Beorn

From the One Wiki to Rule Them All, the Lord of the Rings Encyclopedia.

Beorn was a Northman, and a Beorning chieftain. The people of Beorn once inhabited the North of the Anduin valley between the Misty Mountains and Mirkwood during the last centuries of the Third Age. They guarded the Ford of Carrock from the goblins and wargs.

Beorn was a berserker warrior, with great strength, who could turn into a great black bear. In human form, he appears as a tall, black-haired man with huge arms and a great beard. Beorn kept many animals at his residence, such as horses and dogs. His animals were all extremely intelligent; his dogs, for instance, could walk on their hind legs while carrying things with their forelegs, set the table, and were capable of speech. Beorn's horses could also understand what their master said. Beorn was also capable of speaking in the tongue of beasts, as he could communicate with bears, and when he spoke to his dogs, his words sounded like barks twisted into some form of speech.

Beorn provided shelter to Thorin Oakenshield and his company of dwarves (12 others), Hobbit (Bilbo Baggins), and Wizard (Gandalf), and later helped them to fight against an army of Goblins at the Battle of Five Armies (Third Age: TA 2941). At the Battle of Five Armies Beorn kills the goblin chieftain Bolg. After the battle, Beorn accompanies Gandalf and Bilbo through their journey home until he reaches his house.

Beorn's son Grimbeorn eventually took over his duties as chieftain (Third Age: TA 3018).