Middle-earth peoples

This article is about the races in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional fantasy world of Middle-earth. For the book, see The Peoples of Middle-earth. For the full list of peoples, see List of Middle-earth peoples.

Peoples of Middle-earth refers to the many different peoples or races in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional fantasy world of Middle-earth.

Free peoples

Ainur

Main article: Ainu (Middle-earth)

See also Vala (Middle-earth) and Maia (Middle-earth)

Angelic spirits created by Eru Ilúvatar at the Beginning. The Ainur were divided into two groups—the Valar, Guardians of the World who resided in the Undying Lands of Valinor outside the circles of Arda, and the Maiar, lesser spirits who served the Valar. While most Ainur did not technically live in Middle-earth, some Maiar such as the Istari Wizards, Melian, and the Dark Lord Sauron assumed mortal forms to help or hinder the peoples of Middle-earth.

Dwarves

Main article: Dwarf (Middle-earth)

The race of Dwarves preferred to live in mountains and caves. Among the places where they lived were Erebor the Lonely Mountain, the Iron Hills, the Blue Mountains, and Moria or Khazad-dûm in the Misty Mountains. Dwarves were created by Aulë the Smith. They mined and worked precious metals throughout the mountains of Middle-earth. The Dwarven language was created by Aulë, and was known as Khuzdul. The seven different groups of Dwarf-folk originated in the locations where the Seven Fathers of the Dwarves first awoke before the First Age. The Petty-dwarves were smaller and more unsociable Dwarves of several houses, which had been banished in ancient times.

Eagles

Main article: Eagle (Middle-earth)

The Eagles were immense flying birds that were sentient, and could speak. The Eagles fought alongside the army of the Valar, Elves and Edain during the War of Wrath at the end of the First Age. In the Third Age, Thorondor's descendants Gwaihir and Landroval lived in an eyrie to the east of the Misty Mountains in Wilderland.

Elves

Main article: Elf (Middle-earth)

The Elves, or Firstborn, were the first of Eru's Children to awaken. Born under the stars before the ascension of the Moon and the Sun, they retain a special love for light and an inner spirit endowed with unique gifts. They call themselves the Quendi, or "Speakers", for they were the first to utter words; and, even now, no race understands language and song like the Firstborn. Fair and fine featured, brilliant and proud, immortal and strong, tall and agile, they are the most blessed of the Free Peoples. They can see as well under moon or starlight as a man at the height of day. They cannot become sick or scarred but if an Elf should die, from violence or losing the will to live from grief, they are reborn and do not go to the Halls of Awaiting like the other Children of Ilúvatar. Elven skill and agility is legendary, for instance, walking atop freshly fallen snow without leaving a trace of their passing. On a clear day they can see ten miles with perfect clarity and detail up to 100 miles. These gifts come at great cost though, they are strongly bound to Fate (see: Mandos) and hated by Morgoth. No other race has been blessed with and cursed more than the Quendi.

The Quendi were sundered after the awakening and many sub-groups appeared. The First Sundering occurred when some left Middle-earth to live in the blessed realm of Valinor, while others stayed behind. This produced the Eldar, who accepted the call to come to Valinor, and the Avari who refused the great journey. Elves who stayed in Middle-earth and never saw the light of the trees became known as the Moriquendi or "Dark-elves". This did not imply that the Dark-elves were evil, they just never saw the light of the trees.

On the journey to Valinor, some of the Teleri ("Those who tarried") abandoned the main group and those of them who did not mingle with the Moriquendi became the Laiquendi (Green-elves), the Sindar (Grey-elves) and the Nandor. These elves of the great journey who remained in Middle-earth were then called the Úmanyar (The Unwilling). The Eldar who reached Valinor were eventually divided into three distinct groups: Vanyar, Noldor and Teleri. These 3 groups became known as the Calaquendi or "Light-elves" because they beheld the light of the Two Trees of Valinor.^[1] Later some of the Noldor went back to Middle-earth in their quest for the Silmarils, while the Vanyar remained in Valinor.

One Elf of special note is Eöl, The Dark Elf. He was of Telerin origin, a Sinda to be more accurate, but had no fondness whatsoever for any other Elves. He was gloomy and aloof. He was the greatest Elven smith of all time with the exception of Fëanor.^[2][3]

Ents

Main article: Ent

Ents were an ancient race of tree-like creatures, having become like the trees that they shepherd. They were created by Yavanna and given life by Ilúvatar. By the Third Age, they were a dwindling race, having long ago lost their mates, the Entwives.

Giants

Giants are referred to only a few times by Tolkien, leading some readers to debate whether they existed at all or if they were simply Ents or metaphorical descriptions of the power of nature. Stone-giants of the Misty Mountains are said to lob stones at Thorin and Company in The Hobbit.

Hobbits

Main article: Hobbit

Often erroneously considered a different race, Hobbits were a subset of Middle-earth Men, shorter than them and characterized by curly hair on their heads and leathery feet, and go without wearing shoes. Many hobbits live in the Shire as well as Bree, and they once lived in the vales of the Anduin. They are fond of an unadventurous life of farming, eating, and socializing. There were three types of Hobbits: The Harfoots, the most numerous, were almost identical to the Hobbits as they are described in The Hobbit. The Stoors had an affinity for water, boats and swimming; the Fallohides were an adventurous people.

Huorns

Main article: Huorn

Close kin of the Ents, Huorns were animated trees that possessed sentience. They were said to have voices but could only be understood by the Ents, not by the other peoples of Middle-earth. It is unclear if Huorns were simply trees that became aware or Ents that became more "treeish" over time (both varieties were thought to exist). Huorns were found in Fangorn Forest and possibly the Old Forest near Buckland.

Men

Main article: Man (Middle-earth)

During the time of The Lord of the Rings, Men in Middle-earth were located in many locations, with the largest group of free men located in the countries of Gondor and Rohan. There were also free men at the village of Bree, at Esgaroth, in Drúadan Forest (home to "wild men" known as Drúedain or Woses), and in the icy regions of Forochel. Men which served the evil powers of Sauron or Saruman included the men of Dunland, Rhûn, Harad and Umbar. Men bear the so-called Gift of Men, mortality. When the island of Númenor fell, only the Faithful escaped and founded the twin kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor.

River-maids

Spirits of nature tied to rivers and waterways. Only two are mentioned by Tolkien: Goldberry, the wife of Tom Bombadil, and her mother the River-woman. It is unknown whether these beings were unique, part of a larger race, or a form of Maiar.

Tom Bombadil

Main article: Tom Bombadil

Tom Bombadil is an enigma; it is unknown to which of the peoples of Middle-earth he belongs. He is clearly sentient and humanoid though. Unlike the other races, he is seemingly unaffected by the One Ring and appears to predate the Children of Ilúvatar (Elves and Men). As to the nature of Bombadil, Tolkien himself said that some things should remain mysterious in any mythology, "especially if an explanation actually exists."

Tom is also known as "The First", "Master Tom", "Old Tom", "Iarwain Ben-adar" (a Sindarin name meaning "The Oldest without a father"). The Noldor call him "Orald" meaning "Very Old", Dwarves call him "Forn" (meaning: The Ancient).

Enslaved 'peoples'

Balrogs

Main article: Balrog

Demonic creatures of fire and shadow, Balrogs were fallen Maiar who were loyal to Morgoth. They participated in the wars of the First Age of Middle-earth but were mostly destroyed during the War of Wrath. By the Third Age, the only known remaining Balrog was "Durin's Bane," the Balrog of Moria.

Barrow-wights

Main article: Barrow-wight

Dark spirits that were sent by the Witch-king of Angmar to possess and animate the bodies and bones of the former kings of the Dúnedain. These undead monsters haunted the Barrow-downs near Bree.

The Dead

Also known as ghosts or shades, they were spirits of Men unable to pass on to the afterlife. Spirits haunted various regions of Middle-earth, most notably the Dead Marshes and the Paths of the Dead, which were guarded by the Dead Men of Dunharrow. Ringwraiths and Barrow-wights are also counted among the Dead but are distinct in that they have physical form.

Dragons

Main article: Dragon (Middle-earth)

Fearsome reptiles of great power and intelligence, the Dragons were bred during the wars of the First Age by Morgoth. Most possessed leathery wings, fiery breath, and the power of speech. Some Dragons (such as Glaurung) also had a hypnotic power over their victims. By the Third Age of Middle-earth, the Dragons had mostly died out, with Smaug, the conqueror of the Lonely Mountain, being one of the last remaining.

Goblins

Main article: Goblin (Middle-earth)

Goblin is a word used interchangeably by Tolkien with the word Orc. Orcs are Goblins and vice versa.^[4] "Goblin" is sometimes colloquially used to refer to the smaller races of Orcs native to the Misty Mountains, as in The Hobbit.

Men

Main article: Man (Middle-earth)

Not all Men were on the side of good; the Men who lived in the east and south were under Sauron's dominion. They included the Haradrim or Southrons and the Black Númenóreans (later Corsairs of Umbar) who pledged their allegiance to Mordor, and the many different Easterling peoples such as the Balchoth, Wainriders and the Men of Khand, who attacked Gondor and Rohan on numerous occasions.

In the First Age, some (but not all) Easterlings were also under Morgoth's dominion.

Orcs

Main article: Orc (Middle-earth)

Orcs were a race first bred by Morgoth, which mostly lived in mountain caves and disliked sunlight. Many of them lived in the Misty Mountains while others lived in Mordor. They are also known as goblins. The Orcs were not created, since "evil cannot create, only corrupt" in Tolkien's philosophical perspective. One version of their origin, the most widely known (in part due to the Peter Jackson films), postulates that they were Elves that were corrupted and became evil and over a long time, their appearance changed and distorted. However, Tolkien also wrote other possible origins for them.

Saruman the wizard also bred evil creatures called Uruk-hai. Although the orcs did not like the sun and could not bear to be in it, the Uruk-hai were able to be out during the day. Deformed Half-orcs, crossbred from Men and Orcs, also existed.

Ringwraiths

Main article: Nazgûl

The Ringwraiths (also known as Nazgûl or Black Riders) were once great kings of Men until they were given Rings of Power by Sauron. These gradually corrupted them until they became undead slaves of the Dark Lord's will. Clad in dark hooded cloaks and riding demonic steeds or flying "fell beasts," the Ringwraiths forever hunted for the One Ring to bring it back to their master.

Spiders

See List of Middle-earth animals

Many spiders of Middle-earth were of enormous size and cunning intelligence and some possessed the power of speech. The first of these was a creature of darkness in the First Age known as Ungoliant, who destroyed the Two Trees of Valinor. Her offspring spread throughout Middle-earth and included Shelob and the Spiders of Mirkwood.

Trolls

Main article: Troll (Middle-earth)

Trolls were created by Morgoth, disliked sunlight and were said to be "made in mockery of" the Ents. Some types of troll turned to stone if exposed to sunlight. Trolls dwelt in the Misty Mountains as well as in Mordor, but many others were scattered about. Types of Trolls included Stone-trolls, Cave-trolls, Hill-trolls, Mountain-trolls, Snow-trolls, Troll-men of Far Harad, and the monstrous Olog-hai, a race of taller Man-like Trolls resistant to the sun.

Vampires

Main article: Vampire (Middle-earth)

Fearsome bat-like monsters summoned by Morgoth in the First Age. Whether any survived into later ages is unknown. Tolkien used the term "vampire" due to its association with bats, blood, and darkness. His versions of the creatures are not synonymous with the vampires of European folklore.

Wargs

Main article: Warg

A race of great demonic wolves, many of which dwelt near Dunland. They were often used as steeds by the Orcs. Some Wargs possessed intelligence and could use or understand human speech. In Peter Jackson's films they are depicted as part of Saruman's army and very hyena-like in appearance.

Werewolves

Main article: Werewolf (Middle-earth)

Monstrous wolf-like monsters of human intelligence. They were bred by Morgoth in the First Age and inhabited by dread spirits. Their relationship (if any) to the Wargs of later ages is unknown. Like the vampires of Middle-earth, Tolkien's werewolves are not the same as the cursed shapeshifters of European folklore.

References

Middle-earth portal

1. ^ Tolkien, J. R. R. (1977), Christopher Tolkien, ed., The Silmarillion, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, The Sundering of the Elves, ISBN 0-395-25730-1 
2. ^ Tolkien, J. R. R. (1977), Christopher Tolkien, ed., The Silmarillion, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, Quenta Silmarillion, ISBN 0-395-25730-1 
3. ^ Tolkien, J. R. R. (1955), The Return of the King, The Lord of the Rings, Boston: Houghton Mifflin (published 1987), Appendices, ISBN 0-395-08256-0 
4. ^ Tolkien, J. R. R. (1954), The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings, Boston: Houghton Mifflin (published 1987), Foreword, ISBN 0-395-08254-4