Lord of the Rings’ Most Terrifying Creature Wasn’t Smaug It Was Much Bigger

Lord of the Rings’ Most Terrifying Creature Wasn’t Smaug – It Was Much Bigger

Despite Smaug’s terrifying size, the dragon was not even close to being the largest creature to ever roam Middle-earth in The Lord of the Rings.

You Are Reading :[thien_display_title]

Lord of the Rings’ Most Terrifying Creature Wasn’t Smaug It Was Much Bigger

In The Lord of the Rings, Middle-earth is no stranger to giant creatures. From the Balrog of Moria to Shelob in Mordor, the world is full of oversized monstrosities who terrorize those unfortunate enough to enter their territory. One such creature was the dragon Smaug, who claimed Erebor and all of its gold from the Dwarves with relative ease. Despite Smaug’s enormity, the dragon was nowhere near the largest creature to ever roam Middle-earth, as another member of his species takes that trophy by a landslide.

The Hobbit never gives a specific size for Smaug. However, from J. R. R. Tolkien’s drawings and notes, it’s assumed that his depiction in the Peter Jackson trilogy is pretty accurate. Smaug was able to fit in the doorway to Erebor but was also large enough to destroy most of Laketown when he fell from being shot. Being one of the few dragons left in Middle-earth, it can be assumed that Smaug was one of, if not the biggest creature to roam the world during Bilbo’s lifetime. However, through the notes of Middle-earth history compiled into Tolkien’s The Silmarillion novel, it’s clear that Smaug would have appeared as a small rodent compared to the Ancalagon.

During the First Age of Middle-earth, a Dark Lord named Morgoth spread terror across the land as he attempted to rule all. While having the same goals and ambitions as Sauron, Morgoth was far more powerful and an even worse threat to the world. During Morgoth’s reign, he bred a black dragon called Ancalagon, who would become the largest creature to ever walk the land.

See also  Opinion Why Destiny 2 Coming to PC is Bad for the Community

Ancalagon’s precise height is never given. Still, he is described to be “as tall as a mountain” and could block out the sky as he flew. So, Men and Elves didn’t stand a chance as the dragon destroyed their lands and laid ruin to their armies. But as with many Middle-earth tales, the Eagles eventually intervened to help push back the evil forces. After a great battle that lasted an entire day, the Eagle Lord Thorondor slew Ancalagon and ended his reign of terror.

It’s said that as Ancalagon fell, he destroyed three volcanic mountains that his master had built and much of the surrounding landscape. So, while Smaug’s lifeless body was about to destroy a town, Ancalagon’s managed to terraform an entire chunk of land. While the First Age sounds like a terrible time to live, luckily, the monstrosities of Middle-earth faded away over time. And with the defeat of Sauron and the Age of Men beginning, it’s likely that the giants of the world would eventually disappear all together.

Link Source : https://www.cbr.com/lord-of-rings-biggest-creature-ancalagon-not-smaug/

Movies -