The recent Rings of Power trailer finally shed some light on some of the places and the peoples that were seen in the first trailer. It confirmed and expanded upon many concepts, like the importance of Gil-galad in the elven city of Lindon, and the rivalrous factions between Tar Miriel and her cousin Pharazon in Numenor. The recent trailer also expanded upon the character of Nori, a harfoot hobbit whose peaceful, idyllic perception of the world is shattered when a meteor comes flying overhead and changes everything she knew. Her story can draw several parallels from those of both Bilbo and Frodo several thousand years later. The four harfoots at the end of the trailers, wandering off into the distance, call to mind memories of Sam, Frodo, Merry and Pippin setting off on their adventures.

The harfoots are essentially the great ancestors of the hobbits seen in The Shire in the Third Ages, when the Quest for Erebor and the War of the Ring take place. They are one of three types of ancestors. The other two include the Stoors, the water-loving variety who live in holes near the river (of whom Gollum is believed to be descended) and the Fallohides, the taller, more regal breed who are known for their bravery and love of adventure. So this calls into question two things: Will the other two denominations of hobbit ancestry appear anywhere in the Rings of Power? And will the harfoots themselves be an accurate representation of Tolkien’s ancient hobbits?

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From the offset, there are some interesting stylistic choices being made for the harfoots, both in the costumes that they wear, and the way they speak. In the voice-over at the start of the trailer, the harfoot elder state in a strong Irish accent:

“Elves have their forests to protect. Dwarves their mines. Men their fields of grain. We harfoots have each other.”

His manner of speech is reminiscent of the countryside rural communities depicted in many films and books across the years. This conjures a great sense of the idyllic and quaint existence already associated with The Shire from Peter Jackson’s movies. The sentiment behind the words also feels very true to the hobbits and their love of a simple, good life, rather than a need for gold or status. The harfoots only want to look after each other, and stay safe and unseen as they have done for years, and don’t want to go getting involved in grand quests and epic journeys. This all feels very true to the hobbits the audience knows and loves from the later stories.

Harfoots dancing in the woods

On the other hand, on the topic of their clothes, there have been some interesting debates. The trailer's harfoots are seen in several outfits that could be of a ceremonial nature, the kind of thing that is donned for celebrations and rituals like harvesting the crops. They could also be for camouflage, as appears to be the case with the young harfoot who blows the whistle in the field of corn, blending in to the background with a cloud and headdress of corn herself.

This is an interesting concept, because it suggests that as part of hiding themselves away, the harfoots had a complex system of look-outs, guards and messengers who would report back of any strangers or trespassers who entered the lands. This can plausibly fit in with Tolkien's original writings for the harfoots. Even by the time they migrate to The Shire hundreds of years later, there is a similar system in Frodo and Bilbo’s time, including archers with weapons to protect the borders. The emphasis on blending in with the land is also nice to see, as the hobbits' love of nature and things that grow stems from the harfoots. However, some fans have suggested the costumes are a little too outlandish, and head towards making a mockery of this ancient species of hobbit.

Harfoots hugging each other

They do stick to the previous portrayal of merriment within hobbit culture though. The new trailer creates a scene of the harfoots dancing in the woods, shaking musical gourds with berries in their hair, which fits with Tolkien’s portrayal of hobbits as fond of food and drink, and general excuses to celebrate the vitality of life.

However, this changes drastically when the meteor arrives. There are some scenes in the trailer that show devastation as two harfoots hug each other emotionally, possibly just having lost their home and their friends or family. This is corroborated by the closing scene of four harfoots seemingly on the run, seeking out a place of safe refuge. Their feet and the bottom of their dresses are covered in dark marks which appears to be ashes, suggesting that the meteor or the man contained within it may be the start of an epic battle which burns their home to the ground. Perhaps this is what leads them to find The Shire, tying in with Tolkien’s concept that what they long for most, above all else, is home.

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