"until the Last Battle and the Day of Doom"

[Iarhen]

Do we have any information against whom is this last battle? And if the day of doom is a result of the last battle? Does it mean that the good guys lose the battle? Or is such a great battle that the world ends because of it?

Is it against Morgoth? Because the prophecy says that the First Enemy shall come back before the day of doom... Will he destroy M.E.? Will he bring Sauron back?

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

There's a few threads on this subject. Type 'Dagor Dagorath' into the search engine and you'll find all sorts of details on this idea.

[Tar-Palantir]

This is a nice summary from www.annalsofarda.dk , book references are not given, but it checks out fairly well.

Prophecy of The Last Battle

Thus spake Mandos in prophecy, when the Gods sat in judgement in Valinor and the rumour of his word was whispered among all the Elves of the West.

"When the world is old and the Powers grow weary, then Morgoth, seeing that the guard sleepeth, shall come back through the Door of the Night out of the timeless void ; and he shall destroy the Sun and the Moon.

But Earendil shall descend upon him as a white and searing flame and drive him from the airs. Then shall the Last Battle be gathered on the fields of Valinor. In that day, Tulkas shall strive with Morgoth, and on his right hand shall be Eonwë, and on his left Turin Turambar, son of Hurin, coming from the halls of Mandos; and the Black Sword of Turin shall deal unto Morgoth his death and final end; and so shall the children of Hurin and all Men be avenged.

Thereafter shall Earth be broken and remade, and the Silmarils shall be recovered out of Air and Earth and Sea; for Earendil shall descend and surrender that flame which he hath had in keeping. Then Fëanor shall take the Three Jewels and bear them to Yavanna Palurien; and she will break them and with their fire rekindle the Two Trees, and a great light shall come forth. And the mountains of Valinor shall be levelled, so that the light shall go out over all the world. In that light the Gods will grow young again, and the Elves awake and all their dead arise, and the purpose of Iluvatar be fulfilled concerning them.

But of Men in that day the prophecy of Mandos doth not speak, and no Man it names, save Turin only, and to him a place is given among the sons of the Valar.

Here are a list of refernces, it is from a foreign language site, so some of the spelling is off (i.e., Mormegil = Mormakil)

The Silmarillion, II

"Then their [Dwarves'] part shall be to serve Aule and to aid him in the re-making of Arda after the Last Battle"

The Silmarillion, III

"Menelmacar with his shining belt, that forebodes the Last Battle that shall be at the end of days"

The Silmarillion, Akallabeth

"they lie imprisoned in the Caves of Forgotten, until the Last Battle and the Day of Doom."

Unfinished Tales, 4, II

"Manwe will not descend from the Mountain until the Dagor Dagorath, and the coming of the End, when Melkor returns"

The Book of Lost Tales I, IX ;

"For 'tis said that ere the Great End come Melko shall in some wise contrive a quarrel between Moon and Sun, and Ilinsor [Tilion] shall seek to follow Urwendi [Arien] through the Gates and when they are gone the Gates of both East and West will be destroyed, and Urwendi and Ilinsor shall be lost. So shall it be that Fionwe [Eonwe] Urion, son of Manwe, of love for Urwendi shall in the end be Melko's bane, and shall destroy the world to destroy his foe, and so shall all things then be rolled away."

The Book of Lost Tales II, II

"...but Turambar indeed shall stand beside Fionwe in the Great Wrack, and Melko and his drakes shall curse the sword of Mormakil."

The Book of Lost Tales II, VI

"Fionwe's rage and grief. In the end he will slay Melko. ...he [Telimektar, son of Tulkas] has diamonds on his sword-sheath, and this will go red when he draws his sword at the Great End."

The Book of Lost Tales II, VI

"The Elves' prophecy is that one day they will fare forth from Tol Eressea and on arriving in the world will gather all their fading kindred who still live in the world and march towards Valinor - through the southern lands.This they will only do with the help of Men. If Men aid them, the fairies will take Men to Valinor - those that wish to go - fight a great battle with Melko in Erumani and open Valinor... If Men oppose them and aid Melko the Wrack of the Gods and the ending of the fairies will result - and maybe the Great End."

The Shaping of Middle-Earth, II, 19

"When the world is much older, and the Gods weary, Morgoth will come back through the Door, and the last battle of all will be fought. Fionwe will fight Morgoth on the plain of Valinor, and the spirit of Turin shall be beside him; it shall be Turin who with his black sword will slay Morgoth, and thus the children of Hurin shall be avenged."

The Shaping of Middle-Earth, III, 19

"Thus spake the prophecy of Mandos, which he declared in Valmar at the judgement of the Gods, and the rumour of it was whispered among all the Elves of the West: when the world is old and the Powers grow weary, then Morgoth shall come back through the Door out of the Timeless Night; and he shall destroy the Sun and the Moon, but Earendel shall come upon him as a white flame and drive him from the airs. Then shall the last battle be gathered on the fields of Valinor. In that day Tulkas shall strive with Melko, and on his right shall stand Fionwe and on his left Turin Turambar, son of Hurin, Conqueror of Fate; and it shall be the black sword of Turin that deals unto Melko his death and final end; and so shall the children of Hurin and all Men be avenged."

The Lost Road and other writings, Part Two, VI

"Thus spake Mandos in prophecy, when the Gods sat in judgement in Valinor, and the rumour of his words was whispered among the Elves of the West. When the world is old and the powers grow weary, then Morgoth, seeing that the guard sleepeth, shall come back through the Door of Night out of the Timeless Void; and he shall destroy the sun and the Moon. But Earendel shall descend upon him as a white and searching flame and drive him from the airs. Then shall the Last Battle be gathered on the fields of Valinor. In that day Tulkas shall strive with Morgoth, and on his right hand shall be Fionwe, and on his left Turin Turambar, son of Hurin, coming from the halls of Mandos; and the black sword of Turin shall deal unto Morgoth his death and final end; and so shall the children of Hurin and all Men be avenged.

Morgoth's Ring, Part Two , section 2

"The greatest of these was Menelmakar, the Swordsman of the Sky. This, it is said, was a sign of Turin Turambar, who should come into the world, and a foreshowing of the Last Battle that shall be at the end of Days."

The War of the Jewels, Part Two, 13

"Then their [Dwarves'] part shall be to serve Aule and to aid him in the re-making of Arda after the Last Battle."

The Peoples of Middle-Earth, Part Two, XII

"unless the prophecy of Andreth the Wise-woman should prove true, that Turin in the Last Battle should return from the Dead, and before he left the Circles of the World for ever should challenge the Great Dragon ofMorgoth, Ancalagon the Black, and deal him the death-stroke".

[ March 14, 2003: Message edited by: Tar-Palantir ]

[Mornie Alantie]

It does say in the Unfinished tales that Morgorth indeed will return. Also, just a question, if that story is right, what of the soldiers of Ar-pharazon that were buried and were said to come back during the last battle? but then it does say that thing about men at the end.