Literature Dwarf (Middle-earth)

1 literature

1.1 characteristics
1.2 language
1.3 names
1.4 divisions

1.4.1 petty-dwarves


1.5 history

1.5.1 creation
1.5.2 first age
1.5.3 second age
1.5.4 third age
1.5.5 fourth age

literature
characteristics

an illustration of middle-earth dwarf.

in silmarillion, dwarves described shorter , stockier elves , men, able withstand both heat , cold. though mortal, dwarves have average lifespan of 250 years.

in lord of rings tolkien writes breed slowly, no more third of them female, , not marry; also, female dwarves , sound (and dress, if journeying—which rare) alike dwarf-males other folk cannot distinguish them, , others wrongly believe dwarves grow out of stone. tolkien names 1 female, dís.

tolkien s dwarves, mythical forebears, great metalworkers, smiths , stoneworkers. fierce in battle, main weapons axes (referenced in many subsequent fantasy works), use bows, swords, shields , mattocks. unlike other fantasy dwarves, tolkien not explicitly have them use war hammers.

since lived underground, dwarves did not grow own food supplies if it, , obtained food through trade elves , men. in essay of dwarves , men in peoples of middle-earth written dwarf , human communities formed trade relations men prime suppliers of food, farmers , herdsmen, while dwarves supplied tools , weapons, road-building , construction work.

unlike elves , men, created supreme god ilúvatar, dwarves created vala aulë.

throughout first age , of second age, dwarves maintain friendly trading relations men , elves (the treachery of dwarves of nogrod towards thingol of doriath being exception). however, in third age, particularly after closure of moria, grow mistrustful of elves, though in later times cordial relations established elves of mirkwood , men of dale. maintain ambivalent relations hobbits of third age, although after mission retake lonely mountain bilbo baggins held in great esteem there.

language


the cirth runes used write khuzdul.

from creation, dwarves spoke khuzdul, constructed language made them aulë. because constructed (though living) language, not descended form of elvish, of languages of men were, although suggested language may have had influence on languages of men. khuzdul part closely guarded tongue (one of few recorded outsiders have knowledge of eöl), however, , dwarves never revealed khuzdul names outsiders, going far omit them tombs. khuzdul written in cirth, runic alphabet developed elves. there no extant corpus khuzdul language, whether in tolkien s novels or in private works, other battle cry: baruk khazâd! khazâd ai-mênu! (meaning axes of dwarves! dwarves upon you! ) , inscription on balin s tombstone, reading: balin fundinul uzbad khazad-dÛmu, or balin son of fundin lord of moria. remainder of corpus of khuzdul consists of single words , names, such mountains barazinbar (redhorn) , zirakzigil (silvertine). tolkien himself not seem have had firm idea of meaning of these words when created them; notes on zirakzigil suggested zirak means silver , zigil means spike , later reversed , proposed zirak spike , zigil silver . of khuzdul name kibil-nâla wrote meaning of nâla not known.

names

in grey-elvish or sindarin dwarves called naugrim ( stunted people ), gonnhirrim ( stone-lords ), , dornhoth ( thrawn folk ), , hadhodrim. in quenya casári. dwarves called khazâd in own language, khuzdul.

tolkien took names of twelve of thirteen dwarves used in hobbit (and gandalf s name well) völuspá.

divisions

in silmarillion, stated dwarves divided 7 clans or houses . 3 enter tolkien s histories are:

longbeards (khuzdul: sigin-tarâg) (durin s folk), founded city of khazad-dûm in misty mountains (they later founded realms in grey mountains , lonely mountain);
firebeards, founded nogrod in blue mountains;
broadbeams, founded belegost in blue mountains.

after end of first age, dwarves spoken of exclusively of durin s line. nothing known of histories of other 4 houses, except each sent contingent west fight in war of dwarves , orcs in late third age, , names:

ironfists
stiffbeards
blacklocks
stonefoots

petty-dwarves

the petty-dwarves dwarves of several houses, had been exiled in ancient times reasons unknown. first cross ered luin in first age, , established strongholds in beleriand before building of nogrod , belegost in blue mountains, , before elves arrived. these ancient settlements @ nargothrond , amon rûdh.

the usual sindarin name noegyth nibin; others include nibin-nogrim , noegoethig, formed of nibin ( petty ) , 1 of elvish names true dwarves. in quenya called pitya-naukor. petty-dwarves of west beleriand dwindled single family, , @ last became extinct.

the sindar, not acquainted dwarves yet, saw petty-dwarves little more bothersome animals, calling them (levain) tad-dail ( two-legged (animals) ), , hunted them. not until dwarves of ered luin established contact sindar did realize petty-dwarves were. afterwards left alone, not before petty-dwarves came hate elves passion.

petty-dwarves differed normal dwarves in various ways: smaller, far more unsociable, , freely gave away names: other dwarves kept khuzdul names , language secret. in reality, tolkien s original conception dwarves greedy, treacherous , unable create works of beauty without aid. different characteristics evolved in later stories felt obliged describe dwarves in these earlier stories separate race, petty-dwarves.

by time of war of jewels, after return of noldor, petty-dwarves had died out. last remnant of people mîm , 2 sons, ibun , khîm, lived @ amon rûdh. gave shelter túrin turambar , band @ home of amon rûdh. mîm later captured band of orcs , saved own life betraying túrin, though sons killed. mîm later became possessor of treasure-hoard abandoned dragon glaurung, later killed húrin, túrin s father.

history

the dwarves portrayed ancient people awoke, elves, @ start of first age, before existence of sun , moon (the elves, however, awakened first).

creation

in tolkien s works, dwarves (in form of 7 patriarchs) created during years of trees (also known ages of darkness), when of middle-earth controlled forces of melkor. created vala aulë, in secret other valar, intended children whom teach crafts. ilúvatar, however, knew of creation, despite aulë s efforts. when confronted ilúvatar, aulë confessed deed , raised hammer destroy creations. however, ilúvatar, seeing had been made not out of malice or wickedness, stayed aulë s hand , sanctified dwarves, though did not allow them awake before elves (whom had designated firstborn ). aulë sealed 7 fathers of dwarves in stone chambers in far-flung regions of middle-earth await awakening.

first age

some time after elves had awakened @ cuiviénen, 7 fathers of dwarves released stone chambers. eldest of them, called durin, wandered until founded city of khazad-dûm in natural caves beneath 3 peaks: caradhras, celebdil, , fanuidhol (known in khuzdul baranzinbar, zirakzigil, , bundushathûr, respectively). city, populated longbeards or durin s folk, grew , prospered continuously through durin s life (which long called durin deathless, reference belief people reincarnated 7 times). 1 of dwarf mansions survive first age.

far west of khazad-dûm, great dwarvish cities of belegost , nogrod founded in ered luin (the blue mountains) during first age, before arrival of elves in beleriand. dwarves of belegost first forge mail of linked rings, , traded weaponry sindar , carved thousand caves of menegroth elf king thingol. in nogrod, smith telchar forged narsil , angrist, 2 of fateful weapons in history of arda, famed dragon-helm of dor-lómin.

the dwarves of beleriand fought against forces of melkor during first age, , dwarves of belegost people able withstand dragon-fire in battle of unnumbered tears, when king azaghâl, died in battle, stabbed glaurung, first dragon.

the dwarves of nogrod fought against melkor well. however, slew thingol out of greed , stole silmaril had been charged set necklace called nauglamír. number of retaliatory actions ensued, , nogrod army destroyed force of laiquendi , ents. both dwarf kingdoms destroyed, along of beleriand, after war of wrath, dwarvish refugees resettling in khazad-dûm.

second age

refugees belegost , nogrod added population of khazad-dûm, , wealth enriched discovery of mithril, magical , extremely valuable metal found in mines. during time dwarves continued trade neighbouring men , elves of eregion. 7 of rings of power forged elven-smiths later given sauron, had seized them, heads of 7 dwarf clans (although longbeards maintained durin s ring given him celebrimbor). dwarves of moria @ first fought in war of sauron , elves, in year 1697 of second age, doors of khazad-dûm shut , inhabitants no longer ventured forth world. thereafter known elven name of moria, meaning dark chasm .

third age

during third age dwarves of moria continued prosper until year 1980, when, in pursuing vein of mithril, broke open chamber containing last balrog known in histories of middle-earth, called durin s bane. battled against demon 1 year, , after death of 2 kings, dwarves had not been killed fled misty mountains. 2 decades had no kingdom, in year 1999, thráin founded kingdom @ lonely mountain. kingdom prospered time, , great jewel known arkenstone discovered.

in 2210 thorin founded kingdom in grey mountains north of mirkwood. both of these realms consumed dragons—the grey mountains in 2590 horde , lonely mountain in 2770 dragon smaug. refugees grey mountains did not return lonely mountain colonized iron hills, 1 of dwarf kingdoms never abandoned or taken. main body of dwarves became wandering people, , thrór, had been king of lonely mountain when captured, slain orcs in year 2790 , body mutilated. led war of dwarves , orcs, in of orc hordes of misty mountains exterminated half of dwarf host killed, blow took dwarves several hundred years recover from.

for time exile kingdom founded in northern blue mountains, thráin ii driven wandering wilderness ring, last of dwarvish rings not yet taken sauron or consumed dragons. captured sauron, reigning necromancer in dol guldur. thráin tortured, ring of power taken, , died. in 2941 thorin ii oakenshield, son of thráin ii , grandson of thrór, recolonized lonely mountain after smaug dragon slain bard, future king of dale. after ensuing battle of 5 armies, in eagles, elves of mirkwood, men of dale, , dwarves of iron hills (as thorin s band) defeated invading horde of goblins , in thorin killed, cousin dáin ii ironfoot, lord of iron hills, became king under mountain, , lonely mountain not abandoned again.

dwarves did not figure prominently in major battles of war of ring although lonely mountain besieged time , dáin killed in battle of dale. 1 dwarf, however—gimli—joined fellowship of ring , companion of ringbearer great part of journey, , fought @ battle of hornburg, battle of pelennor fields, , battle of morannon.

fourth age

at start of fourth age, gimli led group of colonists lonely mountain glittering caves, beneath hornburg in rohan, established dwarf kingdom , ruled there more century. after death of aragorn in year 120 of fourth age, sailed undying lands legolas.

it said dwarf population began dwindle because male dwarves did not desire wives, or not find 1 desired. not dwarf women less third of population (and many of them choose not marry, well). yet still left mystery in dwarvish history; dwarves true fate left unknown.