Smaug: Difference between revisions
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Later, in ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', [[Gandalf]] mentioned that it was fortunate Smaug had been slain, since he would almost certainly have come under [[Sauron|Sauron's]] control and destroyed [[Mirkwood]]. | Later, in ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', [[Gandalf]] mentioned that it was fortunate Smaug had been slain, since he would almost certainly have come under [[Sauron|Sauron's]] control and destroyed [[Mirkwood]]. | ||
===Smaug's Conceited Personality=== | |||
{{quote|My armour is like tenfold shields, my teeth are swords, my claws spears, the shock of my tail a thunderbolt, my wings a hurricane, and my breath death!|[[Inside Information]])) | |||
Smaug appeared to be very conceited, and believed in his own invulnerability. It might be said that it was only his greed and laziness that kept him from continuing to plague the nearby lands. | |||
== Etymology == | == Etymology == | ||
Revision as of 21:50, 31 October 2006
- "Never laugh at live dragons, Bilbo you fool!"
- ― Bilbo Baggins, Inside Information
Smaug was a greedy, reddish-gold dragon of Middle-earth, who laid waste to Dale and captured the Lonely Mountain with all its treasure, which he gathered in a central hall and slept upon. Despite having accumulated such vast wealth, Smaug was intimately familiar with every last item within his hoard, and instantly noticed the theft of a relatively inconsequential item by Bilbo Baggins. Among the items in his possession were the Arkenstone, and a number of mithril chain shirts, one of which was gifted to Bilbo by Thorin Oakenshield, and was later to save Frodo Baggins from the spear of a Goblin captain in Moria.
Smaug's scales rendered him almost invulnerable, but when Bilbo Baggins confronted him in his lair, he discovered a bare patch on his underbelly. When Bilbo told his Dwarf companions about Smaug's weakness he was overheard by a thrush that roosted by the mountain's secret door. The thrush in turn told Bard the Bowman of Lake-town, and when Smaug attacked Lake-town, Bard was able to slay Smaug with his Black Arrow.
After Smaug's death, Thorin and Company claimed the treasure as theirs by birthright. This created a conflict with Bard and the Elvish King Thranduil of Mirkwood, who each wanted a portion of the gold as reimbursement for all the damage Smaug had caused their kingdoms over the years. Thorin refused to share the treasure and declared war on both of them. The conflict eventually exploded into the Battle of Five Armies.
Later, in The Lord of the Rings, Gandalf mentioned that it was fortunate Smaug had been slain, since he would almost certainly have come under Sauron's control and destroyed Mirkwood.
Smaug's Conceited Personality
{{quote|My armour is like tenfold shields, my teeth are swords, my claws spears, the shock of my tail a thunderbolt, my wings a hurricane, and my breath death!|Inside Information))
Smaug appeared to be very conceited, and believed in his own invulnerability. It might be said that it was only his greed and laziness that kept him from continuing to plague the nearby lands.
Etymology
The name Smaug is a translation of the "original Dalish" Trâgu, and is related to the name Trahald (Sméagol, also known as Gollum). According to Tolkien, the name Smaug is "the past tense of the primitive Germanic verb Smugan, to squeeze through a hole" (The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter No. 31). Others have noted that it has echoes of "smoke" and "smog".
Portrayal in Adaptations
In the 1977 animated version of The Hobbit, Smaug was voiced by Richard Boone. In the 2003 video game release, Smaug was voiced by James Horan.
