How Did Hobbits Come to Be? Middle-earth Explained
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- Опубліковано 16 вер 2024
- While the origins of many kindreds in Middle-earth are known, the beginning of the Hobbits is quite a mystery. Within this video I explore my thoughts about their origin in Tolkien’s works! Thank you all so much for watching, let me know your thoughts about how the Hobbits came to be in the comments below! As always, a great thanks to the online artists whose visual works made this video possible! If you are one of the artists, please let me know and I will post your name and a link to your work in this description!
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I have seen some very interesting theories here! Great thinking everyone! I do like the theory that Hobbits were made as foils for Sauron. They were people that he would underestimate, and they were his greatest downfall. I love that!
Maybe when the Entwives disappeared they helped hide the ancestors of the Hobbits until they were strong enough to go out on their own. Treebeard said that the Entwives loved gardens, vegetables, small farms, things that the Hobbits loved.
It seems a possibility. We are told that men honored the Entwives and were eager to learn their crafts. Perhaps the ancestors of the Hobbits dwelt among them for a time and this led to their split from men. The Hobbits did seem to come from the general area, the Vale of the Anduin and south of Mirkwood.
This is a very sweet idea. Maybe Entwives missed their Entlings, and sort of considered Hobbits as their surrogate children.
Ainur: "Alright sir, we have made men. They're not as durable as the Elves or Dwarves but much nobler than the latter and less insufferable than the former. Now for our next project-"
Eru: "Make them again but half the size."
Ainur: "Don't see the purpose of that but ok..."
Eru: "And make them more long lived just for the hell of it."
Ainur: "I live to serve."
Eru: "And make them complete isolationists."
Ainur: "As you wish...But what skills should-"
Eru: "They farm weed."
Ainur: "....Pardon?"
Eru: "Weed. Dodgy looks at foreigners and weed. That's all these folk should be known for."
Ainur: "I...Well so long as that's the last crazy aspec-"
Eru: "They live in the ground."
Ainur: "Ok, now you're just fucking with me."
Eru: "Oh come on, I haven't even gotten to the hairy feet yet!"
Ainur: "Well, so long as they're an obscure, never seen people-"
Eru: "They save the world."
Ainur: "And I quit."
King Edward "Longshanks" I, Hammer of the Scots, Lord of Wales and King of England okay, its official, I’m making this part of my official head canon.
...and then he went on to design the platypus, the armadillo, the venus flytrap, and the flounder. By the end, the Ainur were just stitching together whatever spare parts they had left laying around, making blind cave fish, naked mole rats, and legless lizards, as they increasingly ran out of any complete sets of anything.
Hobbits aren't more long lived than humans, they're about equal.
*Melkor drops mic*
King Edward "Longshanks" I, Hammer of the Scots, Lord of Wales and King of England
check out Real Crusades History there is some great info on Long Shanks
that is fascinating, I'm am only 4.11 and have a t shirt that says
"I'm not short,
I'm a Hobbit
4'11" is probably a little taller than the mighty hobbit warrior Bullroarer Took, who killed the goblin chieftain Golfimbul at the Battle of Greenfields, and thus invented the game of golf.
You must have drunk the ent draught!
i just wanna know if you have fuzzy feet?
Im only 3.11 and have a t shirt that says " Watch where your stepping, the top of my head is sensitive"
Another shirt sais, " Im going curb climbing today"
PipsKay but also, how can you be sure?
I agree that Hobbits are an offshoot of the race of Men.
The key point for me is that the ancestors of the Rohirrim called the Halflings ‘the hole dwellers’.
Now, why would Men want to live in holes?
To hide from Orcs. These were peaceful Men who were not warriors and who did not use horses.
And when did this start?
During the First Age, when Morgoth dominated the lands east of the Misty Mountains.
Where were these holes?
On riverbanks. The ancestors of the hobbits fished on the river by day and hid in their holes by night.
Were they safe from Orcs in these holes?
Yes, to some extent, because the Orcs did not use boats, and the hole entrances were carefully concealed.
How long did they live in these holes?
For about 5,000 years. Long enough for their bodies to become changed from those of other Men. They became much smaller and shorter, but their feet stayed large as they used them to swim and walk in marshland.
How did this great biological change happen to them in so short a time?
Through a deadly process of natural selection. The largest and tallest of them were always the most likely to be caught and killed by Orcs, and the smallest and shortest of them were always the most likely to survive.
Conclusion:
Morgoth was indirectly responsible for creating the race of Hobbits, who were eventually to become Sauron’s doom, in the form of Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee. Ironic.
Tim Smith absolutely love this comment
This is my headcanon now.
Tim, I thought your answer was excellent. I especially liked how you rounded it out by making Morgoth's mischief responsible for his heir's downfall. Even though this was almost certainly not in Tolkien's mind when he created hobbits, it doesn't impair it as an explanation.
Well this is brilliant.
This is honestly a very perfect idea of how it would happen also the people who would have been burrowed into the bank's would have been smaller people in the beginning they would have been less able to protect themselves Etc those who could battle who were swordsman Knights etcetera they would have gone out and fought or moved their families away but how many of us have watched movies of the refugees as they tried to get away or those trapped Behind Enemy Lines living day-to-day starving hiding just trying to make it till the war is over? This would be an answer. That Sauron would be brought down by that which morgoth inadvertently created he's in that usually what happens with evil it eventually is brought down by what it inadvertently created those who supported Stalin were killed by Lennon and his followers and so on until eventually they created so much hate in the people themselves that when they said well we'll just open the gate at the wall everyone thought they meant that the whole wall was coming down and they tore it down for them without permission and what were they going to do take the machine guns and shoot down hundreds of thousands of people in the middle of a party? As we see today China may be brought down inadvertently by what it created not the virus that's not what I'm talking about but by the freedom it sought to purchase loyalty with. There comes a Tipping Point. And then there comes a point when countries have too much freedom and they have to learn the hard way by losing it that they should have never let it go and we may see that in the US we don't learn from our mistakes very well as men and the time of elves and loving helpful great seers and revelators like Gandalf has become very few and far between. I sincerely believe that Tolkien took the history of mankind and simply wrote it into an easier understanding and for those who want to believe the Sumerian Tablets the judeo-christian Bible d ancient writings and mythology of all the different races on the worth of true instead of just fairy tales I sincerely believe he came across a lot more information and was able to put it down carefully. Look at what we're finding out man has been on this Earth lat long ever wanted to believe
Have the grace of elves and their ears, the size of dwarves and similar tastes, and the ideals of men...
They seem to be the amalgamation of the best of each without the overcompensating strengths of any.
Shorter than dwarves
Oooh. I like that!
They have nothing in common with dwarves other then there size
@@danielsmith225 they like to drink, and smoke, and eat. Dwarves and hobbits both enjoy simple pleasures.
They’re quite a bit smaller than dwarves. They do share a love of food however, like the beginning of the hobbit movie party shows, hobbits savour their food. They’re more coniseurs. Dwarves are giant slobs.
What is also interesting is Sauron, even after 1000's of years in middle-earth, didn't know about Hobbits, until Smeagol; nor did the Ring-wraiths (Kings of Numenor)
To your point, Tolkien in LOTR has always based so much of his stories on history and tradition. Aragorn was meant to be the King because of his families history. The history of Kingdoms, Races, and the like have formed the basis for the glory of Middle Earth. Then you have the Hobbits, who have no honor or noble history whatsoever. They are considered small, insignificant, harmless, yet they are the ones who are the heroes in the end. Its the primary theme of Tolkien's work, hidden within the enormously complex history and world building of middle earth, that the little humble guy can be the one who changes the world. The little guy defeated the great devil.
1 Corinthians 1:27 "But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;
"
"Hey, over there, is that a Hobbit?"
"No, that's just a hobo and a rabbit... but they're making a hobbit."
Futurama. Heh-Heh.
LMAO 😂
I just want to thank you for putting so much thought and research in your videos. Keep up the amazing work.
I thought this might have some connection with Tom Bombadil, seeing as the hobbits generally also prefer living a simple life, but have a great strength of will.
Hobbits always seemed to me a melding of aspects of the three races; Human, Elvish and Dwarven.
Another oddity is the passive and reclusive demeanor of Hobbits. They are unlike the other three races. Additionally the Hobbits are significantly smaller than the other three races. Both probably some kind of genetic "disorder" or feature. In animal breeding, demeanor is very much a part of genetic makeup. On second thought: the reclusive and passive demeanor of Hobbits may be a survival mechanism response to their smaller size. Basically; don't play the big boy games of the other races because you cannot attempt to compete and expect to survive.
@@stevelux9854 I don't think Hobbits were so much passive, as content. They would fight. They would scheme. They would seek power and influence. They were capable of scholarship and could be immensely inquisitive. Curious as cats at times, and just as troublesome. They were capable of greed and seeking of over-wealth. They were quite capable of being assertive within their own community, and of defending themselves when attacked from within or without.
When I say they were content I mean that they were content with their place as one of the ME races. They were content with their homeland. They rarely went beyond it. They were not expansionist. They did not seek foreign adventure and influence as a people, and only rarely as individuals.
The biology phrase you're looking for is "island dwarfism" or "insular dwarfism" which occurs in small, isolated ecosystems like islands, mountaintops, remote steep-walled valleys, etc. This has occurred with humanoids in earth's history a few times, such as Homo floresiensis, resulting in hobbit-sized humans.
(At one point on Crete, the elephants living there were only about the size of a pony.)
If a group of early men found themselves living in some secret valleys among the northern mountain streams for even a couple thousand years before moving south along the Anduin Valley, they could have easily had time to adapt down to the 3 to 4 foot height range typical of hobbits, as well as develop their own distinctive "kinds" depending on elevation, closeness to water, etc, that you see reflected in later hobbit clans.
Since in the first age you had Melkor's monsters running amok all over the north, the future hobbits may have taken refuge in such limited habitats in the north when it was too dangerous to be out in the open along the riverbanks. They would have learned to dig into the stream banks and valley walls for camouflage and security against larger creatures. The headwater valleys of the Langwell and/or Greylin rivers coming out of the Ered Mithrin would be good candidates.
There you go, perfectly scientific and well within your timeline and geographical range.
Homo Florensies are literally real world hobbit like hominids downright to the hairy and oversized feet with leathery soles that made footwear unnecessary. To think that in ancient times we shared this planet with many other hominids and at times coexisted Lord Of The Rings style is absolutely fascinating. I think Tolkien not only wanted to create an awesome lore but also stimulate people to reconnect with their long lost ancient past which with every discovery is becoming as fantastic as any tale.😍
I have another theory, that the Dwarves were actually Neanderthals, they were hairy, smaller than humans and lived in caves thus all the idea of "underground kingdoms".
@@fenrirdarkfangs
I'm not sure if they were really all that shorter but they were more sturdy for sure and did prefer caves.
Now all that anthropologists need to find is a hominid resembling elves.😎😋😎
Starting with a smaller breeding population will also help create the new species quicker
Crete ? The island on Greece ?
at work there was a sign on a door that said: Food Bagging. i altered that sign to say, Frodo Baggins. :)
I heard a theory that hobbits (at least the harfoots) are somehow related to the Haradrim or other Men of the south, as people like Sam knew what a Mumakil was despite living all the way up in the Shire.
ToddTheTolerable That is very interesting, and it is surely possible! In my research, I saw that the men of Rhovanion, when they stayed behind and did not go to Beleriand, warred with the men of the East. Perhaps this is when the ancestors of the Hobbits learned of the Oliphaunts!
I remember to read the same somewhere... Some from the Haradrim, some from the Rohirrim (they lived nearby and used words derived from rohirrim language)...
@@faustomadebr Yeah I believe the Harfoots (darker-skinned and most numerous of hobbits) may have originated around there.
@@MenoftheWest Perhaps in Tolkien's works an elephant is just a Halfling-Mumakil :)
I never heard about such version of origins of hobbits. I did hear only that that Sam knew about mumakils - but didnt knew the real name of them! only the hobbit version of the name - oliphants - was becouse sometimes some of the more adventurous hobbits traveled south centuries ago and they left the stories told tru generations. If hobbits were related to some humans tribes they were mostly related to such tribes as northern tribes, the tribes of Rhovanion. Rohan tribe originaly was from Rhovanion - the lands around Mirkwood. Becouse the old language of hobbits (which was mostly forgotten at the time of the War of the Ring) was very similar to the language of Rohan and this similarity occured to one of the 4 hobbits - it was Merry if I m not mistaken. So yes, they were related to humans in their origins but not to southern tribes.
Do you know how the Hobbits first came into being?
They were men once. Taken by the hills of the Shire. Shortened and fur footed. A resilient and fascinating form of life.
Whom do they serve?
Second breakfaassst.
Underrated comment❤❤❤❤
@@user-jh9nx6tl1nLmao💀💀💀
Also, I love that each video ends with some sort of derived meaning or message. Wonderful!
I have soft spot for the Hobbits. There's something so humble, courageus, loyal and can bring BIG changes. (Badam tuss) Sure, they may not have vast kingdoms, tall height, slaying dragons nor magic powers. And that's what make them so endearing. They feel relatable and real to us. We love the Hobbits! 💙👑
Maria Paz G. Lesme That’s Tolkien’s reason for Hobbits. Hobbits are the common person.
@@Oldkingcole1125 Yet so many more of the common person has been sent to a massive mound of doom (mount doom), in lands of murder (morder), than a hand full of representatives, to cast back the ring of control/power, from its forge source, its birth, the heat at the very depths doom and murder.
Small town folk. Very simple and kind. But nosey!
I always imagined that during the time of the music of the Valar, Aule got glimpses of Hobbits from the themes of the music and this inspired his creation of the dwarves.
This is super freaking cute actually. i kinda feel that the hobbits are an amalgamation of men, elves, and dwarves. Not in a lore type of way, but in a thematic way. Short and live in the Earth like dwarves, pointy ears and love nature like elves, and pass from Arda like men.
@@heliopolitan444 Your point hit the nail on the head. I too believe the are a little of all three races. Although there is one aspect not mentioned their feet are generally the same size as men.
Had the same thought that they were created by Ainur as were men and dwarfs, but Aule seems a misfit for creating hobbits as he created dwarves and was rebuked by Manwe for jumping the starting gun, so to speak. However I cannot think of another Ainur who would have been a good fit, Yavanna??, I thought she was only into growing things of nature, trees, flowers ect.. Manwe is a possibility, would explain their resistance to evil and poisons and exceeding all other races in the virtues of love of family, nature and peace.
That's because in the last days of the Third Age, they had big shoes to fill ;-)
@@rhettkennedy3507 ...d...did you just
I have nothing to base this on from Tolkien writings, but, a random thought on their origin:
Hobbits are the distant descendants of Tom Bombadil and Goldberry.
Sometime in the deep past Tom and Goldberry had children. These offspring then flourished for generations with each generation losing some connection with the overt natural power/magic of Tom and Goldberry, but still retaining some traits. Specifically the fairy-ish similarities. The almost preternatural ability to move quietly. The love and cultivation of flora and fauna. The strong grounding and connection with the environment they live in. The reluctance to expand their realm and venture out into the wider world. The ears. The oddly furry and always bare feet.
Hobbits sometimes are seen as an amalgamation of the distinct forms of the other races. Tom and Goldberry are generally portrayed as being distinctly different in appearance. Tom is portrayed as a general bearded woodsman human/dwarf/gnome. While Goldberry is of a more ethereal, elemental, nature fairie/nymph appearance. Tom is generally shown as noticeably shorter than Goldberry. A blending of these distinct forms could perhaps result, over generations, in the appearance of Hobbits.
Tom was famously unaffected by the One Ring. Hobbits are established as being of surprisingly resilient spirit in general and notably resistant to the corrupting power of the One Ring. Resistant significantly beyond any of the more overtly powerful races of Middle Earth.
Perhaps Tom and Goldberry even lived nearby in the region to keep an eye on their descendants. To enjoy observing them, and to provide protection if ever should be needed.
A a narrative device, I feel Tolkien created the Hobbits & the Shire as an analogue of what could ostensibly be a typical rural English community, so that the huge events of LOTR could be viewed through this lens and make them more relatable to his target audience.
In terms of the Middle-Earth mythos, I did at one point think that he may have included Mîm the "Petty Dwarf" in the tales that were published as The Silmarillion as an (abandoned) attempt to show the roots of the Halflings in the Elder days.
I think you have the truth of it - they are more likely an offshoot of the middle-men.
Which would explain the similarities between the Hobbit (modern English) terminology and the older Rohirric (Old English) words.
@@adventussaxonum448
He made Gothic/Germanic names like Fredegar fairly common among hobbits to reinforce the connection.
Nicely said.
That and I believe you might find that 'middle earth' used to be a reference to England. Been a while since I saw where I found that.. so don't recollect a source.
@@parrotshootist3004 maybe check again and find out why you might be wrong about that🤭😜
Informative and thoughtful, as ever. I would only add that the Legendarium makes it clear that exceptional Hobbits occasionally arose, even well before Bilbo's time, and were noted by Gandalf. He, of all the Wise, seems to have appreciated and carefully nurtured that potential for a long time. Perhaps his insight as a Maia warned him that even his own struggle against Sauron would one day need such help...
Wow, your knowledge of the Tolkien legendarium just blows me away! Watching your videos always gives me a boost, I love them! Thankyou for your hard work. If I may make a request -would just love to see a Beorn epic character history! ❤
I always saw them as the saplings of the Entwives... lots of similarities plus the effect of the Entish draught...
Hobbits are what I aspire to be in the lens of the human spirit. My favorite race next to the elves. Thanks for another great video
Then Josh must work on his appetite!
So you aspire to become a xenophobic isolationist who will rob his neighbours the moment he has the chance to do it?
The images of the Shire in the movies really made me think, I would love to be there! But that's not me. Hobbits are so social and always trying to know each others business. Good natured people but also a bit nosy. I prefer to be an elf. Eventhough I'm still relatively young, I feel that there is not much left to learn on life and living. I have stopped caring about many everyday. I feel 'done' and ready to move on to a slower pace, to regard the world from a distance and oversee the tapestry of life and learn more about the spiritual and aesthetics, philosophy and art. Sort of like a 'zen' type of thing. But every know and then, one has to mingle and go down to the Green Dragon for some crispy chips, roast chicken and a whole half pint of ale and a good conversation.
@MrGuvnah oh really? Then please Tell me, what were Bilbo's neighbors doing the moment they believed he was dead and when he returned?
@@inotaishu1 having an auction started by less than reputable next of kin. In the way the remind me of the pettiness of the English and American country folk
I love the lessons you draw from the peoples that we can build on in the real world. The hobbits could not remember their ancestry, and yet they became so influential due to their love of friends and peace and beauty.
I like to believe that the hobbits could've been originated as some what of enigmas of Tolkien's works. It's not to say that they do exist without any reasons, but I would like to imagine they would likely had forgotten about who their ancestors were and how they could've found out about them.
I love this guy, he is one of the main reasons why I got into the amazing work of J.R.R. Tolkien, I'm on the last few pages of The Hobbit right now!
And I love his voice too, it's just so calm and soothing. Thank you for the amazing videos!
First off, you are a fantastic dancer, a true blessing to behold. Those lucky enough to even catch a glimpse of you on the dance floor are truly blessed and covet that sight until their last days. My heart dances within my chest when each video is posted, pounding and jumping as if trying to break out and find you. You break my heart Yoystan, you break it with love. I love you so much, and I know you’ll always be my dancing partner, my partner on the dance floor of life
Thank you! This was a particularly fascinating subject to me.
Another great Sunday evening.
I like to think that Hobbits were a secret hybrid, made to be specifically to be able to resist evil and assist in the battle against Melkor and Sauron. They had a little Elvish blood, were part Dwarf, part Man, and the final part : Hedgehog. It might seem silly, but that would explain their appearance, personality, lifespan, and skill sets.
Watched Fellowship and have a few questions. 1) Why couldn't a handful of stealthy elves take the ring? Are they really more susceptible to its evil than hobbits? 2) Why do the goblins/orcs/etc fight for Sauron? Are they expecting some prize at the end? 3) Sauron is seen mostly wearing a gawdy black suit of armor that's MetalAF. Why is the ring a simple band of yellow gold? 4) Does the ring have to be worn on a finger to work effectively? Could it be worn on a toe or some other appendage?
Great to see a well-researched video on this! Thank you for the time you put into it :) Tolkien's universe is ridiculously detailed!
Another quality video! Thank you, Sir!
If I remember correctly, there's a forest in Middle Earth that in the ancient times people could visit and meet a spirit (Maia?) that would often aid them. My guess would be that a small group of Men went in seeking shelter, and met with this spirit and asked to be hidden, strong, and prosperous; all those attributes can be seen in Hobbits.
As others have stated, evolution is outside of Tolkien theorem. Throughout all of Middle Earth history the races become weaker, not stronger without divine intervention.
RATTLE ME SPOONS Lol I agree, but I’m not tryna start pointless internet drama out here 😝
I always suspected that Hobbits were a cross breeding of Men, Elves, and Dwarves. I think this because each of the three strains of Hobbits has an affinity for one of those three races. The hole builders tend to be like Dwarves in their tunneling in the earth. There are the house dwellers who are most like men, and the forest dwellers who are most like elves. It is possible that those dwarves who were exiled from the 7 houses of the dwarves met men and bred with them making a half dwarf/human and some of those could have met some forest elves and again cross bred with them and some half elves/humans. Hobbits hold within them the best of the three races of Elf, Dwarf and Men.
I am not sure i agree with the cross breeding but it is true that the three ancestral strains of hobbits did each seem to have an affinity towards one of the other races
I was thinking the same. It also helps that northern Rhovanion Is a region where Elves, Dwarfs and Men live quite close to each other. The only problem I see is, in the legendarium there are many stories of Elves and Men falling in love and having children, and absolutely zero stories of Men/Dwarfs or Elves/Dwarfs doing that (at least to my knowledge). It is explicitly pointed out that Dwarfs keep to themselves and have an old grudge with the Elves (well over an age before we see get even a whiff of Hobbites), and lest we forget the scarcity of dwarven women (which is why Men believe that Dwarfs are men only). Still it's nice to think that the race that saved the world might have combined the character of the three most prominent races of the Free Peoples of Middle Earth.
Plus they have the pointy ears from elves, hight of darwes (maybe smaller), and the lifespan of man.
@@Peroman200 Since dwarves were created separately from men and elves... it is conceivable that they are genetically incompatible. The evidence you mention would seem to support that.
What about the petty-dwarves?
Thank you for making this. I've always wanted to know more about hobbits and their history. Great video.
Another great video, however, what about the Druedain/Woses? They're under 5' tall as well and lived in proximity of both the Edain and Rohirrim.
Thanks so much for making this vid Yoystan!!!😊 Like always, you put in so much effort into every videos you make for this content, I love it!!!!❤❤❤❤❤
I had a dream once about the origins of the Hobbits, although i can only remember the broad outline . The Hobbits were created as the result of a legal contest between some of the Valar. Eru himself was involved in this trail. To determine a ruling a simple defence of words weren't good enough (since Valar are so intelligent and talented, they can fool even their own...think Manwe & Melkor). It was determined that the specific Valar's character and personality traits in question had to be isolated and imputed into a life-form to see how they would react in the real world over a long period. The lives of these beings, their very civilisation would be the defence or condemnation of that Valar at the end of a age. Since their lives would have only a limited purpose on Arda (being a elements of a "court case"), Eru determined that they will have a full purpose in the Second Song.
That’s a really interesting and unique take!
One Hobbit in history gave me inspiration for a Basic D&D character. Old Bullroarer Took. The DM allowed me when I created him, to let him be a little taller than most halflings, though not as tall as Bullroarer(he only stood about a head taller). During his adventures he aquired both a Belt of Giant Strength, and Gauntlets of Ogre Power. His weapon of choice was a mace. He didn't stop an Orc Invasion, but eventually became one of the Sheriffs of the Five Shires. To this day, I like playing halflings in RPGs.
Thank you for another wonderful video it helps me get the pain off my mind with my chronic back pain🤗
I always liked the idea that Hobbits were of enigmatic origins. Rather like Tom Bombadil. This was my narrative for then in my "The One Ring" game. Nobody knows who they were or where they came from. Just like the druids of old. :P
As a matter of fact, I think it went something a little like this.
Iiluvatar: Ok, got's my Elves, got's my Men. Aulë's kids are behaving themselves. All looks good across all of Arda and....wait...what the bleep is that!
Manwë: Uh, looks like a bunch of little people.
Iiluvatar: Aulë!
Aulë: Hey, don't pin this on me! My short people are over there.
Iiluvatar:: Ok, uhm, Yavanna. You have anything to do with this?
Yavanna: tisk Ya, right, as if.
Iiluvatar: Well, that lack of shoes made me think...you know what. Never mind. Are they messing with my stuff?
Manwë: No. Seem to be keeping to themselves.
Iiluvatar: Fine. Let's ignore them then. Maybe they can find their own way. If nothing else they will make a cute distraction.
Many eras later, Hobbits save the world.
Iiluvatar: ............huh!
But with more flowery language I imagine.
A very well considered explanation, and ends with a lovely take-home message, as always.
I thought Bilbo was part fairy (see citation below).If it happened once, it likely that it happened before. Couldn’t that also explain what and why they are different from the other races of men. Think about this way, Aragorn who was part elf a took an elf as a bride, something like that appears in Tolkien writings in other places. That would also explain why Smigel, Bilbo, Frodo, and Sam Wise all had a resistances to the “one ring”. Hobbits had to have some connect to the earliest magic, so fairies were most likely related to elf’s. In my thoughts the Took family had a more recent content to them. I think you are right on which races of men it was, I just think that races of men lived closely with a group of Fairies who were most likely some type of Elf’s. Just my thoughts on it, so there is likely something I might have missed.
(It was often said (in other families) that long ago one of the Took ancestors must have taken a fairy wife. That was, of course, absurd, but certainly there was still something not entirely hobbit-like about them, and once in a while members of the Took-clan would go and have adventures.Tolkien, J.R.R. (2009-04-17). The Hobbit (Kindle Locations 114-116). Harper Collins, Inc.. Kindle Edition.)
A normal elf, not a fairy. Fairies haven't been mentioned. And it might be that the hobbits did know of their elven ancestors, but it became distorted into fairies.
For some reason I thought Yavanna had something to do with it from a book I read but maybe I hallucinated that
I'm not sure about Hobbits, but Yavanna was mostly responsible for the creation of the Ents.
There were Hobbit settlements in Enedwaith, even as late as the third age. So perhaps, instead of going west over the Misty Mountains, they just went around the southern end and then north to the Shire?
Ever since first reading "The Hobbit" as a child back in the early 1970's, I've always wondered why the principal character has absolutely no historical background to explain their origins in a mythos where the history of Elves, Men and Dwarves are so detailed in their chronology.
Thanks for another wonderfully crafted video. I hope to see more.
I enjoyed listening to your videos, thank you for producing them!
Great Video this really helpful for my school novel studies
One of the most interesting topics discussed on this channel. I really have no idea, other than an assumption they are close relatives to men. What I adore about the hobbits is how small and “insignificant” they are and yet they end up playing the most crucial role in the world’s events between powers that had no idea they were even there nor interested in them. I love how simple but pure and profound they are. Of all the numerous stories Tolkien wrote LotR is the most significant exactly because of them. Ages and ions of history told before those events and then they enter the stage sort of in the last minute and make all the difference.
What’s more amazing is they found little skeletal remains IN NEW ZEALAND of some extinct little race that they’ve named the hobbit. Those people were normal well functioning intelligent species only small and I love to think those were the real hobbits. This story is just too amazing! Tolkien was a real wizard, he tapped into nature and wrote about the truth.💗
I'd like to think Hobbits were a Valentine's Day gift from Aulë to Yavanna. Their stature resemble dwarves because that's the only kind of physical frame he knows how to make. But instead endowing them with love of mining and smithcraft, he asked his wife to bless them with a love of gardens and nature.
I do love your story telling dear one. Plus how you apply a moral to be applicable to the tale. Thank you!!
I always assumed the hobbits were a hybrid of dwarves and men. Basically towards the end of the second age dwarf and human refugees fleeing Sauron's conquest coalescing into a community. then over time, they intermingled and interbred into the hobbits. A sturdy folk that resists corruption, lives underground, and enjoys the simple pleasures of man.
My theory is that Tom Bombadil is an Ainur who was sent to Middle Earth (Goldberry seems to be a Maia of Ulmo) apart from the Valar to create a race of the children of Iluvatar capable of defeating Sauron by destroying the one ring. Given his proximity to the Hobbits and intrinsic power of character great enough to not be affected by the ring, this seems to be a viable explanation. He created them to be hardy, but not powerful enough to be used by the ring. Despite their weakness compared to the rest of the children of Iluvatar, they had a few peculiar strengths: they were gifted at hiding, they preferred peace and quiet, and only sought good food and a simple life. They were still corruptible, but not easily, and they were more apt to hide the ring instead of flout it. They seemed particularly made for finding it, keeping it away from Sauron, and ultimately destroying it.
Smegol's people were not descended from Hobbits who remained in Rhovanion, but from a group who broke away from their kindred after crossing the mountains and headed east again, settling in the Gladden Fields. They had adopted the Common Speech while in Eriador, and brought it back to Rhovanion with them, explaining why Bilbo and Gollum were able to communicate in the same language.
*In Saruman's voice:* "Do you know how the hobbits first came to be?
I have always thought that Hobbits were an analogy for the common folk of Britain.
Maybe this won't make any sense but here's something I've gathered:
In "The Hobbit," Bilbo tells the Dwarves about Were-worms that live in the "Last Desert." And in "The Two Towers," or at least in the Spanish translation, King Theoden tells Merry & Pippin that all he knows about Hobbits is that they are people that live "in caves in the dunes of sand." I don't know what is the quote English, but here's what I think: dunes are found all over the desert, which according to Bilbo, is where you can find Were-worms. Now, in the PJ movies, Were-worms dig the tunnels through which the Orcs come, but in the books, they're only mentioned by Bilbo Baggins and are apparently a beast of Hobbit folklore. My assumption is that the ancestors of the Hobbits, whom were most likely Men (humans), lived in a dangerous desert filled with these great beasts. Afraid, they seeked shelter in the caves in the dunes, and living in these small spaces resulted in evolution (or adaptation, idk which one applies here) that changed the humans into Hobbits. Eventually they moved west, where they would finally start meeting the other peoples of Arda.
However, the dunes Theoden talks about could just as easily be dunes in the shores of rivers, most precisely the river Anduin. Also, this line is from the Spanish translation of "The Two Towers." And while I don't really have any explanations for how Hobbits came to be other than the one I already presented, I personally like the idea of divine intervention from the Valar the most, and that caused their ancestors to evolve into the Hobbits we all know and love.
(... another possibility is that maybe the "Last Desert" is Hildórien and the Were-worms were beasts Morgoth sent forth to destroy the Men when they wouldn't listen to him.)
I always imagined that the hobbits are the product of mixed marriages between men and dwarves and even elves. The different "types" of hobbits seem to indicate that some hobbit families have more human traights like baggins' innate adventurousness, some more elvish as in the brandybucks love of water, and some more dwarvish like proudfoot stubbornness.
My aunt, sister, and me all want to live in a Hobbit hole. They just look so cozy!
I should add that I agree with Josh Bosh.
And also that in my default imagination through the works, I always imagined Hobbits as well as their origins to be as unique and untraceable as Tom Bombadil.
Not to say that I had imagined them to be related directly to Tom Bombadil but to have that kind of Mystery as a people.
I like theory in this video.
My theory is that they were created by Nessa, given that they are seen as the least powerfull among the races of Middle-Earth, they seem to enjoy dancing/partying, they are very good at sneaking/ not being detected (like deer) and their general demeanor. Them being created by Nessa would also explain why the servants of Melkor/Morgoth underestimate them, since they were created by the least among the Valar.
The Hobbits and the Druedain remind me of the San, the bushmen of the Kalahari. These are hardy people who live in one of the earth's most inhospitable areas, are isolated, short of stature, and can disappear even on the flat terrain of the veldt, if they do not wish to be found. I suppose the San are more like the Druedain, but what if the Hobbits are actually related to the Druedain?
“Hope you are doing well wherever you are in Middle-Earth”
Yo I’m in Los Angeles avoiding that stupid Carona Virus. Ain’t that some shit
another great vid idea love it
I wonder if Tom Bombadil had a hand in the Hobbits' evolution.. He did, after all, live on the borders of the Shire, and he loved nature and song. Tom also was kind and didn't really care much about events going on in the world outside of his realm -- similar to Hobbits.
I always wondered if Yavanna might not have had a hand in it. She worried that the coming of men would be bad for her natural creations in Middle Earth and the trees. She got Eru to create the Ents, but notice that the Ents and Hobbits lived nearish. The Ents, although they had never encountered Hobbits, had lived in the Greenwood that was, (earlier version, not the later version) which was Mirkwood and Fangorn together (this is from Treebeard, who said before the forests were separate that they all touched, and a squirl could go from tree to tree from where they were to the Old Forest in the Shire). The Hobbits originated near the Anduin, which would have been just on the border of and perhaps even a part of the Greenwood.
I think worried further, she "influenced" perhaps a race of men living near her beloved forests to be more in tune with nature. To live with, to have contentment with, and to derive pleasure from nature and have to wish to destroy or alter it far. Then she left them to it.
And I believe it happened so long ago that the hobbits have no memory of it. Perhaps they are the very people who the entwives taught to farm so well. Perhaps that was the connection, perhaps they were the ones who "revered the entwives". But I still think in their small size, their feet (which were made to touch the earth and not be artificially wrapped in shoes), and their nature, I feel that perhaps Tolkien hints that the hobbits themselves were directly influenced by her. Briefly, and being hobbits and not taken to writing much down (as, like the Rohirrim of later times they learned by songs and rhymes, Bilbo being very much an exception to that rule,) they simply forgot.
This is a well-reasoned hypothesis. I like to think that Hobbits were a special hybrid of other types of peoples, brought about in order to confuse Sauron and the forces of Evil. The language and the Hobbits proximity to Men is a hint, but they were also in the same general vicinity as Dwarves and Elves. Hobbits loved a good garden and a walk in the woods, like an Elf might, and also liked to burrow about underground the way a Dwarf would. Add a dash of Man, a sprinkle of Magic, and maybe even some other special something, and there you go : a race well-suited to help with the destruction of The Ring. That's just an opinion, though, so I hope it doesn't cause anyone to freak out.
I believe the Hobbits were created just as they are and when created in the beginning of the first age found it prudent to stay out of sight. So it is doubtful during such turbulent times anyone knew of them, plus in the third age one couldn't say there were actually very many of them.
Most probably here is also the possibility that they were not created until the beginning of the second age based on what is actually known of them and their movements. They certainly are not a cross of two species like elf and dwarf, nor men, they're to different. They do not hunt for sport and even elves did that, they do not war unless attacked, and their hairy feet are described as fur covered, not that scraggly prop in the movies. So I do not think they were created until after the fall of Morgoth. Their nearness to men is probably what made them so alike and don't forget Bree and how long they lived there amongst men.
I think the first hobbits were created by Yavanna or Illuvatar in a similar fashion to how the Dwarves were made by Aule. However, instead of being made of rock and clay, the first hobbits sprouted out of the ground like potatoes. That's why Treebeard mistakes the hobbits for little entings at times. Maybe that's why the hobbits also have an affinity for things that grow.
Cabbage patch
There is a line in the LOTHR (in Lothlorien I believe) where the elves mention that they were, up until the events surrounding Bilbo and the Fellowship, unaware that the Hobbits had come into the world as of yet--suggesting that there was indeed a divine plan for their existence that the elves were aware of but never paid much attention to (since elves tended only pay attention to only elven matters).
As for the "hole-dweller" name they where given by the Riddenmark, Tolkien is borrowing from Norse mythology here. One of the names for Fey in the Nordic lands is the "Huldenfolk" (literally "Hidden Folk") also referred to as "Folk of the Hollow Hills" (which could very well refer to Hobbits; I use this as a name for halflings by the Northmen in my RPG setting)
Awesome Video, Very interesting.
Could you do a part two of the history of The Hobbit such as what became of them after they went over the misty mountains and when the king of Arnor granted some land in the west of Arno, and how during the fall of Fornost there was said to be an army of hobbits in the defence as well. And maybe how they survived after the witch king was banished and how the Duchy of branywyn was formed?
Thanks for answering the question about Hobbits...Until an another Live Steam if I can make it, Marion Baggins Out!!!
I always imagined the Hobbits as a cross between Dwarves and Men
i mean, midget porn exists, so......
Another thing to add to this sweet weekend. Excellent work Yoystan. Couple of questions?
Would u say reading the letters of J. R. R. Tolkien help in better understanding the world he built. I’ve thought about reading them, but there’s a lot of them and I’m wondering whether or not they’d help in understanding his ideology with his world building?
Second, what’s the latest news with ur music channel. So far, ur music has been fantastic and has reflected the ideas and themes held throughout the world of Arda. I’m just curious to know when ur next song will come out. Also, do u think u will ever move onto music with lyrics?
Hey Paul, great questions! I would highly recommend the letters, as they definitely help describe Tolkien’s mind in creating his universe. As for the music channel, I hope to get more up within the next few months! My music producer has been very busy these past couple months! Thanks for the long-time support, my friend!
After Ghengis Khan defeated the Tartars he(allegedly) executed everyone taller than a wagon wheel. Imagine if something like that happened repeatedly over several generations until only people with very "short genes" were left.
Island evolution produces smaller descendants. The humanoids discovered recently, names after hobbits, were the result of island evolutionary pressures. Perhaps some of the ancestors of the rohirrim went to live on an island, then migrated back to the mainland?
I assume you're referring to Homo Floriensis, which indeed had a much smaller stature than other species of men. I'm no expert, but I think that isolationism need not only be precluded to island isolationism to cause an average decrease in a population's size. I think hobbits could have reasonably been isolated in a mountainous region to the east of the Misty Mountains to have developed to their short stature. This would only have been likely if they had been forced to live in such a "cramped" living space though, which means there was a negative external influence on them.
This influence could be due to orcs or even the Beornings having pushed the Hobbits out of more fertile areas.
The "island" can also be a pocket of geography.
Thank you so much for the great Vids! I love to sit back and watch your videos to further understand Tolkien's works.
Not a bad video at all, I think you've got some really brilliant and most plausible ideas on the origin of Hobbits; a brilliant essay indeed in a video format.
Another great video! I think it's very possible that Hobbits evolved from Men, but I would add that they maybe stem from some long-ago union of the Men of Rhovanion and the Dwarfs, which would account for their shorter stature and propensity for living in holes and underground.
While this is a completely viable idea for the origin of Hobbits, I have my own idea. It came from a fanfiction I read once, and I can't remember the name.
Basically, Hobbits are similar to Dwarves and Ents, in that they were created by the Elvish Gods rather than Eru himself (as is the case for Elves, First Children of Eru, and Men, Second Children of Eru). As the Dwarves were made by the God of Forges to help him, and hidden away until the first men walked, so to were the Hobbits created by the Goddess of the Forest. Where the Ents guarded the Forests and the Ent-wives the plains, the Hobbits were the hill-people.
This is why Hobbits are always growing something, or making something. It is simply their nature and innate magic to make things grow, just as the Dwarves are innately bound to craft and forge.
These videos are excellent especially the insight and observation at the end. Thanks
You are a godsend sir. I appreciate all you do for us. I have learned so much because of you explaining things.
It’s crazy how much lore Tolkien had created .My goal for 2020 is to learn a lot of middle earth history.
It's odd to me that Tolkien didn't build an origin story into the "Lord of the Rings" for the hobbits.The hobbits in general share a "passion" for genealogy. In fact, the Underhill hobbits of Bree were very interested in Frodo's story that he was visiting Bree to "write a book on family history." Given this, it seems strange that they have forgotten their ancient ancestors.
I think Hobbits are suppose to represent the strength and goodness of the common folks. It may take away a little bit of that message if we find out that they had some special magical lineage -- like for example they are actually Entlings or half-elves or the children of Yavanna. The story of Strider is about living up to the potential of your amazing lineage. But the story of Hobbits is about just people without storied history or distinguished lineage changing the world.
@@willchen4138 I agree with you on that. I just would like to know more about the Stoors and the people where Gollum came from. It just seems odd that a people who love their family history don't know about the ancient lines. I don't think they were ever magical, just normal everyday people.
I always have viewed hobbies more as a spirit, art of like Ents, that expanded and dwindled when possible.
If we are going with the idea of the hobbits evolving as a separated branch of the middle men, then we need to look at the physical differences to determine what conditions would have selected for their traits. Idk much about the geography of middle earth, but someone who does could tell me of a region near where the middle men arose or where the hobbits have lived fits the following conjecture:
They are smaller in stature which could be a result of insular dwarfism (similar to Homo floresensis the real world hobbits) where they are isolated on an island or location where their resources are limited so that those who are smaller get favored as they need less energy to reach sexual maturity and pass on their genes.
They have larger feet relative to their size that are hairy and much tougher than the feet of normal men which means they needed them to better cross terrain that would be damaging to their feet, maybe coarse rock or ground with tough/thorny vegetation covering much of the ground
They favor burrowing into hobbit holes as a home because there either was not enough material available to construct other forms of housing used by middle men or because it provided some advantage against predation or severe weather conditions
As for their love of home and good company over adventure, this could be explained that they worked better as a collective and sedentary society as they lack in size and strength to be as individualist as other men so feeling better in a community would be advantageous
Now this is in no way cannon but heres a thought. What if Melkor or Sauron captured some half-elves, those who had yet to decide whether to live as an elf or human, and tried to corrupt them and Hobbits were the result. It would be embarrassing for the Dark Lords if this ever got out.
watching your videos make me wanna read the books and watch the movies again
I always thought that they were an offshoot of dwarves.
Their homes are underground, they're short but strong, they enjoy similar food and love to party, and they're hard workers.
Hobbits are what happens when humans in the Vales of Anduin try to survive in Middle-Earth for 3 Ages against every type of Ghoulie Tolkien can throw at them... XD
@RATTLE ME SPOONS *bows humbly*
Such wonderful artwork!!!
As always a great video - thanks
Thank you for another amazing video. I love TLOTR lore and you put so much effort into it! ❤👍👍
I am not sure of the source (it may have been LOTRO) but I remember reading about the Hobbits and that they had smaller more "odd" cousins the Bugan who were more akin to goblins.
Yep! That was Lotro! I think that was just a game element and it’s not in Tolkien’s cannon. But they are interesting creatures nonetheless!
It's great to have your videos MOTW. This one has spurred me to think up an entirely new theory about the origin of hobbits. As is well known they materialised one day when (as he wrote to WH Auden) Tolkien was marking school exam papers and "On a blank leaf I scrawled: ‘In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.’ "They sound like wee fairy folk, a theme exhaustively explored in popular literature of this time e.g. Enid Blyton, the Cottingley fairies, and Tolkien himself in the infamous 'Goblin Feet'. So here is my insight ... it is a reversal! That is, suppose the 'fairies' ie hobbits are actually fairly ordinary folk. As an imaginative exercise, write it out from here ... as, triumphantly, he did
One possibility I haven't seen mentioned is that Hobbits were the 3rd Children of Illuvatar, a creation He kept hidden even from the Ainur in order to hide their existence from Morgoth, and later Sauron, until the time came for them to play the part He had ordained for them. Their small stature, simple ways, and relative isolation would have kept them from attracting attention to themselves as anything but a legend until their migration to the Shire, where they were perfectly positioned to attract the interest of a certain grey-clad Maia at just the right time. If Illuvatar foresaw the creation of the One Ring (and certainly He would have), He may have created Hobbits specifically for its eventual destruction, which would explain why they remained hidden for so long, and why they have seemingly disappeared in Fourth Age.
"Nevertheless, they remained curiously difficult to daunt or kill"