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Battle of Nanduhirion
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Battle of Nanduhirion | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|||||||
| Combatants | |||||||
| Dwarves | Orcs of the Misty Mountains | ||||||
| Commanders | |||||||
| Náin†, Thráin II, Dáin | Azog† | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Dwarf-host[1] of 10-14,000 including 1-2,000 Dwarves from the Iron Hills [2] | Great Orc-host of 20-30,000[3] | ||||||
| Casualties | |||||||
| Half of the dwarven forces.[4] | At least 10,000.[5] | ||||||
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, the Battle of Nanduhirion was the last battle in the War of the Dwarves and Orcs. It was later said that the memory of the battle still causes "Orcs to shudder and Dwarves to weep."
The Battle of Nanduhirion, also called the Battle of Azanulbizar after the Khuzdul name, was fought in the year 2799 of the Third Age at the eastern gate of Moria between the Dwarves of at least several of the Dwarf houses, and the Orcs of the Misty Mountains.
It was the greatest battle of the War of Dwarves and Orcs, and was a decisive victory for the Dwarves, though not without price. An account of the Battle is found in Appendix A Part III of The Lord of the Rings. The battle initially went against the Dwarves, for the Orcs had the high ground and the greater numbers, and being a dark day in winter there was no sun to bother the orcs. The tide was only turned when a last contingent of fresh warriors from the Iron Hills arrived to reinforce the wavering Dwarves.
However, the battle claimed the lives of many; including Frerin the second son of Thráin II, and the younger brother of Thorin Oakenshield. His kinsman Fundin also fell. Both Thráin and Thorin were injured (Thráin lost an eye). Náin son of Grór was slain in a fight with Azog the Goblin right outside the East Gate. Azog was then slain by Náin's son Dáin Ironfoot.
Thráin II, heir of Durin, wished to enter and reclaim Moria after the War. However, the battle had been too costly: "Barely half the number of the Dwarves could stand or had hope of healing."[6] The Dwarves of Durin's folk were too few and the Dwarves of other six houses refused to remain in Khazad-dûm and contest with Durin's Bane. For the Orcs it was more costly, as told in the History of Middle-earth, 10,000 Orcs were slain.[7]
- ^ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, (2nd Edition 1966), p.355, "the Dwarf-host in pursuit came to Azanulbizar", as a host it contains the various armies of Dwarves from the Seven Kindreds.
- ^ All seven of the Houses of Dwarves sent forces, presuming a great company of around 2,000 from each gives an estimated 14,000. In The Annotated Hobbit, p.283, Dáin is able to raise a company of five hundred dwarves on very short notice to send to the aid of Thorin
- ^ History of Middle-earth, Vol.XI. pp. 15-17; Silmarillion, p.96, 106-107. These passages describe a "great army" sent from Angband that divides into an "eastern host" and an "Orc-host in the West"; later the western host that marched north is described as: "...the armies...that had passed south...beleagured Círdan". The attack on Fëanor is described as "the host of Melkor, orcs and werewolves"; "the host of Morgoth". From this it's posible to discern that: a great army of Orcs is made up of hosts, that a host is made up of armies. Both Vol. XI, p.57 and Simarillion, p. 157, later described a lesser formation that attacks Brethil, an Orc-legion. It can be postulated from this and many other citations that a basic Orc military structure consists of: Orc-companies that make up an Orc-legion; Orc-legions that make up an Orc-army; Orc-armies that make up an Orc-host; Orc-hosts that make up a Great Army or a Great Host. If a Legion is estimated at 10,000: an Army is 20,000; a Host would be 40,000. Based on the few known numbers such as the 100,000 Orcs in Vol. V, p.137, these seem reasonable estimates.
- ^ Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, p.356, "Barely half their number..."
- ^ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien, editor,History of Middle-earth, Vol. XII, (1996), p. 278,"...before the Gate of Moria ten thousand Orcs were slain."
- ^ Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, p.356
- ^ History of Middle-earth, Vol. XII, p. 278,"...before the Gate of Moria ten thousand Orcs were slain."