In the year 455 it began, The battle of rapid fire1. Announced threw flames, More deadly then the Third Battle2. Streams of fire flowing out of Thangorodrim3 and burned Ard-galen4 And with the flame a see of orcs arived, And balrogs5 and Glaurung the dragon6, Having received all his might now. Dorthonion7 broke down first under this onset Angrod and Aegnor8 were killed And their folk enslaved. The riders of Maglor9 were sacrifices of the flames. On the planes of Lothlann victory On our side the triumph of Morgoth.

Comments: For more than four centuries, the forces of the Noldor had besieged Morgoth in his northern fortress of Angband, holding the northern mountain fences of Beleriand and their passes against his forces. In I 455 Morgoth broke the Siege of Angband in the battle that came to be known as the Dagor Bragollach, the Battle of Sudden Flame. The Battle began one night in winter, when Morgoth sent out rivers of flame from Angband that consumed the wide plains of Ard-galen. Then came his armies of Balrogs and Orcs, led by Glaurung the dragon. They forced the highlands of Dorthonion, and took the fortresses of Angrod and Aegnor who dwelt there. Maglor's Gap was also taken, giving Morgoth an entry into Beleriand itself. Maedhros' fortress on Himring held against the tide of foes, and so did the tower of Minas Tirith in the west, and the mountain forts of Ered Wethrin. Nonetheless, the Siege was broken, the Sons of Feanor scattered, and the forces of Morgoth roamed at will throughout the northern lands. As the battle raged against the Mountains of Shadow, Fingolfin the High King of the Noldor in Beleriand rode in anger across the dust of Anfauglith (the plain that had been Ard-galen) and challenged Morgoth to single combat. At the doors of Angband itself, they fought a great duel, but though Morgoth was wounded, Fingolfin was destroyed by the Grond, Hammer of the Underworld.

Vocabulary: 1Dagor Bragollach - 'The Battle of Sudden Flame' (also simply the Bragollach), fourth of the great battles in the Wars of Beleriand (all the ancient coast of the Northwest of Middle-earth). 2Dagor Aglareb - 'The Glorious Battle', third of the great battles in the Wars of Beleriand. 3Thangorodrim - 'Mountains of Tyranny', reared by Morgoth above Angband; broken down in the Great Battle (Nirnaeth Arnoediad - 'Tears Unnumbered' (also simply the Nirnaeth), the name given to the ruinous fifth battle in the Wars of Beleriand) at the end of the First Age. 4Ard-galen - 'the Green Region', the great grassy plain north of Dorthonion, called after its desolation Anfauglith and Dor-nu-Fauglith ('Land under Choking Ash'). 5Balrog - 'Demon of Might', Sindarin form (Quenya Valarauko) of the name of the demons of fire that served Morgoth. 6Glaurung - The first of the Dragons of Morgoth, called the Father of Dragons; in the Dagor Bragollach, the Nirnaeth Arnoediad; called also the Great Worm and the Worm of Morgoth. 7Dorthonion - 'Land of Pines', the great forested highlands on the northern borders of Beleriand, afterwards called Taur-nu-Fuin. Cf. Treebeard's song in The Two Towers III 4: 'To the pine-trees upon the highland of Dorthonion I climbed in the Winter…' 8Angrod and Aegnor - The third and the fourth son of Finarfin, who held the northern slopes of Dorthonion; slain in the Dagor Bragollach. 9Maglor - the second son of Feanor, a great singer and minstrel; held the region between the northern arms of Gelion where there were no hills of defence against the North. 'Now news came to Hithlum that Dorthonion was lost and the sons of Finarfin overthrown, and that the sons of Feanor were driven from their lands. Then Fingolfin beheld (as it seemed to him) the utter ruin of the Noldor, and the defeat beyond redress of all their houses; and filled with wrath and despair he mounted upon Rochallor his great horse and rode forth alone, and none might restrain him. He passed over Dor-nu-Fauglith like a wind amid the dust, and all that beheld his onset fled in amaze, thinking that Orome himself was come: for a great madness of rage was upon him, so that his eyes shone like the eyes of the Valar. Thus he came alone to Angband's gates, and he sounded his horn, and smote once more upon the brazen doors, and challenged Morgoth to come forth to single combat. And Morgoth came. That was the last time in those wars that he passed the doors of his stronghold, and it is said that he took not the challenge willingly; for though his might was greatest of all things in this world, alone of the Valar he knew fear. But he could not now deny the challenge before the face of his captains; for the rocks rang with the shrill music of Fingolfin's horn, and his voice came keen and clear down into the depths of Angband; and Fingolfin named Morgoth craven, and lord of slaves. Therefore Morgoth came, climbing slowly from his subterranean throne, and the rumour of his feet was like thunder underground. And he issued forth clad in black armour; and he stood before the King like a tower, iron-crowned, and his vast shield, sable on-blazoned, cast a shadow over him like a stormcloud. But Fingolfin gleamed beneath it as a star; for his mail was overlaid with silver, and his blue shield was set with crystals; and he drew his sword Ringil, that glittered like ice. Then Morgoth hurled aloft Grond, the Hammer of the Underworld, and swung it down like a bolt of thunder. But Fingolfin sprang aside, and Grond rent a mighty pit in the earth, whence smoke and fire darted. Many times Morgoth essayed to smite him, and each time Fingolfin leaped away, as a lightning shoots from under a dark cloud; and he wounded Morgoth with seven wounds, and seven times Morgoth gave a cry of anguish, whereat the hosts of Angband fell upon their faces in dismay, and the cries echoed in the Northlands. But at the last the King grew weary, and Morgoth bore down his shield upon hint. Thrice he was crushed to his knees, and thrice arose again and bore up his broken shield and stricken helm. But the earth was all rent and pitted about him, and he stumbled and fell backward before the feet of Morgoth; and Morgoth set his left foot upon his neck, and the weight of it was like a fallen hill. Yet with his last and desperate stroke Fingolfin hewed the foot with Ringil, and the blood gashed forth black and smoking and filled the pits of Grond. Thus died Fingolfin, High King of the Noldor, most proud and valiant of the Elven-kings of old. The Orcs made no boast of that duel at the gate; neither do the Elves sing of it, for their sorrow is too deep. Yet the tale of it is remembered still, for Thorondor King of Eagles brought the tidings to Gondolin, and to Hithlum afar off. And Morgoth took the body of the Elven-king and broke it, and would cast it to his wolves; but Thorondor came hasting from his eyrie among the peaks of the Crissaegrim, and he stooped upon Morgoth and marred his face. The rushing of the wings of Thorondor was like the noise of the winds of Manwe, and he seized the body in his mighty talons, and soaring suddenly above the darts of the Orcs he bore the King away. And he laid him upon a mountain-top that looked from the north upon the hidden valley of Gondolin; and Turgon coming built a high cairn over his father. No Orc dared ever after to pass over the mount of Fingolfin or draw nigh his tomb, until the doom of Gondolin was come and treachery was born among his kin. Morgoth went ever halt of one foot after that day, and the pain of his wounds could not be healed; and in his face was the scar that Thorondor made.' [ J.R.R.Tolkien "The Silmarillion" ] Sources: J.R.R. Tolkien "The Silmarillion"; www.profis.lt/summoning