Smaug

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Smaug
Dragon
File:J.R.R. Tolkien - Conversation with Smaug.jpg
Biographical Information
Other namesSmaug the Golden[1]

Lord Smaug the Impenetrable[2]

Trāgu[3]
RealmErebor[1]
HoardTreasure of Thrór, including the Arkenstone.[1]
AppearedT.A. 2770[4]
DeathT.A. 2941[4]
Lake-town[5]
Slain byBard the Bowman[5]
Physical Description
TypeUrulókë[6]
LegsYes
WingedYes
GalleryImages of Smaug
"Never laugh at live dragons, Bilbo you fool!"
Bilbo to himself.[7]

Smaug (Germanic, pron. [smaʊɣ]; birth unknown – Third Age 2941) was the greatest fire breathing dragon of the Third Age. Details of his origin are unknown, but in T.A. 2770 he attacked the Lonely Mountain and the town of Dale. He claimed the treasure of the mountain for himself and forced Thrór, King under the Mountain, and his people into exile. Thorin's quest to reclaim the treasure ended in success when Smaug was slain by Bard in T.A. 2941.[8]

History

Sack of Erebor

In T.A. 2770 Smaug first appeared in the history of Middle-earth when he flew south "like a hurricane coming from the North" and attacked Erebor and the adjacent lands. He first landed upon the mountain before going down the slopes and setting the woods on fire. When the dwarves came running out of the front gate Smaug killed them all. Smaug then turned his attention to the men of Dale and killed most of their warriors. Returning to the mountain, he crawled into the front gate and left no Dwarf left alive. Only Thrór, King under the Mountain, and his son Thráin II managed to escape the dragon using the secret side-door. Thrór later gave the key to the secret door and a map of the Lonely Mountain to Thráin . Smaug claimed the treasure for himself and laid there upon a bed of gold. He would occasionally leave the mountain to carry away people and continue the destruction of Dale. The area surrounding the mountain became known as the Desolation of the Dragon.[9]

The Quest for Erebor

Scouring the Mountain by Ted Nasmith

In T.A. 2850, Gandalf, whilst spying on the Necromancer in Dol Guldur, found a Dwarf imprisoned. Near death, the dwarf gave Gandalf a key and a map. Unbeknownst to Gandalf at the time this dwarf was Thráin, King of Durin's Folk, who had been captured by the Necromancer in T.A. 2845. Having discovered that the Necromancer was indeed Sauron, Gandalf was very concerned that Sauron could use Smaug to a devastating effect. It is for this reason that Gandalf sought a plan to neutralise the threat of Smaug and limit the potential power of Sauron in the north of Middle-earth. By chance in T.A. 2941, Gandalf met Thorin Oakenshield in Bree (although another source states that they met when Thorin overtook but started to talk to Gandalf on the road[10]). They discussed their desire to destroy Smaug and retake the Lonely Mountain. They later met in Thorin's Halls in the Blue Mountains to develop a plan. Gandalf wanted Thorin to take the hobbit Bilbo Baggins with him on an adventure to retake Erebor; this took considerable persuasion. [11]

Later in T.A. 2941, at the home of Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf presented Thorin with the map and key, and accompanied them on part of their quest.[12] The party reached the mountain later that year on Durin's Day, and they sent Bilbo in through the secret door to investigate. Bilbo stole a small but heavy cup from the dragon's vast hoard of treasure which he used as a bed to sleep on, enraging Smaug beyond measure.[13]

Smaug scoured the mountainside for the intruder, but was unable to find the secret door. Bilbo visited the dragon's lair again when Smaug returned and discovered Smaug's only vulnerability (a patch on his left breast unprotected by treasure that was otherwise embedded all over his underside) through riddling talk. Smaug left his lair again and smashed the mountainside with strikes of his tail, trapping Thorin and Company inside the secret passage, but not before the thrush that lived on the mountainside heard Bilbo describe Smaug's weakness.[2]

Realizing that the Lake-men of Esgaroth must have helped the intruders, Smaug flew there and attacked, setting the town aflame. The dragon's scales were impervious to the arrows of the defenders, but the thrush had flown to the town and informed Bard of the bare spot in Smaug's armour. He was then able to kill Smaug by firing the Black Arrow directly into the vulnerable spot of his left breast. As Smaug fell, he crashed into and destroyed Esgaroth.[14]

After Smaug's death, Thorin and Company claimed the treasure as theirs by birthright. This created a conflict with Bard and the Elvenking of Mirkwood, who each wanted a portion of the treasure as reimbursement for huge damage that Smaug had inflicted upon them. Thorin refused to share the treasure and had every intention of going to war with the Elves of Mirkwood and men of Esgaroth to defend his right to the treasure. However the sudden attack by the armies of Bolg brought the forces of the free peoples of Middle-earth together in the Battle of Five Armies.[15]

Inspiration

"Fafnir in the late Norse versions of the Sigurd-story is better; and Smaug and his conversation obviously is in debt there."
J.R.R. Tolkien[16]

In Letter 122, Tolkien noted his lack of enthusiasm for the dragon in Beowulf. Instead he stated his preference for the dragon-like creature Fafnir from the late Norse versions of the Sigurd-story. Indeed Tolkien wrote that Smaug's character owed much to Fafnir.[16]

Etymology

According to Tolkien, the name Smaug is "the past tense of the primitive Germanic verb Smugan, to squeeze through a hole".[17]

In drafts of the Appendices, Tolkien wrote that Trāgu was the name of the name of Smaug in the language of Dale.[3]

Smaug also has echoes of "smoke", "smog" and the Polish word for dragon, "smok", though it is pronounced with a long /au/.Template:Or

Other versions of the Legendarium

In a very early manuscript of The Hobbit Smaug was known as Pryftan. Indeed John D. Rateliff refers to this manuscript as The Pryftan Fragment.[18]

Portrayal in adaptations

1968: The Hobbit (1968 radio series):

Francis de Wolff provides Smaug's voice.

1977: The Hobbit (1977 film):

Smaug was voiced by Richard Boone. In this version, Smaug's face possesses more mammilian traits, resembling a mix between a cat and a bat. Also, his armor is never mentioned to be strengthened by lying on the treasure, but more resembles an extra padding of skin/scales, minus the bare patch.

1979: The Hobbit (1979 radio series):

Smaug's name is pronounced "Smog".[19] Erik Bauersfeld performed the voice of the dragon.[20]

2003: The Hobbit (2003 video game):

Smaug was voiced by James Horan.

2012-3: The Hobbit films:

Smaug will be a CGI-motion capture creature produced by Weta Digital. It is unknown whether or Smaug will be voiced, there have been no announcements regarding a voice actor.

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "Durin's Folk"
  2. 2.0 2.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "Not at Home"
  3. 3.0 3.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "II. The Appendix on Languages", p. 54
  4. 4.0 4.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Third Age"
  5. 5.0 5.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "Fire and Water"
  6. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Index of Names", entry Urulóki: "Quenya word meaning 'fire-serpent', dragon"
  7. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "Inside Information"
  8. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "An Unexpected Party"; J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "Durin's Folk"; J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "Fire and Water"; J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Third Age"
  9. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "An Unexpected Party"; J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "Durin's Folk"
  10. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The Quest of Erebor"
  11. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The Quest of Erebor"; J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "Durin's Folk"; J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Third Age"
  12. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "An Unexpected Party"
  13. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "On the Doorstep"; J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "Inside Information"
  14. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "Fire and Water"
  15. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "The Gathering of the Clouds"; J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "A Thief in the Night"; J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "The Clouds Burst"
  16. 16.0 16.1 J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 122, (dated 18 December 1949)
  17. J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 25, (dated February 1938)
  18. J.R.R. Tolkien, John D. Rateliff (ed.), The History of The Hobbit, Mr. Baggins, The First Phase, "The Pryftan Fragment"
  19. The Hobbit (1979 radio series), "Inside Information"
  20. J.R.R. Tolkien – The Lord Of The Rings & The Hobbit, discogs.com, accessed April 22, 2011


Named Dragons
Glaurung · Gostir · Ancalagon · Scatha · Smaug