References to Morgoth in the Third Age

[Radaghast]

On the suggestion of Elbereth and Ent, here's a list of references to Morgoth in The Lord of the Rings. I don't know if this is all of them, so anyone feel free to add more (that's what this thread is for):

The first reference is by Tom Bombadil, though whether he's talking about Morgoth or Sauron is perhaps a matter of debate:

‘Mark my words, my friends: Tom was here before the river and the trees; Tom remembers the first raindrop and the first acorn. He made paths before the Big People, and saw the little People arriving. He was here before the Kings and the graves and the Barrow-wights. When the Elves passed westward, Tom was here already, before the seas were bent. He knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless - before the Dark Lord came from Outside.’

• “The House of Tom Bombadil”

The next reference is in Aragorn's telling of the Tale of Beren and Lúthien:

‘In those days the Great Enemy, of whom Sauron of Mordor was but a servant, dwelt in Angband in the North, and the Elves of the West coming back to Middle-earth made war upon him to regain the Silmarils which he had stolen; and the fathers of Men aided the Elves. But the Enemy was victorious and Barahir was slain, and Beren escaping through great peril came over the Mountains of Terror into the hidden Kingdom of Thingol in the forest of Neldoreth.’

• "A Knife in the Dark”

Then there's Gandalf's words to the Balrog in Moria:

‘You cannot pass,’ he said. The orcs stood still, and a dead silence fell. ‘I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. You cannot pass. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udûn. Go back to the Shadow! You cannot pass.’

• “The Bridge of Khazad-dûm”

Next is Legolas telling Galadriel and Celeborn what happened to Gandalf. This is the only reference where Morgoth is mentioned by name:

‘It was a Balrog of Morgoth,’ said Legolas; ‘of all elf-banes the most deadly, save the One who sits in the Dark Tower.’

• “The Mirror of Galadriel”

Fangorn tells Merry and Pippin of the origins of orcs and trolls:

Maybe you have heard of Trolls? They are mighty strong. But Trolls are only counterfeits, made by the Enemy in the Great Darkness, in mockery of Ents, as Orcs were of Elves.

• “Treebeard”

At the gates of Minas Tirith:

The drums rolled louder. Fires leaped up. Great engines crawled across the field; and in the midst was a huge ram, great as a forest-tree a hundred feet in length, swinging on mighty chains. Long had it been forging in the dark smithies of Mordor, and its hideous head, founded of black steel, was shaped in the likeness of a ravening wolf; on it spells of ruin lay. Grond they named it, in memory of the Hammer of the Underworld of old. Great beasts drew it, Orcs surrounded it, and behind walked mountain-trolls to wield it

• “The Siege of Gondor”

Next one is by Sam:

‘Beren now, he never thought he was going to get that Silmaril from the Iron Crown in Thangorodrim, and yet he did, and that was a worse place and a blacker danger than ours. But that's a long tale, of course, and goes on past the happiness and into grief and beyond it - and the Silmaril went on and came to Eärendil. And why, sir, I never thought of that before! We've got - you've got some of the light of it in that star-glass that the Lady gave you! Why, to think of it, we're in the same tale still! It's going on. Don't the great tales never end?’

• “The Stairs of Cirith Ungol”

Finally (as far as I can remember) is by Gandalf:

‘Other evils there are that may come; for Sauron is himself but a servant or emissary. Yet it is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succour of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till. What weather they shall have is not ours to rule.’

• “The Last Debate”

I'm not sure which of these if any, besides "Balrog of Morgoth", appear in the movies. Morgoth is mentioned many times in the Appendices but I'll hold off on quoting the references here.

 

[1stvermont]

Does the great battering Ram (Grond) named after Morgoths mace count?

 

[Vorondil]

Does the great battering Ram (Grond) named after Morgoths mace count?

''Grond they named it, in memory of the Hammer of the Underworld of old.'' It doesn't really mention Morgoth.

What is ''the Underworld'' referring to, does it mean Angband?

 

[Ent]

What is ''the Underworld'' referring to, does it mean Angband?

Yes, Angband is a word meaning Hell or the Underworld. One could literally replace Angband with either word wherever they see it.

 

[Radaghast]

Does the great battering Ram (Grond) named after Morgoths mace count?

Yes, if you know who Morgoth is 🙂 (and I already mentioned it FTR).

 

[1stvermont]

''Grond they named it, in memory of the Hammer of the Underworld of old.'' It doesn't really mention Morgoth.

What is ''the Underworld'' referring to, does it mean Angband?

I am pretty certain the Sil referred to Morgoths mace as Grond. It could have been somewhere in histories as well. I shall search....

 

[Radaghast]

Yes, Grond is the weapon Morgoth uses against Fingolfin. From The Silmarillion index:

Grond The great mace of Morgoth, with which he fought Fingolfin; called the Hammer of the Underworld. The battering-ram used against the Gate of Minas Tirith was named after it (The Return of the King V 4). 185