What exactly are hobbits—and where did they come from?In this episode of Do Not Be Hasty, we begin our journey through the Prologue to The Lord of the Rings with “Concerning Hobbits,” exploring Tolkien’s surprisingly detailed history of hobbit origins, migrations, culture, and the eventual founding of the Shire.00:00 — Introduction: Concerning Hobbits01:25 — Tolkien, the Red Book of Westmarch, and Hobbit History03:12 — Hobbit Culture: Peace, Quiet, Magic, and Machinery05:05 — What Do Hobbits Actually Look Like?06:30 — The Merry Folk of the Shire08:35 — Where Did Hobbits Come From?10:06 — Did Hobbits Exist in the Second Age?11:30 — The Earliest Hobbit Homelands14:35 — Harfoots, Stoors, and Fallohides18:05 — Hobbit Leadership and the Common Good20:09 — The Hobbits Move West into Eriador21:59 — The Founding of the Shire26:05 — How Big Is the Shire?29:10 — Hobbit Holes, Houses, and Architecture30:44 — Hobbit Families and Genealogies33:14 — Why Hobbits Matter to TolkienTolkien’s “History” of the HobbitsTolkien continues to present himself almost as a compiler or translator of an ancient historyThe Hobbit is presented as material derived from Bilbo’s portion of the Red Book of WestmarchThe Prologue expands that fictional history with a broader account of the hobbits as a peopleWhat Are Hobbits Like?Hobbits love peace, quiet, good food, cultivated land, hospitality, and partiesThey distrust complicated machineryThey may appear almost magical to outsiders, but they do not consider themselves magicalTolkien’s contrast between simple hobbit life and the desire to dominate through “magic” and machinery reflects one of the larger themes of his legendariumHobbits generally stand between two and four feet tall, with three feet being fairly typicalShire hobbits favor bright colors and usually go barefootThe Ancient Origins of HobbitsHobbits are relatives of Men, though their exact relationship has been forgottenTheir origins reach back into the Elder DaysFor much of history they were virtually unknown to the Wise and GreatThis suggests that hobbit-like peoples could have existed long before the events of The Lord of the RingsTheir earliest remembered homeland was in the upper vales of the AnduinThey eventually migrated westward as Men multiplied and the shadow over Greenwood grewHarfoots, Stoors, and FallohidesTolkien identifies three major groups of early hobbits:Harfoots — smaller, more numerous, associated with hills and highlands, and particularly connected with the traditional hobbit practice of living undergroundStoors — broader and heavier, more comfortable around rivers and Men; Sméagol and Déagol came from this branchFallohides — taller and fairer, fond of forests, more friendly with Elves, and often found among the leaders of hobbit communitiesAs the three groups migrated westward and eventually blended together, their different qualities helped shape the hobbits we encounter in the Shire.Hobbit Society and the Common GoodLeadership among hobbits does not seem primarily based on dominationDifferent families and groups contribute their particular strengths to the communityTheir culture tends toward cooperation and mutual supportTolkien repeatedly emphasizes the contrast between these overlooked “little people” and the powerful figures who dominate the great events of historyThe Road to the ShireThe hobbits gradually migrated into Eriador as the northern kingdom of Arnor declinedThey interacted with the remnants of the Dúnedain and eventually adopted the Common SpeechIn Third Age 1601, Marcho and Blanco crossed the Brandywine with permission from the king at FornostThat settlement marks the beginning of the Shire and Year 1 of the Shire ReckoningThe hobbits remained nominal subjects of the northern kings but largely governed themselvesHow Big Is the Shire?The Shire is much larger than it can sometimes feel in the story—roughly 140 miles east to west and 175 miles north to south. That puts it on the general scale of a smaller European country rather than a tiny village-sized region.Hobbit Homes and FamiliesNot every hobbit lived in a holeBy Bilbo’s time, elaborate holes such as Bag End tended to belong to wealthy hobbits, while many middle-class hobbits lived in above-ground housesHobbits favored long, low buildings rather than towersRound doors and windows became a distinctive feature of hobbit architectureHobbits were intensely family-oriented and loved elaborate genealogies and family treesThe Big TakeawayHobbits may seem insignificant to the powerful people of Middle-earth, but that is precisely the point. Tolkien builds an entire history and culture around these humble, easily overlooked people—and then makes them central to the fate of the world.The Prologue helps us see that Frodo, Sam, Bilbo, Merry, and Pippin do not come out of nowhere. They emerge from a long tradition of ordinary people who value home, family, community, and ...
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