Hobbits: Absorbed into the Big Folk, extremely well-hidden, or gone the way of the dodo?

[Skald the Rhymer]

The dearth of Tolkien threads in CS distresses me. I blame the Obama Administration in general and Sharon Riggles in particular. Anyway, though I made this a poll, I am perfectly happy if a discussion breaks out.

[Malleus, Incus, Stapes!]

You said it yourself: halflings.
The hobbits escaped into the D&D universe via the Ainu Midget Protection Program. They were inconspicuously settled into the Monster Manuel, calling themselves "halflings". Of course, their cover is blown to heck and back, now that they've made themselves into player races.

[Chimera]

Like the Dwarves (and Orcs and Eagles and such), they were removed from this world to make way for the Age of Man.

[Oakminster]

Smilodons gotta eat, same as worms.

[Skald the Rhymer]

Like the Dwarves (and Orcs and Eagles and such), they were removed from this world to make way for the Age of Man.

The question is How, though. I mean, it's pretty clear that the Dwarves went extinct; only Gimli got to go West, and their numbers were dwindling even before the Fourth Age (though they may have had a brief resurgence). The Eagles, contrariwise, surely went over Sea; they work for Manwe, after all, and Aman is probably more truly their home than Middle-earth. I'm fairly sure that the House of Telcontar hunted down & exterminated the Orcs during the first part of the Fourth Age. (Alternatively, they may have driven them all inside of Mordor, where they killed one another soon enough).

Elves obviously went over Sea for the most part, but some may have lingered and dwindled, becoming the source of the distorted legends about elves we see outside of the Greater Perfesser's works.

But Hobbits are another story. No matter what Treebeard (or they themselves) thought, they were spiritually Men--just a very short tribe. So they may have just been absorbed, or they may have gone extinct in the sense that, say, the Etruscans are extinct.

[Chronos]

Hidden, but without any particular help from the Ainu or other Powers, so I chose "Fool of a Took". They just have a natural knack for being unobtrusive, and we Bigs have a natural knack for being unobservant.

[Skald the Rhymer]

Hidden, but without any particular help from the Ainu or other Powers, so I chose "Fool of a Took". They just have a natural knack for being unobtrusive, and we Bigs have a natural knack for being unobservant.

Fool of a Took! It's "Fool of a Took!" not "Fool of a Took." !

[FriarTed]

After watching the ROTK cartoon, my pal Amber asked the question Gandalf suggested "Might there be some hobbit in you?" I responded, "I'm fat and lazy and live in a hole at the end of the hall. I think the case is clear."

[AClockworkMelon]

Fool of a Took! It's "Fool of a Took!" not "Fool of a Took." !Fool of a Took! He said "Fool of a Took" not "Fool of a Took."! The punctuation was left ambiguous!

[Skald the Rhymer]

Fool of a Took! He said "Fool of a Took" not "Fool of a Took."! The punctuation was left ambiguous!

Stupid fat hobbit! :D

That's the POINT! The exclamation point is not optional.

[jayjay]

"Might there be some hobbit in you?"

If that hobbit is Sean Astin or Dominic Monaghan, I can only hope.

[Wile E]

Merry and Pippin drank Entdraught and grew, this may have changed their genetics and the tall genes got passed on. I thought it was hinted at that hobbits eventually blended in with humans. So maybe those of us short people are descendents of hobbits? You know, sometimes I think my feet are a little too hairy to be normal.

[Skald the Rhymer]

Merry and Pippin drank Entdraught and grew, this may have changed their genetics and the tall genes got passed on. I thought it was hinted at that hobbits eventually blended in with humans. So maybe those of us short people are descendents of hobbits? You know, sometimes I think my feet are a little too hairy to be normal.

SPEAK NOT OF THE ANIMATED ROTK MOVIE!

That way lies madness.

[MegaBee]

SPEAK NOT OF THE ANIMATED ROTK MOVIE!

That way lies madness.

Where there's a whip... there's a way!

[robardin]

I thought it was hinted at that hobbits eventually blended in with humans.

Indeed, Hobbits are originally "a Mannish race" and in the prologues to The Hobbit and The Fellowship Of The Ring, are described as still around but even smaller than formerly and very shy of "The Big Folk". So yes, they're still around, and yes, they could apparently interbreed with humans as they are closer in stock to us than Elves or Orcs and we know that they definitely can as well.

Now somebody else, go on and Google "hobbit pr0n". I won't because I'm at work but I'd be amazed if it came up blank.

[pendgwen]

"I suppose hobbits need some description nowadays, since they have become rare and shy of the Big People, as they call us." - The Hobbit Ch 1: An Unexpected Party

Clearly implies that they are still around just not commonly seen.

[ShibbOleth]

You left out the option that they are fictional characters, fool of Nanook!

[Wile E]

SPEAK NOT OF THE ANIMATED ROTK MOVIE!

That way lies madness.

That was in the animated movie? Heh. It seems odd something I saw once would stick with me more than books that I've read several times.

[Skald the Rhymer]

You left out the option that they are fictional characters, fool of Nanook!

:: makes note in ShibbOleth's file ::

Keep it up, furball. You're one blasphemy of Athena away from a flaming bee-swarm attack.

[Elendil's Heir]

"I suppose hobbits need some description nowadays, since they have become rare and shy of the Big People, as they call us." - The Hobbit Ch 1: An Unexpected Party

Clearly implies that they are still around just not commonly seen.

I voted for option 2, but I suppose you're right. And consider this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_floresiensis

[Septima]

I chose option #1, since I'm pretty sure I'm living with a hobbit throwback. He's in the kitchen right now, frying something that smells lovely.

[Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor]

Humans are at least as evil as Orcs, & a lot smarter.

We wacked em.

And made the toe hair into doileys.

[Intergalactic Gladiator]

They're still around. When in public, one hobbit typically hops on another's shoulders and they wear a trenchcoat and a fedora.

[Biggirl]

Now somebody else, go on and Google "hobbit pr0n". I won't because I'm at work but I'd be amazed if it came up blank.

You know somebody had to do it. Almost all of the porn I saw is not conducive to baby making.

[DocCathode]

My theory is that we Jews are what remains of the hobbits.

We get shorter, hairier and more hobbitish as we age.

We feel compelled to retire to Shirish parts of Florida and live in condos that look like Hobbit Holes.

We deal in mathoms.

We are mortally insulted if we offer a guest food and they turn it down.

[Skald the Rhymer]

My theory is that we Jews are what remains of the hobbits.

We get shorter, hairier and more hobbitish as we age.

We feel compelled to retire to Shirish parts of Florida and live in condos that look like Hobbit Holes.

We deal in mathoms.

We are mortally insulted if we offer a guest food and they turn it down.

Fool of a Took!

Jews are Dwarves. Even the Perfesser admitted it.

[DocCathode]

Fool of a Took!

Jews are Dwarves. Even the Perfesser admitted it.

I'm open to the possibility that we are Dwarves, but I'm just not seeing it. Let's see your evidence and hear your arguments.

[Wile E]

I'm open to the possibility that we are Dwarves, but I'm just not seeing it. Let's see your evidence and hear your arguments.

Do your womenfolk have beards?

[DocCathode]

Do your womenfolk have beards?

Not that I've noticed.

[carnivorousplant]

I believe there are yet Hobbits in the New Jersey prison system.
Lugers, garrottes, pipe weed, insider trading, that sort of thing.

[Chronos]

Not that I've noticed. Let me rephrase that for Wile E: Have you noticed that you have womenfolk at all?

[missred]

::checks toes::

Yep, they married in. :p

[glowacks]

I suppose some married in. Mostly they just went went extinct. Perhaps they were eaten by smilodons, but "other" was a better choice. They didn't adapt to a changing environment, and were out-competed.

[Quartz]

They emigrated to Flores and died there.

[Lobohan]

:: makes note in ShibbOleth's file ::

Keep it up, furball. You're one blasphemy of Athena away from a flaming bee-swarm attack.

Skald Minion #53: "About the flaming bee attacks Lord High Poobah..."

Skald the Rhymer: [Adjusting Poobah hat] "What of them?"

Skald Minion #53: "The bees, well... none of your enemies have been destroyed by them. The bees are burning to death the moment they leave the launcher."

Skald the Rhymer: [Eye twitches, dangerously] "..."

[Elendil's Heir]

I'm open to the possibility that we are Dwarves, but I'm just not seeing it. Let's see your evidence and hear your arguments.

See question 7 and its answer here: http://tolkien.slimy.com/faq/External.html

Further discussion here: http://forums.theonering.com/viewtopic.php?t=99439

[Skald the Rhymer]

Skald Minion #53: "About the flaming bee attacks Lord High Poobah..."

Skald the Rhymer: [Adjusting Poobah hat] "What of them?"

Skald Minion #53: "The bees, well... none of your enemies have been destroyed by them. The bees are burning to death the moment they leave the launcher."

Skald the Rhymer: [Eye twitches, dangerously] "..."

The bees burst into flame only when they sting. I learned from that last debacle with the SuperFriends.