The anatomy of Glaurung - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

FeRaL sHaDoW · 08-04-2009, 02:48 AM

Interesting ideas, I have always seen Glauring looking like a large komodo dragon of sorts. (Yes I am throwing another creature into the mix

) They do kind of slither about as they walk and can run quite fast when they need to. They look very similar to the many creatures that Eönwë was thinking of. Video

Galin · 08-04-2009, 06:01 AM

Tolkien painted a picture of Glaurung (Glorund) too -- if you have JRRT Artist and Illustrator for example, see page 51. It's early but I thought some might be interested in any case. And while not about Glaurung specifically, in 1938 Tolkien gave a lecture on Dragons (to children), using slides of his own drawings of Glorund, the 'coiled dragon' and others. In this he noted

Quote:

'(...) Of course, size is also a consideration... A respectable dragon should be twenty feet or more.

The true dragon at his least was sufficiently large to be a terrible foe... It was the function of dragons to tax the skill of heroes,...'

I general he described...

Quote:

'... a serpent creature but with four legs and claws; his neck varied in length but had a hideous head with long jaws and teeth or snake-tongue. He was usually heavily armoured especially on his head and back and flanks. Nonetheless he was pretty bendable (up and down or sideways), could even tie himself in knots on occasion, and had a long poweful tail...' (...) JRRT

There's more of this lecture published in Hammond And Scull's Reader's Guide

skip spence · 08-05-2009, 07:51 AM

Great Galin, you can always be trusted to provide substance, if there is any. Since I don't own that particular book, would you mind trying to tell us how the picture looks like?

So it is pretty safe to say that Glaurung is a serpent-creature. Since serpent is a synonym for snake (as opposed to lizard, crocodile, dinosaur) I suppose that Glaurung indeed looked pretty much like I tried to describe in the op. Yet I've never seen him illustrated anything like how one must assume he looks like, given the texts and background material. On my HoME XI paperback, there he is on the cover, looking rather like a monstrous grub with a dental condition:

That's just awful (although I quite like the colours on the original).

On a google-search lots of other images pop up, but none showing a lithe serpent creature. Why is that, you think?

Galin · 08-05-2009, 08:23 AM

I'm not sure this is allowed, but if the link works it seems there is an edition of Unfinished Tales with Tolkien's early Glorund painting used as a cover illustration.

http://www.tolkien.co.uk/Pages/Produ...=9780261102156

If not allowed, apologies.

08-04-2009, 02:48 AM	#1
FeRaL sHaDoW Wight Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: New Zealand Posts: 232	Interesting ideas, I have always seen Glauring looking like a large komodo dragon of sorts. (Yes I am throwing another creature into the mix) They do kind of slither about as they walk and can run quite fast when they need to. They look very similar to the many creatures that Eönwë was thinking of. Video __________________ God created night, but man created darkness....

08-05-2009, 07:51 AM	#3
skip spence shadow of a doubt Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Back on the streets Posts: 1,125	Great Galin, you can always be trusted to provide substance, if there is any. Since I don't own that particular book, would you mind trying to tell us how the picture looks like? So it is pretty safe to say that Glaurung is a serpent-creature. Since serpent is a synonym for snake (as opposed to lizard, crocodile, dinosaur) I suppose that Glaurung indeed looked pretty much like I tried to describe in the op. Yet I've never seen him illustrated anything like how one must assume he looks like, given the texts and background material. On my HoME XI paperback, there he is on the cover, looking rather like a monstrous grub with a dental condition: That's just awful (although I quite like the colours on the original). On a google-search lots of other images pop up, but none showing a lithe serpent creature. Why is that, you think? __________________ "You can always come back, but you can't come back all the way" ~ Bob Dylan

08-05-2009, 08:23 AM	#4
Galin Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 1,036	I'm not sure this is allowed, but if the link works it seems there is an edition of Unfinished Tales with Tolkien's early Glorund painting used as a cover illustration. http://www.tolkien.co.uk/Pages/Produ...=9780261102156 If not allowed, apologies.