Orc

An orc /ɔːrk/ (also spelled as ork, orch, or yrch) is a fictional humanoid creature that is part of a fantasy race akin to goblins.

While the overall concept of orcs draws on a variety of pre-existing mythology, the main conception of the creatures stems from the fantasy writings of J. R. R. Tolkien, in particular The Lord of the Rings. In Tolkien's works, orcs are a brutish, aggressive, repulsive and generally malevolent species, existing in stark contrast with the benevolent Elvish race and generally pressed into the service of an evil power. Tolkien's concept of orcs has subsequently been adapted and imported into other works of fantasy fiction as well as into fantasy role-playing and strategy games (such as Dungeons & Dragons, Warhammer, and Warcraft), broadening the recognition of the creatures in popular culture.

Earlier references to creatures etymologically or conceptually similar to orcs can be found in Anglo-Saxon sources; including Beowulf and 16th-century Italian folk tales, in particular those of Giambattista Basile.

In popular culture (including fantasy fiction and fantasy games), orcs are variously portrayed but tend towards the descriptions originally set down by Tolkien. They are of approximately human shape (with bowed legs and long arms) and of varying size. Orcs are generally ugly and filthy, with prominent fangs and facial features tending toward the grotesque (generally a mixture of the ape-like and pig-like). Their skin is typically a shade of green, gray, black, brown, or sometimes red (Tolkien, in contrast, described some as "sallow", some as "black"—not necessarily a reference to skin colour—and one as "black-skinned").

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