Hobbit Feet

[Tinuviel87]

In my obsessive Tolkien research, I have come across something that has been nagging at me. From all the evidence (in books) that I have found, nowhere does it say or show that Hobbits have excessively large feet. In the picture drawn by Tolkien at the very end of The Hobbit, "The Hall at Bag End, Residence of B. Baggins Esquire" Bilbo has rather average looking feet. Also, in letter 25, "To the Editor of the Observer" Tolkien says, And I protest that my Hobbit did not live in Africa and was furry, except about the feet. Nor indeed was he like a rabbit. He was a prosperous, well-fed young bachelor of independent means...deliberate insults to his size and feet, which he deeply resented. His feet, if conviently clad and shod by nature, were as elegant as his long, clever fingers.
This is the closest thing I found to a description of Hobbit feet, if I have missed something please let me know.
Anyhow, if I am correct in my thinking that Tolkien never intended for Hobbits to have abnormally large feet, then I wonder where this notion is derived from, considering that now we commonly associate Hobbits with large feet.
I would deeply aprreciate any evidence from the Letters or any Tolkien works to prove me right or wrong...I sort of liked the idea of Hobbits with big feet...
~Tinuviel

[ April 23, 2003: Message edited by: Tinuviel87 ]

[mark12_30]

Now that you mention it, it's Proudfoot ("ProudFEET!") who is clearly described as having "exceptionally large and furry" feet.

Good question. Offhand, I can't think of anything about hobbits in general. I assume you've studied the opening chapter of The Hobbit. Personally, I do rather like the idea of hobbits having more "elegant" feet than oversized. Looking forward to further discussion.

[Tinuviel87]

Just backing myself up more... smilies/biggrin.gif In the first chapter of The Hobbit,
They are inclined to be fat in the stomach, they dress in bright colors...wear no shoes, because their feet grow natural leathery soles and thick warm brown hair like the stuff on their heads...
But then again, just to contradict myself, in the aforementioned picture at the end of my copy of the Hobbit, Bilbo doesn't have furry feet...???? Now I've gone and confused myself!

[Mitheithel]

Well yes, I too first imagined a hobbit with large legs, although I read The Lord of the Rings before The Hobbit. My opinion is that everyone should imagine his/her own hobbit while reading. That`s the magic of books smilies/wink.gif

[Salocin]

I always thought it strange and grotesque that Hobbits were always depicted with abnormally large feet. I'm glad Tolkien felt the same way.

[The Saucepan Man]

Well, I've never seen Hobbits as having abnormally large feet, but I have certainly always pictured them with prominent feet. Can't say why. Maybe it was the no shoes factor or the "Proudfoot" reference. Or possibly it was just a hangover from D+D and/or the Bakshi animated film.

I have also always imagined them as having heads disproportionate in size to their body. For some reason, I see them with Man-sized heads on Hobbit-sized bodies. Again, no idea why, but it just seems right.

[MLD-Grounds-Keeper-Willie]

I have also always imagined them as having heads disproportionate in size to their body. For some reason, I see them with Man-sized heads on Hobbit-sized bodies. Again, no idea why, but it just seems right.

You know, I think it's because of midgets. They seem to have big feet and big heads for their bodies, it just looks normal for a hobbit to look similar.

[HCIsland]

This is a weird thread. I've never imagined hobbits with anything else but large feet and I read the books before I ever saw even the Bakshi film.

There's a psychology thesis in hear somewhere. smilies/wink.gif

Actually, my introduction to Lord of the Rings was a little backwards. It was through roll playing games made in the early eighties. They may have described hobbits with large feet and it likely influenced my mental image.

H.C.

[ April 25, 2003: Message edited by: HCIsland ]