Fattest of the Dwarves

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

On absolutely serious note, I have been always wondering whether the choice of instrument had something to do with him being fat. You know, a drum is round, makes the sort of deep sound, so in general the connotations might sort of go together... what do you think?

I had a similar thought when studying the first chapter of The Hobbit for Music in Middle-earth, but I found an interesting bit of information in The History of the Hobbit:

Originally Posted by John Rateliff

'bombur' means drum in Old Norse

Tolkien must certainly have known that and I assume he used the name deliberately.

Originally Posted by Boromir88

I forget what were the other instruments...clarinets, flutes, Thorin's harp?

Yes, and fiddles and viols as well.

Also, playing the drum need not have indicated clumsiness - he would actually have been the one responsible for keeping time so that all musicians would stay together.