Glaurung (Sindarin: "Gold-worm") was the first terrestrial, fire-breathing dragon in Middle-earth, bred by Morgoth in the depths of Angband. He was known as the Father of Dragons and so was possibly the progenitor of the dragons.
Biography[]
Fingon attacking a young Glaurung in the Third Battle of Beleriand, by Jenny Dolfen
Early years[]
After suffering several defeats at the hands of the Ñoldor in Beleriand, Morgoth realized that his Orcs were no match for the Ñoldor unaided. As such, he began considering deadlier forces to deploy. After a century of brooding and growing in the dark pits of Angband, the dragon Glaurung emerged in FA 260, and attacked the Elves maintaining the Siege of Angband. Though Glaurung was not of the winged race that would later arise, he was the greatest terror of his time. He burned and ravaged Ard-Galen and the outlying settlements of Hithlum and Dorthonion. However, he was not yet at his full strength, thus being driven back by Fingon ‒ the prince of Hithlum at that time ‒ and his archers. Morgoth was displeased with Glaurung for revealing himself before he had grown to full strength, but this did not significantly disrupt the Dark Lord's plans.
"Glaurung sets forth to seek Túrin", by J.R.R. Tolkien
War upon the Elves[]
Dagor Bragollach[]
Glaurung was contained in Angband for another two centuries before he was again let loose during the Fourth Battle of the Battles of Beleriand. Known as the Dagor Bragollach for the fires unleashed by Morgoth from the Iron Mountains, Glaurung in full power led Morgoth's forces against the High Elves of Beleriand. Now fully grown, none could withstand his might, and with the Balrogs at his side, Glaurung led the Orcs to an overwhelming victory and broke the siege of Angband.
Glaurung among the Dwarves at the Battle of Unnumbered Tears, by Justin Gerard
Nirnaeth Arnoediad[]
In the fifth battle, the Nírnaeth Arnoediad, Glaurung brought more destruction than before, as he had fathered a brood of lesser dragons to follow him into battle. Due to this, even a great army of Elves and Men fell in the onslaught, for none could withstand the dragon-fire save the Dwarves of Belegost who had arrived at the battle to face this foe specifically.
Once the Elven and Edain armies were broken, Morgoth used Glaurung to hold the territories he had gained; but force in battle was not the only power the monster knew. Glaurung brought many under his sway with the binding power of his hypnotic dragon-spell, cast by his gaze.
Glaurung, by Raoul Vitale
Sack of Nargothrond[]
After Glaurung aided Morgoth in the Battle of Unnumbered Tears, he was given the assignment to complete the Sack of Nargothrond, one of the Elven fortress-cities in Beleriand. Glaurung came upon Nargothrond with great force and after easily defeating the kingdom's army in the Battle of Tumhalad, sacked the formerly hidden city. He faced Túrin, son of Húrin, at the gate, freezing him with his eyes. Túrin heard the screams of Finduilas as he stood there, but due to the spell he was unable to move. When the captives had been taken away, Túrin was released from Glaurung's spell and gave him two choices: to follow Finduilas or aid his mother and sister, who were suffering in Dor-lómin. Túrin chose the latter, and in this way, he was deceived by the dragon, for his mother and sister were living well in Doriath. Glaurung then gathered up all the treasures of Felagund and hoarded them deep within Nargothrond and rested there, guarding them.
Last years[]
Glaurung received the knowledge of Morwen and Niënor's departure to seek their family members. In the forest where they traveled, Glaurung found Niënor, and caused her to lose her mind with his gaze. She was driven mad and ran through the forest "like a deer." Soon afterward, Túrin found her crying on Finduilas' grave. Not knowing that she was his sister, Túrin named her Níniel ('tear maiden') and took her to his home with the folk of Brandir. There they lived for three years, during which they fell in love.
Stephen Hickman's conception of Glaurung
The Slaying of Glaurung, by Darrell Sweet
Death[]
After those years, Glaurung went to attack Brethil. Túrin resolved to waylay and kill the dragon, and at Cabed-en-Aras, he found Glaurung, and stabbed him with his sword, Gurthang. Glaurung felt his death-wound and screamed. When the dragon's blood touched Túrin, Túrin fell into a swoon. Niënor soon found the dragon there, with Túrin unconscious beside him. In his last moments, Glaurung caught Niënor in his hypnotic spell again, but this time restored her own memory of her life. Then, Glaurung died, and Niënor came to, and, thinking Túrin was dead, she cast herself into the river of Cabed-en-Aras.
Túrin soon awoke, discovered what had passed, and threw himself on his sword.[1][2][3]
Earlier stages[]
Glaurung's hypnotic eye, by Matěj Čadil
In J.R.R. Tolkien's Lost Tales, Glorund was the original name of Glaurung.
Parallel[]
Túrin's killing of Glaurung greatly resembles the dragon Fafnir's slaying by Siegfried (or Sigurd) in German Mythology, who, knowing Fafnir's scales were impenetrable, dug a hole and waited for Fafnir to pass over it, allowing Siegfried to stab his dragon's vulnerable belly. Also, like Glaurung, Fafnir's last words were a message to poison Siegfried's trust in the ones he loved.
Gallery[]
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Translations[]
| Foreign Language | Translated name |
| Amharic | ጝላኡሩንግ |
| Arabic | غلورينغ |
| Armenian | Գլաուրունգ |
| Belarusian Cyrillic | Глаурунг |
| Bengali | গ্লুরুং |
| Bulgarian Cyrillic | Глаурунг |
| Catalan | Glàurung |
| Chinese (Hong Kong) | 格勞龍 |
| Georgian | გლაურუნგი |
| Greek | Γκλάουρανγκ |
| Hindi | ङ्ल्औरुङ |
| Hebrew | גלאורונג |
| Japanese | グラウルング |
| Kazakh | Глаұрұнг (Cyrillic) Glaurung (Latin) |
| Korean | 글라우룽 |
| Kyrgyz Cyrillic | Глаурунг |
| Macedonian Cyrillic | Глаурунг |
| Marathi | ग्लॉरुंग |
| Mongolian Cyrillic | Глаурунг |
| Pashto | علاورونګ |
| Persian | گلارونگ |
| Punjabi | ਗਲੋਰੁੰਗ |
| Russian | Глаурунг |
| Sanskrit | ग्लौरुङ्ग |
| Serbian | Глаурунг (Cyrillic) Glaurung (Latin) |
| Sinhalese | ග්ලුරුන්ග් |
| Tajik Cyrillic | Глаурунг |
| Tamil | கிளருங் |
| Tatar | Глауурунг |
| Telugu | గ్లురుంగ్ |
| Thai | เกลารุง |
| Ukrainian Cyrillic | Ґлаурунґ |
| Urdu | گلاورونگ |
| Uzbek | Глаурунг (Cyrillic) Glaurung (Latin) |
| Yiddish | גלאַורונג |
| Dragons of Middle-earth | |
|---|---|
| Ancalagon • Glaurung • Gostir • Lhamthanc • Scatha • Smaug | |
| Cold-drakes • Fire-drakes • Long-worms • Sea-serpents • Spark-dragons | |
References[]
- ↑ Beren and Lúthien
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. II: The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, Appendix: Names in the Lost Tales