Tales are told of many servants of the dark lords throughout the ages of the world. Some,
like orcs, come into the histories more often. Others make far fewer appearances,
yet make a great impact when they do. Some gain their appearance through their
fall into servitude, while others gain their form of terror from the work of a dark lord.
Today, on Nerd of the Rings, we cover the Werewolves of Middle-earth.
The first chronological mention of the beings that would become werewolves comes from The
War of Jewels, Vol 11 of the History of Middle-earth. There, it is said that in
the Valian Year 1330 evil creatures came into Beleriand - either over passes in the
mountains or up from the south through dark forests. Among these there are wolves - or
creatures that walked in wolf-shapes, as well as other fell beings of shadow.
While this establishes wolves themselves being in Middle-earth, it does not yet explain werewolves.
Now, to be clear, Tolkien’s werewolves are not the same as those in popular fiction - they are
not humans who turn back and forth into wolves, but rather great wolves inhabited by spirits.
As for the origin of these beasts, we must look no further than the dark lord - that
is the second dark lord. Unlike orcs or dragons, Morgoth was not the one who created werewolves.
Instead it was Sauron - who would come to be known among many titles as “Lord of Werewolves.” It is
said Sauron imprisoned dreadful spirits within the bodies of wolves, which would then in turn
serve him. While we cannot say for certain, it’s possible these spirits were lesser fallen maiar.
The first of their kind is a werewolf by the name of Draugluin and like Glaurung for the dragons,
he would be known as the father of his kind. Draugluin would assist Sauron in
the overthrow of Finrod’s watchtower of Minas Tirith, which the dark lord
would conquer and make his own. There, Draugluin would dwell and he would have
countless offspring. The fortress itself would be renamed Tol-in-Gaurhoth - Isle of Werewolves.
Werewolves would factor heavily in the tale of Beren and Luthien. First, when Beren and Finrod in
disguise come to the latter’s former home in 465 FA. They would be discovered and stripped of their
disguises by Sauron, and after being imprisoned in the dungeons of Tol-in-Gaurhoth, one by one,
their company would be killed by werewolves. When at last a werewolf comes to kill Beren,
Finrod puts forth all his power and breaks his bonds. Galadriel’s brother wrestles with the
foul creature, slaying it with his bare hands, though he is mortally wounded in the deed.
But help would come for Beren. For his love Luthien and the great hound Huan came
to Tol-in-Gaurhoth to his rescue. Luthien hears Beren singing a song of defiance in his anguish,
and answers with a song of great power. The wolves howl and the isle trembles. Sauron stands in his
high tower, wrapped in his black thought. Realizing this was the daughter of Melian,
he seeks to capture her and deliver her to Morgoth for great reward.
Therefore he sent a wolf to the bridge. But Huan slew it silently. Still Sauron sent others
one by one; and one by one Huan took them by the throat and slew them. Then Sauron sent Draugluin,
a dread beast, old in evil, lord and sire of the werewolves of Angband. His might was great;
and the battle of Huan and Draugluin was long and fierce. Yet at length Draugluin escaped,
and fleeing back into the tower he died before Sauron’s feet;
and as he died he told his master: ‘Huan is there!’
It was well known to Sauron, and indeed all in that land, the prophecy of Huan
the hound - that none could slay him except the greatest wolf that ever lived. Sauron
believes that he himself could accomplish the deed, and the lord of werewolves takes
on the form of a werewolf himself - the mightiest that had yet walked the world
But no wizardry nor spell, neither fang nor venom, nor devil’s art nor beast-strength,
could overthrow Huan of Valinor; and he took his foe by the throat and pinned him down. Then
Sauron shifted shape, from wolf to serpent, and from monster to his own accustomed form;
but he could not elude the grip of Huan without forsaking his body utterly.
Sauron turns over Tol-in-Gaurhoth to Luthien in exchange for his release and taking the form of a
vampire, he flies away to Taur-nu-Fuin - filling the land with horror. By the magic of Luthien,
Beren would use the pelt of the slain Draugluin to disguise himself, while she would take the form
of the slain vampire Thuringwethil. Together, they continue to Angband on the quest of the silmaril.
Word of Sauron’s defeat at the paws of Huan would reach Morgoth himself,
the dark lord’s mind would turn to thoughts of the great hound…
Then Morgoth recalled the doom of Huan, and he chose one from among the whelps of
the race of Draugluin; and he fed him with his own hand upon living flesh,
and put his power upon him. Swiftly the wolf grew, until he could creep into no den, but lay
huge and hungry before the feet of Morgoth. There the fire and anguish of hell entered into him,
and he became filled with a devouring spirit, tormented, terrible, and strong. Carcharoth,
the Red Maw, he is named in the tales of those days, and Anfauglir, the Jaws of
Thirst. And Morgoth set him to lie unsleeping before the doors of Angband, lest Huan come.
It’s worth noting the similarity here between Morgoth’s feeding of Carcharoth
and Sauron’s feeding of the fell beasts of the Nazgul: And the Dark Lord took it,
and nursed it with fell meats, until it grew beyond the measure of all other things that fly;
and he gave it to his servant to be his steed.
Returning to the First Age, Carcharoth, at his post, would see the coming of Draugluin in 466 FA,
yet knowing of his sire’s demise the previous year, he bids the disguised Beren and Luthien to
halt. In this moment, Luthien enchants Carcharoth to sleep, and he falls as if struck by lightning.
Luthien would again use the power of her song - this time to put the court of Morgoth into an
enchanted sleep as Beren steals a Silmaril. But as he attempts to take a second, his knife breaks and
awakes the dark lord. Upon their escape, they come face to face with an awakened Carcharoth.
Lúthien was spent, and she had not time nor strength to quell the wolf. But Beren strode
forth before her, and in his right hand he held aloft the Silmaril. Carcharoth halted,
and for a moment was afraid. 'Get you gone, and fly!' cried Beren; 'for here is a fire that
shall consume you, and all evil things.' And he thrust the Silmaril before the eyes of the wolf.
But Carcharoth looked upon that holy jewel and was not daunted, and the devouring spirit
within him awoke to sudden fire; and gaping he took suddenly the hand within his jaws,
and he bit it off at the wrist. Then swiftly all his inwards were filled with a flame of anguish,
and the Silmaril seared his accursed flesh. Howling he fled before them,
and the walls of the valley of the Gate echoes with the clamour of his torment. So terrible did
he become in his madness that all the creatures of Morgoth that abode in that valley ... fled
far away for he slew all living things that stood in his path, and burst from the North
with ruin upon the world. Of all the terrors that came ever into Beleriand ere Angband's fall the
madness of Carcharoth was the most dreadful; for the power of the Silmaril was hidden within him.
Beren, having lost his hand and his prize, returns to Doriath with Luthien,
proclaiming to Thingol that his quest was indeed complete - for within his
hand there was a silmaril, though both now resided within Carcharoth.
The crazed beast would move south through Beleriand, eventually coming to the forests
Doriath itself. He was said to possess at this time an overpowering thirst,
from which his name Anfauglir comes. With word of the great werewolf arriving in Doriath,
Beren joins the company of King Thingol, Beleg Strongbow, Mablung, and Huan in hunting the wolf.
Then a great baying awoke in the thicket; for Huan becoming impatient and desiring to look
upon this wolf had gone in alone to dislodge him. But Carcharoth avoided him, and bursting
from the thorns leaped suddenly upon Thingol. Swiftly Beren strode before him with a spear,
but Carcharoth swept it aside and felled him, biting at his breast. In that moment
Huan leaped from the thicket upon the back of the Wolf, and they fell together fighting bitterly;
and no battle of wolf and hound has been like to it, for in the baying of Huan was heard the
voice of the horns of Oromë and the wrath of the Valar, but in the howls of Carcharoth was
the hate of Morgoth and malice crueller than teeth of steel; and the rocks were rent by their clamour
and fell from on high and choked the falls of Esgalduin. There they fought to the death....
Huan in that hour slew Carcharoth; but there in the woven woods of Doriath ... he
was wounded mortally, and the venom of Morgoth entered into him. Then he came,
and falling beside Beren spoke for the third time with words; and he bade Beren farewell
before he died. Beren spoke not, but laid his hand upon the head of the hound, and so they parted.
Both Huan and Beren are mortally wounded by Carcaroth, the greatest
of werewolves. Carcaroth’s belly is cut open by Mablung and there he finds the silmaril,
with Beren’s hand still around it. Yet, when he touches the hand, it is no more.
The silmaril is presented to Beren, who in turn gives it to Thingol, his quest fully completed.
Luthien would lay down her life in grief at the passing of Beren and,
in a tale told elsewhere, both would return to life in the mortal lands of Middle-earth.
But what of the werewolves? After the deaths of Draugluin and Carcharoth,
they seem to fall out of the histories of Middle-earth. Indeed, we see only one mention
of their kind in all of the second and third ages, when in the house of Elrond, Gandalf declares:
"There are orcs and trolls, there are wargs and werewolves; and there have been and still are
many Men, warriors and kings, that walk alive under the Sun, and yet are under his sway."
Could this be confirmation that werewolves survived even into the third age,
and that the lord of werewolves would wield these terrible beasts once more?
While it’s worth noting that Gandalf lists Wargs and Werewolves separately,
some believe wargs could have been likewise descended from Draugluin - for as we see in
The Hobbit - they were capable of speech, suggesting they had fëar, or souls.
Whether connected or no, there’s no denying the incredible and horrific role
the wolf-like beasts of Middle-earth played in their service to the dark lords. From
Draugluin the father of their kind, to Carcharoth the greatest of werewolves,
to whatever remnant may or may not remain in the later days of Middle-earth.
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