In the times before the race of men, the elves and wizards ruled. Great wars fought between the forces of good and evil shaped the future of things. Evil nearly triumphed, as evil often does, but for the deeds of a few small, courageous creatures known as hobbits.
The hobbits of JRR Tolkien’s Middle-earth are simple folk, accustomed to living routine lives and enjoying simple pleasures. Their home—the Shire—is a place where everyone knows everyone, where a good day’s work (or a good day’s play) is held in high regard, and where good food, good drink, and good friends are all the riches anyone needs.
Most hobbits are content with their simple lives and rarely seek anything resembling adventure or mischief. But when danger finds its way to their doorstep, or adventure sweeps them up and takes them along its path (as danger and adventure sometimes do), hobbits can summon courage disproportionate to their small stature. Their loyalty and devotion to friends is unwavering. Their sense of right and wrong is unquestionable. They are, quite simply, good and honest folk.
In the age of man, we could stand to learn a thing or two from such creatures. Our world is complicated. It is overrun with politics, violence, corruption, and greed. We are obsessed with money and possessions. We are selfish, too rarely taking time to spend with our family, friends, and neighbors. We are constantly hurried and rush here and there, filling our bodies with fast food instead of taking time to enjoy a finely prepared meal. At the root of these things are the same evils that corrupted Middle-earth and threatened the hobbits and their simple way of life: selfishness, sloth, thirst for power, and greed.
In writing The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien wasn’t just telling an epic story about a mystical realm filled with fantastic creatures. He was creating a timeless parable that we can use to remind ourselves of the way a good and virtuous life should be lived. The hobbits, with their good-natured, trusting, and loyal personalities, represent the good qualities that people can aspire to.
Within the following pages, we’ll examine the lives of hobbits and the lessons they impart. After all, who hasn’t encountered a few “trolls” in their daily lives? Who hasn’t had to outsmart a slimy creature obsessed with riches and power? Who hasn’t had to summon the courage to face evil when they’d really rather sit down to a piping hot breakfast?
In one way or another we all have our own quests, our own burdens to carry, our own monsters to face—our own adventures. We may not be fighting actual dragons, but it can often seem like we are, and when you get right down to it, evil is evil, whatever form it may take. So be inspired by the little folk of the Shire and find your own way to be simple, good, and true … just like a hobbit.