Nori

Nori is one of the thirteen dwarves who accompany Thorin Oakenshield on the quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain and its treasure from the dragon Smaug. He is part of the company that gathers at Bilbo Baggins's hobbit-hole, Bag-End, for the unexpected party that launches the adventure. Along with Dori and Ori, Nori is one of the dwarves who brings out a flute from inside his coat when the company makes music after dinner, contributing to the deep-throated singing that stirs the Tookish side in Bilbo. Throughout the journey, Nori is consistently grouped with Dori and Ori, and the three are often mentioned together as a unit within the company.

Role in the Quest

Nori shares the hardships and dangers of the expedition. During the capture by the trolls, he is among the dwarves caught and tied up in sacks near the fire, and he is later freed when Gandalf tricks the trolls until dawn turns them to stone. In the goblin tunnels beneath the Misty Mountains, Nori is seized along with the others and dragged before the Great Goblin; he is among those who escape when Gandalf kills the goblin chief and leads the company through the dark passages. During the flight from the goblins, Nori is one of the dwarves who takes turns carrying Bilbo when the hobbit cannot keep pace. When the company is attacked by wolves in the forest, Nori climbs a pine tree for safety, and he is one of the dwarves who later helps haul Bombur up the rope to the higher camp on the mountain. In Mirkwood, Nori is captured by the Wood-elves after the company strays from the path and is imprisoned in the Elvenking's halls. He is freed when Bilbo steals the keys and packs the dwarves into empty barrels that are floated down the Forest River to Lake-town.

Relationships and Interactions

Nori is closely associated with Dori and Ori, the three often acting as a subgroup within the company. He shares Dori's views about the importance of regular meals, and both grumble when Gandalf is missing at a time when a wizard would be most useful. Nori is also one of the dwarves who, along with Dori and Ori, plays the flute during the musical evening at Bag-End. He is present at the parley with Bard and the Elvenking after the death of Smaug, and he remains with the company during the siege of the Mountain. After the Battle of Five Armies, Nori is one of the ten surviving companions of Thorin who choose to remain with Dain, the new King under the Mountain, rather than return to the West.

Change and Ending

Nori does not undergo a significant personal transformation in the narrative; he remains a steady member of the company throughout. He is present at the final farewell when Bilbo departs from the Mountain, and he is among the dwarves who bow low before their Gate, unable to speak for emotion. Nori's fate after the quest is to stay in the Lonely Mountain with Dain, sharing in the restored kingdom and the treasure that is dealt out among the survivors. He is not among those who fall in battle; Fili and Kili are the only members of Thorin's original company who die, defending their uncle Thorin.

Narrative Significance

Nori functions as part of the collective dwarf company, contributing to the group's identity and dynamics. His presence, along with Dori and Ori, helps to populate the expedition and give it a sense of a larger fellowship beyond the most prominent figures like Thorin, Balin, and the younger Fili and Kili. Nori's flute-playing and his grumbling about meals add to the characterization of the dwarves as a group with distinct personalities and habits. He is one of the many dwarves who come to respect Bilbo after the hobbit's resourcefulness in the spider episode and the escape from the Wood-elves, and he is part of the company that ultimately acknowledges Bilbo's worth, even if Thorin's anger at the Arkenstone incident temporarily overshadows that respect.