Nargothrond

In the work of J.R.R. Tolkien, Nargothrond is an underground city of the Beleriand.

It is held in the caves which overhang Western bank of the Narog, with the confluence of this one and of the torrent Ringwil . At the origin quoted of the Small-Dwarves under the name of Nulukkhizdīn , they are driven out by it by Finrod, prince of the Ñoldor, who refits the caves with the assistance of the Nain S of Nogrod and Belegost. Those give to Finrod the nickname Felagund , “Digger of caves”. This work lasts one century whole (52 - 102 P.A.).

Finrod reigns during more than three centuries on Nargothrond and the surrounding grounds, of the Sirion to sea (102 - 465 P.A.). When Beren arrives at Nargothrond, in 465 P.A., Finrod chooses to respect the oath which it made with his father, Barahir, and leaves to help it in its search of the Silmaril. But Celegorm and Curufin, sons of Fëanor, which acquired some to be able downtown, are opposed to him and divert its people of him. Finrod, disgusted by the cowardice of its subjects, gives up its crown and leaves Nargothrond with ten Elves and Beren, which only survives.

The departure of Finrod caused a sharp concern in Nargothrond, and does not populate it could not any more but make. One decided to entrust regency to the younger brother of Finrod, Orodreth, but the true Masters of the City were not other than Celegorm and Curufin, which behaved in goujats and despots. However, when one learned tragic death and heroic from Finrod Felagund, “just of the princes of the Elves”, in the dungeons of the tower of Sauron, and when it was known that the wire of Fëanor had not done anything to save it, the people revolted and Orodreth was proclaimed King de Nargothrond.

Orodreth drove out Celegorm and Curufin de Nargothrond and prohibits to them never to return, because large was its anger with regard to those which had let die his/her brother. Orodreth become King, it continued the policy of fire Finrod: to live happy, let us live hidden. It misa the survival of Nargothrond vis-a-vis the hordes of Morgoth on the secrecy and clandestinity. This attitude changed with the arrival of Turin Turambar in the City: its bravery and its intelligence impressed Orodreth, which changed its strategy of the whole to the whole: open war against Morgoth and its servants; construction of a large stone bridge on the Narog river, in front of the main entrance of Nargothrond, in order to allow the passage of important armies. Turin became the most famous captain of Orodreth, and it was called Mormegil, the Black-sword.

A member of the Council of the King, Gwindor, although friend of Turin, criticized this policy highly: he considered that to carry out an open war against powerful Morgoth was a mortal danger above the forces of Nargothrond. He feared the quarrelsome one and ambitious Turin, and also jalousait it in secrecy, because Finduilas, the girl of Orodreth, was in love with Turin, and scorned it (whereas they had formerly been promised in marriage). However, even if Gwindor were partial in its judgment for personal reasons, its fears were justified and the confrontation with Morgoth approached with great steps.

The fall of Nargothrond

One morning, the sentinels of the forests of beyond Narog emerged in the throne room of Orodreth to announce to him the arrival of an immense army come from North. Orodreth ordered the general mobilization immediately, and Turin took the head of the troops. Panic was spread in the rows of the Elves when it was learned that the commander of the enemy army was not other than Glaurung, the father of the dragons. Glaurung was almost invulnerable and its only presence spread terror and death in the rows. The meeting held on the two armies took place on opposite bank of Narog: the combat was undecided until the arrival of Glaurung which decimated the Elves of Nargothrond. Those were folded up and crossed the Bridge as quickly as possible to be locked up in the caves of the City.

The large stone bridge on Narog caused the loss of Nargothrond. Indeed, the bridge allowed Glaurung and its troops to arrive at the same doors of Nargothrond, and Glaurung destroyed last defenses of the City. Orodreth died the weapons with the hand with all its people, not without to have bitterly reproached Turin the loss of the city. Turin managed to escape after having been " gracié" by Glaurung, which humiliated it and scoffed it by inflicting the vision to him of Finduilas and the other captive ones taken along by Orques towards the dungeons of Morgoth.

Glaurung made of Nargothrond destroyed its residence and took for practice to sleep in the priceless treasures and the jewels piled up by Finrod Felagund.

After the death of Glaurung, killed by Turin a few years later, Nargothrond became deserted. Only the dwarf Mîm went time there to other, to contemplate the richnesses which remained in the depths. It is there that it was killed by the old man Hurin Thalion, the father of Turin Turambar, which, released from the jails of Morgoth, came in Nargothrond during one from its long wanderings: Mîm had betrayed Turin a few years and had before received its right punishment. Hurin took the fabulous Nauglamir and left Nargothrond: after this event, Nargothrond does not appear any more in the later accounts, and the site is destroyed during the Immersion of the Beleriand, a little less than one half-century later.

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