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PotbellyHairyfoot
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Post Smaug vs Glaurung
on: February 26, 2008 01:10
(I originally posted this topic as a chapter question)

Glaurung was the first Dragon, and Smaug, who died about 7000 years later, was one of the last.
What similarities did they share, and how were they different?
Ilandir
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Post RE: Smaug vs Glaurung
on: February 26, 2008 09:49
Glaurung is a fire-breathing creature, the same as Smaug. On the contrary, Glaurung is a worm (a wingless dragon), whilst Smaug is clearly a dragon that can fly.

Both characters have the ability to hypnotize people by their talk and both love to horde vast treasures and guard them forever.
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PotbellyHairyfoot
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Post RE: Smaug vs Glaurung
on: March 06, 2008 01:29
Both of them have a desire to hold and store gold, jewels and other forms of wealth, although it serves no purpose for them.
Both are extremely confident and were golden tongued tricksters when it comes to discussions with their enemies.
Both seemed to have a desire to brag to others, especially their enemies .

Glaurung had a 'boss' and had troops under his control, while Smaug was completely independent.
Glaurung had the ability to bewitch his victims with his eyes, but Smaug didn't seem to have this ability.
Glaurung often left his enemies alive to suffer with the knowledge of the terrible thiings he told them while they were under his bewitchment, while Smaug mostly killed and, sometimes ate, his enemies.
.
Rhysenn
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Post RE: Smaug vs Glaurung
on: April 06, 2008 12:24
It seems that Glaurung's entire belly was soft, and Turin was able to kill him as long as he could go under him unnoticed, whereas Smaug had strong scales everywhere except in one tiny spot.

To me Glaurung also seems more calculating and malicious, but this might be because we only know of Smaug's interaction with Bilbo, or because Glaurung was released during wartime by his master.
Gumawerian
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Post RE: Smaug vs Glaurung
on: April 09, 2008 01:02
It seems that Glaurung's entire belly was soft, and Turin was able to kill him as long as he could go under him unnoticed, whereas Smaug had strong scales everywhere except in one tiny spot.

I think Smaug's underbelly was originally entirely soft as well - but he had been lying on his treasure so long that it had become literally "stuck" to his stomach everywhere but that one spot, becoming an armor-like form of protection. I haven't got my books around to support that, but I seem to remember that being the case.

Glaurung, to me, feels more "evil" than Smaug. While Smaug is, of course, a self-centred, dangerous and destructive Dragon, Glaurung is the one that gives me shivers. Maybe I get this feeling because of his association with Morgoth, while Smaug is, as has been mentioned before, more independant of the "big picture" of evil. I don't have anything else off the top of my head to contribute, as it's been a while since I've read either the Sil or the Hobbit. :blush:
Aran_Quendi
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Post RE: Smaug vs Glaurung
on: August 06, 2008 05:14
"Smaug lay, with wings folded like an immeasurable bat,
turned partly on one side, so that the hobbit could see
his underparts and his long pale belly crusted with
gems and fragments of gold from his long lying on his
costly bed."

This is from the chapter in the Hobbit where the description of Smaug is given. It is clear that both had soft underbellies at one time, but because of the laziness and his being entirely content with his life, Smaug, after so many centuries, and without that many men to eat that would require work on his part, he lay on his gems unitl they embedded themselves into his skin.

With Glaurung, he had an agenda,he was bred for war, and his intent was to kill, and detroy, as one of Morgoth's servants. Smaug just kiilled those that stood in the way of his personal comfort, pulling from what Gumawerian said, that he was " self-centered" and only cared for himself, and he served no other
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