Kings of Dale
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of kings of Dale from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. Those listed under 'Old Kingdom' were king before Dale was under the control of the dragon Smaug. Those listed under 'Dale renewed' are those who were king after the Battle of Five Armies. Old Kingdom: Girion. Dale renewed: Bard I (the Bowman), Bain, Brand, Bard II.
- Girion: Mentioned briefly in The Hobbit, he was the last Lord of Dale, killed by the dragon Smaug when Smaug assaulted Dale and the neighboring Dwarf realm of Erebor. One-hundred and seventy years later, Bard, assumed to be Girion's descendant, took revenge on the dragon by slaying him with an arrow. It is also mentioned in The Hobbit that Girion had a necklace of emeralds, later found among the treasures hoarded by Smaug in the Lonely Mountain, and given by Bard to the Elven King for his aid.
- Bard the Bowman: Later known as Bard I, appears in The Hobbit. Bard of Esgaroth was a skilled archer and the heir of Girion, the last king of old Dale. He was described as "grim faced" and while a guardsman of Esgaroth he was often predicting floods and poisoned fish. He rallied the guards to defend the town when the Dragon came. Bard was able to slay the dragon Smaug with the Black Arrow after a tip from the old thrush (who had overheard Bilbo Baggins' description of Smaug) had revealed an unarmoured spot on the dragon's underside. Bard claimed a fourteenth of the treasure amassed by the dragon, which he subsequently shared with the Master of Esgaroth to rebuild the town, but the Master stole the money and ran off into the wild where he died. After its rebuilding, Bard was the first king (Bard I) of restored Dale, followed by his son Bain, grandson Brand, and great-grandson Bard II.
- Bain: Son and heir of Bard the Bowman who killed the dragon Smaug, and a king of Dale. He was succeeded by his son Brand.
- Brand: Son and heir of Bain and grandson of Bard the Bowman who killed the dragon Smaug. He was a king of Dale during the War of the Ring, and was slain at the side of Dáin II Ironfoot during the Battle of Dale. He was succeeded by his son Bard II. Brand (As 'Prince Brand, Captain of Dale') is playable hero for the Dwarves in The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II 's expansion pack The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II - The Rise of the Witch-king.
- Bard II: Son and heir of Brand and great-grandson of Bard the Bowman who killed the dragon Smaug. He was king of Dale following the War of the Ring, succeeding his father who fell in battle.
