Welcome to Know Your LotRO Lore, a new weekly column here at Massively showcasing the lore of J.R.R. Tolkien's world as it intersects with Turbine's Lord of the Rings Online.
Probably the most predominant evil race in Middle-earth, the Orcs come in many shapes and sizes. Their origins are often debated, and their definition has actually been changed throughout the life of Tolkien's work. One thing is for certain though: Orcs are filled with hate, and lead miserable lives for the service of Sauron.
They also evoke many unanswered questions from those new to the Tolkien scene. Did Tolkien invent the Orc? Are Orcs really just cursed Elves? Are goblins considered Orcs? What is an Uruk? Luckily for us lore buffs, there aren't simple yes or no answers to these questions. Follow along through this week's Know Your LotRO Lore to find out more answers to your Orc questions.
Reader Comments (3)
Posted: Jan 27th 2009 4:18PM Jesspiper said
Great article. My personal belief is the account in the Silmarillion of Orcs having their origins as tortured and corrpupted/mutated Elves, courtesy of Melkor/Morgoth. It makes the most sense in my opinion. I like Tolkien's orcs because they are (in their current state) 100% unquestioningly evil. Unlike the shades of grey found in the Warcrafts "klingon" version of orcs or Warhammer's unpredictable "soccer hooligans", Tolkien's Orcs are evil, evil, evil.
Some suggestions for articles:
1. Magic (always a controversial topic in Middle-earth!)
2. The Valar (especially Melkor/Morgoth)
3. Aragorn
Some suggestions for articles:
1. Magic (always a controversial topic in Middle-earth!)
2. The Valar (especially Melkor/Morgoth)
3. Aragorn
Posted: Jan 27th 2009 5:00PM Mr Angry said
These articles are some of the best bits on this site, really enjoy reading these.
Posted: Feb 3rd 2009 11:34PM (Unverified) said
I love these posts and look forward to them every week. I haven't had a chance to dive into LOTRO yet due to time constraints but I have my copy sitting on the shelf when I'm ready. As a Tolkien fan, though, I really appreciate the amount of research you put into these synopses. Although I've read almost all of Tolkien's work at one time or another, I still learn something new in every post. Keep them coming!







