Tolkien Lore Tricks and Tips

Battle Royale - VY through FA

This is for my sake as much as it is for anyone else's. The Battles throughout Arda's lengthy history can get confusing, what with each often having several different names and there being so very many of them. So here I will lay them out and briefly describe them and what you need to know for good fanfics. It will be outlined as follows:

Age of the World

Title of War

Titles of Battles within said War
-- events

Let's begin at the very start...

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Before Time Itself

The First War

"Countless untitled battles."

- Valar and Maiar commanded by Manwë, Oromë, and eventually Tulkas, against Melkor and his Maiar
- resulted in the Marring of Arda (the world in disarray, fair things made foul, corruption).
- ended with the creation of the Two Lamps to light Arda and then Melkor fled Arda through and beyond the Walls of Night

Valian Years

War for the Sake of the Elves

Valar and Maiar commanded by Manwë, Oromë, and Tulkas, against Melkor and his host of corrupted elves (orcs), Maiar, and other servants

The Battle of the Powers

- began with the awakening of the Elves
- Valar and Melkor and the other Maiar on both sides clashed in the far north of Arda
- decisive victory for the good guys, driving off Melkor so he fled into fortress at Utumno

The Siege of Utumno

- decisive victory for the Valar. After hundreds of days, the gates of Utumno are thrown down and Melkor is captured
- Melkor bound by unbreakable chains, thrown into prison for 3 ages of the world
- Sauron never captured
- Utumno not fully broken

First Age

First Kinslaying - YT 1498

- Noldor against Falmari (Valinor's Teleri). Slaughter of the Teleri led by Fëanor, his seven sons, and later Fingon and his host.
- Resulted in the seizing of the Swan Ships, the doom of Mandos, and the downfall of the elves

War of the Jewels

First Battle of Beleriand - YT 1497

- Fought between the Sindar (Eglador) and Laiquendi (of Ossiriand) against the forces of Morgoth. Victory for the Elves.
- Death of King Denethor of the Laiquendi
- Círdan and Thingol both took part
- Resulted in the creation of the Girdle of Melian

Dagor-nuin-Giliath - YT 1498

- means "Battle-under-Stars"
- First battle of the Noldor in Middle Earth. Commanders were Fëanor and his seven sons against Gothmog and the orcs and balrogs of Morgoth.
- Decisive victory for the Noldor, but at the cost of Fëanor's life
- Maedhros crowned High King

Battle of the Lammoth - F.A. 1

- First battle for the Host of Fingolfin upon Beleriand
- Orcs against Fingolfin and his sons, and the children of Finarfin
- decisive victory despite the ambush, but ended in the death of Argon, Fingolfin's youngest son
- began with the rising of the Moon for the first time

Dagor Aglareb - F.A. 50

- means "Glorious Battle"
- Noldorin forces from Hithlum, Himring, Nargothrond, and elsewhere in Beleriand commanded by Fingolfin, Maedhros, and Finrod (along with Turgon, Angrod, and Aegnor) against the forces of Morgoth
- decisive victory, no major casualties for the elves
- results in the Siege of Angband for 400 years until the next major battle

Dagor Bragollach - F.A. 455

- means "Battle of Sudden Flame"
- Forces besieging Angband, garrisons of several strongholds including Himring, Barad Eithel, Nargothrond and Tol Sirion, Men of the House of Bëor and Dor-lómin against Orcs, Gothmog and his balrogs, and the father of dragons, Glaurung
- Major, decisive defeat of the Elves and Men
- deaths of Angrod and Aegnor of the elves, and all but the entire House of Bëor
- destruction of Maglor's Gap, the burning of Ard-galen, and destruction of many key fortresses
- results in Fingolfin challenging Morgoth to single combat which he loses, but manages to wound Morgoth's foot
- beginning of the end of the elves

Nirnaeth Arnoediad - F.A. 472

- means "Unnumbered Tears"
- fifth major battle in the war of the jewels
- featured the Union of Maedhros under Fingon and Maedhros, with elves of their peoples, dwarves of Belegost, and men of the East, and the men of the Edain (plus Mablung and Beleg - represent Thingol!) against Morgoth, Glaurung, Gothmog, and a host of balrogs and orcs
- things went well for the elves until Gwindor of Fingon's host (but of Finrod's people) caused them to move early because he saw his brother tortured and then the lines broke
- halfway through the men of the east under Ulfang turned on the free peoples and fought for Morgoth (their commander killed by Maglor)
- Fingon murdered as he slew balrogs by becoming surrounded by them and slain by Gothmog
- Turgon fought with his Gondolindrim but escaped to his hidden city before all were slain, now High King of the Noldor
- Dwarves of Belegost pushed back Glaurung but were slain alongside their king
- utter oblideration of the Union of Maedhros
- followed afterwards by the Fall of the Falas, the Sack of Nargothrond, and the Fall of Gondolin

War of Wrath - F.A. 545-587

- final battle of Beleriand
- "Uncountable" numbers of Morgoth's forces, led by Ancalagon the dragon and a host of Balrogs and dragons and orcs against hundreds of thousands of Vanyar and what remained of the Noldor, Sindar, some dwarves, and men of the Edain under Eönwë, herald of Manwë, the Great Eagles led by Thorondor, and Eärendil aboard Vingilot.
- resulted in the destruction of Beleriand (sinking of Beleriand at the end), the death of Maedhros (suicide), the death of Ancalagon, and the capture of Morgoth
- Morgoth cast beyond the Door of Night, only to return at the Dagor Dagorath
- Sauron escapes after fearing judgement of the Valar