Changes: Dwarves

Revision as of 13:50, 3 June 2015

Dwarves

Dominions	Belegost, Moria, Khazad-Dûm , various other Domains
Languages	Khuzdul, Iglishmek; Westron or another outer Speech (Easterling or Haradrim)
Height of average adult	Between 4' to 5'
Average lifespan	150-250 years
Renowned individuals	Dúrin, Thorin Oakenshield, Balin, Dwálin, Óin, Glóin, Kili, Fili, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Dori, Nori, Ori, Gimli, Dain Ironfoot

(S. "Naugrim" 'Stunted-folk', also "Hadhodrim, Khazad, "Nogothrim", "Nornhoth"; Q. "Kasallie", "Naukalie", "Nornalie"; Os. "Naugol"; rhov. "Dverger"; Orc."Gazat")

The Dwarves, or "Naugrim," were descendants of the Seven Fathers of the Khazâd, who were created by the Vala Aulë (The Smith) out of stone. Their seven lineages or houses settled in separate areas, but always in or by the mountains. All Dwarves considered mountains sacred. They also worshiped Aulë, whom they called "Mahal."

Although fashioned by the Vala Aule before the awakening of Men, this hardy but short race came into Endor after the Secondborn, Long-lived yet mortal they remained apart from both Elves and Men.

The Making of the Dwarves

Eru alone had created the Flame Imperishable. In his thought, souls formed and life was born. Out of his Flame, spirits kindled. No life could be conceived without his leave, as Morgoth discovered. While life naturally fascinated the Valar, who were entrusted with cultivating the World, it first arose in Eru's mind and could not come to pass outside his plan. Nonetheless, the Vala Aule sought to create a living race, and he labored away from Aman, in secret, molding the Seven Fathers of Dwarves in a hall deep beneath the surface of Endor. In those days Aule endured torment, for the Smith understood that his conception was outside the scheme of the One; but he persevered and made his offspring strong, like the earth from which they came.

Detailed Description

Dwarves were rather short, stocky, and often had a swarthy or ruddy complexion. Males averaged about 4 to 5 feet in height. The western dwarves were often fair haired and fair skinned (especially the Firebeards were proud of their for the most fire-red hair) while their eastern brothers were often darker (particularly the Blacklocks).They grew long beards (foremost the Longbeard-tribe) which they often decorateed or braided. Resistant to diseases and extremely strong, they lived an average of 150-250 years. Some rare exceptions reached the age of 400.

The Naugrim had superior sight underground and in places of near total darkness. Their crafts were superb, and they were unsurpassed workers of stone. Like Orcs, they were masters of metalwork, although Dwarven works embodied a sense of beauty as well as strength and utility. No race mined as well as Dwarves.

Relatively unfertile and slow to marry or reproduce (females constitute less than a third of their kind), Dwarves rarely sired young. But this seemed to be a condition of the later times of decline. In the earliest times there had been several Dwarven Families who were said to have had children in numbers of eight or seven, otherwise the dwarven race would not have been able to increase in numbers.

Military

The basical dwarven Host was called the Vabundhur consisting of arrays or Azashakur of medium armed Axemen, Spearmen,Halberdmen and Archers who were supported by light-armed Scouts, Rangers or Herdsmen armed with Bows and Axes and heavy armed Grimhammers wielding Thornhammers and [[Pikemen who fought in Phalanxes.Special Units were the differend Guardian and Warden Units, the Dûm-garal, Gehil-vindhur, Tharkarul, and Huval-Vindhur.Iron-Guards were armed with lighg Axes and Dwarven Swords or Crossbows while Khazâd-Guards used heavy two-handed Axes.Halberdmen and Zealotic Shieldbreakers were special Units of Hammer-fighters.In Combat against underground Races as the Deep-Orcs and Cave-Trolls the Dwarves developed special tunnel-fighting teams or Vault Wardens, armed with long Spears and high Wall-shields, light and heavy ballistas and various mechanical War-Engines such as Battlewagons, Catapults and Demolishers.Command-Units were led by Captains whowere accompanied by Hornists, Shield-bearers and Standard-bearers.King's Champions fought with two Axes and were sided by two Heralds.Few Dwarven Tribes also deployed small Cavalry Units of Pony-Riders.

Magic

They knew of magic and certain enchantments, but generally scoffed at the ways of conjurers or the use of spells, preferring instead to use such power in the making of physical items and machinery or engines with near-magical Powers.However there were dwarven Alchemists, Seers and great Runesmiths and Runemasters and the Ironfists developed a special order of Earth-Readers.Great Technicians among the Khazâd who developed a deeper understanding and Knowledge of Machinery than any other People of Middle-Earth were known as Machine-Magicians or Dwarven Constructors.

Tribes

Dwarven Religion

The Dwarves revered Eru, the Allfather whom they called by a name kept secret among themselves.They revered the Valar as angelic powers, estimating Mahal, the Maker, highest.The Dwarves also saw their Work and Art as a dedication to the World itself and it´s maker.The non-official semi-divinity of the Valar had often been a matter of criticism by devout dwarves who rejected all sorts of official priests, cults and clergy.However there was some degree of cultic reverence and sanctuaries, as the famous Khalarazûm existed.Also famous ancestors were revered in Song and art.The Khazâd believed that after their dead their souls would travel to the Halls of Waiting and would be revived to fight in the Last Battle and help to rebuild the world after it.

Language

Among themselves the Dwarves spoke Khuzdul, their own language or used Agla, a secrent language of signs and gestures.Among other peoples Dwarves adapted an outer language and also outer names (They would reveal their true khuzdul name to non-dwarves), among Dúrin's Folk Rhovanian or rhovanian Westron was the common outer speach while the Firebeards spoke southern Westron or Dunlendish and the Broadbeams northwestern Westron , Rhovanian or Labba.In the ancient days of the First Age both tribes had also used Sindarin as their outer language.The other four houses used the Easterling- or Haradrim Languages though they would adapt names shaped after those of the three western tribes when hey came to their lands.

(In the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit Movie trilogies the Dwarves speak with different british accents,Gloin, Gimli, Balin and Dwalin speak with scottish or irish accent while Thorin, Kili and Fili speak a more sophisticated yorkshire or northern english accent while Dori and ori speak a more urban english.)

Exiled Dwarves

There were three known clans of exiled dwarves who were not counted as Dwarves of the seven Tribes anymore.Those were the Petty Dwarves the Mornaugrim and the Dourhands every clan having been exiled for a different crime and suffering a different fate.

Dwarven Delvings of Renown

Dwarvdelvings — A dwarvish Map of Middle-Earth depicting the most important Dwarf-delvings

References

Retrieved from [Realms of Arda]; original reference: *1Jeff J. Erwin, MERP Lindon
2ICE MERP 2003

@@ Line 77: / Line 77: @@
 ==Exiled Dwarves==
-There were three known clans of exiled dwarves who were not counted as Dwarves of the seven Tribes anymore.Those were the ''Petty Dwarves''vthe ''Mornaugrim'' and the ''Dourhands'' every clan having been exiled for a different crime and suffering a different fate.
+There were three known clans of exiled dwarves who were not counted as Dwarves of the seven Tribes anymore.Those were the ''Petty Dwarves'' the ''Mornaugrim'' and the ''Dourhands'' every clan having been exiled for a different crime and suffering a different fate.
 ==Dwarven Delvings of Renown==