Balin

Eng Pronunciation: BAY-lin

The name is of uncertain origin or meaning, it appears in Arthurian legend as the name of one of King Arthur’s knights, recorded by Thomas Malory in Le Mort d’Arthur, Sir Balin of the 2 swords is the well-meaning but ill-fated knight who ends up unwittingly engaging in a sword fight with his own brother Balan.

Other forms include:

• Balain, Balaain (French)

The name was also used by J.R.R. Tolkien in The Hobbit for one his dwarves.

Balin or Valin is also the name of a monkey king in the Hindu epic, the Ramayana, in this case, the name is derived from the Sanskrit बलिन् (mighty; robust; strong).

Sources

• https://d.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/theme/balin-and-balan
• https://www.britannica.com/topic/Valin
• https://spokensanskrit.org/