[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

It was dancing spawn of ungoliant who got me thinking again about the relation between Wargs and dancing in Middle-earth.

The Elves claimed to have brought the art of dancing to Middle-earth from the Blessed Realm, from whence they had learned much, of course, from the Ainur. This, while a controversial claim in itself, I will let pass for now. What is truly worthy of debate is the vast differences between Elvish and Wargish dancing.

Above all else, the dance of the Elves was slow. It was designed to complement, for example, poetry; and above all else it attempted to attain great beauty. It was timeless and appropriate in pretty much all walks of Elvish life.

Wargish dancing was very different. It had a vigour and energy drastically removed from the ways of the Elves. Such fire and passion was the trademark of the Warg; and while it was truly not appropriate for every occasion, Wargish dancing as a celebration of life was unmatched.

So what did they think of each other? The friendships and wars between the Elves and the Wargs have been well-documented on this Thread, but the bitterness between the two races over the application of dance was highly important. You see, the Elves (for the most part) despised Wargish dancing; they considered it depraved and 'low'; they did not see it as true dance, rather as a debauched social movement. Not all Elves agreed though. It is said that Lúthien Tinúviel herself was a not-so-secret fan of Wargish dance, and that her father was deeply ashamed of her for this very reason. She was always being locked in that Tree-house for bad behaviour. Why do you think Beren was so intoxicated by her dancing? Because it wasn't your regular Elvish stuff. It was infused with the lust of the Wargs.

Wargs for their part were pleased by Elvish dance at times. Certainly at Warg funerals Elvish dancing was favoured for the sombre occasion.

Any thoughts? Next time I'll offer a little-heeded example of the great influence of Wargish dancing in one of the cosier settings of the Third Age.