0_Wizard
I was watching Lord of the Rings the other day and was very impressed with the orcs. I think orcs are one of my fave fantasy creatures. 
While the overall concept of orcs draws on a variety of pre-existing mythology, the main conception of the creatures stems from the fantasy writings of J. R. R. Tolkien, in particular "The Lord of the Rings".
chosen_Orc_0
Orc
chosen_topic_0_Orc
Orc (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings, Orcs are a race of creatures who are used as soldiers and henchmen by both the greater and lesser villains of "The Silmarillion", "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings"—Morgoth, Sauron and Saruman. Although not entirely dim-witted and occasionally crafty, they are portrayed as miserable beings, hating everyone including themselves and their masters, whom they serve out of fear. They make no beautiful things, but rather design cunning devices made to hurt and destroy. In some of his unpublished early work, Tolkien appears to distinguish orcs from goblins.
Orc
An orc (also spelled as ork) is a fictional humanoid creature that is part of a fantasy race akin to goblins. While the overall concept of orcs draws on a variety of pre-existing mythology, the main conception of the creatures stems from the fantasy writings of J. R. R. Tolkien, in particular "The Lord of the Rings". In Tolkien's works, orcs are a brutish, aggressive, repulsive and generally malevolent species, existing in stark contrast with the benevolent Elvish race and generally serve an evil power. Tolkien's concept of orcs has subsequently been adapted and imported into other works of fantasy fiction as well as role-playing and strategy games (such as "Dungeons & Dragons", "Warhammer", and "Warcraft"), broadening the recognition of the creatures in popular culture.
Middle-earth wars and battles
J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings include many wars and battles set in the lands of Aman, Beleriand, Númenor, and Middle-earth. These are related in his various books such as "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings", and "The Silmarillion", "Unfinished Tales" and other posthumously published books edited by his son Christopher Tolkien. These are given below in an in-universe, fictional chronology:  The Kinslayings are the collective term for the three battles fought between the Eldar. The first battle, the Kinslaying at Alqualondë (Swanhaven), appears in print in "The Silmarillion".
List of Warcraft universe characters
Major and recurring characters from the fantasy series "Warcraft" are listed below. The series began with Blizzard Entertainment's 1994 video game "", and continued with "", "", "", "", "World of Warcraft", "", "", "", "", "", "" and "". The franchise has been further extended with a series of novels, graphic novels, a live-action film, and other works. Aegwynn was the penultimate Guardian of Tirisfal. She was a mortal champion imbued with the magic of a secret council who would utilize their collective powers to fight a never-ending secret war against the Burning Legion. Aegwynn grew powerful over the years and used her powers to extend her life significantly.
Races and factions of Warcraft
The fantasy setting of the "Warcraft" series includes many fictional races and factions. Most of the primary protagonists of the series belong to either the Horde or the Alliance. However, there are a variety of neutral races and factions, who are either friendly or hostile to both the Horde and the Alliance. All player characters belong to either the Horde or the Alliance, with a character's faction decided by its race. One exception is the pandaren, who can choose to become members of either faction. By the time of "" the Horde and the Alliance both fight against the Burning Legion and the undead Scourge, who are the primary villains of "Warcraft III" and "World of Warcraft".
Middle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of much of British writer J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. The term is equivalent to the term "Midgard" of Norse mythology, describing the human-inhabited world, i.e. the central continent of the Earth in Tolkien's imagined mythological past. Tolkien's most widely read works, "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings", take place entirely in Middle-earth, and "Middle-earth" has also become a short-hand to refer to the legandarium and Tolkiens fictional take on the world. Within his stories, Tolkien translated the name "Middle-earth" as "Endor" (or sometimes "Endórë") and "Ennor" in the Elvish languages Quenya and Sindarin respectively, sometimes referring only to the continent that the stories take place on, with another southern continent called the Dark Land.
Orc (Dungeons &amp; Dragons)
In the "Dungeons & Dragons" roleplaying game, orcs are a primitive race of savage, bestial, barbaric humanoid. The orc was one of the earliest creatures introduced in the "D&D" game. The "D&D" orc is largely based upon the orcs appearing in the works of J. R. R. Tolkien. The orc was one of the first monsters introduced in the earliest edition of the game, in the "Dungeons & Dragons" "white box" set (1974), where they were described as tribal creatures that live in caves or villages. The orc appears in the first edition "Monster Manual" (1977), where it is described as a fiercely competitive bully, a tribal creature often living underground.
1_Apprentice
I like orcs too. Mind you, I like Golum as well, so perhaps I'm a little strange!
0_Wizard
Gollum was pretty cool too! I think I prefer the orcs because they're so repulsive and brutish. Like anti-Elves.
In Tolkien's works, orcs are a brutish, aggressive, repulsive and generally malevolent species, existing in stark contrast with the benevolent Elvish race and generally serve an evil power.
chosen_Orc_0
Orc
chosen_topic_0_Orc
Orc (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings, Orcs are a race of creatures who are used as soldiers and henchmen by both the greater and lesser villains of "The Silmarillion", "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings"—Morgoth, Sauron and Saruman. Although not entirely dim-witted and occasionally crafty, they are portrayed as miserable beings, hating everyone including themselves and their masters, whom they serve out of fear. They make no beautiful things, but rather design cunning devices made to hurt and destroy. In some of his unpublished early work, Tolkien appears to distinguish orcs from goblins.
Middle-earth wars and battles
J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings include many wars and battles set in the lands of Aman, Beleriand, Númenor, and Middle-earth. These are related in his various books such as "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings", and "The Silmarillion", "Unfinished Tales" and other posthumously published books edited by his son Christopher Tolkien. These are given below in an in-universe, fictional chronology:  The Kinslayings are the collective term for the three battles fought between the Eldar. The first battle, the Kinslaying at Alqualondë (Swanhaven), appears in print in "The Silmarillion".
Middle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of much of British writer J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. The term is equivalent to the term "Midgard" of Norse mythology, describing the human-inhabited world, i.e. the central continent of the Earth in Tolkien's imagined mythological past. Tolkien's most widely read works, "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings", take place entirely in Middle-earth, and "Middle-earth" has also become a short-hand to refer to the legandarium and Tolkiens fictional take on the world. Within his stories, Tolkien translated the name "Middle-earth" as "Endor" (or sometimes "Endórë") and "Ennor" in the Elvish languages Quenya and Sindarin respectively, sometimes referring only to the continent that the stories take place on, with another southern continent called the Dark Land.
Sauron
Sauron is the title character and main antagonist of J. R. R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings". In the same work, he is identified as the Necromancer, mentioned in Tolkien's earlier novel "The Hobbit". In Tolkien's "The Silmarillion" (published posthumously by Tolkien's son Christopher Tolkien), he is also described as the chief lieutenant of the first Dark Lord, Morgoth. Tolkien noted that the Ainur, the "angelic" powers of his constructed myth, "were capable of many degrees of error and failing", but by far the worst was "the absolute Satanic rebellion and evil of Morgoth and his satellite Sauron".
One Ring
The One Ring is an artefact that appears as the central plot element in J. R. R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" (1954–55). It is described in an earlier story, "The Hobbit" (1937), as a magic ring of invisibility. In the sequel, "The Lord of the Rings", Tolkien ascribes to the Ring a darker character, with malevolent power going far beyond conferring invisibility: it was created by Sauron the Dark Lord as part of his design to win domination over Middle-earth. "The Lord of the Rings" concerns the quest to destroy the Ring to keep Sauron from fulfilling his design. In "The Lord of the Rings" and the posthumously published "The Silmarillion", Tolkien provides a detailed internal development from the forging of the Ring to its destruction.
Gollum
Gollum is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He was introduced in the 1937 fantasy novel "The Hobbit", and became an important supporting character in its sequel, "The Lord of the Rings". Gollum was a Stoor Hobbit of the River-folk, who lived near the Gladden Fields. Originally known as Sméagol, he was corrupted by the One Ring and later named Gollum after his habit of making "a horrible swallowing noise in his throat". In Appendix F of "The Lord of the Rings", the name Sméagol is said to be a "translation" of the actual Middle-earth name "Trahald" (having to do with the idea of "burrowing", and rendered with a name based on Old English "smygel" of similar meaning).
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is a 2003 epic high fantasy adventure film produced, written and directed by Peter Jackson based on the second and third volumes of J. R. R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings". It is the third and final instalment in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, following "" (2001) and "" (2002), preceding "The Hobbit" film trilogy (2012–14). Released on 17 December 2003, "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" received positive reviews and became one of the most critically and commercially successful films of all time. It was the second film to gross $1 billion worldwide ($1.12 billion), becoming the highest-grossing film released by New Line Cinema, as well as the biggest financial success for Time Warner in general at the time.
1_Apprentice
Haha. Yes, they are pretty horrible! I must have read those books a dozen times and never get tired of them.
0_Wizard
Me too! Even though Tolkien popularized orcs, I remember reading about similar creatures in older stuff like Beowulf. Creepy literature really interests me.
Earlier references to creatures etymologically or conceptually similar to orcs can be found in Anglo-Saxon sources; including "Beowulf" and 16th-century Italian folk tales, in particular those of Giambattista Basile.
chosen_Orc_0
Orc
chosen_topic_0_Orc
Orc
An orc (also spelled as ork) is a fictional humanoid creature that is part of a fantasy race akin to goblins. While the overall concept of orcs draws on a variety of pre-existing mythology, the main conception of the creatures stems from the fantasy writings of J. R. R. Tolkien, in particular "The Lord of the Rings". In Tolkien's works, orcs are a brutish, aggressive, repulsive and generally malevolent species, existing in stark contrast with the benevolent Elvish race and generally serve an evil power. Tolkien's concept of orcs has subsequently been adapted and imported into other works of fantasy fiction as well as role-playing and strategy games (such as "Dungeons & Dragons", "Warhammer", and "Warcraft"), broadening the recognition of the creatures in popular culture.
Orc (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings, Orcs are a race of creatures who are used as soldiers and henchmen by both the greater and lesser villains of "The Silmarillion", "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings"—Morgoth, Sauron and Saruman. Although not entirely dim-witted and occasionally crafty, they are portrayed as miserable beings, hating everyone including themselves and their masters, whom they serve out of fear. They make no beautiful things, but rather design cunning devices made to hurt and destroy. In some of his unpublished early work, Tolkien appears to distinguish orcs from goblins.
Middle-earth wars and battles
J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings include many wars and battles set in the lands of Aman, Beleriand, Númenor, and Middle-earth. These are related in his various books such as "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings", and "The Silmarillion", "Unfinished Tales" and other posthumously published books edited by his son Christopher Tolkien. These are given below in an in-universe, fictional chronology:  The Kinslayings are the collective term for the three battles fought between the Eldar. The first battle, the Kinslaying at Alqualondë (Swanhaven), appears in print in "The Silmarillion".
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, (; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor who is best known as the author of the classic high-fantasy works "The Hobbit", "The Lord of the Rings", and "The Silmarillion". He served as the Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon and Fellow of Pembroke College, Oxford, from 1925 to 1945 and Merton Professor of English Language and Literature and Fellow of Merton College, Oxford, from 1945 to 1959. He was at one time a close friend of C. S. Lewis—they were both members of the informal literary discussion group known as the Inklings.
J. R. R. Tolkien's influences
While highly creative, the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien was influenced by a number of sources. Tolkien was inspired by his academic fields of philology and early Germanic literature, especially poetry and mythology, as well as a wide range of other beliefs, culture, and experiences. "The Lord of the Rings" is a sequel to "The Hobbit" and so shares influences with it. At the same time, it is a novel which is much greater in scale and scope and so encompasses many other influences as well. Tolkien once described "The Lord of the Rings" to his friend, the English Jesuit Father Robert Murray, as "a fundamentally religious and Catholic work, unconsciously so at first, but consciously in the revision."
Works inspired by J. R. R. Tolkien
The works of J. R. R. Tolkien have served as the inspiration to painters, musicians, film-makers and writers, to such an extent that Tolkien is sometimes seen as the "father" of the entire genre of high fantasy. The production of such derivative works is sometimes of doubtful legality, because Tolkien's published works will remain in copyright until 2043. The film, stage and merchandise rights of "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" are owned by Tolkien Enterprises, while the rights of "The Silmarillion" and other material remain with The J.R.R. Tolkien Estate Ltd. The earliest illustrations of Tolkien's works were drawn by the author himself.
On Translating Beowulf
"On Translating "Beowulf"" is an essay by J. R. R. Tolkien which discusses the difficulties faced by anyone attempting to translate the Old English heroic-elegiac poem "Beowulf" into modern English. It was first published in 1940 as a preface contributed by Tolkien to a translation of Old English poetry; it was first published as an essay under its current name in the 1983 collection "The Monsters and the Critics, and Other Essays". In the essay, Tolkien explains the difficulty of translating individual words from Old English, noting that a word like "eacen" ('large', 'strong', 'supernaturally powerful') cannot readily be translated by the same word in each case.