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With the rising of the sun and awakening of men in the lands of Hildorien, the First Age dawned upon the lands of Middle-earth.
A detailed history of the First Age in Middle-earth, covering the rise of Men, Elven kingdoms, Morgoth's wars, and key events shaping the era.
Key Takeaways
- The First Age is marked by the struggle between Morgoth’s dark forces and the united Elves and Men.
- Leadership disputes and oaths among the Noldor shape much of the political landscape.
- Morgoth’s creation of dragons and other creatures escalates the conflict.
- The Edain’s alliance with the Elves is crucial for resisting Morgoth’s power.
- Tragic personal stories, such as that of Eol and Maeglin, intertwine with the larger historical events.
Summary
- The First Age begins with the awakening of Men in Hildorien and the spread of human settlements in Middle-earth.
- The Dark Lord Morgoth, ruling from the West, seeks to dominate the continent and corrupts many, while some humans reject him and migrate west.
- The Noldor Elves, led by Fingolfin after Feanor’s death, unite under a single High King despite internal tensions and the Oath of Feanor.
- Morgoth’s forces are initially defeated and besieged by the Elves, leading to a period of relative peace and the establishment of key Elven realms like Gondolin and Nargothrond.
- Morgoth breeds dragons and other creatures to renew his war efforts, with Glaurung being the first dragon to attack the Elves.
- The Edain, three human tribes descended from those who rejected Morgoth, migrate west and ally with the Elves, settling in various regions.
- The Dark Elf Eol, skilled in smithing and hostile to the Noldor, lives in Nan Elmoth and fathers Maeglin with Aredhel, leading to tragic consequences.
- Morgoth’s armies continue to wage war, including major battles like Dagor Aglareb and later conflicts involving betrayal and loss among the Elves and Men.
- Key figures such as Fingon, Turgon, Finrod, and others play pivotal roles in the defense and governance of Elven realms.
- The video covers the eventual downfall of Morgoth in the War of Wrath and the lasting impact on Middle-earth’s peoples and geography.
Chapters
- 00:00Dawn of the First Age and Rise of Men
- 01:52Noldor Leadership and Kingdoms Established
- 04:07Morgoth Breeds Dragons and Renewed War
- 06:06Eol the Dark Elf and the Forging of Anglachel
- 07:53Battle of Dorthonion and Sons of Feanor Defeated
- 09:52Beren and the Silmaril Quest
- 12:00House of Hador and the Rise of Heroes
- 14:15Nargothrond, Gondolin, and Growing Threats
- 23:01War of Wrath and Morgoth’s Defeat
- 37:05Legacy of the First Age and Aftermath
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
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Yet as human settlements began to spread throughout the east, they eventually came to the attention of the Dark Lord Morgoth, who held fortresses in the West and desired mastery over the entire continent.
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As his influence spread, many came to worship the Dark Lord, while others who came to be known as the Atanatari rejected the corruption of their people and journeyed west in search of a new homeland.
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Meanwhile, the Noldor Elves who travelled from Valinor to Beleriand, seeking to wage war upon Morgoth, were in need of a new High King to lead them after the death of Feanor in battle against Balrogs.
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Two possible candidates then emerged: Maedhros, the deceased King’s firstborn son, and Fingolfin, Feanor’s younger brother, who held the loyalty of his own faction of Noldor Elves.
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However, Maedhros was soon captured by the Dark Lord when he attended peace talks which were revealed to be a trap.
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Though Morgoth intended to use him as a hostage to negotiate their surrender, the Elves refused to even reply to his demands, and so he imprisoned and tortured Maedhros, hanging him from the top of the mountain Thangorodrim by his wrist.
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Though he suffered for years, eventually Fingon, son of Fingolfin, set out and successfully rescued his cousin, creating a deep bond of respect and loyalty between them.
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Maedhros then voluntarily withdrew his claim for the throne, submitting to Fingolfin as High King of their people, uniting the Noldor of Middle-earth under a single ruler.
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However, the other sons of Feanor did not agree with their elder brother’s decision, as it meant the throne would pass them all by in favour of Fingolfin’s line.
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In addition, they were each bound by the Oath of Feanor, having vowed to retrieve the Silmaril jewels at any cost, and so in the years of peace that followed some tensions remained between their factions.
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Fingolfin established his kingdom in Hithlum, while his second son Turgon ruled as Lord of Nevrast along the western coast.
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The leadership of Dorthonion was then granted to Angrod and Aegnor, the brothers of Finrod and nephews of Fingolfin.
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In order to avoid trouble between Noldor factions, the sons of Feanor moved east, with Maedhros ruling over Himring, Maglor the Singer settling in Maglor’s Gap, Celegorm and Curufin leading their people to Himlad, Caranthir becoming Lord of Thargelion, and the hunters Amrod
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and Amrast establishing themselves in Estolad. After Morgoth’s defeat in the battle under the stars, he suffered yet another setback with the creation of the Sun and Moon, as their light weakened his armies who were bred to fight beneath a darkened sky.
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Retreating into Angband, Morgoth created a thick layer of smog over his lands to protect his warriors and give them time to acclimate to these new conditions.
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However, by the year 60 of the First Age, Morgoth’s Orc armies were once again ready for battle and so were sent forth in the Dagor Aglareb, engaging the sons of Feanor in the east, while battling the armies of the Noldor King Fingolfin and his Sindar ally Cirdan
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in the West. Although the Sindar Elves of Doriath and Ossiriand refused to involve themselves, their Elven kin succeeded in defeating the Dark Lord, with Angrod and Aegnor holding back Morgoth’s armies in Dorthonion long enough for Maedhros to counter-attack from the east, while Fingolfin
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did the same in the west. Pushing the invading forces back, the Elves quickly surrounded the area, and since they were not able to breach the walls of Angband, they instead laid siege, establishing a long period of relative peace for the region.
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In the years that followed, the Noldor thrived, with Finrod leading some of their people to the newly built city of Nargothrond, while his cousin Turgon, having been granted a dream of the Valley of Tumladen by the Vala Ulmo, led his followers from Nevrast to establish
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the Kingdom of Gondolin. Yet while the Elves prospered, continuing to spread across Beleriand, the Dark Lord Morgoth worked in the shadows, rebuilding his forces in Angband, as well as capturing wayward Elves and corrupting them to act as his spies amongst the Noldor.
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Nearly a century after his defeat at Dagor Aglareb, Morgoth sent an army of orcs to invade Hithlum from the Firth of Drengist in the west, but they were swiftly defeated by the Elves under Fingon.
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Realizing his Orc-based armies were not enough to defeat his hated enemies, Morgoth then worked to breed the race of Dragons, hoping to use them as a weapon of mass devastation.
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In the year 260 of the First Age, the first of these creations, Glaurung the Father of Dragons, left Angband without permission and attacked the Elves of Ard-galen, yet because he was not fully matured, Fingon’s archers were able to penetrate his skin, quickly driving
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him back. Though he was upset by the revelation of his secret project, Morgoth continued to breed orcs, trolls, and dragons, awaiting the day that he might renew his war of conquest.
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During the years of peace in Beleriand, the Edain began to migrate into the west, made up of three human tribes descended from the Atanatari who rejected Morgoth’s teachings in the east.
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The first to pass over the Blue Mountain was the House of Beor, who then made contact with the Noldor Elf Finrod, who helped them settle in Estolad.
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Continuing to develop a friendship with the Elves, the House of Beor soon moved further north to establish themselves in Ladros, which was a part of Dorthonion, ruled over by the brothers of their ally Finrod.
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The second tribe of the Edain were known as the Haladin, or the House of Haleth, who came to know the Sindar Elves of Doriath and were granted permission to settle the Forest of Brethil, where they largely kept to themselves.
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The third tribe, originally known as the House of Marach and later as the House of Hador, were a tall and fair-haired warrior people, who settled in Estolad and Ered Wethrin, before moving to Dor-lomin and pledging their loyalty to Fingolfin.
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Yet not all were interested in befriending the Noldor, with even some of their fellow Elves resenting their presence in Middle-earth, remembering what it was like before the wars with Morgoth and the rising of the sun.
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One of these Elves was the great Sindar blacksmith Eol, who came to be known as the Dark Elf, moving from Doriath deep into the forests of Nan Elmoth, where trees grew so large sunlight did not touch the ground.
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In Nan Elmoth he built his home and lived in relative solitude, using his great skill to craft Anglachel and Anguirel, two black-bladed swords forged from the metal of a fallen meteorite.
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In order to claim the lordship of this homeland he loved, Eol gifted Anglachel to King Thingol, who accepted it as payment.
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Though he continued to hate their people, the Dark Elf married Aredhel, the White Lady of the Noldor and daughter of Fingolfin, having found her wandering through the area and casting an enchantment to ensure she could not find her way out of the forest.
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Aredhel bore her husband a son he named Maeglin, who grew to be a gifted smith like his father, often accompanying him on his travels to the Dwarven Kingdoms where they were considered honoured guests.
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However, Maeglin and his mother did not share the love of darkness, and so eventually left Nan Elmoth without permission, travelling to the hidden city Gondolin where Aredhel’s elder brother Turgon ruled as king.
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Chasing after his wife and son, Eol was brought before Turgon, who explained that the location of their city must remain a secret, and so he was not permitted to leave.
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However, he then invited Eol to live with his wife and son in Gondolin as honored subjects of the realm.
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Eol refused to bow before the Elves who stole his people’s lands, and proudly chose death for himself and his son, revealing a javelin he had concealed, throwing it at Maeglin who stood nearby.
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Yet Aredhel threw herse...
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In punishment, the King ordered Eol thrown off the high cliff of Caragdûr, but defiant to the end, the Dark Elf used his final words to curse his traitorous son, condemning him to suffer the same fate as his father.
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After nearly 400 years spent rebuilding his armies, the Dark Lord felt ready to attack, and so began the Dagor Bragollach, causing the Mountain of Thangorodrim to erupt in great river of fire that destroyed the elven army besieging Angband.
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With the way forward cleared, Morgoth’s Lieutenant Glaurung, the now fully matured father of dragons, led an army of Orcs, Trolls and Balrogs to attack the lands of the Noldor.
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Although the Edain rallied to reinforce their elven allies, their armies were overwhelmed by the ferocity and scale of the attack, with Morgoth’s forces quickly killing Angrod and Aegnor to conquer Dorthonion, before scattering the armies of the Sons of Feanor, at Lothlann
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and Maglor`s Gap driving Maglor into retreat. Fortunately, Maglor was able to lead the last of his men to Himring, where he helped his brother Maedhros successfully defend his realm.
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The dark lord’s forces also attacked Thargelion leaving Caranthir to flee to Amon Ereb, and breached the Pass of Aglon, prompting Celegorm and Curufin to retreat to Nargothrond, though Maedhros eventually led his warriors to retake the pass.
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Enraged by the slaughter of his people and allies in the North, King Fingolfin personally rode to Angband and challenged Morgoth to single combat.
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Though the Noldor King died in the fighting, he was able to wound Morgoth several times, even stabbing him in the foot with his final breath, wounding the Dark Lord so badly walked with a limp for the rest of his life.
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With Fingolfin dead, rule fell to his first born son Fingon crowned the new high king of the Noldor from his seat in Hithlum.
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In the years that followed, Morgoth’s attacks continued, with his lieutenant Sauron, leading an army to capture the island of Minas Tirith in the pass of Sirion, trapping it’s ruler Orodreth and his uncle Finrod.
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However the Elves were able to escape slaughter thanks to the intervention of the human Barahir, Lord of the House of Beor, who engaged the enemy in the Fen of Serech, giving their allies time to retreat further south to Nargothrond.
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In gratitude for their help, Finrod gifted their leader the ring of Barahir, promising to aid the House of Beor should they ever be in need.
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With Morgoth pressing his attack upon the North of Beleriand, Barahir Chieftain of the House of Beor, refused to leave their homeland of Ladros, sending his wife to lead the women and children away, while the warriors remained to defend their realm.
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Though soundly defeated, Barahir survived alongside 12 companions who went on to live as outlaws in the wilderness, attacking Morgoth’s forces whenever possible.
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Unfortunately, they were soon betrayed by one of their own men, Gorlim the unhappy, resulting in the death of all the companions save for Barahir’s son Beren, who was off on an errand at the time of the massacre.
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With his father and friends gone, Beren made his way south into Doriath where he encountered Luthien Tenuviel, daughter of King Thingol and Queen Melian the Maia, believed to have been the most beautiful Elven maiden to ever exist.
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Beren and Luthien fell madly in love, and so the son of Barahir was eventually summoned before the royal court of Doriath, where he introduced himself as Chieftain of the House of Beor, presenting the ring of Felagund to demonstrate the friendship his father had
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earned from a daughter would marry a mortal human and therefore devised an impossible task that he demanded as bride.
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Before the entire court the King decreed that Beren must retrieve a Silmaril jewel from the iron crown of Morgoth, and return it to Doriath in order to be deemed worthy of marriage to Luthien.
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But Beren was not phased by the demand, replying coolly “For little price do Elven-kings sell their daughters: for gems, and things made by craft.
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But if this be your will, Thingol, I will perform it.” Afterwards, Queen Melian warned her husband, that becoming involved with the Silmarils would doom them, as the sons of Feanor had long ago vowed to retrieve all 3 at any cost,
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and would never allow Thingol to have one in his possession. Nevertheless, the challenge was issued, and so Beren travelled west to Nargothrond, where he met with King Finrod Felagund, who recognized him as an ally and did not need the ring for
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verification. Finrod, bound by the oath given to Barahir, put his crown aside and agreed to help Beren in his mission.
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However as they travelled towards Angband, Sauron became alerted to their presence and engaged in a wondersous battle with Finrod, where they each used magic to sing songs of power, clashing in a piercing and treacherous sway of lethal force.***
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Unfortunately, Finrod was ultimately defeated, leading to their imprisonment in a dark dungeon where the only thing they sometimes saw were the yellow eyes of a werewolf coming to devour one of the prisoners.
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Sauron believed this would encourage them to reveal their purpose for travelling into these lands, but none of the companions betrayed their king.
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When only Finrod and Beren were left, the werewolf again came, but this time then Elven King summoned the last of his strength and burst forth, breaking his chains to slaying the beast with his bare hands.
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Yet he suffered fatal wounds in the struggle, and so said a final goodbye to his friend and ally before passing away.
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Far from the shadow lands of Morgoth, Luthien felt the terrible pain of her beloved Beren, and left Doriath to seek him out, though she did not have to journey alone, as she encountered Huan the wolfhound of Valinor, who became her companion.
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Travelling together to Tol-in-Gaurhoth, Huan defeated Draugluin, Lord of werewolves before facing off against Sauron who took the form of a werewolf and snake before realizing he was defeated and became a bat to fly away.
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Luthien then found beren in a dark prison, and the two were at last reunited, burying Finrod before departing.
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Continuing together, on the quest for the Silmaril, they overcame many hardships such as a hostile encounter with Celegorm and Curufin, two of the sons of feanor, but eventually reached the fortress of Angband and snuck into Morgoth’s lair.
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Entranced by Luthien’s magic, the Dark Lord was put to sleep, allowing Beren to successfully cut a simaril from his iron crown.
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Elated by his success, he then attempted to take a second simaril, but the blade broke causing a shard of steel to cut Morgoth’s cheek and stir him awake.
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As they ran for their lives, they were confronted by the werewolf Carcharoth, and so Beren pulled out the simaril, hoping it’s brilliant light would scare it away, but instead the creature bit off his hand, swallowing the jewel and going mad as it burned his insides.
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Carcharoth went on a rampage through the forest while Beren and Luthien were then saved by the Eagles, who were learned of their situation from Huan the Hound.
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Although Beren initially failed to recover the Simaril, Thingol saw his value, and deemed him worthy of marrying his daughter.
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Now accepted into the family, the King organized a great hunt to slay the beast Carcharoth, only for the beast to target them in return, attacking Thingol.
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However Beren saw the beast approaching and threw himself between them, suffering a fatal wound before Huan the Hound charged forth and killed the werewolf.
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Yet the Hound also suffered severe injuries, using the last of his strength to walk over to Beren and lay by his side before dying.
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One of Thingol’s men then cut open the werewolf and removed the simaril to place it in Beren’s hand as he died, so he might fulfil his vow and present the jewel to the King.
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Arriving in the Halls of Mandos, Beren refused to depart for the human afterlife without saying a final goodbye to woman he loved, and similarly, without him in her life, Luthien gave into despair and soon followed him into the grave.
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She too then arrived in the Halls of Mandos, where she sang a beautiful song of such sorrow she caught the attention of the Valar, who consulted with Eru the creator and decided to present her with a choice.
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Either Luthien could continue on like other elves, with her fate tied to this world, or else she could be reborn alongside Beren in middle earth, destined to live a mortal life, and share in the fate of men.
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Rejecting the gift of immortality, she spent the rest of her life with Beren in Tol Galen of Ossiriand, where they had a son they named Dior, who was named heir to his grandfather King Thingol.
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For thousands of years the tale of Beren and Luthien inspired and enthralled the peoples of middle earth, as a shining example of a love so strong none could stand between them.
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Further it was the first known marriage between a human and elf, creating a bloodline that would endure until the end of the world.
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In the lands of Dor Lomin, where the House of Hador lived in peace next to the Noldor Elves under High King Fingon, the brothers Hurin and Huor were born to the tribe chieftain Galdor the Tall.
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In their youth they were sent to be fostered with their mother’s people in the forest of Brethil, where they joined a warparty to battle the Orcs encroaching on their lands.
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Yet they were soon cut off from their allies and pushed back to the river Sirion, only able to survive because of the intervention of the Vala Ulmo who sent a mist to cover their escape.
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The eagles then arrived and carried them to Gondolin, where King Turgon welcomed them and after swearing oaths to keep the cities location secret, were returned to Dor-Lomin.
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Sometime later, their homeland fell under attack by the armies of Morgoth, leading to the death of Lord Galdor to leave Hurin as the new Lord of the territory Marrying Morwen, Hurin fathered a son Turin and daughter Urwin, though the girl died of
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a plague caused by the Evil Breath, a foul wind sent by Morgoth, which was only the beginning of the misery the Dark One would inflict up this family.
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Huor however was spared from many of his brother’s hardship, fathering Tuor a great warrior who went on to marry an elf maiden and father a line of Half Elven heroes which included such names of legend as Earendil the Mariner, Elrond of Rivendell, and Elros of Numenor.
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Yet while Huor’s line would thrive for thousands of years to come, the Children of Hurin were fated for tragedy.
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With Morgoth now in control of the North, Maedhros, eldest son of Feanor set out to unify the remaining realms of elves, humans and dwarves to defeat this threat and reclaim their lands.
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And so began the Nirnaeth Arnoediad in the year 472 of the First Age, seeing the Union of Maedhros divided into two hosts, with the sons of feanor in the east alongside the Green Elves of Ossiriand, the human tribes of Bor and Ulfang called easterlings, and the Dwarves
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of Nogrond and Belegost. While High King Fingon led their western army, comprised of Noldor Elves of Hithlum, the Sindar Elves of the Falas, the men of House Hador from Dor-lomin, and the men of House Haladin from the Forest of Brethil.
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After Finrod’s death, his sibling Orodreth became King of Nargothrond, yet he refused to join the Union due to his hatred for two of the sons of Feanor, Celegorm and Curufin, who had conspired against his elder brother.
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Nevertheless a small company of elven warriors disagreed with the decision and followed Prince Gwindor to join the western army.
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Doriath also refused to take part in the offensive being planned, as Thingol was in possession of a silmaril jewel making him an enemy of the sons of Feanor, and so only the adventurers Mablung and Beleg departed the realm to join up with Fingon’s forces.
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The plan for battle called for those following Maedhros in the east to march directly into Anfauglith, expecting the Dark Lord to release his armies, so that the western host might crush them from the other side.
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However Morgoth’s spies informed him of their intentions, allowing him to prepare his forces and concoct a plan of his own.
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First he sent a great army of Orcs, Trolls, dragons, balrogs and other dark creatures to waylay the eastern army, and prevent them from arriving on time, while a smaller army of orcs was sent directly into Anfauglith to challenge Fingon into abandoning his defensive
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position and charging forward. However the high King did not take the bait, and was soon reinforced by the late arrival of 10,000 warriors under Turgon of Gondolin.
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Although the original plan was in shambles, Fingon felt they could still achieve victory and so continued to keep their full strength hidden.
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And so the Orcs brought out an old prisoner they’d held since the Dagor Bragollach named Gelmir, who happened to be the brother of Gwindor who led the men from Nargothrond.
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Gelmir was then slowly dismembered for all to see, causing his brother to go mad with rage, breaking ranks and charging forward alongside his men.
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Fingon, seeing their lines starting to break, authorized a full attack, with Gwindor at the forefront, leading a slaughter so devastating, the orc army was pushed back all the way into Angband.
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But this was precisely what the Dark Lord wanted, and so finally unleashed his massive Orc army upon them.
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Meanwhile, the Union forces in the east were defeated after the human tribe of Ulfang betrayed them partway through the battle, making a separate deal with the Dark Lord to be given control of Hithlum.
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Though utterly vanquished, some were able to escape slaughter due to the courage of their Dwarven allies who proved better able to withstand dragonfire, holding the line while Elves and humans retreated.
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After their victory in the east, Morgoth’s army joined the fighting at Angband, where Fingon’s forces were already in retreat.
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Overwhelmed by the onslaught of enemies, many perished in the fighting, including High King Fingon, who fell to Gothmog, Lord of Balrogs.
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Upon seeing the death of the king, Hurin, Huor and the men of Dor-lomin charged forward and sacrificed themselves to allow Turgon and the elves of Gondolin to escape, resulting in the death of Huor and capture of Hurin.
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Following the defeat of the Noldor Elves in the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, Morgoth’s forces swept through Beleriand, capturing much of the area including Hithlum which was given to the Easterlings who betrayed the Union of Maedhros.
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However the Dark Lord had no intention of rewarding them, instead turning these lands into a prison by cutting them off from the rest of the continent.
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After the siege and fall the cities of Brithombar and Eglarest in the Falas, Cirdan led the survivors to the Isle of Balar, hoping to establish a refuge for their people, while in the east the Sons of Feanor lost their lands as well, retreating to Amon Ereb.
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Of the great Elven Kingdoms that once existed, Doriath was one of the few to remain, protected by the Girdle of Melian created by their Queen.
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Nargothrond, also remained unconquered, ruled by King Orodreth, who, along with King Thingol, did not participate in the battle against Angband, instead fighting a secret war from shadow in order to avoid attracting Morgoth’s attention.
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As a result Morgoth did not consider these realms as immediate threats to his power, instead focusing on Gondolin ruled by Turgon, who after the death of his brother Fingon, became High King of the Noldor Elves.
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Yet the location of their city remained unknown to the Dark Lord, and so he tortured and interogatted his captive Hurin who had travelled to Gondolin in his youth.
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Despite the horrors inflicted upon him, Hurin refused to betray King Turgon, and so Morgoth placed a powerful curse on the man and his family and seated him immovably upon the mountain Thangorodrim, so he might watch helplessly from afar, as his loved ones suffered their
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tragic fates. With the Easterlings given dominion over Hithlum, including the lands of Dor-lomin, they plundered and enslaved the last remnant of the House of Hador.
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In order to protect Hurin’s son Turinn he was sent to Doriath, were he was raised by King Thingol, while his mother Morwin remained in Dor-Lomin giving birth her 3rd child Nienor.
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Fortunately, Hurin’s wife and young daughter were largely left in peace, due to a rumour that stated Morwin was a powerful witch, allied with the Elves.
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In Doriath, the boy Turin grew to be a strong, courageous and highly skilled fighter, and at the age of 17 asked King Thingol for a place among his warriors.
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** Throughout his years among the elves, Turin befriended Mablung the Heavy Hand and Beleg Strongbow, but also made an enemy of Saeros, councillor to the king.
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Eventually Saeros tried to ambush his enemy in the forest, but died in the resulting conflict.
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Believing he would be held responsible, Turin left Doriath behind, taking over the leadership of a band of outlaws where he was soon joined by his friend Beleg who brought him the sword Anglachel, as a gift from King Thingol.
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Unfortunately, leaving Doriath was but the first step down a terrible path for the son of Hurin, who went on to bring pain and suffering to nearly all of those he grew to love.
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First his band of outlaws were massacred in Amon Rudh, after making an enemy of Mim the petty dwarf, who revealed their location to the Orcs.
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Next Turin killed his friend Beleg Strongbow, when he awoke confused and disoriented after being rescued from captivity.
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Realizing what he had done, the son of Hurin nearly went mad with grief, but his new friend Gwindor, a former captive of Morgoth, took him to Nargothrond, where he reforged Anglachel into a black bladed sword he named Gurthang.
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In time Turin became an important advisor to Orodreth, but again the curse struck, as he convinced the king to build a great bridge across the river Narog, and fight openly against the Dark Lord Morgoth at the battle of Tumhalad.
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Unfortunately they were devastated by the fires of Glaurung father of Dragons, resulting in victory for the forces of Morgoth, who killed King Orodreth, sacked the city, slaughtered their warriors and enslaved the population.
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During the battle Glaurung used his magic to place Turin into a hypnotic daze, and twisted his mind, convincing him that his mother Morwen and younger sister Nienor needed him in Dor- Lomin.
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And so when he awoke from his stupor, he did not try and rescue the Elves, instead needlessly departing for his people’s homeland, where he learned his mother and sister were not even present, having travelled to Doriath long ago searching for Turin.
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Realizing the trick that had been played on him, the son of Hurin grew so enraged he killed the Easterling Lord Brodda before turning back to track down Glaurung and his prisoners.
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Unfortunately, Turin’s reckless behaviour in Dor-Lomin proved devastating for the remnants of the House of Hador, who suffered further abuse and oppression at the hands of their Easterlings Masters.
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Although he failed to protect his people, Turin hoped he could rescue Finduilas, the betrothed of his friend Gwindor who died in the battle of Tumhalad.
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But he arrived too late and collapsed in grief upon her burial mound. Racked by pain and guilt, Turin returned to the forests of Brethil where he came across a beautiful woman, crying with sadness and no memory of her past.
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She took the name Niniel, and soon they were married, allowing Turin to know happiness once again.
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But soon enough it was all taken away, as he faced Glaurung in battle, mortally wounding the creature before collapsing unconscious from a magical spell.
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While he slept and Glaurung lay dying, the dragon used his final moments to lift the veil of amnesia set upon Niniel to reveal that her name was actually Nienor sister of Turin Turambar.
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Realizing that she married her own brother, and was pregnant with his child, Nienor took her own life by leaping into a ravine.
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When Turin awoke, he was told what occurred by Brandir the Lame, Lord of the Haladin, but grew so enraged he refused to believe it, killing the man before many witnesses.
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Yet soon his friend Mablung of Doriath arrived, confirming the truth of the tale, and Turin became so distraught he could no longer abide the misery of his life, and fell upon his sword.
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With his children all dead, the Dark Lord Morgoth feigned mercy and freed Hurin from captivity, knowing that the man was now broken and might inflict his misery and doom upon others.
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Finally free, Hurin returned home to Dor-Lomin only to find it occupied by Easterlings, with the last of his people enslaved.
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He then set out to take refuge in Gondolin with his friend King Turgon, but when he arrived he received no response, as the king feared this might be a trap by the Dark Lord.
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Feeling betrayed by the king for whom he’d sacrificed so much, Hurin yelled out in anger and by doing so revealed to Morgoth the general location of Gondolin, which would ultimately contribute to the cities downfall.
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Turned away, Hurin continued on to the Forest of Brethil, where he was at last was reunited with his wife Morwen, encountering her at the graves of their children.
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Yet he found her in rags, so wary from heart-ache and despair that she soon spoke her final words and died, buried alongside her children.
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* Hurin, now poisoned with bitterness and hatred in his heart, killed the petty dwarf Mim, and travelled to Doriath where he confronted King Thingol for failing to protect his son.
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But sensing the corruption within him, Melian the Maia the used her magic to clear his mind, leaving Hurin to realize all the harm he’d done and how his actions only served to help the Dark Lord.
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No longer able to cope with the curse that destroyed his family, Hurin Thalion, hero of the House of Hador and rightful Lord of Dor-lomin, ended his own life, throwing himself into the sea.
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Yet Hurin’s influence lived on, as before his death he had recovered a precious necklace called Nauglamir, and gave it to King Thingol before departing Doriath.
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The King then took the necklace along with the silmaril given to him by Beren, and hired the Dwarves of Nogrod to combine them into one magnificent piece of jewellery.
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However the beauty and allure of this creation was too powerful, and when the work was complete, the dwarves demanded the necklace itself as payment.
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When Thingol refused to pay their price violence erupted, resulting in the death of the King.
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Heartbroken by the loss of her husband, Queen Melian left middle-earth and returned to her homeland of Valinor, leaving her kingdom vulnerable to attack, no longer protected by the magical barrier she had maintained.
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As for the Elves of Doriath, they were so enraged by the death of their King, they tracked down the escaping dwarves and slaughtered all but two who managed to return to Nogrod.
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Once arrived in their homeland, the survivors lied about what had occurred, claiming Thingol had refused to pay them for their work and had attacked them.
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Enraged by this apparent betrayal, the Dwarves gathered an army and marched on Menegroth, sacking the city in a terrible battle with heavy losses on both sides, including the death of Mablung who guarded the silmaril necklace, which was then taken by the invaders.
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Yet the victory of the dwarves was short lived, as Tol Galen soon heard about the death of Thingol and attack on Doriath, prompting Beren to leave their sanctuary with an army of Green Elves to slaughter the Dwarves returning to their mountain and recover the precious necklace,
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which was then worn by Luthien until her death, when it was passed to her son Dior, the new King of Doriath.
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With the Silmaril stolen from Morgoth in possession of Dior Eluchîl ruler of the restored kingdom of Doriath, the Sons of Feanor gathered demanded the surrender of the jewel, still bound by the Oath of Feanor spoken centuries earlier.
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Hearing no reply from the King, Celegorm rallied his brothers and together they marched an Army into Doriath, slaughtering their fellow Elves in the Second Kinslaying Among those who perished, were King Dior and his wife Nimloth, while their Twin Sons Elurin
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and Elured were captured and left in the woods to die. Though the sons of Feanor were victorious, they suffered heavy losses, with the death Curufin and Caranthir as well as Celegorm who was slain by the King.
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They also failed to complete their objective, as Elwing, daughter of Dior and Nimloth, managed to escape with the SIlmaril, leading a party of survivors to seek refuge in the Mouths of Sirion.
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With Doriath fallen, Gondolin became the last great Elven Kingdom in Beleriand, though the Dark Lord Morgoth was already scheming to bring about their downfall.
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Within the walls of the secret city, two influential factions were at odds, as Meaglin of the House of the Mole grew increasingly jealous and angry towards Tuor of the House of the Wing, over his marriage to the beautiful Idril, daughter of the king.
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Meaglin was the son the King Turgon’s sister, who found her way to the forest of nan elmoth, where she married Eol the Dark Elf, and raised their child.
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Tuor meanwhile was a mortal man but descended from the Chieftains of the House of Hador, and was the son of the mighty hero Huor and Grandson of Galdor the Tall.
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Despite being born in other lands, both came to live in Gondolin, and were made Lords by the King, forming 2 of the 12 Great Houses of the Kingdom.
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Yet Maeglin fell madly in love with his cousin Idril and was outraged to learn she would marry Tuor, growing increasingly jealous of the human.
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With discontent clouding his judgement, Maeglin unwisely decided to break the law and left the city to scavenge for metals only to be captured by orcs and brought before Morgoth.
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Under threat of torture, Maeglin revealed the location of the secret city and offered details about their defenses, pleasing the Dark Lord who then promised him the Kingship of Gondolin with Idril as his bride, in exchange for betraying Turgon, and killing Tuor.
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Agreeing to his term, Maeglin soon returned to Gondolin, where he feigned a new positive attitude in order to avoid suspicion, laughing and joking with his fellow elves.
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Having learned much from his Elven servant, Morgoth knew that the armies of Gondolin were prepared for invasion, and so cleverly withdrew his spies and scouts from the area, tricking king Turgon into believing the Dark Lord had cancelled his plans to attack.
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And so it would be on a night of celebration, with defenses reduced, that Morgoth gathered his mighty host, and marched upon the city.
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Though the Elves were ultimately defeated, they fought to the bitter end, performing deeds of great valor like when Ecthelion of the House of the Fountain fought Gothmog the Lord of Balrogs, driving the beast into a fountain, where they both drowned.
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There were also the action of the human, Tuor who led the House of the Wing against Maeglin and the House of Mole, killing the traitor and tossing his body over the walls of the city.
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Tuor then rescued his wife Idril and son Earendil, before leading a retreat out of Gondolin, under orders from the king who remained behind with his soldiers to hold off the enemy.
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As Tuor and Glorfindel of the House of the Golden Flower, led their people through a secret escape, they were confronted by a Balrog.
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Glorfindel then sacrificed himself, using the weight of his body to drag the creature over a cliff, allowing Tuor to lead the remnants of their people west, taking refuge in the Mouths of Sirion, alongside the survivors from Doriath.
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As the years went on and Tuor grew older, he longed to explore the western sea, eventually sailing away from Middle Earth alongside his wife Idril, with their ultimate fate unknown.
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Back in the Mouths of Sirion, Tuor’s son Earendil remained behind, ruling over those who settled in Arvernien, alongside his wife Elwing daughter of King Dior, who still possessed the Silmaril of Doriath.
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Together they had 2 sons naming them Elrond and Elros. Unfortunately, it was not only the forces of Morgoth who sought to do them harm, as the remaining sons of Feanor continued to search for the jewel of their father, still
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bound to the Oath they swore. Marching their army to the Mouths of Sirion, they launched the Third Kinslaying, once again slaughtering their fellow elves.
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Though the Sons of Feanor won the battle, and even apprehended the princes Elrond and Elros, Amrod and Amras were killed in the fighting and they once again failed to capture the Silmaril.
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With their settlement destroyed, Elwing threw herself into the sea, where she was saved by the Vala Ulmo who transformed her into a great white bird.
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Flying through the air, she then found her husband Earendil escaped aboard the ship Vingilot and together they sailed west, using the Silmaril to light there way, hoping to find the Valar and beg for their assistance.
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When they arrived in Aman, Manwe was moved by their plea and assembled a great army of Valar, Maiar, Vanyar Elves and those Noldor who remained behind when Feanor and Fingolfin journeyed to Middle Earth.
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The Teleri Elves also contributed to the mission by providing ship to take them east, however they refused to participate in the fighting, as they still resented the Noldor of Feanor who slaughtered their people in the First Kinslaying.
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Arriving in Middle Earth, they were joined by the surviving Elves of Beleriand as well as the remaining Men of the West, while many Easterlings fought for the Dark Lord whose armies had grown vast after conquering nearly all of Beleriand and included Orcs, Trolls,
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Balrogs, Dragons, and other wicked creatures. They then engaged in the War of Wrath, a long and bloody struggle that went on for 40 years as the Host of the Valar carved their way through enemy, to at last reach the bulk of
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their forces in the north. Desperate to turn the tide battle, Morgoth unleashed his deadliest weapon, releasing his Winged Dragons for the first time, quickly devastating the armies of Light and threatening to defeat their forces.
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Yet as the fighting intensified, Earenedil the Mariner flew into battle aboard a sky ship, accompanied by a mighty host of eagles under Thorondor, destroying many of the dragons including Ancalagon the Black, largest and greatest among them.
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When at last the forces of the Dark Lord were defeated, Morgoth was captured and taken to Aman where he was beheaded and his spirit sent through the Door of Night into the Timeless Void, unable to return to Arda until the final battle of Dagor Dagorath at the end of the
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world. With Morgoth was captured, the final 2 silmarils were recovered by the Maia Eonwe, however when the last 2 surviving sons of Feanor, learned of their location, they snuck into their camp and killed the guards to take possession of the jewels and at last fulfilling their
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oath. Surrounded by enemies, Maedhros and Maglor were prepared for a fight to the death, but Eonwe, instead allowed to leave unharmed so no more blood would be shed.
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Though they finally held the jewels of their Father, the Sons of Feanor found no joy or peace in their victory, as they’s commited so many evil deeds the Silmarils burned in their hands as they held it, bringing them only pain and misery.
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Unable to live with all that they’d done, Maedhros threw himself and the jewel into a fiery chasm, while Maglor tossed his Silmaril into the ocean, and lived out his days wandering alone through Middle Earth, singing songs of lament.
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With the War of Wrath at an end, the lands of Beleriand collapsed into the sea, and so the Valar issued a pardon to the remaining Noldor who had left Valinor, allowing many of the Elves to return to the Undying Lands.
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Yet not all were willing to abandon Middle, with leaders like Gil-Galad, Galadriel, Celeborn, Elrond and Oropher choosing to remain behind and found new homelands further east.
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As for the Edain who fought with the Valar, they were rewarded with the island of Numenor in the middle of Sea of Belegaer, founding a new glorious kingdom under the rule of Elros, who was born half elven but chose to live the mortal life of a human, as opposed to
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his brother Elrond who chose to live as an immortal Elf. Though Morgoth was at last defeated and could no longer directly influence the world, many of his followers continued on, with Orcs, Trolls, Dragons and Balrogs fleeing into the
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east, as well as his Lieutenant Sauron, who rose to become the new Dark Lord of the Second and Third Ages.
Topics:First AgeMiddle-earthMorgothNoldor ElvesFingolfinFeanorDragonsEdainGondolinWar of Wrath
