Profile

Brother to Bofur and cousin to Bifur, Bombur is the chief cook amongst The Company of Dwarves. His immense size and voracious appetite causes frequent problems – and laughter – for himself and The Traveling Party. Despite his size he can be surprisingly effective as a fighter – and woe betide anyone who makes him late for dinner! Bombur has a wife and twelve children in movie canon.

History

"Poor, fat" Bombur is frequently described as foolish and being the last for everything. Because he counts for two, he is the last to enter Beorn's house and the last to cross the enchanted river in Mirkwood. And he makes mistakes when he is last: He tumbles with Bifur and Bofur onto Thorin when they enter Bag End last, he enters Beorn's house earlier than intended, and he also slips into the Enchanted river (and falls asleep). He chooses to stay and guard the supplies camp while the others move up Lonely Mountain because he trusts neither mountain paths nor ropes. Later though, he is forced to use the ropes to escape the rampaging dragon Smaug.

Bombur sleeps at several key moments in the book. When he trips into the Mirkwood River, he falls under a spell that makes him sleep for days, burdening the others with his weight as they walked on. And while he is on a midnight lookout in the fortified Lonely Mountain, Bilbo promises to keep watch so that he can sleep in the warmth (Bilbo used this opportunity to sneak the Arkenstone out of the mountain). Incidentally, he was asleep when they opened his barrel after escaping the Elves of Mirkwood and also when Bilbo discovered the secret entrance to Lonely Mountain. Bombur is always last and doesn't enjoy it.