Ancalagon
From Tolkien Gateway
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| Ancalagon | |
|---|---|
| Biographical Information | |
| Other names | Ancalagon the Black |
| Years influential | First Age |
| Destroyed | War of Wrath |
| Realm | Angband |
| Physical Description | |
| Race | Dragons |
| Gender | Male |
| Appearance | winged,[1] black[2] |
| Accomplishments | Driving back the Valar during the War of Wrath |
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| Ancalagon.mp3 |
| By Ardamir. (Help; more articles) |
Ancalagon the Black was the greatest Dragon of Middle-earth.
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[edit] History
During the War of Wrath, the Valar waged their final war on Morgoth. Their victory was at hand, with most of the Dark Lord's Balrogs and other troops destroyed. But then, Morgoth unleashed the winged dragons, with Ancalagon at their van. Ancalagon drove back the forces of the Valar, but was stopped by Eärendil. Ancalagon was no match for the mariner, who sailed through the skies in the ship Vingilot, with the Silmaril upon its brow. Ancalagon was cast down and fell atop Thangorodrim, breaking its mighty towers. With him fell most other dragons.[2] Up until the late Third Age, Ancalagon was considered the mightiest of all dragons, though not even he could make the One Ring melt.[3]
[edit] Etymology
Ancalagon is a Sindarin name, from anc[4] and alag[5] plus the name ending -on. Its meaning is "Rushing Jaws".[1]
[edit] In popular culture
Two animals are named after Ancalagon: Ancalagon, a Cambrian priapulid by Simon Conway Morris in 1977, and Ankalagon by Leigh Van Valen in 1980, a Paleocene mesonychid mammal.[6]
[edit] See Also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Index"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, "The Shadow of the Past"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lays of Beleriand, "The Etymologies", root ANAK
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lays of Beleriand, "The Etymologies", root ALAK
- ↑ Chris Isaak, "Names from Fictional Characters", Curiosities of Biological Nomenclature
| Named Dragons | |
| Glaurung | Ancalagon | Scatha | Smaug | |
