Neekerbreekers

Neekerbreekers were abominable and over-grownThe History of Middle-earth, Vol. VI: The Return of the Shadow, The First Phase, IX: "Trotter and the Journey to Weathertop", pg. 166 cricket-like insects that haunted the reeds and tussocks of the Midgewater Marshes.
==History==
Though the exact origin of these creatures is untold, it was said that they "were evil relatives of the cricket" because of the sound that they made, which was "shriller… and even more persistent" then one. On October 2 in the year 3018 of the late Third Age, Strider and the Hobbits made camp for the night in the Midgewater Marshes on their way to Weathertop Hill. In addition to being plagued by an uncomfortable camping-place and insect bites, there were reportedly thousands of Neekerbreekers that "squeaked all round…unceasingly all the night", annoying the Hobbits in particular and driving them frantic. Most of the group found themselves unable to sleep because of them. During the next night, though still uncomfortable, the air was devoid of the sound of Neekerbreekers, since the travelers had left them behind. It was that night that Samwise Gamgee called the creatures Neekerbreekers, though it is untold whether he invented this name or actually knew their name.
==Etymology==
"Neekerbreeker" was an onomatopoeic "invented insect-name" that was supposed to sound similar to the sound emitted by crickets.The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion, "Nomenclature of The Lord of the Rings", pg. 760
==In other versions==
In an early draft, the creatures known as Neekerbreekers were unnamed and were explicitly identified as being "cousins of the cricket".
==In adaptations==
===Middle-earth Role Playing===
In the 1994 Creatures of Middle-earth: A Bestiary of Animals and Monsters supplement of the Middle-earth Role Playing game, Neekerbreekers are described as being 1-2 inches tall, solid meat carnivores, and "relatives of the mosquito" instead of the cricket. They are attracted by waybread and foul swamps. Neekerbreekers can spread an illness known as Yellow Rheum through bites.Creatures of Middle-earth: A Bestiary of Animals and Monsters (2nd edition), pgs. 17-20
===The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game===
In a card set called The Nîn-in-Eilph in The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game, one of the enemy cards is called "Neekerbreekers" which if used, causes a player to deal two damage to a controlled ally.The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game, The Nîn-in-Eilph
===The Lord of the Rings Online===
Neekerbreekers appear in many locations throughout The Lord of the Rings Online.Neekerbreekers on Lotro-Wiki.com While most appear hostile, one Neekerbreeker named SnikenSniken on Lotro-Wiki.com was taken as a pet by a Bree-lander named Roderik Neeker-friend.Roderik Neeker-friend on Lotro-Wiki.com Roderick tasks the player character with hunting sickle-fly wings to provide food for Sniken. When Roderick tries feeding the wings to Snicken, his hands are nearly purposefully bitten off.Quest:Neeker-friend on Lotro-Wiki.com
==Speculation==
It is possible that these creatures were related to the Gryllidae cricket family,Neekerbreekers on The Encyclopedia of Arda or that they represented Katydids or a similar locust from the Acrididae family.
==External links==
*Beware the Neekerbreekers on lingwe.blogspot.com
== Translations ==
Foreign Language 	Translated name
Amharic 	ኘአከርብሬከርስ
Arabic 	نييكيربرييكيرس
Armenian 	Նէկերբրէկերս
Bengali 	নিকেরবারীকের্স
Bulgarian Cyrillic 	Никеркеркърс
Finnish 	Skikirikittäjät
French 	Nicbricqueurs
Georgian 	ჭრიჭკრიკები
German 	Zirperkirper
Greek 	Νεεκερβρεεκερσ
Gujarati 	નેકરબ્રીકર્સ
Hebrew 	ןייכירברייכירס
Hindi 	णेएकेर्ब्रेएकेर्स
Kyrgyz Cyrillic 	Нээкэрбрээкэрс
Macedonian Cyrillic 	Неекербреекерс
Malayalam 	നെക്കാബീക്ക്രിക്സേഴ്സ്
Marathi 	नेकर्सब्रिकर्स
Nepalese 	णेएकेर्ब्रेएकेर्स
Persian 	نههکهربرههکهرس ?
Portuguese (Brazil) 	Crique-craques
Punjabi 	ਨਿੱਕਰਬਰਕਰਜ਼
Russian 	Кровопросцы
Sanskrit 	णेएकेर्ब्रेएकेर्स्
Serbian 	Неекербреекерс (Cyrillic) Neekerbreekers (Latin)
Sinhalese 	ණේකෙර්බ්‍රේකෙර්ස්
Spanish (Spain and Latin America)	Niquebriques
Tajik Cyrillic 	Некирбрееклер
Tamil 	நீக்கீர்பிரேக்கேர்ஸ்
Telugu 	నీకెర్బరీకేర్స్
Ukrainian Cyrillic 	Цвібрики
Yiddish 	נעעקערברעעקערס
==References==
Category:Arthropods
it:Nicchibricchi
uk:Цвібрики