how durin founded the longbeards

[Zigûr]

Originally Posted by Ivriniel

I never figured out where the 'seven' realms of Dwarves were. Does anybody know? I figured Iron Hills, Nogrod, Belegost, Moria and have no idea where the other ancient realms were.

We only know of three: Gabilgathol (Belegost), Tumunzahar (Nogrod) and Khazad-dûm. The four others were in the East and apparently unknown to Western lore, although I daresay the Western Dwarves themselves probably had detailed information on them given that they were able to summon them for the War of the Dwarves and Orcs, for instance, and if I've read correctly still traded with them also. Given that four of the Seven Rings were destroyed, and we can imagine a Ring may have been allocated to each house (including the heirs of Belegost and Nogrod who now dwelt in Khazad-dûm, presumably, if this was the case) it seems not unreasonable to me that some of the Eastern mansions probably suffered over the course of the Third Age as well, if not the late Second.

I once read an interesting article proposing a mountain range in Rhûn between the Misty Mountains and the Orocarni or Red Mountains to allocate the four Eastern houses space, but personally I think it's not unreasonable to imagine that all four Eastern houses were delved into the Orocarni, if indeed the Orocarni was where they were delved. Belegost and Nogrod, despite being individual mansions, were both delved into Mount Dolmed, after all.

The influence of Khuzdul was likely to be seen in Adûnaic as well: Professor Tolkien mentions "the theory (a probable one) that in the unrecorded past some of the languages of Men - including the language of the dominant element in the Atani from which Adûnaic was derived - had been influenced by Khuzdul."

I also think it's interesting to consider the bearded, axe-bearing Easterlings who appeared in Gondor during the War of the Ring, which is something which suggests to me the possibility of certain cultures in Rhûn which bore a Dwarven influence due to a comparatively high concentration of Dwarves in that part of the world.

There was no Dwarven settlement in the Iron Hills until Grór led part of Durin's Folk there in 2589 after their halls in the Grey Mountains were destroyed by Cold-drakes.