Fifth hobbit illustration. When Bilbo meets Beorn the skinchanger. Acrylic ink and black pen. Bh:914946 JKG 2025

Little bit of cultural folklore context here. Beorn is an anglosaxon equivalent name of the Norse name Björn/Bjørn which means bear (Bjarni/Bjarne is another variant with the same meaning).

A skinchanger is someone who puts on the skin of another animal and then transforms into that animal. Think of the berzerker, the elite viking warriors known for wearing bear or wolf skins and going "berzerk". The word berzerk comes from berserkr - ber(bear) + serkr (skin clothing).

Beorn is my favorite character in the book, he is immensely strong and powerful, he is disagreeable and suspicious of strangers and a fierce enemy. However he is loyal and kind to his friends. What shows the depths of his character as well is his love for his animals which he views as his children.

It’s best to have this guy on your side.