Why are dwarves almost always scottish?

That hasn’t been my experience particularly..

Most dwarfs are German but they are so short you must have overlooked them.

Are leprechauns and dwarves related?

@flutherother You weren’t a dwarf!

@janbb And I still amn’t.

They’re Irish. Ypu know, rhere is a difference between Ireland and Scotland, Mr. President.

I think the voice patterns are fashioned after Irish leprechauns, if they have a accent.

@flutherother is right in that Dwarves are German (in the folklore of their origin). There are Nordic dwarves as well. In The Lord of the Rings movies, their red-haired Viking look was prominent—they probably are a little Scottish but mostly Viking-like.

I consider J.R.R. Tolkien to have the most credulous fantasy realms and history. The dwarves in The Lord of the Rings had kind of a Viking and Freemasonry overtones.

Lepechauns are Irish—they are small like dwarves and hord gold, and both have red hair, and are always depicted as male as are dwarves. but leprechauns are solitary beings (dwarves hang out in groups or clans)—leprechauns are far more trickster-like and whimsical (dwarves are somewhat somber and cynical) Leprechauns also have magical powers—dwarves seem to have magical abilities involving their craft but don’t go around flaunting their magical abilities.

Is it because they like to belittle people?

^^^^ twit!!

Who says they’re Scottish?

It’s an (annoying, to me) trope from some fantasy games. There are many threads on the Internet where people have tried to figure out where it came from. From having dipped into several of them in the past and a few just now, I think it may have been started by Warcraft II (computer game) and/or Warhammer (miniatures game and RPG), and from there made it into later editions of D&D and the above-mentioned games, and others.

In any case, the real (well… ok, my) answer is: they don’t almost always, or even often, speak in Scottish accents, except in certain not-so-great games that have been copying that aspect from each other for a while.

@Dutchess_lll ”^^^^ twit!!”

T’wit, how so?

Uf you are referring to online games, which I know nothing about, well, a Scottish accent goes with Dwarves as tough, hearty, sturdy people—believing in frugality and hard work.

Really, the Scottish way of cladding themselves in tartans, kilts, all the heavy garb and jewelry, the beards and red hair—suits the stocky and practical nature of dwarves. The two definitely go together somehow, even if dwarves are from the German highlands and something more like Brownies and hobgoblins and things similar to Leprechauns would normally be from the Scots.

Halflings and Hobbits, however, are always British.

Because that was a turruble pun @ Pinguidchance! I loved it but it was turrible!