They stay in hiding from the humans of Middle Earth, who they seem to fear, but there are also darker forces encroaching on their lands. In addition to the might of the stranger that falls from the sky in Episode 2, there’s also the Wargs that hunt in area. There’s clearly going to be darker days ahead for the Harfoots.
If you’ve just watched the opening episodes of the Amazon Original series, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power then you might be wondering whether or not the Harfoots are Hobbits. They play an integral part in the story, which is set in the Second Age of Middle Earth and with the arrival of the trailer they’re clearly going to be a regular feature in the eight-part TV series.
AdvertisementThe Harfoots look a lot like Hobbits, but they seem smaller, almost too small to be the same. There’s also no mention of The Shire and obviously the name is different, so it’s easy to be of two minds.
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What are the Harfoots?
The simple answer is that the Harfoots in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power are indeed Hobbits. They’re one of three different early races alongside the Fellowhides and the Stoors, who originally resided in and around the Misty Mountains.
In the story Lenny Henry’s character, Sadoc Burrows, talks about being ready to leave their home for a new life, which is the start of the migration of the three types of Hobbits. They will eventually journey to the Shire, which will go on to become their new home.
AdvertisementAs the centuries turn to the time of Bilbo and Frodo, the three types will have crossed to become known collectively as the Hobbits, or Halflings as they’re sometimes referred. If you were paying attention to all of the names of the Harfoots they you might have heard a few that link the ages.
The names are not exact replicas, but time has a habit of changing words. Of the Harfoots that we’ve met in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, the names that span the generations are Proudfellow and Brandyfoot.
In the time of Hobbiton we know that there are families with very similar names to these, so it seems logical to assume that the Harfoots in the Amazon TV series will go on to built the home of the Hobbits. The Brandybucks and the Proudfoots are both popular Hobbit names in the 3rd Age of Middle Earth.
Where does the name Harfoots come from?
AdvertisementIt’s easy to assume that because the Hobbits are referred to by Gandalf and other in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit as Halflings that the name Harfoots is a derivative of this somehow. It’s definitely true that the little people of The Rings of Power have feet that are probably half the size of the stranger, but that’s not where it comes from.
Instead, it’s to do with the feet warming follicles that the Harfoots and the Hobbits are famous for. The name is a portmanteau of hair and foot where Hairfoots becomes Harfoots describing their trotter thatch.
What next for the Harfoots?
Episode 3 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will probably see the kindly Harfoots looking to set off on their migratory journey. Although, the broken foot of Nori’s father could well mean that the party is split.
If that’s the case then some might be left with the stranger, while the main group set off for the lowlands of Eriador, which will go on to be become The Shire.
To find out more about the context of the Harfoots in the show, see our details on what it’s about and when it’s set.
You can also check out our TV news section to see other big releases, or visit the Amazon Prime Video website to see more on The Rings of Power at https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/storefront/.
