Henneth Annun Reseach Center

Timeline Event

Ruin of Doriath

Event Type: Military/Strategic

Age: 1st Age

Date: December 1, 0506

Description:

The second Kinslaying, in which the sons of Fëanor destroy Doriath in their quest for the Silmaril of the Nauglamír:
The Second Kinslaying. The Sons of Fëanor assail[ed] Dior, and he was slain....

The War of the Jewels, HoME Vol 11, Part 1, The Grey Annals

But now the rumour ran among the scattered Elves of Beleriand that Dior Thingol's heir wore the Nauglamír, and they said: "A Silmaril of Fëanor burns again in the woods of Doriath"; and the oath of the sons of Fëanor was waked again from sleep. For while Lúthien wore the Necklace of the Dwarves no Elf would dare to assail her; but now hearing of the renewal of Doriath and of Dior's pride the seven gathered again from wandering, and they sent to him to claim their own.

But Dior returned no answer to the sons of Fëanor; and Celegorm stirred up his brothers to prepare an assault upon Doriath. They came at unawares in the middle of winter, and fought with Dior in the Thousand Caves; and so befell the second slaying of Elf by Elf. There fell Celegorm by Dior's hand, and there fell Curufin, and dark Caranthir; but Dior was slain also, and Nimloth his wife, and the cruel servants of Celegorm seized his young sons and left them to starve in the forest. Of this Maedhros indeed repented, and sought for them long in the woods of Doriath; but his search was unavailing, and of the fate of Eluréd and Elurín no tale tells.

Thus Doriath was destroyed, and never rose again.

But the sons of Fëanor gained not what they sought; for a remnant of the people fled before them, and with them was Elwing Dior's daughter, and they escaped, and bearing with them the Silmaril they came in time to the mouths of the River Sirion by the sea.

The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Ch 22, Of the Ruin of Doriath

[Though] Dairon1 the minstrel..., who was the chief loremaster of the kingdom of Thingol, devised his Runes,... they were little used by the Sindar for the keeping of records..., and much that was held in memory has perished in the ruin of Doriath.

The War of the Jewels, HoME Vol 11, Part 1, The Grey Annals


Notes
Tolkien changed the year of this event several times; the date that appears to be from his latest revision is the one used for this entry. The month is not canon, but is chosen to represent the season of winter.
1This text is from one of Tolkien's early drafts; the name is an earlier version of the proper name as published in The Silmarillion.

Contributors:
Lyllyn 18Apr03
Elena Tiriel 8Nov09

Related Library Entries

Events Search

All fields are optional. Dates default to the start of an event if it is multi-day.
Leave year set to "0" to see all years.



Start:    

  End:  

Full Text Search