Ancalagon

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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
GalleryImages 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


Named Dragons
Glaurung · Gostir · Ancalagon · Scatha · Smaug