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Tag Archives: Dwarves
Dragons: From Ancient Serpents to the Great Worms of Middle-earth
From the great serpents of the ancient world to Fáfnir, Beowulf and the dragons of Middle-earth, this article traces the long history behind Tolkien’s Great Worms. Along the way, we explore Glaurung, Ancalagon, Smaug and Scatha, the different kinds of dragon Tolkien imagined, their troubled history with the Dwarves, and the question of whether dragons might have survived into the Fourth Age. Continue reading
Posted in History, Uncategorized
Tagged Ancalagon, Beowulf, Dragons, Dwarves, J. R. R. Tolkien, Middle-earth, Norse Mythology, Scatha, Silmarillion, Smaug, The Hobbit
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Dwarvish Astronomy: Under Stone, Under Stars
Tolkien gives us no Dwarvish astronomer or observatory, but he does give us moon-letters, Durin’s Day, star-lit gates and the Crown of Durin. Put together, those fragments reveal a much richer picture of Dwarvish astronomy than they first appear to. Continue reading
Posted in Calendar & Festivals
Tagged Astronomy, Crescent Moon, Durin's Day, Dwarves, Khazad-dûm, Stars
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Could a Dwarf Fall in Love with an Elf?
Could a Dwarf fall in love with an Elf, Man or Hobbit? A closer look at what Tolkien tells us about Dwarven love, marriage, family, biology and relationships with other peoples. Continue reading
Posted in Life & Death, Marriage, Women
Tagged children, Dwarven Marriage, Dwarves, love, races
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The Fields Beneath The Mountain
Rethinking Dwarven Agriculture: A 2026 Revisit Many years ago, I asked a question Tolkien, quite understandably, never spent a great many pages answering: What did the Dwarves eat? Here we aren’t talking about the cakes the Dwarves scoffed when visiting … Continue reading
The Hidden Characteristics of Khuzdul
Tolkien gives us very little spoken Khuzdul, but Dwarvish speech in the Common Tongue may still preserve traces of its social habits. This article explores guarded speech, politeness, formal courtesy, mining and craft metaphors, language shift, and the ways Neo-Khuzdul develops these patterns further. Continue reading
Posted in Language, Uncategorized
Tagged diglossia, Durin's Folk, Dwarves, dwarvish, Dwarvish culture, Dwarvish language, Gimli, Khazad-dûm, khuzdul, language shift, Longbeards, moria, neo-khuzdul, politeness, Thorin Oakenshield, tolkien, Westron
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Possible Sources and Influences in Tolkien’s Khuzdul: A Comparative Etymological Review
Introduction This review examines the known and reconstructed words of Khuzdul one by one, looking for possible sources of inspiration behind Tolkien’s Dwarvish vocabulary. Each entry considers the form and meaning of a Khuzdul word and compares it, where a … Continue reading
The Extraordinary Longevity of Khuzdul
Linguistic Conservatism, Mobility and Institutionalisation Introduction One of the most remarkable statements Tolkien made about Khuzdul is not that the language changed very little, but how little it changed despite the immense distances and periods involved. The history of the … Continue reading
Posted in History, Language, Uncategorized
Tagged Dwarves, khuzdul, language evolution
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How Geology Shaped the Great Dwarven Mansions
When we think of Dwarven architecture in Tolkien’s legendarium, we often imagine vast halls, endless pillars, and cities carved deep beneath the mountains. Yet one crucial factor is often overlooked: the stone itself. Not all mountains are alike. And for … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Aglarond, Blue Mountains, Dwarves, Dwarvish Halls, Erebor, Geology, Grey Mountains, Iron HIlls, Khazad-dûm
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On the Governance of the Dwarven Clans
A study of Dwarven political structures in Tolkien’s legendarium General Note: While this study refers to the Seven Clans as a whole, the available material is overwhelmingly drawn from the history of Durin’s Folk. The Longbeards are by far the … Continue reading
Posted in History, Life & Death
Tagged durin, Dwarves, Erebor, khuzdul, line of durin, moria, neo-khuzdul
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Slow to Be Born, On Dwarven Reproduction
A Reconsideration of Dwarven Gestation Length It has been a long while since I last posted on this blog, as I have mainly been writing through Tumblr in recent years, often in the form of replies to questions rather than … Continue reading
