What is the purpose of Tolkien's dwarves?

[Tar-Palantir]

I mean their ultimate purpose in the history of Arda.

Much was written by Tolkien abut the role that elves and men had to play - but not so much about dwarves. Why?

Is it because they don't have a purpose?

If so, what would that lack of purpose mean for a thoughtful dwarf?

I have a few half-baked ideas, but I'd like to hear what others think.

[Alatar]

They're the comic relief. Didn't you even WATCH the movies? Sheesh...

[Tar-Palantir]

Well, yes indeed - in the movie! And in the early part of the Hobbit too. But in LotR/ Legendarium they seem like the opposite - at best the 'straight men' in any comedy, and perhaps more often like a bunch of chronic depressive/ obsessives...

[Voronwë the Faithful]

That's a very interesting question, T-P. I think to answer it, one has to first look at the evolution of the Dwarves in the course of the history of he writing of the Legendarium. Initially, in the Book of Lost Tales and the earliest versions of the Silmarillion, they were almost as evil as Orcs. It wasn't until The Hobbit that they began to be presented as at least somewhat sympathetic figures, a process that continued in LOTR. When Tolkien went back to the old legends, he was forced to create a separate category -- the Petty-Dwarves -- to accommodate some of the negative characterization of Dwarves that he wanted to retain in the tales. He also went back and created a fuller backstory for the race, including their creation by Aulë as an act of defiance of Eru that was subsequently ratified by Eru because Aulë's motivation was largely positive and not negative.

I think when looking at the broad picture of Tolkien's legendarium, the main purpose of the Dwarves are to be a foil to the Elves, to balance their relationship vis-a-vis Men. Whereas Elves are fairer than Men, Dwarves are more uncouth. Whereas Elves are more artistic than Men, Dwarves are presented as more materialistic. I think they also play the important role of the "other". Whereas Elves and Men are the Children of Eru, Dwarves are at most His adopted children. Though of course no action is taken by any being in or out of Arda that does not have its uttermost source in Eru's will.

[BrianIsSmilingAtYou]

From a meta-textual standpoint, the dwarves illumunate the concept of sub-creation.

As Aulë's children, they serve as an example of sub-creation within Arda from the standpoint of those within the story.

As such, Elves and Men are (in a way) more "real" as created beings ; beings directly created as intended by Eru.

Dwarves, more "uncouth", as Voronwë put it, serve as an example of the imperfection of sub-creation--the fact that sub-creation is necessarily no more than a pale imitation.

BrianIs AtYou

[Tar-Palantir]

Thanks for these responses.

One idea I had is that Dwarves are not really necessary to the fate of Arda (similar to the point made by BISAY), and that at the end dwarves will go back to stone, or back to sleep, and things will be as if dwarves never had been.

My hunch is that dwarves found out that they were, in a sense, a 'mistake' - at most a side-show - and this was the cause of their grudge or bitterness. They felt oppressed, slighted - and this gave them their racial selfishness. It made some of them grasping and greedy to hold onto what they had for as long as possible, since they would lose it all - but knowing all the time that this actually was futile.

There is a tragedy too in the way that they had few females, and reproduced so slowly - so that premature loss of each dwarf in battle must have been exceptionally bitter.

On the other hand, I think they could achieve some peace of mind in complete absorption in their crafts, this being a somewhat elvish trait. Also elvish was their retentive memory and tradition - although this seemed to lead dwarves to bitterness rather than elvish sadness.

It is in the love of beauty for its own sake that the dwarves reveal their most appealing side - Gimli's account of the wakening of Durin and looking in Mirromere, his love of Moria and the Glittering caves, and of course Galadriel - which was perhaps unusual for dwarves since they were themselves unlovely they seem typically to have appreciated only inorganic beauty.

Altogether a fascinating species!

[The Tall Hobbit]

From The Silmarillion Chapter 2:

Aforetime it was held among the Elves in Middle-earth that dying the Dwarves returned to the earth and the stone of which they were made; yet that is not their own belief. For they say that Aulë the Maker, whom they call Mahal, cares for them, and gathers them to Mandos in halls set apart; and that he declared to their Fathers of old that Ilúvatar will hallow them and give them a place among the Children in the End. Then their part shall be to serve Aulë and to aid him in the remaking of Arda after the Last Battle.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

One idea I had is that Dwarves are not really necessary to the fate of Arda (similar to the point made by BISAY), and that at the end dwarves will go back to stone, or back to sleep, and things will be as if dwarves never had been.

I can't really accept that. As I said before, all things have their uttermost source in the will of Eru. Even sub-creation is a part of creation, and the Dwarves must have a role to play in the fate of Arda.

[Tar-Palantir]

I can't really accept that. As I said before, all things have their uttermost source in the will of Eru. Even sub-creation is a part of creation, and the Dwarves must have a role to play in the fate of Arda.

Fair enough.

What do you think was the most important thing/s that dwarves ever did in the HoME?

e.g. Was there ever a dwarf hero or even antihero to compare in importance with the many men, half-elven, Fëanor, Fingolfin or suchlike?

And if not, then why not?

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Last of all the eastern force to stand firm were the Dwarves of Belegost, and thus they won renown. For the Naugrim withstood fire more hardily than either Elves or Men, and it was their custom moreover to wear great masks in battle hideous to look upon; and those stood them in good stead against the dragons. And but for them Glaurung and his brood would have withered all that was left of the Noldor. But the Naugrim made a circle about him when he assailed them, and even his mighty armour was not full proof against the blows of their great axes; and when in his rage Glaurung turned and struck down Azaghâl, Lord of Belegost, and crawled over him, with his last stroke Azaghâl drove a knife into his belly, and so wounded him that he fled the field, and the beasts of Angband in dismay followed after him. Then the Dwarves raised up the body of Azaghâl and bore it away; and with slow steps they walked behind singing a dirge in deep voices, as it were a funeral pomp in their country, and gave no heed more to their foes; and none dared to stay them.

Certainly, Azaghâl's heroism doesn't compare in importance with that of the great among Men and Elves, but it was pretty darned heroic.

Probably the most important acts done by the Dwarves were the betrayal of Túrin by Mîm, and the slaying of Thingol by the Dwarves of Nogrod that he denied payment to for their work on the Nauglamír (though the latter wasn't really written by J.R.R. Tolkien). But the importance of Gimli's love for and reverence of Galadriel should also not be downplayed.

[Tar-Palantir]

That's a wonderful quote, which I had not registered before - thanks!

[yovargas]

How JRRT managed to write stuff like that and sound awesome instead of like pure-ren-fair-and-D&D cheese is beyond me.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

It's because, as C.S. Lewis famously stated, Tolkien had been "inside language".

[River]

How JRRT managed to write stuff like that and sound awesome instead of like pure-ren-fair-and-D&D cheese is beyond me.

Tolkien was the original. The ren-fair and D&D cheese is the knock-off.

Honestly, I always assumed that Dwarves appeared in Middle Earth because of the mythologies Tolkien drew from. I'm not sure he could have not included them; it never occurred to me to ask what the point was. In the legendarium of Northern Europe and the British Isles, the lore that Tolkien drew from, these creatures just exist.

The Dwarves get to shine in The Hobbit because it is a Dwarfish tale. Sure, Bilbo's the main character, but the larger story he's tagging along in is Dwarfish. Just like the larger story Frodo tags along in is Mannish and Elven. The Silmarillion, OTOH, is the story of Elves, particularily the Noldorin. Elves and Dwarves were rivals and in an Elven history it is not remarkable that the Dwarves would be short-changed. Tolkien brings that into very sharp relief in LOTR, in the tension between Legolas and Gimli and Gimli's treatment at the bondaries of Lothlórien.

[vison]

Well, I like the acronym BISAY and that's my contribution to this thread.

Oh. And, I agree with River.

[Frelga]

Precisely, River. We don't hear much about Dwarven heroism because it's not the dwarves who are telling the tales.

[narya]

I remember reading somewhere (probably here ) that the conflict with Sauron would have been a lot worse if he'd had a few dragons around, so the dwarves may have done some major good in the history of Arda without having a specific hero to point to.

Is the main reason for the dwarves so that Tolkien can discuss race relations in a way that we cannot do with the much more limited natural variation among mankind? It worked well for Star Trek, having the "warlike" race, the "smugly superior" race, the "logical" race, the "greedy merchant" race, etc.