Book of Mazarbul

"The end comes soon we hear drums in the deep.
they are coming."

—Ori's last entry in the Book of Mazarbul

The Dwarven Book of Mazarbul was begun in TA 2989, upon Balin's return to Moria, with Ori as one of the its scribes. The book recounted the expedition within Moria, including a battle with Orcs that inhabited the old halls of Khazad-dûm, in which Balin's Dwarves were victorious. They settled in the Twenty-first Hall of North end, above the East-gate, and Balin himself ruled his new domain from the old Chamber of Records, also called the Chamber of Mazarbul. Over the next five years, the Dwarves seemed to have settled quite successfully into their new home, exploring under the mountains as far as the West-gate, recovering Durin's Axe and apparently other priceless items made of mithril.

The lordship of Balin was short-lived. Ori, who was with him in Moria, recorded in the last pages of how an army of Orcs came unexpectedly from the east, slaying Balin outside the East-gate. The Dwarves defended themselves, but were beleaguered from the east by Orcs and from the west by the mysterious Watcher in the Water. Their last stand was in the Chamber of Mazarbul, where Orcs eventually overcame and destroyed them.

The book was found twenty-four years later by the Fellowship of the Ring, burned, slashed, and blood-stained, and missing a number of pages, but still readable in some parts. Gandalf passed it to Gimli to return ultimately to King Dáin in Erebor, after which nothing more is said of it.^[1]

Text[]

Page 1[]

1 - 3
We drove out orcs from the great gate and guard
(r)oom and took the first hall: we slew many in the br
(i)ght sun in the dale: Flói was killed by an arr
ow. He slew the great chiefta(in)[. We did burry]^[2] Flói
under grass near Mirrormer(e) [but more]^[2] came
… [was bro]^[2] ken[.]^[2]
… (w?)e repaire(d …
We have taken the twenty-first hall of northern
[e]^[2] nd to dwell in There is g(ood) air [its …
… good]^[2] that can easily be
watched [over and]^[2] the shaft is clear …[.]^[2]
Balin has set up his seat in the chamber of Maz
arbul … [we]^[2] ga(th)ere[d lots of]^[2]
Gold …
…
… [a]^[2] wonderful [find]^[2] (lay?) Durin's Axe [and his]^[2] sil
ver helm Balin h(a)s ta(k)en them for his own
Balin is now lord of Moria:
* * * * * *
… today we found truesilver …
[bin …we a]^[2] wellforged hel(m [a]^[2]
n[d a]^[2] coat m(ade?) all of purest mithril[. We sent]^[2]
Óin to seek for the upper armouries of the third deep
[and then]^[2] go westwards to s[eek up]^[2] to Hollin gate the-a^[3]

Page 2[]

r … [only 5 ye]^[2] ars
since [we settled in Moria and all]^[2] ready
sorrow [has fallen on us.]^[2] (y)estre
day being the tenth of november
Balin lord of Moria fell
in Dimrill Dale; he went alone
to look in Mirrormere. An orc
shot him from behind a stone. we
slew the orc but many more ca[me]^[2] u
p from east up the Silverlode …
we rescued Balin’s b(ody) …
… [we]^[2] re a sharp battle …
we have barred the gates but doubt if
[it]^[2] can hold them long. if there is
no escape it will be a horrible fate (to)
suffer - but I shall hold[.]^[2]
5^[3]

Page 3[]

[6]^[2]
We cannot get out: we cannot get out
they have taken the bridge and second h
(a)ll. Frár & Lóni & Náli fell the
re bravely wh(ile the) rest retr[eated to]^[2]
Ma(zarb)ul. We still ho[ldin]^[2]
g: but hope u[ndyi]^[2] n[g.]^[2] (Ó?)ins p
arty went 5 days ago but (today) only
4 returned: the pool is up to the wall
at Westgate: the watcher in the water too
k Óin - we cannot get out: the end com
es soon we hear drums drums in the deep.
They are coming^[3]

Trivia[]

• The text of the facsimiles is slightly different than Gandalf's oral reading. Given that the grammar in the facsimiles is very poor (likely due to the damaged nature of the pages), it may be possible that Gandalf orally corrected the grammar as he read.
• In The Fellowship of the Ring novel, the book is found and kept for Dáin II; in Peter Jackson's 2001 film, it is found but the Fellowship do not keep it.
• In the film, the text of the book is different: "They have taken the bridge and the Second Hall. We have barred the gates but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes...drums, drums in the deep. We cannot get out. The shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out. They are coming.", hinting at the possibility that Durin's Bane hindered them or at least was seen.
• The book's text was provided by Tolkien separately from The Fellowship of the Ring's publication.

Translations[]

References[]