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Old 01-20-2021, 03:48 AM   #3
Huinesoron
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Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: The north-west of the Old World, east of the Sea
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Huinesoron is battling Black Riders on Weathertop.Huinesoron is battling Black Riders on Weathertop.
Purest speculation, but given that we know of Radagast that he "became enamoured of the many beasts and birds that dwelt in Middle-earth, and forsook Elves and Men, and spent his days among wild creatures," it's entirely possible they only met while Beorn was a bear. I wouldn't go so far as to suggest Radagast didn't know he was also human, but the reason they got on might be that the wizard thought of him as a beast first and foremost.

Even more speculative: the idea of an immortal hermit who cares for all animals is pretty common in fiction (Medwyn of Prydain was my first thought, but I ran across another instance in, of all things, Terry Pratchett's Carpet People recently), and I suspect it has mythic origins. Radagast would fit neatly into this category - the movies do so (hi Sebastian) - and so it would be plausible that Beorn was drawn to him after being injured in some way. Quite what could wound the Great Bear that badly, I'm not sure - though there were sorcerous powers at work in Dol Guldur...

...

Okay, no, I'm not writing a story about Radagast healing Beorn of a Morgul-wound. I refuse.

hS
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