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.

Names and titles

His name among the Ainur (used by both servant and enemy) was recorded as Melkor, in an old form Melkórë, which is actually Quenya for "he who arises in might". His original Valarin name is not recorded. The Sindarin form of this name was Belegur, which was never used except in the altered form Belegurth, meaning Great Death. The oldest name known, from Common Eldarin, was *mbelekôro.

Related Topics:
Quenya - Valarin - Sindarin - Common Eldarin

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After the Darkening of Valinor he was by the Elves never again called by his old name, but always called the Morgoth, the Dark Enemy. Other titles given to him were the Dark Lord, the Great Enemy, the Dark Power of the North, the Black Foe, and the Lord of the Dark. His oldest name among them was the Dark Hunter, a name from legend given when he captured Elves, to create the race of Orcs, and tried to discredit Oromë.

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Men called him the Dark King of Angband or the Dark King. The Dwarves' name for him is unknown, and the Hobbits do not seem to be aware of his existence.

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Morgoth and The Morgoth differed in meaning: "The Morgoth" was a term given to the person of Melkor in his complete power over the matter of Arda: therefore Dragons, Trolls, Orcs, and even Angband were in a way part of "The Morgoth", but not part of Morgoth. "The Morgoth" still held all the power Melkor had held of old, and was by far the most powerful being in all of Arda, but the incarnated Morgoth had lost so much power that he had almost become an equal of the greatest of the Elves: whereas Melkor would have been able to destroy Fingolfin without effort, Morgoth actually had to duel with the Elf-lord. While Melkor/Morgoth was eventually exiled by the Valar, the only way to destroy "The Morgoth" would be to completely destroy all of Arda and render it anew: a task the Valar could not do without also destroying the Children of Ilúvatar and therefore unthinkable.

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