Tolkien created hobbits as the small, rural inhabitants of the Shire.
Hobbits are a fictional people in Tolkien’s legendarium, best known for their love of food, gardening, comfort, and quiet domestic life. The Shire is their homeland in northwestern Middle-earth, and its villages and fields provide the starting point for both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
Bilbo Baggins and Frodo Baggins are the most prominent hobbit protagonists. Their modest appearance contrasts with the importance of their journeys: Bilbo becomes involved in the quest for Erebor, while Frodo carries the One Ring toward Mount Doom. Tolkien used this contrast to make extraordinary courage emerge from ordinary-looking characters.
Hobbits are sometimes confused with dwarves because both peoples are short and connected with Tolkien’s adventures. Dwarves are a separate people, associated especially with mining, craftsmanship, and the halls beneath mountains. Ents are tree-like shepherds, while Maiar are powerful spiritual beings such as Gandalf and Saruman.