History NightmareFuel / TheSilmarillion

* Ancalagon the Black. Imagine every terrifying element of Smaug cranked UpToEleven. Though his exact size isn’t known, he is massive enough to block out the sun where he flies. He is so huge that he broke 3 Everest-size volcanoes when he fell at his death. He has enough power to melt many of the Rings of Power. He is basically a ''flying'' natural disaster. If there is a single dragon that's stronger than the Balrogs, it was him.

* Utumno and Angband. Morgoth’s fortresses are hell on Middle-earth. Elves and Men taken prisoner are either killed and horrifically disfigured, or enslaved and tortured for years.
** It's heavily implied that Utumno particularly was so vile that it's the Elvish concept of [[FireAndBrimstoneHell Hell]]. Gandalf uses the term "Udûn" during the battle with the Balrog, and true enough it's the Sindarin word for "Underworld".

[[caption-width-right:350:Before [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings Sauron]] there was [[GodOfEvil Morgoth]]…]]

* How did Morgoth manage to provoke the Western host of Elves and Men into a rash attack before the eastern host could arrive? By having his orcs parade a prisoner of previous wars in front of the Elves and Men. Then they cut off his limbs and beheaded him right in front of his brother. And they also mentioned in passing that the same treatment awaited the other prisoners in Angband.
** At the tail end of Unnumbered Tears, the Men of Dor-Lomin fought to the bitter end. In a final insult to their foes, Morgoth's orcs made sure to behead the fallen men and piled their heads in a great heap turned golden by the rays of the setting sun.
** Mixed with NauseaFuel, Húrin is captured when the orcs grapple him and their hands keep clinging even after he hacks them off, until he's buried under a pile of orcs and severed orc arms.
* Utumno and Angband. Morgoth’s fortresses are hell on Middle-earth. Elves and men taken prisoner are either killed and horrifically disfigured, or enslaved and tortured for years.

** The short story is that they were [[MadeASlave enslaved]] and [[HumanSacrifice sacrificed to Morgoth]], as it is mentioned that Númenóreans did that to men of Middle-earth. Terrifying.

* Ancalagon the Black. Imagine every terrifying element of Smaug cranked UpToEleven. Though his exact size isn’t known, he is massive enough to block out the sun where he flies. He is so huge that he broke 3 Everest-size mountains when he fell at his death. He has enough power to melt many of the rings of power. He is basically a ''flying'' natural disaster. If there is a single dragon that's stronger than the Balrogs, it was him.

* The fact that, [[Main/EverythingIsTryingToKillYou as if orcs, trolls, Balrogs, giant spiders, dragons, and werewolves weren't enough]], Middle-earth also has vampires.

** Morgoth attempted to ''rape'' Lúthien Tinúviel while she was singing her song. Given a bit more time, whose to say he wouldn't have been successful?

* How did Morgoth manage to provoke the Western host of elves and men into a rash attack before the eastern host could arrive? By having his orcs parade a prisoner of previous wars in front of the elves and men. Then they cut off his limbs and beheaded him right in front of his brother. And they also mentioned in passing that the same treatment awaited the other prisoners in Angband.

* Remember the elves in ''The Lord of the Rings''? Remember how wise, kindhearted, and peaceful they were? Well, ''The Silmarillion'' shows a much darker side to the elves, showing that they are just as capable of cruelty as anybody else. Case in point, the Oath of Fëanor and the Kinslayings. Fëanor and his kin killed countless innocent elves for the crime of daring to have a shiny rock.
** The Noldor weren't the only elves capable of cruelty. The Sindar arrived in lands occupied by Petty-Dwarves. Mistaking the dwarves for animals, they hunted and killed the Petty-Dwarves until they were nearly extinct. You heard that right, the Sindar carried out a ''genocide''.
** The Sindar and Noldor came very close to a race war a few times due to anger over the kinslaying, eventually the Feanorians did go to war and sack Doriath for the Silmaril in what's implied to have been a very bloody and racially motivated conflict.

* Everytime Morgoth's armies are described, they consist of Orcs, Balrogs, Werewolves, and miscellaneous [[NothingIsScarier dark things]] that apparently don't fit neatly into any other category.

[[caption-width-right:350:Before [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings Sauron]] there was [[GodOfEvil Morgoth]]...]]

** Morgoth attempted to rape Luthien Tinuviel while she was singing her song. Given a bit more time, whose to say he wouldn't have been successful?

* Morgoth's two others main servants, Gothmog, lord of the balrogs, and Glaurung, father of Dragons:
** Gothmog is the High-Captain of Angband and lord of the Balrogs, meaning that even among them he's particularly powerful and evil. Likely close in strength to Sauron himself if not surpassing him. He cut a bloody swathe through Elvish and Human history with his black axe, only dying in combat against Elf Lord Ecthellion who fell during the Battle of Gondolin
** Glaurung, father of dragons was the very [[MonsterProgenitor first Dragon ever bred]]. He lacks wings but makes up for it with fire breathing, corrosive acid for blood, hypnotic eyes and extreme physical strength. By his lonesome, he conquered Nargothrond and ruled it as king for years until his death via Turin Turambar. Even then, his final words ensured what his corrosive blood didn't, that the kill would be mutual.
* Just when you think that the good guys had won the battle, Morgoth unleashed the fires of Thangorodrim unto them and to the nearby lands. In fact this battle called Dagor Bragollach (Battle of the Sudden Flame) itself is such a nightmare into its own right. People burned left and right, and they were not only burned, but consumed by the lava itself.

** It's heavily implied that Utumno particularly was so vile that it's the Elvish concept of [[FireAndBrimstoneHell Hell]]. Gandalf uses the term "Udûn" during the battle with the Balrog, and true enough it's the Sindarin word for "Underworld"
* Ungoliant, as one would expect from the [[GiantSpider giant spider]] who brought Shelob into the world. Originally a simple Maia, she drank the sap of the Two Trees and turned into the ''pure embodiment of darkness and gluttony'', and became the Broodmother of all spiders in existence (sorry arachnophobes!). She's never satisfied, and isn't picky about what she eats. She would devour the entire world if given the chance. She almost ate Morgoth himself. And what's worse, the published version of ''The Silmarillion'' does not confirm her fate. So... she could still be out there somewhere... always hungry...
** One of her potential fates is pretty creepy too: it's speculated that, in the end, she might have ''eaten herself.''

** Some earlier versions of the ''Silmarillion'' are even more chilling. Instead of being a Maia, Ungoliant was a primeval spirit of darkness from the void (essentially outer space). Perhaps there are others like her dwelling in the darkness.
* Remember the elves in The Lord of the Rings? Remember how wise, kindhearted, and peaceful they were? Well, The Silmarillion shows a much darker side to the elves, showing that they are just as capable of cruelty as anybody else. Case in point, the Oath of Fëanor and the Kinslayings. Fëanor and his kin killed countless innocent elves for the crime of daring to have a shiny rock.

* What the [[TheEmpire imperialistic Númenóreans]] did while under Sauron's instruction to the peoples of Middle-Earth like the Haradrim, the Variags, and the Easterlings. [[NothingIsScarier We never get the details]], but whatever it was, it so fouled their hearts with hate and pain that centuries later they worshiped and served Sauron ''just so they could kill Númenor's descendants''.
** The short story is that they were [[MadeASlave enslaved]] and [[HumanSacrifice sacrificed to Morgoth]], as it is mentioned that Númenóreans did that to men of Middle-Earth. Terrifying.
** The mighty, noble men of Numenor became so twisted by evil and a desire for immortality that they effectively became the tyrannical, pirate rulers of all of Middle Earth. Their grip only being broken through the violent destruction of their island.
* Ancalagon The Black. Imagine every terrifying element of Smaug cranked UpToEleven. Though his exact size isn’t known, he is massive enough to block out the sun where he flies. He is so huge that he broke 3 Everest-size mountains when he fell at his death. He has enough power to melt many of the rings of power. He is basically a ''flying'' natural disaster. If there is a single dragon that's stronger than the Balrogs, it was him.
* Everytime Morgoth's armies are described, they consist of Orcs, Balrogs, Werewolves and miscellaneous [[NothingIsScarier dark things]] that apparently don't fit neatly into any other category.

* Maedhros' torment on Thangorodrim. Morgoth catches him, tortures him, and then ''hangs him by the wrist'' from a sheer cliff face. It's not clear how long he was up there, but judging by other events in the timeline his imprisonment lasted for somewhere around ''twenty to thirty years.'' It's so terrible that he can only [[MercyKill beg for death]] when his best friend Fingon finds him. Then, of course, the shackle won’t break so Fingon has to [[LifeOrLimbDecision chop off his hand]] in order to get him down.
* The fact that, [[Main/EverythingIsTryingToKillYou as if orcs, trolls, Balrogs, giant spiders, dragons, and werewolves weren't enough]], Middle-Earth also has vampires.

* Sauron. Here we can see all he did before LOTR. And how utterly doomed would everyone have been had he regained the ring. Not for nothing he was Morgoth's second in command, and came even closer than his master to actually triumphing.

[[caption-width-right:350:Before [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings Sauron]] there was [[SatanicArhetype Morgoth]]...]]

[[caption-width-right:350:Before [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings Sauron]] there was [[Satan Morgoth]]...]]

[[caption-width-right:350:Before [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings Sauron]] there was [[GodOfEvil Morgoth]]...]]

** Glaurung, father of dragons was the very [[MonsterProgenitor first Dragon ever bred]]. He lacks wings but makes up for it with fire breathing, corrosive acid for blood, hypnotic eyes and extreme physical strength. By his lonesome, he conquered Nargothrond and ruled it as king for years until his death via Turin Turambar. Even then, his final words ensured what his corrosive blood didn't, that the kill was mutual.

** They were likeky [[MadeASlave enslaved]] and [[HumanSacrifice sacrificed to Morgoth]], as it is mentioned that Númenóreans did that to men of Middle-Earth. Terrifying.

* The mighty, noble men of Numenor became so twisted by evil and a desire for immortality that they effectively became the tyrannical, pirate rulers of all of Middle Earth. Their grip only being broken through the violent destruction of their island.

** Most likely they were being [[MadeASlave enslaved]] and [[HumanSacrifice sacrificed to Morgoth]], as it is mentioned that Númenóreans did that to men of Middle-Earth. Still a terrifying thought.

** Glaurung, father of dragons was the very [[MonsterProgenitor first Dragon ever bred]]. He lacks wings but makes up for it with fire breathing, corrosive acid for blood, hypnotic eyes and extreme physical strength. By his lonesome, he conquered Nargothrond and ruled it as king for years until his death via Turin Turambar. Even then, his blood ensured the kill was mutual.

* Everytime Morgoth's armies are described, they consist of Orcs, Balrogs, Werewolves and miscellaneous [[NothingIsScariers dark things]] that apparently don't fit neatly into any other category.

* Morgoth's two others main servants, Gothmog, lord of the balrogs, and Glaurung, father of Dragons.

* Ancalagon The Black. Imagine every terrifying element of Smaug cranked UpToEleven. Though his exact size isn’t known, he is massive enough to block out the sun where he flies. He is so huge that he broke 3 Everest-size mountains when he fell at his death. He has enough power to melt many of the rings of power. He is basically a ''flying'' natural disaster.

* Utumno and Angband.

* Ancalagon The Black. He is so huge that he broke 3 mountains that were bigger than Mount Everest when he fell at his death. He has enough power to melt many of the rings of power. He is basically a ''flying'' natural disaster.

* Maedhros' torment on Thangorodrim. Morgoth catches him, tortures him, and then ''hangs him by the wrist'' from a sheer cliff face. It's not clear how long he was up there, but judging by other events in the timeline his imprisonment lasted for something like ''twenty years.'' It's so terrible that he can only [[MercyKill beg for death]] when his best friend Fingon finds him. Then, of course, Fingon has to chop off his hand in order to get him down.
* The fact that, [[Main/EverythingIsTryingToKillYou as if orcs, dragons, and werewolves weren't enough]], Middle-Earth also has vampires.

[[caption-width-right:350:Before [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings Sauron]] there was Morgoth...]]

* Just when you think that the good guys had won the battle, Morgoth unleashed the fires of Thrangorodrim unto them and to the nearby lands. In fact this battle called Dagor Bragollach (Battle of the Sudden Flame) itself is such a nightmare into its own right. People burned left and right, and they were not only burned, but consumed by the lava itself.

** Most likely they were being enslaved and sacrificed to Morgoth, as it is mentioned that Númenóreans did that to men of Middle-Earth. Still a terrifying thought.

* Ancalagon The Black. So humongously large, so large that he himself broke 3 mountains that are bigger than Mount Everest by his death. He has enough power to melt many of the rings of power. He is basically a ''flying'' natural disaster.

* Just when you think that the good guys had won the battle, Morgoth unleashed the fires of Thrangorodrim unto them and to the nearby lands. Oh man! This is no joke, in fact this battle called Dagor Bragollach (Battle of the Sudden Flame) itself is such a nightmare into its own right. People burned left and right, and they were not only burned, but consumed by the lava itself.

** At the tail end of Unnumbered Tears, the Men of Dor-Lomin fought to the bitter end. In a final insult to their foes, Morgoth's orcs made sure to behead the fallen men & piled their heads in a great heap turned golden by the rays of the setting sun.
* Ungoliant, as one would expect from a [[GiantSpider giant spider]] who brought Shelob into the world. A simple Maia, she drank the sap of the Two Trees and turned into the ''pure embodiment of darkness and gluttony'', and became the Broodmother of all spiders in existence (sorry arachnophobes!). She's never satisfied, and isn't picky about what she eats. She would devour the entire world if given the chance. She almost ate Morgoth himself. And what's worse, the published version of ''The Silmarillion'' does not confirm her fate. So... she could still be out there somewhere... always hungry...

** Hurin: the mere thought of drawing Morgoth's undivided attention is alarming, but he keeps going at Hurin for years.

* How did Morgoth manage to provoke the Western host of elves & men into a rash attack before the eastern host could arrive? By having his orcs parade a prisoner of previous wars in front of the elves & men. Then they cut off his limbs & beheaded him right in front of his brother. And they also mentioned in passing that the same treatment awaited the other prisoners in Angband.

* Ungoliant, as one would expect from a [[GiantSpider giant spider]] who brought Shelob into the world. A simple Maia, she drank the sap of the Two Trees and turned into the ''pure embodiment of darkness and gluttony'', and became the Broodmother of all spiders in existence (sorry arachnophobes!). She's never satisfied, and isn't picky about what she eats. She would devour the entire world if given the chance. She almost ate Morgoth himself. And what's worse, the published version of ''The Silmarillion'' does not confirm her fate. So...she could still be out there somewhere...always hungry...

** Some earlier versions of the Silmarillion are even more chilling. Instead of being a Maia, Ungoliant was a primeval spirit of darkness from the void (essentially outer space). Perhaps there are others like her dwelling in the darkness.
* What the [[TheEmpire imperialistic Numenoreans]] did while under Sauron's instruction to the peoples of Middle-Earth like the Haradrim, the Variags, and the Easterlings. [[NothingIsScarier We never get the details]], but whatever it was, it so fouled their hearts with hate and pain that centuries later they worshiped and served Sauron ''just so they could kill Numenor's descendants''.
** Most likely they were being enslaved and sacrificed to Morgoth, as it is mentioned that Numenorians did that to men of Middle-Earth. Still a terrifying thought.

* The fact that, [[Main/EverythingIsTryingToKillYou as if orcs, dragons and werewolves weren't enough]], Middle-Earth also has vampires.

* At the tail end of Unnumbered Tears, the Men of Dor-Lomin fought to the bitter end. In a final insult to their foes, Morgoth's orcs made sure to behead the fallen men & piled their heads in a great heap turned golden by the rays of the setting sun.