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RPGs

Despite being badasses, orcs are among the most iconic and popular creatures in common fantasy. Maybe because they are badasses? Some people depict them as strong, rough, even handsome warriors, archetypal alpha males. Yet that was not how their creator, Tolkien, envisioned them. In his view, they are hating and hateful creatures, servants of evil. In the humble opinion of the writer the truth should be somewhere in the middle. So the purpose of this article is to try to find the 'real' orcs.

Tolkien

orcs in mountains
orcs in mountains
The quest should start at the beginning. J.R.R. Tolkien created orcs in his writings, especially the trilogy Lord of the Rings and the earlier Silmarillion. He is not fully consistent about their name, nature and origin. In The Hobbit they are called goblins; in other books orcs. In the Silmarillion it is related how Melkor / Morgoth, Tolkien's version of the arch devil, created them. Morgoth was unable to create life out of nothing like Eru, Tolkien's version of God, could do. So instead he captured some elves (or possibly men) and through slavery, torture and devilish magic corrupted them to the race of orcs.
In his own words:

"But of those unhappy ones [elves] who were ensnared by Melkor little is known of a certainty. For who of the living has descended into the pits of Utumno, or has explored the darkness of the counsels of Melkor? Yet this is held true by the wise of Eressëa, that all those of the Quendi who came into the hands of Melkor, ere Utumno was broken, were put there in prison, and by slow arts of cruelty were corrupted and enslaved; and thus did Melkor breed the hideous race of the Orcs in envy and mockery of the Elves, of whom they were afterwards the bitterest foes. For the Orcs had life and multiplied after the manner of the Children of Ilúvatar; and naught that had life of its own, nor the semblance of life, could ever Melkor make since his rebellion in the Ainulindalë before the Beginning: so say the wise. And deep in their dark hearts the Orcs loathed the Master whom they served in fear, the maker only of their misery. This it may be was the vilest deed of Melkor, and the most hateful to Ilúvatar."
An alternative explanation, only hinted at in Tolkien's writings, is that orcs, like other evil creatures in Middle Earth, were created by dissonances caused by Melkor in the song of the Ainur that created the world. As the origin song is the source of much of what happens in Tolkien's creation, the two explanations may actually be the same.

Orcs fought as warriors in Morgoth's and later Sauron's wars. They are described as smaller and weaker than elves and men, though often more numerous. They hate dwarves, men and especially elves and fight them when they can, though they lose more often than they win; after all good triumphs evil in stories.

Later fantasy

D&D orcs
D&D orcs
Orcs captured the imagination of many a fantasy writer. In role playing games they are even more popular. The famous game Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), recognizing their appeal, incorporated orcs into its collection of 'monsters' right from the start. The game mellowed Tolkien's single minded evil horde somewhat. In orcish appearance, it introduced large lower canines and pig-like snouts. A pantheon of Orcish gods was created: Luthic the cave mother; Baghtru the strong son; Ilneval the war lieutenant; Yurtrus the killer; Shargaas the dark one; and finally one-eyed Gruumsh, the chief. In order to make orcs more suitable for role playing, D&D picked up the idea of the half-orc and made it one of the races available for player characters. Read more in for example issue 62 of the Dragon magazine from 1982: https://annarchive.com/files/Drmg062.pdf.

Warhammer orc
Warhammer orc
The result of D&D's efforts something that approached the 'true' orc, as far as I am concerned. With the proliferation of online role playing games, orc fame has spread even further. Yet with fame came dilution. Orcs 'evolved' into another archetype, the big-and-stupid brute. These orcs look like they spend more time exercising than fighting, wielding weapons that must weigh as much as a barrel of beer.
Though these musclemen appeal to many players, others don't want to play an ugly brute. So today we have even further refined orcs, who are more barbarian than abomination. These orcs are still rough and ridiculously strong, yet groomed with dreadlocks, fancy armor and even a little jewelry. Their posture is not mean but proud, like the noble savage of the 17th century. They have wilderness survival skills, superb weapons and fight with honor rather than malice.
Proud, noble orcs? Tolkien's elf-haters would backstab them as soon as they could. Looking at those muscle-boys, there is but one conclusion: These are not orcs.

True orcs

It is not crystal clear how orcs look like, but there is some common ground. Orcs have large lower canines, almost like the tusks of a boar, jutting out from the mouth. Tolkien's orcs have sallow skin, flat noses and slanted eyes; others are brown, gray, black or greenish and have hooked noses instead. All are ugly and filthy because beauty is not a quality orcs value; rather they hate beauty. They are scarred from their countless fights. They are bow-legged and have relatively long arms, sometimes reaching down almost to the ground.
Some orcs like Tolkien's cannot stand the sun. Half-orcs, usually half orc and half human, can, though they do not like bright light. Orcs prefer to live underground and come out only at night. They have keen night vision and an acute sense of smell, almost like the warg-wolves they like to team up with.
For food orcs prefer meat, not caring from which animal, humanoid or whatever creature. They obtain it by hunting or raiding. The idea of crafting, trading or toiling the soil as farmers is downright appalling to them.
They are a lazy lot, unwilling to learn or to work. When they have to, they do perform labor, often tunneling, mining and crude construction work. But their favorite pastimes are hunting and war. They don't care for the lives of others but will often spare captives so that they can employ them as slaves. Orc equipment, especially weapons, is made by their slaves or taken by force in raids. Their armor is a mishmash of bits and pieces, strapped together without finesse. When something is broken, orcs do not repair it, but replace it with some other loot.
Orcish science, art and culture are almost non-existent. Their craft is purely functional, their art made to frighten rather than to please; their knowledge aimed at success in strife. They do not have a language of their own but borrow from other languages. These they debase by sticking to simple grammar, a guttural pronunciation and a small vocabulary, except for insults and swearing.

orc campfire
orc campfire
Orcish society is essentially tribal, though malicious, a bit like a criminal gang. Each tribe is led by the biggest and strongest, meanest or cunning orc chief, who has to prove his power all the time to keep his position. Despite the dangers, a position high in the hierarchy has its advantages: better food, better equipment, better education, as far as orcs learn anything. Therefore positions of power in orc society are semi-hereditary. Orc chiefs are often male because the males are stronger than the rest. In some orcish societies women are reduced to breeding machines. However in others they have more status and freedom, sometimes rising to the very top, outclassing the males.
Orcs reproduce sexually. Marriage is unknown; like in herbivore herds the strongest males take the wives while the others try to topple or to fool them to get some sex too. Rape is so common that the females accept it as normal, though of course they try to attract the most desirable partners. Beauty is not a trump card in the game of seduction, but strength, virility and fertility are. Orcs need a lot of children because their constant strife makes the death rate high. Life for children is even tougher than for adults and child mortality is higher too.
Orcs are evil in the sense that they don't care about others, including their own people. They are not spirits that actively promote evil, they just act selfish. They take what they want if they can get it. They fight more than for example the vikings from Earth, yet do not disdain assassination or thievery. Taking by force is the preferred method, not because it is considered more noble, but because it is more visible to others, enhancing status.
Orcs are not good strategists but capable opportunists. They fight among themselves at least as much as against others. With them, warfare is the normal state of being; peace is an aberration. Because of the constant strife they are experienced and hardened warriors, a lot tougher than the 'one hit die' creatures of D&D. However Their disorganization and shortsightedness makes the idea of a large orc invasion a phantom. Any large orc army would soon tear itself apart in feuds and squabbles.
To unite orcs, one needs the money, or better threat, of an evil overlord. Evil bosses tend to use them as 'cannon fodder'. In war, where orcs can prove their worth, orcs themselves are fierce, yet they do not desire to die gloriously in battle. In general they serve masters out of fear, not out of love. If the big boss proves weaker than thought, orcs may desert or even try to topple him from power. After all, power is the only thing that they respect.