He is a dwarf of the Iron Hills. After achieving great deeds in battle at a young age,
he would rise to become King of his people, before meeting his end in glorious battle.
Today, on Nerd of the Rings, we cover the life of Dain Ironfoot.
Dain is born in the year 2767 TA in the Iron Hills,
which had long been a realm of Durin’s Folk. He is the son of Nain and grandson of Gror,
the Lord of the Iron Hills. Dain’s nickname of Ironfoot goes unexplained within Tolkien’s
published works. However in his “History of the Hobbit”, John D Rateliff points out that
in the original manuscript for the book, it states the shoes of the Dwarves of the Iron
Hills were indeed made of iron, possibly giving us an explanation for the name.
When Dain is just 23 years old, King Thror is killed by the orc-chieftain Azog,
who throws his decapitated body down the steps of the East-gate of Moria along with
a purse of coins, calling Thor’s companion Nar a beggar. Thror’s son Thrain II swears
revenge and thus begins the War of the Dwarves and Orcs. Dwarves from
all seven houses would rally to Thrain’s call in this war waged mostly underground.
After nine years, the dwarves and orcs wage the climactic Battle of Azanulbizar at the east gate
of Moria - the very location the Fellowship would exit from centuries later. We are told
that Nain and Dain arrived late in the battle but proved pivotal. Their force from the Iron
Hills arrives fresh and well-equipped, driving through the orc forces. Nain would meet Azog
himself in the battle, and is described as being both weary and filled with anger. Azog dodges
the dwarf’s blows and when Nain stumbles, Azog hews and breaks his neck, killing Dain’s father.
Despite the loss of Nain, the dwarves drove back Azog’s forces. Yet,
as Azog himself turned to flee, one young dwarf would pursue him…
Up the steps after him leaped a Dwarf with a red axe. It was Dáin Ironfoot,
Náin's son. Right before the doors he caught Azog, and there he slew him,
and hewed off his head. That was held a great feat, for Dáin was then only a
stripling in the reckoning of the Dwarves. But long life and many battles lay before him, ….
Dain takes the head of Azog and places it on a pike, and stuffs a purse of coins in its mouth,
in direct retaliation of the orc’s treatment of their former king.
At just 32 years old, Dain was hailed for his great feat in the defeat of Azog,
avenging both King Thror’s death, and that of his father. In this moment, with the orcs defeated
and the dwarves avenged, King Thrain II, Thorin Oakenshield’s father, wishes to enter Moria and
drive the orcs from it once and for all. However, Dain dissuades the King. For it is said that when
he came down from the Gate he looked grey in the face, as one who has felt great fear.
For Dain had caught a glimpse of none other than the balrog, Durin’s Bane. And he knew
that the dwarves could not hope to reclaim Khazad-dum at that time. Dain and his people
return to the Iron Hills. His grandfather Gror, who had not gone to war, continued to rule for
the next six years before his death. Thus in 2805 TA, Dain takes over the Lordship of the
Iron Hills at the age of 38. In 2866, he has a son, Thorin Stonehelm, named after Dain’s cousin.
It is said during Dain’s rule, the Iron Hills became the strongest realm in Rhovanion. In
Unfinished Tales, Gandalf explains that should Sauron send a force to regain the
northern passes and the old lands of Angmar, only the dwarves of the Iron Hills could have
resisted him - but behind them was a Dragon which Sauron could use to terrible effect.
In 2941, Gandalf sends Bilbo Baggins and the company of King Thorin on the Quest to reclaim
Erebor. Smaug would indeed be slain and the small group of dwarves reclaims the
mountain. With both Bard and Thranduil wanting compensation for their suffering caused by Smaug,
Thorin knows his group of thirteen cannot hold the mountain and the raven Roac agrees to bring
word to Dain. Thus the lord of the Iron Hills learns of Smaug’s demise and rallies
over 500 well-armed and experienced troops to march to his cousin’s aid.
Dain’s original intent was to drive off the elves of Mirkwood and the men of Laketown, but at this
moment, Gandalf arrives, informing them of the approaching army of Orcs and Wargs. Dain, Thorin,
Thranduil, and Bard’s forces unite and together with the late-arriving Great Eagles and Beorn,
they would be victorious in the Battle of Five Armies in the valley of Dale.
Tragically, Thorin is mortally wounded in the fight, and his sister-sons Kili and Fili die
defending Thorin as he lies wounded on the battlefield. With the death of Thorin, Kili,
and Fili, Dain becomes the rightful heir to the throne of Durin’s Folk,
and he succeeds his cousin as King under the Mountain. We are told…
Dáin proved a great and wise king, and the Dwarves prospered and grew strong again in his day.
During his reign, Erebor becomes exceedingly rich and prosperous. The town of Dale is rebuilt and
the friendship between the elves of Mirkwood, the men of Dale, and the dwarves of Erebor is
strong - especially between the men and dwarves. In the Fellowship of the Ring, we are told that
the kingdom under the mountain now exceeded all their ancestors in the arts of masonry and mining.
Nearly 50 years after reclaiming the mountain, Balin becomes anxious to reclaim Moria and
brings together an expedition. Dain, knowing more than any the peril of this venture,
does not give the expedition his blessing, yet Balin and his company would not be dissuaded.
While it was successful for a time, the colony in Moria is destroyed after five years.
In 3018 TA, when Dain has been on the throne for 77 years,
a messenger comes from Mordor, seeking information about Baggins of the Shire.
And then his fell voice was lowered....
It is unknown who this messenger was - whether the Mouth of Sauron, a Nazgul,
or some other messenger, but regardless, Dain sends him on his way twice. After spending much
thought on the situation, Dain sends Gloin and his son Gimli to Rivendell both for council,
and in hopes of warning Bilbo that the enemy is looking for him.
While Gimli joins the Fellowship of the Ring, it’s likely that Gloin returns to Erebor. Months later,
war comes to the Lonely Mountain as Sauron sends an army of Easterlings in a northern offensive.
King Brand of Dale, the grandson of Bard, initially holds the line at the Carnen river,
but is driven back around March 14. For three days, the Men and Dwarves fight the Easterlings
before the Gate of Erebor. On March 17, King Brand is killed in the battle and Dain, now over 250
years old, yet still mighty, stands defending Brand’s fallen body until he is also slain.
The Easterlings are victorious in the battle and the dwarves and men are forced to retreat to the
Lonely Mountain. Led now by prince Bard II and Dain’s son Thorin Stonehelm, they withstand the
siege for many days. On March 25, the ring is destroyed and Sauron is utterly defeated. This
news comes to Sauron’s northern army, causing them to lose all hope of ultimate victory. Seeing the
morale of their foes has plummeted, Bard and Thorin lift the siege on March 27 and drive
the Easterlings out of Dale, securing victory in the northern theater of the War of the Ring.
As the remaining members of the Fellowship rest in Gondor after Sauron’s defeat, Gandalf
recounts the great deeds of Dain Ironfoot and the importance of the great dwarves of the north…
Thus Dain II, also known as Ironfoot, would be remembered as a great King under the Mountain,
from killing their foe Azog in his youth, to winning the Battle of Five Armies, leading
Erebor to new heights of prosperity, and fighting to his dying breath, resisting the
forces of Sauron and like Kili and Fili before him, giving his life protecting the fallen.
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