Hey, what a fantastic channel. Thank you for going into the history of these fascinating beings. The Dwarves of ancient Germanic Mythology are interesting and I think they represent a primal form of early cultural development.
Very informative, though it would be great if you could include the recent, modern variations of the "dwarves" archetype - going into their non-tolkien influences a little bit
I've got a few videos that could probably get the "follow-up" treatment, and this is definitely one of them. I came across some Victorian-era sources that I thought might be interesting but decided not to include them for the sake of brevity. Maybe next time!
This video is so much better and to the point than many videos that steer way too close to the "Let me give you a lesson!" this definitely carried enough to be entertaining and teach something properly. It also makes a difference that most miss, German dwarves are vikings whereas viking-dwarves are spirits (And/Or the caucassus peoples who are very dwarflike in their smithing and looks)
Something interesting about dwarves. Although most modern dwarfs in fiction are shown with Scottish accents, names and phrases, Tolkien's dwarfs are closer in to Germans, both in naming convesion and language.
Drinking copious amounts of beer and other roudy stuff certainly owes more to Games Workshop! The dwarves of The Hobbit films owe much of their portrayal to Warhammer 😂
Tolkien based Dwarvish on Hebrew/semitic languages actually. He saw parallels in the way that their people are at once natives and strangers in their own habitations, and how they maintain a tight linguistic/cultural bond amongst each other while regularly interacting in the common tongue with the wider world.
other influences on how dwarfs/dwarves have evolved in the tales: The Arthurian Romances, including Morte d'Arthur; C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia, especially Prince Caspian and The Last Battle; and - and I am going to have to say it - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, from the earliest version, through to Disney (that Tolkien hated!), and later interpretations.
Ive been nursing a totally unsubstantiated theory that Dwarves may be referring distantly to Neanderthal. Under the same kind of game-of-telephone idea that underpins the theory that the unicorn came from the wooly rhinoceros, or the cyclops came mammoth skulls where the trunk can be mistaken for a giant eye. Minoan piracy resisted by Athens to the minotaur defetaed by Theseus is another good example of the effect. A lot of the vibes and descriptions match up really well with what we've discovered about Neanderthal over recent years. Their tendency toward cave dwelling and art via stalagmites, shells, fossils and bones. Their highly adept level of craftsmanship developed over millennia. Their stocky builds, etc. On their own its not much, but Ive been doing a lot of reading and theres just so many subtle similarities. I cannot ever prove it and I feel like anyone reading this should take me with a mountain of salt. This video did dissuade me of parts of my theory (such as height playing a major factor) but not the whole of it. I wonder what you think of it after doing your dwarf research? Am i just goofing about, or am I on to something?
@wulfgraad3857 I already knew that. The theory is based entirely off of the mythology being based on the cultural memory of Neanderthal. Tolkiens dwarves arent relevant to my theory outside of liking them lol
In the old Norse stories. There were frost giants. Tall, dumb, strong Vikings style warriors from the east. ( probably Germans ) There were fire giants. ( probably old Welsh ) There, more or less dwarfs but not short or bearded. They came from the west and forged amazing weapons of the gods. ( probably bronze, which at the time was better than iron and the biggest copper mines of antiquity were in Wales.) The fire giants in story's became dwarfs when the germans stories merged with the Norse story's post Roman collapse. At least that's my understanding of it.
I always wondered why dwarves in Polish are called "krasnoludy" which in Russian translates to "crimson folk". I also heard that the khoisan managed to wander as far north as england back in the day. Could our stories of gnomes, dwarves, and clever tinkers be vague memories of african iron smiths coming up from the south and meeting cro magnon or neanderthals?
Hey, what a fantastic channel. Thank you for going into the history of these fascinating beings. The Dwarves of ancient Germanic Mythology are interesting and I think they represent a primal form of early cultural development.
Algo pushed your video my way! Subbed and will be watching everything! Keep it going!
Very informative, though it would be great if you could include the recent, modern variations of the "dwarves" archetype - going into their non-tolkien influences a little bit
I've got a few videos that could probably get the "follow-up" treatment, and this is definitely one of them. I came across some Victorian-era sources that I thought might be interesting but decided not to include them for the sake of brevity. Maybe next time!
I hit subscribe at the 30 seconds mark. I can tell this is the kind of channel I've been needing in my life.
This video is so much better and to the point than many videos that steer way too close to the "Let me give you a lesson!" this definitely carried enough to be entertaining and teach something properly.
It also makes a difference that most miss, German dwarves are vikings whereas viking-dwarves are spirits (And/Or the caucassus peoples who are very dwarflike in their smithing and looks)
Something interesting about dwarves. Although most modern dwarfs in fiction are shown with Scottish accents, names and phrases, Tolkien's dwarfs are closer in to Germans, both in naming convesion and language.
I think it was a Warhammer Fantasy trope that started that.
I never got that either.
Drinking copious amounts of beer and other roudy stuff certainly owes more to Games Workshop! The dwarves of The Hobbit films owe much of their portrayal to Warhammer 😂
Tolkien based Dwarvish on Hebrew/semitic languages actually.
He saw parallels in the way that their people are at once natives and strangers in their own habitations, and how they maintain a tight linguistic/cultural bond amongst each other while regularly interacting in the common tongue with the wider world.
@@jamesgordley5000 There are definitely cultural parallels but the language is not based on Hebrew, it's based on old Norse runes.
Right on man, I dig it!
other influences on how dwarfs/dwarves have evolved in the tales: The Arthurian Romances, including Morte d'Arthur; C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia, especially Prince Caspian and The Last Battle; and - and I am going to have to say it - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, from the earliest version, through to Disney (that Tolkien hated!), and later interpretations.
Ive been nursing a totally unsubstantiated theory that Dwarves may be referring distantly to Neanderthal. Under the same kind of game-of-telephone idea that underpins the theory that the unicorn came from the wooly rhinoceros, or the cyclops came mammoth skulls where the trunk can be mistaken for a giant eye. Minoan piracy resisted by Athens to the minotaur defetaed by Theseus is another good example of the effect.
A lot of the vibes and descriptions match up really well with what we've discovered about Neanderthal over recent years. Their tendency toward cave dwelling and art via stalagmites, shells, fossils and bones. Their highly adept level of craftsmanship developed over millennia. Their stocky builds, etc. On their own its not much, but Ive been doing a lot of reading and theres just so many subtle similarities.
I cannot ever prove it and I feel like anyone reading this should take me with a mountain of salt.
This video did dissuade me of parts of my theory (such as height playing a major factor) but not the whole of it.
I wonder what you think of it after doing your dwarf research? Am i just goofing about, or am I on to something?
This idea is also suggested in Michael Scott Rohan's trilogy: The Winter of the World 😊
@steveblunden2295 Good to know! Thanks 😊
I've considered minotaur story as a propaganda piece against Crete kind of like the giant German Ape in ww1 propaganda posters.
Interesting theory but Tolkiens dwarves are based off of Norse Mythology
@wulfgraad3857 I already knew that. The theory is based entirely off of the mythology being based on the cultural memory of Neanderthal. Tolkiens dwarves arent relevant to my theory outside of liking them lol
In the old Norse stories.
There were frost giants. Tall, dumb, strong Vikings style warriors from the east. ( probably Germans )
There were fire giants. ( probably old Welsh ) There, more or less dwarfs but not short or bearded. They came from the west and forged amazing weapons of the gods. ( probably bronze, which at the time was better than iron and the biggest copper mines of antiquity were in Wales.)
The fire giants in story's became dwarfs when the germans stories merged with the Norse story's post Roman collapse.
At least that's my understanding of it.
I always wondered why dwarves in Polish are called "krasnoludy" which in Russian translates to "crimson folk". I also heard that the khoisan managed to wander as far north as england back in the day. Could our stories of gnomes, dwarves, and clever tinkers be vague memories of african iron smiths coming up from the south and meeting cro magnon or neanderthals?
CAN I HEAR A ROCK AND STONE?!?!
what the game name on 0:34
That's Return to Moria store.steampowered.com/app/2933130/The_Lord_of_the_Rings_Return_to_Moria/
Return to Moria, absolutely amazing game totally recommend.
It's dwarves.