Dain and the Battle of Dale

[tinewelt]

I know dain was slain in the battle of dale in 3019. I have searched the appendices, and cannot find a detailed illustration of that battle. is it anywhere in the letters or any other book?

if it was not a wonder rather that in his great age he could still wield his axe as mightily as they say that he did, standing over the body of King Brand before the Gate of Erebor until the darkness fell

I also know that this war was a result of the war of the ring. I was just wondering if there is a good description of that battle anywhere? thanks for any help [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

[FingolfintheBold]

Good question! I suppose this was one of those battles that Tolkien left mostly to the imagination. Its mostly an offhand reference to how Dain the Mighty fell in valiant battle doing what he did best: slaying orcs! keep watching the "Battles of the Late third age" thread. Im sure this battle will come up sometime.

[tinewelt]

yeah thats a good idea! i forgot to look and see if he/she had listed that battle. thanks!

[Finwe]

The entire battle started out when an army of Orcs and Easterlings crossed the River Carnen, and marched on Dale. King Brand fled to the Lonely Mountain along with his son and the rest of his people, and took up a stand there with his friend Dain Ironfoot.

Dain fell, wielding his axe over the body of his friend Brand of Dale, at the threshold of the Lonely Mountain. Apparently, Orcs overran the place, and killed Brand. So our dear 250-year-old Dain laid about with his axe until he was overborne, and killed by superior numbers of Orcs. After that, his son Thorin III Stonehelm and Bard II of Dale, Brand's son, rallied their men, and defeated the Orcs and Easterlings.

[deal_with_it]

Originally Posted by tinewelt

I know dain was slain in the battle of dale in 3019. I have searched the appendices, and cannot find a detailed illustration of that battle. is it anywhere in the letters or any other book? I also know that this war was a result of the war of the ring. I was just wondering if there is a good description of that battle anywhere? thanks for any help [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

http://www.glyphweb.com/arda/default.asp
Description of The Battle of Dale
A battle that took place during the War of the Ring, in Dale and Erebor. Brand of Dale and Dáin Ironfoot were both lost in the battle, and their respective forces besieged in the Lonely Mountain. The sons of these two lords, Bard II and Thorin III, were eventually able to break the siege and defeat the forces of Sauron.

Notes
1 The actual Battle of Dale started on 17 March, and ended with the victory of the Easterling invaders, leaving Brand and Dáin dead, and their heirs besieged within Erebor. The siege lasted for seven days, until news of the Downfall of Barad-dûr reached the besiegers and sapped their morale; the Tale of Years tells us that Bard II and Thorin III drove them away on 27 March.