Story Time In The Shire : Aulë the Smith And The 7 Dwarves

A small campfire crackling happy away in the Party Field under Sam Gamgee's mallorn tree, the only one outside Lothlórien, grown in the same spot where once stood the Party Tree from a small seed that was given to Sam by Lady Galadriel. When the mallorn tree was in bloom golden flowers and leaves transformed the Shire into a magical place.

So, as I was saying, it was a warm April evening under the mallorn tree, four young Hobbit children sitting by a small campfire keen to listen stories and adventure from the an old Hobbit sitting with them , their eyes wide opened in awe at the sight of the beautiful smoke rings the coming out of his pipe. " Is it true that Dwarves can fly? asked little Bulbo Proudfoot. " Well...I would not call it 'fly' ...but I heard stories of Dwarves been tossed around across rivers and such by Elves..." the old Hobbit replayed with a smile.

" Do Dwarves have mothers and fathers like we do? " asked Milly Took timidly , been the only girl present. " Well this is actually a very good question. You see Milly, Dwarves girls and women are very very special. Not many are born and as they are so rare they are kept safe deep underground, away from danger in the Dwarves's Halls; they do not travel or go on adventures. Dwarves women are born with beards...just like the male Dwarves, so it is hard to spot them and this is why many believe Dwarves are born from stone but Dwarves women do exist and they are said to be the keepers of great magic too." The old Hobbit explained before blowing a smoke ring in the shape of a Dwarf which made the children clap with excitement.

In the distance one could hear the happy bubbling of the Water River, a nightingale 'song and the crackling of the fire. The old Hobbit looked at the children one by one and smiled before starting his story....:

-CONCERNING DWARVES-

An abridged history of the creation of the Dwarves of Middle-earth

By a respectable Hobbit

In the beginning of time there was a Vala called Aulë. He was a smith and he was given charge over the creation of Arda and its crafts. One day Aulë looked upon his anvil and decided he wanted to do something new and original: "Let it be DWARVES!" He had hoped for a long time to be able to share his knowledge and crafts but had grown restless while waiting for Ilúvatar to create his children; so on that day Aulë went to work and created 7 Dwarves. Aulë however was not sure about the way his Dwarves were suppose to look. Confused by all the chaos and nonsense an other Vala called Melkor was making at the time, Aulë made the Dwarves quite similar to himself in all but stature.

Strong, stubborn and unwilling to be ruled, fire and cold could not affect the stout Dwarves, Lords of the Halls Under-The- Mountains, craft-obsessed miners, masons, metal workers and stone-carver of incredible talent. Aulë's Dwarves were a proud race which look the part and were even given their own special language called Khuzdul. which was to remain secret and unshared due to the secretive way the Dwarves were created. All was well and good but for one small little detail....Aulë was not supposed to create life (and Dwarves) without telling Ilúvatar first. Have you ever tried to keep 7 Dwarves hidden away? Not an easy task, let me tell you, eventually Ilúvatar found out about them and he was not happy.

He spoke, and by the tone of his voice it was clear he was not impressed with Aulë which had created life and exceeded Ilúvatar's power and authority. In for a huge telling-off, Aulë was very repented..." Sorry about the Dwarves Ilúvatar, I was just inspired by you to create life and I wished to have my own children to pass on my crafts. I thought they looked great and I only wanted to teach them about the beauty of the world, but I can see by your rage I was wrong. I was impatient and fool. Forgive me...I shall destroy the Dwarves at once."

So Aulë took a mighty hammer and went down in the underground Halls to smite the 7 Dwarves. Yet, as he was about to kill his own creation he was stopped by Ilúvatar that knew there was no malice or evil intent in Aulë's creation. The Dwarves were therefore accepted as his 'adopted' children although there were to remain asleep until his own chosen children Elves and Men came to life. Under stone, deep in the heart of the mountains, the 7 Dwarves slept for many ages before the time of the awakening drew near in the First Age of the Stars. Dwarves are Ilúvatar's children but as they were created originally without his consent they are often in disagreement with Elves which are Ilúvatar's favorites, so this is why you will often see Elves and Dwarves argue over things. This is the story of Aulë the Smith And The 7 Fathers of all Dwarves! "

"What a great story....," exclaimed little Bulbo Proudfoot, "...I wonder if we will ever see Dwarves in the Shire". The old Hobbit laughed , " Well I know a story about one Hobbit, 13 Dwarves that visited the Shire , a Wizard and a great Dragon called Smaug. ...but its getting late so that is an adventure for an other day.. The moon is out and its passed bed time for young Hobbits. Now off to bed...all of you."

Article by Amorey - Laurelin Archives Webteam