Beorn

[Pitchwife]

Welcome to the Downs, Hobbitt_Fan, enjoy being dead!

I'm not sure that Beorn was meant to be an enigma like Bombadil - we have to remember that The Hobbit originally was written as a stand-alone children's book, not as part of the Legendarium established in the earlier Silmarillion tradition, and thus contains all kinds of elements that aren't exactly 'canonical' within that tradition (cockney Trolls, giants in the Misty Mountains and a werebear of somewhat fluctuating stature) coexisting peacefully with borrowings from the matter of the Elder Days (Elrond, Gondolin, the Necromancer). Only when Tolkien decided that TH and its sequel, LotR, were after all set in the same world as the Silmarillion did such elements as Beorn become a problem. (Taking another character, I'm pretty sure the Prof had no idea Gandalf was a Maia when he wrote TH; he only 'discovered' that later, trying to make sense of what he'd written earlier.) But that's of course meta-reasoning and will most likely be considered spoilsport by some of our dear fellow Downers (present company included).

I think you're quite right about the similarities between Beorn and Beowulf, especially considering the etymology of the latter's name ('Bee-wolf', a kenning for bear). This was also discussed in the thread The Might has linked to, as well as echoes of Nordic berserker legends in Beorn's character.

As for the origin of Beorn's shape-shifting abilities and his possible connection to Radagast, another explanation of this was suggested by yours truly on yet another Beorn thread. [/shameless self-plug]

[Hobbitt_Fan]

I just found this on another site and thought I would post here. To me it seems to be an excellent account of Beorn. Sorry if it has been posted before.

Beorn and Tom Bombadil: a tale of two heroes.

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Beorn+...es-a0163972510

[Erendis]

Not that I have a good explanation about Beorn's skin-changing,but let us remember the case of Thuringwethil,whose bat form was taken by Luthien.Although in that case Thuringwethil was probably a Maia and Luthien a half-breed,wouldn't Beorn's case be something similar?

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

Originally Posted by Erendis

Not that I have a good explanation about Beorn's skin-changing,but let us remember the case of Thuringwethil,whose bat form was taken by Luthien.Although in that case Thuringwethil was probably a Maia and Luthien a half-breed,wouldn't Beorn's case be something similar?

But Beorn's case would have to be different. He wasn't a Maia, was he? I was under the impression that he was a man that had some sort of relations to bears. Although, I don't see that being plausible, because humans and bears don't breed with each other. . .

[Hobbitt_Fan]

Originally Posted by TheGreatElvenWarrior

But Beorn's case would have to be different. He wasn't a Maia, was he? I was under the impression that he was a man that had some sort of relations to bears. Although, I don't see that being plausible, because humans and bears don't breed with each other. . .

I think this is what speaks to his being a question mark by Tolkien and probably with intent. Although in a letter containing a brief response to a question where he refers to Beorn as man, he never comments in any essay or writing the true nature of Beorn's supernatural power whether it be his immense size or strength, his skin changing, his ability to speak to animals and commune with Bears, or the fact he must be far older than he appears if was alive when the Goblins expanded into the Misty Mountains and was driven out.

[skytree]

Originally Posted by Hobbitt_Fan

I think this is what speaks to his being a question mark by Tolkien and probably with intent. Although in a letter containing a brief response to a question where he refers to Beorn as man, he never comments in any essay or writing the true nature of Beorn's supernatural power whether it be his immense size or strength, his skin changing, his ability to speak to animals and commune with Bears, or the fact he must be far older than he appears if was alive when the Goblins expanded into the Misty Mountains and was driven out.

I think Beorn, even though Tolkien commented he was a man was meant to be one of those unexplained mysteries that exist in the world.

Alone, he turned the tide of battle where 3/4 of the Orcs of the Northern Misty mountains were wiped out. His arrival almost had a Biblical feeling, a sense that divine intervention(Beorn) arrived and turned the tide of defeat into an impossible victory. No single individual that was just a man, say Aragorn or even a Hurin has that ability. The only characters in the Tolkienverse that had this kind of power were the "mighty", Noldo Lords like Galdriel, or Maiar.

So whether he was a man as Tolkien indicated, Tolkien must have meant Beorn super human in the fashion of Samson even though he was mortal. He was a Samson like figure, him at the Battle of Five Armies was akin to Samson slaying a 1000 Philistene soldiers with the jawbone of an ***. Both epic events by individuals of prodigious, supernatural strength but in the end, both mortals.