Beorn

[Aerandir]

what exactly was Beorn? I know he was a shape changer, but like what race was he? if ya get what i mean. what of decendents and all.

-Aerandir

[Nessa the Dancer]

Well, he was a skin changer and coud take the form of a Man or of a Bear which was his other skin, but in his letters, Tolkien says that though Beorn was a was a skin changer (his other skin being that of a bear he most definaly belonged to the race of Men, and dispite the fact that he was a skin changer and a bit of a magician his lifespan was no greater than that of an ordinary man.

As to his decendents, he was the founder of the Beornings who lived where he did in the vales of the Anduin, for many generations had is skin-chamger gift and were able to take on the shape of a bear.
His son was Grimbeorn the Old and he became Lord of the Beornings in his own right.

[Aerandir]

thank ye nessa

-Aerandir

[Gil Galad]

you forgot one thing.............




hes really cool aswell

[Fëalossë]

Gandalf said something about thinking that Beorn came from the mountains. Did anybody else notice anything else about his origin? I don't think he's a real "man," maybe just another character like Bombadil who can't really be explained.

[Nessa the Dancer]

In the Hobbit, Beorn's orgins are made a bit unlear, Gandalf describes him as a skin-changer "Sometines he is a huge black bear and sometimes he is a great stong black-haired man with huge arms and a great beard"
Gandalf is also vauge about his heritage.
"Some say that he is a bear desended from the great ancient bears of the mountains.....Some say he is a man descended from the first men who lived before Smaug.....I cannot say though I fancy the last is the true tale"

However Tolkien was very specific in saying that Beorn was a "Man"

From the Encyclopedea of Arada


Tolkien explains that despite his remarkable abilities, Beorn definitely belonged to the race of Men: 'Though a skin-changer and no doubt a bit of a magician, Beorn was a Man'.


In my Guide to Tolkien, Beorn is described as a Northman, a Beorning chieftain.

Unlike Tom Bombadil who is the mystery character (he could have been this he could have bee that whith Tolkien himself being vauge about who or what Tom Bombadil was precisley - Tolkien is very definte about who and what Beorn is.