Balin (Middle-earth)

Tolkienchar
image_character =
image_caption =
character_birth = ME-date|TA|2763
character_death = T.A. 2994
Book(s) = "The Hobbit"
character_name = Balin
character_alias =
character_title = Lord of Moria
character_race = Dwarf
character_culture = Longbeard
character_realm = Erebor
character_sub_realm = (Moria)
character_lifespan = ME-date|TA|2763–T.A. 2994 (circa 181 years)

Balin is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He is an important supporting character in "The Hobbit", and is mentioned in "The Fellowship of the Ring".

In the books

He was a Dwarf leader, the son of Fundin and elder brother of Dwalin. Balin was among the dwarves that travelled with Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf in the Quest of Erebor, which the plot of "The Hobbit" centres around.

Balin was part of the company assembled by Thorin Oakenshield to kill the dragon Smaug and retake the mountain kingdom of Erebor. He is the only one explicitly said to have been at the Mountain prior to the coming of the dragon. Curiously, "The Hobbit" states he was companions with Thorin on the day the dragon came, but according to Appendix A in "The Return of the King" he was only 7 years old while Thorin was 24.

He was the second dwarf to arrive at Bilbo's house at the beginning of "The Hobbit". The one before him was his brother Dwalin. Like his brother, he played a viol.

Among the dwarves in "The Hobbit", Balin was the second-eldest Dwarf on the quest (behind Thorin), and so he spoke for the party when they were captured by the Elvenking.

He is described as "always their look-out man": He spots Bilbo approaching the Green Dragon Inn at Bywater, he spots the trolls' fire, and he's the first to spot the Elves in Mirkwood. Naturally he could not notice Bilbo (hidden by wearing the One Ring) as look-out for the company after escaping the goblins in the Misty Mountains. After this bit of trickery, Balin gained respect for Bilbo's abilities. He's the only Dwarf that volunteers to accompany Bilbo down the secret passage to Smaug. Of all the Dwarves in the quest, he is the only one known to have visited Bilbo afterwards at Bag End.

In T.A. 2989 Balin left Erebor and entered Moria with Flói, Óin, Ori, Frár, Lóni, and Náli. He discovered and claimed Durin's Axe and helm. He was killed by an Orc archer, from behind a stone, in the Dimrill Dale in 2994.

In "The Fellowship of the Ring", the title characters discover Balin's tomb in the Chamber of Mazarbul. Gandalf finds Ori's abandoned diary, and discovers from it that Balin was killed by Orcs.

Upon Balin's tomb is written in Dwarven Runes: "Balin Fundinul Uzbad Khazad-Dumu". Below it, an inscription in smaller runes of the same type gives the direct translation into English: "Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria".

Adaptations

Don Messick voiced Balin in the 1977 animated version of "The Hobbit". In Peter Jackson's film adaptations of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, Gimli calls Balin his cousin. As shown in the family tree below, their precise kinship relationship is "first cousin once removed", as Gimli's father Glóin and Balin are first cousins. Gimli takes up Balin's axe when the Fellowship discover the Chamber of Mazarbul. He uses it in the ensuing battle and in all battles thereafter. As opposed to Gimli's previous axe, the axe of Balin is larger and double-bladed with a shorter handle. This allows Gimli to not have to change his grip or stance when swinging the axe back and forth. In the book there is no reference to Gimli changing his weapon, which is not described in detail; there is also no mention of Balin's axe.

Family tree

Farin
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Gróin Fundin


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Oín Glóin Balin Dwalin

Gimli Elf-friend