Mewlips

From Tolkien Gateway
This article is about the fictitious creatures. For the poem, see The Mewlips.
Angus McBride - Mewlip

Mewlips were a legendary race of evil creatures only mentioned in Hobbit verse. The creatures were likely fictitious, although they could have been inspired by Orcs.[1]

Living beyond the Merlock Mountains and the marsh of Tode, they are said to have fed on passers-by, collecting their bones in a sack.[2]

Other versions of the legendarium[edit | edit source]

In The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins learned that the Long Marshes had grown wider, consuming paths and lost people.[3] In plot notes that J.R.R. Tolkien made while writing the story the raftsmen told tales of disappearing rafts, men, and beasts;[4] John D. Rateliff suggests that the more ominous line in the notes may indicate that Tolkien had some unpleasantness in mind had Thorin and Company gotten into the marshes - perhaps meeting the Mewlips.[5]

Portrayal in adaptations[edit | edit source]

1982-97: Middle-earth Role Playing:

Mewlips, described and given statistics in various supplements, are portrayed as undead beings living in swamps and marshes. The race is conceived as having been created by Morgoth in the Elder Days.[6][7]

See also[edit | edit source]

External links[edit | edit source]

References

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