He is the legendary father of the Longbeards. One of the seven original dwarves created by Aulë,
he would live for over 2000 years. Despite his death, the dwarves would hold that their great
king would return, being reincarnated throughout the centuries six times.
Today, on Nerd of the Rings, we cover all seven lives of Durin.
Durin and the other six fathers of the dwarves would be created by Aule in the earliest days
of Arda. Aule does this in secret, having grown impatient for the arrival of the promised Children
of Iluvatar. When Iluvatar discovers Aule’s creation, he allows them to exist, for only
Iluvatar could wield the Secret Fire - the ability to give things actual life. However, Iluvatar
would not allow the children of his adoption to awake before the children of his choice.
Thus, Durin and the other six fathers of the dwarves are made to sleep, scattered among some
of the great mountain ranges in Arda. While the other six had wives set alongside them,
Durin was placed alone to sleep under Mount Gundabad. Sometime between the Years
of the Trees 1132 and 1150, the dwarves would awake. Durin would wander alone,
traveling south along the eastern side of the Misty Mountains, until arriving at
Kheled-zaram. We are told that in his travels he would name the nameless hills and dells,
and drink from yet untasted wells - implying he was the first person to ever walk these lands.
At Kheled-zaram, he would look into the water and see seven stars reflected as if a crown
were above his head. Unknown to Durin, these stars are the constellation Valacirca - made
by Varda as a challenge to Morgoth - and would be significant not only to the dwarves,
but elves, men, and even the later hobbits. Durin takes the crown of stars as a sign,
entering the Misty Mountains. And there, in the caves above the Mirrormere, he would found the
great dwarf kingdom of Khazad-dum. In the centuries to come, Khazad-dum would expand
with both levels above and deeps below, and many mines expanding out from the city. Durin’s city
would be known far and wide as the greatest of all the mansions of the dwarves. Even the elves
of Beleriand would hear rumor of the greatness of Khazad-dum from the dwarves of the Blue Mountains.
Among the most famous relics of these earliest days of the dwarves is Durin’s axe. Whether
it was one Durin himself used, or some symbolic heirloom is unknown. However,
Durin’s axe would dwell in Khazad-dum for all the days to come - both in glory, and in ruin.
Durin lives an extremely long time, even for a dwarf. So aged was he that he is given the
nickname “Durin the Deathless”. Durin I was indeed mortal, however. In the late First Age Durin dies,
having lived a minimum of 2,395 years. But this would not be the end for Durin,
for according to dwarven belief, he, like the other 6 fathers of the dwarves, would return
to their people six times. Throughout the coming millenia, the dwarves would await one born to the
line of Durin who had such the same appearance and character that they would be named the next Durin.
The dwarves would not have to wait terribly long for the first of these reincarnations,
as we are told Durin II lived in the early Second Age - or possibly late in the First Age sometime
after Durin I’s death. With the exact dates of his life and rule being unknown, some believe
that Durin II is the Durin referenced on the Doors of Durin, which are built around 750 SA. Among
those to draw this conclusion is Robert Foster, who wrote The Complete Guide to Middle-earth.
While we know little of Durin II, we know a good deal more of Durin III. Durin III would
live during a pivotal time of the Second Age - the creation of the Rings of Power. During this time,
the dwarves of Khazad-dum continued to have a unique friendship with the
elves of Eregion. However, a new friendship would spell ruin for the elven realm. Sauron,
in the guise of Annatar, comes to Eregion and gives them the magical
means to create the Rings of Power, which would forestall the decay of their realms.
After forging his Ruling Ring in Mount Doom, Sauron makes war upon Eregion and claims the 9
and the 7. During this conflict, Durin sends a great force of dwarves to aid the elves,
but with Eregion’s fall, the dwarves are driven back to their halls, and they shut the Doors of
Durin. While they could not save Celebrimbor or his realm, the dwarven charge allowed Elrond’s
forces, and Celeborn’s refugees to escape, leading Elrond to found Rivendell in the north.
With the 16 rings in his possession, Sauron distributes seven among great kings of the
dwarves. Thus, a ring of power comes to Durin III. However, this is a contested point - for
dwarven tradition holds that it was not Sauron who gave Durin his ring, but that it had been
given by Celebrimbor himself. Regardless, the rings of power do not work on dwarves
the way Sauron intended. While the nine men are eventually turned into wraith servants of the One,
the dwarves are far too hardy, and would not be ensnared. Instead, the dwarf lords would gain
great wealth - though their desire to gain ever more wealth would indeed lead to many perils.
Sauron’s sacking of Eregion is just the start of his war in Eriador. In the coming years,
his orcs would invade Mount Gundabad and the Ered Mithrin, which cuts off communication between
Durin III and their dwarven settlement in the Iron Hills. Despite Sauron’s domination in Eriador,
we are told Durin’s Folk were too numerous and valiant - and their halls too deep and
strong - to be taken by Sauron. Thus the reign of Durin III would be marked by a war, a ring,
and the beginning of the dwarves looking inward rather than outward.
The next two Durins are two we know the least about. Durin IV and Durin V are said to have
lived and died sometime between the late Second Age and early Third Age. As with their ancestors,
each is believed to be a reincarnation of the original Durin. While we don’t know for certain,
many have guessed that one of these two may have been king of the Longbeards during the
War of the Last Alliance at the end of the Second Age. While the alliance is named for
elves and men, there were dwarves of Khazad-dum who fought alongside the
free peoples against Sauron. In fact, we are told they fought against some
dwarves from the other houses who had fallen into the servitude of Sauron.
While the fourth and fifth Durins are more mysterious - we know a great deal
more about King Durin VI. He is born in 1731 TA and it is under his rule that
ruin would come to Khazad-dum. For centuries, the dwarves had delved for their most precious
metal - mithril. And in 1980 TA, their delving brings them face to face with a
Balrog of Morgoth. The fallen maia brings great destruction to Khazad-dum and kills King Durin
VI - and thus the creature is ever after referred to by the dwarves as Durin’s Bane.
The dwarves would incredibly hold out in Khazad-dum until the following year.
But after Durin VI’s son Nain I is killed by the balrog, Durin’s grandson Thrain I would
lead his people as they flee their home. From this point on, the once great realm
of Khazad-dum is more commonly referred to by the name Moria - the black pit.
For well over 1000 years, Durin’s Folk would be a people in exile. Durin’s descendants would lead
their people in battles against dragons in the Ered Mithrin, and the founding and reclaiming of
Erebor. Many of the most famous dwarves of the Third Age were direct descendants of Durin VI -
including Thorin Oakenshield, Dain Ironfoot, and Gimli son of Gloin. Another descendant, Balin son
of Fundin, would recolonize Moria for a brief time from 2989-2994 TA. During this time, Balin finds
the great Axe of Durin once more, though it would be lost once again with the fall of his colony.
When Gimli passes through Moria as part of the Fellowship of the Ring,
he recites the Song of Durin, which recounts the origin of his people and the glory of Khazad-dum,
before ending with a description of its fallen state - and hope for the future…
The world is grey, the mountains old, The forge's fire is ashen-cold;
No harp is wrung, no hammer falls: The darkness dwells in Durin's halls;
The shadow lies upon his tomb In Moria, in Khazad-dûm.
But still the sunken stars appear In dark and windless Mirrormere;
There lies his crown in water deep, Till Durin wakes again from sleep.
On his journey, Gimli would also see a famous monument to the original Durin.
It is called Durin’s Stone - a pillar that stood on the banks of the Mirrormere and was
placed in honor of Durin viewing his crown of stars. Not long after this very moment,
Gandalf would pursue the balrog up the endless stair. Climbing Zirak-zigil,
the two mighty beings fight at Durin’s tower upon the peak. What’s interesting about Durin’s
Tower is that by this time, the tower had long been lost - and some dwarves believed
it had been only a legend. The battle would result not only in the death of both Gandalf
the Grey and the balrog, but the destruction of Durin’s tower and blocking the stairway.
Throughout their triumphs and tribulations of the Third Age, the dwarves would yet await the coming
of the reincarnation of Durin. After the Battle of Five Armies, as Thorin’s cousin Dain Ironfoot
becomes King Under the Mountain, it is prophesied that the final Durin would come from his direct
line. We are specifically told that Durin VII is born a descendant of Dain’s son, whom he named
after his fallen cousin - and some sources say Durin VII was indeed the son of Thorin Stonehelm.
Durin VII, also known as Durin the Last, is born sometime after 171
FoA - that is 171 years after Frodo took the White Ship to sail west.
In the Peoples of Middle-earth, we learn not only about the earlier prophecy of Durin VII,
but also that each of the Durins remembered their former lives as kings.
As for Durin VII, he would finally lead his people back to Khazad-dum reclaiming their ancient home
once and for all. There his people would remain until the world grew old and the dwarves failed,
and the days of Durin’s race were ended. Thus Khazad-dum is inhabited until the
end of their days by the very dwarves who founded it, the dwarves of Durin’s Folk.
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