The Warg and Warg Rider Appreciation Thread

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

I knew that if I could find just one other like-minded individual then it would have been worth it to start this thread. I hail thee SamwiseGamgee!

I have heard the Male Warg Voice Choir of Colombia, though not featured on any popular recordings. I was actually in Nigeria at the time and the Choir were travelling through Africa. It was a glorious destiny which brought us together, I am sure of it. Anywho, the Wargs were simply breathtaking in their delivery of traditional Colombian music. It brings tears to my eyes as I type this remembering the wonderful spectacle and the emotion felt among all who heard.

I have not heard of this Bosnian Warg dance but I will keep my eyes open. It sounds excellent.

As for The Lord of the Rings movies portrayal of Wargs, I was disappointed. They came across as very one-dimensional. I suppose Peter Jackson chose to ignore such tales as that of the Wargs of Rohan coming to the aid of the Elves in the Battle of Mirkwood. I will tell the full tale next time.

Until then, please delight me, Children of the Downs, with your own tales of Wargs. Thanks.

[SamwiseGamgee]

I now return, glad to recount tales of wargs and their exploits. I feel now is as good a time as any to tell the story of my time in Bhutan, and the famous sight I saw of Yeti and Warg, locked in mortal combat.
I was first sent to Bhutan as part of a BBC research team. We had been sent in order to seek out evidence of two of the greatest legends of all time: the yeti and the black mountain warg. I had spent 25 nights in Bhutan without ever having seen anything other than squirrels and bears. We had split our group up and I had camped out on a plateau known to the locals as 'Shuekwasho', that is 'the place of the warg'. It was on the 26th night that my luck perked up.
At about 2am I made my first sighting of a yeti. It was a huge creature. Nearly 9 ft tall and covered in short, coarse, black hair. It had features like a man, yet different in some slight, indistinguishable way. He came quite near my tent and was making intimidating noises. This continued for another half hour, and as it did so I became more and more tense.
It is a well known fact among the native mountain trackers of Bhutan that Yetis do not take fondly to humans. Legend would have them believe that any mortal who is not worthy to look upon the Yeti but does so will surely die. Just as the Yeti seemed to be preparing for its assault on my tent he was attacked by a warg. The warg was huge. At least 11 ft long, about 7ft tall and perhaps 6ft broad at the shoulders. His great black fur shone in the full moon of the mountains and his silvery mane flowed majestically down his spine! He plunged upon the Yeti like a great noble knight! The Yeti fought him off and in moments these two mythical warriors were embroiled in a battle, nay war, of titanic proportions. For the next hour the two fought each other viciously and without rest. There was blood aplenty and at one point the Yeti even lost his right eye- a specimen which I still have- in a particularly gruesome gouge.
The battle, however, could not continue forever. The warg was gaining the upper hand and the Yeti was in serious trouble. He soon realised that against a great black mountain warg there can be no victory, and so skulked off into the dawn mists to die alone.
The warg stood there, steam rising from his exhausted body, somewhere between a shadow and reality. A great, black silhouette against the breathtaking scenery of the Bhutanese Alps at dawn. There he stood, King of Beasts, Lord of Battle and Noble Protector. For there he stayed, laying down after a short while, until the voices of my trackers could be heard and he knew I would be safe from the murderous Yeti.
And so he passed into the forests and forever from my sight. I have told many my story, though few believe. I admit, even I may have formerly been a sceptic. However, when one has seen the great black mountain warg one knows that he is no mere mortal warg, he is as the Bhutanese locals say a 'Diuesal'- a protector from the gods.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

I am in awe of your tale Samwise. I really cannot say anything else except that I am so happy that you have experienced such a thing.

I am still compiling the full tale of the Battle of Mirkwood so I will post it next time. Until then, a word of advice Samwise. Your signature is very cool, but it is over large and you may irk the moderators by keeping it. Perhaps make it smaller?

[SamwiseGamgee]

Ah, tis true. I had not realised just how large font size 7 would be! As large as a small pony, it emerged!
I await with bated breath the epic tale of the Battle of Mirkwood and hope that it will live up to my expectations, though I am almost positive it will. It's a battle with wargs in, what more could I want?

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

The Battle Of Mirkwood, as told by an anonymous Elf several years after the event.


It took place in the south-west of Mirkwood in a place considered an Elven stronghold. The army stationed there was huge. However, they had met their match. The Orc captain Gorgomoth had become crazed in his attempts to destroy the Elves of Mirkwood, and had ploughed all of his strength into the assault. Middle-earth braced itself for a climactic battle that would surely alter the course of history.

It did. Hundreds of thousands of Elves were massacred by the Orcs, who lost a vast proportion of their force themselves. However, the outcome was in no real doubt. The Orcs were too many and the Elves would surely fall.

It was when all hope was gone when the Elves heard the ominous sound of howling on the wind. Wargs - thousands and thousands of Wargs. The Elves braced themselves for the end of their lives.

But no! The Wargs turned on the Orcs, their former allies. With vigour they ripped and tore into the terrified Orcs. Oh the humanity! The blood of the Orcs rained down on the beautiful trees of Mirkwood. When the slaughter was complete the Wargs left with no explanation of their deeds. None was needed. The Elves of Mirkwood were saved all because of the Good Wargs who had come out of Rohan.

Without a doubt, this battle is what changed the common conception of the Warg forever. No more were they considered all evil. From now on the Peoples of Middle-earth never knew what to expect from Wargs. On the one side there were still evil Wargs who served the Orc captains. However, on the other side was a tremendous host of good Wargs, bent on doing great and glorious deeds and properly utilizing the extraordinary and wondrous talents given to them by a truly perfect God.

[SamwiseGamgee]

It is trully delightful to share such epic stories of wargs and their varied natures with one who so clearly shares my views and opinions.
Wargs are a strange enigma. Neither wholly good nor wholly evil. They are perhaps the exception to many rules. Few know why wargs obey anyone, with their razor sharp wit and brain powers. One suggestion is that it is not a true warg who serves the orcs. I disagree. even the mightiest of beings (and wargs are counted among them) can be warped by evil. Take Saruman, for example.
So, a warg is perhaps rather like Tom Bombadil-neither clearly good or clearly evil.
Who knows? It could just as easily been a warg who had aided the hobbits in their quest, perhaps a far off descendant of the wargs of Rohan? Perhaps Tom Bombadil was even a warg? It is a puzzling perplexion which I feel could be a fine debate. Before that, though, I'd like to hear more of the origins of the wargs of Rohan. How did they come to be there? Whom did they serve? Were they gifts from Eru or emissaries of the Valar?

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Was Tom Bombadil a Warg? Sounds like a fantastic debate and one which I am looking forward to.

Concerning the Wargs of Rohan. They moved into Rohan during a harsh period for the Men of Rohan. Their numbers were dwindling and they were constantly threatened by nearby Orcs. No-one knew where the Wargs came from. All they knew was that they acted friendly towards the Men and protected them from many evils. The Elves of Mirkwood did not know about this relationship because communication between Mirkwood and Rohan was tricky in those days.

I do wonder if Wargs can be considered Bombadil-esque. If we consider it, we can see that the origins of Men and Elves and Dwarves and Ents are given explanation. Even Hobbits are explained better than Wargs are, being linked closely to Men. To not explain the origins of Wargs (especially considering how potent their powers are) was a strange ommision by the Good Professor.

Without putting much thought into, my initial guess would be that Wargs are simply servants (?) of the Valar. Feel free to challenge this claim.