Changes: Were-worms

Latest revision as of 11:32, 5 January 2024

"Tell me what you want done, and I will try it, if I have to walk from here to the East of East and fight the wild Were-worms in the Last Desert."

—Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit

Were-worms were creatures told of in the stories of hobbits. Though possibly mythical, Were-worms were believed to inhabit the Last Desert, said to be located far to the east of the Shire.^[1]

For a hobbit to declare himself prepared to fight Were-worms was a sort of proverbial way of saying that he was ready to do anything.^[1]

Etymology

The prefix were- originates from wer, the Old English word for "man".

In The Complete Guide to Middle-earth, Robert Foster suggests that Were-worms may have been misremembered dragons among Hobbits, noting that "worm" is often used as another name for dragons and that the usage of "were" is similar to "Werewolves", suggesting that Were-worms may have a relation to them.

Other versions

In the first version of The Hobbit, Bilbo mentioned to Thorin and Company that he was capable of walking to "the Great Desert of Gobi and fight the Wild Wire worm of the Chinese" there; Tolkien subsequently made the term plural.^[2] In the second version of The Hobbit, the phrase was changed to "...the last desert in the East and fight the Wild Wireworms of the Chinese".^[3] The Were-worms of the Last Desert may have, therefore, been based on the legend of Mongolian death worms in the Gobi Desert.

In adaptations

Middle-earth Role Playing

In the 2012 second edition of the 1994 Creatures of Middle-earth module of Middle-earth Role Playing, Were-worms are shapeshifters that evolved from wingless and legless Dragons. There are two breeds: Sand-drakes and True Were-worms. Sand-drakes are beasts which mimic anything they touch while True Were-worms were intelligent creatures that wielded sorcery.

The Hobbit (2003 video game)

Were-worms were monsters appearing in the 2003 video game as large, fearsome worms that live in underground dens. They are first seen after the Troll-hole boss fight. They look like caterpillars and when Bilbo kills one, another comes forward to take its place. They are blind and can be snuck up upon. They make a fearsome snarling noise that sounds similar to dogs.

The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II

The Wyrms that appear in The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II may be based on Were-worms.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

In the third film of The Hobbit film trilogy, Were-worms make a brief appearance before and during the Battle of Five Armies.

Wereworm tunnel — A tunnel made by Were-worms

Tunnels dug by the creatures first appear as Azog and Ragash inspect the path their armies will travel. After Thorin II and Thranduil hear a rumbling noise below the battlefield, several Were-worms suddenly burst through the ground near the hills surrounding the Lonely Mountain, only to disappear again soon after. As they appear, Gandalf in horror identifies the creatures as Were-worms. Here, they dig tunnels for reinforcements of the Dol Guldur Orc army. They look somewhat like colossal rainworms with rock-like skin and massive jaws. They don’t appear to be used for combat, and they don’t take part in the actual battle. Despite a short appearance, the worms remain among the largest creatures in the live-action films along with Smaug, who was said to be over 140 to 152 meters (462 to 498 feet) in length.^[4] The Were-worms resemble Carnictis from King Kong (2005); the worm-like creatures which devoured Lumpy, portrayed by Andy Serkis. For Peter Jackson's self-homage to his King Kong, there were more scenes of similarity in the franchise; during the battle under the Lonely Mountain, Thorin landing on Smaug's nostril resembled Ann Darrow falling on the tip of Vastatosaurus Rex's jaws during the battle between Kong and the dinosaurs, and the facial structure of a War Troll in the extended edition of the third film strongly resembles that of King Kong. These Were-worms also resemble the Nydus worms^[5] of the Starcraft series.

Middle-earth: Shadow of War

Were-wyrm - SoW — Uruks facing a Were-wyrm in *The Desolation of Mordor*

In the The Desolation of Mordor DLC, Were-worms, referred to as Were-wyrms, appear as native to the plain of Lithlad in The Desolation of Mordor DLC, an expansion to Middle-earth: Shadow of War. Their appearance is similar to how they appear in The Hobbit film trilogy, though the creatures vary greatly in size.

Translations

Foreign Language	Translated name
Chinese (Hong Kong)	噬地獸
Czech	Zeměžrouti
Danish	Kæmpeorme ("Spøgelsesdrager")
German	Werwürmer
Norwegian	Vârorm
Polish	Robołaki
Portuguese (Brazil)	Homens-dragões (book) Vermes-gigantes (film) Grãs-serpes (book²)
Russian	Червеоборотни

Races of Arda

Free Peoples of the World:

Servants of the Shadow:

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 The Hobbit, Chapter I: "An Unexpected Party"
↑ The History of The Hobbit: Mr Baggins and Return to Bag-End, "The First Phase", I(a). "The Pryftan Fragment", pg. 9
↑ The History of The Hobbit: Mr Baggins and Return to Bag-End, "The First Phase", I(b). "The Bladorthin Typescript", pgs. 40, 43
↑ Ian Failes. 2014. Behind the scenes of Weta Digital’s Smaug. the fxguide. Retrieved on December 22. 2014
↑ http://starcraft.wikia.com/wiki/Nydus_worm

[hobbit-1] 1.0 ^1.1 The Hobbit, Chapter I: "An Unexpected Party"

[Pryftan-2] The History of The Hobbit: Mr Baggins and Return to Bag-End, "The First Phase", I(a). "The Pryftan Fragment", pg. 9

[Bladorthin-3] The History of The Hobbit: Mr Baggins and Return to Bag-End, "The First Phase", I(b). "The Bladorthin Typescript", pgs. 40, 43

[4] Ian Failes. 2014. Behind the scenes of Weta Digital’s Smaug. the fxguide. Retrieved on December 22. 2014

[5] ttp://starcraft.wikia.com/wiki/Nydus_worm

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Quote|Tell me what you want done, and I will try it, if I have to walk from here to the East of East and fight the wild Were-worms in the [[Last Desert]].|[[Bilbo Baggins]] in ''[[The Hobbit]]''}}<br/>[[File:BOTFA_Wereworm.PNG|thumb|334px|A Were-Worm in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies]][[File:Angus McBride - Were worms.jpg|thumb|by Angus McBride]]
+{{Quote|Tell me what you want done, and I will try it, if I have to walk from here to the East of East and fight the wild Were-worms in the Last Desert.|[[Bilbo Baggins]] in ''[[The Hobbit]]''}}
-'''Were-worms''' were most likely imaginary or mythical creatures told of in the stories of [[hobbits]]. The were-worms were supposedly terrible monsters that made their home in the [[Last Desert]] very far east of [[the Shire]]. For a hobbit to declare himself prepared to fight were-worms was a sort of proverbial way of saying that he was ready to do anything.<ref>''[[The Hobbit]],'' Chapter I: "[[An Unexpected Party]]"</ref>
-==Portrayal in adaptations==
-===Video games===
-[[File:103px-Wereworm.png|thumb|180x180px]]
+'''Were-worms''' were creatures told of in the stories of [[hobbits]]. Though possibly mythical, Were-worms were believed to inhabit the [[Last Desert]], said to be located far to the east of the [[Shire]].<ref name=hobbit>''[[The Hobbit]]'', Chapter I: "[[An Unexpected Party]]"</ref>
-Were-worms were monsters appearing in the 2003 ''[[The Hobbit (2003 video game)|The Hobbit]]'' game.
+For a hobbit to declare himself prepared to fight Were-worms was a sort of proverbial way of saying that he was ready to do anything.<ref name=hobbit/>
-These large, fearsome worms live in underground dens. and are first seen after the Troll Hole boss fight. They look like caterpillars and when Bilbo kills one, another comes forward to take its place. They are blind and can be snuck up upon. They make a fearsome snarling noise that sounds similar to dogs.
+==Etymology==
-=== The Hobbit film trilogy ===
+The prefix ''were-'' originates from ''wer'', the Old English word for "man".
-In ''[[The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies]]'', the Were-worms make a brief appearance before and during the [[Battle of the Five Armies]].
+In ''[[The Complete Guide to Middle-earth]]'', [[Robert Foster]] suggests that Were-worms may have been misremembered [[dragons]] among Hobbits, noting that "worm" is often used as another name for dragons and that the usage of "were" is similar to "[[Werewolves]]", suggesting that Were-worms may have a relation to them.
-The Were-worms appeared in [[Mount Gundabad]] when [[Legolas]] and [[Tauriel]] were spying behind a rock. [[Azog]] and [[Ragash]] were leading their army to walk through the tunnel which was dug by the worms. After [[Thorin]] and [[Thranduil]] hear a rumbling noise below the battlefield, several Were-worms suddenly burst through the ground near the hills surrounding [[Erebor]], only to disappear again soon after. As they appear, [[Gandalf]] in horror identifies the creatures as Were-worms. Here, they dig tunnels for reinforcements of the [[Dol Guldur]] [[Orc]] army. In the film, they look somewhat like collossal rainworms with a rock-like skin and massive jaws, crushing everything in their path. Although their appearance is short, with a good 75 feet in diameter and a visible length of at least 400 feet, they are by far the largest participants in the film's main battle, and the largest creatures seen in the trilogy aside from [[Smaug]], who was said to be measuring over 426 feet to 462 feet<ref>Ian Failes. 2014. [http://www.fxguide.com/quicktakes/behind-the-scenes-of-weta-digitals-smaug/ Behind the scenes of Weta Digital’s Smaug]. the fxguide. Retrieved on December 22. 2014</ref>.
+==Other versions==
-==Translations around the World==
+In the first version of ''The Hobbit'', Bilbo mentioned to [[Thorin and Company]] that he was capable of walking to "the Great Desert of Gobi and fight the '''Wild Wire worm''' of the Chinese" there; Tolkien subsequently made the term plural.<ref name=Pryftan>''[[The History of The Hobbit: Mr Baggins and Return to Bag-End]]'', "The First Phase", I(a). "The Pryftan Fragment", pg. 9</ref> In the second version of ''The Hobbit'', the phrase was changed to "...the last desert in the East and fight the '''Wild Wireworms''' of the Chinese".<ref name=Bladorthin>''[[The History of The Hobbit: Mr Baggins and Return to Bag-End]]'', "The First Phase", I(b). "The Bladorthin Typescript", pgs. 40, 43</ref> The Were-worms of the Last Desert may have, therefore, been based on the legend of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongolian_death_worm Mongolian death worms] in the Gobi Desert.
+==In adaptations==
+===''Middle-earth Role Playing''===
+In the 2012 second edition of the 1994 ''Creatures of Middle-earth'' module of ''[[Middle-earth Role Playing]]'', Were-worms are shapeshifters that evolved from wingless and legless Dragons. There are two breeds: '''Sand-drakes''' and '''True Were-worms'''. Sand-drakes are beasts which mimic anything they touch while True Were-worms were intelligent creatures that wielded sorcery.
+===''The Hobbit'' (2003 video game)===
+Were-worms were monsters appearing in the [[The Hobbit (2003 video game)|2003 video game]] as large, fearsome worms that live in underground dens. They are first seen after the Troll-hole boss fight. They look like caterpillars and when Bilbo kills one, another comes forward to take its place. They are blind and can be snuck up upon. They make a fearsome snarling noise that sounds similar to dogs.
+===''The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II''===
+The [[Wyrms]] that appear in ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II]]'' may be based on Were-worms.
+===''The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies''===
+[[File:Wereworms.jpg|thumb]]
+In the [[The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies|third film]] of [[The Hobbit film trilogy|''The Hobbit'' film trilogy]], Were-worms make a brief appearance before and during the [[Battle of Five Armies]].
+[[File:Wereworm tunnel.jpg|thumb|A tunnel made by Were-worms|alt=]]
+Tunnels dug by the creatures first appear as [[Azog]] and [[Ragash]] inspect the path their armies will travel. After [[Thorin II]] and [[Thranduil]] hear a rumbling noise below the battlefield, several Were-worms suddenly burst through the ground near the hills surrounding the [[Lonely Mountain]], only to disappear again soon after. As they appear, [[Gandalf]] in horror identifies the creatures as Were-worms. Here, they dig tunnels for reinforcements of the [[Dol Guldur]] [[Orcs|Orc]] army. They look somewhat like colossal rainworms with rock-like skin and massive jaws. They don’t appear to be used for combat, and they don’t take part in the actual battle. Despite a short appearance, the worms remain among the largest creatures in the live-action films along with [[Smaug]], who was said to be over 140 to 152 meters (462 to 498 feet) in length.<ref>Ian Failes. 2014. [http://www.fxguide.com/quicktakes/behind-the-scenes-of-weta-digitals-smaug/ Behind the scenes of Weta Digital’s Smaug]. the fxguide. Retrieved on December 22. 2014</ref> The Were-worms resemble Carnictis from ''King Kong (2005);'' the worm-like creatures which devoured Lumpy, portrayed by [[Andy Serkis]]. For [[Peter Jackson]]'s self-homage to his ''King Kong'', there were more scenes of similarity in the franchise; during the battle under the [[Lonely Mountain]], Thorin landing on Smaug's nostril resembled Ann Darrow falling on the tip of Vastatosaurus Rex's jaws during the battle between Kong and the dinosaurs, and the facial structure of a [[War Troll]] in the [[The Hobbit Extended Edition|extended edition]] of the third film strongly resembles that of King Kong. These Were-worms also resemble the Nydus worms<ref>http://starcraft.wikia.com/wiki/Nydus_worm</ref> of the ''Starcraft'' series.
+===''Middle-earth: Shadow of War''===
+[[File:Were-wyrm - SoW.jpg|thumb|250x250px|Uruks facing a Were-wyrm in ''The Desolation of Mordor'']]
+In the ''The Desolation of Mordor'' DLC, Were-worms, referred to as '''Were-wyrms''', appear as native to the plain of [[Lithlad]] in ''The Desolation of Mordor'' DLC, an expansion to ''[[Middle-earth: Shadow of War]]''. Their appearance is similar to how they appear in ''[[The Hobbit film trilogy|''The Hobbit'' film trilogy]], though the creatures vary greatly in size.
+==See also==
+*[[Withered Heath]]
+==Translations==
 {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
 !Foreign Language
 !Translated name
-|-
-|Portuguese (Brazil)
-|Homens-dragões ''(book)''<br>Vermes-gigantes ''(film)''
 |-
 |Chinese (Hong Kong)
 |噬地獸
+|-
+|Czech
+|Zeměžrouti
+|-
+|Danish
+|Kæmpeorme ("Spøgelsesdrager")
+|-
+|German
+|Werwürmer
 |-
 |Norwegian
 |Vârorm
+|-
+|Polish
+|Robołaki
+|-
+|Portuguese (Brazil)
+|Homens-dragões ''(book)''<br />Vermes-gigantes ''(film)''<br />Grãs-serpes ''(book²)''
+|-
+|Russian
+|Червеоборотни
 |}
-== Trivia ==
-*It had never been clear that whether Were-worms were included in [[Úvanimor]]
-*The worms appeared in the film strongly resemble '''Carnictis''' from ''King Kong (2005)'' that were the worm-like creatures devoured Lumpy acted by [[Andy Serkis]]. For [[Peter Jackson]]'s self-homage to his ''King Kong'', there were more scenes of similarity in the franchise; [[The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug|during the battle under the mountain]], [[Thorin]] landing on [[Smaug]]'s nostril vs Ann Darrow falling on the tip of Vastatosaurus Rex's jaws during the battle between Kong and the dinosaurs. Additionally, the [[Bats of Dol Guldur]] in the third film resembles giant bats of Skull Island
-*In ''The Complete Guide to Middle Earth, ''Robert Foster suggests Were-worms may have been mis-remembered tales of dragons among Hobbits.  Foster notes that "worm" is often used as another name for dragons and "[[Werewolves]]" refer to intelligent wolves capable of speech, traits which dragons share
-*In a portrait featuring the [[Fall of Gondolin]] by [[John Howe]], a gigantic creature resembling a centipede can be seen along with a fire-drake (possibly the [[Fire-drake of Gondolin]]) and [[Balrog]]s
-*[[Wyrms]] appearing in ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II]]'' might be based on Were-worms
-*It should be noted that this name is somewhat inaccurate given the origin of the prefix "were" from the Old English word "wer" for "man" and the seeming lack of any connection between men and Were-worms
-*The were-worm's share a resemblance to the Nydus worm's<ref>http://starcraft.wikia.com/wiki/Nydus_worm</ref> of starcraf
 {{Races}}
-==See also==
-*[[Withered Heath]]
 ==References==
-<references />
+<references/>
+[[de:Werwürmer]]
+[[ru:Червеоборотни]]
+[[Category:Azog's army]]
-{{Space|Were-worms}}
-[[Category:Dragons]]
 [[Category:Monsters]]
-[[Category:Servants of Morgoth]]
+[[Category:Mystery]]
-[[Category:Servants of Sauron]]
+[[Category:Non-canonical Servants of Sauron]]
-[[Category:Azog's army]]
-[[Category:CGI races]]
-[[Category:Villains]]
-[[Category:Evil]]
-[[Category:The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Characters]]
-[[ru:Червеоборотни]]