About dwarf women

[Formendacil]

Perhaps the likeness in appearance between dwarf men and women is due to the fact that other races (Elves, Men, Hobbits, etc..) were generally unaware that Dwarves REALLY liked their beards, and ALWAYS had them....

I mean, perhaps they occasionally saw a Dwarf without a beard, but simply thought it was a more civilised clean-shaven one? After all, the Dwarves were pretty secretive, so it's unlikely that they would have given away the secret...

That's the only thought I've got. Other than that, the only thought that comes to mind is that Dwarf women actually DID have beards, scary as the thought is...

[Neithan]

Other than that, the only thought that comes to mind is that Dwarf women actually DID have beards, scary as the thought is...

It's scary for us, but we are not Dwarves.

[Formendacil]

Originally Posted by Neithan

It's scary for us, but we are not Dwarves.

For which I am eternally thankful...

However, my main point is that these are the only two ideas that I can come up with that would explain Tolkien's statement. Any ideas from someone else are fine with me. I'm certainly not tied to either theory...

[Legolas]

but it is true and is in either UT or HoME .....I will check the ref... my guess would be "The Peoples of Middle Earth".

As stated in the original post of this thread, the reference is in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings.

Appendix A, 'Annals of the Kings and Rulers;' III - Durin's Folk.

[Mithalwen]

Originally Posted by Legolas

As stated in the original post of this thread, the reference is in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings.

Appendix A, 'Annals of the Kings and Rulers;' III - Durin's Folk.

Yes, but it doesn't specifically mention beards in the appendix (although I admit they are implied) I think the beardedness of dwarf women is stated explicitly in HoME although I have not yet had a chance to look.

It does raise some other fairly boggling questions which probably should be left well alone...

Edit .. for some reason when I posted this the screen hadn't brought up the last posts which raised some of those disturbing questions!

[Thinlómien]

I've just been more about this...
If four of Thorin's companions were women and it's not mentioned in the story itself, how many of the dwarves we've coma along could be women? Just thinking about all dwarves in Tolkien's books... Well, seriously, probably no one, because there aren't very much female main characters in Tolkien's books and those dwarves mentioned are usually kings or great warriors and not many of Tolkien's women are "warheros" (except Éowyn and so on...).

So the question I thought about: The Seven Fathers of the Dwarves. Some of them were women? Dwarves are, in my opinion, very patriarchaic (?) people. So some of their most highly regarded ancestors being women doesn't sound very smart. But some of them, at least one, had to be women/woman, because otherwise the dwarves would have died to extinction, because men can't reproduce without women. Any ideas about this?

[Formendacil]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

So the question I thought about: The Seven Fathers of the Dwarves. Some of them were women? Dwarves are, in my opinion, very patriarchaic (?) people. So some of their most highly regarded ancestors being women doesn't sound very smart. But some of them, at least one, had to be women/woman, because otherwise the dwarves would have died to extinction, because men can't reproduce without women. Any ideas about this?

If I recall correctly, Tolkien's final opinion on the subject was that in addition to the Seven Fathers, there were also Six Mothers, who were laid together with one of the Seven Fathers, except for the Eldest, Durin. Durin later ended up wedding one of the progeny of the other Six Fathers.