- See Angband (game) for the computer game.
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional world of Middle-earth, Angband (Sindarin for 'Hells of Iron', although the literal meaning is 'iron prison') is the name of the fortress of Morgoth, constructed before the First Age of the Sun, located in the Iron Mountains north of Beleriand. Morgoth built it to guard against a possible attack by the Valar, and put Sauron in charge of it. Nonetheless, the Valar's attack succeeded in capturing Morgoth (then called 'Melkor') and destroying his other stronghold Utumno. After three ages of imprisonment, Morgoth returned to Middle-earth and set himself up in Angband, raising the volcanic Thangorodrim over the Fortress as protection. He reigned there until the end of the First Age, when it was destroyed in the War of Wrath.
In earlier versions of Tolkien's mythology (see: The History of Middle-earth) it was called Angamandi.
