Beorn....

[Raefindel]

This is from The Tolkien Companion:

In the late Third Age, Beorn was the chieftain of the Northern Men whose traditional duty it was to maintain the saftey of the trade routes from Eriador the Mirkwood,particularlly over the high pass of the Misty Mountains and across the Ford of Carrock. Bilbo Baggins attributed many strange characteristics to Beorn; whatever the truth of these stories, he was certainly a Man of great (oddly bear-like) strength, firey temper and a suspicious nature. Like all his clan (called Beornings), he hated Orcs even more than strangers-and thus later came to play a vital role in the Battle of Five Armies, where his opportune arrival and berserk rage helped to crush the Goblin army.He personally slew Bolg, the chief of the Orcs.

The Beornings were akin to the Eotheod and the Men of the Vales of Anduin; their language was a Northern dialect related to the language of Dale.

[ January 07, 2003: Message edited by: Raefindel ]