Lord of the Dark

A variation on the more common 'Dark Lord', used of Morgoth during the time when he ruled from Angband to the north of Beleriand. This particular form was used once only, by Bereg and Amlach during the debate of Men at Estolad. They were agitators seeking to persuade Men, who had only lately come into Beleriand, to return across the Blue Mountains and abandon the Elves to their war with Morgoth. After the debate, it was discovered that Amlach was not who he appeared to be, but was instead a being sent by Morgoth who had taken his shape, and so the term 'Lord of the Dark' may have come from Morgoth himself.

A close variation on this title was used long afterwards in Númenor, where Sauron described his ancient master Morgoth as the Lord of the Darkness. In this context, Sauron was claiming that Morgoth held power over the Ancient Darkness that lay beyond the Circles of the World, and this may also go some way towards explaining the older title 'Lord of the Dark'.