Middle-earth peoples

The

The wizards of Middle-earth were Maiar: spirits of the same order as the Valar, but lesser in power.

Demonic creatures of fire and shadow, Balrogs were fallen Maiar, loyal to the first Dark Lord,

The Free Peoples of Middle-earth were the four races that had never fallen under the sway of the evil spirits Morgoth or Sauron: Elves, Men, Dwarves and Ents. Strictly speaking, among Men it was only the Men of the West who were Free People, particularly the descendants of the Dúnedain of the Isle of Númenor, as most Men of the East and South of Middle-earth became servants of Morgoth and Sauron over the ages. The Ent Treebeard quotes lines from a traditional lay listing them:^{[T 8]}

First name the four, the free peoples

Eldest of all, the elf-children

Dwarf the delver, dark are his houses

Ent the earthborn, old as mountains

Man the mortal, master of horses

After encountering the hobbits Merry and Pippin, he consents that hobbits are a fifth free people, adding a fifth line, "Half-grown hobbits, the hole-dwellers".^{[T 8]}

Dwarves

The race of Dwarves preferred to live in mountains and caves, settling in places such as

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

During the time of The Lord of the Rings, Men in Middle-earth were located in many places, with the largest group of free men in the countries of

The Drúedain, one of the earliest varieties of men, lived in small numbers, often in tribes. They were little folk, shorter than dwarves, yet taller than hobbits. They were known for their voodoo-like magic, their black eyes (which glow red when they are angry), and their ability to sit for hours and days on end without moving or blinking. They grew little hair, except that on their heads and sometimes small tufts on their chins. They were short and stout, and other men tended to dislike them due to their harsh, rough voices. Their laughter, however, was full of mirth. It is said that their skill of stonework rivaled the Dwarves'. The Drughu were not evil. They were mortal enemies of orcs, defending the homes of their human neighbors with their own lives and with the aid of their magical Watch-Stones. The Elves of Beleriand developed a special fondness for them and valued their skill at fighting orcs.^{[8][T 11]}

Ents

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.^{[T 12][T 13]}

Huorns

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

Hobbits are a race of Middle-earth, also known as 'halflings' on account of their short stature, roughly half the size of men. They are characterized by curly hair on their heads and leathery feet that have furry insteps, for which they did not wear shoes. Many hobbits live in the

Enslaved peoples were those races that had fallen under the sway of the evil spirits Morgoth and Sauron, also known by the Free Peoples as 'Servants of the Enemy'. They included Orcs, Trolls and Men. The origin of Orcs and Trolls is unclear, but they were races that were taken by Morgoth and corrupted through sorcery into their final evil nature and appearance. Men were rarely corrupted by Morgoth or Sauron in the same way. Rather, their hearts and minds were corrupted by power and evil impulses, while they retained the physical appearance of men. Prolonged service to Sauron however, did turn the bearers of the Rings of Power from Men into the wraith-like Nazgûl. Those men who were the servants of Morgoth or Sauron were mostly from the east and south of Middle-earth.

Evil Men

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

Ringwraiths

Main article: Nazgûl

The Ringwraiths (also known as Nazgûl or Black Riders) were once great Men until they were given Rings of Power by Sauron. These gradually corrupted them until they became 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.^{[T 16][T 17][T 18]}

The Dead

Also known as

Dunharrow

.

Orcs

Main article: Orc

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

dilemma of how they could be sentient and wholly evil.^[9]

Uruk-hai

Sauron and Saruman the wizard bred an unusually large and powerful type of orc, the Uruk-hai. Although most orcs did not like the sun and could not bear to be in it, the Uruk-hai could stand daylight.[T 19]

Half-orcs

Deformed half-orcs also existed, crossbred from Men and Orcs.^{[T 20]}

Goblins

Tolkien uses the term "

Misty Mountains

.

Trolls

Main article:

Troll (Middle-earth)

Trolls were said to have been created by Morgoth "in mockery of" the Ents. They disliked the sun and some types like the three Trolls from The Hobbit turned to stone if exposed to sunlight. Trolls dwelt in the Misty Mountains as well as in Mordor.

Olog-hai

Sauron bred the

Olog-hai: large, clever, and resistant to the sun.^{[T 22][T 23][T 24][T 25]}

Half-trolls

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (April 2023)

Barrow-wights

Main article: Barrow-wight

Barrow-wights (from

Barrow-downs near Bree.^{[T 26][10]}

Other beings

Tom Bombadil

Main article: Tom Bombadil

Tom Bombadil does not belong to any of the peoples of Middle-earth; Tolkien calls him the spirit of the countryside.^{[T 27]} 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."^{[T 28][T 29][T 30]}

Tom is also known as "The First", "Master Tom", "Old Tom", "Iarwain Ben-adar" (a

Dwarves

call him "Forn" (meaning: The Ancient).

River-spirits

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.^[11]

Giants

Giants other than Ents are referred to only a few times by Tolkien. Stone giants of the Misty Mountains are briefly mentioned, being said to lob stones at Thorin and Company in The Hobbit.^{[T 31]}

Dragons

Main article: Dragons in Middle-earth

Dragons are already present in

Fafnir, they are able to speak, and can be subtle of speech.^[12]

Glaurung, in The Silmarillion, is the Father of Dragons in Tolkien's legendarium, the first of the Fire-drakes of

Angband. Tolkien wrote that Glaurung had four legs and no wings and could not fly, and sired the brood of Urulóki, wingless fire-breathing dragons.^{[T 33]} He was bred by Morgoth from some unknown stock and was the first dragon to appear outside of Angband. Glaurung is the main antagonist of The Children of Húrin, and his deceptive actions led to the suicides of its main characters Túrin Turambar and Niënor Níniel.^{[T 34]}

Ancalagon the Black (

Eärendil.^{[T 36]}

Scatha was a mighty "long-worm" of the

War of the Ring, crucial in "The Scouring of the Shire", came from this hoard.^[13]

Erebor, the Lonely Mountain, was killed by Bard the Bowman in Dale, as told in The Hobbit. Smaug serves as a main antagonist of Thorin and Company, as they seek to reclaim the Dwarven kingdom of Erebor that Smaug had taken.^{[T 37]}

References

Primary

1. Ainulindale
   "
2. ^ Tolkien 1977, "Valaquenta", "Of the Maiar" and "Of the Enemies"
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} Tolkien 1980 "The Istari"
4. ^ Tolkien 1996, p. 384–385.
5. ^ Tolkien 1977 "Valaquenta"
6. ^ Tolkien 1977 ch. 3 "Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor"
7. ^ Tolkien 1954a, book 2, ch. 5 "The Bridge of Khazad-dûm"
8. ^ ^{a b} Tolkien 1954, Book 3, Chapter 4 "Treebeard"
9. ^ ^{a b} Tolkien 1977, "Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor"
10. ^ Tolkien 1977 Tables: "The Sundering of the Elves"
11. ^ Tolkien 1955, Book 5, ch. 5, "The Ride of the Rohirrim".
12. ^ Tolkien 1954, book 3, ch. 4: "Treebeard".
13. ^ Tolkien 1955, book 6, ch. 6 "Many Partings"
14. ^ Tolkien 1954, book 3, ch. 7 "Helm's Deep"
15. ^ Tolkien 1954a, Prologue.
16. ^ Tolkien 1977 "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age"
17. ^ Tolkien 1977 "The Akallabêth"
18. ^ Tolkien 1980 4. "The Hunt for the Ring" i. "Of the Journey of the Black Riders"
19. ^ Tolkien 1954, "The Riders of Rohan"
20. ^ Tolkien 1954, book 3, ch. 9 "Flotsam and Jetsam"
21. ^ Tolkien 1954a Foreword
22. ^ Tolkien 1955 Appendix F "Of Other Races"
23. ^ Tolkien 1954a, book 2, ch. 5 "The Bridge of Khazad-dûm"
24. ^ Tolkien 1955, book 5, ch. 4 "The Siege of Gondor"
25. ^ Tolkien 1955, book 5, ch. 10, "The Black Gate Opens"
26. ^ Tolkien 1954a, book 1, ch. 8 "Fog on the Barrow-downs"
27. ^ Carpenter 2023, #19 to Stanley Unwin, 16 December 1937
28. ^ Carpenter 2023, #144 to Naomi Mitchison, 25 April 1954
29. ^ Tolkien 1954a book 1, ch. 6, "The Old Forest"
30. ^ Tolkien 1954a book 1, ch. 7, "In the House of Tom Bombadil"
31. ^ Tolkien 1937, "Over Hill and Under Hill"
32. ^ Tolkien 1964 "On Fairy-Stories"
33. ^ Tolkien 1977, ch. 20 "Of the Fifth Battle". "Glaurung and his brood..."
34. ^ Tolkien 1977, ch. 18 "Of the Ruin of Beleriand and the Fall of Fingolfin"
35. The Etymologies
    "
36. ^ Tolkien 1977 ch. 24 "Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath"
37. ^ Tolkien 1937 chs. 1 "An Unexpected Party", 14 "Fire and Water"

Secondary

1. ^ It has been suggested that his name is taken from the Slavic god Radegast. Orr, Robert (1994). "Some Slavic Echos in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth". Germano-Slavica. 8: 23–34.
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3. ^
   ISBN 978-0-415-86511-1
   .
4. OCLC 619082411
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5. ISBN 978-0-00-711953-0
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6. ISBN 0-8020-3806-9
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7. ^
   ISBN 978-1-135-88034-7
   .
8. ISBN 978-0261102750
   .
9. ^ Shippey 2005, pp. 265, 362, 438.
10. ISBN 978-0-00-720907-1
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11. ISBN 978-0007235551
    .
12. ISBN 978-1403946713
    .
13. S2CID 170851865
    .

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