Just a quick question as I did not know where to find the answer or where else to ask this question.

Is Beorning the same as Skinchanger? Thus, are all Beornings Skinchangers? My guess would be not, as in the Hobbit Gandalf explicitly says "He is a Skinchanger" and in the LotR Gloín talks about Grimbeorn being the leader of the Beornings.

Anyone has an answer?

Only Beorn is known to be a skin-changer. The Beornings are his people, but it is never stated that any of them (including Grimbeorn) have the power to change their shape.

Only Beorn is known to be a skin-changer. The Beornings are his people, but it is never stated that any of them (including Grimbeorn) have the power to change their shape.

You didn't give them that ability? **** Beorn

Now on a more serious comment, lotr.wikia states the following: "Beornings also known as Skin-changers", but as far as i know only Beorn is mentioned to be a skin-changer

Yeah, I read that too CJ, but I recently found out that those wikias are quoting themselves an awfull lot.. And no real source..

But there is mentioning of Beorn coming from the mountains and descendant of the First Men, or would you rather imply that the skinchaning is not genetic at all but only for Beorn and not his forefathers or children?

As to not mentioning other skinchangers, there does take a great Bearmeeting place, the night Bilbo and Company sleep in Beorns house. "I think that here outside a real bearmeeting was kept yesterday night."

i think the very fact that gandalf says he is A skin changer implies that there are others, but whether this means they are his people or not... well, i checked the appendices index for mention of it but found nothing and gandalfs introduction of him states he is 'under no enchantment of his own' and that 'some say he is descended from great bears' (not full quotes)

so... it appears to be a hereditary trait.... not a curse, spell or such like...and if it is such, then i would say it supports the chances of beornings being skin changers also, if they are of the same people

ps...ah, just saw Gandalfdk posted similar..sorry

Well, I know in the movie they say he's the last of his kind. That's the impression I got from the book as well, that there were others but not anymore.

perhaps he was secretly maiar... which valar would give the power of shape changing?

Well, I know in the movie they say he's the last of his kind. That's the impression I got from the book as well, that there were others but not anymore.

You are of course right, but some things PJ put in there have no origin at all in the books. "Many of my kind were captured by the Orcs. Caging and torturing Skinchangers seems to be fun for Azog the Deviler." (not full quote) There was never any great hunt for Skinchangers, because as Beorn does mention there are few, and not so many to have a whole hunting game with.

Talk of Peter Jackson only raises my ire. I have a strong suspicion that he will omit, or at least vastly change, Beorn's role in The Battle of Five Armies. As much as he professes to love Tolkien's work, his movies often seem to miss the spirit of the books, in some instances by a rather wide margin.

You are right, danpoage, let's not take this threat a walk down PJ fan or not subject.

Is there anyone else who has clues to.the puzzle?

well, taking a purely off lore view, they (or he if its singular) only featured in the hobbit...which as we know had no connection with the lord of the rings event until it was written after...it may have just been an invention of tolkiens mind for the hobbit, in which he forgot about, or thought had no place (worth mentioning) in middle earth in LOTR

in which case..there wont be an answer written by tolkien... just like the giants arent rementioned... or... the elves are completely different (the idea of elves getting drunk on guard duty is laughable in LOTR elves )

There is some support for Beorn's descendants being skinchangers. Towards the end of chapter 18 of The Hobbit, Tolkien wrote:

"Beorn indeed became a great chief afterwards in those regions and ruled a wide land between the mountains and the wood; and it is said that for many generations the men of his line had the power of taking bear's shape, and some were grim men and bad, but most were in heart like Beorn, if less in size and strength. In their day the last goblins were hunted from the Misty Mountains and a new peace came over the edge of the Wild."

The broad language used in this excerpt (about the last goblins) fits The Hobbit, but I don't know of anything in the Lord of the Rings or elsewhere that contradicts it.

good spot Estel Edain ... if i remember rightly, in the war of the ring the beornings had their own major battle (at the carrock? or am i thinking of something else?) ..anyways, it would have been cool to think they were skin changers... imagine the goblins coming down the mountains and being faced with an army of bears? would have loved to have seen that

Now this mystery is solved,

I like to see a 3rd Beorning. The 2 Beornings we got are great and I would defenitely like to see a 3rd Beorning enter play.

Well, we got a Dale ally all of the sudden, I wouldn't be suprised if another Beorning suddenly joins the fray.