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Carrûn · 01-06-2003, 11:14 PM

I don't have any Letters of Tolkien available to me at the moment, but in regards to Beorn I got the following from the book J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century by Tom Shippey. Pages 31-32 have a fairly decent analysis of the character & his background. I'll include some bits of it here. (It should be noted that my statements are based on assuming the information in this book is correct)

His character is based off of Beowulf - "He had to teach the Old English poem Beowulf probably every year of his working life, and one of the elementary data about that poem (like most things about the poem, it took half a century to be noticed) is that the hero's name means 'bear:' he is the bee-wolf, the ravager of the bees. He is also immensely strong and a keen swimmer, both ursine traits (for polar bears in particular are semi-ampibious), however he remains Human all the way through his story with only ocasional hints that there may be something strange about him."

It can also trace its roots from The Saga of King Hrolf & His Champions. The head of these champions is one Bothvarr Bjarki, a clear analogue to Beowulf in what he does. Bjarki means little bear. Bothvarr's father is called Bjarni which means bear and his mother is Bera which means she-bear. Like many Old Norse heros he is eigi einhamr, 'not one-skinned.' In the climactic battle he turns into a bear or rather projects his bear-fetch or bear-shape out into the battle until he is disturbed & the battle is lost.

So Tolkien took these elements & put them together.

"If there is one thing clear about Beorn in the Hobbit, it is that he is a were-bear; immensely strong, a honey-eater, man by day but bear by night, capable of appearing in battle 'in bear's shape.' His name, Beorn is the Old English 'cognate,' or equivalent of Bothvarr's father's, Bjarni, and in Old English it means 'man:' but it used to mean 'bear,' taken over & humanized....Tolkien went above these merely verbal puzzles to ask himself, given all the data above, what would a were-bear actually be like?"

I don't want to type the whole section, but hopeful that answered a few of your questions. Also, sorry for any spelling errors I might have made in my haste, dentist appointment tomorrow & I need to get to bed. I'd highly recommend the book I cited to anyone, I've found it very deep & interesting.

[ January 07, 2003: Message edited by: Carrûn ]

01-06-2003, 11:14 PM	#2
Carrûn Wight Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Behind you, counting to 3 Posts: 234	I don't have any Letters of Tolkien available to me at the moment, but in regards to Beorn I got the following from the book J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century by Tom Shippey. Pages 31-32 have a fairly decent analysis of the character & his background. I'll include some bits of it here. (It should be noted that my statements are based on assuming the information in this book is correct) His character is based off of Beowulf - "He had to teach the Old English poem Beowulf probably every year of his working life, and one of the elementary data about that poem (like most things about the poem, it took half a century to be noticed) is that the hero's name means 'bear:' he is the bee-wolf, the ravager of the bees. He is also immensely strong and a keen swimmer, both ursine traits (for polar bears in particular are semi-ampibious), however he remains Human all the way through his story with only ocasional hints that there may be something strange about him." It can also trace its roots from The Saga of King Hrolf & His Champions. The head of these champions is one Bothvarr Bjarki, a clear analogue to Beowulf in what he does. Bjarki means little bear. Bothvarr's father is called Bjarni which means bear and his mother is Bera which means she-bear. Like many Old Norse heros he is eigi einhamr, 'not one-skinned.' In the climactic battle he turns into a bear or rather projects his bear-fetch or bear-shape out into the battle until he is disturbed & the battle is lost. So Tolkien took these elements & put them together. "If there is one thing clear about Beorn in the Hobbit, it is that he is a were-bear; immensely strong, a honey-eater, man by day but bear by night, capable of appearing in battle 'in bear's shape.' His name, Beorn is the Old English 'cognate,' or equivalent of Bothvarr's father's, Bjarni, and in Old English it means 'man:' but it used to mean 'bear,' taken over & humanized....Tolkien went above these merely verbal puzzles to ask himself, given all the data above, what would a were-bear actually be like?" I don't want to type the whole section, but hopeful that answered a few of your questions. Also, sorry for any spelling errors I might have made in my haste, dentist appointment tomorrow & I need to get to bed. I'd highly recommend the book I cited to anyone, I've found it very deep & interesting. [ January 07, 2003: Message edited by: Carrûn ] __________________ "Dic, hospes, Spartae, nos te hic vidisse iacentes dum sanctis patriae legibus obsequimur."