From: mr@sandman.net   
      
   In article , Michael F. Stemper wrote:   
      
   > > > > Michael F. Stemper:   
   > > > > We know that Sauron made orcs by somehow   
   > > > > twisting and perverting some elves. After that, were they   
   > > > > self-propagating? I.e., were there female orcs -- down in Nurn   
   > > > > maybe, or out in Rhûn?   
   > > >   
   > > > > I'll admit that JRRT doesn't explicitly state the genders of   
   > > > > the orcs that we see up close and personal in tLotR, but   
   > > > > Gorbag and Snaga always struck me as male.   
   > > >   
   > > > Bill O'Meally:   
   > > > IDHTBIFOM, but I recall in one of the _Letters_ that Tolkien   
   > > > states that orcs breed sexually just like any Man, Elf, Dwarf,   
   > > > etc.   
   > >   
   > > Sandman:   
   > > Silmarillion chapter 3:   
   >   
   > > "For the Orcs had life and multiplied after the manner of the   
   > > Children of Iluvatar"   
   >   
   > Thanks for that. With the chapter, I was able to find it. I also   
   > discovered that what I claimed "we know" is wrong. It wasn't Sauron,   
   > it was the Emperor^W Melkor.   
      
   Well, the source of the Orcs is pretty debated, and it's unsure what Tolkien's   
   last thought was, and the Silmarillion can't be taken at face value when it   
   comes   
   to that, since Tolkien himself also said that "evil" can not create life.   
      
   And some texts do mention that Sauron was involved, so...   
      
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