J. Tolkien has created a whole world-Middle-earth inhabited by different races in his legendarium “The Lord of the Rings”. And the dwarves have an important place in it.

Description

The dwarves of Middle-earth were short, stocky, long-bearded, they possessed great strength and endurance. The dwarves were also skilled craftsmen. Working with precious stones and metal, they made weapons and jewelry out of them. They had vindictive character, but they could also remember the good for a long time. The women of the dwarves were not much different in appearance from the men, and almost never left the underground houses. The dwarves also had their own language – Khuzdul, which was difficult for outsiders to understand.

How long do the dwarves of Middle-earth live? Those of them who did not die in battle or by accident could live up to 250 years, although some individuals lived longer. Adulthood came to 40 years, and old age, rater rapid one, – in the last decade of life.

Origin

The history of the dwarves of Middle-earth begins long before the appearance of the first elves. The Valar Aule made them of stone, but Iluvatar gave them mind. However, the dwarves had to wake up after the elves. Initially, there were seven forefathers and seven clans of dwarves were formed from them: Longbeards, Firebeards, Broadbeams, Ironfists, Stiffbeards, Blacklocks and Stonefoots. At the very beginning the dwarves lived peacefully with the elves, but at the end of the First Age their enmity began. However, cooperation and friendship between them are also mentioned.

Dwarves lived in underground cities. In the beginning, their home was the kingdom of Moria and Khazad-dum. But going deeper in search of treasure and mithril, they woke barlog. Moria was over, and the dwarves left it. Some went north, some to the Iron Hills or the spurs of Ered Luin (Blue Mountains). During the Third Age the dwarves have another home — the Glittering Caves provided by Gimli.

The Dwarves of the Lord of the Rings: Names

In their own language, the dwarves called themselves Khazad. In Sindorin, it sounded like Hadhodrim, in Quenya – like Khazari. The dwarves were also called naugrim – “short people” or gonnhirrim – “stone lords”. They did not confess their real names in their native language and preferred to accept new ones in other languages. So a dwarf had two names.

Dwarves created by Tolkien were given names from Norse mythology, particularly The Edda. Balin is the only name not taken from there.

Other peoples believed that dwarves became a stone, when died. The dwarves believed that Aule was taking them to the halls of Mandos, where they could perfect their skills waited for the final battle of Dagor Dagorath.