Ogres
Ogres were monstrous and destructive creatures of legend and folklore. In fact, it is doubtful whether Ogres ever existed in Middle-earth.
During the Riddle-game with Gollum, Bilbo Baggins in his attempt to solve Gollum's fifth riddle, he sat thinking of all the horrible names of all the giants and ogres he had ever heard told of in tales.[1].
No ogre is ever mentioned in the annals of the Elder Days and none played any role in the wars and battles. It is entirely possible that they were a mythical race.
It is also possible that Ogre were just another name for the Trolls.
Other versions of the legendarium
Ogres were used by J.R.R. Tolkien in early drafts of Middle-earth as a name for one of the monsters bred by Melkor along with Gongs and the other Úvanimor.[2]
They are mentioned as cannibal giants. Those of the north were known as Hongwir while the southern ones were named Sarqindi.[3] Sarqindi is glossed as "Cannibal-ogres". [4]
Tolkien mentioned again ogres out of context in analyses of the name Orc: "...the gloss Þyrs 'ogre'..." , and of the name Ettendales: "This is meant to be a Common Speech (not Elvish) name, though it contains an obsolete element eten 'troll, ogre'."[5]
References
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "Riddles in the Dark"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part One
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, "Early Qenya and The Valmaric Script", in Parma Eldalamberon XIV (edited by Carl F. Hostetter, Christopher Gilson, Arden R. Smith, Patrick H. Wynne, and Bill Welden), "The Creatures of the Earth"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "Appendix: Names in the Lost Tales – Part II", p. 347
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, "Nomenclature of The Lord of the Rings" in Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull (eds), The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion, pp. 762, 770
| Legendary races of Arda | |
| Animals: | Dumbledors · Gorcrows · Hummerhorns · Pards · Swans of Gorbelgod · Turtle-fish |
|---|---|
| Dragon-kind: | Sea-serpents · Spark-dragons · Were-worms |
| Evil Races: | Ettens · Giants · Half-trolls · Hobgoblins · Ogres · Snow-trolls · Two-headed Trolls |
| Other: | Badger-folk · Great beasts · Lintips · Mewlips · Nameless things · Spectres |
| Individuals: | Talking Gurthang · Talking purse · The Hunter · Lady of the Sun · Lonely Troll · Man in the Moon · The Rider · River-woman · Tarlang · Tim · Tom · White cow |
