tolkiens legendarium - What inspired Tauriel's story arc?

I know Tauriel is a Jackson created character, but I wondered if anywhere in the legendarium there was fodder for the story arc between her and Kili. I do not have access to all my books for the time being and recall stories of love between men and elves in the Silmarillion and Appendices but don't remember any such stories between elves and dwarves and wondered if there was any basis of inspiration for this aspect of their relationship within Tolkien's works.

This movie, of course, departs even further from the original than those made before it, but as a story unto itself, I can still appreciate the ride, so if there is no Tolkien basis, what inspired Jackson, Boyens, and Walsh to create this particular arc? Is there interview info or anything?

Answer

This hasn't happened anywhere in Tolkien. There have been occurrances of closer than usual friendship between Dwarves and Elves, such as:

• The original building of Menegroth,


• The friendship between Eol and the Dwarves of the Blue Mountains,


• The friendship between Eregion and Khazad-dum,

...but nothing beyond friendship.

While Tolkien does present Elves and Men as biologically the same species in his commentary on the Athrabeth Finrod Ah Andreth (HoME 10), Dwarves have a separate origin, being made by Aule and being based on an unclear understanding of the forms of the Children which was not amended when Iluvatar accepted his design (Silmarillion chapter 2), so it may be assumed that they are biologically a different species. Dwarf/Elf cross-breeding would be absurd if so. This also goes for Dwarf/human relations.

There is one definitely non-canon possible source, which is the Umli depicted in the old Middle-earth Roleplaying game, but these have absolutely no authority in Tolkien's writings and are purely an invention of Iron Crown Enterprises.

Otherwise I'm not aware of any other sources for this. Perhaps the DVD commentary, when it's released, will reveal more.