November 4, 2002

In Moria, in Khazad-dum
Brett C.

Dora-chan, I think the best answer for your question in in the Dwarves own words regarding Durin, the eldest of the 7 fathers of their race.

The World was fair, the mountains green
No stain yet on the moon was seen
No words were laid on stream or stone
When Durin woke, and walked alone.
He named the many hills and dells,
He drank of yet untasted wells,
He paused to look in Mirrormere
And saw a crown of stars apear
Like gems upon a silver thread
About the shadow of his head.

The world was fair, the mountains tall
In Elder Days before the fall
Of mighty Kings in Nargothrond
And Gondolin who now beyond
The Western Sea have passed away.
The world was fair in Durin's day.

A King he was on carven throne
In many pillared halls of stone
With golden roof, and silver floor
And runes of power upon the door.
the light of sun, and star, and moon
In shining lamps of crystal hewn
Undimmed by cloud or shade of night
There shone forever, fair and bright.

There hammer on the anvil smote
There chisel clove, and graver wrote
There forged was blade and bound was hilt
The miner delved, the mason built
There beryl, pearl, and opal pale
and armor wrought like fishes mail,
Corslet and buckler, axe and sword
And shining spears were laid in hoard.

Unwearied then were Durin's folk.
Beaneath the mountains music woke.
The harpers harped, the minstels sang,
And at the gates, the trumpets rang!

The world is grey, the mountains old,
The forge's fire is ashen cold.
No harp is wrung, no hammer falls,
The darkness dwells in Durin's halls;
The shadow lies upon his tomb
In Moria, in Khazad-dum,
But still the sunken stars appear
In dark and windless Mirrormere;
There lies his crown in waters deep
'Til Durin wakes again from sleep.

Moria is only the Elf name for Khazad-dum. The door to Hollin, through which the Fellowship entered, was on the border of an ancient Elf kingdom, the same one where the Rings of Power were made in the first age. Celebrimbor the forger of the rings worked with Narvi the Dwarf to create the gates, and in honor of Celbrimbor's efforts the words on the gate and the subsequent password were in the Elvish tongue. The shadow upon Durin' tomb is, of course, that of the Balrog.