Wars of Beleriand

The Wars of Beleriand, described mainly in the book The Silmarillion, are a series of fictional war conflicts belonging to the legendarium created by the British writer J. R. R. Tolkien. They take place on the Middle-earth subcontinent known as Beleriand during the First Age of the Sun.

The two major sides in these long wars were, broadly speaking, the "Free Peoples" (represented by Elves and Men above all) on the one hand and Melkor-Morgoth on the other. On a smaller scale, internal clashes also took place on the side of the free peoples.

Sometimes also called Jewel Wars in reference to the Silmarils, although this term is not accurate as the first battle of the wars took place through no fault of their own.

Background to the Wars of Beleriand

In the First Age, a part of the Noldor Elves went into exile towards Middle-earth. They sought a double objective: to establish themselves in Beleriand, freeing themselves from the domination of the Valar, and to recover the Silmarils that Melkor had stolen. Upon their arrival, the Sindar Elves and Dwarves lived there. Later the Men would arrive, some of whom took sides with the free peoples, others being captured by Melkor for his cause.

Melkor was based in the north of the subcontinent, around his fortress of Angband. Free peoples settled in more southern areas, forming a mosaic of kingdoms of elves and men. The Dwarves kept to themselves although they occasionally intervened in the affairs of Beleriand.

Morgoth would always try to expand southwards and destroy Noldor and Sindar. The Elves, for their part, would have as their main instigators of war the seven sons of Fëanor, who had sworn to their father to pursue and attack anyone who possessed a Silmaril and did not agree to return it to them.

Great Battles

There are five great battles that occurred in the Wars of Beleriand:

First Battle of Beleriand

The first and second battles are part of Morgoth's first attempt to control Beleriand by force. The only strong kingdom at that time was that of Thingol (king of the Sindar Elves) and three armies of Orcs were sent south to surround it.

One of them was advancing along the banks of the Gelion River (in Eastern Beleriand). This contingent was faced by King Thingol and his ally, Denethor king of the Laiquendi (the Green Elves of Ossiriand). Thingol, with iron weapons and armor made by Dwarves, annihilated the left wing of the orcs and came to the aid of Denethor, who was experiencing difficulties due to the poor wooden weapons of his peaceful elves. Denethor was killed, but Thingol managed to win the battle and the orcs fled north. In their flight they crossed paths with an army of Dwarves that came down to block their path, and were almost completely exterminated.

Meanwhile, the second of the orc armies had besieged the Fala Elves, and their leader Círdan the Shipwright.

Second Battle (Dagor-nuin-Giliath)

While Thingol was victorious, on the coast the first Noldor set foot in Beleriand. Fëanor and his sons brought an army aboard ships stolen from the Teleri of Alqualondë. There he ordered the ships to be burned, and Morgoth's third army of orcs came to the great smoke. Thus began the Dagor-nuin-Giliath (the Battle Under the Stars, since at that time the Moon and the Sun had not yet risen). The Noldor won a quick victory, but Fëanor rushed in and pursued the vanquished too close to Angband. Morgoth led more of his troops and the Balrogs out of his fortress, and Fëanor was slain by his leader Gothmog.

However, the victory belonged to the Noldor, and in this way the second army of orcs, that of the Falas, was surrounded and was also defeated.

Third Battle (Dagor Aglareb)

Half a century later, the Noldor had already established themselves in various kingdoms; almost all of them in the northern half of Beleriand, closer to the Enemy than the Sindar dominions. The north-western area was controlled by Fingolfin, High King of the Noldor, and his sons; while the eastern area was under the influence of the sons of Fëanor; The central part remained under the dominion of the sons of Finarfin.

Then Morgoth sent a new army, larger than the previous three combined. He attacked the Sirion Pass, one of the key approaches to Beleriand from the north, and forced it. But the Noldor were alert, and when the orcs were advancing across the Dorthonion Plateau, Fingolfin and Maedhros attacked in a coordinated manner on the right and left flanks of the army and annihilated it. The Noldor revalidated their great capacity here.

The orc army was pursued to the very gates of their fortress Angband, which the Elves besieged. Thus began the Siege of Angband, which would last almost four hundred years, during which the Noldor rode at the very gates of Morgoth and there was peace and prosperity in Beleriand. For this reason, this battle became known as Dagor Aglareb (the Glorious Battle).

Fourth Battle (Dagor Bragollach)

Four hundred years later, Morgoth felt safe enough to make a sortie and break the siege of his stronghold. He had a secret weapon: Glaurung, father of Dragons. He went out at the head of orcs and balrogs, expelling the besiegers while Morgoth threw a wave of fire on elves and men, burning the entire plain of Ard-Galen, which was renamed "Anfauglith . 4; (Land of Choking Dust). After three major defeats, the Dagor Bragollach (Battle of the Sudden Flame) was Melkor's first major victory.

Glaurung and his retinue breached the East Noldor defenses, defeating the sons of Fëanor and Finarfin and penetrating East Beleriand. In the West the Elves were also defeated, but they managed to contain the enemy before they penetrated Hithlum, the kingdom of Fingolfin. For some years the war continued, which ended with another defeat of the free peoples: Sauron, main captain of the Dark Army, conquered Tol Sirion from the sons of Finarfin, the main access to Beleriand from the north.

The Dagor Bragollach tipped the balance in favor of Melkor, terrifying all of Beleriand and shifting the borders many kilometers in his favor. Fingolfin was killed in single combat against Morgoth, thus inheriting his son Fingon the title of High King of the Noldor.

Fifth Battle (Nírnaeth Arnoediad)

The most decisive of all, the Nírnaeth Arnoediad (Innumerable Tears) marked Melkor's almost definitive victory over the free peoples, or at least the sure beginning of his defeat.

It was Maedhros, son of Fëanor, and Fingon who promoted the greatest alliance until then made between Men, Elves and Dwarves. They hoped to march on Angband divided into two forces: from the West, Fingon the Brave, High King, commanding the Noldor of the houses of Fingolfin and some of Finarfin, some forces of Sindar Elves and Western Men, his vassals; From the East he would attack Maedhros with the Noldor of the house of Fëanor, the Mountain Dwarves and the Eastern Men.

The battle began in the west, with a fierce attack that drove the orcs back to their fortress, but Morgoth brought out the bulk of his hidden army and drove Fingon's army back. The fearsome Balrogs also came out of Angband, and Glaurung the dragon, and the scales were balanced. But then came Melkor's key point: the eastern men were bribed, and switching sides they made a surprise attack on Maedhros's rear. Thus Morgoth obtained complete victory.

Fingon died, as did many great leaders of all the warring peoples. Only two kingdoms did not participate in the alliance: Doriath, of King Thingol of the Sindar, and Nargothrond, southern stronghold of Orodreth of the house of Finarfin, although he did not prevent those who wanted of his people from participating in the battle. Both kingdoms stayed out of the battle out of contempt for the sons of Fëanor, organizers of the alliance.

The War of Anger

The fifth battle left Morgoth as the dominant power of Beleriand, although he had loose kingdoms left to conquer: Gondolin of the now Supreme King Turgon, Doriath of the King of Beleriand Thingol and Nargothrond of Orodreth. In the years that followed, these kingdoms would fall one by one under various circumstances of betrayal and deceit in which greed for the Silmarils often played a prominent role. Finally almost nothing was left outside Melkor's dominions, and his victory was practically absolute.

The War of Wrath then took place, in which, through the mediation of Eärendil, a half-elf, the Valar came to the aid of Middle-earth. A gigantic army consisting of Maiar and Elves Vanyar and Noldor faithful subjects of Finarfin arrived from across the sea, led by the Herald of Manwë, Eönwë. In a relatively swift but very savage campaign, they devastated Morgoth's forces, reached his stronghold, and destroyed it to the ground. Morgoth was captured: his feet were cut off and he was chained with the metal of his own crown, after tearing off the two remaining silmarilli. Finally, Melkor was lifted into the sky and cast into the void through the Gates of Night. Eärendil the Mariner patrols the sky in his ship Vingilot, standing guard to prevent Morgoth's return.

Almost the entire subcontinent of Beleriand was destroyed by the violence of this war, sinking beneath the waters and further widening the distance between Aman and Middle-earth.