Any later ruler named Durin, however,
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was indeed held by the Dwarves to be the Deathless that returned; for they have many strange tales and beliefs concerning themselves and their fate in the world.
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(I LOVE Appendix A!)
These "strange beliefs" are somewhat elaborated in the Silmarillion:
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Aforetime it was held among the Elves in Middle-earth that dying the Dwarves returned to the earth and the stone of which they were made; yet that is not their own belief. For they say that Aule the Maker, whom they call Mahal, cares for them, and gathers them to Mandos in halls set apart; and that he declared to their Fathers of old that Iluvatar will hallow them and give them a place among the Children in the End. Then their part shall be to serve Aule and to aid him in the remaking of Arda after the Last Battle. They say also that the Seven Fathers of the Dwarves return to live again in their own kin and to bear once more their ancient names: of whom Durin was the most renowned in after ages
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(Sorry for the long quote, but it all seems so relevant!) So the Seven Fathers could be reincarnated (or at least, the Dwarves believed they could) but nobody else could.
Of course, it's hard to say who's right. Is there more information about this elsewhere?
--Belin Ibaimendi
[ July 22, 2002: Message edited by: Belin ]