The Dwarves’ Axes in The Lord of the Rings Had a Deeper Meaning Than Most Fans Realize

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As a huge fantasy fan, I’ve noticed a really strong connection between Dwarves and axes – it’s almost a defining characteristic! You rarely see a Dwarf depicted, whether in a movie or a book, without one. Like so many fantasy traditions, this really started with J.R.R. Tolkien. Gimli, of course, famously used an axe, and who can forget him discovering Durin’s Axe in the Mines of Moria? While Thorin II Oakenshield from The Hobbit primarily fought with the Elven sword, Orcrist, Tolkien tells us in the chapter “Not at Home” that he also wielded “a silver-hafted axe” during the Battle of the Five Armies. And it wasn’t just the heroes – most Dwarven warriors in The Silmarillion were described as using axes too. It’s so ingrained in their culture that even the Dwarven battlecry, “Baruk Khazâd!”, literally translates to “Axes of the Dwarves!” It’s a fantastic example of world-building and how a simple weapon can become so tied to a specific race.

Peter Jackson’s films really emphasized the link between Dwarves and axes. In fact, several of Thorin’s companions – including Dwalin, Glóin, and Bofur – were given axes or axe-like weapons, even though the book didn’t say they used them. These depictions, along with other media, helped solidify the idea of Dwarves wielding axes in the public imagination. However, even though it’s a common idea, axes weren’t necessarily the natural weapon choice for Dwarves. Logically, smaller fighters like Dwarves would likely prefer longer weapons, like spears, to compensate for their shorter reach. So, why did Tolkien choose axes as the Dwarves’ main weapons? While Tolkien never explained this specifically, there are a few possible reasons, connected to both the history of the Dwarves within his stories and the real-world cultures that inspired them. It’s an interesting question, and one with multiple potential answers. Ultimately, the choice is a fascinating part of Tolkien’s world-building.

Axes Symbolized the Dwarves’ Most Important Traits

Swords, spears, and bows were designed for combat, but axes originally served as tools for cutting wood. Dwarves, who lived underground, needed a lot of wood to power their forges. Their demand for timber was so high that it worried Yavanna. As detailed in the section “Of Aulë and Yavanna” from The Silmarillion, the Dwarves were created by Aulë, the Vala of crafting, while his wife, Yavanna, was the Vala of plant life. She feared her husband’s creations would destroy the forests of Middle-earth. She warned Aulë, “Thy children will have little love for the things of my love… They will delve into the earth, and the things that grow and live upon the earth, they will not heed. Many a tree shall feel the bite of their iron without pity.” Yavanna asked Aulë to protect her forests, and he responded by creating the Ents. The Dwarves continued to collect wood, but the Ents ensured they did so responsibly. It was therefore logical that when the Dwarves went to war, they adapted their existing tools for battle. This idea is demonstrated in the novel The Hobbit, where the Dwarves of the Iron Hills fought with digging tools called mattocks.

Axes also highlighted the Dwarves’ dependence on raw power. Dwarves were known as the most physically resilient of the major races in Middle-earth, as Aulë specifically created them to withstand and fight against the forces of evil. They were easily provoked and took great pride in their aggressive fighting style. A Dwarf consumed by battle rage was enough to terrify most enemies. Axes were a fitting weapon for this image. Swords are designed for balance, but axes are weighted towards the blade, meaning they require more strength to wield, but deliver more powerful blows. This is particularly noticeable with the enormous axes often depicted in fantasy, which are usually much larger than those used historically. While axes don’t offer the same finesse or defensive options as swords, they are exceptional at attacking – and that was the most important thing to them.

The Lord of the Rings‘ Dwarves Were Inspired By Norse Culture

Beyond the stories of Middle-earth, the Dwarves’ preference for axes probably came from the real-life Scandinavian cultures that influenced Tolkien. The names of many Dwarven characters in his writings were Scandinavian in origin, and the Dwarves’ writing system, Angerthas, closely resembled Norse runes. While Vikings and other Scandinavian warriors used many weapons, they were best known for their axes. Axes were simpler to care for than swords, which was helpful for Vikings who spent a lot of time traveling by longship. They also needed less metal to make, making them a practical choice. Furthermore, Vikings often used axes for everyday tasks like woodworking, including building ships. Therefore, similar to the Dwarves, they were already skilled with axes and naturally used them in battle.

Later fantasy stories that kept giving Dwarves axes likely remembered ideas like these, but tradition played a bigger role. Axes are now as strongly linked to Dwarves and their short stature as ever, and any story that doesn’t include them is deliberately breaking with what people expect. This preference for axes is also helpful in video games and tabletop RPGs, providing a simple way to set Dwarves apart mechanically from other races. It even explains why axes are so common in many fantasy worlds, even though they used many different weapons in Middle-earth. Since weapons and armor are key parts of the fantasy genre, using them to define characters is a smart storytelling technique. The link Tolkien created between Dwarves and axes was a subtle but brilliant example of his incredible worldbuilding.

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2025-10-01 16:38