Changes: Great Eagles

Revision as of 03:12, 4 March 2015

The Great Eagles are said in The Silmarillion to have been "devised" by Manwë Súlimo, leader of the Valar, and were often called the Eagles of Manwë. They were sent from Valinor to Middle-earth to keep an eye on the exiled Ñoldor, and also on their foe the evil Vala Morgoth and later his lieutenant and future Dark Lord, Sauron.

History

First Age

The Great Eagles were the messengers and spies of the King of Arda, and possessed the ability to see through all physical matter except for the blackness of Morgoth's evil pits. Morgoth first discovered the limits of their sight prior to the fall of the great stronghold of Utumno. The king of these eagles was Thorondor and descendents of his included the eagle lord Gwaihir, who carried Gandalf many times during the Third Age. There are hundreds of them in the Middle Earth.

For a time the King of the Eagles, Thorondor, kept his eyries at the top of Thangorodrim, the three mighty peaks that Morgoth raised from the Iron Mountains above the gates of Angband. While they lived there, Thorondor helped Fingon rescue Maedhros. Thorondor's folk later removed their eyries to the Crissaegrim, part of the Echoriath about Gondolin. There they were friends of Turgon, and kept spies off the mountains.

Thorondor wounded Morgoth in the face after Morgoth's battle with Fingolfin, and carried Fingolfin's corpse to the Echoriath, where Turgon buried him.

The Great Eagles fought alongside the army of the Valar, Elves and Edain during the War of Wrath at the end of the First Age.^[1]

Second Age

In the Second Age, a pair of Eagles had an eyrie in the King's House in Armenelos the capital of Númenor until the Kings became hostile to the Valar. The Eagles also watched the peak of Mount Meneltarma, and three Eagles would always appear when someone climbed to the summit.

Towards the end of Númenor, the Valar sent storm clouds in the shape of Great Eagles in an attempt to warn them of their folly and impending doom.^[2]

Third Age

Adelaars — Great Eagles with Thorin and Company in *The Hobbit*.

In the Third Age, Thorondor's descendants Gwaihir and Landroval lived in an eyrie to the east of the Misty Mountains in Wilderland.

In The Hobbit, no eagles were identified by name. Only the title Lord of the Eagles distinguished the eagle leader from other eagles in this story. (The text added that he was given the title King of All Birds at a later date.) Many readers assume that it was Gwaihir and Landroval who rescued Thorin Oakenshield and company from a band of Wargs and Goblins, flying them to the river Anduin, and later assisting in the Battle of the Five Armies fought near Lonely Mountain. However, in Return of the King Gandalf says that Gwaihir has carried him twice before, while the proper count would be three times if Gwaihir and the Lord of the Eagles were the same individual.

Before and during the War of the Ring, Gwaihir rescued Gandalf the Grey from the top of Isengard-having been dispatched by Radagast-and again from Zirak-Zigil. The Eagles aided troops of King Elessar at the Battle of the Morannon at the Black Gate. The Eagles arrived in time to overthrow some Nazgûl, including Khamûl. Gwaihir, with others of his people, rescued Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee from Mount Doom in Mordor after the One Ring had been destroyed.

In combat

An attack by the Great Eagles must have been terrifing for the armies that were being attacked. The Eagles could attack in two ways. They could attack using their talons and beak to stab through armour, but probably the most common way for the Eagles to fight was to simply pick up as many foes as possible, carry them to a great height, and drop them onto rocks or other hard objects so that they were killed by the fall.

Portrayal in adaptations

In Peter Jackson's film trilogies (those of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings), the eagles are much smaller than depicted in the book. They have been noted to been around 6m (20ft) tall, and have a wingspan of no more than 23m (75ft). Also, in the film adaptation, unlike in the books, the birds are not shown to be capable of speech. During the titular events of The Battle of the Five Armies, the Eagles carry Radagast and Beorn into battle against Azog's army.

Behind the Scenes

Tolkien's painting of an eagle on a crag appears in some editions of The Hobbit. According to Christopher Tolkien, the author based this picture on a painting by Archibald Thorburn of an immature Golden Eagle, which Christopher found for him in The Birds of the British Isles by T. A. Coward. However, Tolkien's use of this model does not necessarily mean that his birds were ordinary Golden Eagles. In some of his texts Tolkien speculated that these great Eagles were actually Maiar in bird-shape, as he felt it unlikely Ilúvatar would grant feär to animals. If this was true, then Roäc the Raven and the Thrush, who appear in The Hobbit, might also be Maiar or other spirits in animal form (and possibly even Beorn, who sometimes takes the form of a bear).

This page uses content from Wikipedia. The original article was at Eagle (Middle-earth). The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with The One Wiki to Rule Them All, the text of Wikipedia is available under the Commons Attribution-Share Alike license.

Notable Great Eagles

Races of Arda

Free Peoples of the World:

Servants of the Shadow:

References

↑ The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion
↑ The Silmarillion, Akallabêth (The Downfall of Númenor)

External link

Great Eagles at Tolkien Gateway

[1] The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion

[2] The Silmarillion, Akallabêth (The Downfall of Númenor)

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 }}
+The '''Great Eagles''' are said in ''[[The Silmarillion]]'' to have been "devised" by [[Manwë Súlimo]], leader of the [[Valar]], and were often called the '''Eagles of Manwë'''. They were sent from [[Valinor]] to [[Middle-earth]] to keep an eye on the exiled [[Ñoldor]], and also on their foe the evil [[Vala]] [[Morgoth]] and later his lieutenant and future [[Dark Lord]], [[Sauron]].
-*
+==History==
-You all are nerds[[de:Adler]][[es:Águilas]][[it:Aquile]][[pl:Wielkie Orły]][[ru:Великие Орлы]][[Category:Races]][[Category:Eagles| ]][[Category:Birds]][[Category:Elf friends]][[Category:Valar Animals]]
+===First Age===
+The Great Eagles were the messengers and spies of the [[King of Arda]], and possessed the ability to see through all physical matter except for the blackness of Morgoth's evil pits. Morgoth first discovered the limits of their sight prior to the fall of the great stronghold of [[Utumno]]. The king of these eagles was [[Thorondor]] and descendents of his included the eagle lord [[Gwaihir]], who carried [[Gandalf]] many times during the [[Third Age]]. There are hundreds of them in the Middle Earth.
+For a time the King of the Eagles, ''Thorondor'', kept his eyries at the top of [[Thangorodrim]], the three mighty peaks that Morgoth raised from the Iron Mountains above the gates of Angband. While they lived there, Thorondor helped [[Fingon]] rescue [[Maedhros]]. Thorondor's folk later removed their eyries to the [[Crissaegrim]], part of the [[Echoriath]] about [[Gondolin]]. There they were friends of [[Turgon]], and kept spies off the mountains.
+Thorondor wounded Morgoth in the face after Morgoth's battle with [[Fingolfin]], and carried Fingolfin's corpse to the Echoriath, where Turgon buried him.
+The Great Eagles fought alongside the army of the Valar, [[Elves]] and [[Edain]] during the [[War of Wrath]] at the end of the [[First Age]].<ref>''[[The Silmarillion]], [[Quenta Silmarillion]]''</ref>
+===Second Age===
+In the [[Second Age]], a pair of Eagles had an eyrie in the King's House in [[Armenelos]] the capital of [[Númenor]] until the Kings became hostile to the Valar. The Eagles also watched the peak of Mount [[Meneltarma]], and three Eagles would always appear when someone climbed to the summit.
+Towards the [[Akallabêth|end of Númenor]], the Valar sent storm clouds in the shape of Great Eagles in an attempt to warn them of their folly and impending doom.<ref>''[[The Silmarillion]], [[Akallabêth]]'' (The Downfall of Númenor)</ref>
+===Third Age===
+[[File:Adelaars.jpg|thumb|250px|Great Eagles with Thorin and  Company in ''The Hobbit''.]]
+In the [[Third Age]], Thorondor's descendants [[Gwaihir]] and [[Landroval]] lived in an [[Eagles Eyrie|eyrie]] to the east of the [[Misty Mountains]] in [[Wilderland]].
+In ''[[The Hobbit]]'', no eagles were identified by name. Only the title [[Lord of the Eagles]] distinguished the eagle leader from other eagles in this story. (The text added that he was given the title ''King of All Birds'' at a later date.) Many readers assume that it was Gwaihir and Landroval who rescued [[Thorin Oakenshield]] and company from a band of [[Warg]]s and [[Goblin]]s, flying them to the river [[Anduin]], and later assisting in the [[Battle of the Five Armies]] fought near [[Lonely Mountain]]. However, in [[Return of the King]] Gandalf says that Gwaihir has carried him twice before, while the proper count would be three times if Gwaihir and the ''Lord of the Eagle''s were the same individual.
+Before and during the [[War of the Ring]], Gwaihir rescued [[Gandalf]] the Grey from the top of [[Isengard]]-having been dispatched by [[Radagast]]-and again from [[Zirak-Zigil]]. The Eagles aided troops of [[Aragorn II|King Elessar]] at the [[Battle of the Morannon]] at the [[Black Gate]]. The Eagles arrived in time to overthrow some [[Nazgûl]], including [[Khamûl]]. Gwaihir, with others of his people, rescued [[Frodo Baggins]] and [[Samwise Gamgee]] from [[Mount Doom]] in [[Mordor]] after the [[One Ring]] had been destroyed.
+==In combat==
+An attack by the Great Eagles must have been terrifing for the armies that were being attacked. The Eagles could attack in two ways. They could attack using their talons and beak to stab through armour, but probably the most common way for the Eagles to fight was to simply pick up as many foes as possible, carry them to a great height, and drop them onto rocks or other hard objects so that they were killed by the fall.
+==Portrayal in adaptations==
+In Peter Jackson's film trilogies (those of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings), the eagles are much smaller than depicted in the book. They have been noted to been around 6m (20ft) tall, and have a wingspan of no more than 23m (75ft). Also, in the film adaptation, unlike in the books, the birds are not shown to be capable of speech. During the titular events of ''[[The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies|The Battle of the Five Armies]]'', the Eagles carry Radagast and Beorn into battle against [[Azog's army]].
+==Behind the Scenes==
+Tolkien's painting of an eagle on a crag appears in some editions of ''The Hobbit''. According to [[Christopher Tolkien]], the author based this picture on a painting by [[wikipedia:Archibald Thorburn|Archibald Thorburn]] of an immature [[wikipedia:Golden Eagle|Golden Eagle]], which Christopher found for him in ''The Birds of the British Isles'' by [[wikipedia:T. A. Coward|T. A. Coward]]. However, Tolkien's use of this model does not necessarily mean that his birds were ordinary Golden Eagles. In some of his texts Tolkien speculated that these great Eagles were actually [[Maiar]] in bird-shape, as he felt it unlikely [[Ilúvatar]] would grant [[Fëa and hröa|feär]] to animals. If this was true, then [[Roäc]] the [[Raven]] and the [[Thrush]], who appear in ''The Hobbit'', might also be Maiar or other spirits in animal form (and possibly even [[Beorn]], who sometimes takes the form of a bear).
+{{EnWP|Eagle (Middle-earth)}}
+==Notable Great Eagles==
+*[[Thorondor]]
+*[[Gwaihir]]
+*[[Landroval]]
+*[[Meneldor]]
+{{Races}}
+==References==
+<references />
+==External link==
+*{{TGlink|Great Eagles}}
+[[de:Adler]]
+[[es:Águilas]]
+[[it:Aquile]]
+[[pl:Wielkie Orły]]
+[[ru:Великие Орлы]]
+[[Category:Races]]
+[[Category:Eagles| ]]
+[[Category:Birds]]
+[[Category:Elf friends]]
+[[Category:Valar Animals]]