Though Glaurung was named Father of Dragons, Ancalagon, also known as Ancalagon the Black, was the greatest of all winged dragons bred by Morgoth during the First Age.

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Later mentions 2 Etymology 3 References 4 External link

BiographyEdit

Though details of his nature and powers are left vague, he led the host of winged dragons as Morgoth's last defense in the War of Wrath in an attack so fierce it drove back The Host of Valinor.

This was the first the world had seen of winged dragons and for a time Morgoth's armies gained ground. Eärendil came out of the west in Vingilot, accompanied by the Eagles of Manwë, and they fought with Ancalagon and the other dragons. Eventually, Eärendil was victorious, and the fall of Ancalagon marked the end of Morgoth's final resistance.

Ancalagon was incredibly huge, as his wings were able to blot out the light of the sun even from afar. And when he fell from the sky, the impact shattered Thangorodrim, an artificial volcanic mountain range built above Angband.

Eärendil, on his ship Vingilot, slew Ancalagon with the aid of Thorondor and his Eagles. They fought Ancalagon for a whole day before Eärendil emerged victorious, and threw Ancalagon down upon Thangorodrim. The method in which Eärendil slew the dragon is unspecified in The Silmarillion.^[1]

Later mentionsEdit

Gandalf spoke of him as he told Frodo the true origin of his Ring. "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."^[2]

EtymologyEdit

Ancalagon is a Sindarin word usually translated as 'Rushing Jaws'.

ReferencesEdit

1. ↑ The Silmarillion, "Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath".
2. ↑ The Lord of the Rings, "The Shadow of the past".

Dragons of Middle-earth

Ancalagon | Glaurung | Scatha | Smaug | Gostir

External linkEdit

• Ancalagon at Tolkien Gateway