Glaurung

Name: Glaurung

AKA: The Father of Dragons, the Great Worm, the Worm of Morgoth, the Golden

Location: Angband

Book: The Silmarillion

Author: J.R.R. Tolkien

Natural History:

Glaurung was said to have been the first of the Urulóki, the fire-drakes of the north, conceived during the First Age. He left the gates of Angband as a young and scarcely half-grown dragon, causing dismay to the Noldor. Being young and not fully armed, he fled from the darts of the Noldor and returned to Angband for over 200 years.

 In 455, Glaurung led Morgoth's army during the Battle of Sudden Flame, or Dagor Bragollach, against the Noldor Elves and their allies. He then returned in 472 during the Battle of Unnumbered Tears, or Nírnaeth Arnoediad. During that battle he stopped the two armies, Maedhros and Fingon, from joining. However, the Naurgrim, Dwarves of Belegost, stood their ground, for they had armor that could withstand the fire of the dragon. The Naugrim, led by Azaghâl, Lord of Belegost, formed a circle around Glaurung. Glaurung in his rage struck down Azaghâl and crawled over him. Azaghâl, with his last stroke, stabbed the dragon in the belly. Glaurung fled, and the beasts of Morgoth followed him in his retreat to Angband.

 In 495, Glaurung led the Battle of Tumhalad against the Noldor. Túrin was the only one of the Noldor who could withstand the dragon's fire, being clad in dwarf armor. However, Túrin was not immune to the dragon's spells and stood helpless. Glaurung overthrew the people of Nargothrond, enslaving the women and maidens and plundering what treasure lay there, making himself king.

Glaurung eventually moved from Nargothrond to Cared-en-Aras, near the river of Teiglin. There, while he rested, he was mortally wounded by Turambar (Túrin). Turambar thrust his sword, Gurthang, into the dragon's soft belly. Retrieving his sword, Turambar was burned by the venomous black blood that spouted from the wound. Turambar lay as one dead. Glaurung was not dead yet. He would finally perish when Nienor, daughter of Húrin and sister of Túrin, came looking for Turambar. Glaurung lifted his curse on her, and she, remembering her life and lineage, threw herself into the river to be lost in the wild water. Glaurung then finally perished.

Glaurung's lidless serpent eyes could put a binding spell on those that looked into them. He could learn all about someone just by bending his will. His words were poison to those that heard his voice, enchanting the listener with spells of forgetfulness and utter darkness. Laying in a river, he could blind his foes with vast vapour and a foul reek. For even horses cannot stand the maddening dragon-stench. 

The brood of Glaurung would return in the Fall of Gondolin.

"But Turin passed away on the northward road, and Glaurung laughed once more, for he had accomplished the errand of his Master. Then he turned to his own pleasure, and sent forth his blast, and burned all around him."  

 

Ancalagon

Name: Ancalagon

AKA: Ancalagon the Black

Location: Angband

Novel: The Silmarillion

Author: J.R.R. Tolkien





Natural History:
Ancalagon was the greatest of the winged dragons of Morgoth.

Morgoth used this new breed of winged dragons, which had not yet been seen before, as a last desperate assault during the War of Wrath during the First Age.

Ancalagon, the mightiest of those dragons, had a fire that nothing could withstand, and wings that could put a shadow over the land for miles.

Death befell Ancalagon after a day and night of battle. He fell from the sky upon the towers of Thangorodrim, which broke into ruin.

"It has been said that dragon-fire could melt and consume the Rings of Power, but there is not now any dragon left on earth in which the old fire is hot enough; nor was there ever any dragon, not even Ancalagon the Black, who could have harmed the One Ring, the Ruling Ring, for that was made by Sauron himself." -Gandalf

Ungoliant

Name: Ungoliant

AKA: Unknown

Location: Avathar

Novel: The Silmarillion

Author: J.R.R. Tolkien




Natural History:
No one knows whence she came. Some say she descended from the darkness when the world was new. She took the shape of a spider in monstrous form and lived alone, far from the people's of Middle-earth.

She had an immense hunger. She hungered for light and hated it. She had no master, for she desired to be mistress of her own lust, taking all things to herself to feed her emptiness.

She made her home in the cleft of the mountains, sucking up all the light she could find and spinning it into dark nets of strangling gloom and black webs so no light could come to her abode. She was able to spin Unlight, a cloak of darkness in which things seemed to be no more and which eyes could not pierce, for it was void.

She assisted Melkor, he promising her whatever she lusted for, in seeking vengeance on the Valar. On the green of Ezellohar, the Unlight of Ungoliant rose up to the roots of the trees of the Valar, Telperion and Laureli, the first sources of light in Arda. Melkor smote each tree to its core and Ungoliant sucked up the sap that came forth. The poison of death that was in her withered the trees until they died. Her thirst and hunger was great, and going to the Wells of Varda, drained them dry. She belched forth black vapors as she drank, and swelled to an immense size and hideous shape, that frightened even Melkor.

Ungoliant and Melkor traveled to Angband. Though Melkor feared Ungoliant and tried to elude her, he knew that she would not leave his side until his promise was fulfilled. She requested the Silmarils, but Morgoth (Melkor) would not have it and kept them tight in his clutch. The immense cloud of darkness grew and she tried to strangle Morgoth with her webs. His cries called forth the Balrogs, who assailed Ungoliant with their whips, then freed Morgoth and drove off Ungoliant.

Ungoliant fled, covering herself in black vapors, to Nan Dungortheb, the Valley of Dreadful Death. There she hid, devouring and breeding with the other foul creatures of spider form that dwelt there. Her offspring remained there, weaving their hideous webs, while she moved south, away from the people's of Middle-earth.

"Of the fate of Ungoliant no tales tale. Yet some have said that she ended long ago, when in her utter famine she devoured herself at last."