Study of Dwarves

by GwyneddSilverfighter

While writing my WoT&Hobbit -crossover I made a lot of research and notes about how I would represent the Dwarven culture, especially its courting traditions, and after a while I realised that it would perhaps be better to collect them in one place than to drop them out in different parts of the story. So here you are, my short encyclopedia about Dwarves.

4. Dwarven Courting Traditions

Note: I've based these courting traditions on how they were presented in a story I read some time ago, An Unexpected Proposal by Eareniel on this website. Any of you who are interested in Bagginshield-stories, I strongly recommend reading it, for it's probably one of the best fan fictions that I've ever read.

After a pair has started courting, there needs to be a somewhat public declaration which shows to other dwarves that those two are no longer "on the market". Usually it is the male part of the pair who is supposed to make the proposal, but when a male/male pair is in question (which is quite common in Dwarven culture), making of the proposal falls for the older of the two.

The intention of marrying is usually included in the declaration of courting, but it's not unheard of that the pair decides to take it slowly and make a separate proposal later. This also gives the pair room to break off courting, if they think that it doesn't work. Even though courting can be broken off, it is considered of very bad taste, especially if there has already been a family dinner. Also it is frowned upon if a dwarf continues to pursue after someone even after they have refused the proposal.

A strong aspect of courting traditions is courting gifts. First courting gifts for one another are courting beads, which the proposed party will usually receive with the proposal (compare to the wedding ring). All gifts are usually handmade, but any gift will do. Family dinners between the courting pair and their families are common, too. The idea of these is that a dwarf will learn to know the family of the one (s)he is courting.

Kissing before having been married is not prohibited, but kissing in public when not married is something strongly frowned upon. What traditions do prohibit is having children before marriage. Usually this is taken care by not allowing the courting pair to share a bed before the wedding, but if the pair in question is considerably older (130 years old or older), the matter can be trusted upon the pair's reasonability.