What is the difference between a Stoor Hobbit and a Harfoot?

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has introduced viewers to a new breed of halflings called Harfoots. But in season 2, we also encountered another group called the Stoors, further complicating the Hobbit family tree.

The Harfoots, as depicted in The Rings of Power, are nomadic people who value secrecy and constant movement. They are smaller than other Hobbit breeds and have a darker complexion. Harfoots are known for their strong connection to nature and the ability to blend in with their surroundings. They were the first of the Hobbit ancestors to migrate westward, eventually settling in the region that would become the Shire. 

On the other hand, the Stoors are portrayed as a more settled people with a strong affinity for water. They are broader and sturdier in build compared to the Harfoots and are the only Hobbit breed known to grow facial hair. The Stoors prefer to live near rivers and wetlands, and they have developed skills in fishing and boating that set them apart from other halfling groups. 

One of the most significant differences between Harfoots and Stoors lies in their social structures. While Harfoots follow a nomadic lifestyle led by a trail-finder, the Stoors have established more permanent settlements with a leadership role known as the Gund. This contrast in lifestyle reflects the diverse ways in which early Hobbit ancestors adapted to their environments and developed distinct cultural identities.

Are Hobbits descendants of Harfoots or Stoors?

J.R.R. Tolkien’s world is rich with diverse cultures and races, each with its own unique history and characteristics. The Hobbits we know and love are actually the result of centuries of intermingling between different halfling groups. In short, both Harfoots and Stoors contribute to the gene pool of the Hobbits we see in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings. Like Frodo and Sam, the Shire Hobbits are descendants of these earlier halfling races, inheriting traits from the wandering Harfoots and the river-dwelling Stoors. 

It’s not only The Lord of the Rings heroes who have a direct connection with Harfoots and Stoors. The most infamous Stoor in Middle-earth lore is Sméagol, better known by his alter ego, Gollum. Gollum is a thin creature with long fingers who hates sunlight and hides in caves, strangling his prey in the dark.

It’s hard to imagine him as a Hobbit ancestor, but Sméagol’s tragic transformation is a cautionary tale about the corrupting power of the One Ring. So, if Gollum doesn’t look like the Stoors from Rings of Power, that’s because the One Ring twisted his flesh and mind over centuries, prolonging his life and cursing him to live as a monster.