Amazon Prime Video’s The Rings of Power continues to dive deep into Tolkien’s lore, mentioning Aulë, a notable deity. The Rings of Power cast and character ensemble is rounded out by several dwarf characters, led by Prince Durin IV, who tries to hold the kingdom of Khazad-dûm together as his father, King Durin III, falls victim to one of the rings. TV viewers are catching a glimpse at a dwarven civilization at the peak of its power, a far cry from what’s shown in The Lord of the Rings movies and the bulk of The Hobbit trilogy.

Like the other species of Middle-earth, the creation of the dwarves is explored in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Silmarillion and other expanded works of his lore. The Rings of Power takes place during the Second Age of Middle-earth, while the dwarves were created early in the First Age. They’ve developed to become a massive power on the continent due to being adept miners. Season 2 has shown them working alongside the elves of Eregion, contributing the ultra-valuable mithril to the creation of the rings of power, heightening the strength of both races. But the rings have come with an immediate cost.

Aulë Is The Vala Responsible For Creating The Dwarves

Aulë Is One Of The Vala Who Defied Ilúvatar, But Not In A Bad Way

Ilúvatar, the creator above the Valar, was the only one capable of wielding the Secret Fire, which solely allowed him the ability to create life.

In the creation of Arda, the larger world that Middle-earth exists in, the Valar are essentially the deities that shaped much of the world fans recognize from the films and show. Ilúvatar, the creator above the Valar, was the only one capable of wielding the Secret Fire, which solely allowed him the ability to create life. Thus, Vala like Melkor, also known as Morgoth, defied him by turning Ilúvatar’s creatures into more malicious versions, such as orcs. Aulë was another Vala who defied the rules, though his creations were far less problematic.

Ilúvatar made the elves inhabit Middle-earth, naming them the Children of Ilúvatar, placing them dormant around the continent until he decided it would be time to wake them. Aulë was impatient and created the dwarves, though, without the Secret Fire, he was unable to make them conscious. Though Ilúvatar was unhappy at first, he realized Aulë had made his beings with a full heart while Melkor had made him out of hatred. Thus, Ilúvatar gave life to the dwarves, allowing them to wake after the elves. One of the first dwarves was Durin I, who founded Khazad-dûm.

 

What We Know About Aulë In The Lord Of The Rings

Aulë’s Main Purpose Was Crafting & Creating

There isn’t much to Aulë’s story after the creation of the dwarves. Due to the friction between Aulë and Iluvatar in the creation of the dwarves, the creator suggested that dwarves and elves might have conflict in the future, which Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit fans know to be true. A dwarf and elvish feud takes precedence in The Hobbit movies, while Gimli and Legolas defying expectations and becoming great friends is a major element of The Lord of the Rings.

Like the dwarves, Aulë was known for his knowledge of crafting and building, with intense familiarity with the materials of Arda. It was his desire to craft that led him to make the dwarves in the first place. He built them with the intention to teach them and treat them as his companions. While Melkor was an incredibly destructive vala, Aulë was the complete opposite in his relentless pursuit of creation. As for Aulë’s presence in the show or movies, the Valar aren’t really present in Middle-earth by the time of the Second Age, which is one of the major themes of how the world is changing.

How Aulë Is Connected To Sauron & Saruman

Sauron & Saruman Were Aulë’s Pupils

Beyond his positive creations, Aulë also has a connection to Sauron & Saruman. The Valar were given Maiar to assist them with their tasks in Middle-earth, including Istar like Gandalf and Saruman. The Maiar also included Sauron. Long before Saruman was sent to Middle-earth at the start of the Third Age as the White Wizard, he and Sauron were both pupils of Aulë, who taught them about the land and minerals of Middle-earth. Though his intentions were pure, this is how Sauron gained the knowledge and skillset to make the rings in the TV series.

Aulë always had good intentions, so it can’t be explicitly stated that he played any role in the evil that spread across the world from Sauron or Saruman. However, one of Tolkien’s main themes, particularly in The Silmarillion, is the good and evil that can come from creation and how the act of creation in and of itself is power. Thus, Aulë, Melkor, Sauron, and Saruman are all different sides of a similar coin. It’s fantastic that The Rings of Power mentions this character, as he’s crucial for embellishing this theme.