Beorn

Background

He lives in a wooden house on his pasture-lands between the Misty Mountains and Mirkwood, east of the Anduin, with horses, dogs, sheep and cows; he grows wide fields of clover for his bees, and according to Gandalf he does not eat his cattle or hunt wild animals. Huge and strong in both forms, he has black hair and a thick black beard, and Bilbo judges he could walk between Beorn's legs without touching him. He named the Carrock, the large rock by the Anduin, and made the steps up to its top.

Beorn takes in Gandalf, Bilbo Baggins and thirteen Dwarves after confirming their story of meeting the Goblins of the Misty Mountains and of Gandalf slaying the Great Goblin, and gives them supplies, lodging and advice on the path through Mirkwood. Later, hearing of a vast goblin host on the move, he reaches the Lonely Mountain in time to strike the decisive blow in the Battle of Five Armies, killing the goblin leader Bolg and his bodyguards in bear form.

Afterwards Beorn becomes a great chief ruling a wide land between the mountains and the wood, and for many generations men of his line can take bear shape. In The Fellowship of the Ring Glóin says the Beornings keep open the High Pass and the Ford of Carrock, and they help Aragorn cross the Anduin when he is taking Gollum to Mirkwood.

Tolkien named him with beorn, an Old English word for man and warrior, and he is compared to the legendary heroes Beowulf and Bödvar Bjarki as an example of Northern courage.