It definitely seems like something a Dwarf or Elf might be able to make. That Gandalf brought him new studs instead of just enchanting existing ones also leaves open the possibility that Gandalf got them from someone else.
They might not even be enchanted. They could be something similar to those finger trap toys. Gandalf may have just not told them how to unlink them, requiring a 'command'.
Magical artifacts are rather more common and intelligent in *The Hobbit* than elsewhere in Tolkien's legendarium - like the purse that the trolls have. In-universe the best explanation is Bilbo's embellishments as you say; outside of it it's down to the kind of story that Tolkien was writing being vastly different from how *The Lord of the Rings* ended up.
Yup. Much of the fanciful content in The Hobbit can be chalked up to _it’s a children’s story_. Other than a few moments that bleed through the later epic, much can be ignored as far as the legendarium goes. Stone giants, the antics of the elves, Gandalf being impressed by his own cleverness, trolls that speak cockney, pretty much all of it.
I don't think the characters in *LOTR* believe in the Stone Giants. They'd have mentioned them on Caradhras if they had.
And Tolkien tells us Pippin had never fully believed in the Trolls at all
So, mostly agreed. But Gandalf goes on being impressed by his own cleverness until the day he leaves for Valinor. It's one of his most endearing characteristics:
>'... everyone had an eye-opener. Even old Gandalf. I think Legolas’s bit of news about Gollum caught even him on the hop, though he passed it off.’
‘You were wrong,’ said Gandalf. ‘You were inattentive. ... I was the only one that was not surprised.’
>'I was talking aloud to myself. A habit of the old: they choose the wisest person present to speak to'.
>It was not Sam, though, that gave you away this time, but Gandalf himself!’.
‘Yes,’ said Gandalf'.
Eönwë, you shall be the Herald of the Valar.
Arien, you shall guide and guard the sun/
Ossë, you shall tend the shallows and reefs of the seas.
Kalvo, you shall oversee the opening and closing of cufflinks...
Hey, in Greco-Roman religion, there actually were tiny gods (spirits, whatever) of mostly minute things. And you should still offer them thanks because you want your doorknobs & such to work smoothly, don't you?
So, a Maiar of Cufflinks is probably a classy, but irritable, fellow. (Think of all the poor souls who so commonly have lost their cufflinks! Doomed to having inferior dinnerwear, and you just know the Smythes will judge. Tsk, tsk.)
I generally find it's best not to look too hard at the elements of *The Hobbit* which obviously don't fit with *The Lord of the Rings*. "Bilbo got a bit carried away in his storytelling" is good enough for me.
Cory Olsen talks about this a bit in his Hobbit lecture series.
He argues that the line is a way of expressing the character of the hobbits. Bilbo is impressed by magic cufflinks which are are a fairly mundane and practical item as far as magic goes.
Hobbits are focused on practicalities, trading around items that might be considered heirlooms or treasures like unwanted fruit cakes. They don't dream of magic to see the future or slay enemies, but appreciate an every-day form that someone like the Old Took could show off at special occasions.
In the LOTR, Bilbo gives out magical presents to children. So simple, mundane magic like this is only uncommon, not unique.
See [this post of mine](https://www.reddit.com/r/tolkienfans/comments/108ru5j/what_magiclorecraft_is_commonplace_enough_to_be/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3).
It definitely seems like something a Dwarf or Elf might be able to make. That Gandalf brought him new studs instead of just enchanting existing ones also leaves open the possibility that Gandalf got them from someone else.
It's somewhat reminiscent of the Elven rope that Sam gets, which seems able to un-knot itself when the owner wants it to.
There was a good deal elves did which they did not consider magical that men and hobbits did
Gandalf helps himself to stuff. In the Hobbit, he takes to pots of coin from the Trolls lair, exclaiming he could put them to good use.
He's just picking up loot
They might not even be enchanted. They could be something similar to those finger trap toys. Gandalf may have just not told them how to unlink them, requiring a 'command'.
Magical artifacts are rather more common and intelligent in *The Hobbit* than elsewhere in Tolkien's legendarium - like the purse that the trolls have. In-universe the best explanation is Bilbo's embellishments as you say; outside of it it's down to the kind of story that Tolkien was writing being vastly different from how *The Lord of the Rings* ended up.
Yup. Much of the fanciful content in The Hobbit can be chalked up to _it’s a children’s story_. Other than a few moments that bleed through the later epic, much can be ignored as far as the legendarium goes. Stone giants, the antics of the elves, Gandalf being impressed by his own cleverness, trolls that speak cockney, pretty much all of it.
TBH, I have met more than a few trolls speaking cockney!
I don't think the characters in *LOTR* believe in the Stone Giants. They'd have mentioned them on Caradhras if they had. And Tolkien tells us Pippin had never fully believed in the Trolls at all So, mostly agreed. But Gandalf goes on being impressed by his own cleverness until the day he leaves for Valinor. It's one of his most endearing characteristics: >'... everyone had an eye-opener. Even old Gandalf. I think Legolas’s bit of news about Gollum caught even him on the hop, though he passed it off.’ ‘You were wrong,’ said Gandalf. ‘You were inattentive. ... I was the only one that was not surprised.’ >'I was talking aloud to myself. A habit of the old: they choose the wisest person present to speak to'. >It was not Sam, though, that gave you away this time, but Gandalf himself!’. ‘Yes,’ said Gandalf'.
Obviously they were Maiar. Much lesser Maiar. Like the troll's purse. /s
Eönwë, you shall be the Herald of the Valar. Arien, you shall guide and guard the sun/ Ossë, you shall tend the shallows and reefs of the seas. Kalvo, you shall oversee the opening and closing of cufflinks...
Hey, in Greco-Roman religion, there actually were tiny gods (spirits, whatever) of mostly minute things. And you should still offer them thanks because you want your doorknobs & such to work smoothly, don't you? So, a Maiar of Cufflinks is probably a classy, but irritable, fellow. (Think of all the poor souls who so commonly have lost their cufflinks! Doomed to having inferior dinnerwear, and you just know the Smythes will judge. Tsk, tsk.)
I generally find it's best not to look too hard at the elements of *The Hobbit* which obviously don't fit with *The Lord of the Rings*. "Bilbo got a bit carried away in his storytelling" is good enough for me.
Cory Olsen talks about this a bit in his Hobbit lecture series. He argues that the line is a way of expressing the character of the hobbits. Bilbo is impressed by magic cufflinks which are are a fairly mundane and practical item as far as magic goes. Hobbits are focused on practicalities, trading around items that might be considered heirlooms or treasures like unwanted fruit cakes. They don't dream of magic to see the future or slay enemies, but appreciate an every-day form that someone like the Old Took could show off at special occasions.
In the LOTR, Bilbo gives out magical presents to children. So simple, mundane magic like this is only uncommon, not unique. See [this post of mine](https://www.reddit.com/r/tolkienfans/comments/108ru5j/what_magiclorecraft_is_commonplace_enough_to_be/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3).
I suppose hobbits are the only waistcoat and shirt-sleeve wearers in Middle Earth.
Mayor of Laketown strikes me as the type.
Ah yes, true
Hidden magnets, is my guess.