The Grey Havens - Orcs: Who or What are Orcs?

Who or What are Orcs?

Also called: Orks, Goblins; S Yrch (s. Orch), Q Orqui (s. Orco), BS Uruk, Wose Gorgun; all these stemming from common root OROK, "something that ignites fear". S also Glamhoth: "host of tumult".

A race of evil beings, bred by Melkor in mockery of the Elves of Iluvatar. The first Orcs were probably bred out of Elves, although some may have been lesser corrupted Maiar. Later on the Orcs were undoubtably bred both out of Elves, Men, and Maiar.

Activities of the Orcs: Throughout the First, Second, and Third Age, the Orcs supported Melkor, and later Sauron and Saruman, in all wars. They were the most numerous of the both Dark Lords' servants. Melkor's breeding of Orcs began before his chaining and was continued under that period, probably by his servant Sauron{9}. During that time the Orcs multiplied and in the Third Age of Melkor's chaining they attacked Beleriand in the first of the Wars of Beleriand. When Melkor was overthrown, tribes of Orcs managed to live on in the Misty Mountains and other places. Soon they founded or conquered the city of Gundabad in the north of the Mountains which became their capital. After having been left in peace throughout the Second Age, the Orcs were multiplying again around 1300 TA, and troubled the Dwarves of the Misty Mountains. In 2747, they had grown strong enough to attempt to attack the Shire. In 2793, the war of the Dwarves and Orcs begun, caused by the murder of Thror in 2790 by the Orc-chieftain Azog who had taken over Moria at the command of Sauron. The war lasted six years and caused the Orc-tribes to diminish severely. Moria was laid free, but the weakened Dwarves never returned there. In 2941, the Orcs joined the Battle of Five Armies under the leading of Bolg son of Azog. In that battle, three quarters of the Orcs of the Misty Mountains were destroyed. Some time after the year 2950 it was discovered that Saruman the White was breeding Orcs, which now started attacking Rohan. At the time, the Orcs were growing in numbers again, and in 2994 they destroyed Balin's colony in Moria under the command of the Balrog, and settled there once again. The final beat against the Orcs was probably at the end of the War of the Ring, when Sauron was destroyed in 3019. Leaderless and helpless, the few remaining Orcs were scattered and slowly dwindled.

Appearance: Though it seems to have been different kinds of Orcs, bred for differing purposes, all of them had some things in common. All Orcs were dark-skinned, short and squat, bow-legged, with squinty eyes and long arms and fangs. Most Orcs, excluding the Uruk-hai, were weakened by sunlight, and all preferred darkness. Under the right circumstances, Orcs were extremely persistent, and could walk long distances with hardly any rest. Most Orcs were short-lived, although some seem to have lived especially long. Bolg, for instance, must have been at least 142 years at the time of the Battle of Five Armies. One name that appears many times in the Wars of Beleriand is Boldog. But it is possible that Boldog was not a name, but a title, or perhaps the name of a Maia. Being very inventive, the Orcs created many weapons and torture-devices and had their own medicines which were very effective but had a burning taste. The Orcs hated everything, including themselves and their masters, and the only thing giving them any pleasure was doing malice. They could kill for little or no reason, and sometimes ate the flesh of their kin. It was when under the dominion of a Lord or in war that they showed the greatest co-operation. Orcs wore foul clothes and large iron-clad shoes. They used many kinds of weapons, including scimitars, stabbing-swords and bows. In battle, they sometimes rode on Wolves, and were then referred to as Wolfriders.

Languages: Orcs spoke their own tribal languages, together called Orkish. These were always corruptions of other languages and so different that the tribes could not understand each other. In the Second Age, Sauron tried to carry through a reform, using the Black Speech that he had constructed. Some Orcs under his command adopted the language, but the reform was never any success, though it had an influence on the other Orc-languages and all of Sauron's higher officers spoke it regularly. Between tribes the Orcs spoke Westron.

References:

The Lord of the Rings Vol. 1 Lothlorien, vol. 3 Appendix 3
The History of Middle-earth Vol. 5 The Etymologies, vol. 10 Annals of Aman *45
The Lord of the Rings Vol. 3 Appendix 7
The Lord of the Rings Vol. 3 The Ride of the Rohirrim
The History of Middle-earth Vol. 10 Myths Transformed IX
The History of Middle-earth Vol. 10 Annals of Aman *127
The Silmarillion ch. 3, HME vol. 10 Myths Transformed VIII, X
The History of Middle-earth Vol. 10 Myths Transformed X
The Silmarillion ch. 10
The Lord of the Rings Vol. 3 Appendix 3
The Hobbit ch. 18
The Lord of the Rings Vol. 3 The Field of Cormallen
The Lord of the Rings Vol. 2 The Uruk-hai
The History of Middle-earth VME vol. 10 Myths transformed X
The Hobbit ch. 4, LOTR vol. 2 The Uruk-hai, The Tower of Cirith Ungol
The Hobbit ch. 17, UT The Battles of the Fords of Isen
The Lord of the Rings Vol. 3 Appendix 7

Everything you don't want to know about Orcs and Goblins.