Tag: dark names

dets im! im dying! im dead!! this chapter caught me by surprise so much oh my god. when thorin said his dark name it took my a single hot second to realize what had just happened but then!! my eyes went so wide if i had been wearing contacts they would have fallen out. this was just!! a punch in the gut! but a good one!

kzjsdgalhsdlajshdfa OH GOSH, you are so so kind! Thank you so much, I’m just so thrilled you liked it! Yeah, it was meant to fall into the middle of the conversation with a CLANG, really – disrupting Bilbo’s flustered feelings of annoyance and exposure and just. yeah, totally changing the tone of where he was headed. Trust and love, yep. Lots of that instead.

Thank you again! *hugs* I am SUPER HAPPY you liked it!

So I was going through old stuff and got the impression that Thorin and Dwalin have exchanged Dark-names but Thorin and Dis haven’t?

Oh, Thorin and Dis did… eventually. But it took until Ered Luin, and some semblance of stability. Dis was expecting Fili at that time, and she was clinging to her brother quite hard. There was a lot of drama going on (because of her relinquishing her place in the succession, and now expecting… what would happen to the baby?) and everyone was very tense and unhappy. 

But Thorin cared for her, reassured her – was the best Big Bro ever, in essence. And she pressed her head against his and finally told him what she was made of. And he smiled and received that name with love, and gave his in return. 

There were a few tears, that night.

I was wondering, how did Sauron know Nori’s Dark Name? Does he know others? And would other Maiar/Valar know (like Gandalf?) a dwarf’s Dark Name?

Hey Nonnie! I’ve blabbed a little about this before here, but TL:DR – basically, yes, I believe that the ‘higher’ beings such as the Maiar and the Valar would be able to see the name written into each Dwarf at their making.

Particularly Maia like Sauron and Saruman, who were students of Aule and know their Master’s work. They would be able to see it immediately, really. 

do you think one day you’ll explain what the dark names mean? some make sense but some are really abstract

*squints at list of dark-names* I’ve explained Thror’s, Gimli’s, Dwalin’s and Frerin’s in more detail before, but here’s a blurb or two on some of the others? I hope they’re the ones you’re talking about. They’re not always meant to be obvious: they can be interpreted in all sorts of ways, generally. As I’ve mentioned before, the name does not shape the Dwarf’s life, it is not a prophecy. 

Dis – Mutûkhamthur – Song of Steel
This can refer to several things. My version of Dis is hard as hard: she has been slowly made into a Dwarrowdam of purest steel. She is also cold now: icy, just like steel. And like steel, she remembers the fires of her forging. As for ‘song’ – she still has the ringing mithril voice of her youth, beautiful and melodious. She is also an expert swordswoman.

Gloin – Idhêrmarku – Striking Shield
Gloin will always leap to the defensive – and it’s not because he is an aggressive or violent Dwarf. It is because he is protective. He is a shield. Gloin will protect will his entire self, his whole being – and he will take anyone to task. Anyone. He will strike to keep safe those he cares for. He will move swiftly to protect, be it with his fists, with his financial acumen, with his tongue, with his axe. Gloin will not EVER stand idly by.

Thrain – Mazarnûn – He who is unyielded
Though Thrain’s life has irrevocably altered and scarred him, he never capitulated. Even after nine years of torture, he would not yield. He never gave up hope. He is not broken, no matter how he believes that he is. He did not ever passively accept his fate. Thrain does. Not. Yield. Not to Sauron, not to the Dwarven Ring, not to fear or his nightmares. He might bend, he might quake, he might weep and he is forever changed – but he is not broken.

Ori – Ulkhuduthaku – Miner of Light
Several things this can refer to! Ori is a seeker after knowledge. That is one meaning. He is also an optimist compared to his brothers. He is a guide to many through his work as scribe, he ‘unearths’ Bifur’s communication skills after his wound is reopened. He is a miner, no less than any other. His diggings are just a little different!

Bofur – Inzêgid-‘abbad – Ringing Mountains
I am fond of Bofur’s name! This can refer to a couple of things as well: Bofur IS a miner, after all, and his pick can make mountains ring in a very literal way. But it also refers to his jokester nature and his laughter. Bofur is a funny fellow, after all!

Bifur –  lanzulkhud – Evening Twilight
This one is probably the one that could be accused of obscurity, I guess! I got a little creative here. Twilight is a time of cusps, and Bifur hovers perpetually between two states. He is gentle: he is a berserker. He speaks Khuzdul: he speaks Westron. He is a miner: he is a toymaker, etc etc. It can also be seen as a reference to his work (a miner lives in perpetual evening, after all). Twilight is when nocturnal animals go berserk. But evening is also very beautiful and can be very calm too. So there we have it.

Balin – Kibiluik-kemath – Silver Voice
This is a reference to Balin’s smooth-talkin’ ways. He does manage to wrangle Bard, after all – and Bard isn’t the most trusting of fellows. It’s also a nod to his persuasiveness. 😀

If you want more info on them, there’s always my dark-names tag 🙂