Part 4/8:
Tolkien’s dwarf race was crafted by Aulë, one of the Valar, with a purpose: their design made them exceptionally resistant to corruption by Melkor, the dark lord’s master. Despite this resilience, there are instances where dwarves found themselves wrestling with darker influences. Throughout the history of Middle-earth, corruption was a consistent theme; it wasn’t confined to any single race. Even among the mighty Valar and Maiar, instances of betrayal and greed were present.
While Melkor was drawn to the elegance of elves, he largely overlooked dwarves, who inhabited deep caverns and proved difficult to corrupt outright. Yet, as the fabric of Middle-earth’s stories unfold, it becomes evident that inner struggles could lead even the most stalwart races to a path of corruption.