Morgoth

Morgoth Bauglir (Morgoth means "The Dark Enemy", Bauglir is "The Constrainer"), originally named Melkor ("He Who Arises in Might"), is a fictional character of Middle-earth, created by J. R. R. Tolkien. At the creation of Tolkien's world, he was the most powerful of the Ainur (angelic beings). He contended with Eru (the creator) in the Music of the Ainur, increasingly attempting to alter the music to his own design, but only ended up perverting its harmony. Melkor was incarnated into Middle-earth as the first to bear the title the Dark Lord and is the principal antagonist in the book The Silmarillion. As a fallen "angelic" being, he is largely based on Christian teachings about Satan (Satan is a seraph, the most powerful servants of God, and the Ainur also are the most powerful servants of Eru). Morgoth drew about him an army of Balrogs and other assorted demons, who were Maiar whom he managed to trick or corrupt, and made war on Middle-earth and the Children of Ilúvatar, but was defeated by the Valar and was overthrown. He was first taken away in chains, and later cast out of the circles of Arda after being weakened by dispersing his essence into the fabric of the world, marring it permenantly.

Accomplishments

Morgoth played a large role in the creation of Arda: from the start he fought his fellow Valar, even if all his schemes backfired. His unleashing of terrible cold on the waters of Ulmo brought about ice and snow; his horrible fires could not burn the seas, but created the clouds.

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Yet he was partially victorious: he destroyed the Two Lamps, and distorted the original symmetry of Arda.

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Morgoth also begat the race of the Orcs by twisting and distorting Elves, and bred the Dragons, and he also originated the Trolls in perverted mockery of the Ents. His evil could only ruin and destroy, never create. His servants were always wretched shadows of the noble creations of the other Valar. He corrupted many of the Maiar to his service, among them the spirits of fire which would become known as the Valaraukar, or Balrogs.

Related Topics:
Orc - Dragons - Trolls - Ents - Valaraukar

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Perhaps his greatest evil was creating the rebellion of the Ñoldor against Valinor, and the destruction of the Two Trees and the theft of the Silmarils. This led to the disastrous Oath of Fëanor, which all but annihilated the entire house of the Ñoldor in Middle-Earth.

Related Topics:
Two Trees - Silmarils - Fëanor

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Legends amongst Men also blame him for their Fall, which stripped them of their immortality, although this cannot be clearly proven. The Elves claim that death is the Gift of Eru to the Atani. Certainly, Morgoth created the fear of night and death in Men.

Related Topics:
Immortality - Atani

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Because Morgoth dispersed his essence all over Arda, it is said that all of Arda outside of the Blessed Realm has some evil in it, this being the Morgoth-element.

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Perhaps the most long-lasting and direct of all his accomplishments was the corruption of Sauron, originally a Maia of Aulë. Sauron was to become Morgoth's greatest servant, and in ages after his master's fall, would arise as a new Dark Lord, following the same terrible path, and completing the estrangement of Men and Elves which Morgoth had begun.

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