Beorn....

[Dondagnirion]

I have not seen any real explanation for who or what Beorn is. I have heard that he is some sort of half-man, half-maia breed with the ability to shapechange but thats only what I have heard and by no means do I believe it true. If anyone does know more about and/or what books might talk about his origin and ancestry that would be great, thanks.

Dondagnirion
"...and Faenor rose and cursed Melkor, naming him Morgoth, the black foe of the world..."

[Carrûn]

I don't have any Letters of Tolkien available to me at the moment, but in regards to Beorn I got the following from the book J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century by Tom Shippey. Pages 31-32 have a fairly decent analysis of the character & his background. I'll include some bits of it here. (It should be noted that my statements are based on assuming the information in this book is correct)

His character is based off of Beowulf - "He had to teach the Old English poem Beowulf probably every year of his working life, and one of the elementary data about that poem (like most things about the poem, it took half a century to be noticed) is that the hero's name means 'bear:' he is the bee-wolf, the ravager of the bees. He is also immensely strong and a keen swimmer, both ursine traits (for polar bears in particular are semi-ampibious), however he remains Human all the way through his story with only ocasional hints that there may be something strange about him."

It can also trace its roots from The Saga of King Hrolf & His Champions. The head of these champions is one Bothvarr Bjarki, a clear analogue to Beowulf in what he does. Bjarki means little bear. Bothvarr's father is called Bjarni which means bear and his mother is Bera which means she-bear. Like many Old Norse heros he is eigi einhamr, 'not one-skinned.' In the climactic battle he turns into a bear or rather projects his bear-fetch or bear-shape out into the battle until he is disturbed & the battle is lost.

So Tolkien took these elements & put them together.

"If there is one thing clear about Beorn in the Hobbit, it is that he is a were-bear; immensely strong, a honey-eater, man by day but bear by night, capable of appearing in battle 'in bear's shape.' His name, Beorn is the Old English 'cognate,' or equivalent of Bothvarr's father's, Bjarni, and in Old English it means 'man:' but it used to mean 'bear,' taken over & humanized....Tolkien went above these merely verbal puzzles to ask himself, given all the data above, what would a were-bear actually be like?"

I don't want to type the whole section, but hopeful that answered a few of your questions. Also, sorry for any spelling errors I might have made in my haste, dentist appointment tomorrow & I need to get to bed. I'd highly recommend the book I cited to anyone, I've found it very deep & interesting.

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

[Iargwath]

Check out this thread and this thread. They have great information about Beorn [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

[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 ]

[Legolas]

I have heard that he is some sort of half-man, half-maia breed with the ability to shapechange but thats only what I have heard and by no means do I believe it true. If anyone does know more about and/or what books might talk about his origin and ancestry that would be great, thanks.

This is a false claim. He can shift shape, but he's not half-Maia. Keeper of Dol Goldur, a member of this forum, made a thread outlining a theory that Beorn was related to Radagast, but it isn't supported anywhere by Tolkien - Beorn was a man.

One should look no further than Tolkien himself when looking for an explanation of such matters.

Beorn was a man.

Tolkien, in Letter No. 144:

Beorn is dead; see vol. I p. 241. He appeared in The Hobbit. It was then the year Third Age 2940 (Shire-reckoning 1340). We are now in the years 3018-19 (1418-19). Though a skin-changer and no doubt a bit of a magician, Beorn was a Man.

Gandalf says...

'A man; no doubt a bit of a sorceror, but a man.'

Aragorn, speaking to Legolas and Gimli about the Rohirrim, gives information on Beorn's ancestry.

It was in forgotten years long ago that Eorl the Young brought them out of the North, and their kinship is rather with the Bardings of Dale, and with Beornings of the Wood, among whom may still be seen many men tall and fair, as are the Riders of Rohan.

[Dondagnirion]

Thanks for all the help guys.

Dondagnirion
"...and Faenor rose and cursed Melkor, naming him Morgoth, the black foe of the world..."

[Arwen Imladris]

This has already been discussed here.