Cirdan mentions an ancient battle in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2, but what is he talking about? Elrond brings this ancient elf the Three Elven Rings in Rings of Power season 2, episode 1, hoping that he would have some wisdom regarding how to handle these powerful weapons. He wasn’t disappointed, and Cirdan told Elrond that there was a deep trench nearby in the sea that could swallow up the Rings and ensure they were never found again. He said this trench was the byproduct of an ancient war, referencing a devastating event in Middle-earth’s history.

Cirdan might have been one of the few elves in Middle-earth who would know about this ancient battle. Elrond introduced this character in Rings of Power season 2, calling him the oldest and wisest of their kind. Given the immortal nature of the Elves, this is certainly saying something. Elves like Elrond and Gil-galad were in the First Age of Middle-earth, and Galadriel and Celebrimbor are even older, born in Valinor before there was even a sun in the sky. However, Cirdan would have been born shortly after a time when Middle-earth had been ravaged by an epic war.

Cirdan Is Discussing A Battle Against Morgoth From Before The First Age

The Battle Of The Powers Changed The Very Shape Of Middle-earth

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The Rings of Power season 1 frequently referenced the Dark Lord Morgoth, who had been Sauron’s master prior to the Second Age. Morgoth, previously called Melkor, was a Vala, a being often compared to a demigod, archangel, or titan. The Valar participated in the creation of the universe and were responsible for looking out and caring for Middle-earth and the Children of Ilúvatar (Elves and Men). However, before the Children woke up for the first time, Melkor began causing trouble.

This resulted in a massive battle between Melkor and his fellow Valar, the Battle of the Powers. This went far beyond any Lord of the Rings wars involving Elves, Men, Dwarves, Orcs, or even Sauron. The Valar had power over the earth itself, and as Cirdan said in Rings of Power, they used the structure of Middle-earth as weapons. This battle resulted in trenches (like the one Cirdan suggested dropping the Rings of Power into), rivers, mountains, canyons, and many other features of the fantasy world we know and love.

How Long Before The Rings Of Power The Valar’s Battle Against Morgoth Happened

The Battle Of The Powers Happened During The Years Of The Trees

The Battle of the Powers began sometime around 1090 in the Years of the Trees, a period before (though technically a part of) the First Age. This would have been around the same time the first Elves, created by the hands of the Lord of the Rings god Eru Ilúvatar, first woke up in Middle-earth. Cirdan was likely a direct descendent of these Elves and might have even been born early enough to have felt Middle-earth quake or seen the distant flashing lights as the Valar fought Melkor. Still, defining precisely how long before Rings of Power this happened is complicated.

The Years of the Trees lasted until YT 1500, and then the First Age picked up, lasting 590 years. However, while the First Age is counted in solar years, the Years of the Trees were counted in Valian years, each equating to about 10 solar years. So, with the Battle of the Powers beginning in YT 1090, about 4,690 years passed between this event and the end of the First Age. Then, add in the approximately 1500 Second Age years (the year the Rings of Power were forged in the timeline), and the Battle of Powers happened about 6,190 years before Cirdan told Elrond about it in Rings of Power.

Tolkien later said that a Valian year equals 144 solar years, which would mean that the Battle of the Powers happened 61,130 years before the Rings of Power were forged. However, this exchange rate is used less frequently since Tolkien never adjusted his established timeline following the change.

How The Battle Between The Valar & Morgoth Ended

The Valar & Morgoth Reached A Temporary Resolution

The Battle of the Powers lasted from YT 1090 to about YT 1099, about 90 solar years (or 1,296 years using the 144-year rate). After decades (or centuries) of devastating war, the Valar finally had Morgoth cornered at his stronghold, Utumno, and broke through after a lengthy siege. The Dark Lord was held captive in the Void for several centuries. Sauron, however, remained in Middle-earth, along with other evil forces. As all this was happening, the Valar invited the Elves (including Cirdan) to migrate West to Valinor.

The events of Rings of Power prove that Middle-earth continued to face the consequences of Morgoth’s evil for centuries.

This wasn’t the end of Morgoth, however. Following his imprisonment in the Void, he was invited before the Valar, where he begged for forgiveness. Manwë (the king of the Valar and Melkor’s brother), granted Morgoth this, and the Dark Lord was bale to live in Valinor for a while before he again escaped to Middle-earth (after destroying the Two Trees of Valinor). This and more ultimately led to the War of Wrath and Morgoth’s final downfall (aside from Dagor Dagorath). Still, the events of Rings of Power prove that Middle-earth continued to face the consequences of Morgoth’s evil for centuries.