 | |
| Race | |
| Eagles | |
|---|---|
| General Information | |
| Origins | Unknown (see below) |
| Locations | Taniquetil Crissaegrim Meneltarma Eagle's Eyrie |
| Affiliation | Manwë |
| Languages | Quenya, Sindarin, Westron |
| Members | Thorondor, Great Eagle, Gwaihir, Landroval, Meneldor, Witnesses of Manwë |
| Physical Description | |
| Lifespan | Unknown, but obviously very longeval[1][note 1] |
| Gallery | Images of Eagles |
Eagles, also known as Great Eagles, were immense, sentient birds that served as messengers of Manwë. They were capable of speech and often helped Men, Elves and Wizards in their efforts to defeat foes such as Morgoth and Sauron.
History
First Age
At a command of Manwë, the Lord of the Eagles, Thorondor, kept his eyries at the top of the Thangorodrim, the volcanoes above Angband, for a time.[2][3] While he lived there, Thorondor helped Fingon rescue Maedhros.
Thorondor wounded Morgoth in the face after Morgoth's battle with Fingolfin, and he carried Fingolfin's body to the Echoriath, where he was buried by Fingon. Years later, three of the Great Eagles came to the aid of Beren and Lúthien, bearing them away from Thangorodrim after both had drained their strength in the Quest for the Silmaril.[4]
Thorondor's folk later removed their eyries to the Crissaegrim, part of the Echoriad near Gondolin. There they became friends of Turgon, bringing him news and keeping spies off their borders. Because of their guardianship, Orcs were unable to approach either the nearby mountains[5] or the important ford of Brithiach to the south.[6]
They redoubled their watch after the coming of Tuor,[7] enabling Gondolin to remain undiscovered for the longest of all Elven realms. When the city fell at last, the Eagles of Thorondor protected the survivors, driving away the orcs that ambushed them at Cirith Thoronath, the Eagles' Cleft north of Gondolin.[5]
The Eagles fought alongside the army of the Valar, the Elves, and the Edain during the War of Wrath at the end of the First Age. After the appearance of winged dragons, all the great birds gathered under Thorondor and aided Eärendil, destroying the majority of the dragons.[8]
Second Age (Númenor)
In the Second Age, a pair of Eagles had an eyrie in the King's House in Armenelos, the capital of Númenor, until the reign of Tar-Ancalimon, when the Kings of Númenor became hostile to the Valar.
The Númenóreans believed that three Eagles, the Witnesses of Manwë, were sent by Manwë to guard the summit of Meneltarma. These appeared whenever one approached the hallow and stayed in the sky during the Three Prayers.
Many Eagles lived upon the hills around Sorontil in the north of the island.[9]
Eagle-shaped storm clouds, called the "Eagles of the Lords of the West", were sent by Manwë when he tried to reason with or threaten the Númenóreans.[10]
Third Age
By the end of the Third Age, a colony of Eagles under the Great Eagle lived in the northern parts of the Misty Mountains. They mostly nested upon the eastward slopes not far from the High Pass leading from Rivendell, and thus in the direct vicinity of the Goblin-town beneath; often afflicting the goblins and disrupting their plans.
These Eagles helped Radagast and the Elves of Rivendell in watching the land and in gathering news about the Orcs.[11][12] However, as a result of feeding on the sheep of the local Woodmen of Mirkwood, their relationship with Men was strained, causing them to fear men's bows.
The Eagles rescued Thorin and Company from a band of Goblins and Wargs and carried them to the Carrock.[13] Some days later, they spied the mustering of goblins all over the Mountains to be gathered under the Great Eagle in the Battle of Five Armies near Erebor. It was only with their help that the Dwarves, Men and Elves managed to defeat the goblins.[14] The Great Eagle became known as the King of All Birds.
The Eagles appeared in great numbers at the Battle of the Morannon, helping to fight against the Nazgûl. It was Gwaihir, his brother Landroval, and Meneldor who rescued Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee from Mount Doom after the One Ring had been destroyed.[15]
Other names
Thoron is "eagle" in both Sindarin and Quenya (soron in a Quenya without the Shibboleth of Fëanor).[16]
In Gnomish, one of Tolkien's early conceptions of an Elven language, a word for "eagle" is ioroth (poetic form ior). A cognate of the same meaning in Qenya is the poetic ea(r) or earen. Another Gnomish word for "an eagle" is thorn.[17] The Thornhoth was the name for the eagle-folk in this early version.[18]
Origin and nature
Tolkien's view of the Eagle's nature alternated over time. In early stages, he considered the Eagles as bird-shaped Maiar[19], while at other points he speculated that they may be beasts granted the ability to speak by the Valar.[20]
In The Silmarillion, Eagles are described as:[21][22][23]
Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world.
In a text from c. 1959, Tolkien speculated that the Eagles and Huan could be Maiar, but that they could also be beasts elevated by the Valar to possess the ability to speak.[20]
But true 'rational' creatures, 'speaking peoples', are all of human / 'humanoid' form. Only the Valar and Maiar are intelligences that can assume forms of Arda at will. Huan and Sorontar could be Maiar - emissaries of Manwë. But unfortunately in 'The Lord of the Rings' Gwaehir and Landroval are said to be descendants of Sorontar. (...) In summary: I think it must be assumed that 'talking' is not necessarily the sign of the possession of a 'rational soul' or fëa. (...) The same sort of thing may be said of Huan and the Eagles: they were taught language by the Valar, and raised to a higher level - but they still had no fëar.
In a later text, the Eagles were first envisioned by Manwë during the Music of the Ainur, and appeared before the awakening of the Elves.[24][25]
When the Children awake, then the thought of Yavanna will awake also, and it will summon spirits from afar, and they will go among the kelvar and the olvar, and some will dwell therein, and be held in reverence, and their just anger shall be feared (...) Did not thy thought and mine meet also, so that we took wing together like great birds that soar above the clouds? That also shall come to be by the heed of Ilúvatar, and before the Children awake there shall go forth with wings like the wind the Eagles of the Lords of the West.
In a later c. 1970 text, the "mighty speaking eagles" are definitively referred to as Maiar:[26]
The most notable were those Maiar who took the form of the mighty speaking eagles that we hear of in the legends of the war of the Ñoldor against Melkor, and who remained in the West of Middle-earth until the fall of Sauron and the Dominion of Men, after which they are not heard of again.
"Flying the Ring to Mount Doom"
Some readers have questioned why the Eagles simply didn't carry Frodo into Mordor and drop the One Ring in Mount Doom, or at least aid the Fellowship at some part of the journey, such as helping them avoiding the Redhorn Gate and Moria.
In Letter 210, Tolkien said that the Eagles were "not taxis," and reiterated that the Fellowship's mission depended upon secrecy, so depicting a long arduous journey on foot was required to maintain their stealthy approach. Tolkien further states that Eagles should be used carefully as a plot device, and described them as a "dangerous machine" that he used sparingly.[27]
Tolkien wrote of the Eagles in explicit terms of eucatastrophe in Letter 89, where he describes their coming to save the day in The Hobbit.[28] Since eucatastrophe is by nature unexpected, the Eagles by design would not and could not have been considered by the other characters as available or feasible options to take.
Furthermore, the Great Eagles would have been fairly obvious and defenseless to Sauron, who would have seen them coming from a distance and caused to quickly deduce their plan. Ringwraiths and their Fell beasts and/or Sauron's legions of archers and his siege machines would most likely have stopped the attempt upon spotting the Eagles in the vicinity of Mordor. Thus, a small party was needed to go on foot to minimize the risk of attracting notice.
Inspiration
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.
Other versions of the legendarium
In the earliest version of the fall of Gondolin, the king of the Eagles, Thorndor (later Thorondor), had no love for Melko (later Melkor) because he had caught many Eagles and tortured them for the magic words that would enable him to fly (in order to challenge Manwë for command of the air). When the Eagles refused to reveal the magic words Melko cut off their wings in order to fashion a pair for himself, "but it availed not".[29]
Portrayal in adaptations
Eagles in adaptations
-
An Eagle in The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
2001: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring:
- The Eagles are associated with moths; while Gandalf is trapped on the summit of Orthanc, he whispers to a moth and lets it go. Later, when confronted by Saruman, the moth reappears; Gwaihir arrives and Gandalf escapes on its back.
2003: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King:
- Right before the Battle of the Morannon, Gandalf notices a moth flies near him. Then the Eagles appear and fly against the fell beasts. They pick up Frodo and Sam from the slopes of Orodruin.
2012: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey:
- As Thorin and Company are trapped in a falling tree by the band of Azog and their Wargs, Gandalf uses a moth to summon them to his aid. They grasp the wargs and drop them onto the rocks or in the fire, pick up an unconscious Thorin, and save the protagonists from falling. Unlike in the book, they drop the characters on the Carrock and leave; as in the other film adaptations, the Eagles don't appear sentient and there is no dialogue between them and the characters.
2014: The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies:
- The Eagles participate in the battle, and upon their arrival one drops Beorn in bear-form into the field of battle. Radagast, who is implied to be responsible for their participation, also rides one into the battle.
2024: The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power:
2024: The War of the Rohirrim:
External links
Notes
References
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "Part One. The Grey Annals" p. 68
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Noldor in Beleriand"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Ruin of Beleriand and the Fall of Fingolfin"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Beren and Lúthien"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "Of Tuor and his Coming to Gondolin"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Ruin of Doriath"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "A Description of the Island of Númenor"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Akallabêth: The Downfall of Númenor"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, "The Council of Elrond"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, "The Ring Goes South"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "Queer Lodgings"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "The Return Journey"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, "The Field of Cormallen"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Appendix: Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names", entry thoron
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, "I-Lam na-Ngoldathon: The Grammar and Lexicon of the Gnomish Tongue", in Parma Eldalamberon XI (edited by Christopher Gilson, Arden R. Smith, and Patrick H. Wynne), pp. 51, 73
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "III. The Fall of Gondolin", p. 103
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Morgoth's Ring, "Part Two. The Annals of Aman" p. 138
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Morgoth's Ring, "Part Five. Myths Transformed" pp. 409-11
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Beginning of Days"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, "Part Two: Valinor and Middle-earth before The Lord of the Rings, IV. Ainulindalë (Lost Road)"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Morgoth's Ring, "Part One. Ainulindalë: The Music of the Ainur and the Coming of the Valar [Version C]"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Aulë and Yavanna"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "Part Three. The Wanderings of Húrin and Other Writings not forming part of the Quenta Silmarillion: IV. Of the Ents and the Eagles"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Carl F. Hostetter (ed.), The Nature of Middle-earth, "Part Three. The World, its Lands, and its Inhabitants: VIII. Manwë's Ban", Footnote #3, p. 308
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 210, (undated, written June 1958)
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 89, (dated 7-8 November 1944)
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "III. The Fall of Gondolin", p. 193