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Actually, Tolkien invented Orcs, creatures that were not in classic European mythology. He also thought of changing the names of elves in his works to remove the ideas commonly associated with elves from classic mythology(you know the little tiny creatures with pointy ears and boots). Elves as they appear in most muds are original to Tolkien. Hobbits are original to tolkien. Halflings are from D&D where they were originally called Hobbits but changed due to coppyright problems IIRC. Even the word halfling was used to refer to hobbits in Tolkien's works. Tolkien trolls didn't fit mythology completely either. Mythological trolls were supposed to have magical powers. Tolkien trolls were too dumb for that and much bigger. Although I think the turning to stone durring the day was takin from mythology. I think that Ents are new to Tolkien as well. So were barrow-wights (a term that basicly means graveman and now used in D&D as wight which just means man yet in D&D they are still dead), although wights were used in mythology they were not undead gravecreatures until Tolkien. Mythological wights were land spirits and elves(not Tolkien elves). The only races I can think of that Tolkien actually pulled from European Mythology and didn't twist around completely are Dwarves and Dragons.
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