Silmarillion - Chapter 20 - Of the Fifth Battle: Nirnaeth Arnoediad

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Pitchwife

But the most poignant passage in this chapter (at least for me) is the one at the beginning of the battle, when Gelmir, taken captive in the Bragollach, is chopped to bits within sight of his brother Gwindor (yes, that Gwindor) in order to provoke a premature attack; and Gwindor, disregarding all tactical considerations (and who can blame him?), charges, and Fingon follows suit, and they march over Anfauglith, scattering Morgoth's troops, right up to the walls of Angband (Go!, I cheer them, while rereading it); and Gwindor and his troop, fighting foremost, break through the gates and reach the stairs inside and hammer on Morgoth's doors (Go Gwindor go!), and Morgoth himself trembles hearing them, and -

- and of course they're trapped and slain to the last man, except Gwindor. He's taken alive.

You need to let that sink in. This is a fate you wouldn't wish on your worst foe, if you have one. Being slain in the Nirnaeth would have been a mercy. And when he escapes after long years of slavery and torture, a bent and fearful shadow of his former shape and mood, does he find peace and healing? No, he has to run into Túrin, and we all know the rest of the story.

You said it. I couldn't agree more. Fingon's cry is dead to me for other reasons. It seems like it was the last hopeful cry until Eonwe greeted Earendil. Everything else said after that, no matter what is said, was said with some strain or burden. The Nirnaeth was truly a turning point to the worst; if before the "good guys" were able to somehow "get up" after their losses, after this battle everything came tumbling down, Nargothrond, Doriath, Gondolin, one after the other. And then the kinslaying at the Havens.

I once thought that Uldor and the other traitors weren't punished enough for their treachery. At first it seems they weren't: Uldor is killed, but it just doesn't seem to do proper justice to them. It just doesn't work. And then I realised that Morgoth himself gave them the punishment - he betrayed them in his turn, forbidding them from settling in the south. "One thief deserves another"?

I find it a bit unfair that the sons of Feanor suffer the least of all in that battle. Everywhere armies are demolished, and the kings / lords slain. Turgon is an exception, but he was a special case from the start. And the seven jerks survive! (Well, I take that back, some of them weren't jerks on occasion). On the other hand, though, they carry the weight of the Oath on top of the usual troubles, and they weren't exacty spared by fate either. It seems like they were "forbidden" to be killed by Morgoth (in a way this reminds me of the curse of Hurin). Most of them were killed in the kinslayings, and Maedhros jumped into the chasm. And Maglor was beaten from inside when he gave up on the last Silmaril.