The Warg and Warg Rider Appreciation Thread

[Amariden Ravenhill]

Ai Eru Illuvatar! What a tragety!!!

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

That is indeed a most sorry tale of the weakness of Men, and indeed Wargs. I wonder, of all the races in Middle-earth, are Men the closest to Wargs? Of course, they are in general far less powerful than Wargs, but both races have similar tendencies to fall under the darkness.

[SamwiseGamgee]

That's an intriguing point you make, Eomer. I think what you have hypothesised is quite close to the truth.
Here at the warg appreciation thread we are quite aware of the shortcomings of some wargs in character: their tendency to be drawn to the darkness and their lust for power. However, these wargs are few and far between, and represent a tiny minority of the vast and great race of wargs. We report their cases for we are a subjective organisation. We want people to learn and make up their own minds as we did.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Good reply Samwise. It is indeed true that, though tendencies of Men and Wargs can be similar, the proportion of Men and Wargs who act upon evil inclinations is hugely different.

Perhaps Wargs are far more fairly compared with the Valar?

[Amariden Ravenhill]

A truely interesting veiw, Eomer of the Rohirrim. I apologize to you all for seeming to have disappeared, but I was ill with the flu and could not answer to the summons that cry out for retribution on behalf of all Warg-kind. While I was confined to my hobbit-hole as a result of my flu, I was thus inspired to composed a poem in honor of Dirdun.

The Lament of Dirdun

Hail Dirdun,
Mighty among Wargs
Troll-hewer and
Nobelest of Nobles
He with his kin
the West Dirdunings,
Wandered off afar
In lands unknown
Aided by Elves
Fairest of friends
There at Weathertop
Hewed by Easterlings
Thus Dirdun was slain by evil hands
There died many a warg
Innoccent and pure
Broken by the sword
Rangers of the Dunedain
Mourned the loss
of what passed

[SamwiseGamgee]

Nice prose, Ravenhill. Tell me, which part of the Shire do you hail from? I have a tendency to roam, but maybe I know your hobbit hole. Perhaps I could pop in for a cup of tea or see to your garden?
I think that to draw a link between the Valar and wargs is perhaps tenuous, but not without merit, Eomer. Certainly I think we must realise that wargs are not as powerful as the Valar. If they were would they submit themselves at all? However, as you point out the wargs are mighty as compared to their peers, and a few of them have chosen to tread the path of darkness.
I feel that wargs are probably as powerful or maybe slightly less so than the Maiar. I do not think a single warg could challenge Sauron, but I think an army of wargs marching upon Barad-Dur would surely put the fear into the heart of the Red Eye. A fair fight, if we choose to define it in such terms, would probably be a warg and a balrog.
One interesting question which arises regarding wargs is that Bombadil like enigma of why they did not take a more active role in the War of the Ring?
I'd just like to point out now that all my opinions are rebuttable, and I look forward to hearing counter arguments or comments.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Before we answer the question "Why did the (good) Wargs not take a more active role in the War of the Ring" we must first ask an estimate of how many Wargs were alive in Middle-earth at the time.

As far as I can tell there were not very many. It is also unclear where they resided. I don't think that Wargs lived in large groups so it is my guess that there were a considerable, if scattered number of Wargs all over Middle-earth.

Perhaps they didn't consider the War to affect them too much?