Both in the movies and in the books of The Lord of the Rings, the dwarves are a mysterious people. One of the oldest kings was long considered immortal and returned to Middle-earth in different forms after his death.
The dwarves of Middle-earth are a powerful people who should not be underestimated despite their rather small stature. Many representatives have achieved great things – the most famous is of course Gimli, who was part of the nine companions.
One of his oldest ancestors was Durin I. He is considered one of the most legendary dwarves ever and is partly the reason why the people became so powerful and long-lived.
Durin’s Awakening
Who was Durin? In Middle-earth there were seven fathers of the dwarves, with Durin I. being the eldest among them. Like the others, he was created by Aulë, who belonged to the Ainur, specifically the Valar. He was a master of smithing and craftsmanship, so it made sense that he created the dwarves.
Durin I. awoke shortly after the appearance of the Elves under Mount Gundabad. That was sometime between 1050 and 1250 in the First Age. Durin I. awoke alone, while the other six awoke two by two. This fact alone showed that this dwarf would be special.
After his birth, he grew up and ventured into the wilderness. It was only when he reached the so-called Mirror Lake that he made a far-reaching decision.
King of the Dwarves
What happened at the lake? Durin I. stood by the water and gazed across it. He noticed that the stars formed a crown and hovered over his head. The dwarf could not help but interpret this as a sign. He interpreted it as a call to be king of his people.
He then established his name “Durin’s Folk”. He also built the famous dwarven realm of Moria, through whose abandoned halls the companions would later wander. The dwarves of Erebor also descended from Durin I., as did nearly all other important representatives of the people.
Durin I. himself became very old – so old that he was given the name “The Immortal”. However, that was not entirely true. The king died at the end of the First Age at a very old age. However, legend had it that Durin I. was not finished yet.
He is said to have been reborn six times. These dwarves also bore his name. But with Durin VII., it came to an end. Notably, the rebirths of the original king also accomplished great deeds – some of which also appear in our ranking of the dwarves from Middle-earth.
Durin I. is certainly one of the most important figures from Tolkien’s world. Almost everything the dwarves in Middle-earth were and accomplished can be traced back to him. Did you already know the “immortal” dwarf? Feel free to tell us in the comments. Regarding age: This is how old the characters from The Lord of the Rings are at the time of the story
