The Rings of Power‘s orcs have elves and humans digging in the ground. We don’t know what they seek yet, but we know who they follow – Adar. Arondir is unsure who that actually is. Could it be Sauron by one of his many aliases? That’s possible, but we doubt the Dark Lord would risk exposing himself when he has far bigger plans underway. But the history of orcs and the meaning of “adar” point to a another important figure from the army of evil. It’s a being who was their when elves first awoke on Middle-earth.
What Are Orcs?
Orcs, called goblins in The Hobbit, have loomed large in J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy world since the beginning. They first served Morgoth during the Years of the Trees before the First Age. And they continued as soldiers of evil until the end of the Third Age.
Ugly, violent creatures, orcs hate almost everyone and everything. That includes themselves. They also abhor natural beauty and handcrafted works. But that doesn’t prevent them from making things themselves. From weapons and tools, to torture devices and machines of war, orcs are crafty.
They also live in darkness, most notably deep inside mountains. They’re also excellent tunnel builders who shun the sun whenever possible because the light hurts them. And while it’s unclear exactly how long they live, at least one infamous orc lived to at survived to 150-years-old. They’re also much smarter than they look and have great stamina and strength.
Where Did Orcs Come From in Middle-earth?
J.R.R. Tolkien himself changed the origin story of orcs during his lifetime. At one point he said Morgoth created orcs through sorcery from “the heats and slimes of the earth.” But the author later wrote that only the supreme being Eru Ilúvatar could create life. (Well, minus when the Valar Aulë created dwarves.) Morgoth’s inability to make life was one of the things that made him jealous of Ilúvatar in the first place. So if Morgoth didn’t create orcs, where did they come from? From Ilúvatar, just not the way he made them.
The accepted origin of orcs is the one found in The Silmarillion. It says Morgoth kidnapped some elves when they first awoke on Middle-earth, before the Valar could find the first “children” of Ilúvatar. He then used dark magic to twist and transform them into horrible creatures who served him, just as they would serve the next Dark Lord, Sauron. Orcs are made from of elves. But do they replicate like elves?
Some believe that Morgoth’s creatures (which includes orcs, werewolves, trolls dragons, and more) self-reproduce. But we’re going to meet some female orcs on The Rings of Power, which would seemingly reveal where new orcs come from. And the forces of evil always needed more orcs, because unlike elves they don’t live forever.
The specifics of their reproduction is unknown. It’s not unreasonable to think it is a slow one, since Sauron sometimes hid for thousands of years gathering and reinforcing his army. Of course, none of that reveals who “Adar” is. But the meaning of that elvish word might.
What Does Adar Mean in Elvish?
Adar is a Sindarin elvish word. The Sindar spoke their own version of Elvish because they never made it to the land of the Valar like other elves. After awaking in Middle-earth they never left it, same as their kidnapped brethren. Of all the languages outside the Common Tongue for the orcs to speak, Sindarin is the most telling.
Especially since Adar means “father.”
Who is Adar on The Rings of Power?
The orcs call the revered figure leading their conquests by the Sindarin word for father. And since the Valar banished Morgoth outside of the world, and Sauron didn’t actually have anything to do with their creation, there’s only one logical answer for who Adar really is – the first orc.
He is the first orc Morgoth made from a kidnapped elf. That’s why unlike all other orcs who live shorter live he’s still around thousand of years after his “birth.” He is most like the ageless elves and can therefore live much longer, maybe even forever. All other orcs descend from him, and get uglier and more evil the further removed they are from their elf ancestors. That’s also why even in his out-of-focus first appearance he doesn’t look as hideously transformed as his offspring. He even appears to have pointy ears like an elf.
(Whether there’s an orc “mother” remains to be seen. When it comes to Morgoth and orcs far more sinister explanations are always possible.)
With Sauron enacting his plan for the rings of power, in his absence he’ll need trusted lieutenants to oversee his growing army and domain. And there’s no better leader for his soldier than the only orc any of them will care about, their adar.
Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.
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