Hobbits and war
I know a many many peole who cringe at the mere thought - I am one of them.
But having met a bunch of people in various forums I have been confronted with some resistance, from people telling me "But there was the Battle of the Green Fields. Don't try to gimp Hobbits" (actually, he wrote it with a couple more typos, but I hope you'll forgive me for leaving them out)
Uhm yes...
What would you have answered if you had been in my place?
Now... what's exactly your question, Andranneth? If hobbits go to war, if they are warriors, if they can fight? I am no hobbit scholar but would like to help (if only I knew the question XD).
Re: Hobbits and war
For me this is easy. Hobbits were quite capable of defending their homes, towns, villages from local threats. But they did not concern themselves with other folk much. And when it came to some things, they were quietly protected from outsiders, such as the Rangers protecting them from wolves and such.
They cultivated peace, not war. War was not something they readily dealt with. They had not the physical strength of Dwarves nor their weapon-smithing/making. When Saruman and Grima "wormed" their way into the Shire, it was easily overtaken and pretty much razed. They were definitely vulnerable as time passed to forces coming to the Shire with the express purpose of destroying it. It took proven warriors (the returning Merry, Pippin, Sam, and Frodo) to galvanize/organize the Shire and take back their lands--and Sam did a lot of the replanting of the Shire back to what it had been.
Hobbits were NOT warriors, as a race. A FEW individuals rose to the occasion basically because they had no choice, but even they had difficulty becoming warriors.
I for one don't want to see that change. Hobbits are many fine things as a race, but "warrior" is not one of their gifts.
And for those who chafe at any constriction being put on anyone just because it *is* a constriction (which is basically why there is so much about this topic in the "argument" category: Hobbits should be warriors because they should have that choice! If I wanna be a Hobbit and wanna fight, I should get to! is how it usually goes), let me point out that, just as there are warriors, there should be those who prosper under the banner of Peace & Home. A *very few* Hobbits might aspire to Warrior, as Eowyn of Rohan did (and was mighty unusual because of it), but Rohan agreed that Eowyn was an exception, not the rule.
Hobbit warriors would be an even more notable exception than Eowyn fighting in battle.
Yikes, I really didn't realize I had so much to say on this!
Quote:Hobbits and war Now... what's exactly your question, Andranneth?
Actually, it wasn't so much meant as a question as pouring out my heart, and an invitation for discussion.
Perhaps I will explain a bit more about how that came up. It was actually in a forum about the MMORPG (Massive Multimedia Online Roleplaying Game) based on LOTR that Turbine is working on. There aree big discussions going on, a lot of them between fans of Tolkien and of coomputer games.
Well, in one thread that had something to do with..I think it was pets I dared to say that I am among those who cringe at the thought of a Hobbit Warrior Class in the game. Instanly someone jumped on that and called me .. I don't remember what, and told me that it's pleople like me who make the game no fun a all, wanting to gimp Hobbits and all. So, I fed him a few quotes from the book, and said sorry, but Hobbits are very unique, peaceful and great culture and I wouldn't want them reduced to the usual computer game slash and hack character..
Well, I still believe, I am not gimping anyone, just telling my opinion. But I thought if there was *any* reference of hobbit warriors in the book, this group would be the one to find it and I would have learned a thing.
Re: Hobbits and war
Actually, the only reference of a hobbit warrior I can remember now and without to check the books is Bandobras 'Bullroarer' Took, the victor of the Battle of Greenfields, famous for averting a goblin invasion at the Battle of Greenfields, and personally slaying the goblins' leader, Golfimbul. To kill wolfs, I don't think it counts.
It is said hobbits were sworn to the Kings of old and would send them archers if need be, but it never came to happen. And, after all, to have archers does not mean to have an army (archery is good for hunters too or just as sport) or surely Tolkien would have used the common expression "to send swords" intending to say "to send men" (well, hobbits :P).
Re: Hobbits and war
I recently read the Scouring of the Shire pretty carefully, and there were a number of Hobbits (especially among the large Took clan) who were quite good with small hunting bows, but they were for getting rabbits, deer, etc.
Otherwise it seemed that if they had to fight to defend themselves, they just grabbed an axe or pitchfork or throwable rock (whatever was at hand). They weren't warriors. My imagination recoils just trying to imagine a "Hobbit warrior." There's no place for it in their culture.
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