The fictional races and peoples that appear in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy world of Middle-earth include the seven listed in Appendix F of The Lord of the Rings: Elves, Men, Dwarves, Hobbits, Ents, Orcs and Trolls, as well as spirits such as the Valar and Maiar. Other beings of Middle-earth are of unclear nature such as Tom Bombadil and his wife Goldberry.
Ainur
The Ainur are angelic spirits created by Eru Ilúvatar at the Beginning. The Ainur who subsequently enter the physical world of Middle-earth are the Valar ("powers"), though that term primarily means the mightiest among them., "Ainulindale" Lesser spirits are called the Maiar. Most of the Valar and Maiar withdraw from Middle-earth to the Undying Lands of Valinor, though some of the Maiar assume mortal forms to help or hinder the peoples of Middle-earth, such as the Istari (Wizards), Melian, Balrogs, and the Dark Lord Sauron., "Valaquenta", "Of the Maiar" and "Of the Enemies"
Wizards
The wizards of Middle-earth are Maiar: spirits of the same order as the Valar, but lesser in power. Outwardly resembling Men but possessing much greater physical and mental power, they are called Istari (Quenya for "Wise Ones") by the Elves. "The Istari" They are sent by the Valar to assist the people of Middle-earth to contest Sauron. The first three of these five wizards are known in the Mannish tongues of the Lord of the Rings series as Saruman "man of skill" (Rohirric), Gandalf "elf of the staff" (northern Men), and Radagast "tender of beasts" (possibly Westron). Tolkien never provided non-Elvish names for the other two; one tradition gives their names in Valinor as Alatar and Pallando, and another as Morinehtar and Rómestámo in Middle-earth., p. 384–385. Each wizard in the series has robes of a characteristic colour: white for Saruman (the chief and the most powerful of the five), grey for Gandalf, brown for Radagast,It has been suggested that his name is taken from the Slavic god Radegast. and sea-blue for the remaining two, known consequently as the Blue Wizards.
Gandalf and Saruman play important roles in The Lord of the Rings, while Radagast appears only briefly, innocently helping Saruman to deceive Gandalf, who believes Radagast since he is honest, and fortuitously alerting Gwaihir to rescue Gandalf again. The Blue Wizards do not feature in the story; they are said to have journeyed far into the east after their arrival in Middle-earth.
As the Istari are Maiar, each one serves a Vala in some way. Saruman was the servant and helper of Aulë, and so learned much in the art of craftsmanship, mechanics, and metal-working, as was seen in the later Third Age. Gandalf was the servant of Manwë or Varda, but was a lover of the Gardens of Lórien, and so knew much of the hopes and dreams of Men and Elves. Radagast, servant of Yavanna, loved the things of nature, both animals and plants. As each of these Istari learned from their Vala, so they acted in Middle-earth.
Balrogs
Demonic creatures of fire and shadow, Balrogs are fallen Maiar, loyal to the first Dark Lord, Morgoth. They participated in the wars of the First Age of Middle-earth but are mostly destroyed during the War of Wrath which ended the Age. "Valaquenta" ch. 3 "Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor" By the Third Age, the only remaining Balrog was "Durin's Bane," the Balrog of Moria, killed by Gandalf., book 2, ch. 5 "The Bridge of Khazad-dûm"
Free peoples
The Free Peoples of Middle-earth are the four races that never fell under the sway of the evil spirits Morgoth or Sauron: Elves, Men, Dwarves and Ents. Strictly speaking, among Men it was only the Men of the West who are Free People, particularly the descendants of the Dúnedain of the Isle of Númenor, as most Men of the East and South of Middle-earth become servants of Morgoth and Sauron over the ages. The Ent Treebeard quotes lines from a traditional lay listing them:, Book 3, Chapter 4 "Treebeard"
First name the four, the free peoples Eldest of all, the elf-children Dwarf the delver, dark are his houses Ent the earthborn, old as mountains Man the mortal, master of horses
After encountering the hobbits Merry and Pippin, he consents that hobbits are a fifth free people, adding a fifth line, "Half-grown hobbits, the hole-dwellers".
Dwarves
The race of Dwarves prefers to live in mountains and caves, settling in places such as Erebor (the Lonely Mountain), the Iron Hills, the Blue Mountains, and Moria (Khazad-dûm) in the Misty Mountains. Aulë the Smith creates Dwarves; he invents the Dwarven language, known as Khuzdul. Dwarves mine and work precious metals throughout the mountains of Middle-earth. The seven different groups of Dwarf-folk originate in the locations where the Seven Fathers of the Dwarves first awoke before the First Age.
Elves
The Elves, or Firstborn, are the first of Eru's Children to awaken. Born under the stars before the ascension of the Moon and the Sun, they retain a love for light and an inner spirit endowed with unique gifts. They call themselves the Quendi, or "Speakers", for they are the first to utter words; and, even now, no race understands language and song like the Firstborn. They can see as well under moon or starlight as a man at the height of day. They cannot become sick or scarred. If an Elf should die, from violence or losing the will to live from grief, their spirit goes to the halls of Mandos, as they are bound to Arda and cannot leave until the world is broken and remade. Elvens are agile: for instance they can walk atop freshly fallen snow without leaving a trace of their passing. On a clear day they can see ten miles with clarity and detail up to 100 miles. Despite this, they are strongly bound to Fate (see Mandos) and hated by Morgoth.
The Quendi are sundered after the awakening and many sub-groups appear. The First Sundering occurs when some left Middle-earth to live in the blessed realm of Valinor, while others stayed behind. This produces the Eldar, who accept the call to come to Valinor, and the Avari, who refuse the great journey. Elves who stay in Middle-earth and never see the light of the trees become known as the Moriquendi or "Dark-elves". This does not imply that the Dark-elves are evil.
On the journey to Valinor, some of the Teleri ("Those who tarried") abandon the main group, and those of them who did not mingle with the Moriquendi become the Laiquendi (Green-elves), the Sindar (Grey-elves) and the Nandor. These elves of the great journey who remain in Middle-earth are then called the Úmanyar (The Unwilling). The Eldar who reach Valinor are eventually divided into three distinct groups: Vanyar, Noldor and Teleri. These three groups become known as the Calaquendi or "Light-elves" because they saw the light of the Two Trees of Valinor. Tables: "The Sundering of the Elves" Later some of the Noldor go back to Middle-earth in their quest for the Silmarils, while the Vanyar remain in Valinor.
In Tolkien's earliest writings, elves are variously named sprites, fays, brownies, pixies, or leprawns. By 1915, when Tolkien was writing his first elven poems, the words elf, fairy and gnome had many divergent and contradictory associations. Tolkien was gently warned against the term 'fairy', probably for its growing association with homosexuality. Tolkien eventually chose the term elf over fairy. In his 1939 essay On Fairy-Stories, Tolkien wrote that "English words such as elf have long been influenced by French (from which fay and faërie, fairy are derived); but in later times, through their use in translation, fairy and elf have acquired much of the atmosphere of German, Scandinavian, and Celtic tales, and many characteristics of the huldu-fólk, the daoine-sithe, and the tylwyth-teg."
Men
During the time of The Lord of the Rings, Men live in many places in Middle-earth, with the largest group of free men in the countries of Gondor and Rohan. When the island of Númenor falls, only the Faithful escape and found the twin kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor. The Faithful are known in Middle-earth as the Dúnedain, and as leaders of these kingdoms, they are able to lead the resistance to Sauron, and preserve the Men of the West as Free People.
There are also free men at the village of Bree, at Esgaroth, in Drúadan Forest (home to "wild men" known as Drúedain or Woses), and in the icy regions of Forochel. Those who serve evil powers, such as the men of Dunland, Rhûn, Harad, and Umbar, are not considered free men. Men bear the so-called Gift of Men, mortality. The descendants of the Dúnedain include the Rangers of the North and the Rangers of Ithilien.
Drúedain
The Drúedain, one of the earliest varieties of men, live in small numbers, often in tribes. They are little folk, shorter than dwarves, yet taller than hobbits. They are known for their voodoo-like magic, their black eyes, which glow red when they are angry, and their ability to sit for hours and days on end without moving or blinking. They grow little hair, except that on their heads and sometimes small tufts on their chins. They are short and stout, and other men tend to dislike them due to their harsh, rough voices. Their laughter is full of mirth., Book 5, ch. 5, "The Ride of the Rohirrim". It is said that their skill of stonework rivals the Dwarves'. The Drughu are not evil. They are mortal enemies of orcs, defending the homes of their human neighbours with their own lives and with the aid of their magical Watch-Stones. The Elves of Beleriand develop a special fondness for them and value their skill at fighting orcs., Book 5, ch. 5, "The Ride of the Rohirrim".
Ents
Ents are an ancient race of tree-like creatures, having become like the trees that they shepherd. They are created by Yavanna and given life by Ilúvatar. By the Third Age, they are a dwindling race, having long ago lost their mates, the Entwives., book 3, ch. 4: "Treebeard"., book 6, ch. 6 "Many Partings"
Huorns
Close kin of the Ents, Huorns are animated trees that possess sentience. They are said to have voices but can only be understood by the Ents. Tolkien allowed it to remain ambiguous as to whether Huorns are simply trees that become aware, or Ents that become more "treeish" over time. Huorns are found in Fangorn Forest and possibly the Old Forest near Buckland. Legolas mentions that the Elves helped to wake up the trees. The Huorns decide the Battle of Helm's Deep, destroying Saruman's army of Orcs when they flee towards them., book 3, ch. 7 "Helm's Deep"
Hobbits
Hobbits are a race of Middle-earth, also known as 'halflings' on account of their short stature. They are characterized by curly hair on their heads and leathery feet with furry insteps; they do not wear shoes. Many hobbits live in the Shire as well as Bree, and they once lived in the vales of the Anduin. They are fond of an unadventurous life of farming, eating, and socializing. There are three types of Hobbits. The Harfoots are the most numerous, while the Stoors have an affinity for water, boats and swimming, and the Fallohides are the most adventurous. The origin of hobbits is unclear, but of all the races they have the closest affinity to men. In the Prologue to The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien calls them relatives of men., Prologue.
Enslaved peoples