About dwarf women

[A_Brandybuck]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

Hmmm. What might have inspired or prompted Tolkien to imagine or create bearded dwarven women?

Maybe he wanted to express the strange creation of the Dwarves by Aule. The Dwarves didn't come normally into being like Elves and Men, who were created by Ilúvatar. The Dwarves were made in a revolutionary way against the 'law' of Ilúvatar. Although Ilúvatar adopted them. But he didn't create them. Aule created them, because he couldn't wait for the Coming of the Children of Ilúvatar. But he created them straight from his memory of the vision, which was not very clear.
Maybe Aule couldn't remember this little detail, that male and female differ in the face. Consequently he gave both a beard.

In every case I have the meaning, that Tolkien wanted to express that Dwarves are different from the other Children of Ilúvatar. And this theory fits well with the reasons of Aule creating the Dwarves (and his lacking memory of the vision.)