Mîm

Earlier years at Nargothrond

On the River Narog was a series of caves settled by the Petty-dwarves which they had named Nulukkizdîn. By First Age 52 only a remnant of their once more numerous people lingered there, and they aided Finrod who sought to make there a strong place in like manner to Menegroth, for which he rewarded them generously. Eventually Finrod had further help from the Dwarves of the Blue Mountains in extending his underground fortress, but these Great Dwarves despised the Petty-dwarves, and had no compunction in ousting them, especially for great reward; from this Mîm, the chieftain of the Petty-dwarves, developed a special hatred for the Elves. Mîm would then attempt to murder Finrod in his sleep, but this failed and he was driven out into the wild.

At some point Mîm relocated to another Petty-dwarf settlement, Bar-en-Nibin-noeg, located at the hill Sharbhund in Methiriad, where caves had been deepened and bored far under the hill in the long years that Petty-dwarves had dwelt there. These cavernous halls were spacious enough to house a hundred or more at need.

Encounter with Túrin

In First Age 486, Mîm and his sons, Ibun and Khîm, were out gathering in a place of many great stones, leaning or tumbled together. They may have been seeking for old treasures of a dwarf-house near these flat stones, and been carrying ingots of gold which had been disguised. Unluckily, they were spotted by a band of roaming outlaws who then pursued them, with one of the outlaws, Andróg, shooting at them with his bow. While Ibun and Khîm managed to vanish into the dusk, Mîm lagged behind and was seized, though he struggled and bit like a beast, wounding Andróg's hand. Andróg declared Mîm to be an Orc or of Orc-kin, and called for him to be slain, and was echoed by another outlaw, Ulrad, who felt cheated on finding that Mîm's sack seemingly only contained roots and small stones. The leader of the outlaws, Neithan (Túrin in disguise), stayed them however, and bid for Mîm to be let up and permitted to speak.

Mîm, stumbling on his knees before Túrin's feet, pleaded that he was old and poor, and for Túrin to not let him be slain for no cause. Túrin, in response, asked what Mîm could offer in ransom and noted that his men were looking for a dwelling. Mîm then offered that while he could not give up his dwelling, he could share it. Túrin accepted this, and swore to a weeping Mîm that if they were brought to his home without any trickery, and it was good, then he would not be slain by any of Túrin's followers. As it was late and dark, Mîm initially wished to depart and return for them in the light, but Túrin denied this without the pledge of his sack. Mîm refused to be parted from it, and thus Túrin had him led to their dismal camp, with Mîm cursing along the way in a strange tongue full of ancient hatred; when they arrived, the Men then put bonds on his legs, at which he went suddenly quiet.

The next morning they released Mîm, and he spoke fiercely that bonds should not be put on a Dwarf, that he would not forgive them for it, and that he repented his promise. Túrin responded that Mîm was still to lead them to his home, and then looked Mîm in the eyes until Mîm could no longer endure it; Mîm turned away and beckoned for Túrin and his men to follow him.

Mîm guided the outlaws, and they spent the day marching to Amon Rûdh. Once there they climbed through hidden and perilous paths until they eventually arrived at the entrance of Bar-en-Nibin-noeg where Mîm bid them enter and renamed the dwelling as the House of Ransom. As they entered into the darkness, Mîm clapped his hands and Ibun appeared from around a corner with a small torch. Ibun then informed Mîm that Khîm had been struck by the earlier arrow, and had just died at sunset. Mîm was grieved at this, and exclaimed that being held in bondage by the outlaws had prevented him from able to heal him. Túrin, pitying Mîm, claimed that he would hold himself in Mîm's debt, and promised that if he should come to any wealth he would pay Mîm a ransom of heavy gold in token of sorrow. Mîm marvelled at Túrin, but stated that Andróg must break his bow and arrows and lay them at his sons feet; he further cursed Andróg that he shall never again take arrow or bow, otherwise he shall die by it. Andróg, with great grudge, did this, but himself muttered a curse that Mîm should die with a dart in his throat.

The next day Mîm stated that he and Ibun would serve as guides when the Men went out, and shared his earth-bread with them excepting Ulrad who he had harsh words for as one of those that put bonds upon him. The outlaws remained there for the rest of year, going on no more raids and only stirring abroad for hunting or gathering of food. The Men started to feel that life would be better if the space were not shared with Mîm, as he would appear out of some shadowy corner or doorway when they thought him elsewhere and thus made them uneasy. It was otherwise for Túrin however, as he became ever more friendly with Mîm, and would sit for hours listening to his councils, lore, and tales of his life. Mîm in turn was pleased by this, and to Túrin alone would he admit at times to his smithy.

In midwinter, Beleg the Elf, a dear friend of Túrin, suddenly came among them, bearing great items such as the Helm of Hador and lembas of Melian. Mîm hated Beleg, as he did all Elves, and this grew as he became jealous of the love that Túrin bore to Beleg. This hatred became all the fiercer when Beleg seemingly undid the curse he had laid on Andróg: the outlaw had taken up bow again, and was struck by a poisoned orc-arrow, but his life was saved by Beleg. It further came into Mîm's mind that if were to eat the lembas he would renew his youth and grow strong again; since he could not come by it through stealth, he feigned sickness and begged it from Beleg, but the Elf refused, and thus the seal was set on Mîm's hatred.

Together, Túrin and Beleg did great deeds and pushed back Morgoth's forces, but in response Morgoth sent a great many spies to locate their hideout. Mîm became aware of the presence of Orcs in the lands about Amon Rûdh, and he and his son Ibun soon became ensnared with them. Differing tales speak of this being either an intentional act by Mîm due to the hatred he bore against Beleg, or unintentional due to Ibun being captured and threatened with torture. Either way, Mîm agreed to lead Morgoth's forces to Túrin's hiding place, but on the following conditions: that he be paid the weight of iron for any Man they caught or slew, but of Túrin and Beleg in gold; for Mîm's house be left after to him and him alone; for Beleg be left bound for Mîm to deal with; and for Túrin to be let go free. The emissary of Morgoth readily agreed, though with no real intention of upholding his promises, and insisted that Ibun be kept as a hostage. Mîm became afraid, and tried to back out, but with the Orcs holding Ibun, he was obliged to guide them.

Mîm led the Orcs through the secret paths, resulting in the sacking of the hideout. All of the outlaws were struck down, with Andróg being mortally wounded by an arrow, and Túrin and Beleg captured with nets. Túrin was carried off, but Beleg was left wounded and bound with his wrists and ankles tied to iron pins driven into the rock. Mîm, who had been lurking in the caves during the battle, then emerged and gloated over Beleg while he sharpened a knife. Andróg, however, managed to crawl through the dead bodies and seized a sword which he thrust at the Dwarf. Shrieking in fear, Mîm fled, retreating down a steep and difficult goat's path.

Return to Nargothrond and death

In First Age 499, after Túrin had slain Glaurung, Mîm made his way back to Nargothrond. Finding the halls and treasure unguarded, he took possession of them, and sat there in joy fingering the gold and gems, and letting them run ever through his hands.

In First Age 502, Húrin, father of Túrin who had witnessed all that had happened due to being cursed to see with Morgoth's eyes, came across Mîm in Nargothrond. Húrin then slew Mîm, but with his dying breath Mîm cursed the treasure of Nargothrond. Húrin then carried the treasure to Doriath.

Thingol employed the Dwarves of the Blue Mountains to work with the treasure, with the most prominent creation being the Nauglamír bearing a Silmaril. Enmity arose between Thingol and the Dwarves over this, culminating in a battle in the Thousand Caves. One of the justifications the Dwarves used when claiming the treasure was that it had been taken with violence and murder from a Dwarf, even though Mîm was not in fact akin to them.

Sometime during the late Third Age or early Fourth Age, a Hobbit poet wrote a poem that may have been influenced by "the Númenórean tale of Túrin and Mîm the Dwarf".

Mîm is a Khuzdul name with an unknown meaning, but in Gnomish, the word mim means "gum".

The Book of Lost Tales

In Turambar and the Foalókë, Mîm is the Dwarf captain of the guards in the service of the dragon Glorund (Glaurung) in the caves of the Rodothlim (Nargothrond). He was left watch Glorund's dwelling and treasury when Glorund set forth to confront Turambar.

Eventually, however, Glorund was slain and Turambar's father, Úrin, came with a band of rogue Elves to take the treasure. On entering the caves of the Rodothlim, they found that all the Orcs had fled following the death of Glorund, and only Mîm still remained, "an old misshapen dwarf who sat ever on the pile of gold singing black songs of enchantment to himself".

When the Elves approached, Mîm stood before the doors of the cave that were once the abode of Galweg. Mîm warned them hearken to the words of "Mîm the fatherless" that they should touch the gold "no more than were it venomous fires": it was cursed for Glorund having lain on it for many years, with only Mîm being able to ward it, and by many a dark spell he had bound it to himself. Though Úrin initially wavered, he still bid his men to seize the treasure, and Mîm then broke forth into terrible curses, and for those evil words Úrin then smote him. Dying, Mîm uttered a final curse on the gold: “Now Elves and Men shall rue this deed, and because of the death of Mîm the dwarf shall death follow this gold so long as it remain on Earth, and a like fate shall every part and portion share with the whole.”

In The Nauglafring, the treasure is brought before King Tinwelint of Artanor (Thingol of Doriath) and the curse of Mîm begins its course with greed for the treasure resulting in fighting between Úrin's outlaws and Tinwelint's woodland Elves. After the outlaws were slain, the Queen, Gwenniel (Melian), warns Tinwelint to touch not the gold as it is "trebly cursed": by the dragon's breath, by the blood of Tinwelint's subjects, and by the death of the outlaws; even more than that though, "some more bitter and more binding ill" hung over it which she could not see.

At the suggestion of Ufedhin, Tinwelint eventually agreed to have the Dwarves of Nogrod forge items from this treasure, with the greatest of them being the Nauglafring (Nauglamír), a carcanet intended to host the Silmaril. After Tinwelint donned the Nauglafring, and the curse of Mîm fell upon him, the Dwarves then asked an outrageous price for their work; for their insolence Tinwelint instead had them whipped and sent off with a meagre reward.

Naugladur, the King of Nogrod, then long pondered how to both avenge this insult and sate his greed. Messengers then arrived from Bodruith, the King of the Dwarves of Belegost, informing Naugladur how the treasure had been acquired by the death of Mîm: at this Naugladur "vowed to rest not ere Mîm was thrice avenged" and concluded that "the gold belongs of right to the people of the Dwarves". The forces of Nogrod and Belegost, joined with a gathered host of Orcs, eventually attacked Artanor and slew Tinwelint, with Naugladur taking possession of the Nauglafring. The curse continued however, with the Nauglafring causing betrayals by Ufedhin and Bodruith in their attempts to seize it for themselves, and providing Beren a means to slay Naugladur in single combat.

The Complaint of Mîm the Dwarf

In The Complaint of Mîm the Dwarf, the lamentation of Mîm narrating his life is provided.

Mîm spent his youth creating many wondrous works of craft. Only once he became old did he stop and marvel at his creations, and how he had poured almost all of himself into them. To properly hoard them, Mîm then created a great intricate coffer. With his works thus well-stored, he then slept with his head upon the chest.

He awoke after some unknown amount of time to find people raiding his dwelling, setting it aflame. They took all his possessions, and chased him away, leaving him with only a sack of hand-tools and a secret knife with poisoned runes on its blade. Now old and bitter, he came to a refuge in the wild mountains where tried to begin his work anew, seeking to catch an echo of his memories before they were lost forever. Still further hostilities he encountered, having arrows shot at him when he was seen under daylight.

Mîm realized that he could only glimpse the works he had once created, not the sights which originally inspired them. He believed that perhaps he would still be able to create wonderful shapes if he could forgive, but for the embers which still smouldered in his heart he could not.

Other works

In The Quenta, Mîm is not given a background before being found occupying Nargothrond, with a few other of his folk, by Húrin and his outlaw companions. Rather than being slain by Húrin directly, he was killed by Húrin's outlaws who were filled with lust for the treasure, though Húrin would have stayed them. Mîm's curse was almost immediately active, with only Húrin eventually reaching Doriath as each of companions died or was slain in quarrels upon the road to it.

A variant on the curse Mîm laid on Andróg is recorded as: ‘May he lack a bow at need ere his end.’