Nirnaeth Arnoediad
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| Battle of Unnumbered Tears | |||||||
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| Combatants | |||||||
| Angband | Union of Maedhros:
Sons of Fëanor, Himring, Amon Ereb, Hithlum, Falas, Gondolin, Belegost, Nogrod, Nargothrond |
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| Commanders | |||||||
| Morgoth, Gothmog, Glaurung, Ulfang† | Maedhros, Fingon†, Gwindor, Turgon, Azaghâl†, Bór†, Húrin, Huor† | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 350,000–500,000 All arms[1] | 100,000–120,000 Elves, Men, Dwarves[2] | ||||||
| Casualties | |||||||
| 200,000+[3] | 65,000+[4] | ||||||
| Wars of Beleriand |
|---|
| First Battle - Dagor-nuin-Giliath - Dagor Aglareb - Angband - Dagor Bragollach - Nirnaeth Arnoediad - War of Wrath |
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, the Nirnaeth Arnoediad or (Battle of) Unnumbered Tears was the climactic Fifth Battle in the Wars of Beleriand. The name was taken from the Doom of Mandos: "Tears unnumbered ye shall shed..." which prophesied its disastrous outcome for the Elves and their allies.
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[edit] The Fifth Battle as told in the Silmarillion
In the almost two decades since their defeat in the Dagor Bragollach, the Noldor had lost control over the entire north of Beleriand, and were for the most part reduced to holding on defensively in Hithlum, Himring and Nargothrond. Gondolin was shut and unknown. The great deeds of Beren and Lúthien in wresting a Silmaril from Morgoth's Crown and defeating Sauron and overthrowing his fortress and the military victories of Thingol on all the borders of his realm of Doriath gave hope to the Noldor that Morgoth could still be defeated. By the year 473 of the Years of the Sun in the First Age, Maedhros built an alliance capable taking the war to Angband and regain the lands of the Noldor.
Under the Union of Maedhros all the Elves of Beleriand, as well as the Edain, Dwarves, and the newly arrived Easterlings were invited to combine in arms and fight Morgoth. The Union first cleared Beleriand and Dorthonion from the Orcs, and then gathered to assault Thangorodrim.
Maedhros' plan was for his main host to attack and draw out the army of Angband and engage their front, after which Fingon's host would attack from the Ered Wethrin in the west, striking the forces of Angband on the flank. Led by Maedhros in the east were gathered the sons of Fëanor, the Elves and Men of Himring under Maedhros and Bór, and the men of Amon Ereb under Caranthir and Ulfang, the Men of Ulfang of the Easterlings and the Dwarves of Belegost. Under Fingon in the west were gathered the Elves and Men of Hithlum, the Elves of the Falas, the Haladin of Brethil and the companies sent from Nargothrond and the two Elves of Doriath, Beleg and Mablung.
Other potential allies of great strength would not join the Union because of the evil deeds of Celegorm and Curufin, two of Maedhros's brothers. Nargothrond would send only a small company of men under Gwindor for their part in the death of Finrod, King of Nargothrond. From Doriath, Thingol had sworn never to support any son of Fëanor after they kidnapped his daughter, Lúthien and treacherously wounded Beren. Only Mablung and Beleg, two of Thingol's great captains, who did not wish to remain behind, came. However, Turgon unexpectedly came forth with ten thousand Elves from Gondolin.
Maedhros had mustered the largest force of Elves and allies ever, but his failures in statesmanship and diplomacy, combined with the ill deeds of his brothers alienated the single largest Eleven force in Beleriand, King Thingol's army of Doriath, some 30,000–45,000 strong[5]. The actions of Celegorm and Curufin deprived the Union of another 15,000–20,000 Elves of the army of Nargothrond. None doubted that Morgoth had not been idle and when every sword would be needed the loss of potentially 45,000 to 65,000 more warriors would prove crippling to Maedhros' plan.
Morgoth had learned of the battle plan through his spies and his agent Ulfang, who proved to be a traitor, delayed Maedhros. To further disrupt the coordination of Maedhros's plan a Host of Orcs advanced forth from Angband to provoke the Fingon's host in the west into a premature attack. When Fingon's Host stayed in position, the Captains of the Orc-host brought forth a prisoner, a brother of Gwindor, who was brutally slain within sight of the Elves. Enraged, Gwindor with the company of Elves from Nargothrond broke ranks, and carried forward most of Fingon's troops as well. The fury of their charge was so great that they overwhelmed the Orc-host driving it back to Thangorodrim and nearly foiling Morgoth's plans.
It is said that Morgoth trembled as Gwindor's company pounded at his gates. They burst through, and slew the guards on the steps of Angband. But then, they were surrounded by great forces, and all were slain or taken. From hidden gates around Angband the Main Host, thousands on thousands of Orcs erupted, driving back the host of Fingon from the walls. The Elven army was forced back with great slaughter. Many Haladin fell in the rearguard.
Turgon, who had withheld his men from the reckless charge, now came upon the Orc-host. The phalanx of Turgon broke through the Angband lines, and met with the guard of Fingon, along with Húrin son of Galdor and the Fingon's host rallied.
Finally Maedhros and the main host came up, but before he could cut through to Fingon and Turgon, the last reserves of Angband under Glaurung the dragon and Gothmog, Captain of Angband, Lord of Balrogs met him and drove the Elven hosts apart. Still the Elves might have won, but Uldor the accursed, son of Ulfang the Black and a traitor, turned ranks and attacked Maedhros in the rear, while more of his kin came down from the mountains and attacked. The eastern host was scattered, and only the valour of the Dwarves of Belegost helped them escape, as their lord Azaghâl and his forces held off Glaurung, allowing the sons of Fëanor to escape into Ossiriand.
Azaghâl and his army fought with fierce iron masks on, and they were able to resist the dragon fire far better those of any race, whether Elves or Men. Then Glaurung trampled Azaghâl beneath his feet, but Azaghâl stabbed Glaurung's stomach, and the dragon fled. With him fled many of the beasts of the host of Morgoth. In a solemn ceremony the Dwarves picked up their fallen leader, forgetting about the battle, and they marched his corpse home. Their wrath was so great that none troubled them.
The western host was surrounded by many Orcs under Gothmog.[6] The Balrog broke through the ranks of Fingon's host, killed Fingon's guards. Gothmog fought a mighty duel with Fingon until another Balrog caught Fingon from behind with his whip and Fingon was slain.
The battle lost, Húrin urged Turgon to retreat to Gondolin. Huor and Húrin and the remaining Men of Dor-lómin formed a living wall across the Fens of Serech, buying time for Turgon to escape with most of the surviving Elves of the north. The Men of Dor-lómin were all slain, until Huor fell when his eye was pierced by a poisoned arrow, and his brother Húrin was captured alive when he was pinned under a mountain of slain Orcs and Trolls after he had slain no fewer than seventy Trolls.
Morgoth's victory was near complete, as he had destroyed all the warriors of Hithlum and had scattered the sons of Fëanor away from Himring. Morgoth's Orcs razed all of Beleriand except for Doriath and sacked the havens of the Falas.
Morgoth betrayed his servants, the Easterlings under Ulfang and sons (who had been killed themselves), trapping them in Hithlum under penalty of death, and denied them the fertile lands of Beleriand. Still Morgoth knew fear, for Turgon, now High King of the Noldor after the death of Fingon in the battle, had survived, and his city Gondolin was still unknown to Morgoth. Also, while Morgoth had achieved a crushing and decisive victory over his enemies, his own forces had suffered heavy loses to achieve it, and it would be some time before his forces recovered to their full strength from it.
[edit] Order of Battle
[edit] Hosts of Angband
Vanguard: strength = 80,000–100,000: One to two Orc-hosts, each 40,000–50,000 strong — sent to provoke Fingon into a premature attack from Hithlum in the west.
Center: strength = 150,000–300,000 Main Host: three to six Orc-hosts, each 40,000-50,000 strong — sent to overwhelm Fingon as he pursued vanguard.
Reserve: last strength = 100,000 Orcs with many auxiliaries: two to four Orc-hosts, Balrogs, trolls, Glaurung and dragons, wolves and wolfriders. Additionally some men in the host of Maedhros change sides.
[edit] Hosts of the Union of Maedhros
West wing — Host of Fingon = 40,000 to 55,000
Noldor of Hithlum: 15,000 to 20,000 Elves
Men of Dor-lómin: 12,000 to 15,000 Men of the House of Hador[7]
Sindar of Mithrim: 1,000 to 3,000 Elves
Falas: 3,000 to 5,000 Elves of Cirdan
Nargothrond: 500 to 1,000 Elves
Folk of Brethil: 1,000 to 2,000 Folk of Haleth [8]
Gondolin: 10,000 Elves
East wing - Host of Maedhros = 45,000 to 60,000
Sons of Feanor: 12,000 to 15,000 Elves
Men of Bor: 8,000 to 10,000 Men
Men of Ulfang: 10,000 to 15,000 Swarthy Men
Dark Elves and Green Elves: 2,500 to 5,000
Dwarves: 10,000 to 15,000
The Fifth Battle Illustration by Tom Loback
[edit] References
- ^ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. IV, p. 302, "There came afresh a hundred thousand Orcs..."; Vol. V, p. 137, "a hundred thousand Orcs", as the final reserve, and one of three, or four, battle formations sent from Angband, this singular hard number, as well as the 10,000 of Gondolin, provide a textural basis for estimating strengths.
- ^ Mythlore, Number 51, Volume 14, No.1, 'The Kindreds, Houses and Population of the Elves During the First Age', 1987; Mythlore ISSN:0146-9339, a detailed study of the numbers of Elves. From this 1987 article and from more recently published volumes of The History of Middle-earth, e.g.: Vol. XI, pp. 380–381, pp. 420–423; Vol. XII, p. 307, "two thousand fulll grown men"; relatively sound estimates can be drawn of the numbers of Elves, Men and Dwarves.
- ^ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. IV, p. 117, "and that day there was a greater slaughter of the servants of Morgoth than there yet had been..." This statement serves as an important point of reference in making estimates as the "great force, but not too great",p. 117; Silmarillion p. 191, "a force seeming great (and yet but a part of all that he had made ready)" destroyed by the host of Fingon has to be of convincing size to accomplish its end and could have hardly been much less than 75,000–100,000 strong.' The History of Middle-earth, Vol. V, p. 288,"...he recalled the main hosts of his Orcs...he was dismayed to find how great had been their loss"
- ^ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. I, p. 241, "Nearly half of all the Gnomes and Men who fought there were slain."
- ^ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. II, p. 43, p. 251 "...the most mighty and the longest free was Thingol of the Woods.". This statement taken in ratio, along with others about the relative numbers of Sindar to Noldor History of Middle-earth, Vol. XI, p. 21, "though the Sindar were not numerous they far outnumbered the hosts of Fëanor and Fingolfin..."; p. 31, "...the people of Fingolfin and...Finrod were still more numerous than...Fëanor", to any other single Elven realm makes this a reasonable estimate.
- ^ Silmarillion, p. 193, "a tide of foes thrice greater than all the force that was left to them."
- ^ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. XII, p. 307, " Bëor...having no more...than two thousand full-grown men..."; "three hosts of the Folk of Hador...each host was as great as all the Folk of Bëor..."; "probably more numerous than the Folk of Bëor...the Folk of Haleth...". From this it follows that there were some 10,000 (2000 Bëor, 6000 Hador, 2000 Haleth) full grown Men of the Edain at their arrival in Beleriand. 12–15,000 for the Folk of Hador in Dor-lómin in 473 FA seems reasonable and might actually be low see The History of Middle-earth, Vol. XI, p. 219, "...after some fifty years many thousands had entered the lands of the kings."
- ^ Some tales hold that a portion of the warriors of the Folk of Haleth were women, History of Middle-earth, Vol. XII, p. 309, "chieftainess Haleth had been a renowned amazon with a picked bodyguard of women."
[edit] Influence
Tolkien survived the Battle of the Somme, where Britain lost a great fraction of a generation, due to unfamiliarity with German Empire tactics. [1] Britain eventually won the war, with help from the West. However, Tolkien has stated his stories contain no intentional allegory.
A possible influence from World War One, if one must be found, can be seen in the terming of the 5 Battles of Beleriand as Battles when each actually contains more than one battle and, like the Battle of the Somme, more properly might be called an Offensive.
[edit] An alternate version
The previous version of the story was drawn by Christopher Tolkien primarily from a text called the Grey Annals, although the Quenta Silmarillion was used as well. But in the writing of the long Narn i Chîn Húrin, Tolkien wrote a new version of the battle which postdates both the GA and QS accounts. Christopher Tolkien did not incorporate the major changes of the new version into the Silmarillion text, although he did take some phrasing and description from it.
The major difference is that Morgoth does much better against the Elves in this version than he did in the old one. The entire element of the "machinations of Uldor" delaying Maedhros' march is removed, and Morgoth sends a second force to meet Maedhros and prevent him from joining with the other elf lords. This version lacks the nearly explicit statement that the Elves would have won had it not been for the treachery of men.
Christopher Tolkien does not venture a guess on why Tolkien made these changes, but it may be that he felt the Elves did much better against Morgoth than they reasonably should have (especially given the extreme length and difficulty of the later War of Wrath). This is all speculation, however.
