Armies and Hosts through the three ages of Middle-earth Middle-earth armies and hosts

1 armies , hosts through 3 ages of middle-earth

1.1 war of wrath in first age
1.2 war of last alliance in second age
1.3 war of ring in third age

armies , hosts through 3 ages of middle-earth

in subsections follow, hierarchy , organization described above shown , applied exemplar war each of 3 ages of tolkien s fictional legendarium of middle-earth. demonstrate there little variation or change structure of armies , hosts through fictional , literary history of tolkien s middle-earth canon.

war of wrath in first age

morgoth (the dark enemy ), rogue vala

(artist s impression spentamainyu).




mount doom , sauron s tower of barad-dûr in mordor, depicted in peter jackson films. should noted sauron had been chief lieutenant of morgoth.

at end of first age, morgoth defeated in final campaign called war of wrath host of valar made of elves of valinor , possibly maiar led eönwë, herald of manwë. host of valar, or host of valinor, described host , contains armies of elven warriors of vanyar of noldor remained behind in aman. in silmarillion stated host of valar arrayed in forms young , fair , terrible, , mountains rang beneath feet. possibly implying other maiar present. ingwion, son of high-king of elves, ingwë, leads vanyar , finarfin, son of finwë , king of noldor in valinor, leads noldor. size of host of valar ascertained relative statements elrond, present, , similar statement in silmarillion, of rings of power , third age, in described host greater of great host of last alliance of elves , men.

as shown in following section, great host of last alliance composed of other hosts composed of armies. since host of valar greater host of last alliance, composed of hosts , there evidence so. in march of elves of kôr encampment in land of willows of first host noted indicating, @ least, second host. furthermore, outline suggests host of noldor, or noldoli. @ minimum, host of noldor , host of vanyar combined strength exceeds great host of last alliance estimated below @ 105,000 140,000.

it possible develop general proportional picture of host of valar. in quendi , eldar proportions of 3 original clans given , adjusted divisions during migration march middle-earth aman. proportional factors given tolkien are: 14 minyar (vanyar) in aman; 28 tatyar (noldor) in aman; , 26 nelyar (sindar , nandor) remaining in middle-earth. told of noldor return in rebellion first tithe , or 10%, refuse follow fëanor , later finarfin many of people turned back. , fingolfin has greater of 2 hosts, including finarfin , remains greater fëanorians after finarfin leaves , helcaraxë crossed. further, stated elves of beleriand outnumber returning noldor factor returning noldor must considerably less factor of 26 sindar , nandor. finarfin needs factor of @ least 6 or 7 allow noticeable difference between noldor , sindar, or 19 or 20 noldor 26 sindar. leave 6 7 noldor in aman , 14 vanyar, 2 1. suggests host of valar composed of host of noldor , host of vanyar twice large, or 2 hosts of vanyar.

having used hierarchy established in subsection of war of last alliance show structure of forces in war of wrath, numbers these structures demonstrated in subsection war of ring below can applied , general estimates shown in list host of valar , hosts of morgoth.

the war of last alliance in second age

this war ends second age exemplifies effect tolkien employs create grand panoramic distance event. however, continues use same hierarchical organization , terms. can seen in various descriptions of great host of last alliance.

sauron attacked gondor in s.a. 3429. in response elendil formed alliance gil-galad. on 2 years gathered armies. great host marched rivendell. went on misty mountains , joined army of dwarves of moria. alliance host crossed on river anduin meeting armies of silvan elves of lórien , greenwood great in host of oropher. last alliance marched south down east bank of anduin , join army of gondor, meeting sauron s forces before mordor.

it can seen host of alliance made of great host of gil-galad , elendil: containing armies of elves of noldor of forlindon , sindar of harlindon , army of men of arnor , company rivendell; , host of silvan elves: containing greater army of greenwood , army of lórien; army of dwarves moria , army of men of gondor. altogether, great host contains 7 armies. using median strength of 15,000 20,000 each army taken chart above of hosts , armies of elves, men , dwarves, estimated overall strength of great host of alliance adds 105,000 140,000 , smaller host of valinor in war of wrath stated tolkien.

the war of ring in third age

the rohirrim @ battle of pelennor fields led king théoden

in war of ring, siege of gondor , battle of pelennor fields examples of mix of precise military detail , panoramic narrative. catalogue of companies outlying provinces come gondor s aid numbered @ less 3000, company sizes ranging stated 100 700 men in precise detail. numbers of original garrison of minas tirith , forward garrison of osgiliath , faramir s company of ithilien not specified. however, described panoramically that, following defeat @ osgiliath, faramir outnumbered ten times , loses 1 third of men. muster of rohan adds 6,000 horsemen total of defence of minas tirith.

the forces of mordor contained orcs, trolls, ringwraiths including other various races of middle-earth.

the sent allies areas threatened corsairs of umbar, , therefore less numerous expected. lossarnach, example, sent 1 tenth, , less 3 thousands arrived in all. assuming similar reduction in other forces spared allies, mean around 20-30 thousands remained, along may not have been expected spared anyway. large number of people gathered aragorn , came pelennor on umbar ships, turning tide of battle arriving (and when) allies of minas tirith least expected. slaves , captives released well, unclear whether in enough condition fight (the rowers were, since pirates have needed them in working condition next few days), or whether arms found them in time departure. more still came later on own ships, , 4,000 sent land. said comers (and remaining rohirrim) sufficient more replace losses of battle of pelennor fields, 7,000 going morannon.

there no specific totals given forces of mordor, there comparisons stated numbers imply totals within panoramic narrative. when army of west comes morannon less 6,000 strong , outnumbered ten times , more ten times great host out of morannon, orcs hills flanking morannon, , army of easterlings, or 60,000 75,000. force later called hosts , indicating @ least 2 hosts, each 30,000–40,000 strong.

the morgul-host, led witch-king, described greatest army issue vale since isildur, no host fell , strong in arms...yet 1 , not greatest of hosts mordor sent forth... , has great cavalry of horsemen in advance of it. @ pelennor fields, haradrim, consisting of footmen, horsemen , mûmakil, said thrice outnumber 6,000 riders of rohan, possibility army consists of more 18,000. these regiments of haradrim said have joined morgul-host @ osgiliath. @ same time, infantry city sally against legions of morgul still gathered there in strength , or @ least 2 legions , there arrives morgul-host reserves composed of forces rhûn, khand, southrons, , far harad.

legions of haradrim south in peter jackson s adaptation of lord of rings: 2 towers.

additionally, north of city near cair andros, host of orcs , men out of east advancing morannon cuts road north rohan. host of mordor blocking road minas tirith many, more horse-men (of rohan) , according ghân-buri-ghân. further north, forces dol guldur attack thranduil , thrice assault lórien, , eastern rohan attacked north force elsewhere described orc-host, host of easterlings attacks dale in far north.

at least 5 distinct hosts mordor can identified: 2 hosts of great host @ morannon; morgul-host (which later in battle called hosts , therefore contains @ least 2 hosts); host near cair andros. according gandalf, sauron used more half strength assault on gondor. leaves less 4 forces elsewhere. 2 of these distinctly identified hosts: host of easterling allies @ dale; orc-host invading east rohan north while host, @ least, implied attacks, 3 on lórien , 1 on thranduil, out of dol guldur. taking median total strength host of 40,000, general minimum estimate 8 9 hosts (16 18 armies) of sauron in war of ring therefore 320,000–360,000. arms, includes fleet , crews out of umbar, add total.

mûmakil in peter jackson s lord of rings: return of king.

saruman s hosts during war of ring can shown fall within parameters of above charts though unusual in tolkien uses more modern terms of battalion , regiment smaller formations.

in 2 towers merry states ... there must have been ten thousand @ least. . number later qualified gandalf: have ten thousand orcs manage. , @ helm s deep, not including other members of saruman s hosts: troops on great wolves , battalions of men , half-orcs . chart above shows host can composed of 2 armies or, army , auxiliaries. chart shows army may ten thousand strong.

the above first hand eyewitness accounts characters not sources of information on hosts of saruman. there historical essay style analysis of 2 battles of fords of isen in unfinished tales in compositions , organizations of saruman s forces further explained. while grimbold of rohan s command struggles 1 army, (saruman s commander) in doubt. awaited, maybe, signal other army had been sent down east side of isen. author s note . grimbold did not know large army had hours passed southward helm s deep. army east of isen stated more half of saruman s force... . east army has auxiliaries of wolf riders, large body scatters elfhelm s force on east bank of isen.

an additional source book war of ring in saruman s army west of isen joined auxiliary force of dunlending men came land away west .

all these sources support christopher tolkien s descriptions of saruman s overall strength great host , east army great army , can account j.r.r. tolkien s description of saruman s forces @ battle of hornburg: hosts of isengard roared... defined on charts: host army auxiliaries , great host 2 such hosts, therefore: 1 host of saruman s army west of isen allied dunland men west , host of more half force composed of saruman s great army east of isen wolf riders.

the forces saruman has @ disposal unique in not outnumber forces opposed them, unlike usual war situations in middle-earth in forces of darkness vastly outnumber forces of light. saruman s east army, more half strength, estimated @ ten thousand. west army , auxiliaries had perhaps twenty thousand or @ isengard , later joined @ fords of isen additional thousands of men of dunland west. twenty thousand opposed overall strength of rohan not outnumber much, if @ all. rohan s forces given twenty thousand: ten thousand horsemen spears, Éoherë, or horse army, , ten thousand foot , mounted infantry. saruman s main advantages has seized initiative concentrated force in attacks against piecemeal fractions. first, @ fords of isen, thirty-five hundred rohirrim defeated , helm s deep stormed garrison 2 thousand strong , includes théoden, king of rohan, while rest of rohan s strength dispersed. after losses, théoden says have sent ten thousand spears aid minas tirith, cannot spare more 6,000 defence of own strongholds.

as clear example of how context should considered, in tale of years, force aragorn leads gates of mordor called host of west , not have strength estimate found above in charts. but, in context, word host used general description of disparate group of warriors different armies, whom specific numbers have preceded use of word elsewhere in book. host of west, title, indicates encompassing phrase. in earlier chapters in return of king, tolkien consistently calls army initially, having character of imrahil ironically that, ... greatest jest in history of gondor: should ride 7 thousands, scarce many vanguard of army in days of power... .

the 7 thousands of host of west 1 thousand men of rohan under Éomer, 5 hundred on horse, 5 hundred on foot , 5 hundred knights of dol amroth dúnedain; 2 thousand foot under aragorn lebennin , southern fiefs; , thirty-five hundred foot under imrahil composed of great companies of minas tirith. great companies of minas tirith include: @ least 3 companies of tower of guard; 1 or more companies of men of city; 2 companies, or more, of archers ithilien, 1 henneth annûn commanded mablung.