Thorin Oakenshield
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
|
||||||||||||||||||
Thorin Oakenshield is a significant character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, featured in The Hobbit. In that book, he was a Dwarf, the son of Thráin II and the grandson of King Thrór. The name Oakenshield refers to a shield made of oak wood and follows a morphology which resembles German word formations. The German equivalent would be Eichenschild.
[edit] Biography
Born in the year 2746 of the Third Age (TA), Thorin was driven into exile by the dragon Smaug in 2770, along with the rest of the surviving Dwarves of the Lonely Mountain. At the Battle of Azanulbizar in 2799, when he was 53 (a young age for a Dwarf) he marched with a mighty Dwarf-army into Nanduhirion beneath the East-gate of Moria. Thorin's shield was broken and he used a tree branch to defend himself, thus gaining the epithet "Oakenshield".
Thorin became King in Exile of Durin's Folk as Thorin II Oakenshield after his father, Thráin II, disappeared. It was not until a century later that Thorin learned his father had been captured and tortured to death by Sauron (then secretly in the guise of the Necromancer). He worked hard and long, making many things out of iron and prospered somewhat in the Blue Mountains, although he was never very happy there, since the Dragon and Erebor were constantly on his thoughts.
In The Hobbit, he and 12 other Dwarves, mostly relatives of his or others of Durin's Tribe, visited Bilbo Baggins on Gandalf's advice to hire him as a burglar, to steal back their treasure from Smaug. He especially wanted the Arkenstone, the heart of the mountain. In part III of Appendix A in The Return of the King, it mentions that he met Gandalf in Bree one day quite by chance and that they decided to undertake the quest to the mountain.
Thorin is described as being very haughty and stern. He refers to his homes in the Blue Mountains as "poor lodgings in exile." Even though he is older by the time of The Hobbit, he is still very capable and a cunning warrior. He alone was not taken by complete surprise when the company encoutered a band of Trolls, and he and Gandalf fought valiantly in the Goblin tunnels. Even so, his leadership is not particularly distinguished until very late in the quest, and then he does not show much wisdom. Thorin is the first to be captured by the Wood-Elves of Mirkwood, and insists that the other Dwarves do not disclose their quest to their captors. He is the first to emerge from the barrels at Lake-Town and marches right up to the leaders of the town, declaring himself as King Under the Mountain.
Thorin was furious when Bilbo stole the Arkenstone to use as a bargaining counter with Thranduil, the Elvenking, and Bard the Bowman, both of whom had some claim to the treasure. The conflict was averted by an attack of Goblins and Wargs, and the Dwarves joined forces with the Elves, the Men of Lake Town and the great eagles to defeat them in what came to be called the Battle of Five Armies. During the battle Thorin was mortally wounded, but before he died he made his peace with Bilbo. His last words were, "If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world. But, sad or merry, I must leave it now. Farewell."
Thorin had recovered the Elven blade Orcrist during the quest. He came upon it in a Troll stash (after barely escaping with his life). He used it throughout the Quest of Erebor, but it was taken from him after he was captured by the Wood-Elves. The sword was given back after his death and was laid upon the tomb (the Arkenstone was placed in the tomb itself) so that ever after the blade would glow blue should enemies approach and the mountain could never be taken by surprise. Thorin was succeeded as the leader of Durin's Folk and King Under the Mountain by his cousin, Dáin Ironfoot.
[edit] Portrayal in adaptations
In the 1977 animated version of The Hobbit, he is voiced by Hans Conreid.
[edit] Trivia
- Snrri Sturluson's Prose Edda]] has a character named Thorin Eikinskaldi.
- The main cafeteria in Cornell University's student union building is called "Oakenshields."
| Preceded by Thráin II |
Kings of Durin's folk | Succeeded by Dáin II Ironfoot |
| Dwarves from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium | |
|
Azaghâl | Balin | Bifur | Bofur | Bombur | Borin | Dáin I | Dáin II Ironfoot | Dís | Dori | Durin(s) | Dwalin | Fíli | Flói | Frerin | Frár | Frór | Fundin | Gamil Zirak | Gimli | Glóin | Gróin | Grór | Ibûn | Khîm | Kíli | Lóni | Mîm | Náin I | Náin II | Náin son of Grór | Náli | Nár | Narvi | Nori | Óin | Ori | Telchar | Thorin I | Thorin II Oakenshield | Thorin III | Thráin I | Thráin II | Thrór |
|
| Kingdoms of the Dwarves | |
| Belegost | Iron Hills | Khazad-dûm | Lonely Mountain | Nogrod | |
