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{{Pronounce|Ancalagon.mp3|Ardamir}}
{{Dragon infobox
'''Ancalagon the Black''' was a one of the [[Dragons]] of [[Middle-earth]]
| image=[[Image:Daniel Govar - Ancalagon the Black.jpg|250px]]
| name=[[Ancalagon]]
| othernames=
| titles=''The Black''
| realm=
| affiliation=[[Morgoth]]
| hoard=
| birth=c. {{FA|545}}
| birthlocation=[[The War Of Wrath]]
| death=c. {{FA|587}}
| deathlocation=[[Thangorodrim]]
| slayer=[[Eärendil]]
| type=''[[Urulókë]]''
| legs=Yes
| wings=Yes
| colour=Black
}}{{Pronounce|Ancalagon.mp3|Ardamir}}
'''Ancalagon the Black''' ([[Sindarin|S]], pron. {{IPA|[aŋˈkalaɡon]}}) was the greatest of the winged [[Dragons|Dragons]] of [[Morgoth]].


The [[Dark Lord]] [[Morgoth]] bred Ancalagon during the [[First Age]] to be the mightiest of all the winged Dragons. During the [[War of Wrath]] that pitted [[Morgoth]]'s armies against the host of the [[Valar]], [[Morgoth]] sent Ancalagon forth from the fortress of [[Angband]] to destroy the [[Dark Lord]]'s enemies. So powerful was the dragon that even the [[Valar]] host was driven back.
==History==
During the [[War of Wrath]], the [[Valar]] waged their final war on [[Morgoth]]. Their victory was at hand, with most of the Dark Lord's [[Balrogs]] and other troops destroyed. But then, Morgoth unleashed the winged dragons, with Ancalagon at their van. Ancalagon drove back the forces of the Valar, but was stopped by [[Eärendil]]. Ancalagon was no match for the mariner, who sailed through the skies in the ship [[Vingilot]], with the [[Silmaril]] upon his brow. Ancalagon was cast down and fell atop [[Thangorodrim]], breaking its mighty towers. With him fell most other dragons.<ref name="Voyage">{{HM|S}}, "[[Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath]]"</ref> Even by the late [[Third Age]] Ancalagon was considered the mightiest winged dragon, though Gandalf noted that that dragon could not melt [[the One Ring]].<ref>{{HM|FR}}, "[[The Shadow of the Past]]"</ref>


But [[Eärendil]], a [[Half-elven]] man descended from the princes of the [[Eldar]] and [[Edain]], descended from the sky on his ship [[Vingilot]] and duelled with Ancalagon. They fought for an entire day until [[Eärendil]] achieved victory and slew the dragon, whose ruined corpse crashed down upon the triple-peaked towers of [[Thangorodrim]], destroying them. With his mightiest defender slain, [[Morgoth]] was utterly defeated soon afterward.
==Etymology==
''Ancalagon'' is a [[Sindarin]] name, from ''[[anc]]''<ref name="EtymAnc">{{LR|Etymologies}},[[Sundocarmë|Root]] [[ÁNAK]] and NAK</ref> and ''[[alag]]''<ref name="EtymAlag">{{LR|Etymologies}}, [[Sundocarmë|Root]] A[[LAK]]</ref> plus the name ending ''[[-on]]''. Its meaning is "Rushing Jaws" or "Biting-storm".<ref>{{S|Appendix}}</ref><ref name="EtymAnc"/>


Ancalagon was said to have been so large that he blotted out the [[Sun]].  [[Gandalf]] later said that Ancalagon's fire-breath was hotter than that of any other dragon in history, and he speculated that it was hot enough to destroy even Rings of Power, although not the [[One Ring]] itself.
In [[Eriol]]'s [[Old English]] translations, Ancalagon is referred as ''Anddraca'' "Enemy-dragon".<ref>{{SM|QA1}}</ref>


==In popular culture==
Two animals are named after Ancalagon: ''Ancalagon'', a [[wikipedia:Cambrian|Cambrian]] [[wikipedia:Priapulida|priapulid]] by [[wikipedia:Simon Conway Morris|Simon Conway Morris]] in [[1977]], and ''Ankalagon'' by [[wikipedia:Leigh Van Valen|Leigh Van Valen]] in [[1980]], a [[wikipedia:Paleocene|Paleocene]] [[wikipedia:Mesonychid|mesonychid]] mammal.<ref>Chris Isaak, "[http://www.curioustaxonomy.net/etym/fiction.html Names from Fictional Characters]", ''[http://www.curioustaxonomy.net/index.html Curiosities of Biological Nomenclature]''</ref>
==See Also==
* [[:Category:Images of Ancalagon|Images of Ancalagon]]
{{references}}
{{dragons}}
[[Category:Characters in The Silmarillion]]
[[Category:Dragons]]
[[Category:Dragons]]
[[Category:Sindarin names]]
[[Category:Servants of Melkor]]
[[de:Ancalagon]]
[[fr:encyclo:personnages:animaux:dragons:ancalagon]]
[[fi:Ancalagon]]

Revision as of 04:36, 30 March 2015

Ancalagon
Dragon
Daniel Govar - Ancalagon the Black.jpg
Biographical Information
TitlesThe Black
AffiliationMorgoth
Appearedc. F.A. 545
The War Of Wrath
Deathc. F.A. 587
Thangorodrim
Slain byEärendil
Physical Description
TypeUrulókë
LegsYes
WingedYes
ColourBlack
Gallery[[:Category:Images of Ancalagon|Images of Ancalagon]]

Ancalagon the Black (S, pron. [aŋˈkalaɡon]) was the greatest of the winged Dragons of Morgoth.

History

During the War of Wrath, the Valar waged their final war on Morgoth. Their victory was at hand, with most of the Dark Lord's Balrogs and other troops destroyed. But then, Morgoth unleashed the winged dragons, with Ancalagon at their van. Ancalagon drove back the forces of the Valar, but was stopped by Eärendil. Ancalagon was no match for the mariner, who sailed through the skies in the ship Vingilot, with the Silmaril upon his brow. Ancalagon was cast down and fell atop Thangorodrim, breaking its mighty towers. With him fell most other dragons.[1] Even by the late Third Age Ancalagon was considered the mightiest winged dragon, though Gandalf noted that that dragon could not melt the One Ring.[2]

Etymology

Ancalagon is a Sindarin name, from anc[3] and alag[4] plus the name ending -on. Its meaning is "Rushing Jaws" or "Biting-storm".[5][3]

In Eriol's Old English translations, Ancalagon is referred as Anddraca "Enemy-dragon".[6]

In popular culture

Two animals are named after Ancalagon: Ancalagon, a Cambrian priapulid by Simon Conway Morris in 1977, and Ankalagon by Leigh Van Valen in 1980, a Paleocene mesonychid mammal.[7]

See Also

References

  1. ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath"
  2. ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, "The Shadow of the Past"
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part Three: "The Etymologies",Root ÁNAK and NAK
  4. ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part Three: "The Etymologies", Root ALAK
  5. ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Appendix: Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names"
  6. ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Shaping of Middle-earth, "III. The Quenta: Appendix 1: Fragments of a translation of The Quenta Noldorinwa into Old English, made by Ælfwine or Eriol; together with Old English equivalents of Elvish names"
  7. ↑ Chris Isaak, "Names from Fictional Characters", Curiosities of Biological Nomenclature


Named Dragons
Glaurung · Gostir · Ancalagon · Scatha · Smaug
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