Editing Beorn (section)

== Appearances ==

[[File:Beorn by JMKilpatrick.jpg|thumb|upright|''Beorn'', by J. M. Kilpatrick, 2013]]

Beorn lives in a wooden house on his pasture-lands between the [[Misty Mountains]] and [[Mirkwood]], to the east of the [[Anduin]]. His household includes an animal retinue (with horses, dogs, sheep, and cows); according to [[Gandalf]], Beorn does not eat his cattle, nor hunt wild animals. He grows large areas of [[clover]] for his [[Honeybee|bees]].<ref name="Hobbit Queer Lodgings" group=T/> Gandalf believes that Beorn is either a descendant of the bears who had lived in the [[Misty Mountains]] before the arrival of the giants, or a descendant of the men who had lived in the region before the arrival of the dragons or Orcs from the north.<ref name="Hobbit Queer Lodgings" group=T/>

He is of immense size and strength for a man and retains these attributes in bear-form. He has black hair (in either form) and a thick black beard and broad shoulders. While not a "giant" outright, Beorn's human form is of such great size that the three and a half foot tall [[Bilbo Baggins|Bilbo]] judges that he could have easily walked between Beorn's legs without touching his body. When Bilbo meets him, Beorn has "great bare arms and legs with knotted muscles", and wears "a tunic of wool down to his knees."<ref name="Hobbit Queer Lodgings" group=T/> Beorn names the large rock by the [[River Anduin]] the Carrock; he had created the steps that led from its base to its flat top.<ref name="Hobbit Queer Lodgings" group=T/>

Beorn receives Gandalf, [[Bilbo Baggins]] and [[List of The Hobbit characters#Thorin's company|thirteen Dwarves]] and aids them in their quest to reclaim their kingdom beneath the [[Lonely Mountain]]. He is convinced of their trustworthiness after going out and confirming their tale of encountering the [[Orc (Middle-earth)|Goblins]] of the Misty Mountains and Gandalf's slaying of their leader, the Great Goblin. As well as giving the group much-needed supplies and lodging, Beorn provides them with vital information about what path to take while crossing Mirkwood.<ref name="Hobbit Queer Lodgings" group=T/>

[[File:Rolfs sidste kamp - Louis Moe (17009) - cropped.png|thumb|upright=1.25|[[Bödvar Bjarki]] fights in bear form in his last battle. Lithograph by [[Louis Moe]], 1898]]

Later, hearing of a vast host of Goblins on the move, Beorn arrives at the Lonely Mountain in time to strike the decisive blow in the Battle of Five Armies. In his bear form he kills the Goblin leader, Bolg, and his bodyguards. Without direction, the Goblin army is scattered, forming easy pickings for the other armies of [[Man (Middle-earth)|Men]], [[Elf (Middle-earth)|Elves]], Dwarves, and [[Eagle (Middle-earth)|Eagles]]. Beorn often leaves his home for hours or days at a time, for purposes not completely explained.<ref name="Hobbit Queer Lodgings" group=T/> It is said that "Beorn indeed became a great chief afterwards in those regions and ruled a wide land between the mountains and the wood; and it is said that for many generations the men of his line had the power of taking bear's shape and some were grim men and bad, but most were in heart like Beorn, if less in size and strength."<ref name="Hobbit Return Journey" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1937|loc=ch. 18 "The Return Journey"}}</ref>

In the years between the Battle of Five Armies and the [[War of the Ring]], Beorn emerges to become a leader of the woodmen living between the Anduin river and the fringes of Mirkwood.<ref name="Hobbit Return Journey" group=T/> As stated by Glóin in ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'', the Beornings "keep open the High Pass and the Ford of Carrock."<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a|loc=book 2, ch. 1 "Many Meetings"}}</ref> In the events leading up to the War of the Ring, the Beornings assist [[Aragorn]], who was taking [[Gollum]] to Mirkwood so that [[Gandalf]] could find out what Gollum knew about the [[One Ring]], to cross the Anduin.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1980|loc="The Hunt for the Ring"}}</ref>