In the hobbit, Gandalf says he tried to find a hero to go on the quest of the company of Thorin Oakenshield instead of a bugler, but couldn't because they were all fighting wars in other lands.
My question which heroes did Gandalf have in mind and what wars were they fighting? @HME
I dont think it is mentioned anywhere, perhaps he refered to the rangers of the north
I've actually wondered that myself. Hmmmm, interesting. I don't know.
Well, Tolkien wrote The Hobbit well before he had any ideas about the Dúnedain Rangers, so I doubt that he had any specific heroes in mind.
True but he was always going back and revising and adding to his universe
@Smeagol's Bane You are correct. However the Dúnedain were not, as a rule, mercenaries or looking to involve themselves in the business of others. They were more about protecting their own while not bringing too much attention to themselves.
The Quest of Erebor took place during the reign of Turgon, the twenty-fourth Ruliing Steward of Gondor and the grandfather of Denethor II. The corrupt King Fengel still ruled in Rohan. Prince Thengel was then dwelling in Gondor, winning honor in the service of Turgon. Perhaps the Men of Gondor were dealing with incursions from Harad and Umbar.
Im not sure if it exactly fits with the time line but given that Tolkien was still heavily building his world at the the time he wrote the hobbit it his highly possible that he is referring to Aragon on an Aragon like character busy fighting for Gondor against Umbar
Well, remember that The Hobbit was not originally meant to be part of exactly the same world as the Quenta Silmarillion. And until Tolkien got well into The Lord of the Rings, the character who became Aragorn was originally himself a hobbit called Trotter. Tolkien hadn't even thought up such lands as Gondor and Umbar when The Hobbit was published.
That just completely humbled my perceptions of Strider.
Oh, wow. As much as I know, I didn't know or expect that.
His poor feet!