War of Wrath

The War of Wrath, or the Great Battle was the final war against Morgoth at the end of the First Age.

500 years into the First Age, Morgoth had become mighty and uncontested in Middle-earth, not least because of the strife among the Ñoldor. The mariner Eärendil, by the guidance of a Silmaril which he wore on his forehead, searched and came to Valinor, on behalf of the two kindreds (that of Elves and Men), begging the Valar to pardon and aid the enthralled Elves and Men of Middle-earth.

The Valar were moved by Eärendil's plea, and along with the Vanyar and the remaining Ñoldor in Aman, came to Middle-earth in a mighty host. Of the Teleri of Alqualondë, they granted the use of their ships to the powers of Aman, but none would aid the Ñoldor in Middle-Earth, remembering the kinslaying of their people long ago. The great force of Aman marched across Beleriand, and met the terrible forces of Morgoth in the plains of Anfauglith.

The host of the Valar utterly destroyed the Orc armies of Morgoth and most of the Balrogs, all save a few who fled and hid themselves in the deep places of the world. While the Three Houses of Men or the Edain fought with the Valar, many other Men from the east fought for the forces of Morgoth and were either destroyed or fled back to the far eastern parts of Middle-earth where they became Kings of lesser men. Facing final defeat, Morgoth, in a last desperate effort, released his last ultimate weapon, the winged Dragons, which had never been seen before, and the terror of that onslaught was like a great storm, and they drove the Valar back.

At that moment Eärendil came with his sky-ship Vingilot, along with the Eagles of Manwë led by Thorondor. In the skies above Angband, they contested with the dragons, slaying most of them. Eärendil himself slew their captain, the mighty Ancalagon the Black, who broke the towers of Thangorodrim in his fall. (A prophecy given in Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth in Morgoth's Ring gives the slaying of Ancalagon to Túrin instead.)

Morgoth was finally captured cowering in the deepest dungeon of Angband and bound again with his old chain Angainor; the two Silmarils still in his possession were taken by the Maia Eönwë, the herald of Manwë and guarded (whence they were later stolen by Maedhros and Maglor) and Morgoth's crown was beaten into a collar for him. In the end the Valar thrust him "through the Door of Night, beyond the Walls of the World, into the Timeless Void", where he remains until the Last Battle and the Day of Doom, and those doors are forever guarded by Ëarendil. Only then shall he be utterly destroyed.

The wreckage of the war was immense; most of the land west of the Ered Luin was laid waste and soon after sank beneath the waves. The remaining elves were bidden by Ëonwë to return with him to the lands of Aman. Most of the Elves went into the West, while others still refused the summons and rather journeyed eastward where they would become lords of the remaining Eldar or those elves who still dwelt in the east, such as the Silvan Elves. Galadriel and Celeborn as well as Elrond were among these.

For those men of the Edain, who fought for the host of the Valar, they were granted to them the land of Númenor (in the full Quenya form Nùmenórë). This land was neither of Aman nor Middle-earth, but was indeed closer to Aman.