Dragon (Middle-earth)
J. R. R. Tolkien's universe of
Middle-earth features
dragons closely based on those of European legend.
The dragons were created by
Morgoth during the
First Age, when
Glaurung first appeared. It is probable Morgoth created them by corrupting some unknown stock of animals through his dark arts. Dragons were capable of breeding on their own, and in later ages the Withered Heath was purportedly their spawning ground.
The dragons may have originally have been
Maiar, but this is not so stated by Tolkien.Tolkien designed his own
taxonomic system for dragons, based on two factors:
Means of locomotion
*Some dragons (
Glaurung) walked on four legs, like
Komodo dragons or other lizards.
*Other dragons (
Ancalagon,
Smaug) could both walk on four legs and fly using wings. Winged-dragons only first appeared during the
War of Wrath, the battle that ended the First Age, so all dragons introduced before the end of the First Age couldn't fly (such as Glaurung), although breeds of wingless dragons did survive into later ages.
Fire breathing
*The
Urulóki (singular
Urulokë, Fire-drakes) could breathe fire. It is not entirely clear whether the term "Uruloki" referred only to the first dragons such as Glaurung that could breathe fire but were wingless, or to any dragon that could breathe fire, and thus include Smaug.
*In the
Lord of the Rings appendixes Tolkien mentioned a "Cold-drake". It is commonly assumed, though not stated, that this term indicated a dragon which could not breathe fire.
All of Tolkien's dragons also shared a love of treasure (especially
gold), subtle intelligence, immense cunning, great physical strength, and a
hypnotic power called "dragon-spell". The best way to talk to a dragon in the circumstances of this spell (when it was questioning you) was not to directly give it the information it wanted, as this would compromise you and your friends, but not to flat out deny it an answer, because this would anger it to violence. Therefore, the best way to talk to the dragon is to be vague and speak in riddles — apparently dragons find it hard to resist wasting time with riddles.
Dragon-fire (of the Urulóki) was hot enough to melt
Rings of Power: Four of the
Seven Rings of the Dwarves were consumed by Dragon-fire. The
One Ring could not be harmed by it, however.
*
Glaurung — Father of Dragons, slain by
Túrin Turambar. First of the Uruloki, the Fire-drakes of Angband. He had four legs and could breathe fire, but didn't have wings.
*
Ancalagon the Black — mightiest of the Winged-dragons, slain by
Eärendil in the
War of Wrath.
*
Scatha — Slain by Fram of the
Éothéod. Described as a "long-worm", although this imparticular term seems to be more of an expression rather than a separate taxonomic group.
*
Smaug — last great dragon of
Middle-earth, slain by
Bard, a descendant of
Girion Lord of Dale. A winged Urulokë.
Other dragons were present at the
Fall of Gondolin. In the late
Third Age the dragons bred in the Northern Waste and Withered Heath north of the
Ered Mithrin.
Dáin I of
Durin's folk was killed by a cold-drake.
Iron Crown Enterprises, when they possessed the licensing rights for games made from Tolkien's novels, expanded the selection of named dragons considerably in both
Middle-earth Role Playing and
The Wizards, a
trading card game set in Middle-earth. Also in the
real-time strategy game The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II, based on
Peter Jackson's film trilogy, there is a character named Drogoth,who takes the place of the three canonical dragons.
*
Encyclopedia of Arda article on Middle-earth's dragons*
Ardapedia article on Middle-earth's dragons in slovak 
