Battle of Unnumbered Tears

Season 3 Episode 9 – The Unnumbered Tears

/ Jamie Parsons / Leave a comment

The Battle of Unnumbered Tears is brought forward to coincide with the deaths of Beren and Luthien, acting as the climax of the third season.

Dorthonion

  • The orcs of Dorthonion flee the mighty host of Maedhros as he heads back east.

Doriath

  • Riders come to enlist Thingol’s aid for the Union and a demand for the Silmaril. Still grieving for his daughter, Thingol angrily sends them away against Melian’s counsel. Beleg and Mablung join the Union instead.

Nargothrond

  • Riders also come to enlist Orodreth’s armies. Orodreth refuses to side with Celegorm over his actions in the death of Finrod. However, Gwindor leads a small host to join Fingon without Orodreth’s knowledge.

Himring

  • Maedhros hears of Thingol’s decision. Celegorm vows to destroy Doriath after dealing with Morgoth. Maedhros gathers his captains (his brothers, Azaghal, Ulfang and Bor) and marches out of Himring.

Halls of Mandos

  • Luthien awakes as a shade in the Halls of Mandos, alongside dead elves of ages past. She is called before Mandos.
  • Finrod meets Luthien before Mandos, where he is told he will be reincarnated to live in Valinor.
  • Luthien sings of her grief to Mandos, who is moved to pity with the circumstances of her death. Mandos summons Beren from the mortal houses of the dead to meet with Luthien again.
  • Mandos consults Manwe, who gives Luthien a choice of either living forever in Valinor with her kin or returning to Earth with Beren but only as a mortal. Luthien accepts her mortal fate.

TN-Luthiens_Lament_Before_Mandos

Ered Wethrin

  • The armies of Hurin, Cirdan and Gwindor meet in the woods of Ered Wethrin. Fingon relays the battle plan to all his captains.

Angband

  • Morgoth receives a visitor, Ulfang of the Easterlings. Ulfang betrays Maedhros’ plans to Morgoth.

Anfauglith

  • Rumours spread of a traitor in Maedhros’ army. This causes them to be delayed.
  • Fingon’s army anxiously awaits the arrival of Maedhros.
  • Maedhros is suddenly attacked by an army from Angband. Maedhros defeats them, but is now severely delayed.
  • Smoke and fire pour forth from Thangorodrim, leading Fingon to realise that Morgoth knows of their presence. Many begin to despair until they see Turgon arrive with 10,000 elves.

Battle_of_Unnumebered_Tears_by_lomehir

  • Gwindor’s brother Gelmir is brought out in front of Fingon’s army, where he is mutilated and killed. Gwindor charges forward and attacks the army of Angband, leaving Fingon no choice but to follow.
  • Gwindor charges past the gates of Angband, which is snapped shut. Gwindor’s army is slaughtered and a huge host emerges from all sides and encircles Fingon.
  • Fingon is forced to fall back from the walls. His rearguard is mostly slain. Turgon rides forward with the rest of his soldiers and breaks the orc lines.
  • Turgon and Hurin meet in the midst of battle.
  • Maedhros finally arrives, but the hope the men and elves receive from seeing his banners is quickly dashed as Glaurung and Gothmog lead tens of thousands more orcs into battle.

Glaurung_the_golden_by_lyntonlevengood-d34lpfh

First Appearance – Gelmir

Death – Gelmir, Hundar

Adapted from chapters ‘Of Beren and Luthien’ and ‘Of the Fifth Battle’ from The Silmarillion, ‘The Lay of Leithian’ from The Lays of Beleriand and ‘The Battle of Unnumbered Tears’ from The Children of Hurin.

Pictures

  • The Battle of Unnumbered Tears – Alan Lee
  • Luthien’s Lament Before Mandos – Ted Nasmith
  • Battle of Unnumbered Tears – Lomehir
  • Glaurung and the Dwarves of Belegost – Lynton Levengood

Season 3 Episode 10 – Lamentation

/ Jamie Parsons / Leave a comment

Anfauglith

  • Gothmog cuts through the elves, separating Turgon and Fingon.
  • Glaurung attacks Maedhros, who is ambushed by the traitorous Easterlings. Maedhros orders a retreat.
  • Azaghal and the dwarves form the rearguard, protecting the elves from Glaurung. Glaurung attacks Azaghal, but is then attacked by all sides by the dwarves. Azaghal is crushed, but manages to stab Glaurung. The dragon retreats back to Angband.

04

  • The dwarves carry their King back to Belegost.
  • Gothmog duels Fingon, who matches him blow for blow. Fingon however is caught in the whip of another balrog and killed by Gothmog. The balrogs then hew and pound his body into the dust.

Jenny_Dolfen_-_Death_of_Fingon

  • Hurin covers Turgon’s retreat to Gondolin. Now surrounded, all his men fight to the death. Huor is killed by an arrow to the eye. Come upon by a host of orcs and trolls, Hurin slays them all and is buried under their corpses.

hurin

Gondolin

  • Turgon’s army reaches Gondolin. He orders the gates locked and sealed forever.

Doriath

  • Luthien and Beren return to Doriath, lifting the winter of Thingol. Thingol is amazed, and grants the two his blessing to do whatever they wish with their lives.
  • Melian sees the mortality in Luthien’s eyes and cannot bear to witness her daughter’s death.
  • Beren and Luthien say goodbye to the people of Doriath and leave to live in Ossiriand, away from war.

Himring

  • The sons of Feanor pass Himring, now overrun with orcs. Maedhros declares it lost and the brothers pass into the south.

Hithlum

  • The few remaining soldiers of Fingon return to Hithlum with the blood-drenched banner of Fingon. They warn the residents that Easterlings are on their way. They abandon Hithlum.

Angband

  • Hurin is taken to Angband in chains. Gwindor is also imprisoned.
  • Morgoth betrays the Easterlings and confines them to Hithlum, instead of giving them reign over Beleriand as promised.

Valinor

  • Finrod walks through Valinor with his father, Finarfin. He is overcome with joy at being reunited with Amarie, his beloved.

Finrod_and_Amarie_II_by_Hemhet

Ossiriand

  • Beren and Luthien settle in Ossiriand, in a small house away from the rest of civilisation. There they have a son, Dior.

First Appearance – Dior

Deaths – Fingon, Huor, Azaghal, Ulfang

Adapted from ‘Of Beren and Luthien’ and ‘Of the Fifth Battle’ from The Silmarillion, ‘The Lay of Leithian’ from The Lays of Beleriand, ‘The Battle of Unnumbered Tears’ and ‘The Words of Hurin and Morgoth’ from The Children of Hurin, ‘Narn I Hin Hurin’ from Unfinished Tales and ‘The Grey Annals’ from The War of the Jewels.

Pictures

  • Battle of Unnumbered Tears – ?
  • Glaurung Fighting with Dwarves – Justin Gerard
  • Nirnaeth Arnoediad – Unnumbered Tears – Jenny Dolfen
  • Hurin – Fragoulis
  • Finrod and Amarie II – Hemhet