The Seven Houses of the Dwarves | Tolkien Explained

[@annaanisa7388]

Can we take a moment to acknowledge the magnificence of all the artwork used in these videos? BEAUTIFUL work from terribly talented artists.

[@IIxLordOfDarknessxII]

Terribly talented?

[@VoidLantadd]

@@IIxLordOfDarknessxII "Terribly" in this case is being used to augment the word "talented". It means "very talented", it doesn't mean their talent is terrible.

[@annaanisa7388]

@@IIxLordOfDarknessxII Correct. The commenter below you explained it well. Meaning… “AWESOMELY” talented 😉👍

[@IIxLordOfDarknessxII]

@@VoidLantadd i understand how its being used, i just never seen it used that way.

[@DMT-kk3dp]

Well said! 😊😊🤓

[@erikavalentina4940]

Knowing all these stories and races involved were coming from one man’s imagination still amused me. Tolkien was really a genius and deserves the title as the father of fantasy story.

[@kingkalki5212]

He got all his inspiration from mythology/history he said the dwarves are like the Jews in an interview

[@nascentKiller]

@@kingkalki5212 yep, as someone who is Jewish I really see the resemblance, just the whole disinherited people, plus their names, words, and language are very Jewish, i.e. Khazâd Dum, and the other glottal stops in the language. it's really cool tbh

[@MMadesen]

@@nascentKiller the dwarven names are mostly nordic/germanic names. E.g. Dwalin Durin, Th(r)or, Thor(in), Oin, Gloin, etc. They also use runes, and their entire race is directly taken from germanic mythology. I can see the disinheritance though, and their clichee liking of gold and wealth.

[@nascentKiller]

@@MMadesen not so much their love of gold, more their appreciation of what it can do, their true love was mithril and making the best art possible (art could be weapons too)

[@mattbrody3565]

@@MMadesen Well, there's also the dwarves' ferocity in battle. The layout of Moria and the story of how it fell to the orcs is very reminiscent of General Titus's siege of Jerusalem during the Judean civil war. Israelites were known to hold their own quite well with asymmetric warfare and clever use of architecture and sabotage, which is how they lasted 8 months with almost no food or water as the Roman army built walls around the city. Ultimately, though, they'd always end up horribly outnumbered. The final conquest of Moria by the orcs is a lot like Titus's final siege of Jerusalem, when he returned as emperor with 1/3 of Rome's armies and nearly wiped the slate clean. The dwarf writing form Tolkien used is also based on Hebrew, both in terms of its characters and being read right to left. The names and mythical race may be germanic, but there's a lot of little nods to biblical tales of Jewish history. Of course, the difficult part is not overstating the connections, which brings me to another Dwarfish-Jewish trait: the boastful pride with which they preach tales of their people 😉.

[@lizzies4964]

I've always found it very interesting that the dwarves are particularly resistant to the powers of the Rings and Sauron. You would think their love of treasure would make them more vulnerable. But I think their physical attributes, strong and sturdy, reflect their mental strength as well. We know they're stubborn and hard headed. It wouldn't be easy for Sauron to creep into their minds the way it is for men. Convincing any dwarf to think or do something they don't want to sounds impossible. Great video as always! I love the dwarves!

[@RosebenderE]

I have always thought this is because they were created by Aulë The Smith.

[@mraaronhd]

@@RosebenderE my thoughts exactly. They weren’t actually created by Eru illuvatar, and the Ainur (excluding Aule) during the initial song creation before the beginning of time, but were made after it by Aule alone once he came down to the world. So neither Morgoth or Sauron had any influence over their initial creation, and couldn’t do anything to really influence them like they had with the other races.

[@ocadioan]

@@mraaronhd Not only that, but if I remember my Silmarillion correctly, Aulë specifically made the dwarves hardy of both mind and body to prepare them for the evils of the world that he now knew of(Morgoth).

[@mraaronhd]

@@ocadioan I believe you’re right.

[@adamarens3520]

@@ivmen98 😂👍 exactly! They’re just plain stubborn.

[@simoncooper6752]

My dear Longbeards and Firebeards, Broadbeams and Ironfists, Stiffbeards, Blacklocks, Stonefoots! Dwarve: STONEFEET!

[@kamion53]

in Christopher Tolkien's History of Middle Earth vol.12 they are called Stonefoots, not stonefeet probably to harmonise the sound of the paring names: Firebeards and Broadbeams Ironfists and Stiffbeards Blacklocks and Stonefoots Durin of the Longbeards slept alone.

[@davidguthary8147]

@@kamion53 It's a joke based on the hobbit at Bilbo's party shouting out "ProudFEET" in response to Bilbo acknowledging the Proudfoots at his party.

[@kamion53]

@@davidguthary8147 sometimes I take things too serieusly and put a foot in my mouth, but however not very proudly.

[@Libroer]

Well done well done 😅

[@curtisfranzen986]

The Ironfist Clan is the greatest in my DND setting. I have twins that play almost as one character. They finish each other's sentences. It's really fun.

[@michaelt.5672]

When condensed like this, one realizes how much of their history (particularly in later years) the dwarves spent as refugees without a home. Aule was wise to make them tough, for they certainly had to endure a lot.

[@robingrob9717]

Its insane how deep and thought through Tolkiens world is

[@bradsimpson8724]

I had a teacher once who said that it was the worldbuilding that really set Tolkien apart. His stories, ultimately, are extremely simple in structure and character motivations, and his writing style is nothing exceptional, but the sheer scale of his creation remains unmatched.

[@valentinkambushev4968]

My favorite race. They definitely deserve more respect, especially from a certain pointy-eared race.

[@NerdoftheRings]

Amen to that! haha.

[@gigiflaner3568]

They are my favorite race too!

[@_zk_]

Yeah vulcans.......err.......I mean elves can be d*cks at times!

[@Jiggerjaw]

I have always been disappointed with the LotR movies and their portrayal of Gimli as a comic relief character. I love the comic relief, but sadly, the result is that the wider audience has no idea the richness of the characters and the depth of their history.

[@valentinkambushev4968]

@@Jiggerjaw yeah, it's a shame that we had to wait for the Hobbit to get a good representation of the dwarves. Don't get me wrong I love Gimli, but by the third movie the "dwarves are short" jokes were everywhere. Thankfully he still had his badass and emotional moments, because if not he would have been just a dwarve black face.

[@b00p196]

Dwarves have been through more harrowing experiences than the other two races put together throughout the history of Middle-Earth in my opinion. They have been displaced from their homes more times than the other two and yet they have survived it all, lasting longer than the Elves and living well into the fourth age, strong and stubborn indeed. My favourite race in all of Fantasy. Well created by Tolkien.

[@magecraft2]

Always amused me the elves meeting the Petty Dwarves and hunting them as animals because animals are well known for wearing armour/clothes and carrying weapons :)

[@glennsnapp290]

I always thought that these early Petty Dwarves were too desperately poor to have even clothes or tools. My question is, did the Elves hunt them for FOOD?!

[@magecraft2]

@@glennsnapp290 yea but they would have furs and tools, these where exiles from the main Dwarf lines so they were not pre-Hominid level of knowledge.

[@noahtylerpritchett2682]

@@magecraft2 so proto-neanderthal or even proto hydelberginses (not sure the spelling) you saying that's the technological level of the petty dwarves?

[@magecraft2]

@@noahtylerpritchett2682 What I was saying is that would at least be the level of them most likely far more advanced. Even if poor they would have rudimentary clothing and tools/weapons. Although this may be all over thinking a throwaway line :)

[@A407RAC]

@@glennsnapp290 I mean, elves hunt orcs right?

[@ryanratchford2530]

It’s a real shame how under utilised & under developed the dwarves are in middle Earth. The RotK Appendix is the most we ever learn about dwarves culture & history & compared to elves & men it’s nothing. It really feels like not only are the dwarves the unwanted children of Iru but also of Tolkien. The last alliance of elves & men? Rip all the dwarves who joined & fought & died helping to fight as well

[@EmblemParade]

I strongly disagree! Tolkien was very fond of his dwarves, and probably identified with the vala Aulë more than any of the others. After all, Tolkien himself was the real crafter of Middle-earth. And dwarves are the central characters in The Hobbit. The elves may have been noble and beautiful and caught up in webs of doom, but the dwarves were quietly making the most beautiful things in Middle-earth. There are moreover obvious similarities between dwarves and hobbits and it's not impossible to imagine that hobbits might have some dwarvish ancestry, especially the Stoors.

[@PistonDrivenGun]

@@EmblemParade Hobbits and men share an ancestry. They were wary of Dwarves and felt connected to men. Which is why they were given the Shire from Arnor.

[@PistonDrivenGun]

Maybe more mysterious makes sense to the dwarves since they delved deeply into their mines and crafts. They also tend to their own more than other races. To me it makes almost more sense they didn't share everything with everyone.

[@EmblemParade]

@@PistonDrivenGun Hobbits, officially, are men. But Tolkien intentionally left their origin obscure. I sometimes imagine that a vala or a powerful maia created them, specifically knowing they would have a part to play in the war against evil. Perhaps it was Aulë?

[@EmblemParade]

@@PistonDrivenGun Dwarves had many historical reasons to be suspicious of other races. But it's also true that they loved their own creations too much. The Silmarils especially had a corrupting influence, as all races seemed to desire them too much. And the Rings of Power given to the dwarves surely made the corruption worse.

[@luudest]

2:21 „Despite this being durin the day“, lol

[@NerdoftheRings]

haha! I really enjoy this comment.

[@luudest]

@@NerdoftheRings 😀

[@principledpsychopath8461]

Though all poems and music in the lotr world is epic the most epic of these poems are certainly about dwarves such as Far over the misty mountains cold , and of course Durins song .

[@garytwinem5275]

"Chip the glasses and crack the plates, Blunt the knives and bend the forks, That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!"

[@Crafty_Spirit]

@@garytwinem5275 Moves me deeply every time I read that 😉

[@michaelblower7363]

​@@garytwinem5275 "Pour the milk on the pantry floor! Splash the wine on every door! Dump the crocks in a boiling hole, Pound them up with a thumping pole If they're ready and they are whole..... send them down the hall to roll. XD

[@garytwinem5275]

@@michaelblower7363 😁

[@llewellynkonelio7965]

Never really read the books. But me and my father feel in love with LOTR when fellowship first came out. My father was able to watch the original trilogy but passed before the hobbit was released. I’m so glad I came across your channel. I know for a fact my dad would have loved watching your channel. His fav character was Aragorn. Mine will always be Gimli/Dain

[@MenoftheWest]

Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu! (Don’t tell Helen I said that, she’ll be upset 😬)

[@NerdoftheRings]

Never shy away from your love of dwarves, Yoystan! Even if you feel threatened by dwarf-haters! lol!

[@MrBlueBurd0451]

Am I the only one that finds Kuzdul to be more attractive if you pronounce the 'kh' as a 'g'?

[@NolanDraconis]

YANAD DURINUL

[@NolanDraconis]

Ren de Khuzdul?

[@abhcoat]

My favorite race of Middle Earth. Gimili was great. Didn't really care for how PJ made him kind of comic relief.

[@proudsaiyanprince2651]

I don’t know why, but the story of Durin waking and discovering the lake is almost unspeakably beautiful. Like a real world fairytale from long, long ago.

[@darkmistico]

thats the magic of J.R.R Tolkien

[@jakobpalmer9126]

Whoa 15 seconds ago??? Love your content!!

[@LeleJackMusic]

I love your Patreon list. It's hilarious to hear you list all these epic metal or fantasy-sounding names and then ending with "...and Debbie".

[@NerdoftheRings]

Be sure to go here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aGXUmIR6jJamb7s and click "Set Reminder" to see my interview with "The Nature of Middle-earth" editor Carl Hostetter when it drops on Thursday!

[@Pickle136]

Looking forward to this book, and this interview. I heard one with Carl already on another podcast. Can you give a opinion on the new book?

[@1rishpotat0]

Great video Matt. The Dwarves are easily my favorite fantasy race of all time.

[@johnevans5782]

What a beautiful oration and representation of the history of the Dwarves of Middle Earth. Wonderful work!

[@ethanmcquaid1]

Bro you do a fantastic job at laying out the complicated and intricate lore in an understandable way, and I love it.

[@schlingelinovitch4664]

Love that painting of ironforge at 12:00 :)

[@coltoneverett6500]

Amazing as always. The Dwarves of have always held a special place in my heart and in the story of middle earth. Keep up the amazing content.

[@sean4236]

You weave the history nicely into an efficiently detailed summary.

[@sean4236]

On reading my comment, I have to explain "nicely". "Nicely". Potentially a very bland description. Unless compliments aren't something that flow so smoothly. Then, "nicely" means something more closely to, "masterfully". I in no way, intended to downplay the skill presented.

[@pendragnx]

I've been waiting for this! Amazing that Tolkein never named the Lords of most of the houses of the dwarves

[@kamion53]

A lot of the huge amount of notes Tolkien made were illegible, maybe he did give the 7 fathers names, but that is now lost to us. He did however create two types of names: one typ ended with -in, the other with -ur. Thorin and Gloin versus Bifur and Bombur, where the last two don't seem to be of the line of Durin, these names ar the equivalent of the names the Dwarves used in the Common Speech, their real names in Khuzdul is nowhere revealed.

[@spencernaugle]

Bro you did it again, you read my mind. I don't even comment video ideas but you always do what I'm thinking.

[@sean4236]

The Balrog was awoken in 1980! That's a year before I was born. What a time to be alive in Middle Earth.

[@Rekaert]

As someone who first read Lord of the Rings, the Hobbit and the Silmarillion several decades ago, I was very pleased with the film adaptations. However, the portrayal of the Dwarves has always irritated me. The Elves got the serious treatment. Lofty, intelligent, wise, refined, just you would expect. The Dwarves meanwhile were given the comedy treatment. Gimli got it to an extent, but Thorin's company were hit with it so hard they needed to bring in a whole different bunch of characters to carry the story.

[@sweeperboy]

Agreed, and let's not even talk about Dáin II Ironfoot, who was basically Billy Connolly in costume. I mean, yes that's of course who played him, but the persona of the actor should have disappeared into the character rather than taking it over completely.

[@sportbilly2008]

Yep totally agree. The Hobbit movies were a great disappointment to me. So much time to fill out, and none of it used to develop the Dwarves characters.

[@tvaccount6211]

The Hobbit is a childrens book, so it was made to appeal to children. The fact that you watched it as an adult means he didnt do a bad job making it for everyone I feel. I do know what you mean though

[@Rekaert]

​@@tvaccount6211 That's partially the issue, and a misstep in my opinion. The people going to see it were pretty much the same people who loved Lord of the Rings. Sure, they may have taken their kids with them, but that was exactly the same situation for LotR. Kids don't need patronising. They got it with LotR, and would have got it with a more serious Hobbit too. Believe it or not, all three Hobbit films and all three Lord of the Rings films share the same rating in terms of age restriction, with one curious exception. One of the extended edition films is rated higher than all the rest. Battle of the Five armies. Yep, out of all of them, you have to be older to see that than any of the Lord of the Rings films. Crazy eh? :)

[@tvaccount6211]

@Pangea06 he had to flesh the book out to 3 movies. He had a childish story with some material added to the lore at a much later date that he could use, thats why you have comedic dwarves with Azog, who was mentioned in the actual book, but not in detail until Lotr appendices. He had to stay true to the original book, he went as serious as he could, and even added some bullshit, which I didnt agree with, but hey, we got a pretty good visualisation of middle earth and its happenings again, you expect too much as like most people who love the stories, you want more than he left us…

[@magua9563]

It's very interesting to hear different takes on the events of the Nogrod dwarves. I'd always been told that although the dwarves were greedy the elves refused to pay up on their end to a "lesser race."

[@SantomPh]

the Dwarves, once they finished the Necklace tried to claim it for themselves as well. The Silmaril inspires greed and selfishness, and it affected Thingol as well, leading to the death of himself and the Dwarven smiths. Only people who didn't have a shred of greed or desire like Beren and Earendil could bear them, with even Morgoth wearing them on a crown so he wouldn't get burnt.

[@EmblemParade]

Excellent summary! But there's so much more to explore about the dwarves. Dwarf women are always a fascinating topic. And their native language was inspired by Semitic languages. I'm always annoyed that media representations of dwarves tend to give them Scottish accents, when it is far more likely that Tolkien imagined them having what we would call Middle-Eastern accents. It's very clear that Tolkien had much fondness for his dwarves. and indeed probably identified with the vala Aulë more than any of the others. After all, Tolkien himself was the real crafter of this world.

[@NerdoftheRings]

Indeed! I could say a lot more on the dwarves and really had to restrain myself to keep this video as short as it is. haha. There will be more to come I'm sure! There's actually a fascinating section in the new Nature of Middle-earth about the dwarves and how they speak!

[@meduseldtales3383]

That may be true, but it should be remembered that Numenorean language Adunaic and its offshoot Westron also had many similarities with Dwarven language, and probably sounded Middle-eastern as well.

[@EmblemParade]

@@meduseldtales3383 Yes! It would be interesting to see what accent they choose for Numenoreans in the Amazon series...

[@kingkalki5212]

Makes sense in an interview he said the dwarves are like the jews

[@ParkSwitch20]

Speaking of Dwarf women, that’s honestly my first question: how do the 7 fathers found their houses all by themselves? 🤔

[@ChiaraSiasat]

Great video! Dwarves are some of the hardiest races around. Their perseverance through out the ages with wars and dragons driving them out of their kingdoms is amazing. Coincidentally decided to wear my NOTR “Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu!” shirt Today as well 😂😅

[@Megasaiyu]

Look, I love my dwarves. My tolkien character in Dnd is a Dwarven fighter. Gimli is my favorite chracter. I love the hobbit. I get sad when dwarves arent dwarves in games or media. So this video really brightens my day. Rock and stone brother.

[@Sinnerage]

This has quickly become my favorite KZbin channel. I’ve watched so so many videos in the last few days. Well done my friend. Keep up the good work!!

[@pianogang2273]

I literally looked up the Dwarven Clans yesterday because I wanted to know more about the other Dwarven Clans! This helped out a lot, thanks! :D

[@Noleme]

Fun bit of background: the version of the fall of Doriath in the published Silmarillion was almost entirely written by Chris Tolkien, since the only draft his father made of the story was from 30 years ago. In the original tale, Thingol is extremely abusive to the Dwarves and holds them essentially captive. Quite different from this version where thingol only lost his temper after the dwarves tried to cheat him.

[@Hallowed_Ground]

Yeah, Tolkien's writings are STILL undergoing metamorphosis.

[@CSG5151]

All your videos are amazing but this video was really something special. Thanks for the time you took to make it.

[@Themannis93]

Dwarves are my favorite race in Tolkien's works

[@Booley95]

You making use of maps and artwork makes all this complicated lore and names so much more easier to understand

[@rangerofthenorth1970]

Baruk Khazâd, Matt!!! Fantastic video, havent known much about it so thanks.... As a kid I never liked dwarves so much, but when I read about batlle of Dale and there batlle with Glaurung, and there help to Elrond in the 2nd age they became one of my favorites. Will you ever do a video about Dunedain, Gondor, Arnor, Numenor an so on....just like you did with Rohan?

[@michaelwhitney8326]

I have been subscribed for a couple weeks now and I just want to say the moment I saw a channel called Nerd of the Rings I started binging ur episodes. Most people consider nerd a bad thing/insult I consider it a high honor! Anyway as always this was an excellent video! 😁

[@vainor797]

Been loving the content man keep it up 😁👌

[@NerdoftheRings]

Thanks! Will do! :)

[@fosterck13]

I'm newer to Tolkien and am very much enjoying these videos. I've only watch a few so far then thought about where I should start with these videos and how to proceed. Thank you

[@indio4-215]

I've been waiting for you to do a video on my favorite midget warriors, so thank you Matt. And speaking of Dwarves, didn't Ilúvatar tell Aulë that the Dwarves and Elves would inevitably be at odds against one another?

[@NerdoftheRings]

Indeed he did! It's kind of like an Isaac and Ishmael situation, if you're familiar with the story of Abraham.

[@samenzwering]

I really, really enjoy your video's!! Those final lines, about the world getting old and the dwarves failing, they always make me sad. Also: would you like to make a video about the more obscure or lesser known groups in Middle-Earth? Like the Druadain?

[@keithtorgersen9664]

I’d often wondered what would happen to dwarves at the end of the age, since it was told that the dominion of men began. Thanks for the insight!

[@taylorkennon395]

Love the Ironforge crossover painting

[@jessicaalas-fought5593]

Can we just mention how great the scores are on your videos!! I feel like this channel always goes above and beyond with the music selection 🙌

[@VoiceoftheRings]

This is so well done! You do such a great job at taking so much info and putting it into a great fluid storyboard and maps. It makes it so easy to follow but still has so much good info and meat! Such a good job! As a Dwarf myself and loving their lore. (I have a lot of fan lore myself). So I really enjoyed this one!!! Awesome Job Nerd of the Rings! Your videos are the best! :D BARUK KHAZAD! KHAZAD Ai-Menu!

[@fabriciodarkpanzer837]

Dwarves the best race in middle earth Outstanding video!! Greetings from El Salvador.

[@ZiggyMandarr]

Your ability to present the story of characters I thought little of in such a way as to make me care deeply for their ultimate fate never ceases to impress.

[@untruelie2640]

One superb video after another! :D I may add that it was Húrin who killed Mîm between the ruins of Nargothrond and took the Nauglamír from him. He then brought it to Menegroth and tossed it to the ground before Thingol in an act of bitterness (because he sort of accused Thingol of not taking proper care of his family). I think this makes Húrins story even more tragic. He not only (unknowingly) told Morgoth the general location of Gondolin by shouting towards the Echoriath, but also set in motion the chain of events leading to Thingols death and the eventual destruction of Doriath. Was this a result of Morgoth's spell too? Or was it the doom of Mandos working behind the scenes? (Because of the Silmaril Thingol possessed)

[@annaanisa7388]

In my mind, I primarily see it as the doom of Mandos. However, you bring up a good point… I’m under the impression the curse of Morgoth targeted specifically Húrin and his direct family line but it also affected any people whom were in direct contact with them. So it could very well be an overlap of “dooms” 👍

[@untruelie2640]

@@annaanisa7388 I agree. It also shows how similar Morgoth and the Valar still are. Their motives may be different, but their methods and powers are sometimes almost identical. I mean, look at all the terrible suffering the doom of Mandos brought to the Noldor and their allies/neighbours. Granted, the Valar's motivation was justice for the mass murder in Alqualonde, but that doesn't make it less terrifying. It shows how relentless the Valar can be. (Which also becomes clear just before the destruction of Númenor. The wrath of the Valar is truly terrible).

[@Crafty_Spirit]

I did research on that topic and every commenter I read says that the Doom of Mandos does not cause anything, but it's a foretelling / prophecy about what is going to happen, not a curse with an actual effect. I don't know if Morgoth's curse has any effects either, though this one is less clear. Still, many say that it is also powerless. To further complicate the story: Mîm the Dwarv also lied a curse on the treasure of Nargothrond. So, perhaps the Dooms of Elves, Men, and Dwarves intersect here. But really what I think what happens is that the curse of Mîm ignites greed in the heart of those (other dwarves at least) who witness the Nauglamír, an effect critically enhanced by the Silmarils who are known to instill a dominating desire. Thingol basically asked the Dwarves to create an artefact that is tied to atomic bomb levels of destructive magic.

[@vancortrichards4514]

Excellent narration

[@arckanon13]

Wow!! Love Dwarves. Would love to see what the last Durin’s reincarnation would be. And also would love to learn more about Easternlings.

[@chrismoorhouse3065]

Whoo! Never had a video with SO MUCH I didn't know. Fantastic dive into the notes, well done!

[@barney3444]

I'd love to see a video about the various helpful animals of middle earth (I'm thinking of Shadowfax, Huan - the magic dog, Glorfindels horse, farmer Maggots dogs etc.)

[@Deliverthagoodz]

Loving your channel. I’m learning so much more from your videos than when I read the books.

[@wyattkloppers3445]

I love your videos keep up the great work 👏

[@shehansenanayaka3046]

I love middle earth docs. It is awesome. Love these videos. We know it takes a lot of time to make these videos.

[@alastairtivy-harris8129]

God bless you and this channel! This is such a good lore video (i"m particularly fond of that Mongolian dwarf!). Do we know if the seven fathers of the dwarves had, say, dwarf wives? If not, how did their descendants come to be? I suppose Tolkien intentionally left that vague.

[@NerdoftheRings]

I was thinking of doing a separate video on dwarf-women. I think it is intentionally vague and that nobody but the dwarves themselves truly know of them. It's an interesting aspect of their culture that they "hide" their women from the outside world. Honestly, I personally like to think of it as them treasuring their wives and children above all other things, and wishing to protect them from any harm from the outside.

[@leonardofaber5823]

Each of the Six Fathers had a wife sleeping by their sides. Durin was the only one alone, so PROBABLY his wife came from one of the other clans

[@Enerdhil]

@@NerdoftheRings That is a much nicer story than dwarves you treat their wives like the Taliban men treat their women.

[@mirandarensberger6919]

@@NerdoftheRings If I remember correctly from the appendices, other races have trouble distinguishing female dwarves from the males. I like to think that at least some dwarf women did go into battle and outsiders never knew.

[@vishnu79]

@@mirandarensberger6919 Dwarven women almost never went into battle nor left their cities unless something had gone terribly wrong. Tolkien mentioned in letters that for every 4 dwarves born, only one would be female, and that should her husband die for some reason, the female almost never re-married, so deep was her grief. This is the biggest reason they were a dying race, as the endless wars of attrition with the Goblins and Men of Melkor and Sauron had whittled away their numbers so deeply. Remember that your average Dwarf will live for almost 400 years if left alone, and that's a lot of time to have children, but if only 1 in 4 can breed more, you're going to hit a wall at some point population wise, when it comes to being able to absorb casualties. Most Dwarf males understood and accepted that they would never have wives nor children in their lives, and thus dedicated themselves to their Clans and cities and were so willing to bitterly fight and die for them. Dwarven females were far too valuable and precious to be allowed to take risks like battle or travel, unless necessary.

[@harp-692]

Hey so I watched some of your videos and your voice is so beautiful and I could listen hours to these videos. Thanks!

[@lucasrealmgallup1929]

could you do a video on the easterlings (and just the men loyal to suaron in genarel)

[@TBPetitP]

Great video! You should make one on the fathers of the Elves of the first age, Olwe, Elwe and Finwe!

[@idoxwe]

And Ingwe, High King of all Elves.

[@chris999999999999]

Is there a source on Durin seeing the stars "During the day"? That would mean it didn't happen until after the Noldor arrived in Beleriand since the sun wasn't around before that, and I was under the impression that Khazad-dûm was founded before that.

[@Enerdhil]

Tolkien Gateway states that Khazad Dum was built in the Year of the Trees, so it was night 24 hours every day.

[@Crafty_Spirit]

@@Enerdhil You know, I wonder how it felt for Elves and Dwarves when the Sun would pierce their eyes for the first time after living for millenia under starlight only (thanks to the Pélori) 🤣

[@Enerdhil]

@@Crafty_Spirit I wonder more about how all the vegetation grew without sunlight for those thousands of years. The Grace of Iluvatar I guess.....

[@ArcingAngels]

11:59 is a pic of Ironforge from World of WarCraft fame. Like the content.

[@NOIDEAIWILLJUSTUSEHAILEYIGUESS]

While technically non canon, The Lord of the Rings Online covers many of the other houses of the Dwarves in detail, especially in regards to the Ironfist Dwarves, known in game as the Zhelruka, or Iron-Handed, Dwarves due to not owning the rights to the proper names. having 16 kings of their royal line named in the game, and even the King's brother at the time of the War of the ring being named, who also happens to be a great character in game. worth checking it out if you're interested.

[@cerysllosgau698]

LOTRO is such a neat MMO. Dated, but it’s just so…alive.

[@jamiegregg9211]

wicked awesome vid Matt enjoyed it looking forward for the next one

[@udayanmandal2911]

Really loved the Dwarves!!

[@icebearc4859]

They are the most badass race in middle earth

[@Wax_Man]

How do you make me get chills at the end of these videos. Actually wild

[@Crafty_Spirit]

Another well-researched and fun video, Matt 👌🏼 I want to question whether the 7 Rings were handed out to 7 kings. Perhaps the Broadbeams and Firebeards integrated so fully with the Longbeards that they no longer have a king of their own. Were there even 7 different dwarven strongholds? Imagine if the bearers of three or four of these Rings would reside simultaneously in Khazad-dûm. 4 Rings were consumed by fire and the one given to Durin III was recovered by Sauron. We never hear of Dragons attacking the Eastern Dwarves (though it's certainly possible) but we know that the refugees from Moria were repeatedly attacked and robbed by dragons, so perhaps up to 4 rings were given to Dwarves from Khazad-dûm. Perhaps the existence of multiple rings within one group drove the bearers to split off and establish a realm on their own. I mean, the dwarves of Khazad-dûm after Durin's fall occupied 3 territories simultaneously for a time - the Iron Hills, Erebor, and the Grey Mountains. What do you think? 😀

[@TMM4400]

this was truly a great video. all of them are good! but This 1 is special! 10/10 mate !

[@sweeperboy]

Great video, as always! I have one question though. If Aule made the seven dwarf fathers and from them the whole of the dwarf race developed, who made the original dwarf mothers since surely they would be needed to populate the various kingdoms that were founded?

[@Crafty_Spirit]

Aulë also created 6 female Dwarves alongside the 7 fathers of their houses

[@LoneWolf-yb7cy]

I love your content dude, please keep going

[@NerdoftheRings]

Absolutely! Will do!

[@colmortimer1066]

I can't say you are wrong, but I always thought the "strange" dwarves Frodo met were just visitors from lonely mountain that Bilbo travelled with, and their kin or friends stopping along the way to the Blue Mountains. Frodo found them strange because they are Dwarves, and he lived in a world of just hobbits, so any non-hobbit would be quite strange. Is there evidence of them being from the east based on Tolkien's writing or letters? Or is it just free to interpret it either way? One thing I like out books, especially Tolkien's style is a lot was open for interpretation, it is the nature of mythology to got ways have the correct, or full story, Tolkien did that well a lot, as he was writing a mythology of his own. :)

[@NerdoftheRings]

I'll have to look back at my notes and resources when I get back to my computer, but I think there's some additional clues that point to them not being Durin's Folk. I know they mention Mordor, which is much closer in proximity to the East than Erebor.

[@Lightice1]

This is what the Lord of the Rings says, indeed implying that these Dwarves come further from the east to escape Sauron's growing influence: "There were, however, dwarves on the road in unusual numbers. The ancient East-West Road ran through the Shire to its end at the Grey Havens, and dwarves had always used it on their way to their mines in the Blue Mountains. They were the hobbits’ chief source of news from distant parts - if they wanted any: as a rule dwarves said little and hobbits asked no more. But now Frodo often met strange dwarves of far countries, seeking refuge in the West. They were troubled, and some spoke in whispers of the Enemy and of the Land of Mordor."

[@bobbycavalier4701]

I still love the idea of some of the lonely mountain crew coming to visit, and maybe THAT was frodos first experience of becoming accustomed to dwarves

[@SantomPh]

Frodo and Bilbo know the Dwarves of Erebor, primarily the members of the expedition led by Thorin. At Bree, which is a famous crossroads, he met more of the Dwarves from the greater Longbeard clans who came from Erebor, Iron Hills and Blue Mountains, which are far more diverse than the twelve he knew about. It's unlikely that these strange Dwarves were from further east, since Dwarves rarely travel that far unless relocating entirely from some massive disaster or answering a call to war. Frodo had never seen Dwarves apart from Balin and other familiar Dwarves; Bilbo would have not thought them strange, since he had been to Erebor more than once.

[@codycatron7813]

Loads of evidence.

[@alkiro_ra]

Goddamnit. After all it feels to me that wow’s dwarves are the most Tolkien-ish. This video made me want to resubscribed once again. Great video!

[@cm-pr2ys]

Man, I really wish we got to see more of the dwarves and elves in the LOTR movies. I hate how by the time the main story took place, both races were pretty much almost dead...there's so much history there.

[@rod9829]

The presentation reminds me of kings and things - high praise

[@ali_p_q7920]

Oh, yes, the elves. I totally remember how their clans and hierarchy came to be.

[@adrien5814]

Me every 3 minutes in part three of his videos on the life of morgoth: "who the hell is Feanor?"

[@Ace-cr9qt]

I’ve been asking for this for so long

[@NerdoftheRings]

Haha! Glad I could (eventually) come through. :)

[@Ace-cr9qt]

@@NerdoftheRings I love your videos

[@ipot399]

I sometimes wonder what the Dwarves would have been like had Yavanna had a hand in their creation. If Aule and Yavanna, husband and wife, co-created the Dwarves, they might have had a more harmonious existence with the rest of nature and Eru's children.

[@salesiteisina7098]

Loving the quality of your videos man.

[@awakened_link1041]

I would've liked to have learned more about their language, with as much depth and detail we got from all the Elvish tongues. Shame Tolkien never dove much further into that.

[@LiZeRd483]

Your videos are just amazing. Can not thank you enough for your dedication to this world of amazing characters and stories.

[@eobardthawne3333]

Durin means sleepy. So the other father's names must be Happy, Bashful, Doc, Grumpy, Sneezy, and Dopey.

[@ggdelgado]

i hope you make a video about maeglin and his father. Thanks for taking the time to do this videos.

[@nialloreilly702]

9:24 says not all of the dwarves remained on the side of good. Shows the Mahakam Volunteers, dwarves from the Witcher card game Gwent/Thronebreaker who specifically volunteered to fight alongside Queen Meve against the evil Nilfgaard empire to help her reclaim her kingdom... Love the video though 😁

[@scottdebrestian9875]

Nilfgaard isn't evil! Long live the Empire!

[@quaffdowngin]

Once again, brilliant!

[@KnightOMurk]

The Dwarves have to be my favourite race in Middle Earth

[@mho...]

Dwarves, the best Fantasy Faction out there ⚒

[@redwood3036]

My dream life is to be a dwarf tavernkeeper in a warm and cozy dwarf city serving good alcohol and food while listening to the stories of drunk adventurers and travellers. Sigh, real life sucks compared to LOTR.

[@Swiss_femboy]

Nah, we don’t have dark lords and balrogs and dragons. We should be happy about that. Funny thought though, my homeland, Switzerland (mountainous and with big storages of gold) would probably be a prime target of dragons ;)

[@susiduo3438]

Untill you dig to deep in your garden and awake a Balrog.

[@ericajones6316]

It does doesn't it😔

[@gv2010]

I think humble dreams like this are refreshing, and there's honesty in realizing that not everyone can (or should) be a king, a dragonslayer, a dashing rogue, or a wise mystic. Long live the tavern keepers, for without them, we drink stale beer in the dark and cold. And I'll just throw out there that taverns are a real thing, and tavern keeping a real profession. Sure life can suck, but if you can get it to suck for the right reasons, it ain't so bad.

[@westernbloed]

@@gv2010 That last sentence is some serious, istari-grade wisdom.

[@Black_Razor]

great video bro, super interesting!

[@howardcox2918]

I'm literally watching Return of the King right now

[@redwood3036]

20th time?

[@howardcox2918]

@@redwood3036 prolly

[@shawnthompson2303]

@@howardcox2918 you gotta get those numbers up. Those are rookie numbers.

[@blaxpoitation8528]

@@shawnthompson2303 Lol facts. Gotta be upper double digits to triple digits. No guts, no glory. No excuses.

[@All_Good_Things]

I love these videos. I can watch them all day long no problem

[@taigatakiyama1308]

I'm Actually interested in the origin of the waters of khazhad dum and the origin of the wathcher

[@heyheytaytay]

That elves and dwarves would "often have strife between them" is a huge understatement lulz

[@miichael1910]

It was always confusing to me why Tolkien never (much) included any other dwarves in his works. That would have been cool.

[@Libroer]

This was wonderful! A rich history, well told!

[@TheLordUrban]

I always wonder how much more we would have found out about Middle Earth had Tolkien lived and been actively writing just one more year.

[@royrenouf4530]

At 16:03 it's actually Durin VII, Matt. But I understand your dedicated work to Tolkien's writings. Keep up the good work👍

[@meduseldtales3383]

Somebody should really do a video about the alliance of Longbeard Dwarves and the Men of North in early Second Age. It was a deadly union - the Dwarves would drive Orcs out of the mountains, and when the Orcs would gather their forces for a new attack, Human archers with horses would surround them and wipe them out. It worked well until the Dwarves closed the gates of Moria and the Easterlings begun to raid Northmen settlements.

[@Crafty_Spirit]

I remember how Matt from Dork Lords researched this upon your request 😄

[@meduseldtales3383]

@@Crafty_Spirit Oh crap! I have completely missed that 😕 Thanks for the tip and thanks for the timestamps on the video.

[@yodaistcool7088]

Im two weeks away and that's the time you realize so many good videos