See Dwarves And Drink.
Here for certain is one authentic fact about dwarves. Fjalar's living space occupies just one end of his smithy because:
"He didn't want a lot beyond a bed and a privy; his work was his life." (p. 267)
Somewhere in CS Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia, we are informed that, whenever tunnels or holes in the ground are required, dwarves immediately begin to dig them without hesitation, negotiation or complaint because to them this is a leisure activity. I expect that Tolkien and the Norse sources would confirm, or at least not contradict, this detail. It rings true.
Nevertheless, Fjalar appreciates modern appliances, a fridge, a stove and the goetic equivalent of a washing machine: "...self-washing tableware." (ibid.) Such amenities enable him to work longer.
2 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
And Fjalar also came to appreciate BATHING and the comfort of being really clean.
Yes, Tolkien's dwarves enjoyed well done mines, tunnels, fine stone and masonry work. And recall how Gimli, Gloin's son went into raptures describing the Glittering Caves behind Helm's Deep in Rohan.
Ad astra! Sean
Moderns don't often appreciate just how much maintenance labor just living involved in the old days.
Hand-washing clothes is -hard-. Cooking from scratch is extremely time-consuming; I do it occasionally but I find it an aid to thought.
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