Bombur (Russian: Бомбур) is one of the thirteen dwarves of Thorin Oakenshield's company, who participated in the Quest for Erebor to reclaim the Lonely Mountain and the treasure captured by the dragon Smaug. Bombur is best known for his extraordinary stoutness — among all of Thorin's companions, he was the largest and heaviest. After Smaug's death, he settled in Erebor, where he lived for the rest of his life.

Family and Birth

Nothing is known about Bombur's parents. Among his relatives, Tolkien's works only mention his brother Bofur and his cousin Bifur.

Although Bombur was descended from the dwarves of Moria, he did not belong to Durin's line. His exact date of birth is not given anywhere.

However, it can be approximately determined. In his memoirs, Bilbo Baggins wrote that Fíli and Kíli were about fifty years younger than the other participants of the quest. It is also known that after Thorin's disappearance, Balin remained the oldest in the company.

Since Balin was born in 2763 of the Third Age, and Kíli in 2864, it can be concluded that Bombur was born between 2763 and approximately 2814. Thus, during the Quest for Erebor, he was roughly between 127 and 178 years old.

Before the journey began, Bombur most likely lived with Thorin and the other exiles in the Blue Mountains after the loss of King Thráin II.

Quest for Erebor

In 2941 of the Third Age, Bombur was among the last dwarves to arrive at Bag End. When Bilbo abruptly opened the door, four guests literally tumbled inside one on top of another: Thorin ended up at the bottom, and heavy Bombur on top.

He wore a pale green hood and immediately asked for a pork pie with salad. Later, when Thorin proposed making music, it was Bombur who sat down at the drum.

During the encounter with the three trolls, Bombur and Bifur fought fiercely and were not easily captured. Their stubbornness so annoyed the trolls that after capture, Bombur was placed near the fire. Later, he reproached Bilbo for trying to steal the troll's purse instead of immediately warning the others of the danger.

During the escape through the goblin tunnels, Bombur carried Bilbo for a while. Although he constantly grumbled, sweated, and complained about the burden, he still continued walking with the company.

When the travelers were surrounded by wargs, Bombur took refuge in a pine tree along with Thorin, Bifur, and Bofur.

Later, at Beorn's house, Gandalf deliberately arranged for the dwarves to arrive in small groups so that the host would not be frightened by the large number of guests. Bombur was supposed to appear last and alone, as he was the fattest. However, the offended dwarf refused to wait and came with the others.

The Enchanted River

Bombur's most famous adventure occurred in Mirkwood.

Beorn had warned the travelers not to touch the waters of the Enchanted River. Despite their caution, during the crossing, a frightened deer rushed across the bridge, and Bombur fell into the water.

His companions managed to throw him a rope and pull him ashore, but he almost immediately fell into a deep enchanted sleep.

For the next six days, the dwarves took turns carrying the heavy Bombur, which significantly slowed their progress through the forest.

Upon waking, he remembered absolutely nothing of the events of the quest. It seemed to him that the journey was just beginning. Learning that he had slept for almost a week, his first concern was about food: while he slept, the others had finished the last supplies and left nothing for him.

Weakened, Bombur complained that his legs would not support him, sat down on the ground, and burst into tears. Then he tried to tell his comrades about the beautiful dreams he had during the enchanted sleep, but Thorin sharply cut him off, declaring that everyone was tired of Bombur's constant complaints and that they should have left him in the forest if he hadn't woken up in time.

After that, Bombur continued to complain of weakness and ask for help. When no one wanted to support him, he finally refused to go further, lay down on the ground, and declared that he would rather stay there dreaming of food than continue the painful journey.

Elven Feasts and Spiders

It was at that moment that the first mysterious feast of the Wood-elves appeared nearby.

Since Bombur's memory after the enchanted river was gone, he completely forgot the warnings about Mirkwood's enchantments and wanted to go to the lights immediately. The others restrained him, although Bilbo even tried to defend his comrade.

When the travelers finally approached the feasters, the vision instantly vanished.

Later, almost the entire company was captured by giant spiders. Despite Bombur being the fattest of the dwarves, Tolkien notes that by this point even he had become very thin from hunger.

The spiders decided to eat Bombur first. When one approached, the dwarf managed to kick it with his last strength. The spider fell from the branch and was briefly in a ridiculous position, but this only delayed the execution for a short time.

After being freed, Bombur was so exhausted that he simply fell out of the tree. Fortunately, the thick foliage softened his fall. His entire body was covered with bruises and contusions — it is hard to say whether they came from spider bites or from his comrades' impatient attempts to revive him.

Journey in Barrels

After escaping from the Wood-elves' palace, the dwarves floated down the Forest River inside empty barrels.

When the journey ended, Bombur was found lying unconscious. It was unclear whether he was asleep or simply had lost strength after a long stay in the icy water.

At the Lonely Mountain

When the company reached Erebor, Bombur and Bofur stayed in the valley to look after the ponies while the others climbed to the secret door.

Bofur was willing to take turns climbing up the rope to relieve the lookouts, but Bombur flatly refused. He honestly admitted that he was too heavy for such climbs: either he would get dizzy or the rope would not hold.

Nevertheless, when the enraged Smaug flew out of the mountain, his comrades literally hauled Bombur up, where he was drenched in sweat and barely catching his breath.

Siege of Erebor

After Smaug's death, Thorin refused to negotiate with the Men and Elves and prepared for a siege.

Most of the dwarves supported their leader. The exceptions were Fíli, Kíli, and Bombur. Later, Bombur confessed to Bilbo that he thought what was happening was wrong, but he did not dare to openly argue with Thorin.

When Bilbo secretly took the Arkenstone at night to give it to the allies, he met Bombur on watch. The dwarf complained about the cold and dreamed of being in a warm room.

Bilbo offered to take his place.

During the conversation, both admitted to each other that they thought Thorin was too stubborn. Bombur called the whole situation sad and noted that Thorin had always been incredibly stubborn. He himself dreamed only of a soft bed, a mug of strong drink, and a good dinner.

Bilbo indeed stood guard for him for the rest of the watch, and later woke Bombur after midnight. The dwarf sincerely thanked his friend.

Battle of Five Armies

Bombur took part in the Battle of Five Armies and survived the battle.

After the victory, the new king Dáin Ironfoot allotted him a share of the treasure of Erebor. It was there that Bombur settled, making the Lonely Mountain his permanent home.

Later Life

In December 3018 of the Third Age, Glóin told Frodo Baggins in Rivendell that Bombur was still living in Erebor.

Over the decades, he had become even fatter. According to Glóin, Bombur had grown so stout that he could no longer even walk from his bed to the table on his own. It took six young dwarves to lift him.

Given his advanced age and near immobility, it is unlikely that Bombur participated in the subsequent Battle of Dale during the War of the Ring.

Early Versions of the Story

While working on The Hobbit, Tolkien repeatedly revised the character of Bombur and certain episodes involving him.

In one of the earliest drafts, Bombur literally produced a drum out of nowhere. Later, Tolkien abandoned this fairy-tale element, and in the final version, the drum is simply brought from the hall of Bag End.

Tolkien scholar John Rateliff believes that in the early stages, the writer deliberately endowed the dwarves with almost magical abilities to emphasize their mysterious and fairy-tale nature against the backdrop of the completely ordinary Bilbo Baggins. Later, this idea was significantly toned down.

Changes also affected other scenes.

In the original version, before the encounter with the trolls, it was Bombur and Bofur who unsuccessfully tried to light a fire in the pouring rain, after which they quarreled, and then Dori and Nori joined the fight.

In the published novel, Tolkien completely changed this episode. Now the best fire-makers are named as Óin and Glóin, but it was they who could not handle the wet wood that night and started arguing themselves.

Bombur's family ties also changed. In early manuscripts, Bifur and Bofur were his cousins. After the spider attack, it was they who helped the exhausted Bombur continue walking.

Later, Tolkien changed the genealogy: Bofur became Bombur's brother, and Bifur remained only a cousin. This change was retained in the final version of the book.

Another revision concerns the scene at the Lonely Mountain. In the original version, Bifur, seeing Smaug fly out, shouted to save his brothers Bombur and Bofur. After the text was revised, he called them his cousins.

Interestingly, in the unfinished revision of The Hobbit that Tolkien worked on in 1960, Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur were presented as personal companions of Thorin Oakenshield. According to John Rateliff, they may have served as courtiers or an honor guard of the heir of Erebor.

Although this idea did not make it into the final text, some traces of it remain. It is these three who arrive at Bag End with Thorin, and later take refuge with him in the same pine tree during the warg attack.

Adaptations and Other Works

Films

"The Hobbit" (1967)

In the first animated adaptation, Bombur is completely absent. Instead of thirteen dwarves, Thorin is accompanied only by an unnamed guard and the Princess of Dale.

"The Hobbit" (1977)

In the Rankin/Bass animated film, Bombur was voiced by Paul Frees.

Unlike the book, here Bombur is one of the few dwarves with a noticeable number of lines. However, his fate differs significantly from the literary original: after the Battle of Five Armies, he dies from his wounds, perishing along with Thorin and several other dwarves.

"The Hobbit" film trilogy (2012–2014)

In Peter Jackson's films, Bombur was played by Stephen Hunter.

The filmmakers presented the character as follows:

Brother of Bofur and cousin of Bifur. The head cook of the dwarf company. His enormous size and incredible appetite constantly cause funny situations for both himself and the other members of the quest. Despite his impressive size, Bombur can be a very dangerous fighter. And woe to anyone who makes him late for dinner.

In the main version of the films, Bombur hardly speaks and remains primarily a comic character. The only notable line appears only in the extended edition of "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies", where he addresses Bifur after the latter pulls an axe out of his head.

Radio Dramas

"The Hobbit" (1968) — Bombur was played by Duncan McIntyre.

"The Hobbit" (1979) — the character was voiced by Pat Franklyn.

"Der Hobbit" (1980) — in the German radio drama, Bombur was played by Herbert Grünbaum.

"Hobit" (1989) — in the Slovak version, the character is present, but the actor is not officially credited.

Games

The Hobbit (1982)

In this computer game, Bombur is absent. The only constant companion of Bilbo is Thorin Oakenshield.

The Hobbit (2003)

In the game, Bombur was voiced by Daran Norris, although his name was not credited.

The Lord of the Rings Online (2018)

In the MMORPG, Bombur lives in Erebor and is most often found in the Hall Under the Mountain, where he is in charge of the storerooms and food supplies, holding the position of Keeper of Provisions.

After the Battle of Dale, he, along with other surviving members of the quest, visits the tomb of Thorin Oakenshield, located near the burial place of King Dáin Ironfoot.

Additionally, at the Thorin's Hall inn in Ered Luin, one can order a popular beer called Bombur's Beard Lager, named after the famous dwarf.