The Silmarillion

Finrod Felagund wanders away from his companions on a hunting trip. He hears distant song at night and investigates. It is the first Men to enter Beleriand by traveling over the Blue Mountains. Finrod watches until the men fall asleep and then begins to play his harp. The men wake and listen. Finrod befriends them, discovering that he can read their thoughts and interpret the meaning of their strange language; before long, he “could hold converse with Bëor” (68), their leader.

The men have come west to flee a dangerous past in the east. Melkor attempted to corrupt them but has not succeeded entirely. More men are coming, Finrod learns, and they establish a home on the east banks of the Celon. Some Elves, however, fear the arrival of the new race. Marach, another leader, brings his people down from the mountains and settles near Bëor’s camp. For a while, there is peace and Finrod visits them often. Fingolfin, king of the Noldor, sends the Men messages of welcome. After some time, the Men begin to move west again and settle across the various Elvish kingdoms. Thingol is worried by this, and Melian has a troubling premonition.

Some of the leaders of Men are uncertain about their relationship with the Elves. Amlach, a grandson of Marach, tells an assembly of Men that the Elves may be lying about Melkor, the Valar, and everything else, though he later denies being present at the meeting at all. Nevertheless, some Men decide to depart and leave the Elves to fight their own battle against Melkor.

Melkor is displeased at his failure to turn the Men against the Elves so sends his Orcs to attack an encampment. Haldad takes up arms and defends his people, though dies in an attack. At the last moment, an army of Elves saves the Men, led by Caranthir. When the Men are offered a safe place to live, they refuse and continue west, led by Haldad’s widow, Haleth. They settle in Brethil. Soon, there are many human settlements scattered around the Elvish kingdoms. They are united with the Elves to varying degrees. 

Now allied with the Men, Fingolfin contemplates another attack on Angband, though there is little appetite for war among the content Elves. However, during the sixth generation of Men, Melkor attacks. He unleashes floods of lava and fire, as well as poisonous smoke. This is the Battle of Sudden Flame.

The attack is led by Glaurung the Golden, the father of dragons, followed by Balrogs and armies of Orcs. They kill many Noldor and Men and many Elves run to Thingol’s city, where Melian’s spells still protect them from unwelcomed guests. The attack continues and many famous Lords and leaders are killed. Maedhros, still furious at the harm done to him by Melkor, leads furious attacks against the enemy and they come to fear him “as one that returns from the dead” (74). The Orcs cross into East Beleriand and destroy almost everything they find. Fingolfin decides to avenge the death of so many Noldor and rides out against the enemy, so enraged that the Orcs believe that he is Oromë. He challenges Melkor to single combat. Melkor accepts and emerges from his subterranean dungeons “like a tower, iron-crowned” (74). Fingolfin ducks and darts beneath the heavy blows from Melkor’s hammer, Grond. He inflicts seven wounds on Melkor but is knocked back. Melkor places his foot on Fingolfin’s neck, attempting to crush him, but Fingolfin stabs Melkor in the foot and spills blood. Fingolfin dies under the crushing weight of Melkor’s foot. Melkor throws the Elf’s body to the wolves as Thorondor, king of the Eagles, watches on. Thorondor grabs the body and carries him to a mountaintop, where he was buried. Melkor’s wounds would never heal. Fingon takes over the kingdom of the Noldor.

Melkor has taken over the Northlands. The areas become deadly and dark. The Noldor defend the western pass with the help of Ulmo and Minas Tirith until Sauron arrives. He is Melkor’s “greatest and most terrible” (76) servant and he takes Minas Tirith and turns its tower into a watchtower from where he can see everything. Melkor inspires fear and terror in the Elves though “feigned pity” (76) to Men, trying to tempt them to his side. He fails and turns against Men with a fierce hatred. More Men arrive from the east and make an alliance with the Elves.

Húrin and Huor, the young sons of Galdor of Dor-lómin, “were dwelling with the Haladin” (77) and then were forced into battle. They lost, though were helped by Ulmo and Thorondor to escape to Gondolin, a place no man had ever visited. Turgon accepts them into his home, as he has been told to do by Ulmo, and they live there pleasantly for a year. They eventually desire to return to their people and plead with Turgon to be allowed to leave. They are not like Elves, they are not immortal, and they did not come to the city via the secret route. Turgon accepts, if Thorondor will carry them out the same way they arrived. When they are carried back to their people, they are well received but say nothing about where they have been.

On hearing of the war, Turgon decided that Gondolin was strong enough to hold out against the enemy. He fears the battles are the beginning of the end of the Noldor so sends out Elves to journey west and ask the Valar for help; they all failed. Melkor hears rumors of this but does not know about the existence of Gondolin, so he is troubled by the idea of Turgon and what he might achieve. He sends out more spies to Beleriand while recalling his Orcs and amassing a massive army. Seven years after the final battle, he launches a new assault against Hithlum. The combined might of Fingon and Húrin (with the help of the Elves of the Falas) is enough to drive the Orcs back. Húrin becomes ruler of his house, serving Fingon.