Wicked dwarves

The wicked dwarves were the few dwarves who fought (or rumored to have fought) on the side of Morgoth and later Sauron, or in alliances with orcs and goblins during the first three ages of the world. There may have been some from every dwarven house except that of Durin (Longbeards), but in particular those from the houses of the far East.

The term may also refer to those dwarves who were viewed with suspicion and viewed as evil or influenced by the Shadow by others (due to gossip, rumors, stories, etc), though were actually on the side of good.

Background
Of the races, Dwarves are the most resistant to corruption and influence of Morgoth and later Sauron. The seven rings of Power of the dwarves did not turn them to evil, but it did amplify their greed and lust for gold. It is said that very few willfully served the side of darkness. Of those who did very little was written.

First Age
It is suggested that of the dwarves that turned to wickedness (in first and later ages) they most likely came from the eastern kindreds of the Dwarves of the far eastern mansions (and perhaps some of the nearer ones). They may have awakened under the Shadow of Morgoth and turned to evil, in a similar way as the eastern Men did later. But not by the power of the Rings. It is however unclear if these refer to Dwarves beyond Iron Hills (the most eastern known stronghold of the Dwarves in the Third Age)

At the time of the awakening the dwarves had awoken in four principle locations (in the west this included Ered Lindon, and Mount Gundaband). The other two places were the dwarves awakened were further east (at distances as great or greater than distance between the first two locations). These eastern dwarves included; the Ironfists and Stiff-beards, and that of the Blacklocks and Stonefoots, respectively.

However though the four places of awakening were sundered they the various kindreds still kept communication, and in early ages often held assembalies of delegates at Mount Gundaband. It is know that even the most distant would send help to any of their people in times of need (as was the case in the great War against the Orks during the Third Age). Which suggests that not all the far eastern Dwarves had fallen under the Shadow.

Second Age
Of the seven houses few fought on either side during the Last Alliance at the end of the Second Age, and is known that none from the Longbeards, the House of Durin ever fought on the side of evil.

Third Age
During the early parts of the Third Age (or at least in legends of the previous), it is known that in some places wicked dwarves had made alliances with the goblins and orcs. Hobbits of the Third Age are said to have encountered hostile dwarves of which they feared and had little trust. It is possible that these may have included the wicked dwarves that had made alliances with the goblins and orcs just before the rise of Dol Guldur. Because Dwarves are not evil by nature, few ever served the Enemy of their own free will (though rumors of Men suggest the total was greater).

While a few of the dwarves from the East may have served the Enemy during the War of the Ring, the hobbits of the shire encountered an unusual number of strange dwarves from the east who were trying to flee West from Mordor's influence (as was also noted in Bree). These may have fled from as east as the Iron Hills to further east (and including from the last two places of awakening). It may suggest that the bulk of the good dwarves left the bad lands, leaving any evil ones behind.

Emnity between the Free Peoples
Throughout the various Ages, since the Awakening of the Dwarves, there has been some enmity between the Free Peoples of Middle-earth over various and often petty reasons. The enmity was not always caused by Morgoth (or later Sauron and Saruman) but it benefited him. The Dwarves were not immune to this enmity either causing suspicion among others, or distrusting others themselves (which may have led to rumors and stories of them being evil among some Men, and other races).

Some of the dwarves accused of fighting on the side of darkness may have been in conflict due to enmity between the races due to misunderstandings and suspicion. This may apply to the Petty-dwarves who became distrustful and had great hatred of the elves because most of their kind was wiped out, and also between them and other dwarves since they had been exiled by the other clans. Nor did they tend to get along with the humans either. When the Edain first encountered the Dwarves in Beleriand (Longbeards in particular), they distrusted the Dwarves fearing they were under the Shadow of Morgoth, but discovered they were not and agreed and were happy of their later alliance during the Second Age, leading to esteem and friendship. It was said there was little love between the Dwarves and some of the Nolder, as the dwarves were quick to resentment, and Caranthir was haughty and had scorn for the physical appearance of the dwarves. Still they maintained an alliance for a while. To the hobbits, dwarves both friendly or hostile were aliens to them,  and most relations were uneasy and clouded by fear.

In some cases there was enmity between the races caused by the greed and envy; men lusting after the dwarves' wealth and their handiwork, and possibly between the Dwarven clans themselves. In one story,  Fram is said to have sent the teeth of Scatha to the dwarves, after the requested their treasures be returned. It is said that they saw this as a great insult and killed Fram causing loss of love between dwarves and Rohan. Many of the dwarves had become nomadic merchants and smiths without a home wandering and tresspassing through foreign and private lands (which may have been viewed with suspicion in some places).

Still others became estranged from each other for other reasons; the rise of the enmity and distrust between dwarves and elves after the dealings between dwarves and King Thingol ended with the Fall of Doriath, and after the fall of Khazad-dum. Leading to battles between the races. What may at times have been fought in self-defense may be seen as an evil action by the opposing force (for example distrust of the wood-elves of Mirkwood and Thorin's party). But in these cases those involved were never allied with the Enemy or his ambassadors (though the wars between the Free Peoples may have worked to his advantage). The trust and interaction between elves and dwarves was later restored through the friendship of Legolas and Gimli.

The Book of Lost Tales

 * Of note the Appendices of LOTR refers in one part refers to The Book of Lost Tales as a source for some of the information (on a topic unrelated to this subject), a note added in The Book of Lost Tales, Part II, may suggest that the "tales of Men" that suggest that dwarves are evil, may be in reference to the The Book of Lost Tales. As such the the books may be legends that have been twisted over time in and retellings as passed down by Men.


 * Thus from those Men's perspective in telling the story the dwarves involved in early history were 'evil', but it is not the case that all dwarves were evil. It may very well be the source of the idea of wicked dwarves  and Goblins in alliances as mentioned in The Hobbit. So it maybe said that some of the material is based on 'truth (but only refers to a few 'bad dwarves', or dwarves thought to be bad, rather than the dwarven race as a whole)', but incomplete knowledge of the actual events and names. What follows is additional information included in those tellings;.


 * In the Book of Lost Tales, the Dwarves are always portrayed as an evil people. The term 'dwarf-natured' (nauglafel) meaning mean, avaricious, representing the personality of the dwarves as viewed by others (this is not entirely outside the bounds of opinions of Dwarves by other races in later years, by those who do not fully understand them). As noted previously, greed-induced by the Dwarven Rings of Power, and some hostility with the Free Peoples could be seen as mean and full of avarice. It is noted that even in published Silmarillion they are portrayed as having dour and hidden natures in their 'unloveliness'.
 * The term Nauglith appears to be both a term for Dwarves in general, and possibly also those later known as Petty-dwarves. The Indravang refers to those later known as the Longbeards.

The earliest known legends suggest that Melko created the Uvanimor, bred from the earth, who were monsters, giants, ogres, the Nautar and the Naugleth. The Dwarves appear to be one of the Uvanimor related to Goblins. Fangli/Fankil/Fukil (perhaps Sauron), the child of Melko and his servent, entered into the world perverting men. They fought the Ilkorins (elves). The Ermon (Edain?) allied with Nuin at the Battle of Palisor. Fangli's forces were either defeated, but some may have fled away becoming wild and savage tribes who worshiped Fangli and Melko. Thereafter Pelisor was possessed by Fangli and his hosts of Naugleth (or Dwarves). Later Fankil with the Dwarves and Goblins went among Men, and bred estrangement between them and the elves; and many Men aided the Dwarves. Such that only the Ermon alone stood by the fairies in the first war of Goblins and Elves (aka Dwarves and Men).

The Nauglith are the kin of the Indrafangs/Indravangs (the Longbeards). The dwarves are a strange race and none knew exactly where the came from. They served neither Melko, nor Manwe, and they had no concern for Elves or men. Some claim they had not heard of Iluvitar, or in hearing disbelieve. In crafts and sciences and in the knowledge of virtues of all things in the earth or under the water none excel them; yet they dwelt beneath the ground in caves and tunneled towns; Nogrod was the mightiest of these. It is said they are very old, and that no child comes among them, nor are they able to laugh. They are squat ins stature, and yet are strong, and their beards reach to their toes. However, the beards of the Indrafangs are the longest of all, forked, and they bound them to their middles as they walked abroid. All these creatures have Men called dwarves, and they say that crafts and cunning surpass that of the Gnomes (Noldor elves), there is however little beauty in their works. It is said that some of the Gnomes joined in league with the Dwarves of Nogrod. The Dwarves were freely in trade with the Noldoli selling swords, coats of mail, and other smithwork of great skill. There was a great traffic between the people, and also with the Orcs and soldiers of Melko as well.

The dwarves desired the gold of the elves, and asked the king to allow them to work their craft on their treasuries. It was agreed under the guidence of Ufedhin the Noldoli (and his own craft skill), that the gold and one of the Silmarils would be loaned to the dwarves in Norgrod to work their skills on. To which the Dwarves claimed they would fashion things for the adornement of the king and queen such that they had never seen, nor any Gnome or Dwarf had made yet.

The king broke his agreement with Ufedhin and the dwarves, capturing them. Telling them they would remain hostages until the treasures had been returned to his halls. He mistrusted them and thought they were thieves, or that their greed would turn them into thieves. In place of Ufedhin the gold was brought to Nogrod by one of the craftmen's companions. Meanwhile Ufedhin manipulated the king with descriptions of the treasures they would make, and began to weave dark plots in order to ensnare the king in avarice and revenge for his capture.

In these legends, Mim is the captain of the guard of Glorund the Drake (later known as Glauring) one of the greater minions of Melko. Mim is put in charge of guarding the great dragon's treasure in his absence. Following Glorund's death by Turin, Urin comes to Glauring's hoard. Mim uses dark spells to curse the treasures so that no others may touch it without troubles following them. Urin smites him soon after the curse, and takes the treasures back with him to Doriath.

The Hoard
The poem the horde from The Adventures of Tom Bombadil also seems to make a nod at darker aspect of Dwarves as viewed from Rivendell, Elvish, and Numenorian lore concerning the heroic days at the end of the First Age (echoing bits of the tale of Turin and Mim the Dwarf).

In the first part of the poem Dwarves and Dragons are compared, with implication that dwarves may have been carved from the pit (perhaps akin to the legends of men, and in Book of Lost Tales that they formed from the earth), and Dragons spawned from Hell.

The poem goes onto describe the greed and fall of the Shadow over the Elvenhome, and the treasures they piled up in dark holes. An old dwarf (apparently Mim the Dwarf or similar) apparently moves into the dark cave (apparently taken over from elven kings before him), with avarice, he holds onto his gotten treasures of silver and gold. In that cave he worked his fingers to the bone forging coins, and necklaces (described as 'strings of rings'), thought he could buy the power of the kings (he had essentially made himself a king). But as he worked his eyes grew dim and his ears dull, and his skin turned yellow on his old skull. His bony fingered claws had a pale sheen. He could no longer see the jewels he was working on. He couldn't hear the dragon (apparently "Glaurung") that entered his door, where he died alone in the dragon's fire, his bones were turned to ashes. Later the dragon would then be slain by a warrior (Turin as noted).

One strange aspect of this version of the tale besides "Mim" being killed by the Dragon, by the descriptions he may have already died. As it seems to describe his flesh decomposing from his bone before he is actually 'killed'. Yet he is ultimately slain by the dragon. Perhaps it is suggesting his greed lead to a kind of physical undeath on him, ultimately destroyed by dragon fire.

The theme of the poem is kings falling to greed, and then ultimately into darkness, only for their treasure to be captured by a new 'ruler or king', who also falls into darkness, and the treasure falls into the hands of the next king. As if there is a curse on the treasure horde.

Behind the scenes
In some of Tolkien's earliest writings Dwarves were a mostly evil race created by Melko/Melkor, as seen in the The Book of Lost Tales. But this idea was revised in later writings. A few of these ideas were reused in the history of the Petty-dwarves. Although they were not evil, but misunderstood tragic individuals hunted by those who thought them monsters or stupid creatures.

In earlier versions of the Silmarillion as detailed in The History of Middle-earth series, Mîm the Dwarf was a much more evil character, who actively betrayed Túrin. But as dwarves gradually changed in Tolkien's writings from evil orc-like beings to the dwarves they later became, Mîm's character was changed, and in the final texts he is no longer a true villain, but almost a tragic character in his own right.

Dwarves are actively involved on the side of Melko, during the Battle of Palisor, the death of King Tinwelent, and the Fall of Gondolin in the earliest writings. Though at times they seem to be working of their own will, and betray others, and befriending other evil forces. This is described as "drawn more nigh in friendship to the kind of Melko."

In Other Media
The Lord of the Rings Online include the Dourhands.