Dáin II Ironfoot
Encyclopedia
Dáin II Ironfoot was a Dwarf
and king of Erebor
in J. R. R. Tolkien
's high fantasy
legendarium
concerning Middle-earth
. His story is told primarily in Appendix A of The Lord of the Rings
, and he appears briefly in The Hobbit
.
Dáin, one of the Dwarves' greatest warriors, was the son of Náin and grandson of Grór, the youngest son of Dáin I of Durin's folk
. Following his grandfather's death, Dáin became lord of the Dwarves of the Iron Hills
in Wilderland; and after the death of Thorin Oakenshield
and the extinction of the main branch of Durin
's line, he succeeded Thorin as King under the Mountain and King of Durin's folk, the first not in the direct line.
Dáin's father, Náin, was killed by the great Orc
Azog during the Battle of Nanduhirion before the gates of Moria
, the culmination of the War of the Dwarves and Orcs. Dáin avenged Náin, slaying Azog in single combat. He was a very young Dwarf at the time (only 32, while Dwarves reach maturity, or "battle-readiness" at the age of 30), and this was heralded as a magnificent feat. Dáin alone looked past the gate into Moria, saw that the Balrog
was still active within, and knew that it was impossible for the Dwarves to return at that time. He dissuaded Thráin II
from attempting to occupy Moria.
Dáin was second cousin to Thorin Oakenshield
, and responded to Thorin's call for help during the quest to reclaim Erebor. Dáin set out with several hundred Dwarves, and arrived just in time for the Battle of Five Armies (as recounted in The Hobbit). Thorin was mortally wounded in this battle, and Dáin became king after his death.
Dáin was killed during the War of the Ring
in , defending the body of his ally King Brand of Dale before the gates of Erebor. He was by then an old Dwarf – aged 252 according to Appendix A in The Lord of the Rings – but his prowess in battle was still great. After the war he was succeeded by his son, Thorin III Stonehelm.
Though it is unclear whether he knew it, Dáin lived just long enough to see the way cleared for the Dwarves to retake Moria; he died just weeks after Gandalf
's defeat of the Balrog early in .
, based on Peter Jackson's trilogy. In the game, Brand does not partake in the siege of Erebor; therefore in the level Dáin must survive. His axe is given the name Barazantathul, and is described as "one of the finest weapons ever made by Dwarfdom", "rightly feared by all his enemies". This name and a similar description (not appearing in Tolkien) are also used in the Games Workshop
Lord of the Rings Table Top game, and the axe has its own set of rules.
Dwarf (Middle-earth)
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Dwarves are a race inhabiting the world of Arda, a fictional prehistoric Earth which includes the continent Middle-earth....
and king of Erebor
Lonely Mountain
In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, the Lonely Mountain is a mountain in the northeast of Rhovanion. It is also the source of the Celduin river.- Origins of the Kingdom Under the Mountain :...
in J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's high fantasy
High fantasy
High fantasy or epic fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy that is set in invented or parallel worlds. High fantasy was brought to fruition through the work of authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, whose major fantasy works were published in the 1950s...
legendarium
Tolkien's legendarium
The phrase Tolkien's legendarium is used in the literary discipline of Tolkien studiesto refer to the part of J. R. R. Tolkien's high fantasy fiction being concerned with his Elven legends; that is, historic events that have become legendary from the perspective of the characters of The Lord of the...
concerning Middle-earth
Middle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....
. His story is told primarily in Appendix A of The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
, and he appears briefly in The Hobbit
The Hobbit
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, better known by its abbreviated title The Hobbit, is a fantasy novel and children's book by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published on 21 September 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the New York Herald...
.
Dáin, one of the Dwarves' greatest warriors, was the son of Náin and grandson of Grór, the youngest son of Dáin I of Durin's folk
Durin's folk
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, Durin's folk, also known as the Longbeards, were the most important clan of Dwarves. Their name comes from that of their first king, Durin I "The Deathless". They were the eldest and greatest of the seven Dwarf-clans.They originally...
. Following his grandfather's death, Dáin became lord of the Dwarves of the Iron Hills
Iron Hills
The Iron Hills are a fictional range of mountains in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings. They are remnants of the Iron Mountains of the First Age and are located east of the Lonely Mountain in the northeastern part of Rhovanion and the northwest of Rhûn. In the Third Age, they are home to a...
in Wilderland; and after the death of Thorin Oakenshield
Thorin Oakenshield
Thorin Oakenshield, son of Thráin, son of Thrór, King Under the Mountain is a major character in The Hobbit and is mentioned in passing in The Lord of the Rings...
and the extinction of the main branch of Durin
Durin
Durin is the name of seven Kings of Dwarves in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. They were held by the Dwarves to be the reincarnations of the first one, Durin the Deathless, resembling him in appearance and said to have preserved memories of their 'earlier lives'.Tolkien took the name Durin, like...
's line, he succeeded Thorin as King under the Mountain and King of Durin's folk, the first not in the direct line.
Dáin's father, Náin, was killed by the great Orc
Orc (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings, Orcs or Orks are a race of creatures who are used as soldiers and henchmen by both the greater and lesser villains of The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings — Morgoth, Sauron and Saruman...
Azog during the Battle of Nanduhirion before the gates of Moria
Moria (Middle-earth)
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Moria was the name given by the Eldar to an enormous underground complex in north-western Middle-earth, comprising a vast network of tunnels, chambers, mines and huge halls or 'mansions', that ran under and ultimately through the Misty Mountains...
, the culmination of the War of the Dwarves and Orcs. Dáin avenged Náin, slaying Azog in single combat. He was a very young Dwarf at the time (only 32, while Dwarves reach maturity, or "battle-readiness" at the age of 30), and this was heralded as a magnificent feat. Dáin alone looked past the gate into Moria, saw that the Balrog
Balrog
Balrogs are fictional demonic beings who appear in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. Such creatures first appeared in print in his novel The Lord of the Rings, though they figured in earlier writings that posthumously appeared in The Silmarillion and other books.Balrogs are described as...
was still active within, and knew that it was impossible for the Dwarves to return at that time. He dissuaded Thráin II
Thráin II
Thráin II is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He is first mentioned in The Hobbit, and more of his history is given in Unfinished Tales.A Dwarven king, Thráin is the son of Thrór and father of Thorin Oakenshield...
from attempting to occupy Moria.
Dáin was second cousin to Thorin Oakenshield
Thorin Oakenshield
Thorin Oakenshield, son of Thráin, son of Thrór, King Under the Mountain is a major character in The Hobbit and is mentioned in passing in The Lord of the Rings...
, and responded to Thorin's call for help during the quest to reclaim Erebor. Dáin set out with several hundred Dwarves, and arrived just in time for the Battle of Five Armies (as recounted in The Hobbit). Thorin was mortally wounded in this battle, and Dáin became king after his death.
Dáin was killed during the War of the Ring
War of the Ring
In the fictional high fantasy-world of J. R. R. Tolkien, the War of the Ring was fought between Sauron and the free peoples of Middle-earth for control of the One Ring and dominion over the continent. The War of the Ring took place at the end of the Third Age. Together with the Quest of Mount Doom,...
in , defending the body of his ally King Brand of Dale before the gates of Erebor. He was by then an old Dwarf – aged 252 according to Appendix A in The Lord of the Rings – but his prowess in battle was still great. After the war he was succeeded by his son, Thorin III Stonehelm.
Though it is unclear whether he knew it, Dáin lived just long enough to see the way cleared for the Dwarves to retake Moria; he died just weeks after Gandalf
Gandalf
Gandalf is a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. In these stories, Gandalf appears as a wizard, member and later the head of the order known as the Istari, as well as leader of the Fellowship of the Ring and the army of the West...
's defeat of the Balrog early in .
Adaptations
He appears in the real-time strategy game, The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth IIThe Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II
The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II, abbreviated BFMEII, is a real-time strategy video game developed and published by Electronic Arts. It is based on the fantasy novels The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien and its live-action film trilogy adaptation...
, based on Peter Jackson's trilogy. In the game, Brand does not partake in the siege of Erebor; therefore in the level Dáin must survive. His axe is given the name Barazantathul, and is described as "one of the finest weapons ever made by Dwarfdom", "rightly feared by all his enemies". This name and a similar description (not appearing in Tolkien) are also used in the Games Workshop
Games Workshop
Games Workshop Group plc is a British game production and retailing company. Games Workshop has published the tabletop wargames Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000...
Lord of the Rings Table Top game, and the axe has its own set of rules.