‘The Hobbit’: Unveiling the Mysteries of Smaug

In J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, dragons were first created by Morgoth, the original Dark Lord, during the First Age. Glaurung, the progenitor of all dragons, was the first to appear, and many dragons were slain during the War of Wrath. Surviving dragons migrated north, where their numbers slowly grew. By the Second and Third Ages, dragons, including Smaug the Golden, began terrorizing lands in search of gold.

Smaug, a dominant fire-breathing dragon of the Third Age, is notorious for his violence, so much so that Gandalf feared he might ally with the Dark Lord Sauron. Even after Smaug's death, the vast treasure he guarded remained untouched, highlighting his fearsome reputation. Smaug's origins are only documented in Middle-earth's history from 2770 of the Third Age, when he attacked the Lonely Mountain and Dale, seizing the dwarves' riches, including the Arkenstone. He exiled the dwarves and took over their hoard, demonstrating his extreme greed and strength.

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Described by J.R.R. Tolkien as a red-golden dragon with bat-like wings, sharp claws, and a huge tail, Smaug breathes flames that are scarlet and green. His scales are nearly impenetrable, though a bare patch on his underbelly, caused by lying on his treasure, eventually led to his downfall. In T.A. 2941, Bilbo Baggins discovered this vulnerability, and Bard the Bowman later killed Smaug by shooting into the exposed area.

In Peter Jackson’s film adaptations, Smaug’s appearance diverges from the book. Portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch, Smaug has a serpentine neck, crocodile-like face, and a more complex color scheme, blending features of European and Asian dragons. The films also depict him as larger and more battle-worn than described in the books. Smaug is portrayed as a fire-drake—a dragon that breathes fire and has wings.

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After Smaug’s death, dragons were thought to have become nearly extinct. Gandalf suggested that while fire-drakes might have survived until just before the War of the Ring, no dragon of Smaug's caliber remained. Tolkien's writings confirm that Smaug was the last great dragon of Middle-earth, with only lesser dragons potentially existing in the Fourth Age.

–Farheen Ali