Run!!! It's the bear man!!!
 

I've always wondered about Beorn. What is he? Man or Maiar or Magical creature created by higher life? Does anyone know for sure? And if there is no for sure, what are your guestimations?

Here are some threads about Beorn.

Next time, try the search feature.

EDIT: Aaah, Earwen, I'm scared. [img]smilies/eek.gif[/img] I guess great minds think alike. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

[ April 16, 2003: Message edited by: Galadrie1 ]

try here, here, here, or here, ormaybe here
your choice

thank you, yup great minds do think alike
[img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

[ April 16, 2003: Message edited by: elven maiden Earwen ]

He was a man. The greatest of a race known as the Beornlings. They all had the bear changing ability to a greater or lesser extent. He was also some sort of magician.

Or you could go to the article I wrote on Beorn on this site:
http://www.barrowdowns.com/faq_beorn.asp

(In a desperate attempt to say something novel about Beorn, well sort of ask really, OK then),

We know that Beorn had descendents, eg. Grimbeorn who kept his lands free of the goblins. We also know that he was head of a society of 'Beornings'. One question suggests itself; how widespread was Beorn's shapechanging ability? Was it confined only to Beorn himself, his direct relatives (either transmitted genetically or by learning the 'magic'), or was this ability commonplace amongst the entire race?

Remember, the Beornings came under attack from the forces of Sauron during the War of the Ring, rather a daunting prospect for the poor Snagas if they were all 'skinchangers'.

Obviously I'm just looking for opinions!

It is generally accepted to be genetic/inherrited. All Beornings could become bears, but Beorn could become a HUGE bear. I always assumed his "magic" reffered to other powers he had that were never mentioned.

Uh, thanks guys. I was just curious.
But, um, where did he come from? Does it say somewhere who created the Beornings and way? Like they did of dwarves in the Silm.
I know, I'm picky...

The Beornings are just a race of men with a weird, inherent power. Where they came from exactly and why they are not mentioned in the Sillmarilion is even more mystirious than where Tom came from. Atleast now (after years of waiting) we know he's a maia.

We do? When was this?

Beorn is not a Maia. He is a man. Gandalf quotes about Beorn in The Hobbit
Furthermore in The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien No 144,1954 Tolkien states that despite Beorn's remarkable abilities, he still belonged to the race of Men.

They werer talking about Tom Bombail not Beorn.

yes, but how do we know hes a maia? i thought itwas still a hotly debated issue. explain please

Thanks Earwen, I guess I was a little unclear. As for Tom being a Maia (the mods are hanging over us even as we speak [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] )I thought that was thourowly (sp?) established after the Peoples of Middle Earth came out. At least I think that was the HoME it was in.

As far as I know , there is no Tolkien text which shows whether or not the rest of the Beornings were shapechangers, (that's why I asked for opinions) [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]