[The Barrow-Wight]

The whole idea of community is what makes Middle-earth quite wonderful. Tolkien laced his stories with many characters that had small roles in the tale as told but weighed heavily in the imagery we create as we read. Characters like the Gaffer and Gamling the Old give the notion that characters just like them have existed for years and years. And other, younger ones like Bergil and Angelica Baggins show us the future of Middle-earth. Together, the generations come together to form a community that many readers can identify with, even though they are made of fantastical creatures.