Thráin II
Encyclopedia
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
. A Longbeard and direct descendant of Durin
, he became heir of the lost King under the Mountain and King of Durin's Folk
in exile as Thráin II after his father was killed at Moria
.http://www.glyphweb.com/ARDA/k/kingofdurinsfolk.html
Thráin and his kin fled when the dragon
Smaug
descended on Erebor, and took the kingdom. Thráin took with him a map which showed a secret entrance to Erebor.
Shortly afterwards, Thrór left his only remaining treasure, his Ring of Power, to Thráin and went to Moria. Upon hearing of his father's death at the hands of the Orc
chieftain Azog, Thráin sent messages to houses of the six other founding fathers. They obliged, as Azog had desecrated Thrór's body—a great insult to the eldest line. The Dwarves were victorious in the ensuing War of the Dwarves and Orcs, but their losses were heavy, especially in the Battle of Azanulbizar, where Azog was beheaded. After the victory, a lamed Thráin attempted to enter Moria, but Dáin II Ironfoot
stopped him, prophesying that some other power must come before Durin's folk could return to Moria.
Afterwards, Thráin and Thorin established themselves in the Ered Luin, where they settled in the old dwarven mines and prospered, after a fashion. He still had one of the Seven Rings, passed down through the line of Durin, but it could not make them wealthy again quickly given their low state.
As Thráin grew older, he was driven by the malice of his ring
and the desire for gold gnawed at his heart. He left Thorin for the Wilderlands, but was captured and imprisoned in Dol Guldur
in southern Mirkwood
. There, the last of the Dwarven Rings of Power
was taken from him and he was left in the dungeon to die.
Gandalf the Grey
found Thráin while on a mission to Dol Guldur to discover the identity of "The Necromancer", a mysterious Dark Lord who was later revealed to be Sauron
. Moments away from death, Thráin gave him the old map. Gandalf promised to deliver it to Thráin's son, but Thráin, who was delirious with pain, had forgotten his name, so Gandalf did not expect to be able to fulfil this promise. Thráin died soon afterwards.
Later, Gandalf met with Thorin near Bree
, and realized that he was the son of the captured dwarf in Dol Guldur. He promised to help Thorin with the Quest of Erebor
, and invited a hobbit
named Bilbo Baggins
along to take the role of burglar. It was only at this late date that Thorin learned what had befallen his father and he contemplated taking revenge as Thrain had on Azog and the goblins. Gandalf
who alone of those present knew who the "necromancer" really was urged caution, and reminded Thorin of the far older debt of vengeance he owed the Dragon Smaug.
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 legendarium
Legendarium
Legendary may refer to:*A hagiography, or study of the lives of saints and other religious figures**The South English Legendary, a Middle English legendary*A legend-Entertainment:*Legendary, an album by Kaysha*Legendary...
. He is first mentioned 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...
, and more of his history is given in Unfinished Tales
Unfinished Tales
Unfinished Tales is a collection of stories and essays by J. R. R. Tolkien that were never completed during his lifetime, but were edited by his son Christopher Tolkien and published in 1980.Unlike The Silmarillion, for which the narrative fragments were modified to connect into a consistent and...
.
A Dwarven
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....
king, Thráin is the son of Thrór and father 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...
. A Longbeard and direct descendant 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...
, he became heir of the lost King under the Mountain and King 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...
in exile as Thráin II after his father was killed at 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...
.http://www.glyphweb.com/ARDA/k/kingofdurinsfolk.html
Thráin and his kin fled when the dragon
Dragon (Middle-earth)
J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium features dragons closely based on those of European legend.Besides dragon , Tolkien variously used the terms drake and worm .-History:The dragons were created by Morgoth...
Smaug
Smaug
Smaug is a fictional character in the novel The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien. He is a dragon, and the main antagonist within the story.-The Hobbit:...
descended on Erebor, and took the kingdom. Thráin took with him a map which showed a secret entrance to Erebor.
Shortly afterwards, Thrór left his only remaining treasure, his Ring of Power, to Thráin and went to Moria. Upon hearing of his father's death at the hands of the 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...
chieftain Azog, Thráin sent messages to houses of the six other founding fathers. They obliged, as Azog had desecrated Thrór's body—a great insult to the eldest line. The Dwarves were victorious in the ensuing War of the Dwarves and Orcs, but their losses were heavy, especially in the Battle of Azanulbizar, where Azog was beheaded. After the victory, a lamed Thráin attempted to enter Moria, but Dáin II Ironfoot
Dáin II Ironfoot
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....
stopped him, prophesying that some other power must come before Durin's folk could return to Moria.
Afterwards, Thráin and Thorin established themselves in the Ered Luin, where they settled in the old dwarven mines and prospered, after a fashion. He still had one of the Seven Rings, passed down through the line of Durin, but it could not make them wealthy again quickly given their low state.
As Thráin grew older, he was driven by the malice of his ring
Rings of Power
The Rings of Power in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium are magical rings created by Sauron or by the Elves of Eregion under Sauron's tutelage...
and the desire for gold gnawed at his heart. He left Thorin for the Wilderlands, but was captured and imprisoned in Dol Guldur
Dol Guldur
Dol Guldur was Sauron's stronghold in Mirkwood in the fictional world of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. It is first mentioned in The Hobbit. The hill itself, rocky and barren, was the highest point in the southwestern part of the forest. Before Sauron's occupation it was called Amon Lanc...
in southern Mirkwood
Mirkwood
Mirkwood is a name used for two distinct fictional forests in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. In the First Age, the highlands of Dorthonion north of Beleriand were known as Mirkwood after falling under Morgoth's control. During the Third Age, the large forest in Rhovanion, east of the Anduin in ...
. There, the last of the Dwarven Rings of Power
Rings of Power
The Rings of Power in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium are magical rings created by Sauron or by the Elves of Eregion under Sauron's tutelage...
was taken from him and he was left in the dungeon to die.
Gandalf the Grey
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...
found Thráin while on a mission to Dol Guldur to discover the identity of "The Necromancer", a mysterious Dark Lord who was later revealed to be Sauron
Sauron
Sauron is the primary antagonist and titular character of the epic fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.In the same work, he is revealed to be the same character as "the Necromancer" from Tolkien's earlier novel The Hobbit...
. Moments away from death, Thráin gave him the old map. Gandalf promised to deliver it to Thráin's son, but Thráin, who was delirious with pain, had forgotten his name, so Gandalf did not expect to be able to fulfil this promise. Thráin died soon afterwards.
Later, Gandalf met with Thorin near Bree
Bree (Middle-earth)
Bree is a fictional village in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, east of the Shire and south of Fornost Erain. It is thought to have been inspired by the Buckinghamshire village of Brill, which Tolkien visited regularly in his early years at Oxford...
, and realized that he was the son of the captured dwarf in Dol Guldur. He promised to help Thorin with the Quest of Erebor
The Quest of Erebor
"The Quest of Erebor" is a work of fantasy fiction by J. R. R. Tolkien, posthumously published by his son Christopher Tolkien in Unfinished Tales...
, and invited a hobbit
Hobbit
Hobbits are a fictional diminutive race who inhabit the lands of Middle-earth in J. R. R. Tolkien's fiction.Hobbits first appeared in the novel The Hobbit, in which the main protagonist, Bilbo Baggins, is the titular hobbit...
named Bilbo Baggins
Bilbo Baggins
Bilbo Baggins is the protagonist and titular character of The Hobbit and a supporting character in The Lord of the Rings, two of the most well-known of J. R. R...
along to take the role of burglar. It was only at this late date that Thorin learned what had befallen his father and he contemplated taking revenge as Thrain had on Azog and the goblins. 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...
who alone of those present knew who the "necromancer" really was urged caution, and reminded Thorin of the far older debt of vengeance he owed the Dragon Smaug.