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Old 06-03-2016, 11:49 AM   #15
Varyon
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Default Re: Hobbits: Hungry Quirk, or Human-Sized Appetite?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Phantasm View Post
The books say "six meals a day, when they could get it." That last phrase is key: "when they could get it."
Interesting that their preferred number of meals actually matches up with what Bio Tech predicts. That makes me think maybe they do have dietary needs appropriate for their SM, it's just that instead of eating six hobbit-sized meals they prefer to eat six human-sized ones (thanks to their Gluttony).

Quote:
Originally Posted by jason taylor View Post
Sam was a son of a favored client of a wealthy hobbit. While he would not have done as well as a Baggins or a Took or a Brandybuck, he would have gotton on well.
I think it's safe to say he was stronger than the other Hobbits in the Fellowship, as he consistently carried far more weight in his packs without issue or complaint. Of course, Sam's strength seemed to be more in terms of loyalty and determination - "I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you." Still, he clearly doesn't skimp on the yardwork, and cares for the whole of Bag End by himself with minimal issue, which certainly doesn't imply physical weakness. He probably looks like a typical hobbit, but I suspect has more muscle hiding under a thinner layer of fat than most.
He's almost certainly better off than similar hobbits of his Wealth, simply because his Patron (past and present) is a particularly nice hobbit.

Quote:
Originally Posted by jason taylor View Post
As for Brandybucks, there are hints that they are weirdly martial for Hobbits even more then Tooks. Merry notes offhand that about chopping down evil trees some years earlier. And when the Nazgul came for Fatty Bolger they had a regular system for sounding an alarm almost as if they were used to raids. I wonder if a Brandybuck aristocrat would be as chubby as all that; he might well make up for gluttony by keeping in shape artificially.
IIRC, the hobbits are rather surprised when the bell is rung, as it's been a long time since there were any attacks (there's some implication it was kept around more for calling for help combating fires than combating foes), but hobbits in general are far hardier and more capable of violence than anyone (including themselves, and possibly Gandalf) would anticipate. All four Fellowship hobbits acquit themselves well in combat (in the books, anyway; in the movies, Frodo is useless), and probably the softest of hobbit main characters, Bilbo Baggins, single-handedly wiped out a large tribe of monstrous spiders. Once roused, the hobbits of the Shire throw out their half-orc invaders with minimal issue. That said, Meriadoc probably is the most violent and militarily-competent hobbit we see, although it's unknown if that's just a quirk of his own or a trait shared by the other Brandybucks (who are odd sorts already, what with their love of boats and other such nonsense).
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