Hobbits

Hobbits are about half the height of man, which is anywhere from three feet to four feet tall. That is why in Gondor they are known as "halflings". They are closest to men in appearance. They generally have short curly brown or auburn hair. Usually they have round faces and soft bright eyes. They also are rather round in the middle and have long tapered fingers that are rather nimble. They dress mostly in comfortable clothes in tans, browns and yellows.

The most unusual thing about Hobbit's appearance other than their size ... is their feet. Most Hobbits don't wear shoes because the bottom of their feet are rather thick and leathery. (There are some that wear boots that live near the river.) The tops of their feet have thick curly hair.

Most hobbits live in holes (smials) in the sides of hills . . . . they are usually lined with brick or wood. The floors are flat but the sides are rounded. These holes are very clean and cozy. They DO often have sheds or barns outside of their holes but they perfer to LIVE inside their cozy hobbit holes. Since not all of the land is hilly . . . . some hobbits do live in houses. . . but those that do . . . have houses that have thatched roofs and rounded walls . . . of course their doors and windows are round. WHY??? well because round is cozy ! OF COURSE !

Most hobbits are farmers or farm related jobs... of course there are other occupations but farming is the most common one.... specially since hobbits like to eat a least 6 meals a day.... so they spend most of their time eating or preparing meals... ha ha ha ha

Another thing that most hobbits enjoy along with eating is drinking ale or beer and smoking tobacco in pipes and blowing smoke rings. Hobbits take pride in the brewing of ales and the growing of "pipe weed". The best "pipe weed" is grown in the South Farling (the southern most of the Shire).

They love to spend an evening sitting by the fire (after a large meal) drinking ale, smoking a pipe and telling jokes or old tales. Since many hobbits don't take the time to learn to read & write, they pass on their history with stories. The hobbits that DO read & write usually don't like to read anything that they don't already know....such as family trees. They do love to keep track of who is related to who.

Hobbits like to live their lives with within their own tradition. Hobbits love to give (and recieve) presents. On THEIR birthdays they give presents to THEIR friends and family. They most often live around one hundred years. They don't "come of age" til they are thirty-three years old.

They don't like to do anything "unexpected" and stay within their own borders. They live in the Northwest of Middle Earth in a land called The Shire. There are some hobbits that live across the Brandywine River in the Bree area. Going "outside" their borders is quite "adventurous" !! I find it amusing that the hobbits in the Shire feel that THEY are most proper hobbits... while hobbits of the Bree area believe that THEY are most proper hobbits... each call the other "outsiders" hahhahhaaha

Most hobbits avoid "the big folk". They are pretty clannish and are not concerned with anything going on outside "The Shire" or the Bree area.

They can move silently fast and disappear quickly. This is not magical ... they just have a inborn talent for this and with practice some are better at it. They are also good at shooting with bow & arrows and are brilliant hitting targets with rocks !

They speak the "common tongue", Westron, as men of Gondor. Although they do have some words that are "their own", their language is very close to the Westron tongue. They also like most of the same things as men, such as food & drink. But they have a much gentler kinder, heart. They love to laugh and sing ! Even though they are small in size. . . they heal quicker than man and also throw off despair faster than most men.

They avoid conflict as much as possible. But when pressed, they can be quite brave! There has never in the history of the Shire ever been a hobbit that has killed another hobbit on purpose.

During the time of our story . . . . most other peoples of Middle Earth did not know hobbits really exsisted. Our hobbits did not know that they were being "protected" by the Rangers of the North. The hobbits were living a very comfortable life and that's just they way they liked it !

Click on any of the names below the Hobbit Holes to take you to some of my favorite Hobbit Holes on the web. They are "kids safe". But some of their links may not be.


Toliken Trail	BENJAMIN'S TOLKIEN	*RANDORIC OF ROHAN*	SIR PIPPEN'S HOLE

"In a hole in the ground lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, But a dry, bare sandy hole. It was a hobbit hole, and that means comfort."