Long-worms were either a type of dragon in Middle-earth[1] or another name that J.R.R. Tolkien used for at least some of them.[2]
The only long-worm mentioned by name was Scatha, the great dragon of Ered Mithrin. He[3] was slain by Fram of the Éothéod in the Third Age. For a long time afterwards, the long-worms did not pose any threat to the land.[2]
It is possible that the term referred to wingless dragons since Scatha was a wingless cold-drake.[3] It is unknown whether Scatha was the last of the long-worms or if some still existed.
Tolkien regularly used "worm" as a nickname for dragons - examples include Glaurung,[4] Scatha,[2] and Smaug[5] - but it is uncertain whether this refers to the long-worms as well.
References
- ↑ Mark Fisher, "Long-worms" 7 August 1999, The Encyclopedia of Arda
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The House of Eorl"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 J.R.R. Tolkien; Christina Scull, Wayne G. Hammond (eds.), The Collected Poems of J.R.R. Tolkien, "177. Scatha the Worm (c. 1954)"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Children of Húrin, "The Coming of Glaurung"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "An Unexpected Party"