Nonetheless his majesty as one of the Valar long remained, though turned to terror, and before his face all save the mightiest sank into a dark pit of fear. And once only also did he himself wield weapon, while his realm lasted.įor now, more than in the days of Utumno ere his pride was humbled, his hatred devoured him, and in the domination of his servants and the inspiring of them with lust of evil he spent his spirit. Never but once only did he depart for a while secretly from his domain in the North seldom indeed did he leave the deep places of his fortress, but governed his armies from his northern throne. That crown he never took from his head, though its weight became a deadly weariness. ![]() His hands were burned black by the touch of those hallowed jewels, and black they remained ever after nor was he ever free from the pain of the burning, and the anger of the pain. In token of this he set the Silmarils in his crown. Dark now fell the shadow on Beleriand, as is told hereafter, but in Angband Morgoth forged for himself a great crown of iron, and he called himself King of the World. There countless became the hosts of his beasts and his demons, and the race of the Orcs, bred long before, grew and multiplied in the bowels of the earth. There he delved anew his vast vaults and dungeons, and above their gates he reared the threefold peaks of Thangorodrim, and a great reek of dark smoke was ever wreathed about them. And he being freed gathered again all his servants that he could find, and came to the ruins of Angband. Yet some have said that she ended long ago, when in her uttermost famine she devoured herself at last.Īnd thus the fear of Yavanna that the Silmarils would be swallowed up and fall into nothingness did not come to pass but they remained in the power of Morgoth. For other foul creatures of spider form had dwelt there since the days of the delving of Angband, and she mated with them, and devoured them and even after Ungoliant herself departed, and went whither she would into the forgotten south of the world, her offspring abode there and wove their hideous webs. With their whips of flame they smote asunder the webs of Ungoliant, and she quailed, and turned to flight, belching black vapours to cover her and fleeing from the north she went down into Beleriand, and dwelt beneath Ered Gorgoroth, in that dark valley that was after called Nan Dungortheb, the Valley of Dreadful Death, because of the horror that she bred there. Far beneath the ruined halls of Angband, in vaults to which the Valar in the haste of their assault had not descended, Balrogs lurked still, awaiting ever the return of their Lord and now swiftly they arose, and passing over Hithlum they came to Lammoth as a tempest of fire. Deep in forgotten places that cry was heard. The cry of Morgoth in that hour was the greatest and most dreadful that was ever heard in the northern world the mountains shook, and the earth trembled, and rocks were riven asunder. Therefore that region was called Lammoth for the echoes of his voice dwelt there ever after, so that any who cried aloud in that land awoke them, and all the waste between the hills and the sea was filled with a clamour as of voices in anguish. Then Morgoth sent forth a terrible cry, that echoed in the mountains. 'īut Ungoliant had grown great, and he less by the power that had gone out of him and she rose against him, and her cloud closed about him, and she enmeshed him in a web of clinging thongs to strangle him. These things thou shalt not have, nor see. For with my power that I put into thee thy work was accomplished. In his right hand Morgoth held close the Silmarils, and though they were locked in a crystal casket, they had begun to bum him, and his hand was clenched in pain but he would not open it 'Nay!' he said. 'With one hand thou givest,' she said 'with the left only. Huger and darker yet grew Ungoliant, but her lust was unsated. Then perforce Morgoth surrendered to her the gems that he bore with him, one by one and grudgingly and she devoured them, and their beauty perished from the world. Yea, with both hands thou shalt give it'. 'But thou hast a great treasure from Formenos I will have all that. 'Dost thou desire all the world for thy belly? I did not vow to give thee that. 'What wouldst thou have more?' said Morgoth. ![]() Now Morgoth was drawing near to the ruins of Angband, where his great western stronghold had been and Ungoliant perceived his hope, and knew that here he would seek to escape from her, and she stayed him, demanding that he fulfil his promise. Together they went on, for Morgoth could not elude Ungoliant, and her cloud was still about him, and all her eyes were upon him and they came to those lands that lay north of the Firth of Drengist.
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