There are many different types of beings living in Middle-earth… some you probably heard of before, but many you probably haven’t unless you watched The Lord of the Rings. This week, I will be giving you the second part of crash course on Middle-earth Fandom!
Middle-earth, Part Two
Frodo, Hobbit of the Shire
Hobbits are simple folk, their home being predominately in the Shire. In both movie series, hobbits are very central to the story; these important characters include Bilbo, Frodo, Sam, Pippin, and Merry (and as you’ll learn more about later, Sméagol). They are known for their short stature, pointed ears, and large bare feet, as well as their loyalty and goodness of heart. They love food and pipe weed, and usually shy away from conflict.
Legolas, Elf of Mirkwood
Elves are warriors gifted with several powers. They can be identified by their tall and graceful bodies, pointed ears, and ‘immortality’ (they age, just very slowly). They reside all over Middle Earth, most notably in Rivendell or Mirkwood. Important Elven characters to note include Elrond, Arwen, Legolas, Galadriel, and Thranduil. After the final battle in The Lord of the Rings, almost all elves leave Middle Earth.
Gimli, Dwarf of the Blue Mountains
Dwarves are miners at heart, but also fierce warriors. Dwarves can be thought of as the “polar opposite” to elves, with short and squat stature and an old, unkempt appearance. All dwarves have beards, even the women, and it is a huge source of pride in their community. While they may be less graceful, they are strong and carry axes to battle. They do not live as long as elves but do live for hundreds of years. There are not many notable dwarves in The Lord of the Rings, except for Gimli. However, they do portray 90% of the characters in The Hobbit, including Thorin Oakenshield, Kili, Fili, Dwalin, and much more.
Aragorn, Man from Gondor
Men are mortal beings, originally called the Atani. Their mortality is often a bone of contention between them and the elves, as seen in The Fellowship of the Ring. Some men found immortality, known as the Ringwraiths, but they essentially sold humanity to Sauron in exchange. There are several human characters in this series, but most notable men in the series includes Aragorn, Boromir, Faramir, King Théoden, and Éowyn (a woman!). Several antagonists are also men, including Denother and Wormtongue.
Gandalf the Grey, Wizard
Wizards are the most powerful beings in Middle-earth. The wizard-characters in The Lord of the Rings are Maiar, and they adopted human forms to aid Middle-earth creatures in their conflicts. Wizards have many unique powers, including “telepathy, telekinesis, pyromancy, spell casting, and extreme strength.” Evil wizards include Sauron, the main antagonist of the series, and later Sauman the White, once a good wizard, later corrupted by Sauron. Good wizards include Gandalf the Grey (or the White), and Radagast.
- Balrogs are fallen Maiar, turned into demonic figures.
Orc
Orcs are vicious slaves and warriors to dark forces, distantly related to elves. They are characterized by un-human faces, sharp teeth, and claws, but vary in height. Uruk-hai are essentially orcs that can stand in daylight and will be referred to as orcs. Orcs are sometimes referred to as goblins.
Treebeard, Ent of Fangorn Forest
Other notable creatures include Ents, wise humanoid-trees that talk and aid in the destruction of Isengard, trolls and ogres, the Spiders, dragons (including Smaug, the main enemy in The Hobbit), Watcher in the Water, giants, fellbeasts (non-fire-breathing like dragons), large mammals, and skin-changers.
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Alright, I know this must seem very overwhelming, but the thing about a fandom is sometimes you just have to jump right into the thick of it. I’ll give more explanation on all of these characters as we move into the blog, so don’t stress for now. Besides, I think you’re ready to dive in now that you know the basic places and creatures of Middle-earth.
But be warned… once you start reading, you may love The Lord of the Rings as much as me, and then you, too, will become a geek of sorts.
Good luck and enjoy!
SOURCES:
Baxter, Joseph. “Ian McKellen Teases Return as Gandalf on Amazon Lord of the Rings Series.” Den of Geek, 19 Dec. 2017, https://www.denofgeek.com/books/ian-mckellen-teases-return-as-gandalf-on-amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series/.
Dodds, Alice Rose. “LOTR: What Unlikely Creature Was Aragorn Originally Written As?” Game Rant, 20 Dec. 2021, https://gamerant.com/lotr-aragorn-originally-written-creature/.
“Gimli.” The One Wiki to Rule Them All, https://lotr.fandom.com/wiki/Gimli.
Koehler, Sezin. “The Different Beings in Lord of the Rings Explained.” Looper.com, Looper, 31 Jan. 2020, https://www.looper.com/186281/the-different-beings-in-lord-of-the-rings-explained/.
Rose, Cassie. “Top Ten Hobbit References in Popular Culture.” Quirk Books : Publishers & Seekers of All Things Awesome, 18 Sept. 2012, https://www.quirkbooks.com/post/top-ten-hobbit-references-popular-culture.
Sharf, Zack. “’Lord of the Rings’ Orc Actor Tells the Story of His Panic Attack Under Prosthetics During Filming.” IndieWire, IndieWire, 15 Apr. 2021, https://www.indiewire.com/2021/04/lord-of-the-rings-orc-actor-panic-attack-set-1234630436/.
“Treebeard.” Heroes and Villains Wiki, https://heroes-and-villain.fandom.com/wiki/Treebeard.
Vaičiulaitytė, Giedrė. “Tumblr User Explains Why Elves’ Eyes in Lord of the Rings Shouldn’t Look the Way They Do.” Bored Panda, 1 Jan. 1967, https://www.boredpanda.com/lord-of-the-rings-legolas-eyes-physics-explanation/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic.
