The Complete Tolkien Companion (13 page)

By midnight the enemy had captured the outer fortifications, and the Orcs and Dunlendings began their fierce and repeated attempts to storm the Deeping Wall and its two embattled towers. So great were their numbers that they thought nothing of their losses. The Isengarders also carried devilish devices, and shortly before dawn they used a ‘blasting-fire' to breach the Deeping Wall and to carry it by assault. The defenders were swept away – or back into the Deep itself – and the Deeping Tower fell to the enemy. Most of the Rohirrim and their allies had meanwhile retreated to the Hornburg, and there they now awaited the dawn, for it was believed that all Orcs feared the Sun and fought less well under its light (though actually the Uruk-hai of Isengard were not much handicapped in this way, and the Men of Dunland were not affected at all).

In any case, not even the Hornburg could long be held against the strength still arrayed outside its gates. Therefore, preferring to risk all in a final sortie, King Théoden chose to await the first rays of the Sun and then ride forth in a great charge. On his order, simultaneously, the great Horn of Helm rang out from the Tower, echoing and re-echoing in the chasm behind the Wall. The Isengarders were overthrown by this sudden sortie, and the Riders charged down the ramp and clove through them to reach the Dike. Behind them came the defenders of the caves in the Deep (whence many had fled when the Deeping Wall was taken), driving their enemies before them.

And so the invaders found their siege broken and their assault brought to nothing; for the sortie utterly confused them, and the light of the Sun discomfited them, and above all they feared the ghostly horns which echoed without ceasing in their ears. In a state of complete rout, the Isengarders scrambled across the Dike in an attempt to reach the open coomb where they might again have the advantage; for they were still a great army. But during the night, Erkenbrand of Westfold had force-marched across the Vale and the foothills, together with all the survivors of the second battle at the Isen; and he too now appeared on the north wall of the coomb, his forces extended in open skirmishing order. With Erkenbrand was Gandalf, mounted upon Shadowfax. And across the coomb, barring all escape, lay a great and sinister forest which had seemingly sprung up in the hours of darkness: rank upon rank of silent, watching trees, their roots buried deep in the grass, waiting.

These were the
HUORNS
, the sentient trees of Fangorn Forest, who had crossed the Westfold Vale during the night, having been sent to the aid of Rohan by Treebeard. These strange creatures hated Orcs and desired to be revenged for many atrocities committed by the Isengarders in Fangorn during previous years.

Thus the Orcs were menaced on three separate sides, and the final charge of the Rohirrim completed their destruction. For, rather than face the spears of the Riders, they fled in panic under the shadow of the trees; there they died, caught and strangled one by one. So perished most of the Army of Saruman.

The victory of the Hornburg had a further effect: by eliminating the threat from Isengard it freed the majority of the Rohirrim to ride to the aid of their ally Gondor, also in great straits. In this way the Battle of the Hornburg came to be accounted one of the great clashes of the War of the Ring, second in scale only to the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, which took place a short time afterwards.

Battle of the Pelennor Fields
(3019 Third Age) – The greatest battle of the Third Age, in which Sauron's first and most powerful assault, against Minas Tirith, was defeated against all odds, with great loss to the Dark Power, not least that of his Black Captain, the Lord of the Ringwraiths.

The chief defence of Minas Tirith lay in its walls and great gate. In addition, the farmlands around the city – the Fields of Pelennor – were further fortified, though the military value of these fortifications may be doubted. Begun by Steward Ecthelion II some eighty years before the War of the Ring, this outer defence consisted of a great perimeter wall some thirty miles in circumference, called the Rammas, with a pair of bastions covering the point where the main road out of the City ran along a causeway through Osgiliath and across the River. By the time of the War, the forces of Gondor were grown too few to defend this immensely long perimeter with any hope of success; and Sauron's first assault carried his armies directly across the River, through Osgiliath, and – despite the heroic efforts of the defenders of the Causeway Forts – through the Rammas at many points and into the Fields of the Pelennor. Those who manned the forts and the wall were forced, therefore, to make a speedy retreat across some ten miles of open land to the safety of the city. This withdrawal, covered by Faramir's rearguard, was supported by a sortie from Minas Tirith, with the entire remaining strength of Gondor's cavalry thrown in to prevent the enemy overrunning the retiring defenders [
see Drawing
1].

Nightfall found the city of Minas Tirith besieged on three sides by the army of Minas Morgul, first finger of the Hand of Sauron. For two nights and one dark day, the enemy remained just outside the city walls, digging fire-pits and bringing up great siege engines to test the defences with a gruesome and demoralising hail. Finally, just before dawn on the third day of the Siege, they brought forward the great battering-ram
Grond
(named after the Mace of Morgoth). Wielded by Trolls and shielded by Orc-archers, this weapon soon demolished the City Gate, and the Lord of the Nazgûl, mounted on a huge black horse, prepared to enter where no enemy had ever passed before.

At this point the Battle of the Pelennor Fields began. Hardly had the Black Captain reached the Gate when, from the north, came the sound that no one, defender or besieger alike, had expected to hear: the battle-horns of Rohan. By a strategem, the Rohirrim had avoided the forces of Sauron stationed to block their advance, and were even then breaking on the northern flank of the besiegers like surf upon a ridge of black sand. Sweeping all before them, the Riders soon cleared the entire northern half of the Pelennor [
Drawing
2], cramming the enemy to the south of the Causeway Road. Théoden's cavalry scattered the Orcs, drove the guards of the warengines into the fire-pits and routed the Southron horsemen.

Yet events might still have gone badly for Gondor. Théoden of Rohan had fallen at the climax of his great charge, and in their subsequent fierce onset, the Rohirrim had not kept a broad front but had penetrated in wedges, leaving great areas unfought, especially around the individual war-beasts of Harad. The forces of Morgul, now led by Gothmog (the Black Captain had been slain and Théoden avenged), were preparing their counter-attack when, to the dismay of Gondor and Rohan, black sails were sighted upon the Anduin, heading for the Harlond landings. But the ships that bore the black sails were filled with fresh forces from Lebennin and the southern fiefs, led by Aragorn, the Heir of Isildur.

And so the forces of Morgul were caught between the Wall, the City, the River and the Rohirrim [
Drawing 3
]. The Rohirrim, now largely unhorsed, continued to cut their way south; the men of Lebennin with Aragorn at their head strode north; and a sortie from Minas Tirith charged east. Only to the River could the forces of Sauron flee – and there they fought and died, or perished in the waters.

Battle of the Plains
(1856 Third Age) – The disastrous battle fought against the invading Wainriders by the Men of Rhovanion assisted by Narmacil II of Gondor. The Wainriders were victorious and swept into Rhovanion. Narmacil was slain and the Northmen either fled or were enslaved.

Battle of the Powers
– The third of the Wars of Arda, in which the Valar, after many ages during which they had not contested the rule of Mortal Lands with Melkor the evil Ainu (Morgoth as he was afterwards named), came swiftly back and overthrew him for the sake of the Quendi (the Elves), who had at last awoken in Middle-earth and were in peril.

It is said in the traditions of the Elves (who actually remembered little or nothing of that battle) that the first of Melkor's strongholds to be destroyed was his north-western fastness of Angband, then newly built and commanded by Sauron, a Maia and a servant of Melkor. Then the Valar pressed forward to besiege Utumno, Melkor's older and greater stronghold. For several years this siege continued; and in the tumults the shape of the northern lands was changed – not for the first time, nor the last. Eventually Utumno was broken for ever and Melkor was taken, a prisoner, back to Valinor, there to be incarcerated in the Halls of Mandos for a period of three Ages.

Battle of Unnumbered Tears
– A translation of the Sindarin
Nirnaeth Arnoediad,
being the name given in the traditions of the Eldar and the Edain to the Fifth and final Battle of Beleriand, in which Morgoth the Enemy finally and for ever overthrew the Elf-kingdoms and the realms of Men, making himself, finally and incontestably, Master of Middle-earth. It took place in the 470th Year of the Sun, and was the greatest defeat ever suffered by Elves or Men in their long wars against Morgoth or Sauron. Among the slain were: Fingon the High King, son of Fingolfin the son of Finwë (the first to die because of the Silmarils); Azaghâl the Dwarf-king of Belegost, defeater of the Dragon Glaurung; Huor of the Edain, together with most of the Men of Dor-lómin; and many more besides. All the Elves of Mithrim were slain. Only Turgon King of Gondolin – now High King of the Noldor – escaped, with most of his people. Morgoth's victory was now all but complete. Nowhere in Middle-earth, save in Doriath, Gondolin and Nargothrond, were there realms or organised peoples to withstand him; but Thingol of Doriath took little part in this war (though despite his renunciation of the works of the Noldor he was enmeshed in their destruction before the end), and Morgoth's armies swept where they would throughout Beleriand. Nargothrond and Gondolin fell. The War of the Jewels was over. What little hope remained now lay in the West.

Battle Pit
– The mass grave for those ruffians of Saruman who perished at the
BATTLE OF BYWATER
. It had previously been a sandpit.

Battle Plain
– A translation of the Sindarin word
Dagorlad.

Battles of Beleriand
– The name given in the lore of the Eldar and the Edain to the five great battles fought against Morgoth the Enemy in the War of the Great Jewels during the First Age of Middle-earth. The first three of these were won by the Eldar; the last two were decisive victories for Morgoth, and cost the Elves the war.

The First Battle took place in the Dark Year, after the flight of Morgoth to Middle-earth, but before the rising of the Moon or Sun. Seeking to eliminate the Grey-elves from Beleriand, Morgoth sent out two great hosts, one hunting south-west, the other south-east. For months they swept all before them. But Thingol had sent to Ossiriand for help, and the Elves of Doriath and Ossiriand fought a great battle against the Orcs in East Beleriand, and crushed them; though
DENETHOR
of Ossiriand was slain. However the western battle was lost by the Sindar, and the Elves of the Havens were driven to the edge of the Sea. Thingol strengthened Doriath in expectation of more battles to come, but before either side could make further moves the northern sky was lit by a great burning: Fëanor and the High-elves of his House had returned to Middle-earth to regain the Silmarils. Thingol took no further direct part in the War.

The Second Battle is called the ‘Battle-Under-Stars', the
Dagornuin-Giliath,
for it was fought directly after the First Battle; while the Moon had not yet appeared in the skies of Middle-earth. Fëanor, having landed at Losgar (and burned his ships), swiftly occupied Mithrim; where his encampment was attacked by Orcs from Angband. They were heavily defeated, and the Noldor pursued them northwards, as far as the gates of Angband. Fëanor, who was leading the pursuit, was mortally wounded by Gothmog, Lord of the Balrogs of Angband. Nevertheless it was accounted a victory for the Eldar.

The Third Battle is named
Dagor Aglareb,
the ‘Glorious Battle'; it was fought in the 60th Year of the Sun. As its name implies, it was an overwhelming victory for the Eldar. A sudden assault from Angband was contained and trapped north of Dorthonion, on the plains of Ard-galen; and not an Orc of that army ever returned to Morgoth's domain. This was the last and greatest of the victories won by the Eldar; and it was followed by the Long Peace, which lasted for four hundred years.

The Fourth Battle was the ‘Battle of Sudden Flame', the
Dagor Bragollach.
Long years of peace had lulled the Eldar – now reinforced by new allies, the Edain – into a false sense of security. In the Year of the Sun 455 Morgoth took advantage of this by unleashing all his might in one crushing blow. The advance of his armies was aided by rivers of fire which ran ahead of them and kindled the plain of Ard-galen, and even the north- and eastward-facing slopes of the mountain ramparts of Mithrim and Dorthonion. Ard-galen was transformed into a charred desert; and the Siege of Angband was overthrown. Many of the realms opposed to Morgoth were swept away; and hereafter the survivors were on the defensive. It was too late, moreover, for the Eldar and Edain to reverse the momentum of their fortunes.