Angband: Morgoth's Iron Hell That Drained a God | Silmarillion Deep Dive

Angband, the Iron Prison, was Morgoth's primary fortress during the First Age - a stronghold far more terrible than any of Sauron's later creations. Originally built as a secondary armory to Utumno with Sauron as its warden, Angband was reconstructed on a massive scale after Morgoth's return, with the volcanic peaks of Thangorodrim raised above its gates. The fortress functioned as an industrial complex for evil: blast furnaces forged weapons, breeding pits spawned dragons and werewolves, and an entire ecosystem of malevolence developed within its depths. Time itself became a weapon there, as prisoners like Maedhros hung for thirty years and Hurin watched his children's destruction for twenty-eight. Yet despite its horrors, Angband was repeatedly penetrated - Fingon rescued Maedhros, Beren and Luthien stole a Silmaril from Morgoth's crown. This paradox reflects Tolkien's theology: evil cannot create perfection. Most remarkably, building Angband drained Morgoth's divine power, leaving the mightiest Vala too afraid to leave his own fortress. Destroying Angband required the War of Wrath, which sank Beleriand beneath the sea.