Mîm

Mîm
Tolkien's legendarium character
Aliases	'The Fatherless'
Race	Dwarves
Book(s)	The Silmarillion, The Children of Húrin, The War of the Jewels

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Mîm is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth. He is introduced in The Silmarillion as the last of the Petty-dwarves.

Mîm lives with his two sons at Amon Rûdh in middle Beleriand, where he keeps a secret treasury. During Túrin's time with the Outlaws, Mîm and his sons are seen as they sneak past the outlaws carrying heavy sacks. Mîm is captured, and arrows are shot at his sons Ibûn and Khîm.

In exchange for his life, Mîm is forced to lead the outlaws to his secret halls in Amon Rûdh. There, it turns out Khîm has been killed by an arrow, and Túrin repenting offers a ransom to Mîm. The caves of Mîm upon Amon Rûdh are named Bar-en-Danwedh, the House of Ransom for that reason. For this reason Mîm tolerates the outlaws, and although he never loves Túrin, the dwarf at least comes to respect him, though not his companions.

When Beleg Cúthalion arrives at Amon Rûdh, Mîm is angry: he hates Elves, especially the Sindar. Nevertheless he has to tolerate the Elf in his halls. After Amon Rûdh is betrayed to Morgoth, Mîm somehow escapes, but it seems Ibûn is killed by Orcs. Beleg Cúthalion prophesies that Hador's family will be the death of him yet. Eventually Mîm makes his way to ruined Nargothrond after Túrin has killed Glaurung, and takes the treasure for his own.

Húrin Thalion, who has seen all that had happened to Túrin with Morgoth's eyes, comes across Mîm in Nargothrond, and kills him, deeming him partially responsible for Túrin's fate. With his dying words Mîm curses the treasure. Húrin's band brings the treasure of Nargothrond to Doriath, where eventually the gold is a reason for the Sack of Doriath and the death of Thingol.

Other versions of the legendarium

Note that in the published Silmarillion Mîm hardly appears. His role is much expanded in the "Narn i Chîn Húrin" as published in Unfinished Tales and (in a fuller form) in The Children of Húrin.

In earlier versions of The Silmarillion as detailed in The History of Middle-earth series, Mîm was a much more evil character. But as Dwarves gradually changed in Tolkien's writings from evil Orc-like beings to the Dwarves they later became, Mîm's character was changed, and in the final texts he is no longer a true villain, but a tragic character in his own right, he and his family having been taken into the fate of Túrin by no fault of his own.

See also

• Andróg