Bolg was the son of Azog,^[1] who succeeded his father as leader of the northern Orcs after Azog was killed by Dáin Ironfoot at the Battle of Azanulbizar in Third Age 2799.^[2] This started Bolg's hatred towards the Dwarves and after the Great Goblin was killed during an encounter with Thorin and Company in T.A. 2941, his hatred for them grew even more.^[source?]

Bolg gathered an army of Orcs from the Misty Mountains to their capital at Mount Gundabad. They marched eastward through the Grey Mountains with a host of Wargs and a cloud of bats overhead.^[1]

Once they reached the Lonely Mountain, Bolg led the Orcs and Wargs into battle with the Dwarves, Wood-elves, and Lake-men. Surrounding him was a group of huge Orcs with steel scimitars.^[1] When Thorin attempted to pierce their ranks he became surrounded, and would later die from the wounds he sustained. The Eagles arrived and after them came Beorn in the shape of a bear. Beorn killed Bolg and the Orcs and Wargs were soon defeated.^[3]

[edit] Etymology

There have been several attempts to give a meaning of the name Bolg. One is a regular Orkish treatment ofBoldog, another a connection to Westron bolg.

In The History of The Hobbit, a word from a little known and little expanded language, Mágol, is given, bolg, which means "strong". Tolkien at one time considered making Mágol an Orkish language. An Ivernian word "bolg", of unknown meaning, is also cited by Rateliff.^[4]

[edit] Portrayal in adaptations

2012-14: The Hobbit (film series):

Bolg is played by Conan Stevens (via practical costume) in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and byLawrence Makoare (via motion-capture and CG) in the rest of the series.

2012: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey:

Bolg makes a brief appearance during the Battle of Azanulbizar^[5] (though he is never actually identified as being Bolg in the film), where he is seen fighting against Dwalin during the flashback to the battle outside Moria, until he is incapacitated and knocked down.

2013: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug:

Azog (who survives the War of the Dwarves and Orcs in the films) is summoned to Dol Guldur to become the commander of Sauron's Orc armies. While there, Azog dispatches his son Bolg to take his place in hunting Thorin and Company. With his pack of Orcs, Bolg tracks Thorin and Company through Mirkwood, attacks the Wood-elves as the Company escapes in barrels, and eventually follows the Dwarves to Lake-town.

At Lake-town, Bolg and his Orcs attack the peoples in search of the Dwarves, but find only four. When they attack, they are in turn attacked by two Elves:Legolas and Tauriel. He goes after Legolas, and the two begin a duel (in which Legolas uses Orcrist, the weapon of Thorin). While Legolas is distracted by other Orcs, Bolg withdraws and rides a Warg down a dock. He is then pursued by Legolas, now on a horse.