Inside Middle-earth — Balin’s Tomb
Adventure, drama and hope are what you will find in this fascinating place.
For those of you who are fans of the Lord of the Rings films, the scene at the site of Balin’s tomb in Moria is one of the great moments of Peter Jackson’s film trilogy.
People who knew nothing of Tolkien’s universe must have wondered who Balin was and why he had a tomb there. Although Gandalf, in the movie scene, was reading a kind of diary about the last days of the dwarves, little or nothing was said about this mysterious character.
Years later, those who had not decided to read the books but returned to the movies to see The Hobbit trilogy discovered to their surprise, that Balin was one of the thirteen dwarves who made up Thorin Oakenshield’s Company in their crusade to recover the kingdom of Erebor from the clutches of the dragon Smaug.
He was a dwarf who oozed experience, probably the oldest of all Thorin’s dwarves. He wore a scarlet cap and a long white beard, accentuating his veteran appearance.
Like his compatriots, he loved beer. He always carried a viola with him, with which he often entertained the meals and dinners of the group of adventurers.
