Burnt Dwarves is a conventional name for a group of Dwarves who fell in the Battle of Azanulbizar, whose bodies were consigned to fire after the battle. Although Tolkien never directly used this term, it later became established among scholars of his work.

History

After the bloody Battle of Azanulbizar, the surviving Dwarves faced a grave problem. The losses were so great that they had neither the time nor the strength to build traditional stone tombs for the fallen.

They also could not bury their kin in the ground. This contradicted the ancient customs of Durin's folk. To prevent the bodies from being defiled by beasts, birds, and carrion orcs, the Dwarves removed the weapons and armor from the dead, then built numerous funeral pyres and consigned the bodies to fire.

The smoke from these pyres was so thick that it was seen even in Lothlórien.

Memory

Despite the tragic circumstances, such a burial was not considered a disgrace. On the contrary, the memory of the fallen was preserved with particular pride.

Even many generations later, any Dwarf whose ancestor was burnt after the Battle of Azanulbizar could say with dignity that he was descended from a 'burnt Dwarf'. This alone was enough to command respect and honor the memory of the deceased.