Middle-earth Bad Popularity Cup

[Groin Redbeard]

Originally Posted by Eönwë

The Lonely Mountain was one mountain inhabited by dwarves.

Yes, the greatest of the Dwarven holds, after Khazad-dum fell into darkness. Also Smaug drove them out single handedly, I think that makes him greater. How should I put it... more independent than Glaurung.

I'll go old school on this one. Glaurung's adversaries were far tougher than Smaug's. Obviously the 1st Age Dwarves did not run, while the 3rd Age Dwarves shrieked and scattered like wee li'l girls.

Or was Glaurung obviously weaker than Smaug? Glaurung is worm that can only wriggle around and spout fire against his foes. Smaug can actually fly! Glaurung is only half a dragon.

[Eönwë]

Originally Posted by Groin Redbeard

Or was Glaurung obviously weaker than Smaug? Glaurung is worm that can only wriggle around and spout fire against his foes. Smaug can actually fly! Glaurung is only half a dragon.

And yet caused much more damage. Doesn't that make him even more amazing?

And his "playing" with the children of Hurin makes him much more evil. Smaug just kills (yes, there was that bit where he was thinking of picking of the Lake men if I recall correctly, but he failed). Glaurung makes people suffer for his own pleasure. Doesn't that make him more evil?

And he has hypnotic powers.

++Glaurung

[Andsigil]

Originally Posted by Eönwë

And his "playing" with the children of Hurin makes him much more evil. Smaug just kills (yes, there was that bit where he was thinking of picking of the Lake men if I recall correctly, but he failed). Glaurung makes people suffer for his own pleasure. Doesn't that make him more evil?

Perhaps, but it doesn't make him very smart. And smart counts.

Allow me to again point out that Glaurung's making people suffer for his own pleasure was his own undoing. His involuted, Ernst Stavro Bloefeld scheme left alive the man who killed him.

So he's not as smart as he thinks he is.

[Nogrod]

Go Glaurung go!

Glaurung is the more mythical and awesome as a mere sentiment or feeling the reader has. The name of Glaurung * rings deep into the layers of the unconscious parts of many languages inciting something like a premordial fear and awe; it calls forwards an ur-creature you will tremble in front of, whereas Smaug sounds more like a cheap rendering of some slimy or just bare un-nice syllables in English.

*remember to spell Glaurung correctly: like keeping the vowels separate: 'a' as wide as 'u' in "but" and 'u' as narrow as 'u' in "put".

++ Glaurung

[Lalwendë]

Ah well, laying all clever arguments aside, they are still dragons and as such I can't make a logical choice. Therefore I'm going with the one who has lived longest in my imagination.

++Smaug

Unlike Nogrod, I prefer his name, too. Smaug, it reminds me of smog...

[Nogrod]

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

Unlike Nogrod, I prefer his name, too. Smaug, it reminds me of smog...

Exactly my point!

Smaug is not a primordial, mythical, your deepest unconsciousness-tingling terrifying evil you can't quite describe in any way, but more like "smog" or any other everyday thing that can be unsettling or even frightening but is not quite the same thing.

In this case the fact that we know so much about Smaug turns against it as it's clear Smaug can be grasped at some level as to being a petty and greedy monster whereas Glaurung is just some dark thing you can't quite get to grips with and whose name makes you shiver.

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Nogrod

Exactly my point!

Smaug is not a primordial, mythical, your deepest unconsciousness-tingling terrifying evil you can't quite describe in any way, but more like "smog" or any other everyday thing that can be unsettling or even frightening but is not quite the same thing.

In this case the fact that we know so much about Smaug turns against it as it's clear Smaug can be grasped at some level as to being a petty and greedy monster whereas Glaurung is just some dark thing you can't quite get to grips with and whose name makes you shiver.

Ah but smog kills (according to the book Austerity Britain which I was reading recently) - you might think it's just a dark bit of fog, but it's a silent, deadly killer. Smog isn't an everyday thing but a dark and sinister thing that can have you fooled! Tricksy...

And Smaug also sounds better. It's like the expletive of an angry Scot - "Ach! Smaug!"

And reason three - it is also uncannily similar to smug. Which also describes the timorous beastie perfectly.




Facetious reason four - it makes me laugh too as it sounds like something you can buy in IKEA

[Durelin]

++Smaug

I have read The Hobbit so many times. I have only read LotR once all the way through and have only read bits and pieces of The Sil and such...

I love Smaug. He's iconic. A good ol' fashioned dragon who lived a life of luxury sleeping on a hoard of treasure, and who even enjoyed a good conversation nearly as much as a good meal.

Edit: I also prefer Smaug's name. It's more suited. In hearing Glaurung's name in the past I used to think he was some other balrog with a name or something, for some reason assuming that from the name. Not sure why, but...I don't know, it's definitely not a dragon/wyrm/worm name to me.

"Smog" or pronouncing the "au" in a German-y way, either way it's cool. The monosyllabic name is more ominous.