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Jenny Dolfen - And Morgoth came.jpg
"And Morgoth came" by Jenny Dolfen
Biographical Information
Other namesMelkor
See below
TitlesDark Lord
BirthBefore the Music of the Ainur
DeathIn the future
Dagor Dagorath
Notable forDisrupting the Music
Controlling all of Middle-earth
Creating Orcs and Dragons
Destroying the Two Trees
Stealing the Silmarils
Taking over Beleriand
Corrupting Men
Warring with the Valar
Corrupting Sauron
Physical Description
GalleryImages of Morgoth
The Silmarillion, Ainulindalë




[edit] History


[edit] The Music of the Ainur

Ted Nasmith - Melkor weaves Opposing Music

When the Ainur made music, Melkor wove his strange thoughts into his song. His song clashed against the Theme of Ilúvatar, disturbing the Ainur around him and causing some of them to attune their music to his. For a while the Theme of Ilúvatar and the discords of Melkor warred against one another. But Eru smiled, and sent forth a new theme. Most of the Ainur joined with it, but Melkor rebelliously opposed it even more violently. At last, many of the Ainur stopped singing in dismay, and Melkor’s discords gained dominance. Eru sent out a third Theme against Melkor, sweeter and more beautiful than the others, and unquenchable. But though Melkor could not defeat it, still he opposed it. At last, Eru halted the music completely with a single chord.

Eru then publicly rebuked Melkor, saying that all music finds its source in himself, and thus Melkor could not create his own song or truly alter the Themes of Ilúvatar. Thus, though Melkor opposed Eru to his last breath, he only furthered the cause of Ilúvatar in new and wondrous ways. Melkor was shamed and angered by this judgement, but hid his feelings. When Eru showed the Ainur the product of their music, , Melkor was one of those who begged to enter Arda, pretending to be willing to cultivate it and guide it for Ilúvatar’s glory. He actually wished to dominate Arda and its creatures, especially the Children of Ilúvatar.


[edit] Wars of the Valar

But Melkor took form more majestic than any of the Valar, great and terrible and burning with his malice, and he came to Arda to destroy the Valar’s work in preparing it. There was war, the First War with Melkor, in which mountains were felled and brutality inflicted on the Valar. Though he disrupted their work and destroyed much, a great spirit named Tulkas came to Arda from other regions of Eä to combat him. After Tulkas drove Melkor away, the Valar managed to complete Arda, and the world was established.

The Valar dwelt in a land called Almaren, and raised up two lamps to light the young earth: Illuin and Ormal. Melkor, meanwhile, had attracted the attention--and in a few cases, admiration--of the Maiar, the lesser spirits of Arda. Melkor had many spies among them, and from them learned all that the Valar did, and bided his time. As the Valar sat down to a feast at the completion of their labors, Melkor gathered together those loyal to him, and looking down on the beautiful Arda, was filled with hatred. Tulkas was wedded to Nessa at that feast, and she danced before the Valar. Tulkas fell asleep, and that is when Melkor struck.


But Melkor struck the first blow. He came to them in ire and war, destroying Almaren and the Two Lamps, and caused the world to be filled with flowing fire and surging water. The symmetry of Arda was broken. And in the darkness and confusion Melkor escaped, returning to Utumno. All combined, the Valar were a match for Melkor, but they needed their strength to keep the world from collapsing into ruin and could not pursue him, nor did they know exactly where he had fled to. The Spring of Arda had ended in turmoil.

[edit] Dominance of Middle-earth


Melkor brooded in the north and built his strength, gathering his demons about him, breeding great monsters, attended by his Maiar-servants later known as Balrogs. He also created another fortress and armory called Angband, in the north-west of Middle Earth, to resist any Valarin attacks. He placed his greatest servant, Sauron, in control of that stronghold. The Valar acted against Melkor in force, but they were routed, his might too great for them to overcome.

After his victory, Melkor began to delve more great fortresses and pits where he massed his hordes and wicked armies, confident in his domination of the world. Melkor, by wandering about in the dominion he now wrested, also learned of the awakening of the first of the Children of Ilúvatar, the Elves. He instilled fear in them, and slew or captured many of them. Some of those he captured, it is believed, may have been transformed into Orcs by torture and breeding.

[edit] Time in Valinor

Jacek Kopalski - The Captivity of Morgoth

The Valar were not long, however, in discovering the Elves. Fearing that they would be destroyed or corrupted by Melkor, Manwë decided that Ilúvatar wished them to recover Middle-earth at all costs. Bitter from their previous defeat, they arrived in Middle-earth with their full might. They laid siege to Utumno, and eventually destroyed it after a great battle during which the face of Middle-earth was transformed, though their losses were devastating in the process. Melkor was captured and chained with the chain Angainor, but Sauron escaped. Melkor was imprisoned in the halls of Mandos, and remained there for three ages, plotting revenge. Still recovering from the grievous siege, the Valar could not pursue and destroy all of Melkor's forces that scattered from the icy fortress, and many foul creatures and minions escaped, left to brood amongst themselves until their master's return.


[edit] Revenge against the Valar

John Howe - The Killing of the Trees



Then Melkor and Ungoliant attacked while there was festival in Valmar. Melkor pierced the Two Trees with his lance, and Ungoliant drank their sap. Then she drank dry the Wells of Varda, and the two fled north to Formenos, leaving the land once more in darkness and confusion. At Formenos Melkor slew Finwë and ravished the treasury of Fëanor, including the Silmarils. Then he passed over the icy Helcaraxë, entering once more into Middle-earth. He was soon back in Angband. He had struck swiftly and surely. But Fëanor cursed him, naming him Morgoth, and by that name he was known ever after to the Eldar.

[edit] Return to Beleriand

Ted Nasmith - Ungoliant Demands the Silmarils

Once in safety, Ungoliant turned on her partner, demanding the jewels of Fëanor. The spider had grown greatly in size and strength from feasting upon the Trees, and Morgoth, now very weak from his efforts, feared her suddenly. Lacking the strength to fight the monstrous spider in that moment, he reluctantly parted with each of the beautiful gems, and Ungoliant devoured them. But Morgoth refused to give up the Silmarils, and she encased him in webs, torturing him and nearly devouring him. A loud cry of desperation from Morgoth penetrated deep into the walls of Angband and was heeded by Gothmog and the balrogs, and they rescued him from her clutches, driving Ungoliant away with their whips. So Morgoth returned to Angband.

[edit] Wars of Beleriand


[edit] Dagor-nuin-Giliath


[edit] Dagor Aglareb


[edit] Dagor Bragollach and Fingolfin

John Howe - Fingolfin's Challenge

Morgoth appeared all but defeated to his foes; he remained dormant and hidden until F.A. 455. He surged forth suddenly in great wrath, his armies taking the slackened besiegers by surprise. In the winter he cast great rivers of flame over the formerly green Ard-galen (causing the battle to be known as the Dagor Bragollach), burning many Elven horsemen alive. His forces beset strongholds on all sides, led by Glaurung and Gothmog, and several Noldor-lords fell in the succeeding combat. Much of Beleriand was overrun and Dorthonion was taken, as were northern Sirion and Maglor's Gap.

In a single stroke Morgoth had broken the Siege of Angband, but the victory was not as complete as he would have preferred. Ered Wethrin, Himring and Hithlum had held against him, though just barely. King Fingolfin was dismayed and enraged by the defeat, and went to Angband in anger. With fire in his eyes, Morgoth's Orcs mistook him for a vengeful spirit and fled from him. There he challenged Morgoth to single combat. Despite Morgoth's power, he held a fear of death greater than any other Valar, and was hesitant even against Fingolfin. When Fingolfin declared Morgoth craven, he scoffed the Elf-Lord and did not dare refuse his challenge. He strode out, his footsteps like thunder on the earth. He was clad in black armor with a spiked crown and shield, with Grond, the Hammer of the Underworld, and he and Fingolfin fought in a ferocious duel. Flames gashed from the earth with each strike of his hammer, but Fingolfin was faster and avoided each powerful, but slow, swing. The Elf-lord gave Morgoth seven wounds, and though Morgoth shouted in anguish, he was too powerful to be slain. Fingolfin grew weary and was struck down by Morgoth's shield. Thrice he staggered to his feet in vain, his crown and shield broken, and thrice Morgoth cast him down, before Fingolfin collapsed over one of the pits left by Grond.

As Morgoth placed his foot on Fingolfin's neck to break it, Fingolfin in one last strike ran his blade through the Dark Lord's foot, and Morgoth’s blood filled pools made by his hammer. The enraged Morgoth crushed Fingolfin, though he was left with a permanent limp from the injury. Morgoth wished to rend the corpse and feed it to his wolves, but could not desecrate the fallen King, for Thorondor flew in, scratching Morgoth's face and escaping with Fingolfin's body.

[edit] The Quest for the Silmaril

For some time after that the world lay in watchful discomfort. The southern part of Beleriand was, for the most part, free from Morgoth’s direct wrath. There arose two in Doriath, Beren of Bëor’s House and Lúthien Tinúviel, Thingol’s daughter. These two lovers embarked on the Quest for the Silmaril, in the process removing Sauron from Tol-in-Gaurhoth and entering Angband in disguise. Morgoth plotted some evil against Lúthien when she stood exposed in his presence, but allowed her to dance for him and she lured him to sleep with her song. One of the Silmarils was stolen from his crown, and Morgoth bore only two until the War of Wrath.

[edit] Nirnaeth Arnoediad


[edit] The Curse of Morgoth

Ted Nasmith - Morgoth Punishes Húrin


[edit] The Fall of Gondolin


[edit] The War of Wrath

This was to be Morgoth’s doom, for some years later, Eärendil sailed to Valinor seeking the pardon of the Valar. This he earned, and the Valar advanced across Belegaer with a mighty host. Morgoth loosed all his demons and defenses against them, but could not stop their might. His dragons fell to the Eagles, and Ancalagon was brought down by Eärendil himself from his ship, Vingilot. Morgoth was seized in his fortress Angband, his feet "hewn from under him, and he was hurled upon his face", the Silmarils were removed from his crown, and he was bound once more with the chain called Angainor.[1] This time, however, he was ejected from Arda and cast into the Void. But though he had been vanquished, Arda was forever marred, and there was one still at large to carry on his evil legacy: his greatest servant, the fallen Maia Sauron.

[edit] The Future


[edit] Legacy


[edit] Characteristics

It was said of Morgoth that "his might was greatest of all things in this world." He was the most powerful being in existence, second only to Ilúvatar, and perhaps more powerful than every Vala put together. Fitting to his name, Morgoth eventually took a form great and terrible, and soon was unable to leave it. He received many scars and wounds over the ages: his hands were burned forever when he touched the Silmarils, Fingolfin wounded him seven times during their battle and inflicted a wound to the foot that caused him ever after to limp, and Thorondor scarred Morgoth's face.

When Morgoth first took visible form he was said to be of greater power and majesty than any other Vala, as a colossal mountain wading in the sea with its head above the clouds, his appearance both of splendour and terror. As a phyiscal being Morgoth was described as highly imposing, and was reckoned to a tower compared to the warrior Fingolfin, and the shadow of the shield he wielded was like a stormcloud. Ever since his downfall, Morgoth held a desire for power; above all else, however, Morgoth held deep hatred of the mere existence of intelligent or beautiful life. Unlike his servant Sauron, Morgoth's ultimate goal was solely the destruction, not control, of all that he despised. He was nonetheless persuasive, and could sway and corrupt many forms of life to become his willing servants.[2][3]

Morgoth wielded Grond in battle, a weapon he presumably forged himself in Angband (unless Sauron or Gothmog had held it safe after the Siege of Utumno), and was clad in black armor, with an iron crown. Despite his strength initially, he continually spread his residual influence, corruption, and might thin across Arda after his treachery and suffered several defeats, and his power slowly, though significantly, weakened. He alone of the Valar had a deep fear of death, and even against inferior foes he held a hesitance to ever risk his own life.[2]

[edit] Etymology

The Sindarin name Morgoth ("the Black Foe"[4] or "Dark Tyrant"[5]) was given him by Fëanor.


[edit] Genealogy


[edit] Names

[edit] Melkor

Melkor (Q, pron. [ˈmelkor]) means "mighty arising"[6] or "'Mighty-rising', sc. 'uprising of power'"[7]. The name is generally used to refer to this Vala prior to his theft of the Silmarils; for after the theft Fëanor named him Morgoth.


The older form of Melkor is said to be Melkórë.[7]

In earlier versions of the legendarium, the form of the name was Melko.[8] At one instance in a late glossary (c. 1959), Melko, meaning "simply 'the Mighty One'", is also said to be an alternative form of Melkor.[7]

[edit] Other names and titles

  • Dark King (of Angband) – given him by Men
  • Dark Lord
  • Sindarin Belegûr ("he who arises in might") or Belegurth ("Great Death"; containing the element gurth "death")[9][10]
  • King of the World - called thus himself after his return to the Middle-earth[11]
  • Black Hand[12] - called thus by Beleg
  • Black King[13]
  • Lord of the Dark
  • mbelekôroCommon Eldarin
  • Great Enemy
  • Master of Lies - given him by Amlach[15]
  • Elder King - used when speaking to Húrin[16]

[edit] Minions and allies

[edit] See also

