Glaurung
Encyclopedia
Glaurung is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien
's fictional Middle-earth
legendarium
. He is introduced in The Silmarillion
as the first of the Dragon
s. He is also a major antagonist in The Children of Húrin
. He was known as The Deceiver, The Golden, The Great Worm and the Worm of Greed.
Glaurung was a very powerful dragon, if not the most magical. According to Tolkien, he sired the rest of his race, or at least the brood of Urulóki
, wingless fire-breathing dragons. He was bred by Morgoth
from some unknown stock and was the first dragon to appear outside of Angband
.
In 455 First Age
Glaurung led the attack of fire that defeated the Noldor
in Elves and their allies and broke the Siege of Angband
in the Battle of Sudden Flame, the Dagor Bragollach
. In 472 during the Battle of Unnumbered Tears, Nírnaeth Arnoediad
, Glaurung led the final reserve and the beasts of Angband in an attack that prevented the joining of the two Elven-hosts
, breaking and routing the Host of the sons of Fëanor
, resulting in the total defeat of the Union of Maedhros. During this battle Glaurung was stabbed in his vulnerable belly by the Dwarf
-king Azaghâl
and fled back to Angband.
In 495, Glaurung was given his first independent command and led an Orc-host
to victory in the Battle of Tumhalad
against the Noldor of Nargothrond
led by Túrin Turambar
. He followed up his triumph by sacking Nargothrond, enslaving or slaying its people, making a bed of the treasure of the city, and ruling as a Dragon-king. In 498 Túrin led the Men of the forest of Brethil and defeated a force of Orcs sent against them by Glaurung. Glaurung then roused himself and next year came against Túrin and Brethil. In the attempt to cross the ravine of Cabed-en-Aras of the river Taeglin, Glaurung was stabbed from beneath by Túrin wielding Gurthang. Glaurung died soon after, but not before he had managed to drive Nienor to suicide with his last words, lifting the spell of forgetfulness he had cast upon her about her kinship with Turambar.
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's fictional Middle-earth
Middle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....
legendarium
Legendarium
Legendary may refer to:*A hagiography, or study of the lives of saints and other religious figures**The South English Legendary, a Middle English legendary*A legend-Entertainment:*Legendary, an album by Kaysha*Legendary...
. He is introduced in The Silmarillion
The Silmarillion
The Silmarillion is a collection of J. R. R. Tolkien's mythopoeic works, edited and published posthumously by his son Christopher Tolkien in 1977, with assistance from Guy Gavriel Kay, who later became a noted fantasy writer. The Silmarillion, along with J. R. R...
as the first of the Dragon
Dragon (Middle-earth)
J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium features dragons closely based on those of European legend.Besides dragon , Tolkien variously used the terms drake and worm .-History:The dragons were created by Morgoth...
s. He is also a major antagonist in The Children of Húrin
The Children of Húrin
The Children of Húrin is an epic fantasy novel which forms the completion of a tale by J. R. R. Tolkien. He wrote the original version of the story in the late 1910s, revised it several times later, but did not complete it before his death in 1973...
. He was known as The Deceiver, The Golden, The Great Worm and the Worm of Greed.
Glaurung was a very powerful dragon, if not the most magical. According to Tolkien, he sired the rest of his race, or at least the brood of Urulóki
Dragon (Middle-earth)
J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium features dragons closely based on those of European legend.Besides dragon , Tolkien variously used the terms drake and worm .-History:The dragons were created by Morgoth...
, wingless fire-breathing dragons. He was bred by Morgoth
Morgoth
Morgoth Bauglir is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth legendarium. He is the main antagonist of The Silmarillion, figures in The Children of Húrin, and is mentioned briefly in The Lord of the Rings.Melkor was the most powerful of the Ainur, but turned to darkness and became...
from some unknown stock and was the first dragon to appear outside of Angband
Angband (Middle-earth)
-External links:*...
.
In 455 First Age
First Age
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the First Age, or First Age of the Children of Ilúvatar is the heroic period in which most of Tolkien's early legends are set...
Glaurung led the attack of fire that defeated the Noldor
Noldor
In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Noldor are Elves of the Second Clan who migrated to Valinor and lived in Eldamar. The Noldor are called Golodhrim or Gódhellim in Sindarin, and Goldoi by Teleri of Tol Eressëa. The singular form of the Quenya noun is Noldo and the adjective is Noldorin...
in Elves and their allies and broke the Siege of Angband
Siege of Angband
The Siege of Angband or "The Long Peace" in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fictional universe was the siege of the Noldor around the fortress of Morgoth in the early centuries of the Years of the Sun, which began following the Dagor Aglareb. For the most part, it was a time of plenitude, peace and...
in the Battle of Sudden Flame, the Dagor Bragollach
Dagor Bragollach
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, the Dagor Bragollach was the fourth battle of the Wars of Beleriand...
. In 472 during the Battle of Unnumbered Tears, Nírnaeth Arnoediad
Nirnaeth Arnoediad
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium of Middle-earth, the Nírnaeth Arnoediad or Unnumbered Tears was the climactic Fifth Battle in the Wars of Beleriand.-The Fifth Battle as told in The Silmarillion:...
, Glaurung led the final reserve and the beasts of Angband in an attack that prevented the joining of the two Elven-hosts
Elf (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Elves are one of the races that inhabit a fictional Earth, often called Middle-earth, and set in the remote past. They appear in The Hobbit and in The Lord of the Rings, but their complex history is described more fully in The Silmarillion...
, breaking and routing the Host of the sons of Fëanor
Sons of Fëanor
In J. R. R. Tolkien's world of Middle-earth, the seven sons of Fëanor, the eldest prince of the Noldor, led their people from Valinor to rule over kingdoms in the Northeast of Beleriand:...
, resulting in the total defeat of the Union of Maedhros. During this battle Glaurung was stabbed in his vulnerable belly by the Dwarf
Dwarf (Middle-earth)
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Dwarves are a race inhabiting the world of Arda, a fictional prehistoric Earth which includes the continent Middle-earth....
-king Azaghâl
Azaghal
Azaghal may refer to:* Azaghâl, a fictional Dwarf in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings* Azaghal , a Finnish black metal band...
and fled back to Angband.
In 495, Glaurung was given his first independent command and led an Orc-host
Orc (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings, Orcs or Orks are a race of creatures who are used as soldiers and henchmen by both the greater and lesser villains of The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings — Morgoth, Sauron and Saruman...
to victory in the Battle of Tumhalad
Battle of Tumhalad
In J.R.R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, the Battle of Tumhalad was the last battle of the Elves of the kingdom of Nargothrond...
against the Noldor of Nargothrond
Nargothrond
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Nargothrond , called Nulukkhizdīn by the Dwarves, was the stronghold built by Finrod Felagund...
led by Túrin Turambar
Túrin Turambar
Túrin Turambar is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. "Turambar and the Foalókë", begun in 1917, is the first appearance of Túrin in the legendarium. J.R.R...
. He followed up his triumph by sacking Nargothrond, enslaving or slaying its people, making a bed of the treasure of the city, and ruling as a Dragon-king. In 498 Túrin led the Men of the forest of Brethil and defeated a force of Orcs sent against them by Glaurung. Glaurung then roused himself and next year came against Túrin and Brethil. In the attempt to cross the ravine of Cabed-en-Aras of the river Taeglin, Glaurung was stabbed from beneath by Túrin wielding Gurthang. Glaurung died soon after, but not before he had managed to drive Nienor to suicide with his last words, lifting the spell of forgetfulness he had cast upon her about her kinship with Turambar.
See also
- Battle of TumhaladBattle of TumhaladIn J.R.R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, the Battle of Tumhalad was the last battle of the Elves of the kingdom of Nargothrond...
- BrandirBrandirBrandir is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He was a Chieftain of the Folk of Haleth in the First Age. Brandir was the son of Handir of Brethil and was descended from the Houses of Haleth and Hador through his grandparents Haldir and Glóredhel...
- MablungMablungMablung is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium.Mablung was a Sindarin Elf who served in the army of King Elu Thingol of Doriath...
- Middle-earth warfare
- Quenta SilmarillionQuenta SilmarillionQuenta Silmarillion is a collection of fictional legends written by the high fantasy writer J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published after the author's death in The Silmarillion together with four shorter stories...
- Túrin TurambarTúrin TurambarTúrin Turambar is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. "Turambar and the Foalókë", begun in 1917, is the first appearance of Túrin in the legendarium. J.R.R...