Tag: tattoos

Hey Dets! :] Awhile back I think I saw someone who drew some lovely fanart of Dis, and they spoke to you about her mourning marks? Could you maybe tell us more about those, if you haven’t already? (and if you have, I didn’t see it I suck oops, sorry!) Thanks <3

Hey Fox! 

(if it’s not cool to publish this publically, just let me know, k? I just wanted to take the opportunity to get this written and put out there, but if you’re uncomfortable with that – absolutely come thwap me with a rolled-up newspaper)

OKAY – so to your question, though! Here is the placement of Dis’ marks. The inspiration, btw, came from the individual symbols/patterns used for each Dwarf in the film. You can see them here.

Balin’s – above her
right eye

Parents – on her
back (guarding her, she likes to think)

Vili – over her
heart

Oin – over her left
wrist

Dain – cheekbone, under her right eye, vertically opposite Balin’s (eventually)

Thror’s – right
collarbone

Hrera – right side of her neck, under
her ear

Thorin’s – right
side of her chest, opp Vili

Frerin – Right
shoulder

She wears no tattoo
for her sons: instead, she wears their beads in her hair, one for each of her
Lineage-braids either side of her temples. That way she gets to touch them
every morning and night.

You’ll spot that the vast majority of her marks line down her body on the right, from her brow all the way to her chest. They march down in a line, each one a silent memorial. 

lacefedora:

Dís lineart and detail shot. According to Dets she wears no mourning marks for her sons, instead she wears their beads on her lineage beads. ( I made it so she was wearing both sets on her lineage braids. Kilo is on the right Fili on the left.) Other mourning marks shown are Balin(over her right eye), Oin(left wrist), Hrera(under her ear), Thror( right collarbone), and Thorin (chest on the right). (Placements provided by Dets)

I was playing around with spread out motifs for Balin, Oin, and Thror’s marks. This is something that they do a lot on their clothes and weapons, so why not tattoos.

*sniffles* ohhhhh her mourning marks augh (and yes yes YESSSS AUGH HER BOYS she cannot bear to get her sons’ marks done, she never can. She wears their marks deeper than skin)

Her face!! I love the proportions and her eyes and nnngh oh my GOODNESS lace, the detail on her pattern-shaved beard and her beads!! 

*tackleglomps you* THANK YOU!

You’ve written that dwarves sport different kinds of body modifikations and decorations depending of social class, relationship status, profession, skills etc (Baris pierced lip for example) and I was wondering if you had any nice, headcanony list on different piercings, tattoos, hair beads and braids, jewellry etc and what they would tell about the dwarf wearing them that you’d be willing to share? It’s really interesting (and not gonna lie, it’s good att reference for drawing your characters).

Ohhh, I don’t really have a list? But I will tell you some of my ideas here, if that’s okay!

A piercing is an indication of class or status. The patterns of the piercing show the level and type of status. The area pierced also denotes a great deal about what that status is. For example, Baris’ lip piercing – in the middle of her lower lip, a heavy silver ring – denotes her status as a celebrated singer. To the left of the lower lip could mean a historian or storyteller. To the right of the lower lip, upper lip, a ball underneath the mouth and above the chin, a stud in the corner of the mouth – all these could mean different areas of expertise. A pierced tongue could mean a teacher or diplomat. Ear-cuffs would be lineage and nobility: social class, basically. Subdermals upon the back of the neck, on the chest, nipples, nose, all of that, plus other jewellery such as wristlets, necklaces, pendants, brooches, chokers – these all indicate a field of status. Most of these fields have to do with the profession: Dwarves respect skill 🙂

Not all Dwarves bother wearing them, but many do, and the indications are all generally known.

BRAIDS! I think beards and hair would be super-personal. Each Dwarf would choose their own style. There would be a lineage-clasp (as seen in the back of Thorin’s hair, or upon Kili’s) to denote royalty. You could have braids to show marital status – or lack of interest. It would be very personal, and up to the individual Dwarf to decide how much they wanted to declare publically or not. Braids would be a sort of wearable billboard, after all (Damn now I wonder if there’s a braid that basically says, ”Sexy single Dwarf, 145, seeks single Dwarf for fun and naughty times, no strings attached!”)

Colours! Beard dye sounds fun (totally inspired by Dwalin’s blue beard in the books, I’ll own up!). I thought that dyes could perhaps indicate gender expression. Jeri is nonbinary, and so their beard is dyed green. Bomfa is genderfluid, and usually has a stripe of several colours in their beard depending on whether today they are Bomfa or Bomfur and wish to be addressed as such.

Tattoos are made to mark special moments or people in that Dwarf’s life. Mourning-marks are made to remember the departed. Gimli got tattoos to mark his coming of age at 70 (he had sneakily gotten three mourning marks when he was underage, however! See Follow the Leader). Hrera got a tattoo on the back of her neck upon the occasion of her wedding.

So, these are some of the things I was thinking! I hope you like 🙂