Concerning Dwarves

[Mat_Heathertoes]

There are other female dwarves implicitly referred to in yet another one of Tolkiens wonderful letters.

Aulë, for instance, one of the Great, in a sense 'fell'; for he so desired to see the Children, that he became impatient and tried to anticipate the will of the Creator. Being the greatest of all craftsmen he tried to make children according to his imperfect knowledge of their kind. When he had made thirteen,* God spoke to him in anger, but not without pity; for Aulë had done this thing not out of evil desire to have slaves and subjects of his own, but out of impatient love, desiring children to talk to and teach, sharing with them the praise of Illúvatar and his great love of the materials of which the world is made.

*One, the eldest, alone and six more with six mates.

Letter 212 - Draft, never sent, in continuation of a letter (211) to Rhona Beare, October 1958

The One is of course, Durin - Father of the Longbeard tribe and the six more with their mates are the other Fathers of the Dwarves. Poor Durin! Having no missus and having to walk around on his own for countless years naming things. Makes you wonder how his tribe ever got started.

[ March 02, 2002: Message edited by: Mat_Heathertoes ]