Dark Years
Encyclopedia
In J. R. R. Tolkien
's legendarium
, the Dark Years is a term used in The Lord of the Rings
for the time of Sauron
's great and almost undisputed domination of Middle-earth
, during which many peoples were enslaved or corrupted. It was also referred to as the Accursed Years, the Black Years, the Days of Flight, and the Dark Days. In the story, this period lasted from ca. SA 1693 to 3441, when Sauron was overthrown by the Last Alliance of Elves and Men. During this period, Sauron built the Barad-dûr
, forged the Rings of Power
, and fought the War of the Elves and Sauron.
Sauron was an emissary or servant of the real dark lord Melkor, or Morgoth
. After the latter's defeat by the Valar
, he was taken from his great fortress Thangorodrim
, and taken to Valinor
. There he stood trial and was cast into the Void. Sauron, however, escaped the Valar and hid in the east of Middle-earth. He returned in the year 1000 of the Second Age
, though it would be centuries before he rose in real power.
As Annatar, he persuaded the Elves
of Eregion
to forge Rings of Power. The Elves, who trusted him, did so, and forged three mighty rings. Vilya and Narya, which passed to the Elven king Gil-galad
, and Nenya which passed to the Elven-lady Galadriel
. Seven Rings were also made for the Dwarves
, while Nine were made for Men
.
The Rings gave power to the bearers, but were, in secret, designed to enslave the Bearer to a Master Ring: the One Ring
which Sauron himself forged in the fires of Orodruin, the Mount Doom. Men were indeed enslaved, but the Elves sensed the danger and took off their Rings. A great war ensued for the freedom of Middle-earth. Eregion was destroyed by the servants of Sauron, but the Men of Númenor
came to the help of the Elves and drove Sauron back to Mordor
in 1701. After this reversal, Sauron sought instead to build power in the eastern countries and left the Westlands in peace for many centuries.
When Ar-Pharazôn usurped the throne of Númenor in 3255 SA, he saw Sauron's growing eastern kingdom as a threat to his power in Middle-earth. Building and equipping a mighty fleet, he sailed for Middle-earth, and landed at Umbar
, to the south of the Mouths of Anduin. Ar-Pharazôn demanded that Sauron should submit to his authority, and seeing that the might of the Númenóreans far outstripped his own, Sauron agreed. However, Ar-Pharazôn with the greatest part of his people was seduced by Sauron and Númenor was brought to fall
. With his greatest opponent out of the way the Dark Lord started a new war.
Although he had the power of his long-built armies and the One Ring, Sauron's own dominion in Middle-earth had decreased during his absence while the Elves´ High King, Gil-galad, had expanded his influence. If Sauron had waited longer in attacking his enemies while focusing on re-establishing his power, he would have surely defeated them all in time. But Gil-galad and King Elendil
formed the Last Alliance, and after a long war they defeated the Dark Lord of Mordor. The One Ring was taken from Sauron and he disappeared.
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 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 Dark Years is a term used 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...
for the time 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...
's great and almost undisputed domination 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....
, during which many peoples were enslaved or corrupted. It was also referred to as the Accursed Years, the Black Years, the Days of Flight, and the Dark Days. In the story, this period lasted from ca. SA 1693 to 3441, when Sauron was overthrown by the Last Alliance of Elves and Men. During this period, Sauron built the 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...
, forged 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...
, and fought the War of the Elves and Sauron.
Sauron was an emissary or servant of the real dark lord Melkor, 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...
. After the latter's defeat by 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...
, he was taken from his great fortress Thangorodrim
Thangorodrim
In 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...
, and taken to 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,...
. There he stood trial and was cast into the Void. Sauron, however, escaped the Valar and hid in the east of Middle-earth. He returned in the year 1000 of the Second Age
Second 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....
, though it would be centuries before he rose in real power.
As Annatar, he persuaded 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 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...
to forge Rings of Power. The Elves, who trusted him, did so, and forged three mighty rings. Vilya and Narya, which passed to the Elven king 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 Nenya which passed to the Elven-lady 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....
. Seven Rings were also made for 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....
, while Nine were made for 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...
.
The Rings gave power to the bearers, but were, in secret, designed to enslave the Bearer to a Master Ring: 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...
which Sauron himself forged in the fires of Orodruin, the Mount Doom. Men were indeed enslaved, but the Elves sensed the danger and took off their Rings. A great war ensued for the freedom of Middle-earth. Eregion was destroyed by the servants of Sauron, but the Men 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...
came to the help of the Elves and drove Sauron 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...
in 1701. After this reversal, Sauron sought instead to build power in the eastern countries and left the Westlands in peace for many centuries.
When Ar-Pharazôn usurped the throne of Númenor in 3255 SA, he saw Sauron's growing eastern kingdom as a threat to his power in Middle-earth. Building and equipping a mighty fleet, he sailed for Middle-earth, and landed at 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...
, to the south of the Mouths of Anduin. Ar-Pharazôn demanded that Sauron should submit to his authority, and seeing that the might of the Númenóreans far outstripped his own, Sauron agreed. However, Ar-Pharazôn with the greatest part of his people was seduced by Sauron and Númenor was brought to fall
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:...
. With his greatest opponent out of the way the Dark Lord started a new war.
Although he had the power of his long-built armies and the One Ring, Sauron's own dominion in Middle-earth had decreased during his absence while the Elves´ High King, Gil-galad, had expanded his influence. If Sauron had waited longer in attacking his enemies while focusing on re-establishing his power, he would have surely defeated them all in time. But Gil-galad and King 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....
formed the Last Alliance, and after a long war they defeated the Dark Lord of Mordor. The One Ring was taken from Sauron and he disappeared.