The Untold Secrets of the 7 Dwarf Lords in LOTR
Discover the enigmatic Seven Dwarf Lords of Middle-Earth and delve into the captivating history of the esteemed Dwarf Clans Uncover their fate and unravel the intriguing tales that shaped their existence
The world of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings is filled with centuries of lore, encompassing both real and symbolic elements. Tolkein's various races have extensive historical records that span across the significant eras of Middle-earth. The prominent conflict in both the Second and Third Ages revolves around the Rings of Power - enchanted rings that were secretly designed to assist Sauron in his mission to conquer all the inhabitants of Middle-earth.
Fans of Lord of The Rings are undoubtedly aware of how the Rings of Power led to the downfall of the Elves and Men. However, the question arises: how did the Dwarves confront Sauron's deceitful scheme, and what ultimately happened to their leaders during the creation of the Rings?
What are the Seven Dwarf Clans?
In the First Age, the three primary races of Middle-earth - the Elves, Men, and the Dwarves - came into existence. Ilúvatar, the God of Tolkein's mythology, personally created the Elves and Men. However, Aulë, a Vala resembling an archangel or lowercase god, grew impatient for the arrival of Ilúvatar's chosen children.
As the god of smithing, Aulë desired students to teach and care for. Thus, he sculpted the Dwarves out of stone during the Sleep of Yavanna, a period when Middle-earth was dark and overrun with monsters. To ensure their survival, Aulë endowed the Dwarves with remarkable strength and durability. Despite his efforts to align them with Ilúvatar's designs for the Elves and Men, Aulë could only rely on vague impressions, resulting in the Dwarves being shorter and more stout. Upon discovering Aulë's actions, Ilúvatar spared the Dwarves but tasked Aulë with placing them in various locations throughout Middle-earth until the Elves awaken.
Aulë crafted a total of seven, known as the Fathers of the Dwarves. These seven would later give rise to the Seven Dwarf Clans - the Longbeards, the Broadbeams, the Firebeards, the Ironfists, the Stiffbeards, the Blacklocks, and the Stonefoots. Among them, the firstborn was the renowned Durin, a direct ancestor of Thorin Oakenshield and an indirect ancestor of Gimli. Durin awoke alone at Mount Gundabad in the Misty Mountains, where he established the Longbeards at Khazad-dûm (also referred to as Moria) and embarked on numerous remarkable endeavors.
Who were the Seven Dwarf Lords of the Second Age?
The Original Dwarves: Immortal Beings Who Shaped Middle-earth's History
During the Second Age, when Morgoth was banished, Sauron, one of the fallen dark lord's top lieutenants, masterminded the creation of the Rings of Power. These rings were originally meant for the Elves, who desired to slow down the decline of the world and preserve its inherent beauty. As immortal beings from Valinor (resembling Tolkein's version of the Garden of Eden), the Elves abhorred change and strived to delay their own unavoidable "fading." They recognized that as the world evolved into a semblance of today's reality, there would eventually be no room for their existence or magic in general.
Taking advantage of their fear, Sauron assumed the guise of Annatar, a celestial being of pure nature, and deceived Celebrimbor, a renowned Elven smith, into forging the nineteen Rings. As any fan of The Lord of the Rings will know, the saying goes, "Three Rings for the Elven-Kings under the Sky, Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone . . ." culminating in nine for humans, with Sauron himself possessing the One Ring to rule them all. The Seven Dwarven Rings were bestowed upon the Seven Dwarf Lords of that time, one for each clan.
Very little is known about the Lords themselves, apart from their resistance to the rings' influence. As they were not directly woven into the same web of creation that gave life to the Elves and Men, the Dwarves were unaffected by Sauron's direct control through his One Ring. However, the Rings ultimately brought ruin upon the Seven Clans. Designed solely for the purpose of multiplying their wealth, the Seven Dwarven Rings exacerbated the greed of their lords. With the aid of these Rings, the Clans amassed the Seven Hoards of the Dwarf Kings - legendary treasure hoards, each held by a different clan.
What happened to the Dwarf Lords?
The Seven Hoards and their seven Lords eventually met with destruction. Four hoards attracted dragons, like how Smaug attacked Lonely Mountain in The Hobbit. These dragons devoured four of the Seven Rings, resulting in the destruction of cities and hoards, and presumably the deaths of some or all the affected lords. Sauron personally retrieved two of the rings, but it remains unclear what happened to their owners. The last ring was given to Thrain II, father of Thorin Oakenshield and the Lord of Durin's Folk, the Longbeards, during the Third Age. Sauron ultimately obtained this ring when Thrain II was captured and tormented by the dark lord's forces.
Apart from the creation of the Seven Rings, most of Dwarven history revolves around Durin's folk, the Longbeards. Following Smaug's devastation, Durin's clan became a wandering nation, without a homeland until the events of The Hobbit when the dragon was defeated. The precise fate of the other Clans remains largely unknown, although some are believed to have assimilated with larger clans. For instance, the Firebeards and Broadbeams, who initially awakened in the Blue Mountains, lost their homes and sought refuge in Moria to unite with the colony of Durin's descendants settled there.
