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Date
Location
The valley of Nanduhirion in the Misty Mountains, beneath the East-gate of Moria
Races
Fought between Dwarves and Orcs
Pronunciation
'Nanduhirion' is pronounced nandoo'hirion
Meaning
'Nanduhirion' means 'valley of the dim streams' (usually translated as 'Dimrill Dale')
Other names

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About this entry:

  • Updated 10 January 2013
  • This entry is complete

Battle of Nanduhirion

The end of the War of the Dwarves and the Orcs

Map of the Battle of Nanduhirion
(1) The first assault of the Dwarves fails; the defending Orcs force them aside towards the Mirrormere.
(2) The Dwarves of the Iron Hills enter the battle, fighting their way through the ranks of the Orcs to the steps of the East-gate.
(3) Dáin, later called Ironfoot, slays Azog at the East-gate, bringing victory for the Dwarves.
(4) The surviving Orcs flee the field; many of them escape into the south, seeking refuge in the White Mountains.
(1) The first assault of the Dwarves fails; the defending Orcs force them aside towards the Mirrormere.
(2) The Dwarves of the Iron Hills enter the battle, fighting their way through the ranks of the Orcs to the steps of the East-gate.
(3) Dáin, later called Ironfoot, slays Azog at the East-gate, bringing victory for the Dwarves.
(4) The surviving Orcs flee the field; many of them escape into the south, seeking refuge in the White Mountains.

The climactic battle in the War of the Dwarves and Orcs, also called the Battle of Azanulbizar and the Battle of the Mines of Moria, that took place below of the East-gate of Moria in the winter of III 2799.

Nine years before the battle, the Dwarf-king Thrór had been murdered by Azog the Goblin in Moria. That event triggered a furious backlash from the Dwarves, who assembled their armies and, in their quest for revenge against Azog, began the systematic destruction of the Orcs of the Misty Mountains. Eventually, the armies of the Dwarves came up against the last stronghold of the Orcs, and hiding place of Azog, old Moria itself.

The battle was fought in the valley of Nanduhirion beneath Moria's gates. The Orcs were more numerous, and held the higher ground at the head of the valley. The Dwarves under Thráin II, though, were better equipped, and were rallied late in the battle by the arrival of reinforcements, commanded by Thráin's cousin Náin. There was great loss on both sides, but eventually the Dwarves had the victory; Dáin Ironfoot - just thirty-two years old at the time - slew Azog on the steps of Moria.


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About this entry:

  • Updated 10 January 2013
  • This entry is complete

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