He was the mighty skinchanger of Middle-earth,
able to transform into a great bear. Not only would his home be a safe haven in
the Vales of Anduin, but his descendants and followers would live on into the Fourth Age. Today, on Nerd of the Rings, we cover the
life of Beorn, his descendants, and all who call themselves the Beornings. While Beorn makes a great impact on the story
of The Hobbit, he and his kind are also very mysterious. We don’t know for certain their origins
or how they came to possess their skinchanging ability. Gandalf says that he believes Beorn and his
people originally came from the Misty Mountains. However, Gandalf also says that they were
driven from their homes by the orcs of the Misty Mountains. Just as we don’t know when Beorn was driven
away by the orcs, we don’t know the skin-changer’s age. Tolkien himself confirmed in one of his letters
that Beorn was indeed a mortal man. Though a skin-changer and no doubt a bit of
a magician, Beorn was a Man, so it must have been an event that took place in the later
third age. What we do know is that by the later third
age, Beorn is living alone at his home near Mirkwood. Near his home, was the Carrock, a tall stony
island in the Anduin River. Beorn himself builds stairs reaching to the
pinnacle of the great stone. At times, he would be seen climbing to the
top in his bear form, gazing at the moon, or toward his former home of the Misty Mountains. Gandalf would witness Beorn doing just this,
hearing him growl in the tongue of the bears “The day will come when they will perish
and I shall go back!”. As for Beorn’s size and appearance, he is
described as a great, tall man with black hair. While we don’t have an exact figure for
how tall he was, we know that Bilbo could have passed under the man’s legs without
ducking and would not have skimmed the hem of his knee-length tunic. While some have theorized that this would
put the skin-changer at 11 or 12 feet tall, we must keep in mind that this could very
well be an exaggerated statement by the narrator to convey how enormous Beorn felt to Bilbo. Either way, he was certainly a mountain of
a man and even more formidable in his bear form. It is after being set upon the Carrock by
the Great Eagles that Thorin and Company make their way to Beorn’s Hall in 2941 TA. Gandalf and Bilbo are the first to approach
the skinchanger and as Gandalf tells the tale of their journey, the dwarves come at intervals
in pairs, briefly interrupting Gandalf’s story, which Beorn finds more and more interesting. Wishing to hear the entirety of their tale,
Beorn shakes off the arrival of more dwarves rather than turning them away. Gandalf’s approach is both successful and
wise. For it is known that the Beornings were not
fond of dwarves. We don’t know for certain why Beorn dislikes
the dwarves. Perhaps it goes back to their time of living
in close proximity to Durin’s Folk. Or perhaps it is partially due to the dwarves'
obsession with gold, silver, and jewels. We are told in The Hobbit that Beorn had none
of these things in his home. In fact, with the exception of a few knives,
there was no metal at all. Beorn leaves and confirms Gandalf’s story
to be true, leading him to agree to aid Thorin’s Company. In Beorn’s hall, there were ponies, dogs,
and sheep who served the company a great meal. Beorn was able to communicate with them in
some animal-like language as they catered to their guests. No doubt in part due to his relationship with
animals, Beorn does not eat meat - his diet instead consists mainly of honey and cream. Beorn provides Bilbo and the dwarves with
ponies and a horse for Gandalf as they make their way toward Mirkwood. He gives them food, water skins, bows and
arrows, and grim advice. That they will likely not find anything wholesome
to eat or drink within the dark forest. That there is a black stream they should neither
drink from or bathe in - for it carries an enchantment of drowsiness. And that they should not stray from the path
- for any reason. Though he was naturally distrustful of travelers,
convinced of their goodwill, he says his home is open to them should they return through
his lands. Before any would take him up on this offer,
Beorn would instead come to them. As word spreads throughout Mirkwood of the
Death of Smaug, Beorn receives word in his very house. The Orcs of the Misty Mountains, already riled
by the death of the Great Goblin, would march upon Erebor in the Battle of Five Armies. Beorn himself would arrive near the very end
of the conflict: In that last hour Beorn himself had appeared
— no one knew how or from where. He came alone, and in bear's shape; and he
seemed to have grown almost to giant-size in his wrath. The roar of his voice was like drums and guns;
and he tossed wolves and goblins from his path like straws and feathers. He fell upon their rear, and broke like a
clap of thunder through the ring. The dwarves were making a stand still about
their lords upon a low rounded hill. Then Beorn stooped and lifted Thorin, who
had fallen pierced with spears, and bore him out of the fray. Swiftly he returned and his wrath was redoubled,
so that nothing could withstand him, and no weapon seemed to bite upon him. He scattered the bodyguard, and pulled down
Bolg himself and crushed him. Then dismay fell on the Goblins and they fled
in all directions. In this passage, we get a hint that Beorn’s
bear size may indeed change based on his mood. Described here as having grown to almost giant
size in his wrath, he would surely have been an incredible force as he kills the leader
of the orcs and scatters their armies. With Erebor reclaimed, the orcs defeated,
and Thorin laid to rest within the mountain, Beorn, Bilbo, Gandalf, and Thranduil make
their way Westward. Thranduil returns to his halls as Gandalf
and Bilbo return for a time to the Hall of Beorn. They would stay at Beorn’s for the midwinter
festival known as Yule. Yule-tide was warm and merry [at Beorn's house];
and men came from far and wide to feast at Beorn's bidding. The goblins of the Misty Mountains were now
few and terrified... and the Wargs had vanished from the woods, so that men went abroad without
fear. We are told in the days to come Beorn would
become a great chief among the Northmen who gathered around him, ruling a wide region
between the mountains and the wood. These men would come to be known as the Beornings
- a term that certainly refers to Beorn’s descendants, could also be referring to the
Northmen who simply took him as their leader as well. We are told by Gloin in the Fellowship of
the Ring that the only reason passage from Erebor to Rivendell was still possible was
thanks to the Beornings - though they did charge high tolls and were still not overly
fond of dwarves, they were reliable and kept their lands safe from the orcs and wargs. It is said that many generations of Beorn’s
line maintained the power of taking bear form. Some became grim men and bad, but most were
in heart like Beorn - though none would ever equal his size and strength. By 3019 TA, we know that the lordship of the
Beornings had passed to Beorn’s son, Grimbeorn. His name is a combination of his father’s
meaning “bear” and Grim meaning “fierce”. Under the leadership of Grimbeorn, their lands
in the Vales of Anduin would remain safe - as no orc nor wolf would dare to enter the land
of the Beornings. Another thing we know of the Beornings is
that they were great bakers and are famous for their honey-cakes. It is said that like lembas, these honey-cakes
could nourish travelers greatly and like the elves, they were hesitant to share them with
others. As for any other conflicts or actions during
the War of the Ring, we are left precious few clues. One is that when Frodo wears the One Ring
at Amon Hen - the Hill of Sight - he sees among other things the land of the Beornings
on fire. While this could very well mean that Sauron’s
northern forces had indeed made war upon the Beornings - we have no record of this conflict. We do know that the Beornings would survive
into the Fourth Age. After the war, when Celeborn, Galadriel, and
the elves of Lorien had destroyed Dol Guldur, Celeborn and Thranduil would divide the forest
of Mirkwood - newly named Eryn Lasgalen (Wood of Greenleaves). In this arrangement, the northern realm would
be under the lordship of Thranduil, the southern would belong to the elves of Lorien, and the
central region is given to the Beornings. With Middle-earth freed from Sauron’s influence,
the Elves and Beornings would no doubt help the forest to return to its more natural form,
back when it was known as Greenwood the Great. As for Beorn, we can assume that he died sometime
before the War of the Ring. We are never told whether he would indeed
return one day to his former home of the Misty Mountains, or if instead he would have found
peace in his new home, surrounded by his descendants and all who call themselves Beornings.
