The downfall of the hobbit-folk

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Originally Posted by tom bombariffic

I'm not sure I follow. Please elaborate at length, in full detail, preferably with images to aid understanding.

Believe me, you don't want images. The idea behind my words is simple math - at a rate of two children per couple, a population does not die out - it remains the same (does remembering the term "Zero Population Growth" date me terribly?). Sam and Rosie had thirteen. Other Hobbits listed in the family trees were also prone to engender large families. Only a natural catastrophe or an annihilation of huge proportion could have wiped out such a people. There is absolutely no comparison to the Gondorian situation.

davem makes a very interesting point concerning the division of Hobbit society following Sharkey's rule. Could the seed of mistrust been sown then?