Dáin Ironfoot was the son of Náin and a cousin of Thorin Oakenshield, of the House of Durin. He was a young Dwarf when the War of the Dwarves and Orcs came to its climax.1
In 2799 Dáin fought at Azanulbizar, the Battle of Nanduhirion before the East-gate of Moria. His father Náin was slain there by Azog, and Dáin, then only thirty-two, overtook the Orc-chieftain and cut off his head.1
He afterwards became lord of the Dwarves of the Iron Hills. When Smaug was killed and the Battle of Five Armies gathered over Erebor, Dáin marched from the Iron Hills at the head of a host of Dwarves in mail, and joined the fight. Thorin fell in it, and Dáin became King under the Mountain in his place.2,3
He ruled until the War of the Ring. In the year 3019 the armies of Sauron came against Dale and Erebor, and Dáin stood over the body of his ally King Brand, in front of the Gate, and fell there. His son Thorin Stonehelm took the crown.1
Sources
Citations name the chapter rather than the page, so they work in any edition. The colour of each note shows what kind of source it is.
- Published story The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings as Tolkien published them.
- Appendices Tolkien's own appendices to The Lord of the Rings.
- Appendices The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, III, “Durin's Folk”
- Published story The Hobbit, ch. 17, “The Clouds Burst”
- Published story The Hobbit, ch. 18, “The Return Journey”