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Places in Middle-earth

Smaug's Lair

Type: Valleys, Caves, Tunnels

Region: Rhovanion/Misty Mtns

Location: Smaug guarded his hoard in the Great Hall of Thráin, the lowest hall in the Erebor.

Description: Smaug the Golden, greatest of the dragons of his day, arose and without warning ... descended on the Mountain in flames. It was not long before all that realm was destroyed...; but Smaug entered into the Great Hall and lay there upon a bed of gold.

The Return of the King, LoTR Appendix A, Annals of the Kings and Rulers: Durin's Folk

Before [Bilbo] lies the great bottommost cellar or dungeon-hall of the ancient dwarves right at the Mountain's root. It is almost dark so that its vastness can only be dimly guessed, but rising from the near side of the rocky floor there is a great glow. The glow of Smaug!

There he lay, a vast red-golden dragon, fast asleep; thrumming came from his jaws and nostrils, and wisps of smoke, but his fires were low in slumber. Beneath him, under all his limbs and his huge coiled tail, and about him on all sides stretching away across the unseen floors, lay countless piles of precious things, gold wrought and unwrought, gems and jewels, and silver red-stained in the ruddy light.

Smaug lay, with wings folded like an immeasurable bat, turned partly on one side, so that the hobbit could see his underparts and his long pale belly crusted with gems and fragments of gold from his long lying on his costly bed. Behind him where the walls were nearest could dimly be seen coats of mail, helms and axes, swords and spears hanging; and there in rows stood great jars and vessels filled with a wealth that could not be guessed.

The Hobbit, Ch 12, Inside Information

[Smaug] had passed from an uneasy dream ... to wide waking. There was a breath of strange air in his cave. Could there be a draught from that little hole? ... Then he missed the cup! ...

Such a thing had not happened since first he came to the Mountain! His rage passes description.... His fire belched forth, the hall smoked, he shook the mountain-roots. He thrust his head in vain at the little hole, and then coiling his length together, roaring like thunder underground, he sped from his deep lair through its great door, out into the huge passages of the mountain-palace and up towards the Front Gate.

The Hobbit, Ch 12, Inside Information

Contributors: Elena Tiriel 27Sep05, 6Oct05

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