On Wargs and Wolves

Thoughts on Middle Earth Inspired by my Lord of the Rings ACKS Campaign

Sep 28, 2022

For several years, I ran a campaign set in Middle Earth using the Heroic Fantasy Handbook for Adventurer Conqueror King System. I called the campaign LOTR-ACKS and shared some of my campaign progress on the Autarch Patreon.

Me being me, when I decided to run a Middle Earth campaign, I did a very deep dive into the Tolkien Legendarium. In the process I came to some interesting conclusions about a number of creatures in the Middle Earth bestiary. Given the disrespect with which Rings of Power has treated Middle Earth, I thought Tolkien fans might enjoy discussing something a little more grounded in the real Legendarium. I actually don’t hate the books and all.

Thus, let us discuss the Wargs and wolves of Middle-Earth. If this proves popular then in future installments we’ll discuss orcs and undead.

Orcs and Goblins Don’t Ride Wargs!

Since I first read Dungeons & Dragons as a child, I’ve believed that goblins ride Wargs in D&D because that’s what they did in The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. But that’s not necessarily true!

At no point, anywhere in the Hobbit or Lord of the Rings, is it explicitly stated that goblins or orcs ride Wargs. Nowhere! I have the digital edition of the books and I searched the text. I was stunned by this. Every single time, the orcs and goblins are noted as “riding wolves” or being “wolf-riders.”

Now, one could argue that the terms are synonymous, except that Tolkien in The Hobbit distinguishes the two in the same sentence: "They ride upon wolves and Wargs are in their train!" (Warg is always capitalized by Tolkien.)

Instead, They Ride a Breed of War-Wolves

If we’re right that goblins and orcs ride wolves, not Wargs, then there must exist a breed of wolves large enough to be ridden by goblins and orcs. Goblins and orcs are, in the books, between hobbit and man-sized -- smaller than the movies would have us believe - but still large enough that a real-life wolf could not bear the rider. Therefore, a breed of pony-sized wolves must exist in Middle Earth. I call these creatures “war wolves”.

Were-Wolves are Neither Wargs nor Wolves

When the heroes are assailed by wolf-like creatures in The Fellowship of the Ring, Aragorn and Boromir call them Wargs, and for this reason many readers have assumed that’s what the creatures were.

But Gandalf, who is rarely wrong, calls them "gaurhoth", which is Sindarin for "were-wolves". Now, Tolkien’s were-wolves have nothing to do with a lycanthrope. In The Silmarillion, were-wolves are introduced as demonic spirits incarnated in the bodies of great wolves by Sauron in the First Age.

So which were they, Wargs or were-wolves? The answer lies in the fact that when the were-wolves are slain by the Fellowship, their bodies vanish or fade away. In The Hobbit, when the Company confronted Wargs outside of Goblin-town, the Wargs' bodies did not disappear, nor does any other wolf or Warg elsewhere ever disappear when slain.

Given the disappearance of the bodies, and Gandalf's labeling, the “gaurhoth” encountered in The Fellowship of the Ring are likely different creatures than the Wargs encountered in The Hobbit.

Wargs are the Descendants of Were-Wolves

We know from The Hobbit that Wargs are sapient. They have their own language and their own leaders, and the Warg host is counted as one of the Five Armies. From The Silmarillion, we know that were-wolves are also sapient - Carcharoth, for instance, has sentient knowledge of the death of his father Draugluin.

Moreover, in Letter No 297, Tolkien describes Wargs as "an evil breed of (demonic) wolves". If were-wolves are demonic spirits incarnated as great wolves, while Wargs are an evil breed of demonic wolves, it seems reasonable to conclude that Wargs are the descendants of were-wolves. This is supported by Tolkien’s writings elsewhere about other creatures of great power being descended from what were originally Maiar in animal form.

Conclusions

There are four types of lupine monsters in Middle Earth:

1. Were-wolves. These are demonic spirits (Maiar in the service of Morgoth) who have taken the form of great wolves. Their bodies eventually disappear when slain. Were-wolves are sapient and evil.

2. Wargs. These are members of a breed of great wolves with demonic blood, most likely descended from were-wolves. Wargs are also sapient and evil.

3. War-wolves. These are members of a breed of large wolves ridden by goblins and orcs. There is no evidence they are sapient, but they are likely vicious and ill-tempered. They might be descended from Wargs.

4. Ordinary wolves. These are members of the natural species of wolf that exist in our own world. Some sources indicate that Morgoth bred wolves in imitation or mockery of dogs. Wolves are always associated with evil in Middle Earth, but they are definitely not sapient.

If you’d like to field Tolkienesque were-wolves, Wargs, and war-wolves in your home campaign, here’s a free PDF I created with monster entries for them. This is unofficial material for personal use only. Perhaps one day Autarch will gain the license to create official Middle Earth content, but that day is not today!

Capital City Casefiles #1 Now Available

Last week I announced the launch of Capital City Casefiles, a series of scenarios for Ascendant, my superpowered role-playing game. Capital City Casefile #1 went on sale now on DriveThruRPG for $5.00 PDF. You can use this link to get your PDF copy for just $1.50. Everyone who buys the PDF using the special offer will get a coupon to purchase the POD once its become available for $5 off, too.

Ascendant Beyond Kickstarter Starting In November

In November, I’ll be launching a Kickstarter I’m calling Ascendant Beyond. It will be offering the revised second printing of Ascendant, the new Ascendant: Rogues Gallery, the Ascendant: Star-Spangled Squadron graphic novel and more. The centerpiece is of course Rogues Gallery, which blows open the Ascendant Universe with dozens of ready-made villains, plot hooks, and more. I hope you’ll support it when it goes live.

Now For a Word From Our Sponsor

Well, it’s really just me here. So check out the links below for ways to get involved in the Autarch community. If you’re a fan, be kind and spread the word!

Arbiter of Worlds

Discussion about this post