Thread: Sarumans Orcs
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Old 12-20-2002, 10:52 AM   #31
Man-of-the-Wold
Wight
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: With Tux, dread poodle of Pinnath Galin
Posts: 239
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1420!

Well, there I agree with Film depiction. Although on their own, Orcs may not be able to multiply at any greater a rate that Men or Elves, they can clearly be bred in vast numbers with the intervention of the Dark Powers. The 10,000s of Orcs at Mordor seems a bit hard to explain otherwise, when Gondor and Rohan have grown only marginally over much greater periods of time.

But in specific, I don't think there really are female Orcs in terms of secondary traits. I believe that quite literally, Orcs are "spawned" by mixing something from superficially androgynous pairs or whatever in pools of subterrainean muck, from which the appear ready to fend for themselves.

There are some who ascribe to a belief in regular genders, intercourse, gestation and rearing of orc children by Orcs on a par with other peoples. Burrahobbit, I think, is very adamant about it. I think the gestation and rearing part defies common sense in view of the lack of nuturing and inter-person support witnessed amoung the Orcs we meet in the Books.
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The hoes unrecked in the fields were flung, __ and fallen ladders in the long grass lay __ of the lush orchards; every tree there turned __ its tangled head and eyed them secretly, __ and the ears listened of the nodding grasses; __ though noontide glowed on land and leaf, __ their limbs were chilled.
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