Blue? Yellow?

[Elf Girl]

I noticed that in the chapter An Unexpected Party, when Dwalin arrives, it says:

It was a dwarf with a blue beard tucked into a golden belt...

Later it says that Fili and Kili have yellow beards. I always pictured the dwarves with ordinary hair colors for their beard's, but evidently it is not so. However, "blue" could just mean a shade of grey that is almost blue, and "yellow" could mean blonde. Any thoughts?

[Tar-Elendil]

dwarves must aparently have assorted hair colors?;)
maybe colors like blonde and blue are just rarely seen on dwarves, just like hobbits with blonde hair

[Michelle The Fair]

I would have to say blue meant blueish-gray. Maybe his hair was jet black in his youth.

[Khamûl]

I've never noticed that before. Hmmm.... Maybe they're related to Dennis Rodman.:D

[Comic Book Guy]

Blue meant a jet-black color, try to imagine a pirate called 'Blue-Beard' and maybe the image will be clear. Yellow meant a blonde color.

[Tar-Elendil]

lol Khamûl...

[azalea]

I thought Dwalin was an older dwarf, hence he would have grey hair, a blue shade of grey.

[Elf Girl]

Wasn't Balin the really old one? It said he had a white beard...

[Finrod Felagund]

Maybe Tolkien just didn't mention the fact that Dwarves were the inventors of hair dye.
After all he did say that a hobbit invented Golf by knocking a goblin's head into a rabbit hole.

[Agburanar]

Did they have stupid names too? Oakenshield Silver and Goblin-brain pink?

[Radagast The Brown]

Wasn't Balin the really old one? It said he had a white beard...

I always thought that Thorin in the oldest dwarf there and that Balin is after him...:confused:

[Elf Girl]

Indeed, I agree, but I was speaking of Balin and Dwalin.

[Radagast The Brown]

Oh. ok. didn't pay attention.