Hobgoblins

[Burzdol]

I am rereading the Hobbit, and it says something in the chapter "Queer Lodgings" about hobgoblins in the Misty Mountains. I don't think any one has asked or discussed this yet, so info would be nice.

[Lord of Angmar]

Probably just another name for or certain breed of orcs.

[Burzdol]

That's what I had thought, but Gandalf makes it sound like it's a different species completely.

[Kransha]

Hobgoblins are apparently a larger sect of orcs. More primitive, less intelligent, stronger than most Misty mountain orcs, but not as strong as uruk-hai, while lacking in intellect. Hobgoblin technically means "big goblin".

[Kalimac]

Strange - I always pictured hobgoblins as being tinier than usual. Probably because they share a first syllable with hobbits...

[Armetiel]

^suddenly pictures a mixture between a hobbit and an orc...nope not good, not good at all...

[burrahobbit]

There is a note in the front of The Hobbit that talks about the relationship between Goblins, Hobgoblins, and Orcs. It is of the sort that one would have with oneself.

[Angry Brandybuck]

FUnny you should mention the similarity of 'hobgoblin' with 'hobbit'. When he was 'inventing' hobbits didn't Tolkien look at the seven things that would come before it in the dictionary and make a combination of those seven things.

I also thought of Hobgoblins as small a sneaky, but thats because the beer 'Hobgoblin' has a picture of a small, sneaky creature on the bottle.

[Kransha]

Found a helpful quote.
Orc is not an English word. It occurs in one or two places but is usually translated goblin (or hobgoblin for the larger kinds-Preface to The Hobbit

[The Squatter of Amon Rûdh]

When he was 'inventing' hobbits didn't Tolkien look at the seven things that would come before it in the dictionary and make a combination of those seven things.No. All I remember about the start of The Hobbit is sitting correcting School Certificate papers in the everlasting weariness of that annual task forced on impecunious academics with children. On a blank leaf I scrawled: 'In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.' I did not and do not know why.

Letter #163

[Silmiel of Imladris]

Just kind of a cool side note that I learned in one of my high school english classes. Hobgoblin not only is a orc creature but it is also a term for fears. For example, one of my hobgoblins is scorpions. Weird this word goes that deep.

[Armetiel]

^or perhaps as Bilbo would say "One of my hobgoblins is hobgoblins." smilies/wink.gif

[Iaurhirwen]

Whoa, my brain hurts from reading that one. But maybe thats simply because its 12:00 at night.

Anyhoo . . . . .
Through what little I've read of Norse, and this one old computer game I used to play when I was younger, Hobgoblins were similar to a normal goblin except they were bigger, fiercer, more intelligent, and more skilled in the use of weapons. (In the game they were harder to kill than the regular goblins smilies/wink.gif )