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Orcs

2008-12-09T23:18:26Z

74.14.150.220:

{{rewrite}}
{{race
| image=[[Image:John Howe - In Mordor.jpg|250px]]
| name= Orcs
| dominions= primarily [[Mordor]], [[Angband]] and the [[Misty Mountains]]
| languages= [[Black Speech]]
| height= 5'5
| weight=130 pounds
| skincolor= Sallow
| haircolor= black hair
| feathers=
| distinctions= Short, sallow, slightly Oriental look
| lifespan=
| members= [[Gothmog, Lieutenant of Morgul|Gothmog]], [[Othrond]], [[Gorbag]]
|}}
'''Orcs''' were the footsoldiers of evil overlords - [[Sauron]], [[Morgoth]] and the [[Witch-king of Angmar]] - but also operated as a seperate faction throughout the Ages of [[Arda]].

==Appearance==

In Tolkien's writing, Orcs are described as humanoid, roughly human-sized, ugly and filthy. In Tolkien's letters he gave a description as ''...sallow, squint eyed, and like (to the Europeans) the less-handsome Mongolians...'' (this part is often subject to the critisism of [[racism]]). Although not dim-witted, they are portrayed as dull and miserable beings, who corrupt words (an insult to a philologist like Tolkien) and are only able to destroy, not to create. They have sour black blood.
Orcs are used as soldiers by both the greater and lesser villains of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' — [[Sauron]] and [[Saruman]].
In Tolkien's [[Sindarin]] language, "Orc" is ''orch'', plural ''yrch''. In his late, post-''Lord of the Rings'' writings (published in ''[[The Peoples of Middle-earth]])'', he preferred the spelling "Ork", evidently mainly to avoid the form ''Orcish'', which would be naturally pronounced with the c as /s/ instead of /k/. (In [[Languages|Tolkien's languages]] the letter ''c'' was always pronounced /k/.) It is also possible that the word is a Common Tongue Version of 'orch', the [[Sindarin]] word for Orc. The original sense of the word seems to be "bogey", "bogeyman", that is, something that provokes fear, as seen in the Quenya cognate ''urko'', pl. ''urqui''.

== Origin==

The origin of Orcs is an open question. In Tolkien's writings, evil is not capable of independent creation, making it unlikely that the [[Valar|Vala]] [[Morgoth|Melkor]] (later called Morgoth), who was obviously the first to produce them, could do that ''ex nihilo''.
According to the oldest "theory" proposed by Tolkien, Orcs were made of stone and slime through the sorcery of Morgoth. But, Tolkien later changed the legendarium so that Morgoth could no longer produce life on his own, and amended the origins to the "theory" that would eventually be published in ''[[The Silmarillion]]'': that the Orcs were transformed from Elves — the purest form of life on [[Arda]] (the Earth) — by means of torture and mutilation; and this "theory" would then become the most popular. Moreover, if Orcs were in fact Elves at their core, this could perhaps mean that they were also immortal — a fact which, if true, would seem inconsistent with Tolkien's treatment of Orcs, though the books do not openly confirm or deny it. If Orcs indeed were immortal, it holds no doubt that their [[Fëa and hröa|''fëar'']] would not be allowed reincarnation by [[Mandos]], if they even answered the calling. Most Orcs would probably fear the calling of Mandos, and therefore would see their ''fëar'' diminished to evil spirits. These may have been some of the evil spirits occasionally described in the books, such as the spirit which tempted [[Gorlim]] of [[Barahir]]'s company, or the [[Barrow-wights]]. There is some evidence for the immortality, or otherwise long life of Orcs in ''[[The Two Towers]]'': [[Gorbag]] and [[Shagrat]], during the conversation which Sam overheard, mention the "Great Siege" of the Last Alliance. It is possible to interpret from the sentence that they were actually there and remembered it themselves: an event which lay millennia in the past. Another interpretation of this conversation is that this "Great Siege" could have instead been merely the current siege ongoing at Minas Tirith or that they were refereing to the seige out of a knowlege of history. This is consistent with a statement made in the "Myths Transformed" essay of ''[[Morgoth's Ring]]'' that the orcs had short lifespans in relation to the Numenoreans.

Another hint for a long livespan, respectively immortality, lies in the story of two of the most famous Orc-chieftains: [[Azog]] and [[Bolg]]. Bolg, being the son of Azog, was the chieftain of the Orcs who attacked [[Erebor]] in the [[Battle of Five Armies]] in [[Third Age 2941|T.A. 2941]]. Azog himself was killed in the [[Battle of Azanulbizar]] in [[Third Age 2799|T.A. 2799]], so Bolg was aproximately 150 years old.

There are hints in the ''[[The History of Middle-earth|History of Middle-earth]]'' series of books, (especially in ''[[Morgoth's Ring]]'' in the section "Myths Transformed"), that some Orc leaders, such as the First Age's [[Boldog]], or the [[Great Goblin]] encountered by [[Bilbo Baggins|Bilbo]] and the Dwarves, may in fact have been fallen [[Maiar]] which had taken Orc form:

: ''Some of these things may have been delusions and phantoms but some were no doubt shapes taken by the servants of Melkor, mocking and degrading the very forms of the children. For Melkor had in his service great numbers of Maiar, who had the power, as their Master, of taking visible and tangible shape in Arda.'' (''Morgoth's Ring'', "Myths transformed", text X')

: ''Boldog (…) is a name that occurs many times in the tales of the War. But it is possible that Boldog was not a personal name, and either a title, or else the name of a kind of creature: the Orc-formed Maiar, only less formidable than the Balrogs'' (Author's footnote to the text X)

: ''Melkor had corrupted many spirits - some great as Sauron, or less as Balrogs. The least could have been primitive Orcs.'' (Author's note to text)

Later under Morgoth's lieutenant, the necromancer Sauron, it has been suggested that Men were cross-bred with the Orcs. This process was later repeated during the [[War of the Ring]], creating the fierce Orcs known as [[Uruk-hai]].

Yet other Orcs may have begun as animals of vaguely humanoid shapes, empowered by the will of the Dark Lord (first [[Morgoth]], later Sauron): this may explain the references to their "beaks and feathers" in Tolkien's writings.

: ''The Orcs were beasts of humanized shape (…).'' ('Morgoth's Ring', "Myths transformed", text VIII')

It is certain all Orcs were dependent on the Dark Lord in various ways: after their leader was defeated, the Orcs were confused and dismayed, and easily scattered by their enemies. In the millennia after Morgoth's defeat and banishment from Arda, they were without a leader they degenerated to small, quarrelsome tribes hiding in the [[Misty Mountains]]. Only when Sauron returned to power did they begin to reclaim some of their old power. The same happened after Sauron's defeat by the [[Last Alliance of Elves and Men]]: only when Sauron returned as the Necromancer of [[Mirkwood]] did the Orcs become a real danger for Middle-earth again.

While Tolkien originally saw all Orcs as descended from tortured Elves, later comments of his indicate, according to [[Christopher Tolkien]] in ''Morgoth's Ring'' ("Myths Transformed, text X"), that he began to feel uncomfortable with this theory. At about the same time he removed the references to the [[Thrall-Noldorin|Thrall-Ñoldorin]], he also began searching for a new origin for the Orcs. The Orc origin question may have been one of the problems Tolkien tried to solve by completely changing the cosmology and prehistory of Arda. By setting the origin of Men back to almost the same time as the Elves, he possibly allowed for Men to be the origin of Orcs all along. However, Tolkien died before he could complete this upheaval of the cosmology, and in the published version of ''The Silmarillion'', the Elf origin of Orcs was adopted.

It is interesting to note that to an extent, Tolkien did not regard Orcs as evil in their own right, but only as tools of Melkor and Sauron.
He wrote once that "we were all orcs in the [[World War I|Great War]]", indicating perhaps that an orc for him was not an inherent build-up of personality, but rather a state of mind bound upon destruction.

--------
The more detailed and 'technical' approach to a problem of the origin of the Orcs can be found under following links

[http://m3ntos.ath.cx/The%20origin%20of%20the%20orcs%20v.2.htm The Origin of the Orcs] (htm version)

[http://m3ntos.ath.cx/The%20origin%20of%20the%20orcs%20v.2.doc The Origin of the Orcs] (doc version)

[http://m3ntos.ath.cx/The%20origin%20of%20the%20orcs%20v.2.pdf The Origin of the Orcs] (pdf version)

The essay puts emphasis to different theories of the origin of the Orcs and their validity in the light of Professor's writings.

==Orcs and goblins==
[[Image:Roger Thomasson - Orc.jpg|thumb|''Orc'' by [[Roger Thomasson]].]]
In ''[[The Hobbit]]'', Tolkien used the word "[[Goblins|goblin]]" for Orcs, because he had not yet identified the world of ''The Hobbit'' with Middle-earth (which predated ''The Hobbit'' by several decades, in early writings which would later become ''The Silmarillion''). Fortunately Tolkien did include some references to his mythology in the ''Hobbit'', which later allowed him to identify the lands of the Hobbit with his Middle-earth.
In ''The Lord of the Rings'', "Orc" is used predominantly, and "goblin" mostly in the [[Hobbits]]' speech.
This change can be seen either as a part of the shift towards the use of Elvish words that occurred during the period between the writing of ''The Hobbit'' and the writing of ''The Lord of the Rings'', or a translation of the Hobbits' more colloquial manner (if we "accept" the books' authenticity and regard Tolkien merely as a translator). So essentially the race is correctly named "Orc", and "Goblin" is a colloquial "slang term" for Orcs used by Hobbits and sometimes picked up by Men and Elves. It is possible that "goblin" refers to the those of the orcish race who are not under the control of Sauron (or Morgoth), whereas using "orc" directly would refer to servants of (whichever) Dark Lord. Tolkien did mention several times that orcs were not inherently evil, something this theory would partly emphasize.

The original edition of the Hobbit and early drafts of ''The Lord of the Rings'' first used 'goblin' everywhere and used '[[Hobgoblins|hobgoblin]]' for larger, more evil goblins: when goblins were replaced with Orcs Tolkien invented the term [[Uruk-hai]] for his more evil Orcs.
==Kinds of Orcs==
*[[Snaga]]
*[[Orcs of Mordor]]
*[[Half-Orcs]]
*[[Uruk-hai]]
*[[Hobgoblins]] (perhaps same as Uruk-hai)

==Inspirations==
It is possible that the Orcs at [[Helm's Deep]] were inspired by apes in Tolkien's childhood years.
{{quote|and Orcs sprang up them [walls] like apes in the dark forests of the South|[[Helm's Deep]], [[The Lord of the Rings]]}}
{{quote|One day a neighbour’s pet monkeys climbed over the wall and chewed up three of the baby’s [Tolkien’s] pinafores.|[[J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography]]}}

[[Category:Races]]
[[Category:Inspirations]]

[[de:Orks]]

Elves

2008-12-09T23:16:02Z

74.14.150.220:

{{race
| image=[[Image:Jenny Dolfen - Glorfindel and Ecthelion.jpg|300px]]
| name= Elves
| dominions= Most prominently [[Doriath]], [[Nargothrond]], [[Gondolin]], [[Hithlum]], [[Lindon]], [[Eregion]], [[Lothlórien]], and [[Rivendell]].
| languages= [[Quenya]] and [[Sindarin]], with various other dialects.
| height=6'0
| length=
| skincolor= Pale to tan.
| haircolor= Blonde, black, brown, red, and ocassionally silver.
| distinctions= Nearly immortal, inventors of writing and other arts.
| lifespans= [[Arda]]'s existence.
| members= [[Ingwë]], [[Thingol]], [[Finwë]], [[Fëanor]], [[Galadriel]], etc.
|}}
The '''Elves''' (''[[Eldar]]'') were the first of the races of the [[Children of Ilúvatar]], known also as the [[Firstborn]] for that reason. The Elves are distinguished from the other two races, the [[Men]] and the [[Dwarves]], especially by the fact of their near immortality.

==History==

===Awakening===
(''Main article: [[Awakening of the Elves]]'')

[[Image:Ted Nasmith - The Dawn of the Firstborn Elves.jpg|thumb|left|200px|''The Dawn of the Firstborn Elves,'' by [[Ted Nasmith]].]] About the same time that [[Varda]], Queen of the [[Valier]], ended her labors in creating the [[Stars]], the Elves awoke beside the lake [[Cuiviénen]]. The first thing they saw were the stars, and henceforth adored them. The first sound they heard was the flowing of water, and henceforth they loved water as well.

They made speech then, and called themselves the ''[[Quendi]]''. [[Melkor]] was the first to be aware of them, and he caused evil spirits to go about among them. When one or a small group wandered abroad, they would often vanish. It is believed that Melkor may have created [[orcs]] with the elves he captured.

[[Oromë]], the Huntsman of the [[Valar]], happened upon them when he heard their singing far-off. He was amazed to see them, and called them the ''Eldar'', “People of the Stars”.

===Sundering===
(''Main article: [[Sundering of the Elves]]'')

[[Image:Anke Eissmann - Oromë espies the first Elves.jpg|thumb|right|250px|''Oromë spies the first Elves,'' drawn by [[Anke Eissmann]].]] Though at first the Quendi were afraid of Oromë, the noblest among them saw that he was no dark horseman such as the lies of Melkor spread among them said. He had the light of [[Aman]] in his eyes and face, and they were drawn to him.

After spending a while among the Quendi, Oromë returned to [[Valinor]] and took council with the other Valar and Valier. At the counsel of [[Ilúvatar]], [[Manwë]], King of the Valar, decided that they must go to war against Melkor to protect the Quendi from him. After a great battle and [[Siege of Utumno]], which reshaped the earth itself, Melkor was bound and cast into the prison of [[Mandos]]. Then the Valar, pleased with the outcome, summoned the Elves to Valinor, seeking fellowship with them.

At Oromë’s urging, many of the Elves (especially the kindreds of [[Ingwë]], [[Finwë]], and [[Elwë]]) agreed. But others, henceforth called the [[Avari]], declared that they preferred starlight and the wide spaces of [[Middle-earth]]. So the Elves were first sundered. During the journey to [[Belegaer]], gradually the number of the Elves began to lessen as various groups dropped away. Some of the [[Teleri]] (kindred of Elwë) refused to cross the [[Misty Mountains]], and settled in [[Anduin]] under the leadership of [[Lenwë]], to be called later the [[Nandor]]. Elwë then went missing, and in dismay the rest of the Teleri remained behind, while the [[Noldor]] (kindred of Finwë) and [[Vanyar]] (kindred of Ingwë) used an island as a ship, and found at last Aman and Valinor.

After several years, Oromë returned to search for the Teleri. Some, under [[Olwë]], relented and followed. Others remained to continue to search for Elwë. Still others, under [[Círdan]], remained because in that time they had become devoted to [[Ossë]] and the Sea. Those Teleri that chose to remain were called the [[Sindar]]. Elwë, who had fallen asleep due to his enchantment with [[Melian]], returned to claim lordship and establish them in [[Doriath]]. The Noldor and some of the Teleri, however, built the great cities of [[Tirion]] and [[Alqualondë]] (respectively) in Aman. The Vanyar dwelt in [[Valmar]], for they were closest to the Valar of the kindreds.

===Exile of the Noldor===
(''Main article: [[Exile of the Noldor]]'')

[[Image:Jenny Dolfen - The Coming of Fingolfin.jpg|thumb|right|200px|''The Coming of Fingolfin'', as drawn by [[Jenny Dolfen]].]] Melkor, having been released on the promise of good behavior, spread lies about the Valar among the Noldor. [[Fëanor]], the eldest son of Finwë and one of the greatest Elves to have ever lived, hated Melkor more than all the other Noldor, but was paradoxically one of the most influenced by his lies. He forged weapons, and his greatest works, the [[Silmarils]], captured the light of the [[Two Trees]] – and his own heart. After Melkor stole the Silmarils and killed Finwë, Fëanor stirred the Noldor to open disobedience to the Valar. In an epic journey filled with treachery, death, and deceit, the Noldor entered in to Exile, crossing over into [[Beleriand]].

===Wars of Beleriand===
(''Main article: [[Wars of Beleriand]]'')

There were five great battles fought in Beleriand. The [[First Battle]] was the result of an attack by Melkor on Círdan and Elwë (now known as [[Thingol]]). Though the Elves managed to resist the attack successfully, this left Melkor essentially with full reign of Beleriand. Upon the sudden and unanticipated [[Return of the Noldor]], the tables were reversed in the [[Dagor-nuin-Giliath]]. The third battle (“[[Dagor Aglareb]]”) occurred when Melkor tried unsuccessfully to destroy the Elves, breaking forth from [[Angband]]. This only resulted in the vigilant [[Siege of Angband]]. Morgoth was more successful in the next battle, [[Dagor Bragollach]], which ended in the deaths of many Elven princes, among them [[Fingolfin]], [[High King of the Noldor]]. The siege was broken. Several decades later, [[Maedhros]], eldest son of Fëanor, counterattacked in the [[Nirnaeth Arnoediad]]. Although at first very successful, the tide turned against the Elves, and ended in the destruction of [[Hithlum]]. It was not half a century later that [[Gondolin]], the last real stronghold of the Noldor, was [[The Fall of Gondolin|destroyed]]. [[Doriath]], the center of the [[Sindar]]in realm, was sacked by [[Dwarves]].[[Image:Ted Nasmith - Eärendil and the Battle of Eagles and Dragons.jpg|left|150px|thumb|''Eärendil - The Battle of Eagles and Dragons,'' by [[Ted Nasmith]].]]

===Salvation of the Elves===
(''Main article: [[War of Wrath]]'')

With the near destruction of the Elves, the last survivors were at the [[Mouths of the Sirion]] and [[Balar]]. Their lord was [[Eärendil]], the son of [[Tuor]] and [[Idril]]. Eärendil made a miraculous voyage to [[Valinor]] to beg the pardon of the Valar. His request was granted. The Valar came across the Sea to [[Middle-earth]], and in the [[War of Wrath]] thrust Morgoth into the [[Void]] and purged Beleriand. They offered to let the Elves return with them to Valinor; many accepted, but others, under [[Gil-galad]], chose to remain.

===Decline of the Elves===

[[Image:Angus McBride - Celebrimbor.gif|thumb|right|150px|''Celebrimbor'', by [[Angus McBride]].]] Though Morgoth was gone to trouble the world no longer, [[Sauron]], his greatest servant, was still there, and he made war on the remaining Elves who chose not to depart Middle-earth. Throughout the [[Second Age|Second]] and [[Third Age]]s he fought them. During this time the Elves realized how [[Men]] were rising to take their place, but [[Celebrimbor]], the grandson of Fëanor, wrought the [[Rings of Power]], especially the [[Three Rings]] to preserve the Elves. But Sauron under the guise of [[Annatar]] also forged a ring – the [[One Ring]]. It was not until the end of the Third Age that this last ring was destroyed, marring the Three Rings at the same time. In the years that followed the last of the Elves departed across the Sea to Valinor, their mission against Sauron complete, never to return.

==Life and Customs of the Elves==
(''Main articles: [[Elven Characteristics]], [[Elven Life cycle]], and [[Elven Customs]]'')

Besides being considered more beautiful than men, Elves were also generally taller. Their hair color varied; but the basic rules were that the [[Noldor]] generally had dark hair (brown or black), the [[Vanyar]] golden, and the [[Teleri]] silver or dark. Their eyes are usually described as gray. Their most distinguishing characteristic from the [[Mortals|Mortal]] races was the fact that they were invulnerable to age or disease; unless they were killed by sword or sorrow they would live to the end of the world.

Their lives were counted to begin at conception rather than birth, and though their minds sharpened much earlier in life than in the race of Men, their bodies grew more slowly. They were considered fully-grown at about a century. They married usually only once in their lives, and their children were often few and far-between.

==Languages==
(''Main article:[[Elvish]]'')

[[Image:Donato Giancola - Lore.jpeg|thumb|right|200px|''Lore,'' by [[Donato Giancola]].]] Because [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]] developed the Elves almost for his languages, those he developed are of special interest to many Tolkien scholars. His primary languages are [[Quenya]] and [[Sindarin]], but these have many variants and dialects as is seen in the table below. They were generally written in the [[Cirth]] and [[Tengwar]] scripts.

*'''[[Primitive Quendian]]'''
**'''[[Avari]]n'''
***'''Various Avarin languages''' (some later merged with Nandorin)
**'''[[Common Eldarin]]''' (the early language of all the [[Eldar]])
***'''[[Quenya]]''' (the language of the [[Noldor]] and the [[Vanyar]])
****''' ''Quendya'' (also ''Vanyarin Quenya'') ''' (daily tongue of the Vanyar: closest to archaic Quenya)
****''' ''Noldorin Quenya'' (also ''Exilic Quenya'') ''' (the "Elven Latin" of Middle-earth)
***'''[[Common Telerin]]''' (the early language of all the [[Lindar]])
****'''[[Teleri]]n''' (the language of the [[Teleri]] who reached the [[Undying Lands]])
****'''[[Nandor]]in''' (languages of the [[Nandor]] — some were influenced by Avarin)
*****'''Original language of [[Mirkwood|Greenwood the Great]]'''
*****'''Original language of [[Lothlórien|Lórinand]]'''
****'''[[Sindarin]]''' (language of the [[Sindar]])
*****'''[[Doriathrin]]''' (dialect of [[Doriath]])
*****'''[[Falathrin]]''' (dialect of the [[Falas]] and [[Nargothrond]])
*****'''[[North Sindarin]]''' (dialects of [[Dorthonion]] and [[Hithlum]])

== See Also ==
* '''[[:Category:Images of Elves|Images of Elves]]'''

[[Category:Races]]
[[Category:Elves]]
[[Category:Characters in The Hobbit]]

[[de:Elben]]

Men

2008-12-09T23:14:43Z

74.14.150.220:

{{race
| image= [[Image:Brothers Hildebrandt - Ghân-buri-Ghân.jpg|300px]]
| name= Men
| dominions= [[Númenor]], [[Gondor]], [[Arnor]], [[Rohan]], [[Dunland]], [[Harad]], [[Khand]], [[Forochel]]
| languages= [[Taliska]], [[Adûnaic]], [[Rohirric]], [[Westron]], etc.
| height= 5'10
| skincolor=
| haircolor= Black, brown, blond, white and grey (in later years)
| distinctions= [[Gift of Men|Mortality]], [[Dominion of Men|inheritors of the rule]] of [[Middle-earth]]
| lifespan= c. 70 years (except [[Númenóreans]])
| members= [[Bëor]], [[Haleth]], [[Marach]], [[Beren Erchamion|Beren]], [[Uldor]], [[Elros]], [[Aragorn II]]
}}
{{quote|West, North, and South the children of Men spread and wandered, and their joy was the joy of the morning before the dew is dry, when every leaf is green.|''[[The Silmarillion]]'', [[Of Men]]}}
'''Men''' (when written with a capital letter, this word refers to the human race and does not denote gender) were one of the Kindreds of the [[Children of Ilúvatar]]. Men were called the [[Secondborn]] by the [[Elves]], their [[Elder Children of Ilúvatar|Elder]] brethren, because they were the last of all the [[Mirröanwi|incarnate]] races to come into being. Though they were born after the other sentient races, Men were destined to inherit and [[Dominion of Men|rule]] [[Middle-earth]].

==Origins and Nature==

The race of Men is the second race of beings created by the Supreme God, [[Ilúvatar]]. Because they awoke at the start of the [[First Age]] of the Sun, while the [[Elves]] awoke three Ages before them, they are called the Secondborn ([[Quenya]]: ''Atani'', [[Sindarin]]: ''[[Edain]]'') by the Elves. Men awoke in a land located in the far east of Middle-earth called [[Hildórien]]. When the Sun rose for the first time in the far West, Men began to wander towards it, a journey which culminated in some of them reaching Beleriand centuries later.

There is much evidence that, soon after their awakening, Morgoth came to Men and incited them to worship him and turn away from Ilúvatar, and that they complied. This makes Men the only race to have fallen completely under the Shadow, which may account for their propensity to do wrong. Though all were seduced by the Enemy, some Men repented and escaped; they were said to be the ancestors of the Edain.

Men bear the so-called ''[[Gift of Men]]'', mortality. Elves are immortal, in the sense that even if their bodies are slain, their spirits remain bound to the world, going to the [[Halls of Mandos]] to wait until they are released or the world ends. Elves are tied to the world for as long as it lasts. When Men die, they are released from [[Arda]] and the bounds of the world and have rest from its troubles. However, the influence of Morgoth has caused Men to fear their fate, and view Death as a Doom instead of a Gift.

==Groups and Alignments==

Although all Men are related to one another, there are many different groups with different cultures. The most important group in the tales of the [[First Age]] were the Edain. Although the word Edain technically refers to all Men, the Elves used it to distinguish those Men who fought with them in the First Age against [[Morgoth]] in [[Beleriand]]. The Edain were divided into three Houses.

The First House of the Edain was the [[House of Bëor]], and entered Beleriand in 305 FA and were granted the fief of [[Ladros]] in [[Dorthonion]] by [[Finrod Felagund]]. The Second House of the Edain, the [[Haladin]], was led by Haldad and later by his daughter Haleth and settled in the Forest of Brethil. The Third House, which became the greatest, was led by [[Marach]] and later his descendant [[Hador]], and they settled in [[Dor-lómin]]. This house was known both as the House of Marach and the [[House of Hador]].

Other Men did not cross the [[Misty Mountains]] or fight against Morgoth. However, some, such as the Easterlings, fought openly on his side. In later Ages, the Haradrim and Easterlings would fight on Sauron's side against the descendants of the Edain. Here below follow the short descriptions of the most important groups of Men in the First, Second and Third Ages.

===[[Edain]] and [[Dúnedain]]===

As a reward for their services and assistance rendered to the Elves and the Valar in the [[War of Wrath]] at the end of the First Age, the Edain received a new land of their own from the Valar, between Middle-earth and the [[Undying Lands]]. This was the land of [[Númenor]], an island in the form of a five-pointed star that was far away from the troubles of Middle-earth.

They were led to this island by [[Elros]] with the help of his father [[Eärendil]], who sailed the heavens as the bright star of the same name and guided the ships of the Edain to Númenor. Once they arrived, Elros became the first King of Númenor and took the name Tar-Minyatur. The Edain became known as the Númenóreans or Dúnedain (Sindarin for ''Men of the West''). The kingdom of Númenor grew steadily in power, and the Dúnedain became the noblest and highest of all Men on Arda. In their early days, the Dúnedain remained allied to the Elves of Middle-earth, and aided them in battle against Morgoth's lieutenant [[Sauron]].

As the Men of the West increased in power and happiness, they came to resent the Gift of Men, Death. They wished to become immortal like the Elves and enjoy their possessions for all time. Most of the Númenóreans, including the line of the Kings, began to turn away from the Valar, and spoke against the Ban of the Valar that forbade them to sail west beyond sight of Númenor or to enter [[Valinor]]. The Númenóreans also became increasingly hostile to all Elvish influences in their realm, and in 2899 of the [[Second Age]], Ar-Adûnakhôr became the first king of Númenor to take his royal name in [[Adûnaic]], the language of Men, instead of [[Quenya]], the tongue of the Elves of Valinor.

During the early part of their rebellion, the Númenóreans became divided into two factions: the first, the [[King's Men]], enjoyed the support of the King and included the majority of the people. They wished to gain immortality and break away from their ancestral allegiance to the Valar. The King's Men also wanted to end relations with the Elves, and thus they favoured Adûnaic as the official language and eventually punished those who spoke the Elven tongues. The persecuted minority faction, the [[Faithful]], were led by the [[Lord of Andúnië|Lords of Andúnië]], the westernmost province of Númenor, and remained loyal to the Valar. They also tried to maintain friendship with the Elves.

When Sauron was apparently defeated and taken to the Isle by the Númenórean army near the end of the Second Age, he took advantage of the pride of the Númenóreans. By teaching the Dúnedain many things and flattering the King, [[Ar-Pharazôn]], he worked his way into the King's counsels and won the hearts of the people. Ultimately, Sauron advised Ar-Pharazôn to attack Valinor and claim immortality. This he foolishly did, and as a punishment Númenor, the island of the Men of the West, sank into the Sea and only the Faithful escaped. When the Faithful returned to Middle-earth, they founded the twin kingdoms of [[Gondor]] and [[Arnor]].

===[[Black Númenóreans]] and [[Haradrim]]===

The Faithful weren't the only Númenóreans left on Middle-earth when Númenor sank. When Númenor grew in naval power, many Númenóreans founded colonies in Middle-earth. In the second millennium of the [[Second Age]] there was an exodus of Men from the overcrowded island. Many of the King's Men settled in Middle-earth because they wanted to conquer more lands, and the Faithful because they were persecuted by the Kings. The Faithful settled in [[Pelargir]], while the King's Men ruled the [[Haven of Umbar]] and other colonies in the South. From these colonies Sauron recruited men who would become some of the nine [[Ringwraiths]] in the second millennium of the Second Age. When Númenor was destroyed, the King's Men became known as the Black Númenóreans and remained hostile towards the Faithful of Gondor. Eventually, the Black Númenórean stronghold of Umbar was conquered by Gondor in 933 of the Third Age.

Further east of Umbar another group of Men lived, called the '''Haradrim''' or Southrons. They were dark skinned Men and waged war on great Oliphaunts or ''Mûmakil''. They too were hostile to Gondor, though they were subdued in 1050 of the Third Age by [[Hyarmendacil I]].

Both Umbar and the Harad were left unchecked by Gondor's waning power by the time of the War of the Ring, and presented grave threats from the south. Many Haradrim fought with Sauron's forces in Gondor in that War.

See also: [[Southrons]]

===[[Easterlings]]===

Most Men who fought in the armies of Morgoth and Sauron were Easterlings, who came from the region around the [[Sea of Rhûn]]. Some Easterlings offered their services to the Elvish kingdoms in Beleriand; among them were [[Bór]] and his sons, and [[Ulfang the Black]] and his sons. This proved to be disastrous for the Elves in the [[Nirnaeth Arnoediad]] when Ulfang and his clan switched sides and defected to Morgoth, though Bór and his sons died bravely fighting on the side of the [[Eldar]].

After Morgoth's defeat Sauron extended his influence over the Easterlings, and although Sauron was defeated by the [[Last Alliance of Elves and Men]] at the end of the Second Age, the Easterlings were the first enemies to attack Gondor again in 492 TA. They were soundly defeated by King [[Rómendacil I]], but they invaded again in 541 TA and took revenge by slaying King Rómendacil. Rómendacil's son [[Turambar]] took large portions of land from them.

In the next centuries Gondor held sway over the Easterlings. When Gondor's power began to decrease in the twelfth century of the Third Age, the Easterlings took the complete eastern bank of the [[Anduin]] except [[Ithilien]] and crushed Gondor's allies, the Northmen.

The Easterlings of the Third Age were divided in different tribes, such as the [[Wainriders]] and the [[Balchoth]]. The Wainriders were a confederation of Easterlings who were very active between 1856 and 1944 TA. They posed a serious threat to Gondor for many years, but were utterly defeated by [[Eärnil II]] in 1944.

When Gondor lost its royal dynasty in 2050 TA the Easterlings started to reorganize themselves, and a fierce group called the Balchoth became the most important tribe. In 2510 TA they invaded Gondor again and conquered much of [[Calenardhon]], until they were defeated by the [[Éothéod]] who rode to Gondor's aid.

In the War of the Ring, the Easterlings were among the fiercest warriors deployed at the [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]] by Sauron.

===[[Northmen]]===

Not all the Men who remained east of the Blue Mountains and Misty Mountains during the First Age were tempted by Morgoth or Sauron, and they were joined after the War of Wrath by those of the Edain who did not wish to travel to Númenor. The Northmen who dwelt in [[Mirkwood|Greenwood the Great]] and other parts of [[Rhovanion]] were friendly to the Dúnedain, being for the most part their kin, and many of them became Gondorian subjects. The Men of [[Dale]] and [[Esgaroth]] were Northmen, as were the Woodsmen of Mirkwood, and the [[Éothéod]], who became the Rohirrim or Horse Lords.

===[[Dunlendings]] and [[Drúedain]]===

When Elendil founded the Kingdom of Arnor, its borders were quickly extended towards the river Greyflood (Sindarin:''Gwathló''), and Gondor likewise extended up through [[Enedwaith]]. In Enedwaith and [[Minhiriath]] (Sindarin for ''Land between the Rivers'') lived a group of Men related to those Men that became the House of Haleth, and they were known as the Dunlendings. They had lived in the great woods that covered most of Eriador, and when the Númenóreans started to chop these woods down to build their ships in the [[Second Age]], they earned the hostility of the Dunlendings. The Dunlendings later became bitter enemies of [[Rohan]], as they believed the Rohirrim had stolen their lands.

Because of their enmity with the Rohirrim, the Dunlendings served [[Saruman]] in the War of the Ring and fought against the Horse Lords in the [[Battle of the Hornburg]].

Another group of Men were the [[Woses]]. They were small and stooped, and were always few in number and shortlived compared to other races of Men. They lived among the House of Haleth in the First Age, and were held as Edain by the Elves, who called them ''Drúedain'' (from ''Drûg'', their own name for themselves, plus ''Edain'').

At the end of the Third Age a few Woses still lived in the Drúadan Forest. They held off [[Orcs]] with poisoned arrows and were vital in securing the aid of the Rohirrim in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. King [[Aragorn|Elessar]] granted the Drúadan Forest to them "forever" in the [[Fourth Age]].

===[[Hobbit]]s===

Hobbits were strictly a race of Men rather than a separate species. The origin of Hobbits is obscure; they first appeared in the records of other Men in the middle of the [[Third Age]].

== Names ==
The Elves called the race of Men '''[[Atani]]''' in [[Quenya]], literally meaning "Second People" (the [[Elves]] being the First), but also '''Hildor''' (Aftercomers), '''Fírimar''' (Mortals), '''Engwar''' (The Sickly), and many other names. The name ''Atani'' is cognate with [[Sindarin]] '''Edain''', but this term was later applied only to those Men who aided the Elves in their war with [[Morgoth]] in the [[First Age]].

[[Category:Races]]
[[Category:Men]]
[[Category:Characters in The Hobbit]]

[[de:Menschen]]

Uruk-hai

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{{race
|image=[[Image:John Howe - The Uruk-hai.jpg|250px]]
|name= Uruk-hai
|dominions=[[Isengard|Northern Rohan and Isengard]], [[Mordor]]
|languages=Various dialects of the [[Black Speech]], [[Westron]]
|height= 6'3
|weight=230 pounds
|skincolor= Probably sallow
|haircolor= Probably black
|feathers=
|distinctions= Elvish ears(?), Large build
|lifespan= Possibly eternal
|members= [[Uglúk]]
}}
{{quote|...and others, too, came out of the forest. Great Orcs, who also bore the White Hand of [[Isengard]]: that kind is stronger and more fell than all the others.|[[Éomer]], ''[[The Riders of Rohan]]''}}

The '''Uruk-hai''' were a new breed of [[Orcs]] that appeared during the [[Third Age]].

==Appearance==
The Uruk-hai made up a large part of [[Saruman]]'s army, together with the [[Dunland|Dunlendings]] and other [[Men|human]] enemies of [[Rohan]], and similar large Orcs also served as the elite troops of [[Mordor]]. They were faster than normal Orcs and could travel during the day without being weakened. They were not only faster but smarter, stronger and larger, though some were still shorter than Men. There are suggestions that the Uruk-hai were the result of crossbreeding Orcs and [[Men]]. Certainly, other creatures in Saruman's armies, and under his command in the Shire, appear to have been hybrids, though these "half-orcs" were as tall as Men and are never described simply as Orcs, as the Uruk-hai frequently are. Saruman's army of Uruk-hai fought against [[Kings of Rohan|King]] [[Théoden]] of Rohan and his people at [[Battle of the Hornburg|Helm's Deep]].

The race of uruks, described as "black orcs of great strength" first appeared about the year [[Third Age 2475|2475]] of the Third Age, when they conquered [[Ithilien]] and destroyed the city of [[Osgiliath]]. These were evidently of Sauron's breeding, but it is not clear whether or not these uruks should be regarded as identical with the Uruk-hai, who could be a further 'improvement' to the race achieved by Saruman.

The Orcs and Uruks in the service of [[Barad-dûr]], the folk of Mordor, used the symbol of the red [[Eye of Sauron]]. The Red Eye was also painted on their shields. At least one, a guard, on the march with [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]] and [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]] had a black knife with a long saw-edged blade, used by Pippin to cut through the ropes on his hands. These Uruks of Mordor referred to Sauron as the Great Eye, and [[Grishnákh]] was their captain. They were all long-armed and crook-legged, not as tall as the [[Isengard|Isengarder]] Uruks but larger than the [[Moria]] Orcs. They could see better in the dark than the Isengarders could.

The Uruk-hai of [[Saruman|Saruman the White]] used an S [[Cirth|elf-rune]] wrought in white metal on the front of their iron helms. It was clear this "S" stood for Saruman, because their shields had a small white hand (the symbol of Saruman) centered on a black field. [[Aragorn]] commented that their gear was not in the manner of other Orcs at all. Instead of curved scimitars, they used short, broad-bladed swords. Their great [[Bows|bows]] were made of yew wood, in length and shape as those of Men. They also appeared different physically: greater stature, swarthy, slant-eyed, thick legs and large hands. Although they did not like the light of the [[Sun]], they could withstand it better than other orcs. Saruman promised them man-flesh as a treat. He aided them with his wizardry as well: when Aragorn, [[Gimli]], and [[Legolas]] followed the party of Uruks who kidnapped Merry and Pippin, Saruman's will caused weariness of the heart for the pursuers and lent speed to the Orcs. [[Uglúk]] led the Uruk-hai of Isengard, and since they were the strongest he felt that he led the [[Hobbits|hobbit]] march as well, insisting on going back by way of Isengard. This was the group that slew [[Boromir (son of Denethor II)|Boromir]].

==Etymology==
The name Uruk-hai has the element ''Uruk'', which is a [[Black Speech]] word meaning ''Orc''. Many known languages have a word related to thus ([[Quenya]] ''[[orco]]'', [[Sindarin]] ''[[orch]]'', [[Westron]] ''[[orka]]'', [[Khuzdul]] ''[[rukhs]]'' and presumably [[Drúedain|Drúedainic]] ''[[gorgûn]]''). The element ''-hai'', also present in [[Olog-hai]] and [[Oghor-hai]], means "folk, people".

==Portrayal in adaptations==
In both [[Ralph Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings]] and [[Rankin/Bass' The Return of the King]], Uruk-hai are portrayed identical as (and without distinction to) the [[Orcs]].

In [[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]], Saruman appears to be the only one who created the Uruks. They are shown in the movie as being released from a kind of membrane in the mud deep under Isengard (special commentary on the DVD edition explained that they were trying to base the scene on a early description of Tolkien's that Orcs "worm their way out of the ground like maggots"). In the movies Uruk-hai are described as a crossbreed between Orcs and "goblin-men": this may be a dialogue error because in Tolkien's works "Orc" is a synonym for goblin. This description may however refer to humans corrupted by Goblins. These Uruks are sent after the Fellowship, and their leader is [[Lurtz]], a movie-only character.

His Uruks include Pikesmen, normal Uruk-Hai, Archers, and Berserkers.
The Berserkers are the shock troops. When they were first spawned a helmet filled with blood was placed on their heads, so that they were filled with a bloodlust for their enemies. They carry doubly-bent swords, and forgo any armor in lieu of agility, slaying foes left and right, completely devoid of fear and pain. Pikesmen, as the name suggests, carry long pikes, while archers carry crossbows. Normal Uruks wield a basic sword, cast from iron, simple but heavy, and deadly in an Uruk-hai's strong grip. They also use bladed shields, as seen in [[Amon Hen]] during [[Aragorn II|Aragorn]]'s fight against Lurtz.

The Uruks were also very efficient using siege equipment, and had been trained to use crossbows with deadly accuracy. The Uruks, like the lesser Orcs, seemed to not care of each other's presence, shown by the battering ram wielders at Helm's Deep, barging each other off of the thin bridge. The Uruks also hated the Orcs, believing they were a lesser being and often rioting, eg in the tower of Minas Morgul when Shagrat and Gorbag argued over Frodo's vest of Mithril and starting a mass war within the tower. The Uruks seem also to be able to control natural urges than the Orcs, eg the Orcs demanding to eat the hobbits they had captured, while the Uruks were protective. It would seem the only way Orcs were better than Uruks is in treachery, lying and being devious. The Uruks are also not seen to ever ride a mount, possibly due to size, weight and build (the Wargs which attacked the Rohan migration were ridden by trained Orcs).

== Music ==
Uruk-Hai is the original name of the one-man black metal band Burzum. There is also a Spanish black metal band called Uruk-Hai.

==See also==
* [[Olog-hai]]

[[Category:Races]]
[[category:orcs]]

Orcs

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{{rewrite}}
{{race
| image=[[Image:John Howe - In Mordor.jpg|250px]]
| name= Orcs
| dominions= primarily [[Mordor]], [[Angband]] and the [[Misty Mountains]]
| languages= [[Black Speech]]
| height= 5'5
| weight=130 pounds
| skincolor= Sallow
| haircolor=
| feathers=
| distinctions= Short, sallow, slightly Oriental look
| lifespan=
| members= [[Gothmog, Lieutenant of Morgul|Gothmog]], [[Othrond]], [[Gorbag]]
|}}
'''Orcs''' were the footsoldiers of evil overlords - [[Sauron]], [[Morgoth]] and the [[Witch-king of Angmar]] - but also operated as a seperate faction throughout the Ages of [[Arda]].

==Appearance==

In Tolkien's writing, Orcs are described as humanoid, roughly human-sized, ugly and filthy. In Tolkien's letters he gave a description as ''...sallow, squint eyed, and like (to the Europeans) the less-handsome Mongolians...'' (this part is often subject to the critisism of [[racism]]). Although not dim-witted, they are portrayed as dull and miserable beings, who corrupt words (an insult to a philologist like Tolkien) and are only able to destroy, not to create. They have sour black blood.
Orcs are used as soldiers by both the greater and lesser villains of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' — [[Sauron]] and [[Saruman]].
In Tolkien's [[Sindarin]] language, "Orc" is ''orch'', plural ''yrch''. In his late, post-''Lord of the Rings'' writings (published in ''[[The Peoples of Middle-earth]])'', he preferred the spelling "Ork", evidently mainly to avoid the form ''Orcish'', which would be naturally pronounced with the c as /s/ instead of /k/. (In [[Languages|Tolkien's languages]] the letter ''c'' was always pronounced /k/.) It is also possible that the word is a Common Tongue Version of 'orch', the [[Sindarin]] word for Orc. The original sense of the word seems to be "bogey", "bogeyman", that is, something that provokes fear, as seen in the Quenya cognate ''urko'', pl. ''urqui''.

== Origin==

The origin of Orcs is an open question. In Tolkien's writings, evil is not capable of independent creation, making it unlikely that the [[Valar|Vala]] [[Morgoth|Melkor]] (later called Morgoth), who was obviously the first to produce them, could do that ''ex nihilo''.
According to the oldest "theory" proposed by Tolkien, Orcs were made of stone and slime through the sorcery of Morgoth. But, Tolkien later changed the legendarium so that Morgoth could no longer produce life on his own, and amended the origins to the "theory" that would eventually be published in ''[[The Silmarillion]]'': that the Orcs were transformed from Elves — the purest form of life on [[Arda]] (the Earth) — by means of torture and mutilation; and this "theory" would then become the most popular. Moreover, if Orcs were in fact Elves at their core, this could perhaps mean that they were also immortal — a fact which, if true, would seem inconsistent with Tolkien's treatment of Orcs, though the books do not openly confirm or deny it. If Orcs indeed were immortal, it holds no doubt that their [[Fëa and hröa|''fëar'']] would not be allowed reincarnation by [[Mandos]], if they even answered the calling. Most Orcs would probably fear the calling of Mandos, and therefore would see their ''fëar'' diminished to evil spirits. These may have been some of the evil spirits occasionally described in the books, such as the spirit which tempted [[Gorlim]] of [[Barahir]]'s company, or the [[Barrow-wights]]. There is some evidence for the immortality, or otherwise long life of Orcs in ''[[The Two Towers]]'': [[Gorbag]] and [[Shagrat]], during the conversation which Sam overheard, mention the "Great Siege" of the Last Alliance. It is possible to interpret from the sentence that they were actually there and remembered it themselves: an event which lay millennia in the past. Another interpretation of this conversation is that this "Great Siege" could have instead been merely the current siege ongoing at Minas Tirith or that they were refereing to the seige out of a knowlege of history. This is consistent with a statement made in the "Myths Transformed" essay of ''[[Morgoth's Ring]]'' that the orcs had short lifespans in relation to the Numenoreans.

Another hint for a long livespan, respectively immortality, lies in the story of two of the most famous Orc-chieftains: [[Azog]] and [[Bolg]]. Bolg, being the son of Azog, was the chieftain of the Orcs who attacked [[Erebor]] in the [[Battle of Five Armies]] in [[Third Age 2941|T.A. 2941]]. Azog himself was killed in the [[Battle of Azanulbizar]] in [[Third Age 2799|T.A. 2799]], so Bolg was aproximately 150 years old.

There are hints in the ''[[The History of Middle-earth|History of Middle-earth]]'' series of books, (especially in ''[[Morgoth's Ring]]'' in the section "Myths Transformed"), that some Orc leaders, such as the First Age's [[Boldog]], or the [[Great Goblin]] encountered by [[Bilbo Baggins|Bilbo]] and the Dwarves, may in fact have been fallen [[Maiar]] which had taken Orc form:

: ''Some of these things may have been delusions and phantoms but some were no doubt shapes taken by the servants of Melkor, mocking and degrading the very forms of the children. For Melkor had in his service great numbers of Maiar, who had the power, as their Master, of taking visible and tangible shape in Arda.'' (''Morgoth's Ring'', "Myths transformed", text X')

: ''Boldog (…) is a name that occurs many times in the tales of the War. But it is possible that Boldog was not a personal name, and either a title, or else the name of a kind of creature: the Orc-formed Maiar, only less formidable than the Balrogs'' (Author's footnote to the text X)

: ''Melkor had corrupted many spirits - some great as Sauron, or less as Balrogs. The least could have been primitive Orcs.'' (Author's note to text)

Later under Morgoth's lieutenant, the necromancer Sauron, it has been suggested that Men were cross-bred with the Orcs. This process was later repeated during the [[War of the Ring]], creating the fierce Orcs known as [[Uruk-hai]].

Yet other Orcs may have begun as animals of vaguely humanoid shapes, empowered by the will of the Dark Lord (first [[Morgoth]], later Sauron): this may explain the references to their "beaks and feathers" in Tolkien's writings.

: ''The Orcs were beasts of humanized shape (…).'' ('Morgoth's Ring', "Myths transformed", text VIII')

It is certain all Orcs were dependent on the Dark Lord in various ways: after their leader was defeated, the Orcs were confused and dismayed, and easily scattered by their enemies. In the millennia after Morgoth's defeat and banishment from Arda, they were without a leader they degenerated to small, quarrelsome tribes hiding in the [[Misty Mountains]]. Only when Sauron returned to power did they begin to reclaim some of their old power. The same happened after Sauron's defeat by the [[Last Alliance of Elves and Men]]: only when Sauron returned as the Necromancer of [[Mirkwood]] did the Orcs become a real danger for Middle-earth again.

While Tolkien originally saw all Orcs as descended from tortured Elves, later comments of his indicate, according to [[Christopher Tolkien]] in ''Morgoth's Ring'' ("Myths Transformed, text X"), that he began to feel uncomfortable with this theory. At about the same time he removed the references to the [[Thrall-Noldorin|Thrall-Ñoldorin]], he also began searching for a new origin for the Orcs. The Orc origin question may have been one of the problems Tolkien tried to solve by completely changing the cosmology and prehistory of Arda. By setting the origin of Men back to almost the same time as the Elves, he possibly allowed for Men to be the origin of Orcs all along. However, Tolkien died before he could complete this upheaval of the cosmology, and in the published version of ''The Silmarillion'', the Elf origin of Orcs was adopted.

It is interesting to note that to an extent, Tolkien did not regard Orcs as evil in their own right, but only as tools of Melkor and Sauron.
He wrote once that "we were all orcs in the [[World War I|Great War]]", indicating perhaps that an orc for him was not an inherent build-up of personality, but rather a state of mind bound upon destruction.

--------
The more detailed and 'technical' approach to a problem of the origin of the Orcs can be found under following links

[http://m3ntos.ath.cx/The%20origin%20of%20the%20orcs%20v.2.htm The Origin of the Orcs] (htm version)

[http://m3ntos.ath.cx/The%20origin%20of%20the%20orcs%20v.2.doc The Origin of the Orcs] (doc version)

[http://m3ntos.ath.cx/The%20origin%20of%20the%20orcs%20v.2.pdf The Origin of the Orcs] (pdf version)

The essay puts emphasis to different theories of the origin of the Orcs and their validity in the light of Professor's writings.

==Orcs and goblins==
[[Image:Roger Thomasson - Orc.jpg|thumb|''Orc'' by [[Roger Thomasson]].]]
In ''[[The Hobbit]]'', Tolkien used the word "[[Goblins|goblin]]" for Orcs, because he had not yet identified the world of ''The Hobbit'' with Middle-earth (which predated ''The Hobbit'' by several decades, in early writings which would later become ''The Silmarillion''). Fortunately Tolkien did include some references to his mythology in the ''Hobbit'', which later allowed him to identify the lands of the Hobbit with his Middle-earth.
In ''The Lord of the Rings'', "Orc" is used predominantly, and "goblin" mostly in the [[Hobbits]]' speech.
This change can be seen either as a part of the shift towards the use of Elvish words that occurred during the period between the writing of ''The Hobbit'' and the writing of ''The Lord of the Rings'', or a translation of the Hobbits' more colloquial manner (if we "accept" the books' authenticity and regard Tolkien merely as a translator). So essentially the race is correctly named "Orc", and "Goblin" is a colloquial "slang term" for Orcs used by Hobbits and sometimes picked up by Men and Elves. It is possible that "goblin" refers to the those of the orcish race who are not under the control of Sauron (or Morgoth), whereas using "orc" directly would refer to servants of (whichever) Dark Lord. Tolkien did mention several times that orcs were not inherently evil, something this theory would partly emphasize.

The original edition of the Hobbit and early drafts of ''The Lord of the Rings'' first used 'goblin' everywhere and used '[[Hobgoblins|hobgoblin]]' for larger, more evil goblins: when goblins were replaced with Orcs Tolkien invented the term [[Uruk-hai]] for his more evil Orcs.
==Kinds of Orcs==
*[[Snaga]]
*[[Orcs of Mordor]]
*[[Half-Orcs]]
*[[Uruk-hai]]
*[[Hobgoblins]] (perhaps same as Uruk-hai)

==Inspirations==
It is possible that the Orcs at [[Helm's Deep]] were inspired by apes in Tolkien's childhood years.
{{quote|and Orcs sprang up them [walls] like apes in the dark forests of the South|[[Helm's Deep]], [[The Lord of the Rings]]}}
{{quote|One day a neighbour’s pet monkeys climbed over the wall and chewed up three of the baby’s [Tolkien’s] pinafores.|[[J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography]]}}

[[Category:Races]]
[[Category:Inspirations]]

[[de:Orks]]

Battle of the Pelennor Fields

2008-12-09T22:51:36Z

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{{battle|
image=[[Image:Battle of Pelennor Fields from Peter Jackson's RotK.jpg|300px]]<br /><small>The Battle of the Pelennor Fields as depicted in [[Peter Jackson]]'s film adaptation of [[The Return of the King]]|
name=Battle of Pelennor Fields|
conflict=[[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]]|
date=March 15, 3019 T.A.|
place=[[Minas Tirith]] and fields of [[Pelennor]], [[Gondor]]|
result= Victory of Gondor and Rohan|
side1=[[Gondor]], [[Rohan]]|
side2= [[Mordor]], [[Harad]], [[Rhûn]], [[Khand]]|
commanders1=*[[Denethor]]†
*[[Gandalf]]
*[[Forlong]]†
*[[Imrahil]]
*[[Théoden]]†
*[[Aragorn]]
*[[Éomer]]|
commanders2=*The [[Witch-king of Angmar]]†
*[[Gothmog (Lieutenant of Morgul)|Gothmog]]
|forces1=In [[Minas Tirith]]: Minas Tirith Garrison and Northern Army of Gondor (strength unknown) supported by small southern contingent (<2800). 6000 Rohirrim cavalry arriving from the north at dawn, later reinforced by an unknown number of Men of Southern Gondor under Aragorn arriving from the south (possibly 2-4,000)|
forces2=220,000 in total strength, vast numerical superiority to Gondor's forces in Minas Tirith.; 200,000 Forces consisting of [[Orcs]], [[Trolls]], [[Wargs]], the [[Nazgûl]], 18000 [[Haradrim]], and thousands of [[Easterlings]] with [[Oliphaunts]]ûn, Variags of Khand, etc.)|
casual1=
2000 [[Rohirrim]], 2-3500 overall number unknown; see article|
casual2=
Complete destruction of attacking force
}}
'''Battle of Pelennor Fields''' was the greatest battle of the [[War of the Ring]], and indeed the largest of the entire [[Third Age]].

==The Books==
After the fall of [[Osgiliath]] there was no longer a barrier against the forces of [[Mordor]], which moved on the [[Pelennor Fields]] before the city on March 15, 3019 of the [[Third Age]] as the [[Great Darkness]] blotted out the sun.

Mordor's troops consisted of more than 30,000 [[Easterlings]] and [[Haradrim]], numerous [[mûmakil|oliphaunts]], and hundreds of thousands of [[Orcs]]; The defenders' numbers were considerably less despite the addition of about 2,800 men from southern [[Gondor]] in the days before the battle.

The attackers used catapults not only to attack the city, through bombardment and flames, but also to fire the heads of slain men from Osgiliath and other places Mordor's armies had passed through into it. Later on, the great battering ram [[Grond (battering-ram)|Grond]] (named after [[Morgoth]]'s weapon from the First Age) was put into action.

Before dawn Grond was used to break the city's main gate, and the [[Witch-king of Angmar|Witch-king]] rode into the city unchallenged, save by [[Gandalf]]. Before Gandalf's strength was put to the test, however, the cock crowed and the horns of [[Rohan]] were heard as around 6,000 of their riders joined the battle. Mordor's strategy for keeping Rohan out of the battle had failed twice, both through the defeat at Helm's Deep and the blockade in Anorien. So the Witch-king was forced to ride out and attack them instead of fighting Gandalf and destroying the city.

King Théoden's charge drove the Mordor forces from the northern half of the field, and charging the Haradrim cavalry he slew the Southron chieftain, the [[Black Serpent]], and cut down his standardbearer.

When the Witch-king's fell beast attacked King [[Théoden]] of Rohan, the king's horse [[Snowmane]] lost control, and was hit by an arrow. Snowmane fell with the king atop him, and the horse landed on him, which proved fatal. The warrior [[Dernhelm]], defending the king's body, slew the fell beast and challenged its rider. The Witch-king mocked him, telling him that no living man might slay him, but the [[hobbits|Hobbit]] [[Meriadoc Brandybuck]] (Merry) wounded him with a sword that had been forged centuries before during the war between [[Arnor]] and [[Angmar]] and which contained spells against the Witch-king. The spells finally found their target, for the Witch-king was distracted and possibly seriously weakened. He was then slain by Dernhelm, now revealed as Théoden's niece [[Éowyn]] and thus no ''man'' at all. The [[Black Breath]] caused both Merry and Éowyn to become gravely ill, and they were sent to the [[Houses of Healing]] in the city. Command of the Rohirrim then passed to Théoden's nephew and heir, Third Marshall Éomer.

At the same time, [[Faramir son of Denethor II|Faramir]], son of [[Denethor II|Denethor]], Steward of Gondor, was also gravely wounded. Despairing at the visions of defeat that [[Sauron]] had sent him via his ''[[palantíri|palantír]]'', and believing Faramir to be beyond aid, Denethor prepared to burn himself and his son upon a funeral pyre. Only the intervention of [[Peregrin Took]] and Gandalf saved Faramir, but Denethor immolated himself before they could prevent him.[[Image:Anke Eissmann - The Black Serpent founders.jpg|right|thumb|300px|''The Black Serpent founders'' by [[Anke Eissmann]]]]

Meanwhile, the battle turned against the Rohirrim. The Southrons charged with their Mûmakil (Oliphaunts) and wherever they went horses went wild with fear or were trampled underfoot, and the forces of Mordor rallied around them like islands of defense that the Rohirrim cavalry could not overtake. Éomer, grim after the death of Théoden but shocked by the unexpected (seeming) death of his sister Éowyn, the last living member of his family, flew into a [[berserker]] rage and charged his cavalry headlong into the larger enemy forces. So great was the wrath of the outnumbered Rohirrim at the death of their King that they broke through the superior Mordor forces, hammering deep wedges into the Mordor legions' front lines. However, this soon turned against Éomer: his cavalry had pierced the Enemy front lines so quickly that his company was now cut off from the other two, and surrounded between Mordor's front lines and their reserves. Fighting their way to the docks near the Harlond south of the city, Éomer desperately circled up his men on a hill and prepared to fight to the death, when he saw enemy reinforcements sailing up the River [[Anduin]], and let out a defiant cry at his approaching end.

One of the visions that Denethor had seen was of a fleet of enemy ships with black sails arriving at the landings to the south of the Pelennor in the Rammas, but what he had not seen was that they were actually manned by [[Aragorn II|Aragorn]] and other [[Rangers of the North]], [[Gimli]], [[Legolas]], [[Elladan]], [[Elrohir]] and many reinforcements from southern fiefdoms of Gondor. As Aragorn's army drove north a great part of Mordor's forces were pinned between Aragorn and Eomer's cavalry, and were "caught between the hammer and the anvil". Aragorn's army then linked with Eomer's, and with their aid the tide of battle was finally turned, and a brief respite was won until the [[Last Battle]] before the [[Morannon|Black Gate]].

== Aftermath ==

There is no clearly stated final death toll for the Battle of Pelennor Fields. There is a definite figure for the cavalry of the Rohirrim that came to Gondor's defence; it consisted of 6,000 riders, and a full 2,000 were killed in the battle, including Théoden. Of the 5 to 6 thousand Gondorian defenders of Minas Tirith, and the large relief force of Gondor's southern provinces led by Aragorn, no definite figure remains. Two days after the battle, Aragorn led an army out to attack the Black Gate that consisted of 7,000 men (When he reached the Black Gate he had less than 6,000); 2,000 Rohirrim and 5,000 Gondorians. The size of Aragorn's relief force may have been over 5,000 or as little as 1,000, it is never stated. However, even a conservative estimate would place total Gondorian losses at 3,000, and more probably 5,000.

As for enemy losses, again, the size of Sauron's great army is not definitely known. There were at the very least 60,000, and this is almost surely an overconservative estimation. In [[Peter Jackson]]'s movie adaptation, the enemy numbered over 200,000, and this may be accurate with the number present in the text. It is known that there were some 18,000 [[Haradrim]]. (The Rohirrim, consisting of 6,000 riders, were "thrice outnumbered by the Haradrim alone".) The Enemy's army was utterly destroyed on the field: all War [[Mûmakil]] were killed, the Lord of the Nazgûl was slain, numerous Trolls, and perhaps all of the Orcs (which composed the majority of the army) were killed, those that retreated drowning in the River Anduin. Many Easterlings and Haradrim proudly fought to the death when the tide turned, even as the Orcs were cowardly running away, with few escaping to send news of the power and wrath of Gondor to lands east and south.

Although a great and almost miraculous victory, at the subsequent Last Debate, Gandalf counseled that militarily, Sauron would still defeat them. The Free Peoples had managed to destroy an army outnumbering them at least 10 to 1, but lost almost a third of their own forces. Sauron had suffered a defeat, but he still had other legions and the force that attacked Minas Tirith, while substantial, was but a fraction of his total strength. Rohan and Gondor had been able to secure their flanks, eliminating the threat of Isengard and the Corsairs on the southern coasts, but Gandalf counseled that even with all of their forces concentrated in the main front near Minas Tirith, it would simply be enduring wave after wave of siege like a sandcastle being worn down by the ocean. Thus, it was agreed that it was impossible to achieve a conventional military victory through strength of arms, and instead to risk all on a last throw of the dice by Aragorn leading a diversionary attack on the Black Gate, to aid Frodo's passage in Mordor.

==The Films==
The battle is the major centrepiece of [[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King]], although some of the events described above are simplified or altered for cinematic purposes. Importance is given to the charge of the Mûmakil, the death of Théoden and the Witch-king's demise at the hands of Eowyn.

The battle begins with Sauron's forces marching on city and firing a volley of severed heads over the walls (as in the book). Initially, both Sauron's army and the defenders of Minas Tirith exchange fire by way of catapults and trebuchets. The flying Ringwraiths then descend from the skies, spreading fear throughout the city and destroying many catapults. Seeing Mordor's overwhelming army, Denethor despairs and Gandalf assumes command of the defenders. He helps them hold out until Théoden and over six thousand Rohirrim arrive, decimating the invading orcs. However, Sauron's reserves soon arrive with several Oliphaunts, commanded by the Haradrim, who turn the tide against the Rohirrim. Fortunately, Aragorn arrives with the Army of the Dead (see [[Paths of the Dead]]), who crush Sauron's forces. This is an alteration from the book, in which the Dead depart after they defeat the Corsairs and liberate Pelargir, after which Gondor's Southern Army is now free to rally to Aragorn. Peter Jackson likely wanted to make the Army of the Dead more of a focus in the story, giving them greater impact in the overall scheme of events and, thus, giving greater significance to Aragorn's decision to take the Paths of the Dead, as well as his trials therein. In the theatrical cut of the film, the scenes at Pelargir are cut entirely. The filmmakers felt that tension would be better maintained by not letting the audience know whether or not Aragorn was successful in recruiting the Dead Army. The Pelargir were restored for the extended cut of the movie.

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[[Category:Conflicts of the Third Age]]
[[de:Schlacht auf dem Pelennor]]
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