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Orc (sometimes spelt Ork) is a Latin word for a demon or a creature of the underworld, the word Orc. It was revived by J. R. R. Tolkien in his fictional stories of Middle-earth as the name of a race of creatures that are often used by evil forces as soldiers.
Orc-néas is found in Beowulf, ll: 112, and refers to the zombie-like Grendel's race. It was from here that Tolkien derived his 'Orcs.' (See below)
Orcus, in Roman mythology, was an alternative name for Pluto, Hades, or Dis Pater, god of the land of the dead. The name "Orcus" seems to have been given to his evil, punishing side, as the god who tormented evildoers in the afterlife.
Pliny the Elder wrote of orcs in his Historia naturalis, describing a sea monster with large teeth. In Orlando Furioso, an epic by Ludovico Ariosto, the name of "orc" was given to a sea monster that captured the damsel Angelica, and was fought by the hero Rogero riding a hippogriff. This orc was huge, scaley, tusked, pig-nosed, and bristled. It is this use of the word that gave us the term orcinus orca, the scientific name for the orca, also called "killer whale."
From this usage, the word "orc" made it into English by being borrowed by Michael Drayton in his Polyolbion, an epic poem about Brutus the Trojan and the mythical founders of Britain, and also appears in the epic poem Paradise Lost, by John Milton. According to one medieval source, Charlemagne encountered and destroyed an orc that attacked his ship in the Mediterranean.
Orc (a proper name) is also one of the characters in the complex mythology of William Blake. Unlike the medieval sea beast, or Tolkien's humanoid monster, his Orc is a positive figure, the embodiment of creative passion and energy: see Orc (William Blake)
The humanoid, non-maritime race of Orcs are Tolkien's invention. The term "Orc" is properly capitalised in Tolkien's writing, but not necessarily in other sources. In Tolkien's writing, Orcs are described as humanoid, roughly human-sized, ugly and filthy. Although not dim-witted, they are portrayed as dull and miserable beings, who are only able to destroy, not to create. Orcs are used as soldiers by both the greater and lesser villains of The Lord of the Rings — Sauron and Saruman.
In The Hobbit, Tolkien used the word "goblin" for Orcs, because he had not yet identified the world of The Hobbit with Middle-earth (which predated the Hobbit by several decades, in early writings which would later become The Silmarillion). Fortunately Tolkien did include some references to his mythology in the Hobbit, which later allowed him to identify the lands of the Hobbit with his Middle-earth. In The Lord of the Rings, "Orc" is used predominantly, and "goblin" mostly in the Hobbits' speech.
'...the word is as far as I am concerned actually derived from Old English orc 'demon', but only because of its phonetic suitability...' The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien No 144, dated 1953
For more information on Tolkien's Orcs see: Orc (Middle-earth).
Since the publication of Tolkien's epic novel, The Lord of the Rings, creatures called "orcs" have become a fixture of fantasy fiction and role-playing games. In these derivative sources, orcs and goblins are usually considered distinct races of goblinoids. For some time they were often depicted with pig-like faces, despite no such description in Tolkien's work.
In Dungeons & Dragons, orcs are almost always villainous, cast as a brutal, bestial, and tribal parody of humans and human society. They also seem to have green skin without exception, in contradiction to Tolkien's Orcs, which had many different skin colours ranging from palish yellow to deep black. Because common fantasy orcs are inherently violent and evil, even game players that wish to play the role of an orc are instead usually encouraged to play a half-orc, the offspring of an orc and a human (very rarely the offspring of an orc and an elf).
In the fantasy role-playing games Earthdawn and Shadowrun, orks are, in contrast to the common fantasy Orc, neither inherently good nor evil. In Earthdawn they have their place among the other name-giving races: Humans, dwarfs, elves, obsidimen, t'skrang, trolls, and windlings. In Shadowrun, orks are just one race among others on earth in the years past 2050. They emerged during the Unexplained Genetic Expression in the year 2021 as either young humans changed to orks or ones born as orks from human parents. They are categorized as homo sapiens robustus, and are considered metahumans, like trolls, elves, and dwarfs.
Orks are able to interbreed with humans and fellow metahumans. Despite this, their offspring will be of the race of only one of their parents. No half-breeds exist. They grow much faster than humans, reach maturity at the age of 12, and give birth to a litter of about four children, though six to eight are common. Their average life-expectancy is about 35 to 40 years. They are physically larger and stronger than humans. Their mental capacities are considered slightly inferior in average to humans, though they are still not as dull as the average troll.
Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000 games feature Orcs as well (spelt Orks in Warhammer 40,000). Physiologically Warhammer Orcs are taller and broader than humans, with short legs and long arms much like an ape. They have massive heads which come directly forward on their necks, giving them a stooping appearance. They have tough thick green skin which is highly resistant to pain.
Warhammer Orcs aren't very smart, but can be cunning at times. They are extremely warlike and the whole society is geared towards constant warfare. This constant need to fight is the expression of Orc culture, a fact that keeps the Orcs from forming anything but temporary alliances with each other. In combat they can transform even the most common object into a lethal killing instrument. Orcs tend to ally with Goblins (called Gretchin in Warhammer 40,000) and Snotlings, but their alliance is more of a matter of the Orcs bullying their smaller Goblinoid (Orkoid in Warhammer 40,000) cousins into being everything from servants, to Human (Goblin) shields, to an emergency food source. They worship a pair of gods known as Gork and Mork.
For more information on Warhammer Orcs, see: Orc (Warhammer). For more information on Warhammer 40000 Orks, see: Ork (warhammer 40000)
In the Warcraft computer game series, the Orcs were a savage but noble race from the planet Draenor who were corrupted by a demonic force known as the Burning Legion. Under the Legion's influence, the Orcish Horde slaughtered the Dranei, another race native to Draenor, and then were led to the world of Azeroth. After two devastating wars, the Orcs were finally defeated on Azeroth and rounded up into internment camps. They remained there until a young Orc named Thrall rallied them together, finally freed the Horde from their demonic taint, and helped return them to their shamanistic roots.
Warcraft Orcs resemble prodigiously muscled green humans with broad pig-like noses, large mouths and tusks. While as tall as a human in hunched posture, the males would most likely be 7' tall when straight. Females are slightly larger than a human female, and do not seem to suffer the males posture troubles. They are characterized by wearing scant armor with horned helmets and using axes as weapons. Warcraft is one of the few settings in which Orcs are not inherently evil, and can even be heroic, at least in the latest games in the series.
For more information on Warcraft Orcs, see: Orc (Warcraft).
In the Hârn universal fantasy role-playing setting (and the distinct subsequently developed game system) created by N. Robin Crossby and published by Columbia Games, orcs are called Gargun. While loosely derived from the Tolkien mythos, they have a distinct morphology and life-cycle similar to the naked mole rat. There are five distinct species of Gargun, none of whom can interbreed. They are squat, hairy, nasty, brutish, and short creatures. Some species are subterranean, while others can be found above ground in roving bands. One of the larger species is the Gargu-Khanu. Gargu-Khanu are often found in mixed-species colonies where they are overlords of the smaller vassal species, controlling access to the singular breeding queen of the other species as well as their own.
In the MMORPG Final Fantasy XI, the Orc's are a tribe of Beastmen. During the Age of Darkness, the Orcs were constructed by the god Promathia to constantly battle with the human(oid)s of Vana D'iel. The Orcs have two large strongholds near the city of San d'Oria; the strongholds are Davoi Monastery and Fort Ghelsba. The Orc's frequently launch small missions out of their strongholds, and they practically controll Jugner Forest and Ronfaure.
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