Morgoth/Synopsis

The story of the Dark Lord Morgoth from The Silmarillion.

In the Beginning
Melkor was, in the beginning, one of the Ainur created by Eru in the Timeless Halls. He was brother to Manwe, the future ruler of Arda. Of all of the Ainur, Melkor was gifted with the greatest power and knowledge and had a share in all of the gifts given to his fellow Ainur by Eru.

Desiring to create great things of his own and knowing of but not understanding the Flame Imperishable, Melkor often went forth into the Great Void outside of the Timeless Halls in search of this flame. His quest was vain for he found not the Flame Imperishable for it lies with Eru alone. Afterwards, Melkor grew ever more impatient of the unclear designs of Eru, and was often alone and apart from his fellow Ainur. It was during this lonesome period that Melkor began to have ideas and designs of his own that were not in accordance with his fellow Ainur.

When the Ainur sung the Great Music before Eru, Melkor attempted to take it over and wove into it his own chords of vanity. This brought great discord to the once harmonious Music and each time Eru sounded the beginning of a new theme, Melkor would once again interfere with it. Soon the Music was marred and there was no longer any unity or harmony, but a sea of chaos, turbulence, and confusion before the throne of Eru. Then Eru arose with great might and the Music ceased. He spoke to Melkor saying that although he is mightiest amongst the Ainur, he could not create or play a theme, which does not first come from Eru, nor can the Music be altered.

Full of shame, Melkor secretly harbored great anger and thus began his rebellion. So, when Arda was created, it was already flawed by Melkor's discord, and he then entered it with the rest of the Valar, in the form of a giant, mountain-sized ice-white humanoid, with smoke and flames at the top of his head.

Before the Two Trees
During the creation and shaping of Arda, Melkor sought to claim Arda as his own. However, Manwë was chosen to be the leader of the Valar instead because even though he was not as powerful as Melkor, he understood Eru's thought better than the other Valar. While the other Valar were working to better the world, Melkor thwarted their efforts, marring the world, and while the Valar started to build their kingdom of Almaren, Melkor corrupted many of the Ainur first (including Mairon, who would eventually become Sauron); he dwelt in The Void outside Ea at the beginning of the World, but he later built a new underground fortress in the north of Middle-earth. Naming it Utumno, he built it behind the Iron Mountains (Ered Engrin) in the far north of Beleriand. To defend it, Melkor raised the Mountains of the East in the northeast of Middle-earth.

As decay arose from the North, the Valar knew Melkor was active, and began searching for him. However, from Utumno, Melkor waged five massive wars against the Valar, flattened Almaren, and destroyed the Great Lamps. The fire from the Great Lamps scorched a large amount of Arda, which kept the Valar occupied and gave Melkor and his forces enough time to retreat back to his fortress of Utumno. It is likely that in this time Melkor delved his second, lesser fortress of Angband in the west, as a defense from the other Valar should they attack. Angband was delved into the Iron Mountains, and was given to Sauron to command. While the Valar were unsure where the Children of Iluvatar would awake, they were reluctant to wage war against Melkor, fearing the clash of powers might result in massive collateral damage. It is in this time that Melkor discovered the Elves first, captured many of them, and transformed them by torture and other foul craft into Orc.

Before the Sun and Moon
When it was discovered by the Vala Oromë where the elves were, the Valar decided to protect the race of elves, and took immediate action against Melkor, causing the War of Powers. Both Angband and Utumno were razed, and Melkor was captured and brought back to Valinor, bound in the chain of Againor. He pleaded for pardon, but was cast into the Hall of Mandos for three-thousand years. However, many of Melkor's servants (including Sauron and the Balrogs) were not found, since in their haste, the Valar did not wholly destroy Angband.

For some years, Middle-earth was allowed to prosper. At last Melkor was brought before the Valar to be judged, but he feigned redemption. To the Valar, he seemed to have changed and mellowed such that Manwë, the Lord of the Valar, ordered his chains removed. However, Ulmo and Tulkas kept an eye on Melkor, being very slow to forget his evil. Nevertheless, most of them were deceived, and Melkor wished to continue waging war against them. He saw the Elves and remembered them, desiring above all things to corrupt them. Of the three primary groups of elves, he found the Ñoldor to be the most useful to him. Melkor spread lies among them, such as the one about the Valar's intentions to bring the elves to Aman so the race of Men would inherit Middle-earth, which the other Valar have not revealed. Because of Melkor's schemes, the Ñoldor began to rebel against the Valar. One of them was Fëanor, son of Finwë. Even though he hated and feared Melkor, Fëanor's pride caused him to become the most vocal of the Ñoldor in expressing discontent. The Valar were unaware of this, seeing Fëanor as the source of the Ñoldor's unrest. However, they let the situation continue until he threatened Fingolfin, his brother, with violence. Because of this, the Valar have summoned Fëanor to the Ring of Doom in Valinor so he would explain his unlawful actions. His testimony exposed Melkor's lies.

Immediately after this did Tulkas leave the Ring of Doom to recapture Melkor, but he could not find him. Soon after, Melkor went to the elven city of Formenos, feigning friendship to Fëanor to acquire the Silmarils, three gems crafted by him before the First Age. However, Fëanor knew that Melkor was greedy, and refused him, shutting the gates to Formenos in Melkor's face. Passing through the south of Arda unseen, Melkor then saw Ungoliant, who had an issue with her unrelenting hunger. Melkor promised to satisfy her hunger, and she became his ally. Together, they had plotted on destroying the Two Trees of Valinor. During a time of festival, Melkor and Ungoliant both suddenly attacked. Melkor thrust his spear into the trees while Ungoliant drank the sap pouring from the wounds. They had successfully destroyed the Trees of the Valar, and soon, Melkor broke into Formenos. He slew Finwë, father of Fëanor and Fingolfin, and stole the gemstones known as the Silmarils, and other gems that were there. However, the touch of the Silmarils burned Melkor's hand, causing him immeasurable agony, but he would not release them. Morgoth and Ungoliant then fled to the North, with the Valar giving chase. However, Ungoliant used her weapon and cloak of Unlight (an all-encompassing darkness which was also inexplicable), bewildering the Valar (even Oromë and Tulkas). Ungoliant and Melkor had escaped and crossed the Grinding Ice of the Helcaraxë, and had entered Middle-earth. Ungoliant became the first Great Spider of Middle-earth, and Melkor the first Dark Lord.

In the region of Lammoth in Beleriand, Ungoliant and Melkor approached the ruins of the latter's fortress, Angband, with Melkor wanting to leave his promise with Ungoliant unfulfilled and escape. However, Ungoliant knew Melkor would break his promise, and they both stopped. Ungoliant demanded that Melkor gives the gems of Formenos so her hunger would be satisfied. Melkor refused to give the Silmarils but surrendered the other gems to her, and she became an even more monstrous size. Because Melkor would refuse to surrender the Silmarils, Ungoliant attacked him and weaved her dark webbing around him. Melkor's cries alerted the Balrogs, and they knew he was in danger. Being protective of their master, they drove away Ungoliant. Melkor then began to rebuild Angband, and gathered his servants.

After this point, Fëanor found his father was slain, and cursed Melkor and titled him Morgoth, meaning Dark Enemy in Sindarin. The name Melkor was never spoken again by his enemies. Occasionally people referred to him as Belegurth, The Great Death, a perversion of Belegur, the Sindarin form of Melkor.

Upon fleeing back to Middle-earth, he rebuilt Angband as his center of operations, and reared the tallest mountains to have ever been in Middle-earth, the three volcanoes of Thangorodrim, over its gate. Thangorodrim was adorned with walls and gates, and functioned as a guardian fortress to Angband proper, which was underground.

Another war began, the War of Great Jewels, in which the Ñoldor waged a long and ultimately hopeless war against Morgoth for the recovery of the Silmarils. This war lasted through the whole of the First Age of the Sun, where the Elves would be utterly defeated.

After learning about the Ñoldor's arrival to Middle-earth, Morgoth sent his army of orcs against Fëanor and his host, wanting to kill them before they could make any defenses. However, the Ñoldor were able to destroy the Orc armies, since only a handful of orcs were able to come back to the fortress of Angband. However, Fëanor was prideful in his heart, and thought to charge Morgoth himself. He and his vanguard went away from the main host for a while, but the orcs saw this, and went to battle with Fëanor and his crew at the gates of Angband. However, his elves were quickly killed off. Fëanor, with his vanguard dead, fought by himself, but was struck down by Gothmog, the Lord of the Balrogs. Although his sons rescued him from the battlefield, Fëanor eventually perished from his wounds.

The Cursing of Húrin
Morgoth is also well known for the imprisonment of Húrin of the House of Hador during the Nirnaeth Arnoediad (Battle of Unnumbered Tears). In the last hours of the battle Húrin and his kin defended Turgon, for he was the last heir to the throne of Gondolin and of Fingolfin after his brother, Fingon, fell in battle. Turgon narrowly escaped the clutches of the host of orcs due to the valor of Húrin and Huor and their men.

Unfortunately, all but Húrin fell after the onslaught of Morgoth's forces. After slaying 70 trolls, Húrin was bound by Gothmog with his flaming whip and, thus, sent him to Angband. There, after a nightmare of chained torment in Thangorodrim's chambers, Húrin still defied Morgoth Bauglir and refused to tell him where Gondolin lay. Thus, Morgoth sent Húrin to the top of Haudh-en-Nirnaeth and cast a mighty curse on Húrin and his family and told him that his Shadow would be with them wherever they went, and his hate would pursue Húrin's family to the end. Melkor threatened Húrin that all Húrin loved would be rendered extinct with Melkor's evil thoughts, and wherever they went, evil would transpire.

And so Húrin stayed was chained atop Thangorodrim, forever watching his homelands fall under the shadow of Morgoth until he releases him. Túrin, who was valiant and powerful, nearly escaped the curse, as feared by Morgoth, but could not leave it. He and his sister perished. Thus, the curse of Morgoth on the Children of Húrin was fulfilled.

Fall of Gondolin
Though he was unable to force Húrin to reveal the location of the last great Elven kingdom, Morgoth eventually captured Maeglin, sister-son of Turgon, the King of Gondolin. Threatened with unimaginable torment, Maeglin offered the secrets of Gondolin's defenses in exchange for his own well-being. Additionally, he made a promise to kill Tour personally, and was given permission by Morgoth to take Idril for himself. With the promise of having Idril, Maeglin became one of Morgoth's servants willingly, and Morgoth sent him back to Gondolin to aid the invasion from within when the time came.

Soon after, Morgoth assailed Gondolin, the last great realm of the Noldor and, with a vastly superior force and Maeglin's treacherous information, the city was beleaguered without hope and quickly fell.

With the sacking of Gondolin and the defeat of the Noldor and their allies, Morgoth's triumph was complete. The great kingdoms of the Elves had all fallen, save for the Havens of Cirdan and the survivors of the Mouth of Sirion, and these were ruled by Earendil; and Morgoth esteemed them as nothing. He even came to care nothing for the Silmaril that had been taken from him, and laughed when he saw the last and the most cruel Kinslaying when the Sons of Feanor destroyed the dwelling at Arvernien.

Final Defeat
However, Morgoth's triumph was short-lived. Due to the plea actions of Earendil, the Valar were persuaded once again to take up arms against Morgoth's tyranny. Morgoth himself did not expect that the Valar would ever respect the Noldor's wishes after the terrible sins that they committed, and did not forsee the assault from Aman. But the Valar took pity on the Noldor, and a great battle began between Morgoth and the Host of Valinor. Morgoth emptied all of Angband, and his devices and engines and army of slaves were so various and powerful the fighting spilled across all of Beleriand.

In the end, Morgoth's forces were utterly defeated. The Balrogs were destroyed (save some few that fled and hid themselves in caverns at the very roots of the Earth), and most of the Orcs were slaughtered. Then, Morgoth quailed, and dared not come forth himself, but he had one last weapon at his command: the monstrous Winged Dragons. From out of the pits of Angband they issued, and so sudden and ruinous of their attack, with great power and a tempest of fire, they drove back the host of the Valar. But then Earendil came with Vingilot, accompanied by Thorondor and all of the great birds, and Earendil slew Ancalagon the Black, whose great bulk fell upon the volcanoes of Thrangorodrim, destroying them in his ruin. Angband was destroyed and, though Morgoth tried to call up more and more beasts of the shadows to aid him, he was eventually defeated by the mighty Host of Valinor.

Morgoth, utterly defeated, stood at bay, and was yet unvaliant. He fled into the deepest of his mines and sued for peace and pardon, but the Valar came and hewned his feet from under him, and cast Morgoth on the face. They bound him with the chain Angainor, beat the Iron Crown into a collar for his neck, and thrust him through the Door of Night into the Timeless Void.

Legacy and Prophesied Return
Melkor's lies, sowed in the hearts of Elves and Men, were a seed that did not die and could not be destroyed, but ever and anon sprouted anew, and bore dark fruit ever after.

In later writings of Tolkien's, it becomes apparent that Melkor was not merely bound, but unhoused, after his final capture, being "beheaded" and thus "killed", that is, the body to which he had become so bound was destroyed, after which execution his spirit, still bound with the enchanted chain Angainor, was cast out through the Doors of Night. His "will" is spoken of as an active force in the world, tempting and urging in thought, and sometimes in phantom manifestation; and it is foretold that at the end of the world, his old strength will come back to him, that he will overcome the guard upon the Door, and reenter Arda. This will initiate the Final Battle and the Day of Doom, the Dagor Dagorath.

According to material in some of Tolkien's writings complied (but not published) by his son, in the last days, Melkor will learn how to break the Door of the Night and re-enter the World. He will destroy the Sun and Moon, plunge the world into Darkness, and raise his great armies of evil to battle all good in Dagor Dagorath, the Battle of Battles. Tulkas will fight Morgoth and wrestle him to the ground, and Túrin Turambar will ram his Black Sword through Morgoth's heart, killing him once and for all. Morgoth's armies shall all die, ending Dagor Dagorath, resulting in the Second Music of the Ainur which will create a new world. Nothing is known of the Second Music, except that it will be greater than the First.

However, the published Silmarillion does not include this information, and instead asserts that, if the Valar know how the end of Arda will present itself, they have not revealed it. Early accounts of this battle have him being slain by Turin Tumbar who will run his black sword Gurthang, "Iron of Death", through him. This however does not appear in later versions of The Silmarillion; and indeed is inconsistent with the above late conception, unless Melkor re-incarnates himself after entering Arda, as he already has been slain by the Valar like a common criminal.

In Sir Peter Jackson's Films
Morgoth never appears in Peter Jackson's film trilogies; however, a few references are still made to him. Legolas calls Durin's Bane a "Balrog of Morgoth" in the Extended Edition of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, and Gandalf calls him the same thing while talking to Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. In The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Galadriel calls Sauron a "Servant of Morgoth".