Hobbit’s Life style

The Shire

       Hobbits are unobtrusive but very ancient people more numerous formerly than they are today; for they love peace and quiet and good tilled earth: a well-ordered and well-farmed countryside was their favorite haunt. Farming, eating, and socializing are the main aspects of their unadventurous georgic life. According to Jackson's trilogy, they enjoy seven meals a day, when they can get them: breakfast, second breakfast, elevensies, luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner, and, later in the evening, supper. Even they prefer eating to a woman.

Hobbit's passion for eating

They do not and did not understand or like machines more complicated than a forge-bellows, a water-mill or a hand-loom, though they were skilful with tools even in ancient days they were, as a rule, shy of the “Big-Folk”. They are quick of hearing and sharp-eyed, and though they are inclined to be fat and do not hurry unnecessarily, they are nonetheless nimble and deft in their movements. They possessed from the first the art of disappearing swiftly and silently, when large folk whom they do not wish to meet come blundering by, and they have developed until, to Men, it may seem magical. But Hobbits have never, in fact, studied any kind of magic and their elusiveness is due solely to a professional skill that heredity and practice, and a close friendship with the earth, have rendered inimitable by bigger and clumsier races.

      

  For they are a little people, smaller than Dwarves: less tout and stocky, that is, even when they are not actually much shorter. Their height is variable, ranging between 2 and 4 feet of our measure. They seldom now reach 3 feet; but in ancient days they were taller. According to Red Book, Bandobras Took (Bullroarer), son of Isengrim the second was 4 foot five and was able to ride a horse. He was surpassed in all Hobbit records only by two famous characters of old; but that curious matter is dealt with in this book.

       As for the Hobbits of Shire, with whom these tales are concerned, in the days of their peace and prosperity they were a merry folk. They wear bright colors. In the book, however, supper is simply an alternative name for dinner; Bilbo only served three official meals at his Birthday Party: lunch, tea, and dinner (or supper). They like simple food such as bread, meat, potatoes, and cheese, and also like to drink ale, often in inns — such as the English country folk, who were Tolkien's inspiration. They have also been known to have a particular fondness for cake. The name Tolkien chose for one part of Middle-earth where the Hobbits live, "The Shire", is clearly reminiscent of the English Shires. Hobbits also enjoy smoking herbs, which they refer to as "Pipe-weed", out of long wooden pipes.

smoking Pipe-Weed and making
 Rings of smoke

This can be attributed to their love of gardening and herb-lore (as exemplified by Sam Gamgee). Another interesting fact is that hobbits have an inordinate liking of mushrooms, preferring them to many other foods. A common pursuit for younger hobbits is mushroom-hunting, and Frodo Baggins said he had stolen Farmer Maggot's mushrooms on at least one occasion. As in Jackson’s trilogy, during the journey Merry and Pippin were amazed to find a plant of mushrooms. 

Mushroom Lovers

Some Hobbits live in hobbit-holes, known as "smials" which resembled the characteristics of the original places where they dwelt underground. They were found in hillsides, downs, and banks. By the late Third Age, only rich and poor hobbits continued to live in smials; the middle-class hobbits usually lived in large, low buildings, like Brandy Hall. Almost every building in the Shire has round doors and windows, a feature more practical to tunnel-dwelling that the Hobbits retained in their later structures. In Bagginses, Bungo Baggins, that was Bilbo’s father, built the most luxurious hobbit-hole for Belladonna Took (and partly with her money) that was to be found either under The Hill or over The Hill or across the Water, and there they remained to the end of their days.

 

A Hobbit-hole related to
Bilbo Baggins

Culture and Events

Hobbits are the most peaceful and loving creature, praising little things and enjoying food at best even they can ignore a beautiful woman Hobbit when it comes to food. They are seekers of happiness and love. Most Hobbits enjoyed farming, food, ales, parties and the giving and receiving of presents. They were usually friendly and happy-go-lucky, although they were often shy of Men. Hobbits prefer peace calm and serenity, which is why Gandalf was frowned upon sometimes, because he brought adventure to Bilbo. Many of them had seen him returning from his long journey to the Lonely Mountain (the journey told of in The Hobbit) with his steed laden with great chests of gold.  Another interesting thing in hobbits is the keen taste in the smoking pipe-weed and blowing smoke rings. This was first started by Tobold Hornblower of LongBottom in the Southfarthing. They were very ignorant and knew little of the happenings of the world. They dwell in Hobbit-Holes (known as Smials).

Hobbits are always aware of their surroundings.  The Hobbits, particularly, of the Shire are very insular and suspicious of other races or anything that disturbs the peace. For their so-called attitude for others, they are called Strangers. Hobbits refer to people outside the Shire as Outsiders, being a very broad term, were simply those foreign to any region. Just as hobbits consider themselves to be right and proper when compared to the outsiders, others consider the hobbits to be the strange, little folk.

The Hobbits of the Shire developed the custom of giving away gifts on their birthdays instead of receiving them. They use the term Mathom for old and assorted objects, which are invariably given as presents many times over or are stored in a museum of (Mathom House). Instead of saying "one hundred and twelve" they say "eleventy two" and that with every other three plus digit number (although in Jackson's Trilogy, Bilbo tells the party-goers that it was his One Hundred and Eleventh Birthday) when Mr. Bilbo Baggins announced that he would shortly be celebrating his eleventy-first birthday with a party of special magnificence, there was much talk and excitement in Hobbiton.

Bilbo's 111th Birthday

 Bilbo was very rich and peculiar, and had been the wonder of Shire for sixty years, ever since his remarkable disappearance and unexpected return. The riches he had brought back from his travels had now become a local legend, and it was popularly believed whatever the old folk might say. Bilbo Baggins called it a party, but it was a package of entertainment. Practically everybody living near was invited. Bilbo met the guests (and additions) at the new white gate in person. There is a tradition in Hobbits to give away presents on their own birthdays. Not very expensive ones, as a rule, and not very lavishly as on this occasion, but it was not a bad system. On the Bilbo’s birthday the presents were very good. The Hobbit-children were so excited that for a while they almost forgot about eating. There were toys the like of which they had never seen before, all beautiful and obviously magical. When every guest had been welcomed and was finally inside the gate, there were songs, dances, music, games and, of course, food and drink. Then, the fireworks by Gandalf: they were not only brought by him, but designed and made by him and the special effects, set pieces, and flights of rockets were let off by him.

Fireworks by Gandalf

 But there was also a generous distribution of squibs, crackers , backarappers  ,sparklers ,torches, dwarf-candles ,elf-fountains, goblin-barkers, and thunder-clap. At once a great smoke went up. It spouted green and scarlet flames. Out flew a red-golden dragon –not life-size but terribly life-like: fire came from his jaws, his eyes glared down; there was a roar, and he whizzed 3 times over the heads of crowd. They all ducked, and many fell flat on their faces. The dragon passed like an express train, turned a somersault, and burst over By water with a deafening explosion.

Life-like Dragon

Then came the final announcements by Bilbo: I regret to announce that- though, as I said, eleventy-one years is far too short time to spend among you-this is the END, I am going, I am leaving NOW. GOOD-BYE. This announcement was the most important part of the grand party.

Bilbo's birthday Speech

Female Hobbits

Rosie Cotton,a mature
Female-Hobbit

                  They resemble the men of the Halfling race, but they are slightly paler and shorter. They still have the characteristic hairy feet of the hobbits. Most hobbit females seemed to be honored and spirited housewives and in certain hobbit cultures, they had quite a bit of authority and status in their family and communities.

 In the extended family and community that Smeagol and Deagol lived in, their grandmother was a Matriarch and had the authority to expel Sméagol from the family when it became known what he had become.

An immature Female-Hobbit

      Another Hobbit-woman is described, was the fabulous Belladonna Took, one of the three remarkable daughters of the old Took, head of the Hobbits who lived across The Water, the small river that ran at the foot of The Hill, it was often said (in other families) that long ago one of the Took ancestors must have taken a fairy wife. But they discreetly disappeared, and the family hushed it up; but the fact remained that the Tooks were not that respectable as of Bagginses, though they were undoubtedly richer. Not that Belladonna Took had any adventure after she became Mrs. Bungo Baggins.

Bungo Baggins and
Belladonna Took

Bungo Baggins, that was Bilbo’s father, built the most luxurious hobbit-hole for Belladonna Took (and partly with her money) that was to be found either under The Hill or over The Hill or across the Water, and there they remained to the end of their days.

Sources:

J.R.R Tolkien, The Lord of Rings, "Prologue" Concerning Hobbits

J.R.R Tolkien, The Lord of Rings, "The Enchanting Prelude"

http://www.google.com/

Shire of Hobbits (2012)