Vargr

Wargs or Wild Wolves were a race of evil wolves according to Tolkein mythology. In Old Norse mythology, wargs (vargr, a synonym for "wolf", ulfr) are in particular the wolf Fenrir and his sons Sköll and Hati Hróðvitnisson.

Etymology
J. R. R. Tolkien derived the word "warg" from Old English wearg-, Old High German warg-, and Old Norse varg-r., all of these terms literally translating to strangler, choker. The word specifically is understood to be Northern Mannish which "caught on" throughout the Westlands.

While Norse vargr was a common synonym for wolf, Old English wearg was used only for an outlaw or hunted criminal.

Myths & Legends
Wargs were an evil breed of demonic wolves, suggesting that they were inhabited by evil spirits. The Wargs were seen in Rhovanion and they were often allied with the orcs of the Misty Mountains and used as mounts. Wargs were sentient and used a tongue, the "dreadful language of the Wargs."

Appearance
Although Tolkien never physically described Wargs beyond being "demonic wolves," Wargs are most frequently depicted as wolf-like, but larger, fiercer, and more intelligent. They tend to be taller, and can range from pure white to black, though are more commonly brown. In some adaptions (such as the Lord of the Rings films), Wargs are more of hybrid quadruped, a mixture between hyenas, bears, and wolves.

In Tolkein's Works
In T.A. 2941, the Wargs appeared once to meet the goblins and organize a raid to the nearby villages, in order to drive the Woodmen out and capture some slaves. As a pack of Wargs approached east of the Misty Mountains to meet them, Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf, and Thorin and Company were escaping the goblins. Gandalf seeing the pack coming, suggested to climb the trees and Dori helped Bilbo in the nick of time.

The Wargs, thinking that the dwarves are allies of the Woodmen, surrounded the glade and didn't let them descend. Gandalf then used his magic to light up pinecones and hurl them against the Warg until he drove them out. The wolves that had caught fire fled into the forest and had set it alight in several places, since it was high summer, and on this eastern side of the mountains there had been little rain for some time. However the guards left under the trees did not go away. Eventually Goblins showed up and lit the trees the Dwarves were onto, until the Eagles came to rescue them.

The Goblins and the Wargs insisted on looking for the band, since Gandalf had killed the Great Goblin, and also burnt the chief wolf's nose. They went as far as Beorn's homestead, but he caught a pair of them and stuck the goblin's head outside the gate and nailed the warg-skin to a tree just beyond

Wargs appeared once more, ridden by the Goblins, at the Battle of Five Armies. After this, the Wargs had vanished from the woods, so that men went abroad without fear.

A band of Wargs, unaccompanied by Orcs, attacked the Fellowship of the Ring in Hollin.

Origins
The origin of the breed is unknown - perhaps they were among the creatures bred by Morgoth in the Elder Days. In any case, Gandalf listed the Wargs among Sauron's servants in the late Third Age.

Tolkien mentioned in a letter that the episode of wargs in The Hobbit was "in part derived from a scene" in S. R. Crockett's novel The Black Douglas.

Tolkien also noted that Gene Wolfe, one of his readers, seems to have picked up his concept of the Wargs, which occurs in Wolfe's science fiction short story "Trip, Trap" (1967): "There was also what looked like a very big wild dog or wolf, a Warg".

Balrog
In a list of Old English equivalents of Elvish words, Balrog is glossed as having the equivalent Bealuwearg. As noted by Christopher Tolkien, the Old English word contains the elements bealu ("evil"; as in bale(ful)) and wearg ("wolf, outlaw"; whence the Wargs).

Modern Adaptions and Influences
John D. Rateliff has commented that Tolkien's Wargs were likely influential on the creation of the wolf-like beasts worgs in later literature related to Dungeons & Dragons and in other fantasy worlds.

Radio

 * 1968: The Hobbit (1968 radio series): The Wargs are given fully-voiced dialogue in English, though it's unclear if it's meant to be Westron, or their own language translated for the audience's sake.

Films & Animations

 * 1977: The Hobbit (1977 film): Wargs are seen as large wolves ridden by Goblins. They do not have a fear of fire.
 * 2001-03: The Lord of the Rings (film series): as a hyena/bear/wolf hybrid.
 * 2012-14: The Hobbit (film series): The Wargs are visually more wolf-like than in the preceding The Lord of the Rings films. They are mentioned to be from Gundabad and are ridden by Orcs under Azog who hunt Thorin and Co. Azog himself rides an enormous white-haired Warg.

Games

 * 1982-1997: Middle-earth Role Playing: Classified as Undead Beings, the Wargs are said to be bred from cursed wolves, inhabited by an evil spirit, "being artificially long-lived", and that their "body dissipates when slain". The Wargs are described as being larger, fiercer, and more intelligent than normal wolves.
 * 1995-8: Middle-earth Collectible Card Game: Wargs are a Hazard Creature. Different factions of Wargs are the Wargs of the Forochel and the Misty Mountain Wargs, and related minions are the War-warg and The Warg-king.
 * 2002: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (video game): Wargs are taller and darker than regular wolves, but due to the progression in the game, pose less of a threat; whereas wolves are only encountered by a stick-wielding Frodo, wargs appear only in levels in which the player is Gandalf or Aragorn.
 * 2003: The Hobbit (2003 video game): Wargs are portrayed as large wolves. They only appear in cutscenes, and are non-fightable.
 * 2007: The Lord of the Rings Online: They all look like very large wolves with broad shoulders. They range in color from white to grey to black. Non-player (NPC, computer controlled) wargs are found in a number of areas of Middle-earth.
 * Players can play a warg in the Player-versus-Player (PvP) area of the Ettenmoors once the player reaches level ten. Wargs in Lord of the Rings Online have the ability to stealth and sneak up to attack players.

Gallery

 * Vargr Gallery Page