defeating the Goblins and Wargs, the victors divided the treasure. Bard took 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 Elven-king Thranduil the emeralds of Girion. Bilbo, despite having forfeited his share, was offered the richest reward for helping the other dwarves of the expedition out of many dangers, but, anticipating difficulty transporting the load back home, and not being too fond of treasure, refused to take more than two small chests of gold and silver and his small suit of mithril
Mithril
Mithril is a fictional metal, originally used in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. It is described as silvery and stronger than steel but much lighter in weight. The malleability, lack of tarnishing and use of the metal in jewellery suggest some similarity to the non-fictional metal...
chainmail.
The battle is featured in the animated version of The Hobbit, where many more of Thorin's company die.
TSR, Inc.
TSR, Inc.
Blume and Gygax, the remaining owners, incorporated a new company called TSR Hobbies, Inc., with Blume and his father, Melvin Blume, owning the larger share. The former assets of the partnership were transferred to TSR Hobbies, Inc....
released two editions of a war-game based on "The Battle of Five Armies," designed by Larry Smith in the 1970s using cardboard tokens and a map of the area around the Lonely Mountain as a game area. The game was criticized for a lack of clarity in the rules, and praised for evoking the onslaught of the Warg and Goblin army.
In 1985 by Iron Crown Enterprises
Iron Crown Enterprises
Iron Crown Enterprises was a publisher of role playing, board, miniature battle, and collectible card games.ICE was incorporated in 1980 shortly after the principal founders graduated from the University of Virginia...
in 1985 released their version of The Battle of Five Armies developed by Richard H. Britton, Coleman Charlton, and John Crowell, again taking the theme of a wargame and using card counters and a paper map.
The multi-Origin Award
Origins Award
The Origins Awards are American awards for outstanding work in the game industry. They are presented by the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design at the Origins Game Fair on an annual basis for the previous year, so the 1979 awards were given at the 1980 Origins.The Origins Award is commonly...
-winning Middle-earth Strategic Gaming (formerly Middle-earth Play-by-Mail) uses the Battle of Five Armies as an introductory scenario to the full game and includes characters and armies from the book.
In 2005, Games Workshop
Games Workshop
Games Workshop Group plc is a British game production and retailing company. Games Workshop has published the tabletop wargames Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000...
released a Battle of Five Armies tabletop wargame, designed by Rick Priestley
Rick Priestley
Rick Priestley is a miniature wargaming designer and author who lives near Nottingham, England.Priestley worked extensively for Games Workshop...
using highly detailed 10 mm figures sculpted by Mark Harrison, based on Games Workshop's Warmaster
Warmaster
Warmaster is a ruleset for tabletop wargames written by Rick Priestley, published by Specialist Games , and set in the Warhammer Fantasy setting. It is different from Warhammer Fantasy Battles in both appearance and gameplay. It is intended for 10 –12 mm miniatures. Basic troops are based on...
rules and designed for the home player.
War of the Ring
The War of the Ring was fought between SauronSauron
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...
and the free peoples of 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....
for control of the One Ring
One Ring
The One Ring is a fictional artifact that appears as the central plot element in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy novels. It is described in an earlier story, The Hobbit , as a magic ring of invisibility. The sequel The Lord of the Rings describes its powers as being more encompassing than...
and dominion over the continent. It took place at the end of the Third Age
Third Age
The Third Age is a time period from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. The history of Middle-earth is to be taken fictionally as a history of the real Earth....
. Together with the Quest of Mount Doom, it is one of the overarching events 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...
.
First Battle of the Fords of Isen
ThéodredThéodred
Théodred is a fictional character in The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. He is the only son and heir of King Théoden of Rohan.His mother, Elfhild, died in childbirth. Théodred grew up together with his cousin Éomer...
, son of King Théoden of Rohan, was alerted by his scouts to the mustering taking place in Isengard
Isengard
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, Isengard , a translation of the Sindarin Angrenost, was a large fortress. Both names mean "Iron fortress" In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, Isengard , a translation of the Sindarin Angrenost, was a large fortress....
. He manned both sides of the ford and went forward leaving three companies of riders to guard the eastern side. Early in the morning, he crossed over to the western side with a force mainly consisting of archers and cavalry. He planned to take the forces of Uruk-hai by surprise.Theodred was given the task of holding the fords alongside his men, unfortunately he did not reiceive help from any of Gondor's forces due to many delays.
However, Saruman had tricked the scouts; his army was already marching out to attack the ford. Twenty miles to the north of the ford, Théodred encountered the vanguard of the Uruk-hai and quickly cut through their lines. He then charged at the main force, who were prepared for the attack and were stationed behind trenches planted with pikes. Reinforcements came out of Isengard and outflanked the cavalry, nearly surrounding them. Hastily, Théodred ordered a retreat; but the Uruk-hai could not be shaken off that easily. Grimbold
Grimbold
Grimbold of Grimslade is a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He appears in The Two Towers and The Return of the King, the second and third volumes of the fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings as originally published...
, who was in command of the Rohirrim rearguard, had to cut down their pursuers many times.
Saruman's eastern force was much smaller but more dangerous. It contained mounted Dunlendings, Warg
Warg
In Norse mythology, a vargr is a wolf and in particular refers to the wolf Fenrir and his sons Sköll and Hati. Based on this, J. R. R. Tolkien in his fiction used the Old English form warg In Norse mythology, a vargr (often anglicised as warg or varg) is a wolf and in particular refers to the...
riders, half-orcs
Uruk-hai
The Uruk-hai are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth. They are introduced in The Lord of the Rings as an advanced breed or breeds of Orcs that serve Sauron and Saruman...
, and Uruk-hai berserker
Berserker
Berserkers were Norse warriors who are reported in the Old Norse literature to have fought in a nearly uncontrollable, trance-like fury, a characteristic which later gave rise to the English word berserk. Berserkers are attested in numerous Old Norse sources...
s. The Rohirrim guard on the eastern side of the ford had been driven into retreat, and their attackers recrossed the ford to attack Théodred on both sides. Théodred and his men had dismounted on an islet to cover Grimbold's retreat. At the same time Grimbold's force was being attacked from the western side, and as Grimbold looked east, he saw Théodred's force being driven from the islet to a hill. Grimbold and a few men raced toward Théodred's position. Théodred was cutting his way through the Uruk-hai lines. But by the time Grimbold reached him, Théodred had fallen, cut down by a giant orc. Grimbold slew the orc and then found himself defending Théodred's body from orcs. He himself would have been killed had it not been for Elfhelm
Elfhelm
In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, Elfhelm was a lord of Rohan and Marshal of the East-mark.He appears in The Two Towers and The Return of the King, the second and third volumes of the fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings as originally published...
.
Elfhelm had been leading four companies towards Helm's Deep
Helm's Deep
In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings, Helm's Deep was a large valley in the north-western Ered Nimrais .The valley was described as being blocked over its entire width by the natural series of hills called Helm's Dike and behind that lay the fortress of Aglarond or the Hornburg, at the...
, when it was reported to him that two Warg Riders had been spotted. He rode at full speed to the ford and, seeing the situation, ordered his men to charge. Before long his men held the western side of the ford. They then charged on the islet. From this surprise attack most of the Uruk-hai retreated toward Isengard. When they reached the islet they found Grimbold defending Théodred's body against two huge orcs. Elfhelm rushed to his aid and felled one orc while Grimbold slew the other.
When they lifted Théodred's body, they found he was still alive. He lived long enough only to say, "Let me lie here—to keep the ford until Éomer
Éomer
Éomer is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He appears in The Two Towers and The Return of the King, the second and third volumes of Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings....
comes." The enemy attack ended by nightfall. The Rohirrim had held the ford, but suffered heavy losses and were now leaderless.
Second Battle of the Fords of Isen
The command of the ford was given to ErkenbrandErkenbrand
Erkenbrand is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He appears in The Two Towers, the second volume of Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings....
of the Westfold. However, until he arrived from Helm's Deep, Grimbold held the position. Elfhelm did not want to hold the Fords, as he argued that it provided little defence, but Grimbold was not willing to wholly abandon it, partially due to the tradition of Westfold. The two commanders later reached a compromise.
Grimbold decided to place foot soldiers at the ford and put Elfhelm's men on the east side where he expected the attack to come from.
Saruman sent a small force, but which was still enough to outnumber the defenders. The attackers forced Grimbold to retreat across the ford with heavy losses. Grimbold held the eastern side of the ford and waited for Elfhelm to come to his aid. More than half of Saruman's force was attacking Grimbold's position.
Some warg riders and their followers pushed through the gap between the two Rohirrim forces and tried to surround Elfhelm. Although he knew Grimbold was in danger, Elfhelm retreated eastwards. Grimbold was still holding his position when he saw torches coming from the north and from Isengard — the vanguard of Saruman's reinforcements advancing towards him. Before he knew it, they had crossed the ford. He could not hold the ford so he retreated to his camp and made a shield wall around it.
Even though the Rohirrim were surrounded, the forces of Isengard could not break through. Grimbold knew he could not hold out forever. With no sign of Elfhelm and no help from Erkenbrand, he decided to try to break out. He mounted all the riders for whom he had horses and made a gap on the east side of the wall through which the riders passed. They formed into two groups and attacked the north and south sides simultaneously. In the ensuing confusion, the remaining Rohirrim retreated on foot as quickly as they could in the dark.
Battle of the Hornburg
The Battle of the Hornburg is a fictional battleBattle
Generally, a battle is a conceptual component in the hierarchy of combat in warfare between two or more armed forces, or combatants. In a battle, each combatant will seek to defeat the others, with defeat determined by the conditions of a military campaign...
in J. R. R. Tolkien
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 novel 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...
. Published in the volume The Two Towers
The Two Towers
The Two Towers is the second volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's high fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. It is preceded by The Fellowship of the Ring and followed by The Return of the King.-Title:...
, it is recounted in the chapter "Helm's Deep", and the aftermath is briefly shown in the next one, "Flotsam and Jetsam".
The battle pitted the forces of the Wizard
Wizard (Middle-earth)
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Wizards of Middle-earth are a group of beings outwardly resembling Men but possessing much greater physical and mental power. They are also called the Istari by the Elves. The Sindarin word is Ithryn...
Saruman
Saruman
Saruman the White is a fictional character and a major antagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. He is leader of the Istari, wizards sent to Middle-earth in human form by the godlike Valar to challenge Sauron, the main antagonist of the tale, but later on aims at gaining...
against the Rohirrim under King Théoden
Théoden
Théoden is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel, The Lord of the Rings. He appears as a major supporting character in The Two Towers and The Return of the King.-Appearances:...
, who had taken refuge in the mountain fortress of the Hornburg at Helm's Deep
Helm's Deep
In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings, Helm's Deep was a large valley in the north-western Ered Nimrais .The valley was described as being blocked over its entire width by the natural series of hills called Helm's Dike and behind that lay the fortress of Aglarond or the Hornburg, at the...
.
After being released from his malevolent adviser Gríma Wormtongue
Gríma
Gríma, called Wormtongue, is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. He appears in the second and third volumes of the work, The Two Towers and The Return of the King, and his role is expanded upon in Unfinished Tales. He is introduced in The Two Towers as the chief...
's influence by the benevolent Wizard Gandalf
Gandalf
Gandalf is a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. In these stories, Gandalf appears as a wizard, member and later the head of the order known as the Istari, as well as leader of the Fellowship of the Ring and the army of the West...
, Théoden set out to the Fords of Isen
Fords of Isen
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, the Fords of Isen were fords in the river Isen, guarded by the Rohirrim. As the only crossing of the Isen into Rohan, they were of enormous strategic importance....
, where his marshal Erkenbrand
Erkenbrand
Erkenbrand is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He appears in The Two Towers, the second volume of Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings....
was fighting Saruman's forces. However, Théoden found out that they had been scattered. Gandalf advised him to take refuge in the Hornburg fortress of Helm's Deep, an area named after one of their kings. Then Gandalf left on some unexplained errand. Théoden's army went to the area, where local people were commanded by a captain called Gamling the Old
Gamling
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Gamling is a Man of Rohan. He appears in The Two Towers, the second volume of The Lord of the Rings. An older man , he was from the Westfold....
. Many of the forces there were too old or too young. The women and children of Théoden's capital Edoras were safe in Dunharrow
Dunharrow
Dunharrow is a fictional place from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. Aldor established it as a refuge of the Rohirrim hidden in the White Mountains and fortified against attack...
, led by the King's niece Éowyn
Éowyn
Éowyn is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, who appears in his most famous work, The Lord of the Rings. She is a noblewoman of Rohan who describes herself as a "shieldmaiden".-Literature:...
.
The forces of Saruman, common Orcs and Uruk-hai, along with some orc-human hybrids (called "half-orcs and goblin-men" — which may have referred to or included the Uruk-hai themselves) and human Dunlendings, arrived at the valley of Helm's Deep in the middle of the night during a storm. Meanwhile, Legolas
Legolas
Legolas is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, featured in The Lord of the Rings. He is an Elf of the Woodland Realm and one of nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring.- Literature :...
the Elf and Gimli
Gimli (Middle-earth)
Gimli is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, featured in The Lord of the Rings. A Dwarf warrior, he is the son of Glóin ....
the Dwarf agreed to compete, to see which one could kill the most orcs.
The attackers quickly scaled over the first defence, Helm's Dike, forcing the defenders there to fall back to the fortress. When the Orcs were close, the defenders drove them back with arrows and stones, but they managed to get close to the wall after multiple charges. They attempted to break down the gate with a battering ram, but a sortie led by Aragorn and Éomer scattered the forces.
The Orcs and Dunlendings then raised hundreds of ladders to scale the wall. Aragorn and Éomer repeatedly motivated the tired defenders to repel the Orcs coming up the ladders. However, some Orcs had crept in through a culvert
Culvert
A culvert is a device used to channel water. It may be used to allow water to pass underneath a road, railway, or embankment. Culverts can be made of many different materials; steel, polyvinyl chloride and concrete are the most common...
which let a stream out of Helm's Deep, and while the defenders were busy with the assault on the wall, they were suddenly attacked from behind. This was repulsed and the culvert was blocked up under Gimli's supervision.
However, the enemies re-entered the culvert and blasted a wide hole in the wall using an ambiguous explosive device invented by Saruman, a "blasting-fire". The defenders then retreated to the Glittering Caves, Éomer and Gimli among them.
Soon Saruman's forces broke through the gate and gained entrance to the fortress. At this moment, however, the horn of King Helm
Helm Hammerhand
Helm Hammerhand is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. His story appears in the appendices of The Return of the King, and he is referred to briefly in the main story of The Lord of the Rings.- Literature :...
was sounded, and a cavalry charge led by Théoden and Aragorn rode forth, followed by all the Rohirrim left inside. They cut their way through the Orcs and broke free.
Both armies then noticed that many Huorns had moved to block a possible escape route for the Orcs. Then Gandalf arrived on Shadowfax, with Erkenbrand and a thousand infantry — the remaining strength of the Rohirrim that had been routed at the Fords of Isen
Fords of Isen
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, the Fords of Isen were fords in the river Isen, guarded by the Rohirrim. As the only crossing of the Isen into Rohan, they were of enormous strategic importance....
. They charged into the fray. The Dunlendings were so terrified of Gandalf that they could no longer fight. The Orcs lost control and ran into the "forest" of Huorn
Huorn
The Huorns are fictional characters from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. They are described as "trees" that can speak to Ents and are capable of locomotion.- Description :...
s, where they were completely annihilated.
After the battle, those Dunlendings who surrendered were given amnesty by King Théoden and allowed to return home (much to their surprise, since Saruman had told them that the men of Rohan would burn all survivors alive). The Rohirrim required that all hostilities cease, and that the Dunlendings retreat behind the River Isen again and never recross while bearing arms.
Among the Rohirrim dead was Háma, captain of Théoden's personal guard and doorward of his hall (he plays a significant role in the previous chapter, "The King of the Golden Hall"). Gimli was wounded, but had killed 42 to Legolas' 41.
The event is sometimes called the Battle of Helm's Deep, a title which was never used by Tolkien but which is often used by readers and other fans, this has led to the misconception that the term "Helm's Deep" refers to the fortress. Properly speaking, the fortress is the Hornburg (Anglo-Saxon = horn fortress) and Helm's Deep is the ravine behind it. In one of his letters regarding a proposed film adaptation, Tolkien protested the use of Helm's Deep, stating that, "the 'defence of the Hornburg' would be a better title, since Helm's Deep, the ravine behind, is not shown" (Letters
The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien
The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien is a selection of J. R. R. Tolkien's letters published in 1981, edited by Tolkien's biographer Humphrey Carpenter assisted by Christopher Tolkien...
, 210).
Destruction of Isengard
The Destruction of Isengard is a fictionFiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al battle
Battle
Generally, a battle is a conceptual component in the hierarchy of combat in warfare between two or more armed forces, or combatants. In a battle, each combatant will seek to defeat the others, with defeat determined by the conditions of a military campaign...
from J. R. R. Tolkien
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 Middle-earth legendarium. It is an important event in the War of the Ring
War of the Ring
In the fictional high fantasy-world of J. R. R. Tolkien, the War of the Ring was fought between Sauron and the free peoples of Middle-earth for control of the One Ring and dominion over the continent. The War of the Ring took place at the end of the Third Age. Together with the Quest of Mount Doom,...
because it signifies the destruction of Saruman
Saruman
Saruman the White is a fictional character and a major antagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. He is leader of the Istari, wizards sent to Middle-earth in human form by the godlike Valar to challenge Sauron, the main antagonist of the tale, but later on aims at gaining...
's army production facilities.
After a three day long Entmoot, an army of Ent
Ent
Ents are a race of beings in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy world Middle-earth who closely resemble trees. They are similar to the talking trees in folklore around the world. Their name is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word for giant....
s and Huorns set off for the tower-fortress of Isengard, making terrifying music. They arrived and began their attack on March 2, the time of their attack was fortunate because they arrived just when the wizard Saruman was emptying Isengard for a final assault on Rohan
Rohan
Rohan is a realm in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy era of Middle-earth. It is a grassland which lies north of its ally Gondor and north-west of Mordor, the realm of Sauron, their enemy . It is inhabited by the Rohirrim, a people of herdsmen and farmers who are well-known for their horses and cavalry....
. As a result, there were few left to defend Isengard besides Saruman himself.
Once the army of Isengard had left for Rohan, the Ents launched their attack on the walls. Attempts were made to hinder them with arrows, but these only served to irritate the attackers further, and, in a matter of minutes the gate and much of the southern wall was reduced to ruin. As Merry and Pippin later recounted to their friends, Ents are so strong that their punches can crumple iron like tinfoil, and they can tear apart solid rock like breadcrusts. A ring of Huorns surrounded Isengard and killed all escaping Orcs.
Once the gate and walls had been reduced to rubble, a young Ent named Bregalad or ‘Quickbeam’ in the Westron
Westron
Westron, or the Common Speech, is a fictional language in the fantasy works of J. R. R. Tolkien.Westron is the closest thing to a lingua franca in Middle-earth, at least at the time during which The Lord of the Rings is set. "Westron" is an invented English word, derived from West...
tongue, spotted Saruman, and made for him, shouting ‘The Tree Killer!’, for his people and all Fangorn forest in general had suffered from heavy deforestation to fuel the furnaces of Saruman. He was followed by other Ents, but Saruman narrowly succeeded in escaping into the tower of Orthanc. Once in the tower, he activated spouts and vents all over the plain, scorching many Ents who had entered the fortress. One ent, Beechbone, was unlucky enough to be caught fully in one of the fiery blasts, and the death of this ent by Saruman's fire caused the ent host to go berserk. The hobbit
Hobbit
Hobbits are a fictional diminutive race who inhabit the lands of Middle-earth in J. R. R. Tolkien's fiction.Hobbits first appeared in the novel The Hobbit, in which the main protagonist, Bilbo Baggins, is the titular hobbit...
s Meriadoc Brandybuck
Meriadoc Brandybuck
Meriadoc Brandybuck, usually referred to as Merry, is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, featured throughout his most famous work, The Lord of the Rings....
and Peregrin Took
Peregrin Took
Peregrin Took, more commonly known as Pippin, is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. Pippin is introduced as a Hobbit who plays a major role as one of the companions of Frodo Baggins, in his quest to destroy the One Ring.Peregrin was the only son of...
, who were present there and later narrated the battle to the Three Hunters, recounted the fury of the Ents, saying that their enraged roars were enough to crack the stones. They destroyed the buildings and machinery on the plain, but could do nothing to hurt the tower itself.
At this point the Ents took counsel, and came up with a new plan of attack. By digging trenches and destroying Saruman's dam, the Ents and Huorns diverted the course of the river Isen itself, causing it to flood the ‘bowl’ of Isengard, submerging everything but the tower and filling in all the tunnels and holes where the machinery of war had been. The destruction of Isengard was complete, although Saruman was still untouched in the tower.
Saruman’s sound defeat at the Battle of the Hornburg
Battle of the Hornburg
The Battle of the Hornburg is a fictional battle in J. R. R. Tolkien's novel The Lord of the Rings. The battle pitted the forces of the Wizard Saruman against the Rohirrim under King Théoden, who had taken refuge in the mountain fortress of the Hornburg at Helm's Deep...
and the destruction of his fortress rendered him incapable of causing the West any military harm, although he still had the power of his persuasive and commanding voice, with which he could still do (and did do) further harm. Had the Ents not destroyed Isengard, although Saruman's main army had been destroyed he could still have withstood a siege with his few remaining forces behind Isengard's normally impregnable walls, and bided his time until he could renew his strength. In the films by Peter Jackson, Saruman is stabbed by Wormtongue (who perishes from an arrow from Legolas) and falls to his death from the top of Orthanc.
Tolkien later noted that the destruction of Isengard by the Ents was based on his disappointment in Macbeth
Macbeth
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
; when "Birnham Wood be come to Dunsinane", Tolkien was less than thrilled that it amounted to men walking on stage with leaves in their hats. He decided that when he did that scene for himself, he would do it right.
Siege of Lórien
The Siege of Lórien (never given a proper name in the text) is a fictional event during the War of the Ring in J. R. R. TolkienJ. 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 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...
. It is an encounter between the Orcs
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...
of Dol Guldur
Dol Guldur
Dol Guldur was Sauron's stronghold in Mirkwood in the fictional world of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. It is first mentioned in The Hobbit. The hill itself, rocky and barren, was the highest point in the southwestern part of the forest. Before Sauron's occupation it was called Amon Lanc...
and Mordor
Mordor
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, Mordor or Morhdorh was the dwelling place of Sauron, in the southeast of northwestern Middle-earth to the East of Anduin, the great river. Orodruin, a volcano in Mordor, was the destination of the Fellowship of the Ring in the quest to...
against the Galadhrim of Lothlórien under Celeborn
Celeborn
Celeborn is a fictional character in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He appears in The Lord of the Rings as the Elven husband of Galadriel, Lord of the Galadhrim; and co-ruler along with Galadriel of Lothlórien. He was the father of Celebrían — the wife of Elrond — and thus the...
and Galadriel
Galadriel
Galadriel is a character created by J.R.R. Tolkien, appearing in his Middle-earth legendarium. She appears in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales....
. The battle was one of the largest of the war and the victory of the Elves allowed Celeborn to lead an assault on Dol Guldur, where Galadriel ended the evil influence of 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...
in Mirkwood.
It is unknown how the Orc army crossed the River Anduin, though the North Undeep seems the most likely crossing-point. Forces from Dol Guldur, reinforced with Orcs from Mordor assaulted Lothlórien three times, assisted at least once in a joint attack from the west by the orcs of Moria. Though the battles are not described in detail by Tolkien, the fair woods of the borders of Lothlórien suffered grievous harm by fire, but the valour of the Elves prevented the enemy from penetrating too deeply into their forest realm. Thrice the enemy attacked and the three times the assaults were driven back.
The valour of the Elven people that defended Lórien was great, though the main reason why Lórien was not conquered was a secret power that dwelt in the land, protecting it from harm and creating a powerful ward against all evil: such power was Galadriel, aided by Nenya, the Ring of Adamant. In fact, Tolkien states that the only way Lórien could have been conquered was if Sauron had come there himself to lead the attack.
The forces of Dol Guldur were defeated and fled south towards into Fangorn Forest. Treebeard and a host of Ents, having already laid ruin to Isengard
Isengard
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, Isengard , a translation of the Sindarin Angrenost, was a large fortress. Both names mean "Iron fortress" In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, Isengard , a translation of the Sindarin Angrenost, was a large fortress....
some days before, set out to prevent them entering Rohan
Rohan
Rohan is a realm in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy era of Middle-earth. It is a grassland which lies north of its ally Gondor and north-west of Mordor, the realm of Sauron, their enemy . It is inhabited by the Rohirrim, a people of herdsmen and farmers who are well-known for their horses and cavalry....
. Remnants of despairing Orcs fled eastward but were either killed by the tree-shepherds or drowned in the River Anduin.
Following the battle, Celeborn and Galadriel led the Galadhrim across the Anduin in a fleet of many small elf boats. They entered Mirkwood
Mirkwood
Mirkwood is a name used for two distinct fictional forests in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. In the First Age, the highlands of Dorthonion north of Beleriand were known as Mirkwood after falling under Morgoth's control. During the Third Age, the large forest in Rhovanion, east of the Anduin in ...
and attacked Dol Guldur. Then, Galadriel came forth and threw down the walls and cleansed its pits, mirroring the actions of 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 ...
in Tol-Sirion, ending the grasp of evil in the forest. As news of the victory of King Elessar down south reached the Wood Elves, Thranduil
Thranduil
Thranduil is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is a supporting character in The Hobbit, and is referenced briefly in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales.-In literature:...
(who had recently defeated an army in the Battle of Mirkwood
Battle of Mirkwood
The Battle of Mirkwood, also known as Battle Under the Trees, is an incident in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional world of Middle-earth. In his legendarium it takes place during the War of the Ring at the end of the Third Age....
) met with Celeborn on April 6.
Mirkwood was divided between Thranduil (who claimed the North), the Beornings (who settled in the middle, the 'Narrows') and Celeborn who added the southern half to his realm, renaming it 'Eastern Lórien'. Despite these victories, the Elven presence in Middle-earth continued to dwindle and Galadriel departed over the Sea at the end of the Third Age.
Battle of Mirkwood
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 world of Middle-earth. In his legendarium
Tolkien's legendarium
The phrase Tolkien's legendarium is used in the literary discipline of Tolkien studiesto refer to the part of J. R. R. Tolkien's high fantasy fiction being concerned with his Elven legends; that is, historic events that have become legendary from the perspective of the characters of The Lord of the...
it takes place during the War of the Ring at the end of the Third Age.
The Battle of Mirkwood was a major and prolonged series of battles in the War of the Ring
War of the Ring
In the fictional high fantasy-world of J. R. R. Tolkien, the War of the Ring was fought between Sauron and the free peoples of Middle-earth for control of the One Ring and dominion over the continent. The War of the Ring took place at the end of the Third Age. Together with the Quest of Mount Doom,...
. The Orcs
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...
of Dol Guldur
Dol Guldur
Dol Guldur was Sauron's stronghold in Mirkwood in the fictional world of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. It is first mentioned in The Hobbit. The hill itself, rocky and barren, was the highest point in the southwestern part of the forest. Before Sauron's occupation it was called Amon Lanc...
tried to take Mirkwood and defeat the elves there but were repulsed. Sauron's main objective in the northern theatre of the war was the assault on Lothlórien, and the majority of the forces from Dol Guldur were used to attack it. Dol Guldur used its remaining forces against Thranduil's realm, to try to secure their flank. Sauron's plan was that his Easterling allies would join the attack on Thranduil, overwhelming them, thus allowing Dol Guldur to focus all of its forces on Lothlórien. However, the Easterlings were occupied with besieging the Dwarves at Lonely Mountain, and were never able to join the attack on Thranduil. Fierce fighting raged throughout the forest, and there was "great ruin of fire" as woods were set alight during the battle. King Thranduil
Thranduil
Thranduil is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is a supporting character in The Hobbit, and is referenced briefly in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales.-In literature:...
led his elves to victory and defeated the orcs, then with the help of Galadriel
Galadriel
Galadriel is a character created by J.R.R. Tolkien, appearing in his Middle-earth legendarium. She appears in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales....
advanced on Dol Guldur after 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...
's fall, and destroyed the evil place.
Battle of Osgiliath
Prior to this, Sauron had regained all his military strength and was prepared to attack Middle-earthMiddle-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....
. He first planned to attack his most powerful enemy, the land of Gondor. But in order to destroy Gondor's capital, Minas Tirith
Minas Tirith
Minas Tirith , originally named Minas Anor, is a fictional city and castle in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings. It became the heavily fortified capital of Gondor in the second half of the Third Age...
, he first needed to capture Osgiliath, Gondor's former capital city, strategically positioned on the Anduin
Anduin
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Anduin is the Sindarin name for the Great River of Wilderland, the longest river in the Third Age . The ancestors of the Rohirrim called it Langflood. It flowed from its source in the Grey and Misty Mountains to the Mouths of Anduin in the Great Sea...
, the Great River. Fords across the river were located in Osgiliath (half of the city was located on each side of the river) that were the only path a large army could cross the Anduin for hundreds of miles up or downstream (the crossing was also possible at Cair Andros or Pelargir, but Osgiliath was the most direct). If captured, Sauron could freely move his main army across the river and to the primary target of his strategy in the war, Minas Tirith.
The battle to control the ruins of Osgiliath had actually been fought, on and off, for over a century since the fall of Ithilien to Mordor. Minas Tirith was surrounded by the Rammas Echor, a fortified wall encircling the Pelennor Fields and meeting up with Osgiliath, where the Causeway Forts were built and garrisoned, though Osgiliath itself remained in ruins. This outwall fell into disrepair as the kingdom declined.
A renewed offensive by Mordor to take the city had begun in June 3018. The Eastern half of the city soon fell to the Orcs, but they were pushed back from the western bank by Boromir
Boromir
Boromir is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He appears in the first two volumes of The Lord of the Rings , and is mentioned in the last volume, The Return of the King....
who was able to destroy the last standing bridge in the city which connected the two banks of the river. This temporarily halted Mordor's offensive for the time, with Gondor possessing the West of the city and Mordor the East. This lull in Mordor's offensive was probably due to the fact that the attack was mostly a probe of Gondor's defences rather than an all out attack. During this break in heavy fighting Boromir left Gondor to seek counsel at Rivendell
Rivendell
Rivendell is an Elven outpost in Middle-earth, a fictional realm created by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was established and ruled by Elrond in the Second Age of Middle-earth...
about a dream he and his brother shared about Isildur's Bane; he would never return.
During this time, Faramir
Faramir
In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, Faramir is a fictional character appearing in The Lord of the Rings. He is introduced as the younger brother of Boromir of the Fellowship of the Ring and second son of Denethor II, the Steward of the realm of Gondor...
, Boromir's brother, led several Ranger attacks deep into Mordor-occupied Ithilien, ambushing enemy armies moving to the Black Gate; Frodo and Sam stumbled into one such attack on a group of Haradrim.
When the Great Signal from Mordor went up and another answered from Minas Morgul, the War of the Ring
War of the Ring
In the fictional high fantasy-world of J. R. R. Tolkien, the War of the Ring was fought between Sauron and the free peoples of Middle-earth for control of the One Ring and dominion over the continent. The War of the Ring took place at the end of the Third Age. Together with the Quest of Mount Doom,...
properly began (although Isengard
Isengard
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, Isengard , a translation of the Sindarin Angrenost, was a large fortress. Both names mean "Iron fortress" In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, Isengard , a translation of the Sindarin Angrenost, was a large fortress....
had been fighting before this and Sauron had been pursuing his other fronts to the north). Thus the Battle of Osgiliath was the first battle of the war in the south.
Before Mordor's assault, the Steward Denethor
Denethor
Denethor II of the House of Húrin is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Return of the King, which is the third and final part of his novel The Lord of the Rings. In the novel, he is the 26th and penultimate ruling Steward of Gondor....
ordered Faramir to lead a force out of Minas Tirith to reinforce the garrison. Gandalf also went back and forth from Minas Tirith to Osgiliath, aiding Faramir and escorting the wounded. However, Mordor was prepared. Months beforehand, the Orcs in East Osgiliath had been secretly constructing massive numbers of boats and rafts, and swelled by reinforcements they swarmed across the River Anduin to the Gondorian positions on the other bank.
After long and heavy fighting the troops under Faramir's command were forced to retreat, first to the Causeway Forts on the Rammas Echor where they delayed the enemy at a great loss. The orcs blasted through the wall and the men pulled back to Minas Tirith
Minas Tirith
Minas Tirith , originally named Minas Anor, is a fictional city and castle in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings. It became the heavily fortified capital of Gondor in the second half of the Third Age...
itself. Faramir himself was badly wounded in the retreat, when a poisoned arrow pierced him while he fought off a mounted Harad champion; more severe damage was done by the Black breath of the Nazgûl
Nazgûl
The Nazgûl are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium...
, but Prince Imrahil
Imrahil
Imrahil is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is introduced in Return of the King as the twenty-second Prince of Dol Amroth.-Biography:...
of Dol Amroth led a cavalry charge ordered by Denethor to rescue the rearguard and routed the enemy temporarily. In the meantime, the Orcs made makeshift repairs to several destroyed bridges. The main combined army of Mordor then arrived, formed from those that Frodo saw leaving Minas Morgul, but this was "but one and not the greatest of the hosts that Mordor now sent forth": a far greater army that had massed at the Black Gate joined them at Osgiliath, and the combined forces now entered the western bank of Osgiliath. More also came from the fords at Cair Andros, which was recently captured, but they would not reach Minas Tirith until later.
With Osgiliath now completely in the hands of Mordor, the vast army of Sauron marched from the city and surrounded Minas Tirith, beginning the siege of Gondor and leading directly into the Battle of the Pelennor Fields
Battle of the Pelennor Fields
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy fiction, the Battle of Pelennor Fields is the battle for the city of Minas Tirith between the forces of Gondor and its allies, and the forces of the Dark Lord Sauron...
.
Battle of the Pelennor Fields
In J. R. R. TolkienJ. 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 fantasy fiction
Tolkien's legendarium
The phrase Tolkien's legendarium is used in the literary discipline of Tolkien studiesto refer to the part of J. R. R. Tolkien's high fantasy fiction being concerned with his Elven legends; that is, historic events that have become legendary from the perspective of the characters of The Lord of the...
, the Battle of the Pelennor Fields is the battle for the city of Minas Tirith
Minas Tirith
Minas Tirith , originally named Minas Anor, is a fictional city and castle in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings. It became the heavily fortified capital of Gondor in the second half of the Third Age...
between the forces of Gondor
Gondor
Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth by the end of the Third Age. The third volume of The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, is concerned with the events in Gondor during the War of the Ring and with...
and its allies, and the forces of the Dark Lord 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...
. Tolkien recounts this battle in The Return of the King
The Return of the King
The Return of the King is the third and final volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, following The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers.-Title:...
, the third volume of his 1954-55 novel 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...
as originally printed.
The battle is one of the central battles of the War of the Ring
War of the Ring
In the fictional high fantasy-world of J. R. R. Tolkien, the War of the Ring was fought between Sauron and the free peoples of Middle-earth for control of the One Ring and dominion over the continent. The War of the Ring took place at the end of the Third Age. Together with the Quest of Mount Doom,...
, the war in which the Third Age
Third Age
The Third Age is a time period from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. The history of Middle-earth is to be taken fictionally as a history of the real Earth....
of 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....
comes to a close. It takes place on 15 March, T.A. 3019 upon the Pelennor Fields, the townlands and fields between Minas Tirith and the River Anduin.
The concept and history of composition of the battle is detailed in the fourth volume of The History of the Lord of the Rings
The History of The Lord of the Rings
The History of The Lord of the Rings is a 4-volume work by Christopher Tolkien that documents the process of J. R. R. Tolkien's writing of The Lord of the Rings. The History is also numbered as volumes 6 to 9 of The History of Middle-earth...
.
The city of Minas Tirith was besieged following the fall of Osgiliath and the Rammas Echor, Gondor's final barriers against the forces of Mordor. In the retreat to the city, Faramir, son of Denethor
Denethor
Denethor II of the House of Húrin is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Return of the King, which is the third and final part of his novel The Lord of the Rings. In the novel, he is the 26th and penultimate ruling Steward of Gondor....
, Steward of Gondor, was severely wounded. Since the despairing Steward refused to leave his son's side, the Wizard
Wizard (Middle-earth)
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Wizards of Middle-earth are a group of beings outwardly resembling Men but possessing much greater physical and mental power. They are also called the Istari by the Elves. The Sindarin word is Ithryn...
Gandalf
Gandalf
Gandalf is a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. In these stories, Gandalf appears as a wizard, member and later the head of the order known as the Istari, as well as leader of the Fellowship of the Ring and the army of the West...
took command of the city's defences. Meanwhile, the enemy forces assembled before the city on the Pelennor Fields. The Great Darkness blotted out the sun. The Nazgûl
Nazgûl
The Nazgûl are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium...
, Sauron's most feared servants, flew over the battlefield on fell beasts, causing the defenders' morale to waver.
Catapults and siege towers made repeated and ultimately futile attacks on the walls, but this was not their real objective: the true purpose of the siege towers was to thin out the city's defenses and draw men away from the great gate itself. Sauron's forces were finally able to breach the city gate using the giant battering ram Grond. The Witch-king entered alone at dawn and was confronted by Gandalf. However, at that moment the Rohirrim arrived and charged into battle.
Sauron's army from Minas Morgul
Minas Morgul
Minas Morgul , also known by its earlier name of Minas Ithil , is a fictional fortified city in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth...
, led by the Witch-king of Angmar
Witch-king of Angmar
The Witch-king of Angmar, also known as the Lord of the Nazgûl and the Black Captain among other names, is a fictional character and a major antagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. In Tolkien's novel The Lord of the Rings, he is the chief of the Nazgûl , the chief servants...
(chief of the Nazgûl
Nazgûl
The Nazgûl are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium...
or Ringwraiths) greatly outnumbered the combined armies of Gondor and its allies. Sauron's forces included Southrons of Harad
Harad
In J. R. R. Tolkien's epic fantasy legendarium, Harad was the name for the immense lands south of Gondor and Mordor. Called Haradwaith from the people who lived there, it literally means "South-folk", from the Sindarin harad, "South" and gwaith, "people"...
, who brought elephantine beasts called mûmakil (or Oliphaunts), Easterlings
Easterlings
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, "Easterling" and "Easterlings" were generic terms for Men who lived in the east of Middle-earth, who mostly fought under Morgoth and Sauron, not directly but rather on behalf of their own High Lord....
from Rhûn
Rhûn
In the fictional world of Middle-earth created by J. R. R. Tolkien, Rhûn was a large region of eastern Middle-earth. Rhûn was the name used for all lands lying east of Rhovanion, around and beyond the inland Sea of Rhûn, whence came many attacks on Gondor and its allies during the Third Age of...
and Variags from Khand, as well as great numbers of Orcs
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...
and Trolls
Troll (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Trolls are large humanoids of great strength and poor intellect.While in Norse mythology, the Troll was a magical creature with special skills, in Tolkien's writings they are portrayed as evil, stupid, with crude habits, although still intelligent enough to...
. Tolkien describes the army as the greatest to issue from that vale since the days of Isildur
Isildur
Isildur is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He appears in the author's books The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales....
's might, no host so fell and strong in arms had yet assailed the fords of Anduin
Anduin
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Anduin is the Sindarin name for the Great River of Wilderland, the longest river in the Third Age . The ancestors of the Rohirrim called it Langflood. It flowed from its source in the Grey and Misty Mountains to the Mouths of Anduin in the Great Sea...
; and yet it was but one and not the greatest of the hosts that Mordor now sent forth.
The defenders' numbers were considerably less. Following his defeat at Osgiliath, Tolkien writes that Faramir is outnumbered by ten times and he loses one third of his men. Tolkien gives a catalogue of companies from outlying provinces of Gondor that come to the aid of Minas Tirith; the contingent is numbered at less than 3,000. Prominent among them were a company of knights and footmen of Dol Amroth
Dol Amroth
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Dol Amroth was a hill along the coast of Gondor, on a peninsula on the Bay of Belfalas; and also the city that grew up there, mainly in the Third Age as the seat of the principality of the same name. The Prince of Dol Amroth was one of the principal subjects of...
, led by their lord Prince Imrahil
Imrahil
Imrahil is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is introduced in Return of the King as the twenty-second Prince of Dol Amroth.-Biography:...
. As Gondor's coastal towns were being attacked by the Corsairs of Umbar
Corsairs of Umbar
The Corsairs of Umbar were a fleet of Men of Umbar in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, allied to Sauron in his war against Gondor.-Literature:...
, the troops sent to Minas Tirith were all these areas could spare.
6,000 Riders of Rohan (Rohirrim) arrived at dawn, and over 2,000 Men from the coastal towns of Gondor sailed up the river. These had been relieved by a company of Rangers of the North
Rangers of the North
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the Rangers of the North, also known as the Dúnedain of the North, were the descendants of the Dúnedain from the lost kingdom of Arnor...
(representing Gondor's long-fallen sister realm Arnor
Arnor
Arnor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings. Arnor, or the Northern Kingdom, was a kingdom of the Dúnedain in the land of Eriador in Middle-earth. The name probably means "Land of the King", from Sindarin Ara- + dor...
) led by Aragorn
Aragorn
Aragorn II is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, one of the main protagonists of The Lord of the Rings. He is first introduced by the name Strider, which the hobbits continue to call him...
, and the Dead Men of Dunharrow
Dead Men of Dunharrow
The Dead Men of Dunharrow are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium...
. The Men of Rohan (Rohirrim) were thrice outnumbered by the Haradrim alone.
The battle begins immediately following Gandalf's denying the Witch-king's entry into the city.
After breaking the gate with the ram Grond, the Witch-king rode under the archway that no enemy ever yet had passed. Gandalf, mounted upon his horse Shadowfax, stood in his way. But before the two could fight, a cock
Rooster
A rooster, also known as a cockerel, cock or chanticleer, is a male chicken with the female being called a hen. Immature male chickens of less than a year's age are called cockerels...
crowed, whereupon the horns of the Rohirrim were heard echoing through the arriving dawn, and the battle proper began. The Rohirrim bypassed Sauron's lookouts thanks to the mysterious Wild Men
Drúedain
The Drúedain are a fictional race of Men which were counted amongst the Edain, who made their way into Beleriand in the First Age, and were friendly to the Elves. They are part of the Middle-earth legendarium, created by J. R. R. Tolkien....
of Drúadan Forest.
After charging the ranks of Mordor, the Rohirrim secured the outer wall, destroyed siege engines and camps, and drove off Haradrim cavalry. The Witch-king (on his winged fell beast) went straight for Théoden. The king's horse was killed by a dart, and it fell and crushed the king.
The King's niece Éowyn
Éowyn
Éowyn is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, who appears in his most famous work, The Lord of the Rings. She is a noblewoman of Rohan who describes herself as a "shieldmaiden".-Literature:...
(disguised as Dernhelm, a man) challenged the Witch-king. Long ago, it had been prophesied that the Witch-king would not die "by the hand of man". In the ensuing combat she was gravely injured. The Hobbit
Hobbit
Hobbits are a fictional diminutive race who inhabit the lands of Middle-earth in J. R. R. Tolkien's fiction.Hobbits first appeared in the novel The Hobbit, in which the main protagonist, Bilbo Baggins, is the titular hobbit...
Meriadoc Brandybuck
Meriadoc Brandybuck
Meriadoc Brandybuck, usually referred to as Merry, is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, featured throughout his most famous work, The Lord of the Rings....
, who had accompanied "Dernhelm", intervened and stabbed the Witch-king with his enchanted sword. The Witch-king was bitterly wounded due to that particular sword's special magic. Éowyn then "drove her sword between crown and mantle", slaying him. Both weapons that struck his undead flesh were destroyed as well.
Théoden died without realizing his niece was present. Her brother Éomer, now the king, discovered their bodies. Furious, he charged his cavalry without order into the enemy forces. Meanwhile, nearly every fighting man had left Minas Tirith to join the battle, led by Imrahil and other local captains. Imrahil rode up to Éowyn and found she still lived. She and Merry were sent to be healed in the city. The Ringwraith's Black Breath
Nazgûl
The Nazgûl are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium...
had made them both gravely ill, as with Faramir earlier. Their arms were left numb and cold after striking the Witch-king, and Éowyn's other arm was broken in the mélee.
Before the Rohirrim arrived, Denethor prepared to burn himself and his son upon a funeral pyre, believing Faramir to be beyond cure. Only the intervention of the Hobbit Pippin Took
Peregrin Took
Peregrin Took, more commonly known as Pippin, is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. Pippin is introduced as a Hobbit who plays a major role as one of the companions of Frodo Baggins, in his quest to destroy the One Ring.Peregrin was the only son of...
, a guard named Beregond, and Gandalf saved Faramir, but Denethor immolated himself before they could stop him. Tolkien indirectly states that Théoden's death could have been prevented if Gandalf had helped the Rohirrim instead, as he had intended.
The battle soon turned against Gondor and their allies, despite the growing daylight. Gothmog
Gothmog (Third Age)
Gothmog is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He appears briefly in The Return of the King, the third volume of The Lord of the Rings as originally printed....
, lieutenant of Minas Morgul, brought forward reinforcements. The forces of Mordor rallied behind the mûmakil of the Haradrim. Éomer was cut off from the Gondorians and surrounded by the enemy. As he prepared to make a last stand
Last stand
Last stand is a loose military term used to describe a body of troops holding a defensive position in the face of overwhelming odds. The defensive force usually takes very heavy casualties or is completely destroyed, as happened in "Custer's Last Stand" at the Battle of Little Big HornBryan Perrett...
, he saw a fleet of enemy ships with black sails sailing up the River Anduin
Anduin
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Anduin is the Sindarin name for the Great River of Wilderland, the longest river in the Third Age . The ancestors of the Rohirrim called it Langflood. It flowed from its source in the Grey and Misty Mountains to the Mouths of Anduin in the Great Sea...
. They were the ships of the Corsairs of Umbar, seemingly more of Sauron's reinforcements, but manned by Aragorn
Aragorn
Aragorn II is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, one of the main protagonists of The Lord of the Rings. He is first introduced by the name Strider, which the hobbits continue to call him...
and his Rangers of the North
Rangers of the North
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the Rangers of the North, also known as the Dúnedain of the North, were the descendants of the Dúnedain from the lost kingdom of Arnor...
, Gimli
Gimli (Middle-earth)
Gimli is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, featured in The Lord of the Rings. A Dwarf warrior, he is the son of Glóin ....
the 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....
, Legolas
Legolas
Legolas is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, featured in The Lord of the Rings. He is an Elf of the Woodland Realm and one of nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring.- Literature :...
the Elf
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...
, the Half-elven
Half-elven
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, the Half-elven are the children of the union of Elves and Men. The Half-elven are not a distinct race from Elves and Men, and must ultimately choose to which race they belong...
brothers Elladan and Elrohir
Elladan and Elrohir
Elladan and Elrohir are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, the sons of Elrond Half-elven and Celebrían and older brothers of Arwen.-Literature:...
and troops from south Gondor. Much of Sauron's forces were pinned between Aragorn and Éomer's forces. The tide of battle turned in favour of Gondor, yet fighting lasted until the end of the day. A brief respite was won until the Battle of the Black Gate
Battle of the Morannon
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the Battle of the Morannon or Battle of the Black Gate is a fictional event that took place at the end of the War of the Ring...
.
Various artists have illustrated the battle or elements of it, including Alan Lee, John Howe, the Brothers Hildebrandt, and Ted Nasmith
Ted Nasmith
Ted Nasmith is a Canadian artist, illustrator and architectural renderer. He is best known as an illustrator of J. R. R. Tolkien's works — The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion....
.
Sauron Defeated, the fourth volume of The History of the Lord of the Rings
The History of The Lord of the Rings
The History of The Lord of the Rings is a 4-volume work by Christopher Tolkien that documents the process of J. R. R. Tolkien's writing of The Lord of the Rings. The History is also numbered as volumes 6 to 9 of The History of Middle-earth...
, part of the History of Middle-earth
The History of Middle-earth
The History of Middle-earth is a 12-volume series of books published from 1983 through to 1996 that collect and analyse material relating to the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, compiled and edited by his son, Christopher Tolkien. Some of the content consists of earlier versions of already published...
series, contains superseded versions of the battle. Some changes of detail are apparent. For example, Théoden dies by a projectile to the heart instead of being crushed by his horse; when Éowyn reveals her sex she has cut her hair short, a detail absent from the final version. Tolkien also considered killing off both Théoden and Éowyn.
The battle has been analysed in various publications:
War and the Works of J.R.R. Tolkien by Tolkien scholar
Tolkien research
The works of J. R. R. Tolkien have generated a body of academic research, studying different facets such as* Tolkien as a writer of fantasy literature* Tolkien's invented languages-As a writer:...
Janet Brennan Croft examines the influence of World War I and II on Tolkien's fantasy writings, and the development of his attitude towards war.
Michael D. C. Drout
Michael D. C. Drout
Michael D. C. Drout is the Prentice Professor of English and Chair of the Department of English at Wheaton College and an author and editor specializing in Anglo-Saxon and medieval literature, science fiction and fantasy, especially the works of J. R. R. Tolkien and Ursula K. Le Guin.Drout holds a...
's "Tolkien's Prose Style and its Literary and Rhetorical Effects", featured in the academic journal Tolkien Studies
Tolkien Studies
Tolkien Studies: An Annual Scholarly Review is an academic journal publishing papers on the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, edited by Douglas A. Anderson, Michael D. C. Drout, and Verlyn Flieger. It states that it is the first scholarly journal published by an academic press in the area of Tolkien...
, published by West Virginia University Press
West Virginia University Press
West Virginia University Press, sometimes referred to as WVU Press, is a university press that is part of West Virginia University. Founded in the 1960s, WVU Press focuses not only on topics related to West Virginia and Appalachia, but also broader topics, such as Medieval European Studies and...
, analyses Tolkien's writing style and deduces influence from and parallels with King Lear
King Lear
King Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The title character descends into madness after foolishly disposing of his estate between two of his three daughters based on their flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all. The play is based on the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological...
. Drout also writes about the evolution of events in the narrative using material from the History of Middle-earth series.
The events of the battle are also analysed in Fantasy: The Liberation of Imagination by Richard Matthews, which explores "how fantasy uses the elements of enchantment and the supernatural to explode everyday reality and create profound insights into essential human realities."
Battle of Dale
The Battle of Dale is a fictional battle in J. R. R. TolkienJ. 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 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...
during the War of the Ring
War of the Ring
In the fictional high fantasy-world of J. R. R. Tolkien, the War of the Ring was fought between Sauron and the free peoples of Middle-earth for control of the One Ring and dominion over the continent. The War of the Ring took place at the end of the Third Age. Together with the Quest of Mount Doom,...
. An earlier battle in the same location which re-established the Dwarven kingdom was called the Battle of Five Armies.
The Dwarves
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....
of the Lonely Mountain (also known as Erebor) and the Men
Man (Middle-earth)
The race of Men in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth books, such as The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, refers to humanity and does not denote gender...
of Dale refused to acknowledge the overlordship and alliance of 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...
. While his larger southern armies invaded Gondor
Gondor
Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth by the end of the Third Age. The third volume of The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, is concerned with the events in Gondor during the War of the Ring and with...
, a Host of Easterlings advanced in the north to extend his dominion and to prevent the armies of his enemies joining together under one banner.
On March 17 of the year 3019 in the Third Age, Sauron sent a host of Easterlings to attack Dale. The combined forces of the Men of Dale under King Brand and the Dwarves of the Lonely Mountain under King Dáin Ironfoot marched out to meet the Easterlings in battle. Sauron's forces were probably more numerous, though the armies of Dale and Erebor would have possessed an advantage due to their superior Dwarven-made weaponry. After three days of heavy close-quarters fighting, Brand and Dáin were forced to retreat to the Lonely Mountain. A few sturdy warriors led by Brand and Dáin fought bravely before the Gate of Erebor, which was not taken. Dáin was killed as he stood defending the body of his ally Brand. The defenders of the Mountain were now under siege.
The forces of Gondor and Rohan
Rohan
Rohan is a realm in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy era of Middle-earth. It is a grassland which lies north of its ally Gondor and north-west of Mordor, the realm of Sauron, their enemy . It is inhabited by the Rohirrim, a people of herdsmen and farmers who are well-known for their horses and cavalry....
defeated the main power of Sauron in the southern theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
on March 25 and this caused the northern Easterling army to lose heart. Seeing the morale of their foes sapped, the Army of Dale under the new Kings — Bard II and Thorin III Stonehelm — managed to lift the siege on March 27 and drove the Easterlings out of Dale.
The battle was very important for the future of Middle-earth. Though it could not change the outcome of the War of the Ring, which was tied to fate of the One Ring
One Ring
The One Ring is a fictional artifact that appears as the central plot element in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy novels. It is described in an earlier story, The Hobbit , as a magic ring of invisibility. The sequel The Lord of the Rings describes its powers as being more encompassing than...
, it diverted another portion of Sauron's strength from Lórien and Rivendell, and a quick complete victory by Sauron's Easterling armies would have allowed them to join up with Sauron's forces from Dol Guldur
Dol Guldur
Dol Guldur was Sauron's stronghold in Mirkwood in the fictional world of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. It is first mentioned in The Hobbit. The hill itself, rocky and barren, was the highest point in the southwestern part of the forest. Before Sauron's occupation it was called Amon Lanc...
in their attacks on the woodland realm of Mirkwood
Mirkwood
Mirkwood is a name used for two distinct fictional forests in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. In the First Age, the highlands of Dorthonion north of Beleriand were known as Mirkwood after falling under Morgoth's control. During the Third Age, the large forest in Rhovanion, east of the Anduin in ...
. This would have enabled Mordor's armies to wreak havoc, possibly as far west as Eriador before the armies of the west defeated them.
Dale was rebuilt following the siege of the Lonely Mountain, and Thorin and Bard sent their ambassadors to King Elessar's coronation. Later, many dwarves were led south by Gimli
Gimli (Middle-earth)
Gimli is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, featured in The Lord of the Rings. A Dwarf warrior, he is the son of Glóin ....
, one of the companions of Aragorn
Aragorn
Aragorn II is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, one of the main protagonists of The Lord of the Rings. He is first introduced by the name Strider, which the hobbits continue to call him...
in the War of the Ring. They colonised Aglarond
Helm's Deep
In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings, Helm's Deep was a large valley in the north-western Ered Nimrais .The valley was described as being blocked over its entire width by the natural series of hills called Helm's Dike and behind that lay the fortress of Aglarond or the Hornburg, at the...
, the glittering caves in Helm's Deep.
The battle was recounted in one of the appendices of The Return of the King
The Return of the King
The Return of the King is the third and final volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, following The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers.-Title:...
.
Battle of the Morannon
In J. R. R. TolkienJ. 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 legendarium
Legendarium
Legendary may refer to:*A hagiography, or study of the lives of saints and other religious figures**The South English Legendary, a Middle English legendary*A legend-Entertainment:*Legendary, an album by Kaysha*Legendary...
, the Battle of the Morannon or Battle of the Black Gate is a fictional event that took place at the end of the War of the Ring
War of the Ring
In the fictional high fantasy-world of J. R. R. Tolkien, the War of the Ring was fought between Sauron and the free peoples of Middle-earth for control of the One Ring and dominion over the continent. The War of the Ring took place at the end of the Third Age. Together with the Quest of Mount Doom,...
. It is depicted in The Return of the King
The Return of the King
The Return of the King is the third and final volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, following The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers.-Title:...
, the third volume of his fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
book 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...
.
This was the final major battle against Sauron in the War of the Ring
War of the Ring
In the fictional high fantasy-world of J. R. R. Tolkien, the War of the Ring was fought between Sauron and the free peoples of Middle-earth for control of the One Ring and dominion over the continent. The War of the Ring took place at the end of the Third Age. Together with the Quest of Mount Doom,...
, fought at the Black Gate of Mordor. The Army of the West, led by Aragorn, marched on the gate as a diversionary feint to distract Sauron's attention from Frodo
Frodo Baggins
Frodo Baggins is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium.He is the main protagonist of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. He was a hobbit of the Shire who inherited Sauron's Ring from Bilbo Baggins and undertook the quest to destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom...
and Sam
Samwise Gamgee
Samwise Gamgee, later known as Samwise Gardner and commonly as Sam, is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. Samwise is one of the chief characters in Tolkien's novel The Lord of the Rings, in which he fills an archetypical role as the sidekick of the protagonist, Frodo...
, who were carrying the One Ring
One Ring
The One Ring is a fictional artifact that appears as the central plot element in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy novels. It is described in an earlier story, The Hobbit , as a magic ring of invisibility. The sequel The Lord of the Rings describes its powers as being more encompassing than...
through Mordor. It was hoped that Sauron would think Aragorn had the Ring and was now trying to use it to overthrow Mordor. As the journey progressed, Aragorn was credited openly as "the King Elessar" by their heralds to challenge Sauron, though he was not yet formally crowned.
Aragorn and the other captains had around 7,000 soldiers of Gondor and Rohan available to fight; they left some in Minas Tirith to defend against assault, and sent 3,000 Rohirrim under Elfhelm
Elfhelm
In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, Elfhelm was a lord of Rohan and Marshal of the East-mark.He appears in The Two Towers and The Return of the King, the second and third volumes of the fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings as originally published...
to rout another army holding the west road to Anórien. Thus they marched with about 6,000 foot and 1,000 cavalry.
At the Crossroads, Aragorn and other captains left the main force for a while with a small company of troops and surveyed Minas Morgul from afar, finally setting the Morgul Vale on fire. They also left some archers to guard the Crossroads.
They were also later ambushed by Orcs and Easterlings on the very spot where Faramir
Faramir
In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, Faramir is a fictional character appearing in The Lord of the Rings. He is introduced as the younger brother of Boromir of the Fellowship of the Ring and second son of Denethor II, the Steward of the realm of Gondor...
and the Rangers of Ithilien
Rangers of Ithilien
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the Rangers of Ithilien, also known as the Rangers of the South and Rangers of Gondor, were an elite group of the Southern Dúnedain warriors who scouted in and guarded Ithilien...
had ambushed a company of Haradrim some days ago, but the enemy was beaten back without much loss. However, it was realized that this was an intentionally weak feint, meant to try to lure them into thinking that Sauron's army was incapable of mounting a strong attack when in fact it was. Later, some whose fear overcame them were sent to retake and hold Cair Andros, an island in the Great River, used as a fortress by Gondor. Thus the Army of the West was less than 6,000 strong at the Black Gate.
Before the battle began, Sauron sent one of his servants, the Black Númenórean called the Mouth of Sauron
Mouth of Sauron
The Mouth of Sauron is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He appears in The Lord of the Rings — specifically in the chapter "The Black Gate Opens" in the third volume, The Return of the King — as the chief emissary of Sauron.He belonged to the race of the Black...
, 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
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...
cloak, and Frodo's mithril
Mithril
Mithril is a fictional metal, originally used in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. It is described as silvery and stronger than steel but much lighter in weight. The malleability, lack of tarnishing and use of the metal in jewellery suggest some similarity to the non-fictional metal...
shirt.) The Mouth threatened that Frodo would be tortured if the West did not agree to Sauron's terms of surrender. (It is clear that while Sauron knew there was a Hobbit in Mordor, he did not know why.) 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 and the forces of Sauron advanced. At the same time, more of Sauron's forces that had been hidden in the hills around the Black Gate came forth, thus surrounding the Men of the West. Sauron's army outnumbered that of the West by at least ten to one. It is not clear who commanded the field for Sauron. The Army of the West divided itself into two rings upon two great hills of rubble opposite the gate: Aragorn, Gandalf, and the sons of Elrond were on the left ring, with Éomer, Imrahil, and the Knights of Dol Amroth on the right.
Against Aragorn's army was arrayed Sauron's hordes of Orcs, Trolls, and Mannish allies such as the Easterlings and Southrons (Haradrim). An exact count is not given of the number of Sauron's forces, though Tolkien says they were "ten times and more than ten times" the size of Aragorn's army. This puts the size of Sauron's army at greater than 60,000. The Olog-hai, improved Trolls much like the Uruk-hai
Uruk-hai
The Uruk-hai are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth. They are introduced in The Lord of the Rings as an advanced breed or breeds of Orcs that serve Sauron and Saruman...
were improved Orcs, first made an appearance.
During the course of the battle, the Hobbit Peregrin Took, marching as one of the Tower Guard of Minas Tirith
Minas Tirith
Minas Tirith , originally named Minas Anor, is a fictional city and castle in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings. It became the heavily fortified capital of Gondor in the second half of the Third Age...
, managed to kill one of the Olog-hai leaders. The remaining eight Nazgûl hovered over the Army of the West and spread fear and confusion. The Eagles of the Misty Mountains
Misty Mountains
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy world of Middle-earth, the Misty Mountains is a mountain range, running for 795 miles from north to south, between Eriador and the valley of the Great River, Anduin, and...
, led by Gwaihir the Windlord, arrived and attacked the Ringwraiths. At that moment, when all hope seemed lost, Frodo put on the One Ring and Sauron realized that Frodo was inside Mount Doom
Mount Doom
Mount Doom is a volcano in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. It is located in the heart of the black land of Mordor and close to Barad-dûr, it is approximately high. Alternative names, in Tolkien's invented language of Sindarin, include Orodruin and Amon Amarth...
. The Nazgûl immediately left the battle to intercept Frodo. However, Gollum
Gollum
Gollum is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He was introduced in the author's fantasy novel The Hobbit, and became an important supporting character in its sequel, The Lord of the Rings....
bit the Ring off Frodo's finger, and then both he and the ring accidentally fell into the Crack of Doom, and Sauron's power was overthrown.
The Nazgûl flew over Mount Doom just as it underwent a gigantic volcanic eruption, and they were all destroyed in the firestorm. Barad-dûr
Barad-dûr
Barad-dûr is the fortress of Sauron in the heart of the black land of Mordor and close to Mount Doom in the fantasy world of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings...
, the Black Gate and the Towers of the Teeth collapsed to ruin as their foundations were built with the Ring's magic. Sauron's physical body perished yet again for what would be the last time. His gigantic shadow formed in the sky and reached out in wrath to the heroes, but it was blown away by a strong wind, and his spirit, which had been housed in a tall humanoid form ever since the start of the Age, was left forever bodiless and impotent.
The Orcs and other creatures of Sauron were left completely directionless with the Dark Lord's demise and were easily defeated by the Army of the West. Some slew themselves, while others fled to hide in dark places. The proud Easterlings and Southrons fought on bravely, though eventually many threw down their weapons and surrendered later to be sent home in peace by Aragorn ending the Easterlings and Southrons hate for Gondor.
Fighting against Sauron's remaining forces would continue in the northern theatre of the War of the Ring for several weeks, notably in Mirkwood
Mirkwood
Mirkwood is a name used for two distinct fictional forests in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. In the First Age, the highlands of Dorthonion north of Beleriand were known as Mirkwood after falling under Morgoth's control. During the Third Age, the large forest in Rhovanion, east of the Anduin in ...
, Lothlórien, Dol Guldur
Dol Guldur
Dol Guldur was Sauron's stronghold in Mirkwood in the fictional world of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. It is first mentioned in The Hobbit. The hill itself, rocky and barren, was the highest point in the southwestern part of the forest. Before Sauron's occupation it was called Amon Lanc...
and at Erebor, but the power of Sauron, the Dark Lord of Mordor, was no more.
Months later, the Battle of Bywater in the Shire
Shire (Middle-earth)
The Shire is a region of J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, described in The Lord of the Rings and other works. The Shire refers to an area settled exclusively by Hobbits and largely removed from the goings-on in the rest of Middle-earth. It is located in the northwest of the continent, in...
against ruffians led by Saruman
Saruman
Saruman the White is a fictional character and a major antagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. He is leader of the Istari, wizards sent to Middle-earth in human form by the godlike Valar to challenge Sauron, the main antagonist of the tale, but later on aims at gaining...
, and the subsequent killing of Saruman and Wormtongue
Gríma
Gríma, called Wormtongue, is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. He appears in the second and third volumes of the work, The Two Towers and The Return of the King, and his role is expanded upon in Unfinished Tales. He is introduced in The Two Towers as the chief...
on the very doorstep of Bag End, ended the War of the Ring.
Battle of Bywater
The Battle of Bywater is a battle depicted in The Lord of the Rings in the chapter "The Scouring of the ShireThe Scouring of the Shire
"The Scouring of the Shire" is a chapter from the epic fantasy novel The Return of the King, part of The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien...
."
The Battle of Bywater was a battle between the Hobbits of The Shire
Shire (Middle-earth)
The Shire is a region of J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, described in The Lord of the Rings and other works. The Shire refers to an area settled exclusively by Hobbits and largely removed from the goings-on in the rest of Middle-earth. It is located in the northwest of the continent, in...
and a band of ruffians who followed "Sharkey" (the Wizard Saruman
Saruman
Saruman the White is a fictional character and a major antagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. He is leader of the Istari, wizards sent to Middle-earth in human form by the godlike Valar to challenge Sauron, the main antagonist of the tale, but later on aims at gaining...
). The battle was considered to be the last of the War of the Ring
War of the Ring
In the fictional high fantasy-world of J. R. R. Tolkien, the War of the Ring was fought between Sauron and the free peoples of Middle-earth for control of the One Ring and dominion over the continent. The War of the Ring took place at the end of the Third Age. Together with the Quest of Mount Doom,...
. The Shire-folk were roused by the leadership of Meriadoc Brandybuck
Meriadoc Brandybuck
Meriadoc Brandybuck, usually referred to as Merry, is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, featured throughout his most famous work, The Lord of the Rings....
(Merry) and Peregrin Took
Peregrin Took
Peregrin Took, more commonly known as Pippin, is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. Pippin is introduced as a Hobbit who plays a major role as one of the companions of Frodo Baggins, in his quest to destroy the One Ring.Peregrin was the only son of...
(Pippin), knights of Rohan
Rohan
Rohan is a realm in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy era of Middle-earth. It is a grassland which lies north of its ally Gondor and north-west of Mordor, the realm of Sauron, their enemy . It is inhabited by the Rohirrim, a people of herdsmen and farmers who are well-known for their horses and cavalry....
and Gondor
Gondor
Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth by the end of the Third Age. The third volume of The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, is concerned with the events in Gondor during the War of the Ring and with...
, respectively. Merry slew the leader of the ruffians, a squint-eyed Orcish-looking brute.
The Battle of Bywater occurred on November 3, 1419 by Shire-reckoning in the Shire Calendar (3019 of the Third Age) and was the last military engagement of the War of the Ring. It was only the second battle ever fought within the borders of the Shire since its founding over 1400 years before; the first was the Battle of Greenfields, which was fought in the year 1147 by Shire-reckoning (2747 of the Third Age).
Ruffians had been sent by Sharkey to suppress the Hobbit revolt breaking out in Bywater. However, the Hobbits' scouts gave them advanced warning. The Hobbits then devised a plan to surround and trap the ruffians when they arrived. Makeshift mobile roadblocks were made out of carts and wagons, and after the ruffians reached the centre of the town the road was blocked in front and behind them. The ruffians then tried to fight their way out through the Hobbits, some breaking through. These were then encircled and engaged until the battle was won.
The Shire Hobbits rallied under the leadership of Merry and Pippin. The courage and skill that Merry and Pippin had discovered during their journey with the Fellowship of the Ring and during the War of the Ring, had made them confident in their abilities, and this enabled them to rally the Shire-folk against the invaders. Technically, Pippin was still a Knight of Gondor, as King Elessar
Aragorn
Aragorn II is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, one of the main protagonists of The Lord of the Rings. He is first introduced by the name Strider, which the hobbits continue to call him...
had not released him from service but granted him indefinite leave, and when he departed Aragorn reminded Pippin that his restored kingship now extended to the old northern lands which included the Shire. Therefore, Pippin saw himself as fighting off the ruffians with the authority of the King supporting him. Samwise Gamgee
Samwise Gamgee
Samwise Gamgee, later known as Samwise Gardner and commonly as Sam, is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. Samwise is one of the chief characters in Tolkien's novel The Lord of the Rings, in which he fills an archetypical role as the sidekick of the protagonist, Frodo...
also fought in the battle. Frodo Baggins
Frodo Baggins
Frodo Baggins is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium.He is the main protagonist of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. He was a hobbit of the Shire who inherited Sauron's Ring from Bilbo Baggins and undertook the quest to destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom...
was also present at the battle, though he did not fight: he spent the battle making sure that ruffians who threw down their weapons were not killed.
The next day, Frodo, and his three companions, leading the Hobbits of the Shire, marched to Hobbiton. There Frodo confronted Saruman and exiled him from the Shire. Then Wormtongue killed Saruman by slitting his throat, on the doorstep of Bag End. Before Frodo could react, the Hobbits of the Shire shot Wormtongue dead with three arrows. Thus, the last stroke of the War of the Ring fell at the very door from which Frodo had first begun his adventure.