Dwarf

A Dwarf (plural Dwarves) was a member of the short, stout, and enduring race of Middle-earth renowned as miners, smiths, and stoneworkers. Created by the Vala Aulë, the Dwarves were among the chief free peoples of the world.

Main article: Dwarves

Overview

Dwarves were made not by Eru Ilúvatar but by Aulë the Smith, who fashioned the Seven Fathers of the Dwarves in his impatience for the coming of the Children of Ilúvatar. Eru rebuked him but took pity and granted the Dwarves true life. Short and broad, long-lived, and tough, Dwarves dwelt in halls delved beneath the mountains and were unmatched in craft of stone and metal.

Character

A Dwarf was typically secretive, stubborn, and slow to forget either a wrong or a debt, with a deep love of gold and fine workmanship. Dwarves guarded their own language, Khuzdul, jealously, using outer names when dealing with other peoples. Though often at odds with the Elves, individual Dwarves formed lasting friendships across that divide, most famously Gimli, son of Glóin, whose bond with the Elf Legolas became renowned during the War of the Ring.

Notable Dwarves

The most famous Dwarves belonged to Durin's Folk, the Longbeards, including Thorin Oakenshield, Balin, Glóin, and Gimli. Their kings ruled the great realms of Khazad-dûm (Moria) and Erebor, the Lonely Mountain.