Did Hobbits exist before Tolkien?

Did Hobbits exist before Tolkien?

An explicit, well-documented use of the word hobbit predates Tolkien's creation by well over 100 years -- and it has nothing to do with halflings, fantasy, or Middle Earth.

Did Lord of the Rings invent Hobbits?

Tolkien is often credited with coining the word hobbit for his 1937 Hobbit, which opens with famous line: “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.” That hobbit, of course, is Bilbo Baggins. ... Tolkein's apparently independent invention of hobbit may well have been a coincidence.

What inspired Tolkien to create Hobbits?

An Oxford professor from 19, Tolkien was heavily inspired by the writings, languages and fantasies of Icelandic linguistic traditions, particularly Old Norse sagas like the Poetic Edda and Prose Edda. Iconic English literature may also have played a role in Tolkien's first novel.

Who created the hobbits in The Silmarillion?

J. R. R. Tolkien'

Hobbit
J. R. R. Tolkien's illustration of Bilbo in his comfortable hobbit-hole, Bag End
Also known as	Halflings, Periannath
First appearance	The Hobbit
Created by	J. R. R. Tolkien

Did Tolkien invent orcs?

Q: Did J.R.R. Tolkien Invent Orcs? ANSWER: Most people will tell you that J.R.R. Tolkien invented the Orcs of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings but that is not correct. Tolkien reused older ideas for his fantasy creatures, including the Orcs.

Is a hobbit a rabbit?

Hobbits are (if one discounts the slender evidence of The Denham Tracts) imports, like rabbits. ... Tolkien even found an etymology for hobbits, as the OED has failed to do for rabbits. His first words about them were, as has been said, “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.”

Are Orcs real?

An orc (or ork) /ɔːrk/ is a fictional humanoid monster like a goblin. Orcs were brought into modern usage by the fantasy writings of J. R. R. Tolkien, especially The Lord of the Rings.

How old are Hobbits in human years?

Ok so I did some math today and figured that since a Hobbit is an adult at 33, if we equate this to the human adult age of 18, one human year of aging is equivalent to about 1.83 hobbit years. So at the time of LOTR, Frodo as a hobbit would be 51, but as a human would be 27.9 years old.

Why do Hobbits have hairy feet?

I would say that the reason hobbits had hairy feet was likely a result of androgenic hormone levels higher than those present in humans. In humans, increases in these hormone levels during puberty is what causes our soft downy Vellis hair to become darker, coarser terminal hairs.

How did Tolkien come up with the word hobbit?

• Did Tolkien make up the word? Tolkien is often credited with coining the word hobbit for his 1937 Hobbit, which opens with famous line: “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.” That hobbit, of course, is Bilbo Baggins. In fact, Tolkien himself said the word came to him in a flash of inspiration.

Who are the Hobbits in Lord of the Rings?

• Bilbo Baggins, Frodo Baggins, and Samwise Gamgee—we all know J.R.R. Tolkien created these beloved hobbits for his Hobbit (1937) and Lord of the Rings (1954–55) books. Hobbits are an imaginary race similar to humans, but they are short and have hairy feet.

Why did Tolkien create the Orcs in Middle earth?

• Tolkien incorporated the Orcs into many stories as a convenient “cannon fodder” for his heroes to destroy but he also eventually found himself struggling to explain why such creatures should exist in the first place. The rationale for Orcs clearly belongs to Tolkien.

Who are the smallest Hobbits in The Hobbit?

• The Harfoots were the most numerous group of hobbits and were the first to enter Eriador. They were the smallest in stature, and the most typical of the race as described in The Hobbit. They lived in holes, or smials, and had closer relations with Dwarves than did other hobbits. Tolkien coined the term as analogous to "hairfoot".