Snippet of Illustration by Lidia Postma
The Nimblefingers (Ge. "Kabûkangala";Ki. "Kultifatát") were a clan of migratory Halfling-kin that had wandered to the Utter South for reasons unknown and settled in the great marshlands of Geshân. One of their best known family-members was Droggo Nimblefingers-Bracegirdle.
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History[]
It was unknown when and for what reasons the Nimblefingers had come to the utter south, though some Avari believed they were descendants of a splintergroup of Halfling-kin who had turned southwards during the Fasattâli-Wandership from Hildorien to the Westlands. The members of the Guild of Elements and The Ty-Ar-Rana both knew about the small and secretive people and secretly guarded and sheltered them from outer dangers and agressive Tribesmen.The By the mid-Third Age only a few families of Nimblefingers lived close to the marshes of Geshân. By the end of the Third Age the Nimblefingers seemed to have vanished without leaving any traces in the myths and tales of the southern men. However the Bracegirdles of the shire had preserved an old legend that one of their forefathers had "come from the South".
Appearance[]
The Nimblefingers were most closely related to the Harfoots and Stoors, possibly sharing the same ancestors.They were quite small, in rare cases about three foot five, but both stout and sturdy by halfling standards and possessed long and clever fingers (which were their eponym).They had dark skin varying from brown to very dark complexions and dark curly hair and brown eyes.
Clothing[]
The Nimblefingers wore simple clothes compareable to the urban men of Kôronânde or Hathor. Woolen tunics, wool or leather vests, trousers reaching barely beyond their knees and broad leather belts.They preferred earth-coloured materials.
Culture[]
The Nimblefingers were simple herders and hoefarmers but also skilled Craftsmen.Only those along the rivervalleys of the Koros sometimes were Traders though they usually shunned the Big Folk.
Language[]
The Nimblefingers had adapted the language of the neighbouring Kîrani in their own way but several archaic words and names prevailing among their people suggested they, or rather their ancestors, had once used the Geshânian tongue.
Notes[]
It is not entirely clear what exactly inspired Tolkien in his creation of Hobbits, they are basically small humans, though they do bear some resemblence to rural fairy creatures from british folklore such as Leprechauns, Hob, Robin Goodfellow, Puck, Bucca etc. and might be rationalized versions of "the small people".
There are tales of tiny or little folk known throughout Africa of which some resemble fairies, the Abatwa, who however are ant-riding wees, the Aziza, who are a tiny pipe-smoking people, who however are sometimes described as having butterfly-wings, the child-like Emete, who however have magical teleporting powers, the Wokulo, invisible very strong thieves, the Yumboes, tiny white or silver haired moonlight-fairies or the Mmoatia, a small people who are guardians of animals.If any of these were inspired by an earlier halfling-like race, they also turned into much more magical and fairy-like creatures, similar to the "crazy Baggins" of later ages shire folktale or the blood-drinking "Gollum"-wraith of woodman myth.