Another Power...

[FingolfintheBold]

It seems to me that the dwarves wanted above all else to reclaim their ancient home in Moria. Obviously they couldnt until the Balrog was destroyed or moved on, hence the quote about a greater power than the dwarves arising before Durin's children walk again in Moria. Balin found that out the hard and bloody way.

But then, along comes Gandalf. The Balrog is dead, peace reigns for the most part in ME following the war...Why wouldnt the dwarves make and attempt to take Moria at long last? Obviously they knew through Gimli of the Balrog's fall. The orcs would have been gone for the most part, destroyed in the war. There doesnt seem to be anything in the way, and yet I do not know of any further movement into their old home. Did fear alone stop them? That wouldnt be very like dwarves at all.

Thoughts?

[Sleepy Ranger]

I kind of thought the dwarves took back Moria. I think I read it somewhere but then again thats what comes from being in a school where there is only one LOTR fan(whose read the books)other than me.

[Iarwain]

After the end of the Third Age, their time was basically over. The dwarves dwindled, their population shrinking and shrinking until they were merely little people wandering in and about mountains. They became a reclusive race before they had a chance to retake Moria.

Iarwain

[Earendilyon]

But before they dwindled as a race, there were ofcourse still enough doughty (sp?) Dwarves to retake Moria, if they had wanted. I've never read anything about that, though. But I haven't read the whole of HoME either. Maybe they feared the other creatures of the roots of the mountains, like the Watcher in the Water? Gandalf told the Fellowship, there were still creatures living there, 'far older than Sauron'.

[Olorin_TLA]

Durin VII and Last would almost certainly have taken it back...but all that's after LotR...

[Finwe]

The ending of the Third Age signalled the birth of the Dominion of Men, which meant that all other races would slowly dwindle and fade away. The fate of the Elves would eventually be visited upon the Dwarves, but instead of becoming "a rustic folk of dell and cave," they would become a rustic folk of mountain and cave, "slowly to forget and be forgotten." Galadriel read much into the fate of the Elder Races (Elves and Dwarves), and I think that was the fate of the Dwarves.

[tinewelt]

And the line of Dáin prospered, and the wealth and renown of the kingship was renewed, until there arose again for the last time an heir of that House that bore the name of Durin, and he returned to Moria; and there was light again in deep places, and the ringing of hammers and the harping of harps, until the world grew old and the Dwarves failed and the days of Durin's race were ended.
The Making of Appendix A; HoME 12, The Peoples of Middle-Earth hope this helps

~Namarie~

[Earendilyon]

Thanks, Tinewelt! I already hoped there was something on this written there.