Abstract
The complex, violent behavior of the Orcs can be understood through the lens of modern trauma psychology, specifically Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) and the mechanism of Intergenerational Trauma Transmission.
CPTSD is a diagnosis often applied to individuals who have experienced prolonged, repeated, and inescapable trauma, particularly within an abusive or authoritarian environment. The foundational myth of the Orcs—that they were captured, enslaved, tortured, and physically and mentally mutated by Morgoth—perfectly aligns with a foundational, systemic trauma event.
The resulting Orcish behaviors align with the core symptom clusters of CPTSD including; emotional dysregulation,dissociation/distorted self-perception, disturbed relationships, and a lack of trust.
In this conference presentation I also explored the transmission of these via intergenerational trauma and epigenetics.
The initial, catastrophic trauma of Morgoth's corruption was not an isolated event but the starting point of an unbroken cycle of violence that has persisted for thousands of years. Each subsequent generation of Orcs is born into and raised within a culture saturated by fear, abuse, and perpetual warfare. This environment ensures the re-traumatization of every new Orc, effectively making the historical trauma current for all members of the species.
The resulting culture of extreme neglect constant threat, and compulsory violence is, therefore, a massive societal trauma response. The brutality exhibited by the Orcs is a survival strategy passed down, not a conscious choice stemming from an innately wicked will.
By viewing the Orcs through this psychological lens, their redemption becomes a therapeutic challenge—healing the collective and intergenerational trauma—rather than an impossible theological decree. In the closing part of the paper I explore which psychotheraputic interventions would work with this repeatedly traumatised population.
Recommended Citation
Pollock, Karen L. Ms
(2025)
"Trauma Therapy for Orcs: A Psychotherapeutic Consideration of Orcs in Tolkien's Legendarium,"
Journal of Tolkien Research: Vol. 22:
Iss.
2, Article 14.
Available at:
https://scholar.valpo.edu/journaloftolkienresearch/vol22/iss2/14
Comments
Presented at Euromoot 2025