Seriously. What is it with Tolkien and Dragons?

[Smaug's voice]

Tolkien's Dragons are best in the world. That's my view.
Yes, Tolkien wrote many great and memorable characters, but Tolkien's Dragons. I think they are extra-memorable. For some reason. Smaug, Glaurung, I thought Ancalagon was great too!

Perhaps it's the idea of pure greed and evil encompassed in the form of a giant winged reptile is why that is. Or maybe it's the dialogues JRRT gave them. (look at my siggie) Cunning, beautiful and yet purely evil and chilling.
Or perhaps all of that combined. Anyway, rant over here.

Which is your most favorite dragon written by Tolkien. Vote in the poll!

One last question, regarding my name. How is Smaug pronounced?
I always pronounced it like in "awe". And then I heard PJ and Co. pronouncing it as in "Ouch" (at which, I admit, I laughed pretty hard ).
So which one's correct. (My inner concious hopes it's the first one )

[Elentári]

I've always understood it is Sm-ow-g (as in ouch!)

It's interesting you mentioned the image of the "giant winged reptile" since, as we have been discussing in the scriptwriting forum, Tolkien's first dragons were wingless. Wings did not evolve until Ancalagon and the dragons involved in the War of Wrath. But the larger, crawling lizard-like Glaurung seems less "attractive" and more monstrously evil, I guess than the more sinuous, flying dragons like Smaug, at least to me.

Smaug is definitely my favourite, probably due to his personality!

[Smaug's voice]

Ah, yes.
I maybe wrong, but I think most winged dragons came after Morgoth's fall.

I thought Glaurung showed quite a lot of personality too (especially for a character from the Sil in itself) and I personally find him more scary/creepy/chillling/evil.
But I voted Smaug. Great lines and description and very unique in being "gold-crusted". Richest Tolkien character, easily. (literally)

[Alatar]

It's Smowg alright, although I didn't realise that on my first reading of The Hobbit. I was another fan of the Smaawg proniunciation.

As for which is best? Glaurung (which I pronounce Gl-ow-rung in deference to Smaug) is more evil, while Smaug is more, dare I say it, sophisticated. There are moments af sheer malice in Glaurung that exceed Smaug's, but Smaug is the more complete personality to me.

[Passdagas the Brown]

Smaug is obviously the most fully-realized, and thus probably the better character.

But there's something about Glaurung that just sears into my mind (as he likely intends!). One of the best depictions of elemental evil in fantasy literature, IMO.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

This was a tough one, for sure. Any of the three named dragons could have been my choice. Glaurung for the reasons that PtB stated, Smaug for the reasons that others have stated, or Ancalagon because he was the most powerful. Ultimately, I went with Glaurung, mostly because of his words to Mablung: "There you lie like a vole under the bank, Mablung the mighty! Ill do you run the errands of Thingol. Haste you now to the hill and see what is become of your charge!"

ETA: However, I was tempted to vote for Angelina Jolie, just to be different.

[Siberian]

Tolkien's dragons are certainly unique, especially since he didn't have much to work with. Shippey counted 3 instances of dragons in the sources that inspired him, including Beowulf.

ETA: However, I was tempted to vote for Angelina Jolie, just to be different.

LOL I was thinking about Eustace in The Voyage of the Dawn Threader.

[Frelga]

Glaurung. Smaug is positively fluffy next to him. Smaug may destroy a city, but once he feeds and plops down on his golden bed, he is a happy dragon. Glaurung will mess with your mind just for fun.

[Siberian]

I'd say both dragons fit their respective storylines. After all, The Hobbit is mostly a fairy tale and the scope is smaller. Smaug resembles more familiar dragons from medieval stories (up to kidnapping maidens). It's like Shelob and Ungoliant.

[kzer_za]

Glaurung's death is one of the most exciting and "cinematic" scenes in the entire mythology. For me, that's the tiebreaker between him and Smaug.

[Smaug's voice]

Glaurung.

Smaug is positively fluffy next to him. Smaug may destroy a city, but
once he feeds and plops down on his golden bed, he is a happy dragon.
Glaurung will mess with your mind just for fun.

Oh, but that was Glaurung during Morgoth's peak. We saw Smaug in Sauron's "dead" years. We could never know how strong and destructive he would have been if he allied with Sauron. I suspect Glaurung would still be stronger, but not as much as to make Smaug look "fluffy".

I agree, Glaurung's death was much more effective than Smaug's. One of the reasons maybe is because I never connected with Tolkien's Bard.

[kzer_za]

I think Smaug likely has raw strength on his side, but Glaurung is more cunning.

[SirDennis]

ETA: However, I was tempted to vote for Angelina Jolie, just to be different.

This is a good answer to the question, "What is it with Tolkien and Dragons?" insofar as it brings Beowulf into the discussion. But perhaps that was not your intention? (It was mine when I clicked on the thread, but now I forget what I wanted to say. (I remember saying something about it at TORn some time ago, perhaps I'll look there and repost.))

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Yes, it was my intention (though in a flippant way).

[axordil]

Smaug is great, but Glaurung is a masterly turn on an archetype. The sheer sadistic malice he bears through even to his dying breath makes him by far the most real and present antagonist of the First Age. Morgoth and Sauron are puppet-shadows on a screen; Glaurung is the whisper of doubt in the deep hours of the night you can't forget.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

What a lovely turn of phrase!

[Passdagas the Brown]

Smaug is great, but Glaurung is a masterly turn on an archetype. The sheer sadistic malice he bears through even to his dying breath makes him by far the most real and present antagonist of the First Age. Morgoth and Sauron are puppet-shadows on a screen; Glaurung is the whisper of doubt in the deep hours of the night you can't forget.

Amen. In that sense, I always felt that apart from Morgoth and Sauron, Glaurung was the closet Tolkien got to portraying the Biblical devil.

[SirDennis]

Yes, it was my intention (though in a flippant way).

Ah, great minds sort of

[Voronwë the Faithful]

[N.E. Brigand]

"Are there any others?"

Chrysophylax Dives.

The dragons in Roverandom and Letters from Father Christmas.

"The Dragon's Visit" (either version).

"The Hoard" (any version).