Beorn - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Hobbitt_Fan · 06-05-2010, 04:35 PM

Is Beorn meant to be somewhat of an enigma like Tom Bombadil?

I know Tolkien commented in a letter that he was a man but clearly he was no ordinary man. Even with Tolkien's descriptions of might men of the past like Elendil or Tuor, or even an Elf like Thingol, in size and and strength, Beorn would tower over them. Even conservatively using his description in the Hobbitt, he would be 10+ feet tall and in Bear form at the Battle of Five Armies he had grown so large, he broke the back of an Army, that the combined forces of Elves, Men, Dwarves, and Eagles + a Miar couldn't stop.

Beorn was obviously longer lived than a normal Man, he was supposedly driven our of the Misty Mountains by the Orcs, yet they expanded into the region arounf TA 2800. The Dwarf-Goblin wars were TA 2793-99. Yet 140 years later, he fought in TA 2941 at the Battle of Five Armies, still hale and full of power. Maybe he was of Dunedain blood? Obviously Beorn shares characteristics with Beowulf, the first super-human or superhero both in temperament and his inhuman strength, and likely Beowulf was a template for the character of Beorn.

06-05-2010, 04:35 PM	#1
Hobbitt_Fan Pile O'Bones Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 18	Beorn Is Beorn meant to be somewhat of an enigma like Tom Bombadil? I know Tolkien commented in a letter that he was a man but clearly he was no ordinary man. Even with Tolkien's descriptions of might men of the past like Elendil or Tuor, or even an Elf like Thingol, in size and and strength, Beorn would tower over them. Even conservatively using his description in the Hobbitt, he would be 10+ feet tall and in Bear form at the Battle of Five Armies he had grown so large, he broke the back of an Army, that the combined forces of Elves, Men, Dwarves, and Eagles + a Miar couldn't stop. Beorn was obviously longer lived than a normal Man, he was supposedly driven our of the Misty Mountains by the Orcs, yet they expanded into the region arounf TA 2800. The Dwarf-Goblin wars were TA 2793-99. Yet 140 years later, he fought in TA 2941 at the Battle of Five Armies, still hale and full of power. Maybe he was of Dunedain blood? Obviously Beorn shares characteristics with Beowulf, the first super-human or superhero both in temperament and his inhuman strength, and likely Beowulf was a template for the character of Beorn.