Sauron is one of the world’s greatest villains, butThe Lord of the Ringstold of a villain of even greater power. Morgoth is this shadowy antagonist ofThe Silmarillionfame, referred to only fleetingly inThe Lord of the Rings.The Lord of the Ringsis, of course, the masterwork of fantasy expert J.R.R. Tolkien, often published in three parts to offset its great length. While this work exploredthe identity of Sauron, one of the world’s greatest villains, it only just touched on the demonic Morgoth and his actions.
The SilmarillionexploredMiddle-earth’s history. WhileThe Lord of the Ringscovered a Third Age story,The Silmarilliondived into the Second Age, the First Age, and the days before that, including Morgoth’s ascendancy in the Elder days. Even compared to Sauron, Morgoth was a destructive power that knew few limitations. As such, his impact on Middle-earth was profound and resonated through the ages. Morgoth was the original villain ofThe Lord of the Rings,setting the stage for Sauron’s rise to power.
Who Is Morgoth In The Lord Of The Rings? Middle-Earth’s Original Villain Explained
Morgoth Was The First Rebel
Morgoth was one ofthe 15 Valar- Tolkien’s demigods. Second only to the One creator, Eru Ilúvatar, in power,the Valar shaped Arda- the world in which Middle-earth is just one continent. After Ilúvatar had provided the Flame Imperishable, it was the Valar’s job to make their vision of Arda a reality. The vision had been created by many like the Valar. This race, the Ainur, sang a great theme directed by Ilúvatar, called the Ainulindalë, which visualized the plan for Arda. Morgoth had been singing discordantly in this hymn, immediately causing trouble in Arda.
10 Big Differences Between Sauron & Morgoth In The Lord Of The Rings
Sauron is the predecessor to the Dark Lord Sauron. However, as he likes to point out in Rings of Power, they are very different Middle-earth villains.
Morgoth was singing discordantly because of his desire to input his own, independent ideas. He had been seeking the Flame Imperishable, which was Ilúvatar’s alone to give and constituted the breath of life itself. Ilúvatar’s unique ability to create life was, in many ways, what defined him as the One God of Tolkien’s world.Morgoth was dissatisfied, lacking the ability to make life, and resultantly, rebelled in his discord and his unholy input to the shaping of Arda. Morgoth continued to subvert the Valar’s work in Arda, destroying what they made.
What Are Morgoth’s Powers & What Is His Goal
Morgoth Was Increasingly Destructive
If Eru Ilúvatar is Middle-earth’s God, the Valar are its archangels and the Ainulindalë is Middle-earth’s creation myth, Morgoth is its devil. Tolkien was clear thatThe Lord of the Ringswasn’t an allegory, but he also confirmed that it had allegorical elements. In this capacity, Morgoth certainly represented a Father of Lies, a Satan figure sowing the seeds of corruption into the world from its very start. Like Satan,Morgoth’s pride led him to seek Godhood, and once he realized he couldn’t have this, he turned to destroying and dominating life instead, in rage and envy.
Among other skills, Morgoth could control the elements, shapeshift, and communicate telepathically with forceful suggestions.
Although Morgoth just wanted to create life originally,Morgoth’s ensuing descent into darkness saw him become increasingly violentand tyrannical. The pride that led Morgoth to seek to create life itself began to manifest itself as an arrogant desire “to have subjects… and to be called Lord, and to be a master over other wills” (The Silmarillion). Morgoth’s methods were Machiavellian, to say the least. He destroyed the Lamps of Arda and the Two Trees, also poisoning the Noldor against the Valar. Among other skills, Morgoth could control the elements, shapeshift, and communicate telepathically with forceful suggestions.
What Happened To Morgoth After The First Age
Morgoth Was Defeated
Morgoth was eventually defeated at the end of the First Age. Morgoth’s struggles to wrest control of Arda from the Valar after they had all entered into it at first was known as the Battle of the Powers in the lore ofthe Elvish Eldar. The awakening of the Elves marked the start of the First Age.Morgoth resented and envied the Elves, bestowed as they were with such power in Arda and the Valar’s protection. This enmity between Morgoth and the Elves drove many of the Battles of Beleriand, which culminated in the War of Wrath, which Morgoth lost, ending the First Age.
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When Morgoth lost the War of Wrath, he was cast into the void, outside Arda. There was only one way in and one way out, and that was the Doors of Night. Elrond’s father, Eärendil, was key in the War of Wrath, defeatingthe mighty dragon Ancalagonand taking up the mantle of guarding the Doors of Night. Tolkien worked on the Dagor Dagorath - a final battle, in which Morgoth returned - but he didn’t conclude these drafts. Morgoth is not a threat, for all intents and purposes, but the possibility of his return exists, in the vaguest hinterlands of canon.
How Morgoth & Sauron Are Connected In The Lord Of The Rings
Morgoth Was Sauron’s Master
Sauron was Morgoth’s followerbefore their relationship became more complex. From his discord onward,Morgoth corrupted many Maiar- a lower order of Ainur than the Valar. Sauron was one of these, although he was originally “of the Maiar of Aulë,” one of the good Valar (The Silmarillion). Sauron “remained mighty in the lore of that people,” so he obviously spent a long time as a perfectly normal and good Maiar of skill. Morgoth exploited Sauron’s love of order and distaste for “wasteful friction,” promising him an efficient route to his goals (Morgoth’s Ring).
Sauron"had adored"Morgoth at first, according toMorgoth’s Ring,and their partnership worked for them both.
This was ironic because Morgoth was actually “a spirit wasteful and pitiless” (The Silmarillion). This deception was really at the heart of Morgoth and Sauron’s relationship. Sauron “had adored” Morgoth at first, according toMorgoth’s Ring, and their partnership worked for them both. However, their goals were very different, and Sauron wanted to rule what Morgoth was happy to ruin. After Morgoth was trapped in the Void,Sauron contemplated repentancebut eventually fell back into darkness, and eventually declared himself Morgoth returned in the Third Age ofThe Lord of the Rings.
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a multimedia franchise consisting of several movies and a TV show released by Amazon titled The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The franchise is based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s book series that began in 1954 with The Fellowship of the Ring. The Lord of the Rings saw mainstream popularity with Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.
