Orcs are commonly depicted as being green skinned, tusked, pointy eared humanoids. While the green skin part was popularized by games like Warcraft, I’m not so sure about the tusks or pointy ears. Does anyone know what the earliest depiction of orcs having pointy ears and tusks is, and why they were given those traits?
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2Related: When and why did orcs go green?– Rand al'Thor ♦Commented Aug 3, 2020 at 19:31
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Related: What is the origin of elves (and fairies and Vulcans) having pointy ears?– TheLethalCarrot ♦Commented Aug 4, 2020 at 10:00
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1Frank Frazetta did some LotR illustrations in 1975, showing orcs with tusks, They wear helmets, so it is unclear if they have pointed ears. townsquare.media/site/622/files/2012/05/lotr08-1337285609.jpg– Klaus Æ. MogensenCommented Aug 10, 2020 at 8:37
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2 Answers
In the 1970s, Greg & Tim Hildebrandt did a series of official Tolkien calendars, published by Ballantine Books. The first was the 1976 calendar, published in 1975, which for June featured the image "Captured By Orcs" (see below). This clearly shows the orcs having tusks and pointed ears.
In the preceding 1975 calendar (published 1974), Tim Kirk has an illustration of two orcs (below), with one clearly having tusks (and fangs). However, helmets obscure the ears, making it impossible to tell if they are pointed.
As for why, it is unclear. Tolkien described them as fanged, but (AFAIR) don't mention tusks or pointed ears. However, Nordic trolls have traditionally often been portrayed as having tusks and/or pointed ears, as in the painting below by Swedish artist John Bauer (1882-1918). Since orcs are akin to trolls, that could have been the inspiration.
See also the Arthur Rackham illustrations below of trolls and goblins: Pointed ears, but no tusks.
answered Aug 10, 2020 at 9:10
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1Another example, probably inspired by the early illustrations you linked to, that may have helped popularize this depiction: the orcs in the 1980 animated adaptation of "Return of the King", which had tusks and pointed ears (as well as horned helmets like in that first illustration). Commented Aug 10, 2020 at 18:06
The 1977 Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Monster Manual illustration for orcs shows both pointed ears and tusks, and probably influenced a lot of other artists and game designers. The image is from my copy. For some reason I colored their eyes and tusks red. I was young...
