Thorondor
Non-Humanoid
Intelligences > Eagles
> Thorondor
Thorondor by Thorondor-(Valar)
Images of Thorondor
Thorondor
In the beginning of times, when the Immortal Lands were not only a
legend which few believed but truly a part of Arda, and when the Trees
of Light, Telperion and Laurelin, were at their full glory and blossom,
were the Eagles made by two powerful Valar: Manwë Súlimo
and Yavanna Kémentari. The Eagles were considered among the most
ancient and the wisest of races. In the years that followed, they were
given a task, which was to be servants and eyes of the Vala Manwë.
The mightiest breed of this race lived in the First Age of the Sun.
They were called the Eagles of the Encircling Mountains, and they
dwelled in
the high peaks of Crissaegrim. The mightiest of all Eagles was their
King,
Thorondor, whose wingspan was thirty fathoms and the speed of the Eagle
out-stripped the fastest wind.
Thorondor saved Noldorin Elf-lord, Maedhros from Thangorodrim with the
help of Fingon. He recovered the body of Fingolfin during Dagor
Bragollach
and wounded the fallen Vala, Melkor, in the face. In the Quest of the
Silmaril, Thorondor and the Eagles carried Beren and Lúthien
from the gates
of Angband, to the borders of Doriath. The Eagles also protected the
Hidden
Kingdom, Gondolin, from the spies of Morgoth; the fairest of all Elven
cities
of Middle-earth remained securely hidden for centuries.
In the War of Wrath, Thorondor and his kin earned their greatest glory.
With Eärendil, they defeated the most terrible evil of Morgoth’s
creatures: the winged dragons in the Great Battle.
The Eagles were immortal or they lived a very long time; Thorondor’s
deeds spanned nearly 600 years.
References:
Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
A Tolkien Beastiary by David Day (Finnish
version)
The Complete Guide to Middle-earth by Robert
Foster
Thanks to Salmar and Elendil of the Valar Guild.
top
Image of Thorondor:
Rolozo site's large pictures are down.
Image:
"Saving of Maedhros". Artist Catherine Karina Chmiel. Rolozo's Tolkien
page
top