The Hobbit - Chapter 18 - The Return Journey

[davem]

Of course, its possible that Tolkien included a bear in TH because his children had Teddy Bears. Bears crop up in both The Father Christmas Letters (the North Polar Bear & a reference to Priscilla's bears 'The Bingos') & Mr Bliss (the Three Bears. A 'Gaffer Gamgee' also appears in Mr Bliss, btw).

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. We know Tolkien was reluctant to alter an episode in the early drafts of LotR where Frodo killed one of Farmer Maggot's dogs with a stone for some time 'because Chris likes it'. 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.

[Bêthberry]

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.

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.

[davem]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

As for Michael's fears of spiders, Tolkien and Christopher shared dreams of sunken civilisations. That does not make Numenor childish.

Numenor was part of the 'adult' mythology. TH was (originally) not. I suspect Tolkien was both using his knowledge of ancient myth as inspiration & attempting to inspire a love of it in his children by presenting them with the 'Archetypes' behind their loved objects. Of course, he was also, by bringing in aspects of his Legendarium in the stories he wrote for them, introducing them to that too. He does a similar thing by his use of implied back-story:

Gandalf came by. Gandalf! If you had heard only a quarter of what I have heard about him, and I have only heard very little of all there is to hear, you would be prepared for any sort of remarkable tale. Tales and adventures sprouted up all over the place wherever he went, in the most extraordinary fashion.

Any child reading or hearing this would be begging for more stories about Gandalf. One can assume that references to Gondolin, runes, etc, would have the same effect.