Are hobbits vegetarian ?

[friendoftheshire]

Except for the time when Sam cooked rabbit stew in Two towers, hobbits seems to be vegetarian. They seem to eat plenty of vegetables - i.e. carrots, mushrooms etc..

Does anybody know of a resource that documents hobbit's diet ?
Or any other instances in the trilogy + the hobbit where they eat meat ?


Thanks

FriendOfTheShire

[Renille]

I wish they were...but no. They talk about eggs and bacon in "The Hobbit," and more bacon with Farmer Maggot's mushrooms in the Farmer Maggot chapter. (Whichever that one was:p ) Your question leads me to MY question...are elves vegetarian? They don't seem to eat all that much...in fact, I only remember lembas mentioned in regards to food. (Yes, I know elves eat other things than that...but that's all I remember except for the feast at Rivendell. And that didn't tell specifics."

[Ñólendil]

One need look no further than the cooked rabbit you mentioned, shirefriend.

[luinilwen]

as far as hobbits are concerned, they probably ate less meat then us (they can't very well walk into a supermarket, can they?) which in fact is healthier for you, however in LOTR they will have less opportunities to eat meat as they are travelling and meat doesn't keep very well, and hunting takes a lot of time (as mentioned by Aragorn!)

as for elves, they do eat other things but i should think that they probably are vegetarians. i can't see elves slaying and eating animals. in FOTR when they feast with Gildor (sounds like a country rather than a person hmm...) Frodo mentions eating wildberries and lovely bread and nourishing draughts etc. elves eat more then lembas , for their waybread is designed mostly for travel (or so i would assume).

[Lightice]

If I remember correctly, in Hobbit, the Elven King loved hunting, and I might guess, that they ate those deers too. Otherwice it would had been even more cruel...
Ofcourse wood elves were "less civilized" than their Rivendell cousins.
I've gotten the idea, that elves really don't need food or sleep, but they do get energy from lembas and that wake-slumber they go sometimes.
Hobbits definately ate meat. There's mention of butcher at Hobbit, plus rabbit-scene at LotR. Sam also mentioned fish in that scene.
But I wonder what dwarves ate...
They lived mostly underground, so they had to pick from rats, bats and mushrooms, it seems, if they didn't have trading partners, as it seemed to be at mines of Blue Mountains. :D

[afro-elf]

Elves do hunt. Check out the SIL. I agree with Inoldonil. That it would seem they ate them too.

[luinilwen]

lightice: thanks for jogging my memory (it hates exercise) :)

[kennebecc]

In the past few months, I have been reading the Hobbit to four different school classes. I can assure you that Hobbits and Dwarves eat meat, you need only skim through the Flies and Spiders chapter of the Hobbit. The dwarves and Bilbo try to eat a squirrel, and actually shoot a deer that jumps into their path. The Dwarves also seem to have a fondness for eating mutton, which they share with Bilbo during that whole three trolls in the woods scene. The only time that they do not appear to eat meat, is when they are visiting in the house of Beorn.

[bropous]

afro-elf and lightice are [not surprisingly, judging from their prior posts] absolutely correct. Hobbits eat meat, as do Elves. In the Silmarillion, even the Noldor go a-hunting from time to time. They are certainly of an ethical quality which would not kill an animal for no reason, they EATS 'em. Also, they are skilled tanners, as the boats they got from the Galadhrim have "skins" for covers.

As for the assertion that eating less meat is a healthier diet, I must politely disagree. I haven't seen a true "vegetarian" or "Vegan" who doesn't look like a recovering death-camp victim, sallow and pale. We gots incisors and cuspids and bicuspids for a reason, that is, the rending and tearing of flesh. We gots molars for the grinding of vegetable matter. We is omnivores, that's how we developed, and that's what our bodies are set to.

Hmmmm.....reminds me.....what variety of tasty animal will I break my fast upon this morn.... ;) Top it off with a few selections of vegetable matter.....and a little bovine lactation products.....yum yum!

[Kevin McIntyre]

Eating less meat, does not mean eating no meat at all.

[FrodoFriend]

Hey, wait a minute! I'm a true vegetarian and I can assure you, I DON'T look like a recovering death-camp victim. And I know at least 4 other vegetarians who are also in the bloom of health. I don't think eating meat makes much of a difference health-wise either way (at least it hasn't for me), as long as you get enough protein from yogurt & such.

[Menelvagor]

I agree with FrodoFriend, I'm a vegetarian and I'm not about to keel over. I do know what you mean though, I have seen some people like that, but most vegetarians I know are in perfect health.

[bropous]

I think at this point I'll just politely muzzle myself with a pork chop and respectfully retreat to my corner... ;)

[afro-elf]

It may have to do with what kind of Vegetarian you are.

There are Vegans, Lacto-vegetarians, ovario-vegetarians etc.

[bropous]

*gnawing on pork chop bone*

Maybe it was Vegans I was thinkin' of.....

*gnaw gnaw gnaw gnaw*

[luinilwen]

bropous, you are at least partially right. yes we do have the chewing gear for meat, because meat is a good way to get important things in our diet ie. protien and iron. however the point i was making is that THESE DAYS people eat far too much meat (bacon for brekky, meat pie for lunch, huge servings of meat for dinner, etc) when we really only need one small serve of meat a day. however when meat is adequately supplimented by other foods, vegetarians can be healthy (but i've never seen a vegan who didn't look anorexic :p sorry if you're a healthy looking vegan)

[bropous]

LOL, ain't ever set my teeth to a "meat pie" in all me born days! gotta admit the very name puts me off...

I dunno here. I say, folks eat what you like, we just shouldn't lecture to others what to eat....and sorry I laid into the vegetarians in prior posts.... everyone has the right to eat what they choose.....except humans!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[luinilwen]

i don't think humans would taste too good... hmmm kentucky fried human... blech

[ragamuffin92]

Gee, THANKS, Luinilwen -- I just finished my supper!! Man flesh is ORC FOOD (and probably Smeagol food, too, gollum, gollum) :)

[bropous]

Well, Gollum ate babies...mention of "snatching from cradles" in Mirkwood....

[luinilwen]

well gollum and orcs eat RAW human flesh... stewed with the right herbs, who knows? :D the aussie government wants to make kangaroo meat a huge aussie export... i think i'll stick to chicken :p

[FrodoFriend]

Now I wonder what Orc tastes like? Even being a vegetarian I don't think I'd have any qualms about killing Orcs . . . are they tassty, preciouss? Are they crunchable? Are they niccce, nice like fisshes? Little ssquealers . . . :)

[bropous]

I dunno, FrodoFriend, I think any humanoid is automatically struck off the bropous menu!

So are marsupials, for that matter, luinilwen! :)

[FrodoFriend]

What if it's a gingerbread man?

[Ñólendil]

I think the only Elves said to be vegetarian are the Green-elves of Ossiriand, though I'm not sure. They were very upset with anyone that killed animals living in their country, anyway.

As a vegetarian, I'm never offended by someone pretending to eat pork-chops, it's only when the questions start rolling in that I get irritated. I hate that. These range from the idiots asking questions like 'Do you eat mashed potatoes', to the slightly more clever 'So what if I was magically turned into a piece of broccoli, would you eat me then?'. (The answer: no, but I'd feed you to my dog).

[bropous]

LOL, Inoldonil, sort of like the irritation I feel when I state I'm atheist but someone tells me I can't be, I have to be "agnostic".

[Lightice]

I can't understand vegans...
Meat is soo good...I couldn't live without meat...
And I am highly for animal rights, and honestly claim, that all species are on same line. I couldn't hate anything more than torturing, but I don't seem to have much against killing...It happens throughout the animal kingdom, doesn't it? And humans are just another species among others.
Some may concider all this as paradox, but it isn't.

[afro-elf]

Lightice

What is your native tongue? I believe it was you who stated that English was not your first.

Also, Disney like people try to make it sound so nice and acceptable, with names like the Circle of Life , but to dispence with the BS, it just means thatLife Feeds on Life .

Plain and simple. It can not be escaped or denied. If one would study botany, one would see that plant life is alive. If feeds off of our waste which we take from eating other life.

Bropous

Alas! Where werest (sp?) thou earlier. There was a great thread in the general section entitled sama nd frodo and religious beliefs.

One side made promises to return to the fray, but I seems it was just posturing.

The only seeming competetion came from one who was only playing devil's advocate.

Which was great, but the still onslaught made me sloppy and I mixed good and bad arguments together.

If you have some free time you may wanna check it out.

[Wayfarer]

No hobbits weren't vegetarians. And most elves weren't either.

But Beren, for instance, neither atre meat, not killed anything other than the servents of morgoth.

Beorn was as well... notice that both had losts of help from animals?

[Menelvagor]

No offense taken, Bropous.:)

[bropous]

Nooo noooo, AE, I avoid religious debates like the plague, since "I don't have a dog in that fight". Besides, religious disagreements usually make some folks reach for blunt instruments and burning stakes....prefer safety over playing "devil's advocate".....besides, I get really tired, as an atheist, of being portrayed as an agent of Satan hisse'f....some folks jes' don' get it! Either that, or I end up getting told that I don't really believe that which I do. Been dere, done dat, lost the t-shirt. ;)

[Lightice]

Originally posted by afro-elf
Lightice

What is your native tongue? I believe it was you who stated that English was not your first.


It's Finnish. I'm from Finland.
We're mostly known of these things: Nokia, a Finnish company. Santa Claus, who is claimed to live in here (North Pole is quite irrational idea. How would they get reindeers there? ). Mentioned reindeer, that don't look a bit what you think they look. Actually, they look more like big (well, a bit bigger than sheep usually), grey sheeps with horns. Lots and lots of snow and damn cold winters, which is usually true, but currently we have +1 degrees celsius. Midnights sun, seen in northern parts of our country. Sauna, thing, that we Finnish appreciate very much, but becouse of it, many keep us loonies. Naked in room hot enough to boil water in normal sircumstances, and hitting ourselves with twigs :D . But it's very relaxing.
Well, there's you some info about my home country:) .

[ragamuffin92]

Re: (North Pole is quite irrational idea. How would they get reindeers there?
Answer: They fly up by themselves!! (wearing fiberfill overalls, of course!!) :D

[Lightice]

Originally posted by ragamuffin92

Answer: They fly up by themselves!! (wearing fiberfill overalls, of course!!) :D

That flying was invented, becouse USA has so little snow in most parts and that red and white suit of Santa is actually marketing Coca Cola. No kidding. It was a commercial campaing of Coca Cola, which made Santa's suit into what it is today. Old times he wore simply lots of furs.

[ragamuffin92]

I don't believe Coke was in on the flying reindeer and red suit creation, but they very wisely latched onto it and ended up with a immensely succesful ad campaign. I think I heard that a political cartoonist, Thomas nast, made up the suit design in the 1800s. You're right about the no-snow in the states necessitating flying reindeer, tho. (We don't get to use snowshoes here, but we can surf!! :D ) Maybe we can find a "Santamoot.com" site that can clear this up.

[bropous]

Well, you forgot a few things that Finland is known for bewyond your original list, lightice:

The Kalevala; Vainenkommen; Leminnkainen; the legendary "Sampo"; the film "The Day the Earth Froze"; Field Marshal Mannerheim; kickin' the Russkies' teeth down their throats in 1939-1940; 10,000 lakes; the Helsinki Pact; and Ahto [sp?].

Wonderful to see you have mastered English so well, lightice! Are you aware Tolkien also spoke Finnish, and loved the Kalevala?

As for Coca Cola and Santie Claus, I can't attest to his red-and-white suit coming only from the ad campaign, but I still have an old tray from that ad campaign with a painting of ol' Saint Nick taking the "Pause that Refreshes". Great painting. And yes, in the olden days, Saint Nicholas/Sinter Klaus wore robes of fur.

[bropous]

also heard that only pregnant female reindeer keep their antlers in winter... so Santa, the sexist pig, makes pregnant females drag his fat hiney around in the frigid air..... *wink!!!*

"On Dancer, on Prancer, on Donner and Blitzen....oh, Vixen, quit whining about your water breaking! We gots two continents and England left to do! At least you ain't trundling this massive girth down tight chimneys! Cross your legs!" *whip goes crack!!*

[afro-elf]

Lightice

HAKAPALAY


The Finnish ski troopers were so deadly that the Russians called them the White Death and had a kill rate of ten to one.

That the peace treaty signed with Russia made you turn the Lion on the flag towards Sweden and not facing Russia.

Hanoi Rocks

Jari Kurri, Chrsitian Ruutu, Teemu Selanne


That that Finns and the Magyars may be linguistically linked.

That you often jump in freezing cold waters and run back into the sauna.


Finland is KNOWN.

[Strange-Looking Lurker]

Ahhhh!!! bropous is the agent of Saten himself! Quick, someone, get a stake! We need a fire! Hurry, rope! Before he casts a spell on us all! GET THE EVIL ONE!!!!

Ok, ok, sorry, I couldn't help it! No, bropous, I do NOT think you are an agent of the Devil. As wrong as they come, yea, but not demonic.

Man, I didn't know there are so many vegetarians here. Interesting. I've known some who look like their about to die, but I also know some who look quite healthly...just depends on how much they know about what to eat!

[Starr Polish]

I agree with Strange Looking Lurker. I am vehemently (is that the right word?) Christian, but I have several agnostic, atheist and Wiccan friends.
Whootah.

[Wayfarer]

What's with that?
I mean, even if they are wrong, you can still be a friend.

I.E. I consider inoldonil to be a g0ood friend, and He's wrong all the time!

Of course, being such a good friend as I am, I'm more than happy to tell him.

But, how do you feel (Mrs. Starr polish) about the fact that, if what you believe is true, your friends are on thier way to a eternity of suffering? That would (and does) make me feel awful.

[Starr Polish]

It does pain me greatly, and I've talked to all of them about it. I've even written a poem directed at one of my closest and most preciousss ;) friends about how I feel about that very subject! I pray about and for them, but if I come off as I'm trying to 'convert' them, I'll just push them farther away.

It's Miss Starr Polish ;)

[luinilwen]

my brother became a raelian after several years of practising wicca, which has made me fairly tolerant to other peoples beliefs.

but anyway - how did a discussion on the diets of hobbits and elves (and gollum! blech!) turn into a religious discussion?

i don't think my diet's very elvish - i just had a big bowl of cocopops *burp* :p

[Starr Polish]

I was thinking the same thing! Hehe.

[bropous]

you know, afro-elf, I'm not familiar with any claim that the Magyar language(s) is/are branched off from Finno-Ugaric. Interesting, considering their ancestral home....

[bropous]

Okay, okay, no unending suffering discussion, folks, back to the subject at hand.....

Hobbits eat bacon!