An orc (sometimes spelt ork; ), is a fictional race of humanoid monsters often found in works of modern fantasy. Originally called "Goblins," the concept of modern orcs can be found in George MacDonald's The Princess and the Goblin, and later adapted into J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy fiction, where the first uses of the word can be found.
AI overview
An orc is a fictional race of humanoid monsters commonly featured in modern fantasy works, originally inspired by goblins in George MacDonald's literature and later popularized through J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth stories. Orcs matter because they became a foundational creature type in fantasy fiction, influencing how countless books, games, and films depict fantasy worlds and their inhabitants.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Key facts
- Mythical creature.name
- Orc
- Mythical creature.Grouping
- Humanoid
- Mythical creature.Sub_Grouping
- Monster
- Mythical creature.Similar_entities
- Goblin, Uruk-hai, Troll
- Mythical creature.Folklore
- Middle-earth
- Mythical creature.First_Attested
- The Hobbit (1937)
- Mythical creature.AKA
- Ork
- Mythical creature.Region
- Middle-earth
- Mythical creature.Habitat
- Mountains, caves, dark forests
- Mythical creature.Details
- Multiple alternative origins proposed by Tolkien, e.g. corrupted elves, or bred by Morgoth
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
20 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Tolkien
- Stated etymology
- Description
- Orkish language
- In-fiction origins
- Orcs and race
- Other fiction
- In games
- ''Dungeons & Dragons''
- ''Warhammer''
- ''Warcraft''
- Other products
- See also
- Notes
- References
- Primary
- Secondary
- Sources
- External links
An orc (sometimes spelt ork; ), is a fictional race of humanoid monsters often found in works of modern fantasy. Originally called "Goblins," the concept of modern orcs can be found in George MacDonald's The Princess and the Goblin, and later adapted into J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy fiction, where the first uses of the word can be found.
In Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, orcs appear as a brutish, aggressive, ugly, and malevolent race of monsters, contrasting with the benevolent Elves. He described their origins inconsistently, including as a corrupted race of elves, or bred by the Dark Lord Morgoth, or turned to evil in the wild. Tolkien's orcs serve as a conveniently wholly evil enemy that could be slaughtered without mercy.