Wargs

Wargs were a breed of wolves, commonly living in the Misty Mountains, that served Sauron the Dark Lord and his agents in the conflicts of the Third Age. Often in league with the nearby Northern Orcs, they were also used as mounts by the Orcs of Isengard and Mordor.
==History==
In TA 2941, a group of Wargs made a pact with the Orcs of Goblin-town to raid the villages of the Woodmen, whom they planned to expel or enslave. As the great grey chief wolf and his pack approached the meeting-place east of the mountains, they happened upon Thorin's Company along with Gandalf and Bilbo Baggins, who had just escaped from the same Orcs. The Wizard had anticipated this, suggesting the Company climb up a nearby stand of trees. This was done, and Dori helped Bilbo out of the Wargs' reach just in time.
Thinking the Dwarves were spies of the Woodmen, the Wargs surrounded the glade and prevented them from descending. Gandalf lit up pine-cones and hurled them against the Wargs, until they were driven out. The wolves that had caught fire fled into the forest and had set it alight in several places, as it was high summer, and on this eastern side of the mountains there had been little rain for some time. Orcs soon appeared, and set the trees on fire. However, the Great Eagles soon arrived and rescued the Company.
Not long after the news of the Dragon Smaug’s death spread throughout Middle-earth, legions of Orcs, Wargs and Bats gathered at Gundabad in a bid to avenge the Great Goblin and claim the north, including the Lonely Mountain, as their own. The host was defeated in the ensuing Battle of Five Armies by the allied forces of Dwarves, Elves, Lake-men, and Great Eagles, while the Orc leader, Bolg, was slain.
Even decades later, Wargs were still counted among Sauron's minions, alongside Orcs, wraiths, and werewolves; Gandalf mentioned them as such to Frodo Baggins. Around July 10 of TA 3018, Sauron's vassal Saruman gathered Wargs and some Northern Orcs at Isengard; he was building an army, both to "deliver" Rohan to his "dark master" and to try claim the One Ring for himself.
On January 13 of TA 3019, the Fellowship of the Ring was attacked by a group of wolves sent by the Dark Lord to waylay them after the failed attempt to cross the Redhorn Pass. The Wargs fled after their first attack, in which one of their chiefs, the "Hound of Sauron", was shot in the throat by Legolas. Returning with reinforcements, the Wargs made another sortie upon the company, but this second attempt also failed, with the last three leading wolves meeting their end at the hands of Aragorn, Boromir and Legolas. By morning the Fellowship noticed that the carcasses of the slain had vanished and Gandalf concluded that their attackers were likely Wargs and not ordinary wolves. Aragorn knew them to be from "the mountains".The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book 2, Ch. IV: "A Journey in the Dark", pgs. 297 - 299 (50th Anniversary One-Volume Edition)
That same year during the War of the Ring, Wolf-riders were among the forces Saruman sent against Théoden's son, Théodred, and the Rohirrim in the Battles of the Fords of Isen. Later during the king's retreat to Helm's Deep, a scout reported that Wolf-riders were abroad in the valley. Though the mounts were likely Wargs, the wolves were not specifically identified as such.
==Physical attributes==
Wargs are described as being larger, intelligent, and more malevolent wolves.
== Etymology ==
The word warg comes from Old Norse vargr, meaning "wolf".Warg (Wikipedia) The Old Norse word is a stand in for a word in one of the Northern languages.
== In adaptations ==
thumb|218x218px|Wolf "Warg" (1977)
=== The Hobbit (1977 animated film) ===
In the 1977 animated adaptation of The Hobbit, Gandalf, Bilbo, and the Dwarves are being chased by Wolves (Wargs) and like the book, are chased up a tree. The Wizard defends the group from the wolves, using magic infused pinecones, until Orc wolf-riders begin to burn the tree. However, they are soon rescued by Gwaihir and his Eagles.
=== Peter Jackson's films ===
==== The Hobbit film trilogy ====
The Gundabad Wargs are wolf-like with grey fur, and are bred by the Orcs of Mount Gundabad. Throughout the events of The Hobbit film trilogy, a large pack of these Wargs are in the service of Sauron's agent Azog, who had survived the battle at Moria. Among these Wargs is a larger one with a white pelt that Azog rides, revealed in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Chronicles: Creatures & Characters guide book to be the Warg Matriarch of the Gunbabad Wargs. Although more prominent, her role is based on that of the great grey chief wolf that appears in the source material. Gandalf states in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey that the Gundabad Wargs are faster than any other breed.
In the events of An Unexpected Journey, a pack of Warg-riders led by Azog's lieutenants, Yazneg and Fimbul, stalk the company of Thorin Oakenshield before making their presence known in the Trollshaws. Though Radagast offers to distract their pursuers by riding on his sled pulled by Rhosgobel Rabbits, the Warg-riders spot the Company and chase after them before finding themselves ambushed by the Elves of Rivendell after the Dwarves flee into the Hidden Pass. At the Orc camp on Weathertop, Azog feeds Yazneg to the starved Wargs for returning empty-handed. Seeking Thorin's head, the Defiler later rides the Warg Matriarch to personally hunt Oakenshield, pursuing him to the Misty Mountains. Though the Hunter Orcs and Wargs corner the Company in a pine forest, the Dwarves manage to elude them with the aid of both the Great Eagles. 
In The Desolation of Smaug, Azog and his horde of Warg-riders pursue Thorin's Company towards Mirkwood, but Beorn's presence cheats them out of their quarry. Summoned by master to Dol Guldur, Azog is charged with commanding Sauron's armies and leaves Bolg to lead the pack in his stead. Trailing the company to Lake-town, Bolg sends several Warg-riders that Thorin has reached Erebor back to Sauron, before engaging Legolas. After their short duel, the spawn of the Defiler escapes on a wolf mount. 
In The Battle of the Five Armies, Azog rides the Warg Matriarch on the march to the Lonely Mountain. A Warg-mounted Bolg intercepts him, telling him of the Elves' involvement in the Quest of Erebor before being sent to retrieve reinforcements from Gundabad. At the mountain stronghold, Legolas and Tauriel watch as Bolg, mounted on his Warg, calls the legions forth. In the Extended Edition, a company of forty Gundabad Wargs, including between fifteen and twenty Warg-riders, are part of Azog's massive army during the Battle of Five Armies. As Thorin's best warriors hasten to Ravenhill to confront Azog, these Wargs pursue the group on an icy lake, preying on the goats that drive the charriot in an attempt to stop the Dwarves. 
==== The Lord of the Rings film trilogy ====
The eastern Wargs seen in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy are noticeably hyena-like in appearance. They are bred by the Orcs of Isengard and Mordor. A horde of these Wargs led by the scarred veteran Sharku are in league with Sauron's agent Saruman. 
In The Two Towers film, Saruman sends Sharku and his Warg-mounted Isengarders to waylay the people of Rohan before they reach Helm's Deep. A Warg-rider scout ambushes Háma and Gamling before the rest of the horde arrives to engage the Rohirrim. Sharku himself battles Aragorn, and his Warg falls with Aragorn off of a cliff into a river. The Wargs and their riders lose the battle, and the survivors flee. Théoden bids his men leave the dead and carry the wounded on horseback to Helm's Deep, as the "wolves of Isengard will return". 
In The Return of the King film, the Witch-king's lieutenant, Gothmog, uses a Warg as a mount during the Siege of Gondor and several other Wargs can be seen storming the city with their Orc riders. In commentary in the Special Extended Edition of the film, Jackson said that the scene was chaotic to shoot, and that the Wargs were the only computer-generated creatures he felt could have looked more convincing. He also thought the scene itself could have turned out better if his team had a more organized storyboard layout for the battle.
=== Video games ===
* In MUME ("Multi-Users in Middle-earth"), there are many types of Wargs found in different locations, including a type that player and non-player Orcs can ride.
*In The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age, there is a small colony of wild Wargs living in a hollow rock formation in northeast Rohan, one of which is particularly large and used as a mini-boss for a side quest.
* In The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth and The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II video games, the Isengard faction can train and use Warg-riders as a mounted unit.
* In The Lord of the Rings Online, Wargs can be found throughout the world. A Warg-stalker is also a playable class in Monster Play.
* In the Medieval 2: Total War: Kingdoms mod, Third Age: Total War, Warg Riders are used by the factions of Isengard, Misty Mountains, and Gundabad as a light cavalry unit.
* In LEGO The Lord of the Rings: The Video Game, Wargs appear as enemies and can be ridden in the level "Warg Attack."
== Sounds ==
* The sounds of the Wargs are that of typical wolf sounds as well as coyote, jackal, hyena, and red-crowned crane.
== See also ==
*Werewolves, wolf-like servants of Sauron possessed by evil spirits
==Translations==
Foreign Language 	Translated name
Chinese (Hong Kong)	座狼
Croatian 	Varg
Czech 	Vrrk
Danish 	Varge
Finnish 	Hukka
French 	Warg/Ouarge
Hebrew 	ווארגים
Persian 	وارگ‌ها
Polish 	Wargowie
Spanish 	Huargos
Russian 	Варги
==References==
de:Warge
es:Huargos
fr:Wargs
it:Warg
pl:Wargowie
ru:Варги
Category:Wolves
Category:Monsters
Category:Evil
Category:Army of Mordor
Category:Servants of Morgoth
Category:Servants of Sauron
Category:Agents of Saruman
Category:Minions of Angmar
Category:Adar's army
Category:Azog's army