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{{quote|Tell me what you want done, and I will try it, if I have to walk from here to the [[East]] of East and fight the wild Were-worms in the Last Desert.|[[Bilbo Baggins]], from ''[[The Hobbit]]'', "[[An Unexpected Party]]"}}
[[File:Angus McBride - Were worms.jpg|thumb|right|250px|''Were-worm'' by [[Angus McBride]]]]


'''Were-worms''' were creatures of an unknown kind, possibly mythical and presumably related to [[Dragons]], that were said to dwell in the [[Last Desert]].
{{quote|Tell me what you want done, and I will try it, if I have to walk from here to the [[East]] of East and fight the wild '''Were-worms''' in the [[Last Desert]].|[[Bilbo Baggins]], from ''[[The Hobbit]]'', "[[An Unexpected Party]]"}}


[[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]] only ever mentions Were-worms once, in the quote given above, so we know almost nothing about them. We cannot even be certain that they actually existed — the [[Hobbits]] had a rich folklore full of fantastic creatures, and Were-worms quite possibly fall into that category.
'''Were-worms''' were creatures of an unknown kind, possibly mythical and presumably related to [[Dragons]], that were said to dwell in the [[Last Desert]].<ref>{{H|Party}}</ref>


Though the name "were-worm" suggests a shapeshifting creature like the werewolf of modern-day folktales, that might not be the case in Tolkien's [[legendarium]]. In [[Middle-earth]], "[[Werewolves]]", such as [[Draugluin]], were horrific, supernatural wolves of enormous size, but they did not shapechage. Thus Were-worms, if they did exist, could be a bizarre type of Dragon, though this must remain in the realm of speculation.
The Were-worms were only mentioned once, in the quote given above, so almost nothing is known about them. It is not even certain that they actually existed — the [[Hobbits]] had a rich folklore full of fantastic creatures, and Were-worms quite possibly fall into that category.


[[Category:Creatures]]
==Etymology==
The element "were-" is a Germanic term that refers to humans. It suggests a shapeshifting creature like the werewolf of modern-day folktales. In [[Middle-earth]], "[[Werewolves]]", such as [[Draugluin]], did not shapechange and the name perhaps refers to the size and intelligence.
 
Thus Were-worms, if they did exist, could be a [[Men|man]]-like type of Dragon, though this must remain in the realm of speculation.
 
==Other Versions of the Legendarium==
In the earliest fragment of ''[[The Hobbit]]'', Bilbo offered to walk to the "Great Desert of Gobi and fight the Wild Wire worms of the Chinese".<ref>{{HH|Pryftan}}, p. 9</ref>  In a slightly later version [[J.R.R. Tolkien]] made this "the last desert in the East and fight the Wild Wireworms of the Chinese".<ref>{{HH|Bladorthin}}, p. 40</ref>
{{references}}
{{Legend}}
[[Category:Dragons]]
[[Category:Other races]]
[[Category:Characters in The Hobbit]]
 
[[fi:Hirmukäärmeet (Viimeinen erämaa)]]

Revision as of 16:25, 10 July 2012

Were-worm by Angus McBride
"Tell me what you want done, and I will try it, if I have to walk from here to the East of East and fight the wild Were-worms in the Last Desert."
― Bilbo Baggins, from The Hobbit, "An Unexpected Party"

Were-worms were creatures of an unknown kind, possibly mythical and presumably related to Dragons, that were said to dwell in the Last Desert.[1]

The Were-worms were only mentioned once, in the quote given above, so almost nothing is known about them. It is not even certain that they actually existed — the Hobbits had a rich folklore full of fantastic creatures, and Were-worms quite possibly fall into that category.

Etymology

The element "were-" is a Germanic term that refers to humans. It suggests a shapeshifting creature like the werewolf of modern-day folktales. In Middle-earth, "Werewolves", such as Draugluin, did not shapechange and the name perhaps refers to the size and intelligence.

Thus Were-worms, if they did exist, could be a man-like type of Dragon, though this must remain in the realm of speculation.

Other Versions of the Legendarium

In the earliest fragment of The Hobbit, Bilbo offered to walk to the "Great Desert of Gobi and fight the Wild Wire worms of the Chinese".[2] In a slightly later version J.R.R. Tolkien made this "the last desert in the East and fight the Wild Wireworms of the Chinese".[3]

References

  1. ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "An Unexpected Party"
  2. ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, John D. Rateliff (ed.), The History of The Hobbit, Mr. Baggins, The First Phase, "The Pryftan Fragment", p. 9
  3. ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, John D. Rateliff (ed.), The History of The Hobbit, Mr. Baggins, The First Phase, "The Bladorthin Typescript", p. 40
Legendary races of Arda
 Animals:  Dumbledors · Gorcrows · Hummerhorns · Pards · Swans of Gorbelgod · Turtle-fish
Dragon-kind:  Sea-serpents · Spark-dragons · Were-worms
Evil Races:  Ettens · Giants · Half-trolls · Hobgoblins · Ogres · Snow-trolls · Two-headed Trolls
Other:  Badger-folk · Great beasts · Lintips · Mewlips · Nameless things · Spectres
Individuals:  Talking Gurthang · Talking purse · The Hunter · Lady of the Sun · Lonely Troll · Man in the Moon · The Rider · River-woman · Tarlang · Tim · Tom · White cow
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