| Dragon | |
| Lhamthanc | |
|---|---|
| Biographical Information | |
| Other names | Iamthanc |
| Appeared | Unknown |
Lhamthanc, was the name of a serpent, about whom almost nothing is known except that they possess a serpent-name.[1] It is likely that in this case, the word serpent may actually be referring to one of the dragons of Morgoth since Tolkien often described dragons as worms and serpents and Lhamthanc is mentioned next to Gostir in The Etymologies. Lhamthanc is not mentioned in any known story.
Etymology
Lhamthanc means "forked tongue" in Noldorin, from lham(b) ("tongue") and thanc ("cleft, split"), as well as the root LAB, meaning "lick".[1]
Other versions of the legendarium
Lhamthanc was originally called Iamthanc, an early Noldorin name meaning "snake, (lit) forked tongue", from lham(b) ("tongue") and thanc (" cleft, divided, split, cloven, forked, bifurcated; cleft, break, breach").[2] However, Tolkien eventually settled on Lhamthanc for the name.[1]
Portrayal in adaptations
Middle-earth Role Playing
- Lhamthanc appears as a huge gray and white Cold-drake who possessed a forked tongue that was nine-feet long in the Creatures of Middle-earth supplement of Middle-earth Role Playing. Lhamthanc was said to be the younger brother of Gostir.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part Three: "The Etymologies", p. 388 (entry "STAK-")
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, "The Alphabet of Rúmil & Early Noldorin Fragments", in Parma Eldalamberon XIII (edited by Carl F. Hostetter, Christopher Gilson, Arden R. Smith, Patrick H. Wynne, and Bill Welden), pp. 154, 165
| Named Dragons | |
| Glaurung · Gostir · Ancalagon · Scatha · Smaug · Lhamthanc | |
| Chrysophylax · Mottled Monster · Very Red | |