The Dark Powers Of Tolkien, David Day; “In Tolkien’s version of Ragnarök, Morgoth releases one last great horror. This is Ancalagon the Black, the first and greatest of a vast legion of Winged Fire-Drakes. Ancalagon is the greatest dragon to ever enter the world. ‘Rushing Jaws’ is the meaning of his name, and in his ravening majesty he looses terrible withering fire down from the heavens.”
From the floor off the dragon could not be defeated, nor could any others. And so, the half-elf Eärendil aired an aerial attack to slay the large dragon. He stood at the help of his great flying ship, hallowed by the Valar and lifted into the heavens. The ship appeared as a bright light in the dark sky, forcing a way through the shadows. In the end, he killed Ancalagon, and so the host of the Valar found themselves victorious.
Morgoth retreated to the depths of Angband, but was found nonetheless, in a weak and battered state. Instead of fighting his way out, he fell to his knees and begged for forgiveness, but he would receive none. His feet were hewn from beneath him and he was bound by the chain Angainor. His iron crown was beaten into a collar and the dark lord was cast into the Timeless void. The two silmarils left with him were retrieved, but shortly after vanished again.
Ancalagon the Black was the first and greatest winged dragon ever to walk Middle Earth. His size and wingspan were so massive that his wing span blocked out the sun, and when he fell from the sky his impact shattered Thangorodrim, an artificial volcanic mountain range. He was considered the Father of all dragons, and led the entire host of Morgoth’s winged dragons in the war of wrath in an attack so fierce it managed to drive back The Host of the Valinor. Ancalagon was eventually slain by Earendil, aided by Thorondor and his host of eagles, who battled Ancalagon for an entire day before his defeat. Though the method in which Ancalagon is never recorded, his significance to Morgoth’s army was so great that Ancalagon’s death marked the end of Morgoth’s final resistance.
