About Hobbits...

[Frandîr]

I have recently found myself rewatching some of Tolkien's interviews and in one for the BBC he states that "having already constructed the world, they (hobbits) became drawn into it".

I wonder if there has been any discussion on how to fit hobbits into the narrative of creation and the coming of the Children of Ilúvatar.

• Can they be placed as a result of Melkor's dissonance to the music?
• Or are they just a simple evolution of Men? (created by that same dissonance?)

Just like Aule's creation based on what he saw in the vision, but not fully understanding it, the dwarves came to be not quite similar to elves in terms of complexion, stature and so on.

Maybe Melkor's intention of creating something crept into his dissonance and unavertedly aided in the creation of the most unlikely creature imaginable...

...maybe that's how Hobbit's came to be as a "different" version of men...idk...i'm just thought balling here. What do you guys think?

 

[Amalcarin]

Tolkien stated on several occasions that the Hobbits were a branch of Men and not a different kind, so in the end their origin must have been like that of other Men, I suppose. Also the Hobbits are not the only short and in other relations unusual race of Men: another example is the Drúedain. So I do not think that the existence of the former must be more problematic than the existence of the latter. I also doubt that the origin of the Hobbits depended on the dissonance of Melkor influencing the theme of the Children of Ilúvatar, although this is how Tolkien explained the origin of the Orcs in one place (the end of text VII of Myths Transformed).