Battle of the Lammoth
| Battle of the Lammoth | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Conflict: War of the Jewels | |
| Date: F.A. 1 | |
| Place: Lammoth | |
| Outcome: Victory for the Exiles | |
| Combatants | |
|
Forces of Morgoth | |
| Commanders | |
|
Unnamed Orc-captain † | |
| Strength | |
|
Unknown |
Unknown, except only Orcs |
| Casualties | |
|
Unknown |
Unknown |
The Battle of the Lammoth was fought against the Orcs in the Lammoth soon after Fingolfin and his host arrived in Middle-earth.
History
Prelude
After Fëanor's host acquired the ships of the Teleri following the First Kinslaying, Fëanor and his followers used them to sail across the sea. Fëanor burned the ships after reaching Middle-earth, stranding the others, for he thought the followers of Fingolfin would prove to be useless.[1] Fingolfin and his people saw the smoke of the ships from afar, and chose to travel through the icy Helcaraxë, for they were ashamed to go back to Valinor, and were angry at Fëanor. The journey was hard and many died, yet they were filled with hope when they saw the Moon for the first time.[2]
Battle
With the first rising of the Moon, Fingolfin and the second, greater host of the Noldor marched southward into the Lammoth. There they were attacked by Orcs issued from Angband. The Orcs made a surprise attack upon the Elves, who were caught off-guard and began to give way when Argon, Fingolfin's youngest son, dashed forward and cut a path to the Orc-captain, whom he slew. Although the Orcs surrounded and killed Argon, his brave deed turned the tide of the battle and the Noldor pursued the Orcs with slaughter.[3]
Aftermath
Soon after, Fingolfin's host passed into Mithrim as the Sun first rose. He led his host through Dor-Daedeloth to the Gates of Angband and smote upon them, but Morgoth stayed hidden inside. Fingolfin and the Noldor, realizing they could not be victorious in this way, then came to the northern shores of Lake Mithrim, from which the Fëanorian part of the host had withdrawn to.[2]
Other versions of the legendarium
The Battle of the Lammoth and the character Argon do not appear in The Silmarillion at all because they only came to light in very late writings by Tolkien.
In The Silmarillion, Fingolfin's host "marched from the North unopposed through the fastness of the realm of Morgoth, and he passed over Dor-Daedeloth, and his foes hid beneath the earth"[2] instead of marching south into the Lammoth as mentioned in The Peoples of Middle-earth.
See also
References
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Flight of the Noldor"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Return of the Noldor"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "XI. The Shibboleth of Fëanor", note 38
