First Battle of Beleriand
Encyclopedia
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 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
.
, arrives in Middle-earth
, and occupies his old fortress of Angband
under the mountains of Thangorodrim
while the Noldor
pursuing him still toil through Araman. His servants, Sauron
and Gothmog have long been breeding Orcs
as warriors for his armies.
Morgoth decides to move quickly to conquer Beleriand
and he sends out his armies. Two Orc-hosts advance south from Angband. One moves west through the vale of the River Sirion and the second east between the rivers Celon and Gelion. The Orcs make camps on the Estolad plain in the east and the Talath plain in the west and they harry the lands about. In this first battle the Sindar
, their allies the Green Elves, the Falathrim, and the Dwarves
meet the forces of the Dark Lord
in the open field.
In East Beleriand
, Denethor lord of the Nandor
, or Green Elves, fights the Eastern Orc-host on Amon Ereb, an isolated hill south and east of Doriath
. Only lightly armed, they take heavy casualties. Thingol with the army of Doriath arrives to save the Nandor from annihilation but Denethor falls before Thingol can save him. The Orcs are defeated and those that survive the battle are slain in their rout by the Dwarves
of Mount Dolmed.
In the west, the Elves of the Falas under their Lord Círdan
, cut off from Thingol, meet the western host, but they are defeated, and retreat to their havens of Eglarest and Brithombar. These cities are besieged, and Doriath is unable to gather a strong enough force to send aid. The sieges of the havens of Falas are only lifted when the Orcs withdraw to reinforce the assault by a third Orc-host on the Noldor
Elves under Fëanor
, new come and encamped in Mithrim.
The First Battle is the only one of the five great battles where the Sindar of Doriath take the primary role. After the First Battle Doriath is protected by the magical Lest Melian, the Girdle of Melian
. Its mists and shadowy mazes hide entry to Doriath and Thingol takes a defensive stance behind it. The death of Denethor, king of the Green Elves, in this battle leads the Elves of Ossiriand to never again name a king or participate in the wars between the other Elves and Morgoth until the Fifth Battle, Nírnaeth Arnoediad
.
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's fictional Middle-earth
Middle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....
, 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...
.
History
Morgoth, escaping ValinorValinor
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,...
, arrives in 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....
, and occupies his old fortress of Angband
Angband (Middle-earth)
-External links:*...
under the mountains of 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...
while 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...
pursuing him still toil through Araman. His servants, 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...
and Gothmog have long been breeding 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...
as warriors for his armies.
Morgoth decides to move quickly to conquer 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 he sends out his armies. Two Orc-hosts advance south from Angband. One moves west through the vale of the River Sirion and the second east between the rivers Celon and Gelion. The Orcs make camps on the Estolad plain in the east and the Talath plain in the west and they harry the lands about. In this first battle 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...
, their allies the Green Elves, the Falathrim, and 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....
meet the forces of 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...
in the open field.
In East Beleriand
Beleriand
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional legendarium, Beleriand was a region in northwestern Middle-earth during the First Age. Events in Beleriand are described chiefly in his work The Silmarillion, which tells the story of the early ages of Middle-earth in a style similar to the epic hero tales of Nordic...
, Denethor lord of the Nandor
Nandor
In the fictional word of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Nandor were Elves of the Third Clan.-Internal History of the Nandor:When the marching Elves reached the Hithaeglir some left the Great Journey under their leader Lenwë...
, or Green Elves, fights the Eastern Orc-host on Amon Ereb, an isolated hill south and east 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...
. Only lightly armed, they take heavy casualties. Thingol with the army of Doriath arrives to save the Nandor from annihilation but Denethor falls before Thingol can save him. The Orcs are defeated and those that survive the battle are slain in their rout by 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 Mount Dolmed.
In the west, the Elves of the Falas under their Lord Círdan
Círdan
Círdan the Shipwright is a fictional character created by J. R. R. Tolkien. He was a Telerin Elf, a great mariner and shipwright, and lord of the Falas during much of the First Age. He was the bearer of the Great Ring Narya, which he in turn gave to Gandalf.He had a beard, which was rare for...
, cut off from Thingol, meet the western host, but they are defeated, and retreat to their havens of Eglarest and Brithombar. These cities are besieged, and Doriath is unable to gather a strong enough force to send aid. The sieges of the havens of Falas are only lifted when the Orcs withdraw to reinforce the assault by a third Orc-host on 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...
Elves under 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...
, new come and encamped in Mithrim.
The First Battle is the only one of the five great battles where the Sindar of Doriath take the primary role. After the First Battle Doriath is protected by the magical Lest Melian, the Girdle of Melian
Melian
Melian the Maia 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 Children of Húrin, the Annals of Aman and the Grey Annals....
. Its mists and shadowy mazes hide entry to Doriath and Thingol takes a defensive stance behind it. The death of Denethor, king of the Green Elves, in this battle leads the Elves of Ossiriand to never again name a king or participate in the wars between the other Elves and Morgoth until the Fifth Battle, 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:...
.
See also
- Middle-earth warfare