The Obscenity of Smaug: On Mahal and Dwarven Sacred Space
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| Title: | The Obscenity of Smaug: On Mahal and Dwarven Sacred Space |
| Creator: | kivrinengle |
| Date(s): | 10 August 2014 |
| Medium: | online |
| Fandom: | The Hobbit, Tolkien |
| Topic: | The Hobbit, Dwarves |
| External Links: | Tumblr |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
The Obscenity of Smaug: On Mahal and Dwarven Sacred Space is a essay in the The Hobbit fandom by kivrinengle published in 2014. It argues that the dwarves view creation as something sacred, and because of this Smaug's hold of Erebor is especially horrifying to their people.
Contents
- for the dwarves, creation is akin to worship
- because of this, dwarven places and creations are inherently sacred
- and so it is obscenity when their realms are taken over and forced to house evil (see: the Balrog, Smaug)
Excerpts
Creation, for Dwarves, is an act akin to worship. It is sacred. When they work a forge or delve deep below the earth or swing a hammer, they are participating in an act of creation that mirrors their own creation by their Father. It is a mirror of Mahal’s own actions, because when he is discovered in his clandestine creation, he tells Iluvatar “Yet the making of things is in my heart from my own making by thee; and the child of little understanding that makes a play of the deeds of his father may do so without thought of mockery, but because he is the son of his father.” As Mahal imitates his own Creator, the Dwarves act on the love of creation and skill for it that are in their hearts as a legacy from their own Father. They claim their birthright with the works of their hands, and prove in their sweat and blood that they are the Children of Mahal. Creation is nothing less than a sacred act of imitation of their Maker.
Dwarves must create. It is the entire purpose of their being; it is the reason they were created. I see no evidence for a strict legalistic religious system, but I would argue that to NOT create, in whatever form that takes, would be seen as nearly blasphemous. Equally so, the idea of creating poorly or without care. Creation is an act of obedience, of fealty, of worship.