Beorn: Difference between revisions
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By the time of the [[War of the Ring]], Beorn had become a leader of [[Men]] which included other skin-changers, and woodmen. His people were known as the [[Beornings]], and they helped defend [[Thranduil|Thranduil's]] kingdom of northern Mirkwood. He died some time before the War of the Ring itself began, and was succeeded by his son [[Grimbeorn the Old]]. | By the time of the [[War of the Ring]], Beorn had become a leader of [[Men]] which included other skin-changers, and woodmen. His people were known as the [[Beornings]], and they helped defend [[Thranduil|Thranduil's]] kingdom of northern Mirkwood. He died some time before the War of the Ring itself began, and was succeeded by his son [[Grimbeorn the Old]]. | ||
==Etymology== | ==Etymology== | ||
''[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/beorn Beorn]'' is an [[Old English]] word meaning " | ''[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/beorn Beorn]'' is an [[Old English]] word meaning "a warrior, a hero, a man of valour", cognate to [[North Germanic languages|Old Norse]] ''[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bj%C7%ABrn björn]'' ("bear").<ref name=AH164>{{HM|AH}}, pp. 164-5</ref><ref name=RW>Peter Gilliver, Edmund Weiner and Jeremy Marshall, ''[[The Ring of Words|The Ring of Words: Tolkien and the Oxford English Dictionary]]'', pp. 95-6</ref> In the Scandinavian-speaking countries ''Björn''/''Bjørn'' is a personal name, attested since the 11th century.<ref>[http://www.historiska.se/misc/gemensam/Nomina/nomina/ Historiska Museet Nomina ] at [http://www.historiska.se/ Historiska Museet (The National Historical Museum of Sweden)] (accessed 2 January 2010)</ref> | ||
==Other versions of the Legendarium== | ==Other versions of the Legendarium== | ||
Revision as of 15:55, 4 January 2011
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Beorn was a skin-changer, a man who could assume the appearance of a bear.
History
He lived with his tame horses in a wooden house between the Misty Mountains and Mirkwood, to the east of the Great River of Wilderland. His origins lay in the distant past, and Gandalf suspected he and his people had originally come from the mountains.
Beorn named the Carrock and created the steps that led from its base to the flat top.
During the Quest of Erebor, Beorn received Gandalf, Bilbo Baggins, and the thirteen Dwarves and gave the Dwarves and Bilbo help in their quest. In the Battle of Five Armies, Beorn rescued Thorin Oakenshield from the Goblins and killed their leader Bolg.
By the time of the War of the Ring, Beorn had become a leader of Men which included other skin-changers, and woodmen. His people were known as the Beornings, and they helped defend Thranduil's kingdom of northern Mirkwood. He died some time before the War of the Ring itself began, and was succeeded by his son Grimbeorn the Old.
Etymology
Beorn is an Old English word meaning "a warrior, a hero, a man of valour", cognate to Old Norse björn ("bear").[1][2] In the Scandinavian-speaking countries Björn/Bjørn is a personal name, attested since the 11th century.[3]
Other versions of the Legendarium
In early manuscripts of The Hobbit, the name of the character that would become Beorn is Medwed. Medwed's ability to change shape to a bear was due to an enchantment, perhaps of his own.[4]
Inspiration
It has been suggested that the character Beorn was influenced by the Norse Saga of Hrólfr Kraki.[5] In the saga appears a great bear defending Hrólfr Kraki, and also a man cursed to being transformed into a bear during nighttime. The work was well-known to J.R.R. Tolkien, as one of his students and friend, Stella Miller, made a translation of the saga dedicated to Tolkien, E.V. Gordon and C.T. Onions;[1] but even more importantly as Tolkien himself wrote an unpublished short story of the tale, entitled Sellic Spell.[6]
Another suggested inspiration is the character of Beowulf, "whose name is commonly explained as Beowulf = 'bees' wolf' = honey-eater = bear, and one who breaks swords, rips off arms and cracks ribs with ursine power and clumsiness."[5]
Portrayal in Adaptations
1982-97: Middle-earth Role Playing:
1995-8: Middle-earth Collectible Card Game:
- Beorn is a Character, with the Home Site Beorn's House.
2003: Sierra's The Hobbit:
- Beorn appears only in the shape of a black bear.[9]
2012-3: The Hobbit films
- Mikael Persbrandt will portray Beorn.
See Also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 J.R.R. Tolkien; Douglas A. Anderson, (ed.), (2002) The Annotated Hobbit: Revised and Expanded Edition, pp. 164-5
- ↑ Peter Gilliver, Edmund Weiner and Jeremy Marshall, The Ring of Words: Tolkien and the Oxford English Dictionary, pp. 95-6
- ↑ Historiska Museet Nomina at Historiska Museet (The National Historical Museum of Sweden) (accessed 2 January 2010)
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, John D. Rateliff (ed.), The History of The Hobbit, Mr. Baggins, "Chapter VII: Medwed", passim
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Tom Shippey, The Road to Middle-earth (second edition), pp. 73-4
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, John D. Rateliff (ed.), The History of The Hobbit, Mr. Baggins, pp. 256-60
- ↑ Peter C. Fenlon, Jr. et al. (1987), Lords of Middle-earth Vol II: The Mannish Races (#8003), p. 19
- ↑ John David Ruemmler, Susan Tyler Hitchcock, Peter C. Fenlon (1995), Mirkwood (2nd edition) (#2019), pp. 105-6
- ↑ The Hobbit (2003 video game), "The Clouds Burst"
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