Bestiaries (A book of beasts, “bēstiārium” from Latin “bēstia” meaning “beast, animal”) were medieval books about animals following a long tradition of animal literature from the Classical period onwards. They had chapters on real and imaginary beasts, and their purpose was to both entertain and also teach Christian morals to the reader.
The Middle-earth Bestiary will provide information about where animals appear in the works/adaptions of J.R.R. Tolkien's world and what context they appear in. From the talking fox incredulously watching the group of Hobbits walking through the Shire in The Fellowship of the Ring to Sadoc Burrows declaring Elanor “Nori” Brandyfoot being part-squirrel in The Rings of Power, I hope to eventually provide a resource for fans and scholars to explore the animal kingdom in Middle-earth.
