They began as a Norse/Germanic earth spirit. Then Tolkien made them as a Semitic people, with a language and history similar to the Jews. But at some point between then and now, dwarves have come to be seen as universally Scottish.
In the fantasy of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Dwarves are a race inhabiting Middle-earth, the central continent of Arda in an imagined mythological past. They are based on the dwarfs of Germanic myths who were small humanoids that lived in mountains, practising mining, metallurgy, blacksmithing and jewellery.
They play a central role in both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. In the Poetic Edda, in Völuspá (Voluspa), the dwarves are created from the blood of Brimir and the limbs of Blain. Both names are other names for the giant Ymir, who was killed by the Aesir (a clan of Norse gods).
That some scholars, and Tolkien himself, have concluded that Dwarves resemble Jews may come as a surprise, as popular belief has it that Tolkien's Dwarves are based on the dwarfs of Norse mythology. With the exception of Balin, all Dwarvish names in The Hobbit were taken directly from the Poetic Edda.
I think it is mostly because in most settings Dwarves are the techy engineer types. And since the age of steam the Scottish Engineer has been a [quite common in actual fact] stereotype. They are also associated strongly with mountains, and hard drinking... Which again, are pretty well supported in Scotland as well.
What Are Dwarves? - A Quest For the Origins and Nature of Dwarves
Are dwarves meant to be Scottish?
Then Tolkien made them as a Semitic people, with a language and history similar to the Jews. But at some point between then and now, dwarves have come to be seen as universally Scottish. They say "Och, laddie" and eat haggis... Even Gimli was played with a Scottish accent.
Dwarves (Dvergr) come from Norse/Germanic mythology. Tolkien, of course, was a scholar of Anglo Saxon literature and mythology, his dwarves and elves were inspired by the mythical beings. Snow White was originally a German folktale. They have the same source.
Gimli had wanted to accompany his father on the quest to reclaim Erebor, but at age 62 he was deemed too young. He was a remote descendant of Durin the Deathless, chief of the Seven Fathers of the Dwarves and ancestor of the Longbeards.
A dwarf ( pl. : dwarfs or dwarves) is a type of supernatural being in Germanic folklore. Accounts of dwarfs vary significantly throughout history; however, they are commonly, but not exclusively, presented as living in mountains or stones and being skilled craftspeople.
Dwarves are quite easy, because while we know that they had very colourful beards we have no information about their skin tones at all. The Eldar are described as “fair of skin” in the Appendix of The Lord of the Rings, and given the other descriptions of skin tones (see below) this seems to mean that they were white.
In the books, the dwarves are known for their distinctive language, which Tolkien described as "full of hard consonants and short guttural sounds". This led many readers and later adaptations, such as Peter Jackson's film trilogy, to give the dwarves accents that are similar to those of Scottish or Scandinavian people.
The Karzełek (diminutive of karzeł – a small one, used for describing non-fantasy dwarfs) or Skarbnyk, Kladenets (Ukrainian: Скарбник, Russian: Кладенец) (the Treasurer) or Dzedka (Belarusian: Дзедка) in Slavic mythology live in mines and underground workings and are the guardians of gems, crystals, and precious metals ...
They're also very "Viking" like with their love of axes, great beards, and general attitude, but they also have a very semitic influence like on names and their plight to recover their home.
In J.R.R. Tolkien's novel The Hobbit, Thorin Oakenshield is a dwarf king-in-exile looking to reclaim his homeland from Smaug the Dragon. He recruits 12 of his closest dwarf companions, Gandalf the Grey Wizard, and a curious hobbit named Bilbo Baggins to accompany him on this quest.
In the Prose Edda, Snorri calls elves "light elves" (ljósálfar) while explicitly using “dwarves” (dvergar), “black elves” (svartálfar), or "dark elves" (dökkálfar) for dwarves interchangeably. Dwarves live in Svartalfheim (Black Elf Land), for example.
Dwarves do not trust half-orcs, and fail to appreciate elves, with whom they only ally in their many battles against orcs, goblins, evil giants and trolls.
Short and Stout. Bold and hardy, dwarves are known as skilled warriors, miners, and workers of stone and metal. Though they stand well under 5 feet tall, dwarves are so broad and compact that they can weigh as much as a human standing nearly two feet taller.
Dwarfs, albinos, and others who differed strikingly from the physical norms of their fellow-countrymen we see, then, to have been regarded by the Yorubas as uncanny in some rather undefined way, having a form similar to certain potent spirits who carry out the will of the gods.
Khuzdul (pronounced [kʰuzˈdul]) is a fictional language created by J. R. R. Tolkien, one of the languages of Middle-earth, specifically the secret and private language of the Dwarves. He based its structure and phonology on Semitic languages, primarily Hebrew, with triconsonantal roots of words.
Durin and Elrond are revealed to have been long-time friends, but Durin feels sour due to Elrond's 20-year absence. Over the course of the first season, the friends reconnect despite old wounds, with their storyline tied to the discovery of mithril, a rare ore in Khazad-dûm's mines.
Like Legolas and Gimli, Elrond and Durin enjoy a healthy amount of one-upmanship. (Durin says they met when he saved Elrond from two trolls. Elrond claims Durin was the one who needed saving, and it was three trolls, not just two.)
Gimli is not the last of the dwarves. This is a common misconception because Gimli is the only dwarf who gets a fair amount of coverage in the franchise. Lord of the Rings focuses its narrative primarily on the affairs of men, elves, and hobbits. Dwarves are a secluded race that lives in the mountains.
Dwarfs were of various types, all of small stature, some being no more than 18 inches (45 cm) high and others about the height of a two-year-old child. In appearance they were sometimes beautiful, but more usually they resembled grave old men with long beards and, in some cases, humped backs.
Not directly. While it's certainly possible that “small folk” stories may come from our experiences with other species of humans, and Tolkien's dwarves sometimes resemble Neanderthals in appearance, Tolkien was drawing on Norse myths for his elves and dwarves.
