Editing Dwarves in Middle-earth (section)

== Characteristics ==

[[File:All-wise answers Thor.jpg|thumb|Tolkien found dwarves in [[Norse mythology]].<ref name="Evans 2013 (Drout)"/> Here the god [[Thor]] talks to the [[Dwarf (mythology)|dwarf]] [[Alviss]] to prevent him from marrying his daughter [[Þrúðr]]; at dawn Alviss turns to stone. Drawing by [[W. G. Collingwood]], 1908]]

The [[medievalist]] [[Charles Moseley (writer)|Charles Moseley]] described the dwarves of Tolkien's legendarium as "[[Old Norse]]" in their names, their feuds, and their revenges.<ref name="Moseley 1997"/> In the appendix on "Durin's Folk" in ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', Tolkien describes dwarves as:

{{blockquote|a tough, thrawn race for the most part, secretive, laborious, retentive of the memory of injuries (and of benefits), lovers of stone, of gems, of things that take shape under the hands of the craftsmen rather than things that live by their own life. But they are not evil by nature, and few ever served [[Sauron|the Enemy]] of free will, whatever the tales of [[Men (Middle-earth)|Men]] alleged. For Men of old lusted after their wealth and the work of their hands, and there has been enmity between the races.<ref name="Durin's Folk" group=T/>}}

''[[The J. R. R. Tolkien Encyclopedia]]'' considers Tolkien's use of the adjective "[[wikt:thrawn|thrawn]]", noting its similarity with ''Þráinn'', a noun meaning "obstinate person", and a name found in the [[Norse mythology|Norse]] list of Dwarf-names, the [[Dvergatal|''Dvergatal'' in the ''Völuspá'']]. Tolkien took it for the name, Thráin, of two of [[Thorin Oakenshield]]'s ancestors. It suggests this may have been a [[Philology|philological]] joke on Tolkien's part.<ref name="Evans 2013 (Drout)"/>

{{anchor|Dwarf-women}}
Dwarves were long-lived, with a lifespan of some 250 years.<ref name="Durin's Folk" group=T/> They breed slowly, for no more than a third of them are female, not all marry, and they have children only late in life. Tolkien names only one female, Dís, Thorin's sister.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1996|loc="The Making of Appendix A": (iv) "Durin's Folk"}}</ref> They are still considered children in their 20s, as Thorin was at age 24;<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1937|loc=ch. 1 "An Unexpected Party"}}</ref> and as "striplings" in their 30s. Despite his young age, [[Dáin Ironfoot]] was 32 when he killed [[Azog]], the [[Orc (Middle-earth)|orc]] chieftain of [[Moria (Middle-earth)|Moria]].<ref name="Durin's Folk" group=T/> They had children starting in their 90s.<ref name="Durin's Folk" group=T/>

{{Durin's Folk}}

The Dwarves are described as "the most redoubtable warriors of all the Speaking Peoples"<ref name="Of Dwarves and Men" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1996|loc=part 2, ch. 10 "Of Dwarves and Men"}}</ref> – a warlike race who fought fiercely against their enemies, including other Dwarves.<ref name="Of the Sindar" group=T/> Highly skilled in the making of [[Middle-earth weapons and armour|weapons and armour]], their main weapon was the [[battle axe]], but they also used [[bow and arrow|bows]], [[sword]]s, [[shield]]s and [[mattock]]s, and wore armour.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1937|loc=ch. 15 "The Gathering of the Clouds"}}</ref>

[[Sauron]] gave [[Rings of Power#The Seven|seven Rings of Power]] to Dwarf lords. The Rings caused them to be wrathful and greedy for gold, but they were not brought under Sauron's domination,<ref name="Rings of Power"group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1977|loc=Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age}}</ref> nor did they gain longer life.<ref name="Durin's Folk" group=T /> Eventually all seven Rings were destroyed or reclaimed by Sauron.<ref name="Rings of Power"group=T /> One of the rings was given to Durin III, and passed down to [[Thorin Oakenshield#Family tree|Thrór]], who gave it to his son Thráin II, father of [[Thorin Oakenshield]]. Sauron captured Thráin and took the ring from him in the dungeons of [[Dol Guldur]].<ref name="Durin's Folk" group=T />