Basic Information
Type/Species: Western Dragon
Origin: J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit
About Smaug
Smaug was the red dragon in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. He kept the riches of Lonely Mountain for himself after killing several dwarves to get it. Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf the wizard, and thirteen other dwarves all ventured to Lonely Mountain in order to obtain their riches. [1]
When there, the dwarven party snuck around the mountain and entered into the back door. Bilbo, having a ring that made him invisible, had the first encounter with the dragon. After some trial, the dragon rages out of the cave, angered, and then flew to torment the town near Lonely Mountain. [1]
While the dragon tormented the villagers, the king of the village fled. The town's master archer looked at the dragon and tried to find a weakness. Smaug's underbelly was soft, but it was covered with many spectacular jewels to protect himself. However, there was one jewel missing, and the archer managed to hit that one spot. With a screech, Smaug feel into the water and died. [1]
Smaug represented greed and power, and he is often depicted in artwork alone with his hoard. His name also leads to the idea of pollution and the negative side of urbanization. [1]
Physical Description
Smaug is a red western dragon. He has fiery breath and a long, thin snout. He is also commonly depicted guarding his hoard, breathing fire, or falling into water. [1]
Footnotes
For more information on footnotes and references, please see the bibliography.
