Warning: spoilers ahead for The Rings of Power episodes 1 & 2Lord of the Rings appendices. Located in the Rhovanion region east of the Misty Mountains, the likes of Nori Brandyfoot (Markella Kavenagh), Sadoc Burrows (Lenny Henry) and Poppy Proudfellow (Megan Richards) live a nomadic life among their fellow hairy-footed halflings.
In The Lord of the Rings' Third Age, Harfoots (alongside the Stoors and Fallohides) gradually migrate west, settle in a corner of Eriador they call the Shire, and become the Hobbits fans know and love. Tolkien's writings concerning early Hobbits are both brief and ambiguous, and leave one key question unanswered: how this species went entirely unnoticed for so long. In "Concerning Hobbits," Tolkien writes, "It is clear that Hobbits had, in fact, lived quietly in Middle-earth for many long years before other folk became even aware of them." The same prologue notes that Hobbits mastered the "art of disappearing swiftly" due to their "close friendship with the earth," but precisely how an entire sentient race remained anonymous for so long is a mystery.
Amazon's early Hobbit breeds avoided detection for so long, but the scene fits perfectly with J.R.R. Tolkien's description from "Concerning Hobbits."
Other Hobbit Mysteries The Rings Of Power Can Explain
And while The Rings of Power is at it, a few other Hobbit mysteries could use an explanation... For starters, where did the race come from? The origins of Elves, Dwarves and Men are all documented extensively, but J.R.R. Tolkien never precisely reveals how Hobbits began. That seems like a nugget of information that could potentially hide within the dusty pages of Sadoc Burrows' big book. Might he be tempted to divulge those secrets in The Rings of Power?
In "Concerning Hobbits," Tolkien references a close relationship between Harfoots and Dwarves. That dynamic doesn't seem cemented yet in The Rings of Power, but as Nori's curious nature continues to drive her beyond the limits of Harfoot life, perhaps viewers will witness the first encounter between Harfoots and Dwarves in Rhovanion - a connection that will one day see Bilbo Baggins Thorin Oakenshield's company at Erebor.
The Hobbit mystery most relevant to The Lord of the Rings is why the Harfoots, Stoors and Fallohides all migrated west, stopped wandering the land, and settled in the Shire during the Third Age. Given their natural dislike of adventuring, this huge trek is most irregular for the Hobbit race, and while Sauron's spreading influence may have been to blame, natural explorers like The Rings of Power's Nori could sow seeds for the Harfoots' future.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power continues Thursday/Friday on Prime Video.