The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Poweris offering viewers a history lesson on Hobbit-holes.The Rings of Powerseason 2has been powering through the range of fantasy races and species popularized by the esteemed J.R.R. Tolkien, including pre-Hobbit races like Harfoots and Stoors. With the Fallohides now being the only ancient pre-Hobbit race thatThe Rings of Powerhas left to adapt,the prequel show is providing a deep dive into the history of Tolkien’s beloved Third Age Hobbits. The Stoors are taking center stage and giving viewers an educational insight into their creatively designed homes.
Rings of Power’sStoorsare living in the eastern land of Rhûn, an area unexplored by Peter Jackson’sThe HobbitandThe Lord of the Ringsmovies. Stoors living in Rhûn is an invention on the show’s part, as Stoors were never associated with Rhûn in Tolkien’s writings. Instead, the source material placed Stoors “by the banks of the great river Anduin,” which ran parallel to the Misty Mountains. These Rhûn-dwelling Stoors are, nonetheless, occupying homes with strong ties back to Tolkien’s canon. These homes visualize crude, Second Age versions of familiar Hobbit dwellings.
The Rings Of Power’s Stoors Provide An Origin Story For Hobbit-Holes In The Shire
The Stoors Are Teaching Viewers The History Of Hobbit-Holes
InThe Rings of Powerseason 2, Stoor leader Gundabel explains to Nori what Stoor homes are like. Tanya Moodie’s Gundabel lets Nori know thatStoors have been living in Smials for generations. These holes are dug into the arid rock and earth of Rhûn. Like Tolkien said in the prologue toThe Lord of the Rings, “All Hobbits had originally lived in holes in the ground.” It seems that the show is creating an origin story forLord of the Rings’Hobbit-holes, also known as Smials, suggesting that they could’ve been originally devised byStoors in Rhûn.
Will Nori Become The Founder Of The Shire In The Rings Of Power?
Nori Could Become A Key Figure In Hobbit History
The Rings of Powermay be building towards Nori founding the Shire. By depicting pre-Hobbit Smials inthe Second Age of Middle-earth, the show is likely suggesting that this concept somehow made its way to the Shire. Tolkien didn’t specify whether it was Harfoots, Stoors, Fallohides, or all three that first developed Smials, leaving the show able to apply some creative license.There were no Harfoot, Stoor, or Fallohide characters specified inThe Lord of the Rings; the Hobbit ancestors were just outlined roughly. So, Nori is an original character, making any Shire origin story non-canonical.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerseasons 1 and 2 are streaming on Prime Video, with new episodes out every Thursday.
All pre-Hobbits in the show are original characters. This imagination on the show’s part is entailing luscious landscapes, scenery, and set designs, if not faithfulness to the text.There’s currently no better candidate than Nori for bringing the idea of the Stoors' Smials backwest. Nori is a traveler by nature and will go west once she has helped the Stranger find out about his past. Plus, Nori’s conversations with Gundabel inThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerreveal her longing for a true home, which she may have to establish herself with the well-known Shire.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Cast
Set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power explores the forging of the iconic rings, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, and the epic events leading up to the stories in J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic novels. The series chronicles the creation of legendary characters and the historic alliances and rivalries that shape the fate of Middle-earth.
