The Warg and Warg Rider Appreciation Thread

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Ah, but you see, the Wargs in the movie were terrible. Where was the charm? Where was the wit elocution?

A shame.

[SamwiseGamgee]

Tis like a dream come true. Finally, an opportunity to share with like-minded individuals the joys of knowing a warg.
For so long I have wished to meet a man like you Eomer, and now my dreams have come true! Hallelujah! Where can I start with the warg rider. Such ferocity! On a scale of 1 to 100 I'd rate it at approximately 61- which is pretty darned high, let me tell you. And please, do let me tell you!
I ask you, Eomer, have you heard of the famous Colombian Male Voice Warg Choir? They were featured on the concept album by Shakira, known as 'Dirty Warg'. I enjoy them so. Such range and talent.
And how could I forget the time that I saw a warg and a yeti fight to the death! That was in the mountains of Bhutan, where I spent many long nights in search of the famous black mountain warg. What times they were.
And no man. NAY! NO MAN, has lived until he has seen the centuries old dance of the wargs of Bosnia. Based loosely on peasant traditions, intermingled with the customs of the wargs of that area. The Washington Post's Scott Cumming described it as 'the most stirring thing I have ever seen', while Neil Forbes of The Guardian likened it to 'watching God Himself dance among us.' I myself wrote in the Press and Journal that 'No mortal should end his life without having stood in awe of this spectacle.' The Evening Expresses Greame Walter, however, wrote 'It's nae very good, is it?' I can only tell you to ignore this review and go to Bosnia and witness the spectacle yourself.
Anyway, I have rambled on, but as you can surely see- I love wargs!

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

I knew that if I could find just one other like-minded individual then it would have been worth it to start this thread. I hail thee SamwiseGamgee!

I have heard the Male Warg Voice Choir of Colombia, though not featured on any popular recordings. I was actually in Nigeria at the time and the Choir were travelling through Africa. It was a glorious destiny which brought us together, I am sure of it. Anywho, the Wargs were simply breathtaking in their delivery of traditional Colombian music. It brings tears to my eyes as I type this remembering the wonderful spectacle and the emotion felt among all who heard.

I have not heard of this Bosnian Warg dance but I will keep my eyes open. It sounds excellent.

As for The Lord of the Rings movies portrayal of Wargs, I was disappointed. They came across as very one-dimensional. I suppose Peter Jackson chose to ignore such tales as that of the Wargs of Rohan coming to the aid of the Elves in the Battle of Mirkwood. I will tell the full tale next time.

Until then, please delight me, Children of the Downs, with your own tales of Wargs. Thanks.

[SamwiseGamgee]

I now return, glad to recount tales of wargs and their exploits. I feel now is as good a time as any to tell the story of my time in Bhutan, and the famous sight I saw of Yeti and Warg, locked in mortal combat.
I was first sent to Bhutan as part of a BBC research team. We had been sent in order to seek out evidence of two of the greatest legends of all time: the yeti and the black mountain warg. I had spent 25 nights in Bhutan without ever having seen anything other than squirrels and bears. We had split our group up and I had camped out on a plateau known to the locals as 'Shuekwasho', that is 'the place of the warg'. It was on the 26th night that my luck perked up.
At about 2am I made my first sighting of a yeti. It was a huge creature. Nearly 9 ft tall and covered in short, coarse, black hair. It had features like a man, yet different in some slight, indistinguishable way. He came quite near my tent and was making intimidating noises. This continued for another half hour, and as it did so I became more and more tense.
It is a well known fact among the native mountain trackers of Bhutan that Yetis do not take fondly to humans. Legend would have them believe that any mortal who is not worthy to look upon the Yeti but does so will surely die. Just as the Yeti seemed to be preparing for its assault on my tent he was attacked by a warg. The warg was huge. At least 11 ft long, about 7ft tall and perhaps 6ft broad at the shoulders. His great black fur shone in the full moon of the mountains and his silvery mane flowed majestically down his spine! He plunged upon the Yeti like a great noble knight! The Yeti fought him off and in moments these two mythical warriors were embroiled in a battle, nay war, of titanic proportions. For the next hour the two fought each other viciously and without rest. There was blood aplenty and at one point the Yeti even lost his right eye- a specimen which I still have- in a particularly gruesome gouge.
The battle, however, could not continue forever. The warg was gaining the upper hand and the Yeti was in serious trouble. He soon realised that against a great black mountain warg there can be no victory, and so skulked off into the dawn mists to die alone.
The warg stood there, steam rising from his exhausted body, somewhere between a shadow and reality. A great, black silhouette against the breathtaking scenery of the Bhutanese Alps at dawn. There he stood, King of Beasts, Lord of Battle and Noble Protector. For there he stayed, laying down after a short while, until the voices of my trackers could be heard and he knew I would be safe from the murderous Yeti.
And so he passed into the forests and forever from my sight. I have told many my story, though few believe. I admit, even I may have formerly been a sceptic. However, when one has seen the great black mountain warg one knows that he is no mere mortal warg, he is as the Bhutanese locals say a 'Diuesal'- a protector from the gods.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

I am in awe of your tale Samwise. I really cannot say anything else except that I am so happy that you have experienced such a thing.

I am still compiling the full tale of the Battle of Mirkwood so I will post it next time. Until then, a word of advice Samwise. Your signature is very cool, but it is over large and you may irk the moderators by keeping it. Perhaps make it smaller?

[SamwiseGamgee]

Ah, tis true. I had not realised just how large font size 7 would be! As large as a small pony, it emerged!
I await with bated breath the epic tale of the Battle of Mirkwood and hope that it will live up to my expectations, though I am almost positive it will. It's a battle with wargs in, what more could I want?

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

The Battle Of Mirkwood, as told by an anonymous Elf several years after the event.


It took place in the south-west of Mirkwood in a place considered an Elven stronghold. The army stationed there was huge. However, they had met their match. The Orc captain Gorgomoth had become crazed in his attempts to destroy the Elves of Mirkwood, and had ploughed all of his strength into the assault. Middle-earth braced itself for a climactic battle that would surely alter the course of history.

It did. Hundreds of thousands of Elves were massacred by the Orcs, who lost a vast proportion of their force themselves. However, the outcome was in no real doubt. The Orcs were too many and the Elves would surely fall.

It was when all hope was gone when the Elves heard the ominous sound of howling on the wind. Wargs - thousands and thousands of Wargs. The Elves braced themselves for the end of their lives.

But no! The Wargs turned on the Orcs, their former allies. With vigour they ripped and tore into the terrified Orcs. Oh the humanity! The blood of the Orcs rained down on the beautiful trees of Mirkwood. When the slaughter was complete the Wargs left with no explanation of their deeds. None was needed. The Elves of Mirkwood were saved all because of the Good Wargs who had come out of Rohan.

Without a doubt, this battle is what changed the common conception of the Warg forever. No more were they considered all evil. From now on the Peoples of Middle-earth never knew what to expect from Wargs. On the one side there were still evil Wargs who served the Orc captains. However, on the other side was a tremendous host of good Wargs, bent on doing great and glorious deeds and properly utilizing the extraordinary and wondrous talents given to them by a truly perfect God.