Dark Lord

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Morgoth and Sauron by Eric Faure-Brac

The Dark Lord, the Dark Power or the Enemy were names given to the two great foes of the Free Peoples of Middle-earth, Morgoth the great rebel Vala, and Sauron, the foremost fallen Maia.

History

When Morgoth ruled in Utumno, he took the form of a dark lord, tall and terrible. Thereafter, before approaching Ungoliant after escaping from the Valar's service, he took the same form, in which he would remain for ever.[1] Once in Angband, he forged an Iron Crown and proclaimed himself "King of the World".[2] He will, though, be often called Dark Lord since then.[3] In the Third Age, Tom Bombadil will remember him with this title.

In the Second Age, his servant Sauron followed his steps. He first tried to subdue the Free Peoples with the Rings of Power, disguised as Annatar, but after being discovered, he began conquering Middle-earth with military power, also taking pretentious titles like "Lord of the Earth". Since then he became known as the Dark Lord and Enemy by those who perceived his shadow.[4] In the Third Age, many peoples of Middle-earth avoided uttering his name and so called him by this title.

References