Bolg

Bolg is the goblin chieftain of the North, the son of Azog, and the commander of the immense goblin and Warg army that descends upon the Lonely Mountain in the final battle of the tale. He is the embodiment of the ancient enmity between goblins and dwarves, and his arrival transforms the siege of the Mountain into a desperate, three-sided war that decides the fate of the North.

Origins and Role in the Conflict

Bolg is introduced as the son of Azog, the goblin who killed Thror, Thorin Oakenshield's grandfather, in the mines of Moria. This lineage establishes a deep, personal blood-feud between Bolg's forces and the dwarves of the Line of Durin. When Gandalf warns the assembled armies of elves, men, and dwarves, he cries out, "Bolg of the North is coming, O Dain! whose father you slew in Moria." This reveals that the goblin host is not merely a random raid but a calculated campaign of vengeance, rekindled to fury by the death of the Great Goblin of the Misty Mountains. Bolg's army, having gathered in secret from all goblin cities and strongholds, marches from their capital at Mount Gundabad, sweeping down from the North hard on the heels of Dain's dwarves, catching nearly everyone by surprise.

The Battle of Five Armies

Bolg leads a vast and terrible host. The goblins ride upon wolves, with Wargs in their train, and a cloud of bats flies above them like a sea of locusts, shutting out the light and filling the defenders with dread. During the battle, Bolg's personal bodyguard is composed of "goblins of huge size with scimitars of steel." This elite force drives into the ranks of the defenders, and it is against them that Thorin Oakenshield makes his final, desperate charge. Thorin drives right against the bodyguard of Bolg but cannot pierce their ranks, and he is eventually struck down, pierced with spears. Bolg himself is not slain by Thorin, but by Beorn, who appears in bear's shape at the climax of the battle. Beorn, having grown to giant-size in his wrath, pulls down Bolg and crushes him, an act that breaks the goblins' spirit and sends them fleeing in all directions.

Narrative Significance

Bolg serves as the ultimate physical threat in the story, the force that forces the quarreling factions of dwarves, elves, and men to unite against a common enemy. His arrival transforms the political standoff over the treasure into a war for survival. His death at Beorn's hands, combined with the intervention of the Great Eagles, secures victory for the free peoples. The defeat of Bolg's army brings lasting peace to the North, with songs recording that three parts of the goblin warriors of the North perished on that day, and the mountains had peace for many a year. Bolg himself, however, remains a largely off-stage figure of menace, a name that crystallizes the ancient hatred and the scale of the danger, rather than a fully developed character with dialogue or individual scenes.