Battle of Five Armies

2009-03-08T13:16:58Z

81.151.183.51: /* Aftermath */

{{sources}}
{{battle|
image=[[Image:Capucine Mazille - The Battle of Five Armies.jpg|300px]]|
name=Battle of Five Armies|
conflict=Battle of Five Armies|
date=[[November 23]], [[Third Age 2941|T.A. 2941]] (speculative)<ref name="KWF99">[[Karen Wynn Fonstad]], ''[[The Atlas of Middle-earth]]'' (second edition), page 99</ref>|
place=the slopes of Erebor, and the Valley and ruins of Dale|
result=Victory for the Elves, Men, and Dwarves|
side1=[[Elves]], [[Men]], [[Dwarves]], and [[Eagles]]|
side2=[[Goblins]], [[Wargs]], [[Bats]]|
commanders1=
*[[Gandalf]]
*[[Thranduil]]
*[[Bard the Bowman]]
*[[Dáin II Ironfoot|Dáin]]
*[[Thorin Oakenshield|Thorin]]†
*[[Gwaihir]]|
commanders2=
*[[Bolg]]†|
forces1=Over 1,000 Elf spearmen and archers, spec. 200 or so Lake-Men, over 500 grim, veteran Dwarves from the Iron Hills,<ref name="Thief">[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], ''[[The Hobbit]]'', "[[A Thief in the Night]]"</ref> many Eagles, Thorin's 12 Dwarf companions, and [[Beorn]]|
forces2="innumberable" Goblins and Wargs|
casual1=Many|
casual2=Complete destruction of force|
}}
<center>{{quote|Kill the Men! Kill the Elves! Save the gold For ourselves!|Dwarven warriors <ref name="RBH">''[[Rankin/Bass' The Hobbit]]''</ref>}}</center>

The '''Battle of Five Armies''' was an important battle waged in [[Third Age 2941]]. The five warring parties were the [[Goblins]] and the [[Wargs]] against [[Men]], [[Elves]] and [[Dwarves]] on and near the [[Lonely Mountain]], after [[Bard the Bowman]] killed the [[Dragons|dragon]] [[Smaug]].<ref name="tCB">[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], ''[[The Hobbit]]'', "[[The Clouds Burst]]"</ref> Prior to the battle, the Men of the Lake and the [[Wood-elves]] had laid siege to the Dwarves in the Lonely Mountain, when [[Thorin and Company|thirteen dwarves]] in Erebor under [[Thorin Oakenshield]] refused to share any of the treasure they had recaptured from Smaug.<ref name="tGotC">[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], ''[[The Hobbit]]'', "[[The Gathering of the Clouds]]"</ref>

==History==
=== Prelude ===

As a result of Thorin's refusal to share any of the treasure, [[Thorin and Company|the dwarves]] were trapped in a bloodless siege, with [[Thranduil]] and Bard hoping to wait him out. However, Thorin had sent messages of his plight to his relatives using as messengers talking [[Ravens]] that lived on the Lonely Mountain. These reached Dain II Ironfoot of the nearby Iron Hills, and he marched to Erebor with 500 heavily armed Dwarves, most of them skilled veterans of the [[War of the Dwarves and Orcs]]. When Dain's forces arrived, battle was almost joined between the two sides (now ''three'' armies were on the field) but at the last moment [[Gandalf]] intervened between the two and revealed that while they were bickering amongst themselves, the Orcs of the [[Misty Mountains]] and [[Grey Mountains]] under [[Bolg]] were using the opportunity to march against them. They had been incited by Gandalf's earlier slaying of the Great Goblin, but had now mobilized for a full-scale attack after hearing news of the death of the Dragon and the now relatively unguarded treasure hoard.

=== The Battle ===

The three commanders agreed that the Orcs were the enemies of all and previous grievances between them were put on hold in face of the greater threat. They arranged their forces on the two spurs of the Mountain that lined the valley leading to the now-sealed off great [[Gate of Erebor]]; the only entrance to the Mountain that remained unblocked. The 500 Dwarves and 200 or so Lake-men formed up on one spur and over 1000 Elves on the other, while a light rear-guard lined across the mouth of the valley to lure the Orcs between the two spurs of the mountain, and thus destroy them. [[Bilbo Baggins]] tried to sit out the battle on [[Raven Hill]] which was held by the Elves.

Soon the Orcs arrived (and now ''four'' armies were on the field), and at first the plan worked: they were lured into the chokepoint and took heavy losses. However, due to their superior numbers, the allied Free people's did not hold the advantage long. The second wave was even worse than the first, and now many Orcs scaled the mountain from the opposite side, and began to attack the arrayed forces from above and behind, as the main wave pressed forward. The battle raged across the Mountain, and then a great noise was heard: Thorin and his 12 Dwarf companions inside the mountain had thrown down a section of the stone wall they had erected across the mouth of the gates, killing many Orcs. Thorin and Company emerged, covered in the best armour and armed with the best weapons in Erebor. Then Thorin yelled, "''Rally to me my kinsfolk''," and charged down into the valley to join the battle with many Dwarves and many Men and Elves joining them. Thorin advanced through the Orcs' ranks all the way up to the gigantic Orcs that formed the Bodyguard of Bolg, but could not get past them. The battle degenerated into a chaotic close quarters melee, no quarter asked or given.

As the battle was turning fully against the Free Folk, a large army of Giant [[Eagles]] of the Misty Mountains arrived, led by [[Gwaihir]] the Windlord. Bilbo was the first to spot their entrance on the scene (now there were ''five'' full armies on the field of battle) and began shouting that "the Eagles are coming!", a shout that was then continued among the other troops of the Free Folk. At this point Bilbo was knocked in the head by a large stone thrown by an Orc from above on the Mountain, and he passed out. With the support of the Giant Eagles, the battle turned back against the Orcs. Then [[Beorn]] himself arrived at the battle, apparently having heard news that a large army of Orcs was on the move. This time he did not appear in his former shape of a giant Man, but in that of a gigantic Bear. Beorn drove through the Orc lines, but paused to carry the wounded Thorin out of the battle with his paw. Beorn then returned to the battle with even greater wrath and smashed the ranks of the Bodyguard of Bolg, ultimately killing Bolg himself. The Orcs eventually panicked and scattered, to be picked off by hunting forces from the victors later.

=== Aftermath ===

Thorin II Oakenshield had been mortally wounded on the field, and his nephews [[Fíli]] and [[Kíli]] died defending him as he lay on the ground with shield and body. Thorin died soon after the battle, after meeting Bilbo one last time.

After defeating the Goblins and Wargs, the victors divided the treasure. Bard took [[Bilbo Baggins|Bilbo]]'s fourteenth share of the gold and silver in return for the [[Arkenstone]], whereupon he shared his reward with the [[Master of Lake-town]] and gave the Elvenking [[Thranduil]] the emeralds of [[Girion]]. Bilbo, despite having forfeited his share, was offered a rich reward by [[Dain Ironfoot]] but refused to take more than two small chests of gold and silver.

It is said that three quarters of the Goblin warriors of the North were killed on that day.

==Other versions of the Legendarium==
In its first versions, the conflict around Erebor ended after the Siege. While Bard and the Elvenking laid siege, Gandalf would arrive and negotiate a peace treaty. The actual Battle, dubbed by [[John D. Rateliff]] the "Battle of Anduin Vale", would be on the return journey, in what would later be known as the [[Vales of Anduin]]. There, Goblins and Wargs would waylay Bilbo. The Five armies in this incarnation were the Goblins, the Wargs, the Woodelves, the Woodmen, and [[Beorn|Beorn Medwed]] leading a troop of bears.<ref name=TBo5A">[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], [[John D. Rateliff]] (ed.), ''[[The History of The Hobbit|The History of The Hobbit: Return to Bag-End]]'', pages 713-4</ref>

==Portrayal in adaptations==
'''1977: ''[[Rankin/Bass' The Hobbit]]'':'''
:The "Five Armies" are the Elves, the Men, the Dwarves, the Orcs (and Wolves) and the Eagles. Bilbo estimates the force of the Men and Elves on 10,000, but this may not be an accurate estimate. The number of dwarves of Thorin and Company to have died is eight, but only Bombur and Thorin are named among the dead. Only Óin and Glóin are shown as having survived the battle.<ref name="RBH"/>

'''2003: ''[[The Hobbit (2003 video game)|Sierra's The Hobbit]]'':'''
:The battle takes up most of the last chapter. Because Bilbo is the main character, his role in the battle is much expanded. After leaving Thranduil, he has to fight his way to Balin, [[Lianna]], [[Corwin]], Gandalf, Beorn, and ultimately Bolg.
== References ==
<references/>

[[Category:Conflicts of the Third Age]]
[[Category:Sieges]]
[[de:Schlacht der Fünf Heere]]
[[fr:encyclo:evenements:3a:guerres:bataille_des_cinq_armees]]
[[fi:Viiden Armeijan Taistelu]]

Tolkien Gateway - User contributions [en]

Battle of Five Armies