[Legendarium, The Silmarillion] – Background Information Lord of the Rings - History of the Legendarium Part 6 – Dagor Aglareb, Siege of Angband, Awakening of Men
Years of the Sun – First Age
Ulmo, Realm of Nargothrond and Finrod
Finrod is the son of Finarfin, the king of the Noldor elves of those who remained at Aman, Valinor. Finrod has parted off from his father Finarfin and arrived at Middle Earth by crossing the Helcaraxe. The Valar of the sea Ulmo gave a vision to Finrod build the country of Natgothrond.
Finrod starts to build the foundation of the Realm of Nargothrond at the West Beleriand beneath Doriath in the caves with the help of the dwarves.
While Finrod had paid the dwarves with the treasures of Valinor, the dwarves were impressed and forged the Nauglamir, also known as the Necklace of the dwarves and gifted it to Finrod.
The Nauglamir would cause a cataclysm in the history of the Legendarium as well and the Nauglamir was considered the masterpiece among the dwarves.
*Finrod also built a fortress called Minas Tirith but this is different from the capital of Minas Tirith of Gondor.
Turgon, Gondolin, Tumbladen and Ulmo
Ulmo gave vision to the second son of Fingolfin, the current king of the Noldor elves, Turgon of the Vale of Tumladen. Tugon explored the mysterious Tumladen which was a plain field that was rich in resources with water within the Encircling Mountain.
The Encircling Mountain was located north of Beleriand and just beneath Morgoth’s base Angband located at the Thangorodrim Mountain. The Encircling Mountain concealed the Vale of Tumladen. Turgon decides to build a secret kingdom at Tumladen that would later become the Elf-Kingdom Gondolin.
Dagor Aglareb, Siege of Angband
After the rescue of Maedhros by Fingon and Maedhros has relinquished his place as king to Fingolfin, the Noldor elves could prevent civil war and although grudge remained, reunited to fight against Morgoth.
The Noldor elves were still settling with the help of the Sindar elves and the Nandor elves and Morgoth believed that he needed to finish off the elves before the Noldor elves would settle down.
Morgoth’s forces that were mainly made of orcs split forces and marched to the east and west. However, from the west, Turgon and Finrod annihilated the orcs and from the east, Feanor’s second son Maglor defeated the orcs.
Fingolfin counter attacked the orcs from the west while Maedhros counterattacked the orcs that encircled the forces of Morgoth and Morgoth’s forces had to retreat to Thangorodrim. The Noldor elves have pursuit the orcs right beneath the bases of Thangorodrim.
This battle was called Dagor Aglareb which is also known as the Battle of Glory by the Noldor elves. The Noldor elves would surround Angband and lock up Morgoth’s forces as they’ve encircled Angband. This was referred to as the Siege of Angband that would last for 400 years where Middle Earth would have peace.
Awakening of Men, Edain and the Corruption of Men by Morgoth
Humans, men that were the second children of Iluvatar presented with the Gift of Iluvatar, death and have awaken when the Sun and Moon were created. Men have awakened at a location called Hildorien which was located at the southeast of Cuivenen where the first Elves have awakened.
However, Morgoth who sensed the awakening of the second children of Iluvatar, the humans would put Sauron in command of Anband and head east to corrupt the humans.
Morgoth would defile and corrupt the humans to never trust the Valars and neither serve Iluvatar and demanded the humans to worship himself. The men that remained in the east would worship and long serve as the dark forces for Morgoth and Sauron called the Easterlings.
The Easterlings would migrate southwest and make the country Rhun later. However, some men, humans have distrusted humans and worshiped the sun and heads east, these men were called the Edain, the ancestors of the Numenorians and the Dunedain and the human heroes.
Some groups of men such as the druedain would also escape from the evil humans that worshiped the dark lords such as Morgoth and Suaron as well. The Edain humans would later divide into the House of Hador, House of Haleth and the House of Beor.
Turgon starts the construction of Gondolin & Ban on Noldor elves from Doriath
Turgon started to secretly send the Noldor elves that he led to the Vale of Tumladen and started the construction of Gondolin. Turgon didn’t inform other elves and didn’t even ask the dwarves for help to keep the confidentiality of the location of Tumladen and Gondolin.
At Doriath, Galadriel who was learning from the Melian, the Maia tells Thingol of the three silmarils as they were conversating on why the Noldor elves have returned to Middle Earth.
Thingol after hearing of the three silmarils would later also discover the genocide by the Noldor elves, the first kinslaying of the Falmari elves that were Teleri elves that have resided at Valinor. Falmari elves were Teleri elves while the elves of Doriath were also Sindar elves that were also Teleri elves.
Thingol would ban the entrance of the Feanorians, the descendants of House Feanor thus the sons of Feanor to Doriath as they were responsible for the massacre of the Falmari elves, the Teleri brothers of the Sindar elf Thingol. Fingon, the son of Fingolfin was also banned from Doriath as he also contributed to the first kinslaying.
Thingol would also ban the Quenya elf language in all Beleriand. Relationships between Sindar elves and the Noldor elves led by House Feanor deteriorated rapidly.
Turgon hides in Gondolin, The First Dragon Glaurung by Morgoth and Peace Continues
Turgon and his people finally constructed the secret elf kingdom of Gondolin right beneath the Thangorodrim and Angband and Gondolin would remain in peace for a long period. Turgon and Gondolin would become passive in taking part of the war against Morgoth.
Morgoth attempted to break the Siege of Angband by sending some of his orc forces, but they were halted by the elf forces. Morgoth realized the orcs were too weak for his ambitions and Morgoth created the dragons for his forces.
Morgoth would grow weaker and weaker whenever he had to use his powers to create a creature for his forces. Morogoth created the father of dragons, the Great Worm Glaurung, the wingless fire dragon who became one of the lethal weapons of Morgoth.
Glaurung by Morogth’s command attacked the elves at the plains of Ard-galen north of Doraith, Beleriand but Fingon was able to defeat Glaurung and Glaurung had to retreat. The elves were terrified of the creation of Glaurung, the wingless dragon, however Glaurung was only a baby and hasn’t fully grown yet.
Glaurung would later become a nightmare for Middle earth. After Glaurung’s retreat, Morgoth decides not to break the Siege of Angband and focus on building up more power.
The Noldor elves couldn’t invade Angband as well as they were under force to invade Angband and the Siege of Angband remains and the temporary peace continues.
