Q: How Was Beleriand Destroyed in the War of Wrath?
ANSWER: Technically speaking Beleriand was NOT destroyed in the War of Wrath, although that is the common interpretation of the stories. If I may paraphrase “The Princess Bride”:
Whoo-hoo-hoo, look who knows so much! It just so happens that Beleriand was only MOSTLY destroyed. There’s a big difference between mostly destroyed and all destroyed. Mostly destroyed is slightly left intact. With all destroyed, well, with all destroyed there’s usually only one thing you can do.
So, setting aside the “usually one thing you can do”, let’s assess how much of Beleriand survived:
- Lindon, which was composed of the former Ossiriand.
- Tol Morwen (which was a remnant of Brethil).
- Tol Fuin (formerly all or part of Dorthonion).
- Tol Himring (formerly the highlands where Maedhros had his fortress).
- A few other unnamed islands.
Another widespread misinterpretation of the story is that the War of Wrath was composed of a single battle. The war itself lasted for many years, from First Age (year of the Sun) 545 to 587. That is a period of 42 years. The war began with the arrival of the Host of Valinor in the ships of the Teleri. Although we have relatively few details about what happened we know that all the major strongholds held by Morgoth’s forces were taken or destroyed. There is a text which says that the cities of Brithombar and Eglarest were seized (they had been inhabited by Orcs since just after the Nirnaeth in FA year of the Sun 473).
Presumably part or all of the Host invaded Hithlum, where many Edain had been enslaved. We know that the Edain joined the Host of Valinor. Elrond and Elros also joined the Host of Valinor. Since they were living with the surviving Fëanorians led by Maedhros and Maglor — and since those Elves did not join the war — there would have to be some point in the history of the war when the sons of Eärendil and Elwing left their Noldorin community and joined the Host of Valinor, or at least followed it (because Elrond compared the splendor of Gil-galad and Elendil’s forces to those assembled for the Breaking of Thangorodrim).
It’s hard to imagine even the most powerful Elves being capable of “drowning” Beleriand, including its mountains. This war, after all, occurred over a thousand years before the Elves of Eregion made the Rings of Power so they had no great artifacts that might have enhanced their power (of which we know). Had Fëanor and his sons been capable of leveling mountains, though, the battles between the Eldar and Morgoth’s forces should have been much more fierce and destructive.
Hence, it was not the power of Elves and Men that destroyed much of Beleriand. That leaves only the greater power of other forces Tolkien mentioned. For example, Morgoth was still served by some Balrogs — who were fallen Maiar — and he unleashed the winged dragons at the very end. Could the dragons, led by Ancalagon the Black, have been powerful enough to destroy mountains? Possibly. The only detailed flying dragon attack we have a record of is Smaug’s assault on Erebor, as told in the Dwarves’ song. Smaug may have not intended to destroy the Lonely Mountain but he certainly wrecked havoc on the lands around the mountain.
So presumably Morgoth had some forces under his command that were capable of churning up the landscape. In fact, we know that when Eärendil slew Ancalagon in mid-air combat the dead dragon’s fall/ruin destroyed Angband (or at least one of the peaks). So Ancalagon was most likely much larger and more powerful than Smaug. Gandalf’s conversation with Frodo about how to destroy the One Ring implies that Ancalagon was the mightiest of all the dragons.
On the side of Valinor there were at least some Maiar since Eönwë commanded the army. It would be reasonable to infer that some of the Valar also accompanied the Host — presumably Tulkas and Oromë would have wanted to be included in that conflict. Tulkas may not have had any followers but Oromë did have a following among the Maiar. Aulë is another possibility and he, too, had a following among the Maiar.
So with these very powerful beings to lead the way, the Host of Valinor should have been able to quickly destroy or drive away Morgoth’s Orcs and Trolls. Should it have required 42 years to do that? And should the landscape have been torn up in the process? The reader is left to infer what happened but a reasonable inference is that there were some very powerful combatants on both sides who would have engaged in extended exchanges of power. These exchanges of power could have included ripping up hills and mountains, opening great rifts in the earth as is suggested by the various texts.
We don’t know how many Umaiar remained to Morgoth in Beleriand but if he had a large number of them they may have been quite capable of facing off with the Host of Valinor for many years. Supported by the (wingless) dragons and perhaps other monsters Morgoth had bred, these Umaiar would have had some power to resist even the Valar — and because Morgoth had diffused much of his own power throughout Arda, especially in Beleriand, he would have been able to assist his servants. Morgoth himself might therefore have made it possible for even his lesser servants to uproot vast tracts of land.
I suggest, therefore, that the War of Wrath was fought on at least two, perhaps three levels. The first level would be that of which Elves and Men (and Dwarves) were capable of waging war. Their armies would have moved across the landscape and fought with the armies of Orcs and Trolls and Easterlings.
The second level would involve Morgoth’s great monsters, led by the (wingless) dragons (but maybe also including great were-wolves and vampires, wargs, and other evil creatures). These monsters might have faced both the most powerful Elves and the lesser Maiar.
The third level would involve Morgoth’s greatest servants — those of the Umaiar capable of sustained battle with Maiar and even Valar. Strengthened by Morgoth’s own power they would have been formidable opponents. The Valar might have had to make strategic moves against these foes, who in turn might have used the land against them (and to impede the movement of the Host of Valinor and its allies).
Progress in the war must have been slow because the Valar would not have wanted to trample innocent lives. They may have held back just enough to ensure that the Elves, Men, and Dwarves who followed them were not inadvertently harmed by the great exchanges of power. And perhaps the Valar and Maiar also performed some temporary engineering feats to offset Morgoth’s defensive tactics. Thus, in the aftermath of earthquakes, landsides, and fissure eruptions the Valar and Maiar may have had to calm things down to ensure that their lesser companions could survive and advance.
And that supposition offers an explanation for why some parts of Beleriand survived. If the great struggles between the most powerful beings resulted in lands being uplifted, riven apart, and thrust downward the Valar may have set up safe refuges and used them as bases from which to strike out against Morgoth’s forces.
The greater destruction of Beleriand itself may have been more a post-battle consequence of the unleashing of great forces, too. That is, after any given combat was decided — in which the earth itself was used as either a barrier or a weapon — the land may have continued to reel from aftershocks and other natural disasters. Imagine the Host of Valinor being pressed forward toward Angband by the inrushing of the sea as each parcel of land was liberated from Morgoth’s control, both physically and militarily. It would be like fighting in a mine field with no way out.
The strategy of waging such a war would have to allow for the creation of refuges, the strengthening of such refuges, and for contingency actions such as withdrawing endangered forces (and non-combatants such as women and children) to safer regions. Morgoth’s forces might in turn have fallen back upon harassing tactics, especially if they could attack or threaten columns of refugees. The best weapon the Valar might have had to resist Morgoth’s power would be the sea itself, controlled by Ulmo and his servants. Morgoth’s forces never once took to the sea and they feared it. Hence, Ulmo may have been forced to carve up Beleriand to create barriers against Morgoth’s upheavals, and he could have plowed channels through the area by which the ships of the Teleri could ferry combatants and refugees.
In fact, the idea of the Teleri just sitting around their ships for 40 years has always bothered me. Wouldn’t they get bored? Wouldn’t they want to do something to help the Sindar (their kin)? Refusing to set foot ashore doesn’t mean they had to be completely uninvolved. They could certainly have helped move refugees from Hithlum to either Balar or Ossiriand.
Of course, this is all speculation. Tolkien probably felt that the War of Wrath was too great an event to be described in detail. The legendary character of the conflict would have been diminished by mere mortal words. There would have been moments of great horror, times of widespread suffering and distress. And there would have been great deeds worthy of songs for the ages. But none of the details were remembered by the Elves of Middle-earth because they did not participate in the war — and the Numenoreans fell into rebellion, so that most of their records and heirlooms were eventually lost. Hence, the War of Wrath remains too distant and remote to be properly documented. And that is probably just as well for those who wish to write fan fiction or gaming adventures set in that timeframe. You have to accommodate fewer “hard facts”. You’re free to imagine the war proceeding as you think best.
See also
Why Did Tolkien Leave Out the Second Prophecy of Mandos?
Do Any Maps Accurately Show Beleriand and Eriador Together?
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