"Since they were to come in the days of the power of
Melkor, Aulë made the
dwarves strong to endure. Therefore they are stone-hard, stubborn, fast in
friendship and in enmity, and they suffer toil and hunger and hurt of body more
hardily than all other speaking peoples; and they live long, far beyond the
span of Men, yet not forever."
The Dwarves, or Khazâd in their own tongue, were beings of short stature, often friendly with Hobbits although long suspicious of Elves. They were typically blacksmiths and stoneworkers by profession, unrivaled in some of their arts even by the Elves.
While there were several tribes (Houses) of the Dwarves, the most prominent was that of the Longbeards.
Creation
The Dwarves were made by Aulë, whom they
themselves call Mahal, meaning “maker.” Aulë was unwilling to wait for the
coming of the Children of Ilúvatar, for he was impatient and
desired to have someone to teach his lore and his crafts. Therefore, he made
the first Seven Fathers of the Dwarves in secret in a hall
under the mountains of Middle-earth.
It was, however, not within Aulë's
power to create life. After being reprimanded by Ilúvatar and
realizing his error, Aulë offered his creations to his father to do with as he
would, including their destruction. Even as the offer was made, Ilúvatar
accepted and gave the Dwarves a life of their own. So when Aulë picked up a
great hammer to smite the Seven Fathers and destroy his presumptuous creations,
they shrank back in fear and begged for mercy.
Ilúvatar was however not willing to
suffer that the Dwarves should come before the Firstborn (Elves), and he decreed
that the Seven Fathers should sleep underground and should not come forth until
the Firstborn had awakened.
The seven clans of the Dwarves were:
- Longbeards, Durin's Folk, originally from Gundabad.
- Firebeards and Broadbeams, originally from Nogrod and Belegost.
- Ironfists and Stiffbeards, originated in the Orocarni in the far East.
- Blacklocks and Stonefoots,
originated in the Orocarni.
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