It is believed that in the First Age of the Sun, Morgoth the Dark Enemy (also called “Dark Lord” or Melkor) hid himself in the Pits of Angband and wrought his masterpieces of evil from flame and sorcery. The dark jewels of Morgoth's genius were the Great Worms called Dragons. He made three kinds: great serpents that slithered, those that walked on legs, and those that flew with wings like the Bat. Of each kind there were two types: the Cold-drakes, who fought with fang and claw, and the miraculous Urulóki Fire-drakes, who destroyed with breath of flame. All Dragons were the embodiment of the chief evils of Men, Elves and Dwarves, and so were great in their destruction of those races.
The Dragons were in themselves vast armouries that worked towards Morgoth's aims. The reptiles were of massive size and power and were protected by scales of impenetrable iron. Tooth and nail were like javelin and rapier, and their tails could crush the shield-wall of any army. The winged Dragons swept the land below them with hurricane winds, and the Fire-drakes breathed scarlet and green flames that licked the Earth and destroyed all in their path.

Beyond strength of arms, Dragons carried other more subtle powers. Their eyesight was keener than the hawk's and anything that they sighted could not escape them. They had hearing that would catch the sound of the slightest breath of the most silent enemy, and a sense of smell that allowed them to name any creature by the least odour of its flesh.

Their intelligence was renowned, as was their love of setting and solving riddles.

Dragons were ancient serpents, and so were creatures of immense cleverness and

knowledge but not of wisdom, for their intelligence had the flaws of vanity, gluttony,

 greed, deceit and wrath.

 

Being created chiefly of the elements of fire and sorcery, the Dragons shunned

water and preferred darkness to the light of day. Dragon-blood was black and

deadly poison , and the vapours of their worm-stench were of burning sulphurand

slime. Their bodies glowed always of a hard, gem-like flame. Their laughter was deeper

than well shaft and made the very mountains Quake. The eyes of the Dragon emited rays of

ruby light or in anger flashed red lightning. Their cruel reptilian voices were harsh whispers and,

combined with the intensity of the serpent eye, invoked the Dragon-spell that bound unwary foes and

made them wish to surrender to the beast's awsome will.

 

GLAURUNG: also called Father of Dragons, was the First of the Uruloki (wingless fire-breathing dragons). He was bred by Morgoth from some unknown stock and was the first dragon to appear outside of Angband. He took part in the battle of the  Sudden Flame and in the battle of the Unnumbered Tears, destroyed large parts of the Elf-lands Ered Wethrin, Dorthonion and Nargothrond and was  finally killed by the hero Turin.

 

 

ANCALAGON THE BLACK: The mightiest of Morgoth's winged dragons. He died in the War of Wrath, felled by a well-aimed arrow shot from Eärendil, while he was fighting against the great eagles. It is said that when he fell, the impact of his gigantic body against the mountains of Beleriand caused a cataclysm wich changed the geography of Middle Earth.

 

 

SCATHA THE WORM: Scatha was the mightiest dragon north of the Grey Mountains (Ered Mithrin) during the third age.  He was drawn south by the great dwarf treasures collected by the seven dwarf-lords. Scatha was eventually slain but more dragons  kept coming and many dwarves lost their lives defending their gold and valuables.

 

 

SMAUG THE GOLDEN: was the greatest of the dragons of his days. During the twenty-eighth century of the Third Age, he devastated the Dwarf-kingdom of Erebor, the Lonely Mountain and the nearby township of Dale, and seized the vast treasure. He ruled over these lands for two centuries until one day in the October of III 2941, the dwarf Thorin Oakenshield organizes an expedition to recover the treasure stolen by Smaug and to avenge the destruction the dragon wreaked on the dwarves. He fullfills his aim when the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins, along his twelve dwarves companions, manage to trick the dragon and helps Bardo, a human hero, to kill him.

 

Middle Earth map- Click on the image to enlarge.