Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site calmasd.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!ihnp4!qantel!hplabs!sdcrdcf!sdcsvax!sdcc3!sdcc6!calmasd!dmm
From: dmm@calmasd.UUCP (David M. MacMillan)
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: Tolkien's dwarf names (net.nlang.celts reposting) (eleventy-one lines long.)
Message-ID: <561@calmasd.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 3-Sep-85 16:38:13 EDT
Article-I.D.: calmasd.561
Posted: Tue Sep  3 16:38:13 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 8-Sep-85 04:37:27 EDT
References: <3444@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU> <700@psivax.UUCP>
Reply-To: dmm@calmasd.UUCP (David M. MacMillan)
Organization: Calma Company, San Diego, CA
Lines: 99
Keywords: Tolkien, Dwarves, The Prose Edda, net.nlang.celts


     The following two postings appeared originally in net.nlang.celts.
I don't think that they're still available there; these are from local
copies I made.  Needless to say, I had nothing to do with the original
postings, and so can neither claim credit nor recieve blame.
I've tried to edit the header info to the bare minimum.

                             David M. MacMillan

Path: calmasd!sdcc6!sdcc3!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!randvax!jim
>From: jim@randvax.UUCP (Jim Gillogly)
Subject: Tolkien's dwarf names
Date: 17 Aug 85 18:44:09 GMT
Organization: Banzai Institute

There I was, reading Snorri Sturluson's "The Prose Edda" (Translated from
Icelandic by Jean I. Young; originally written in the 13th century) and
minding my own business, when I ran across the following section, where
Snorri is quoting from the Sibyl's Vision:

	There many dwarfs
	resembling men
	they made in earth
	as Durin said.

    And the sibyl gives these as their names:

	Nyi, Nidhi,    (I'm using dh for a d with slash through it)
	Nordhri, Sudhri,
	Austri, Vestri,
	Althjof, Dvalin,
	Nar, Nain,
	Niping, Dain,
	Bifur, Bafur,
	Bombor, Nori,
	Ori, Onar,
	Oin, Mjodhvitnir,
	Vig and Ganndalf,   [Footnote on Ganndalf: "Sorcerer-elf"]
	Vinndalf, Thorin,
	Fili, Kili,
	Fundin, Vali,
	Thror, Throin,
	Threkk, Lit, Vit,
	Nyr, Nyradh,
	Rekk, Radhsvidh,

    And these too are dwarfs and they live in rocks, but the above-
    mentioned live in the earth:

	Draupnir, Dogthvari,
	Haur, Hugstari,
	Hledhjolf, Gloin,
	Dori, Ori,
	Duf, Andvari,
	Heptifili,
	Har, Sviar.

    The following, however, came from Svarin's grave-mound to
    Aurvangar in Joruvellir, and from these have sprung Lovar; their
    names are

	Skirvir, Virvir,
	Skafidh, Ai,
	Alf, Ingi,
	Eikinskjaldi,  [Footnote on this says "With-oak-shield"]
	Fal, Frosti,
	Fidh, Ginnar.

------

There were footnotes on some of the others, but these were the only ones
that seemed to have meaning to Tolkien fans.  So if any of you want to
write about more dwarves, here are some likely ones... Dennis McKiernan,
are you in need of any for your world?

Funny thing ... each time I read "The Hobbit" it seems that the dwarf
names are silly and invented for their alliteration and rhyming.  Little
did I know!
-- 
	Jim Gillogly
	{decvax, vortex}!randvax!jim
	jim@rand-unix.arpa


Path: calmasd!sdcc6!sdcc3!sdcsvax!dcdwest!ittatc!decvax!decwrl!spar!platt
>From: platt@spar.UUCP (John Platt)
Subject: Re: Tolkien's dwarf names
Date: 26 Aug 85 16:33:11 GMT
Reply-To: platt@max.UUCP (John Platt)
Organization: Schlumberger Palo Alto Research, CA

If anyone is interested in the origin of many of the names in Lord of the
Rings, you might want to track down "Languages of Middle-Earth" by Ruth Noel.
Or "Mythology of Middle-Earth", also by Ruth Noel. She mentions the dwarf
names, and other interesting stuff, too.

						john platt
						decwrl!spar!platt (UUCP)
					     or platt@sri-kl (ARPA)