|
The War of Wrath, or the Great Battle, a key plot development in J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium, is the final war against Morgoth at the end of the First Age. Elrond, at his Council, makes comparison to the Last Alliance of Elves and Men of the Second Age in ''The Lord of the Rings'' saying, I remember well the splendour of their banners ... It recalled to me the glory of the Elder Days and the hosts of Beleriand, so many great princes and captains were assembled. And yet not so many, nor so fair, as when Thangorodrim was broken...〔''Lord of the Rings'', 1954-5: I, p.256〕 In the Tale of the Years〔J.R.R. Tolkien, ''Lord of the Rings'', III, (2nd edition 1966), p.363 Appendix B〕 it is called the Great Battle and the army, the Host of Valinor. The best known and most poetical account is in ''The Silmarillion'',〔(1977), pp. 250-252; the work published posthumously by the author's son and literary executor, Christopher Tolkien.〕 itself closely drawn from the earlier ''Quenta Silmarillion''.〔J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien editor, ''History of Middle-earth'' Vol. V, (1987), pp.326-331, 336; the poetical ''Silmarillion'' account is derived almost word for word from ''Quenta Silmarillion'' of the mid 1930's, the main changes are to the later versions of names, e.g.: Fionwë to Eönwë, Lindar to Vanyar, etc.〕 The most detailed account of the course of the war is in ''The Later Annals of Beleriand''.〔''History of Middle-earth'' Vol. V, pp.143-144, 153, the ''Annals'' are nearly contemporary and complementary to the ''Quenta Silmarillion'', not an alternative draft of these events, but the Sindarin view as differentiated from the Noldorin view of the Quentas. Christopher Tolkien states that this version "only came to light very recently" (p.125), perhaps 10 years after he published ''The Silmarillion''.〕 Other accounts and fragmentary details about the war are scattered, appearing in the earliest versions of the legendarium.〔written from the 1915 through the 1930s and published posthumously in the ''History of Middle-earth'' series 1983-1996, Vols. I, II, IV, especially, as well as later volumes.〕 The experience of distance to the War of Wrath is greatest in ''Lord of the Rings'', drawing nearer to it in ''The Silmarillion'', closer still in the Annals and Quentas of the ''History of Middle-earth'' and closest, in aspects, in ''The Lost Tales''. == ''The Silmarillion'' account == As it is told in ''The Silmarillion'', by the end of the five centuries after the rising of the sun, Morgoth had defeated all who opposed him and become mighty and uncontested in Middle-earth. The mariner Eärendil, by the light of the Silmaril on his brow, searches and comes to Valinor, on behalf of the two kindreds (that of Elves and Men), asking the Valar to pardon and aid the enthralled Elves and Men of Middle-earth. The Valar are moved by Eärendil's plea and prepare a great armament. The armies of the Vanyar and the remaining Noldor are sent from Aman to Middle-earth in a mighty host. At the behest of Elwing, their kinswoman, the Teleri carry the host on their ships, but they remain on their ships for they would not land. The Host of Valinor marches through Beleriand and meets the forces of Morgoth. The Host of the Valar completely defeats the Orc armies of Melkor and destroys most of the Balrogs. While the Three Houses of Men, the Edain, fought for the Valar, many other Easterling Men fought for Morgoth and are either destroyed or flee to the far eastern parts of Middle-earth. The Host of the Valar marches north to Angband in pursuit of the remnants of the hosts of Morgoth. There Melkor releases his last and greatest force, the fleet of winged dragons, that had never been seen before, and they drive the Host of the Valar back. Then Eärendil comes with his ship Vingilótë, along with the Eagles of Thorondor, Lord of Eagles, and there they contest with the dragons in the air, slaying most of them. Eärendil engages the mightiest of dragons, Ancalagon the Black, for twenty-four hours, until at last he throws down Ancalagon from the sky, whose fall breaks the towers of Thangorodrim, the volcanic triple-peak mountain range that Melkor had raised above the gate of Angband. Morgoth is captured and he is bound again with the chain Angainor. His iron crown is beaten into a collar, his feet are "hewn from under him", and the two Silmarils are taken by the Maia Eönwë, the herald of Manwë. Finally, the Valar imprison him in the Void behind the Door of Night. The wreckage of the war is immense. The River Sirion is destroyed. Much of the north of the land west of the Ered Luin is laid waste and sinks into the sea. The surviving Elves of Beleriand〔J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien editor, ''History of Middle-earth'', Vol II, (1984), p.196, at the end of Tolkien's pivotal and foundational tale ''The Fall of Gondolin'' the surviving folk of Gondolin that sail West numbered just 320 males and male children and 260 females and female children.〕 are bidden by Eönwë to return with him to the lands of Aman. Most of them do so, but others refuse the summons and instead journey eastward where they become lords of the remaining Noldor and Sindar, as well as others in the east such as the Silvan Elves. Among these were Gil-galad, Galadriel and Celeborn, Círdan, Elrond, Celebrimbor, and Thranduil. It should be noted that Círdan was following his mission set by the Valar in the First Age and therefore the summons likely did not apply to him. After Morgoth's defeat, those men of the Edain who fought for the host of the Valar are granted the island land of Andor. Following Elros as King, they found the realm of Númenor. Morgoth's chief servant, Sauron, surrenders to Eönwë and is summoned to Valinor to receive judgement by the Valar. However, he is unwilling to face the Valar and flees to the east, as do some Dragons, Trolls, Balrogs and Orcs to trouble the Men and Elves through later ages. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「War of Wrath」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|