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[[File:Ted Nasmith - Aulë and the Seven Fathers.jpg|thumb|[[Ted Nasmith]] - ''Aulë and the Seven Fathers'']]
The Seven '''Fathers of the Dwarves''' were the first of their race.
The Seven '''Fathers of the Dwarves''' were the first of their race.


It is told in ''[[The Silmarillion]]'' that the [[Valar|Vala]] [[Aulë]] created the [[Dwarves]] because he was impatient for the arising of the Children of [[Ilúvatar]] ([[Elves]] and [[Men]]). He created seven Dwarves, and was teaching them the language he had devised for them ([[Khuzdul]]) when Ilúvatar confronted him. Aulë offered his creations to Ilúvatar, who accepted them and gave them life.  
The [[Valar|Vala]] [[Aulë]] created the [[Dwarves]] because he was impatient for the arising of the Children of [[Ilúvatar]] ([[Elves]] and [[Men]]). He created seven Dwarves, and was teaching them the language he had devised for them ([[Khuzdul]]) when Ilúvatar confronted him. Aulë offered his creations to Ilúvatar, who accepted them and gave them life.<ref name="Aule">{{S|Aule}}</ref>
[[File:Ted_Nasmith_-_Aulë_the_Destroyer.jpg|thumb|left|[[Ted Nasmith]] - ''Aulë the Destroyer'']]
However, the Fathers of the Dwarves had to wait until the Elves first arrived, and Aulë laid them to rest in various places in the continent of Middle-earth.<ref name="Aule"/>


However, the Fathers of the Dwarves had to wait until the Elves first arrived, and Aulë laid them to rest in various places in the continent of Middle-earth.
The eldest of all, [[Durin]], "lay alone" at [[Mount Gundabad]] in the north of the [[Misty Mountains]].<ref name="Dwarves">{{PM|Dwarves}}</ref> He later founded the line of the '''[[Longbeards]]''' (or ''[[Sigin-tarâg]]'' in Khuzdul), the Dwarves which were most friendly to the Elves and Men, mostly referred to as [[Durin's folk]]. His city was [[Moria|Khazad-dûm]].<ref name="Durin">{{App|Durin}}</ref>


The eldest of all, [[Durin I|Durin]], "lay alone" at [[Mount Gundabad]] in the north of the [[Misty Mountains]]. He later founded the line of the '''[[Longbeards]]''' (or ''[[Sigin-tarâg]]'' in Khuzdul), the Dwarves which were most friendly to the Elves and Men, mostly referred to as [[Durin's folk]]. His city was [[Moria (Middle-earth)|Khazad-dûm]].
Two others were laid to rest near [[Mount Dolmed]] in the [[Ered Luin]] or ''Blue Mountains'', and they founded the lines of the '''[[Broadbeams]]''' and the '''[[Firebeards]]''' who later lived in [[Nogrod]] and [[Belegost]].<ref name="Dwarves"/>


Two others were laid to rest near [[Mount Dolmed]] in the [[Ered Luin]] or ''Blue Mountains'', and they founded the lines of the '''[[Broadbeams]]''' and the '''[[Firebeards]]''' who later lived in [[Nogrod]] and [[Belegost]].
The other four Fathers of Dwarves were laid to rest in the far east, two of them at the northern end of the [[Orocarni]], and the other two near the southern end of the range. These founded the lines of the '''[[Ironfists]]''', '''[[Stiffbeards]]''', '''[[Blacklocks]]''', and '''[[Stonefoots]]'''.<ref name="Dwarves"/> No Dwarves of these lines appear in the tales.


The other four Fathers of Dwarves were laid to rest in the far east, two of them at the northern end of the [[Orocarni]], and the other two near the southern end of the range. These founded the lines of the '''[[Ironfists]]''' and '''[[Stiffbeards]]''', and '''[[Blacklocks]]''' and '''[[Stonefoots]]'''. No Dwarves of these lines appear in the tales: however, as noted below, the Longbeards may be formed out of Dwarves from all lines, and Dwarves from Durin's Folk may therefore have ancestors from these other lines. After the end of the [[First Age]], when the ancestral homes of the Broadbeams and Firebeards were destroyed, these two lines merged with Durin's Folk, so that Moria had a mixed population, and [[Thorin Oakenshield]] grew up in the remnants of the Firebeards' halls.
Of the Fathers of the Dwarves, only Durin is said to have "lain alone".<ref name="Durin"/> This can be interpreted as referring to the fact he was indeed laid down to rest alone while the other Fathers were laid to rest in pairs, but older versions of the story suggest that it meant Durin alone had no female companion. The other Fathers did: references are made by Tolkien to the "Thirteen Dwarves" created by Aulë (Durin and the six pairs).<ref>{{PM|Dwarves}}, Note 24</ref>
 
==Inspiration==
 
According to the ''Tolkien Encyclopedia'', Aulë's creation of the Dwarves is  [[sub-creation]] which aims to honor the wider Creation of God/Eru, a concept expressed in ''[[Mythopoeia]]''; "and may indicate anxieties about the independent value of art."<ref>[[Michael D.C. Drout]], ed., ''[[J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia: Scholarship and Critical Assessment]]'', p. 134</ref>
Of the Fathers of the Dwarves, only Durin is said to have "lain alone". This can be interpreted as referring to the fact he was indeed laid down to rest alone while the other Fathers were laid to rest in pairs, but older versions of the story suggest that it meant Durin alone had no female companion. The other Fathers did: references are made by Tolkien to the "Thirteen Dwarves" created by Aulë (Durin and the six pairs). By this version of the story, Durin's Folk was formed out of Dwarves from the other six lines, as a mixed people arose when all Dwarves went to Gundabad.


{{References}}
[[Category:Dwarves]]
[[Category:Dwarves]]
[[de:Zwerge#Die_sieben_Väter_der_Zwerge]]
[[fi:Kääpiöiden Seitsemän Isää]]

Revision as of 22:57, 25 April 2014

Ted Nasmith - Aulë and the Seven Fathers

The Seven Fathers of the Dwarves were the first of their race.

The Vala Aulë created the Dwarves because he was impatient for the arising of the Children of Ilúvatar (Elves and Men). He created seven Dwarves, and was teaching them the language he had devised for them (Khuzdul) when Ilúvatar confronted him. Aulë offered his creations to Ilúvatar, who accepted them and gave them life.[1]

Ted Nasmith - Aulë the Destroyer

However, the Fathers of the Dwarves had to wait until the Elves first arrived, and Aulë laid them to rest in various places in the continent of Middle-earth.[1]

The eldest of all, Durin, "lay alone" at Mount Gundabad in the north of the Misty Mountains.[2] He later founded the line of the Longbeards (or Sigin-tarâg in Khuzdul), the Dwarves which were most friendly to the Elves and Men, mostly referred to as Durin's folk. His city was Khazad-dûm.[3]

Two others were laid to rest near Mount Dolmed in the Ered Luin or Blue Mountains, and they founded the lines of the Broadbeams and the Firebeards who later lived in Nogrod and Belegost.[2]

The other four Fathers of Dwarves were laid to rest in the far east, two of them at the northern end of the Orocarni, and the other two near the southern end of the range. These founded the lines of the Ironfists, Stiffbeards, Blacklocks, and Stonefoots.[2] No Dwarves of these lines appear in the tales.

Of the Fathers of the Dwarves, only Durin is said to have "lain alone".[3] This can be interpreted as referring to the fact he was indeed laid down to rest alone while the other Fathers were laid to rest in pairs, but older versions of the story suggest that it meant Durin alone had no female companion. The other Fathers did: references are made by Tolkien to the "Thirteen Dwarves" created by Aulë (Durin and the six pairs).[4]

Inspiration

According to the Tolkien Encyclopedia, Aulë's creation of the Dwarves is sub-creation which aims to honor the wider Creation of God/Eru, a concept expressed in Mythopoeia; "and may indicate anxieties about the independent value of art."[5]

References