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Originally Posted by davem
This may be another reason for the appearance of bears in stories written for his children. While there are numerous 'imports' from Northern myth & Tolkien's stories we have to keep in mind that there may be a great deal in them which is there simply because it would appeal to his children. . . . . I think it was Michael's fear of spiders which inspired their presence in both Roverandom & TH - in both books giant spiders appear in a terrifying situation but are defeated by the heroes.
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Of course, like a good parent, Tolkien could simply have taken an element in his children's lives, something he knew they would have some interest in, like a sentimental child's toy, and provided a larger or more thrilling context for it, a context derived from the old legends. Beorn is no teddy bear, after all, and the very fact that his character as a skin changer is so unusual in Middle earth marks him as something more than just pablum.
As for Michael's fears of spiders, Tolkien and Christopher shared dreams of sunken civilisations. That does not make Numenor childish.