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Dwarves are one of the most prominent races of Middle-earth in J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy universe. From Bilbo Baggins’s adventures with Thorin’s company inThe Hobbitto Gimli son of Gloin inThe Lord of the Rings,Dwarves have played an important role in the shaping of Middle-earth’s history. They are excellent warriors, master artisans, and loyal friends, yet there are still a few mysteries that surround these proud people.
We know that there wereseven dwarf lordswho were given rings of power, and that Dwarves were created by the god of smithing, Aulë. Yet perhaps the biggest question of all has plagued fans for years - where are all the Dwarf women? They were sadly absent inThe HobbitandLord of the Ringsfilm trilogies (with the exception of a few background characters in the prologue ofAn Unexpected Journey), and only with the arrival of Prime Video’sRings of PowerTV show have fans begun to see more of them. Without further ado, let’s grab a pickaxe and start digging into the enigma of Dwarf women inThe Lord of the Ringsuniverse.
Why Are There No Dwarf Women In The Lord Of The Rings?
The short answer is that there actually are Dwarf women in Middle-earth, but not many are seen. Like many facets of Middle-earth lore, information about Dwarf women can be found in Tolkien’s Appendices. It’s in the chapter “Durin’s Folk,” and readers will have to sift through a lot of Dwarven history, including facts aboutKhazad-dum and the House of Durin,before they find it.Eventually, though, there is a small passage that talks about Dwarf women.
According to Gimli, women of their race are exceedingly few, and thus they are rarely seen out and about. Because Dwarf women are outnumbered by the men 3 to 1, they are kept hidden and protected from the outside world. The dwindling Dwarven population is a problematic issue for their race, so reproduction happens very slowly.
The chapter goes on to say that Dwarves are prone to marry only once in their lives, and less than one-third of the men ever get married. It is suggested that many Dwarf men are too distracted by their love of mining and crafting to settle down, and many women choose not to get married at all.
What Do Dwarf Women Look Like?
Because of the lack of Dwarf women mentioned in Tolkien’s “The Hobbit"and “The Lord of the Rings"novels, it was a long time before there were any concrete facts about what Dwarf women look like. One clue can be found in an added scene in theextended edition ofThe Two Towersmovie,in which Gimli describes Dwarf women to Eowyn. In the scene, Gimli states that Dwarf women appear so similar to the men that they are often mistaken for dwarf men. This is followed by an aside from Aragorn, who mouths to Eowyn, “It’s the beards,” in a joking manner.
However, this throwaway comment was more accurate than Aragorn may have intended. In 1994, Tolkien’s son Christopher published “The War of the Jewels,” the 12th volume ofThe History of Middle-earthbook series. These books are based on his father’s unpublished works about the lore of Middle-earth, and in one chapter it explicitly states that all Dwarves have beards, regardless of their gender. The only exception is when a Dwarf’s beard is shaved, which is considered an act of great shame in Dwarven culture.
This added bit of lore led to a controversy stirred by the appearance of the Moria Dwarf, Disa, inThe Rings of Power.When Amazon provided a first look at the princess of Khazad-dum, some die-hard Tolkien experts were mortified that the character was sans soup catcher. Although Disa does have tufts of hair on the sides of her face resembling sideburns, many fans were left disappointed.
Did Tolkien Mention Any Dwarf Women By Name?
Amazon Prime Video’sRings of Powerbroke precedent with the inclusion of the first Dwarf woman to be a major character in theLord of the Ringsfranchise. That character is Princess Disa of Khazad-dum, married to Prince Durin IV. Not only is Disa a strong and capable woman, she also helps to repair the friendship between Durin and Elrond. Disa is credited for the discovery of Mithril, a new ore which would ensure the future of Moria and the Dwarven people. She is also an accomplished vocalist, and was able to save a group of trapped miners by singing to the mountain.
Some viewers might be surprised to learn that Disa is an original character created for the series, and there is no mention of her in any of Tolkien’s literature. In fact, there is only one Dwarf woman mentioned specifically by name in the whole of his works. Dís (who is likely Disa’s namesake) was the daughter of King Thrain and sister of Thorin, as well as the mother of Kili and Fili fromThe Hobbit.Sadly, little else is known about Dís, although it is assumed that she, along with the rest ofDurin’s Folk, fled Erebor whenthe dragon Smaugattacked the mountain.
In a scene fromThe Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,Kili shows the elf Tauriel a rune that was a gift from his mother, referencing Dís. He says that it represented a promise for him to return to her, which implies that Dís was still alive during that time.
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is one of the most iconic names in entertainment. The franchise started with novels from J. R. R. Tolkien before being adapted onto the big screen by Peter Jackson in one of the most critically-acclaimed film trilogies of all time. There have also been numerous The Lord of the Rings video games of varying quality.
