Though early references to them date back to the 19th-Century, Hobbits, as we now recognise them, were first mentioned by the author JRR Tolkien in 1937, who made them the main characters of his books, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Although often described as a 'fairy tale', The Lord of the Rings is actually much darker and more adult than a children's story.

Hobbits are short, humanoid, mythical creatures that live in underground shelters often called, quaintly enough, 'hobbit holes'. Sometimes referred to as 'halflings', most of the species have brown, curly hair covering their heads and their feet. Rather unadventurous, hobbits prefer to stay inside their own communities rather than be sociable with others. They enjoy food very much (having as many as 6 meals a day, plus snacks), and are quite partial to tobacco - both genders smoking it through a pipe as depicted.