Physiques

[Nerwen]

Originally Posted by skytree

If you look at a literal description of Beorn, you could extrapolate that he was Goliath proportions, maybe 10-12 feet tall and it always seem he is dismissed because the Hobbit was meant to be a kids tale and Tolkien tried to fold it into the greater setting he created for Lord of the Rings.

Well, "always" there is pretty vague, skytree. Who is doing this dismissing?

Originally Posted by skytree

Something more substantial for example than a paragraph which is basically all we hear about Helm.

But that is enough to establish his existance, surely? I mean, your initial statement was:

Originally Posted by skytree

...it seems there were no plus size or large physique people in Middle Earth. Aragorn and Boromir were large, powerful men but neither were described as any more than what could be perceived as athletically built. Elf or Man, no one seemed to be described as massive, enormous, huge...

(my bolding)

Originally Posted by skytree

I've only scratched the surface on reading the Unfinished Tales or History of Middle Earth, that is why I am posting. If Helm is it, it seems odd that he was the only great warrior that had a robust physique.

Well, what about the "mighty" Erkenbrand? Or is he again disqualified as being only a minor character?

[skytree]

Originally Posted by Nerwen

Well, "always" there is pretty vague, skytree. Who is doing this dismissing?

Plenty on this forum for example. If you take the description on face value, that Bilbo was able to walk beneath a tunic that came down to Beorn's knees without ducking, that would put Beorn somewhere in the neighborhood of 12 feet tall or larger than a Troll. Certainly there are no other Men in his fiction that are giant but he states in a letter that he is human. It makes Beorn an anomaly like Tom Bombadil but many on this forum have argued its just the product of being a character in the Hobbit, that was meant to be a kids tale. Sort of like Bert, Tom, and Bill's portrayal as Trolls or the giants in the misty mountains.

Originally Posted by Nerwen

But that is enough to establish his existance, surely? I mean, your initial statement was:
(my bolding)

Are there others in his other writings? I am generally curious on the subject and haven't read any of the ancillary works.

Originally Posted by Nerwen

Well, what about the "mighty" Erkenbrand? Or is he again disqualified as being only a minor character?

Never really thought about that but I guess there is a reference that he has Helm-like qualities.

[Galadriel55]

Skytree, if you're going to look only on "major" characters, you're not going to find much. Major characters are generally "normal" people that do extraordinary things. If Sam was a giant, it would be no surprise that orcs were afraid of him in the tower of Cirith Ungol. But he wasn't - and that made his deed something remarkable.

If you are looking for characters with a large body-build, you have to consider the "minor" characters too.

[skytree]

I understand that from a dramatic standpoint that has to hold true, that is why I was asking about the History of Middle Earth, which I haven't read yet.

I happen to be of Dutch descent from the area of Friesland. I think there is a genetic predisposition to be large in my ancestry. My grandfather was 6'8", my father 6'6", and I am 6'6" with the shortest of my siblings being a a sister of 5'11". I would characterize us as being "large boned" and not just tall. I could stand to be in better shape but I normally range 260-275 lbs.

In fact in the Friesan history we had a pirate Pier Gerloff Donia, who led a William Wallace style revolt against the Hapsburgs and from his armor is estimated to have been around 7' and 430 lbs. His greatsword was 7' and weighed 14.5 lbs. Obviously he was naturally large as 1500 was long before weight training.

I guess Tolkien's idea or image of a powerful warrior was tall and athletic like Elendil.

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by skytree

I guess Tolkien's idea or image of a powerful warrior was tall and athletic like Elendil.

Yes, and no. ost warriors are like that, but as I said before, Hurin was the mightiest of mortal men, but he was shorter than most of his kind. And you can't be a good warrior if you aren't atheletic - you'd be killed in the first confrontation with an enemy.

You're right about Elendil, though - he's even called "the tall".

[skytree]

I don't know how athletic Grutte Pier was or if you would consider 430 lbs on a 7 footer athletic but he was certainly as strong as an ox and led a rebellion that ultimately failed in stopping the Habsburgs but he was never defeated and retired from the rebellion after 4 years.

His size and strength alone made him a formidable warrior.