Did Dwarf women have beards?
From: The Tolkien FAQ by William D.B. Loos
It seems they did. In the note on Dwarf women in Appendix A it was told:
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It was said by Gimli that there are few dwarf-women, probably no more than a third of the whole
people. They seldom walk abroad except at great need. They are in voice and appearance, and in
garb if they must go on a journey, so like to the dwarf-men that the eyes and ears of other
peoples cannot tell them apart. The Return of the King, 360 (App A)]
The question has been raised as to whether all dwarf men necessarily had beards (the above conclusion depends upon this premise). Insofar as the matter was mentioned at all, it was shown through either direct statements or casual references that at least Thorin, Dwalin, Balin, Fili, Kili, Gloin, Bombur, and Gimli all definitely had beards The Hobbit, 20-22, 159, 186, 198; The Fellowship of the Ring, 240; The Return of the King, 148); it is natural to assume that the others did as well. While no definite statement about the beard status of dwarf-men in general was ever presented as a matter of lore, a thought which reflects the assumed view was given to Bilbo early in the The Hobbit: [as Bilbo rode along wearing Dwalin's hood]
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"His only comfort was that he couldn't be mistaken for a dwarf, as he had no beard." (The
Hobbit, 42)
References:
- The Hobbit, 20-22 (Ch I), 42 (Ch II), 159 (Ch VIII), 186 (Ch X), 198 (Ch XI);
- The Fellowship of the Ring, 240 (II, 1);
- The Return of the King, 148 (V, 9), 153 (V, 9), 360 (Appendix A, III).
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