Tag Archives: J. R. R. Tolkien

Dragons: From Ancient Serpents to the Great Worms of Middle-earth

Posted on October 25, 2026 by The Dwarrow Scholar

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 →

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Durin’s Day 2026: Finding the Last Moon of Autumn (… again)

Posted on September 30, 2026 by The Dwarrow Scholar

When is Durin’s Day in 2026? By combining Tolkien’s description with historical seasonal reckoning and modern crescent-visibility calculations, this article rebuilds the question from the ground up and arrives at a Dwarvish New Year of 13 October 2026. It also introduces the new interactive Dwarvish Calendar and tests the same reconstruction against Tolkien’s own 19 October date for the Quest of Erebor. Continue reading →

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Possible Sources and Influences in Tolkien’s Khuzdul: A Comparative Etymological Review

Posted on August 29, 2026 by The Dwarrow Scholar

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 →

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