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N.E. Brigand
Gondolin
Dec 8 2009, 6:26am
Post #1 of 11
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Father Christmas Letters, 1925
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In 1925, we begin to get a bit of story. There is a one-page letter from Father Christmas, plus a short note from a new character, the North Polar Bear. At least, the bear introduces himself as if he were new to the boys, but in Father Christmas’s letter is the offhand comment, “and I haven’t got the North Polar Bear to help me”, as if the N.P.B. should be familiar to the children.
The envelope is addressed in brightly colored letters to John and Michael in “Leeds”, “England”, “Europe”, “the World”. In addition to another homemade stamp (shown below) there is pictured a little holly sprig. In the letter, Father Christmas has a new return address: “Cliff House”, “Top of the World”, “Near the North Pole”, and the letter explains why.
The letter itself is dated Christmas, and there Fr. C. explains that he is again busy, “and not very rich; in fact awful things have been happening”, and some gifts have been “spilt”, and just prior to Christmas he had to move. Why? On a windy November day his hood was blown atop the North Pole – that is the large spike seen in the stamps and in the background of the 1920 picture of Father Christmas’s house (I’m note sure what the other spikes are). Over F.C.’s objections, the North Polar Bear climbed the Pole to retrieve the hood, and the Pole broke, falling onto his roof and damaging it, so that a mass of snow rushed in, “and melted and put out all the fires and ran down into the cellars where I was collecting this year’s presents”. The Polar Bear also fell into the house and broke his leg (and much chastized by Father Christmas, is disinclined to help him again.). So Fr. C. has moved to a new home above a cliff in sight of the Pole. In closing, amidst his well-wishes, Fr. C. notes that the youngest Tolkien, Christopher, (born Nov. 1925), has a “name rather like mine”.
There are two pictures for 1925, again arranged as panels, one above the other, on a single sheet. This time there are some marginal notes describing details of each scene. The first picture shows the accident. Among the notes are “Me! angry”, “the moon laughed”, and “these stars shot!”
The second picture shows Fr. C.’s old house and the North Pole in the center distance, with Fr. C. in a sleigh pulled by four reindeer at the foot of a cliff, atop which sits his new house. Here is a detail showing the new home:
The postscript letter from the North Polar Bear is in “thick writing” because the Bear has a “fat paw”. N.P.B. notes that he lives with Fr. C. and helps him with the gifts. At Fr. C.’s request, he has included “one of his magic wishing crackers” – I think that’s a small noisemaker that sounds when pulled. Here is how the bear signs his note:
There is also includes a little self-portrait:
Questions
(Please feel free to answer only some of these!)
Possibly a question for philatelists rather than about Fr. Christmas: on the envelope, the postmark includes the year written vertically, above which appears: "ATM". What does that mean?
What do you think of this little tale? Why might Tolkien have written it?
Why does Father Christmas cry poverty?
Do you think the N.P.B. had been mentioned before 1925, in a letter now lost?
Before reading these letters, had you ever thought of the North Pole as literally a pole sticking out of the snow? What are children supposed to imagine is the explanation for the pole’s existence? What is it made of? Is it natural or made by F.C.?
Was the terrain at the North Pole known at this time? There is no land there, only ice. Are there cliffs on the ice sheet as large as the one where F.C. builds his house?
If the P.B.’s weight is sufficient to bring down the Pole, was there not a good chance of it falling on its own in that strong wind?
What is the meaning of the celestial activity when the Pole breaks: the laughing moon, the shooting stars, and the one star “that went red” (and in the second picture has “gone yellow again”)? And why aren’t these details explained in the letter itself?
Apart from the damage, compare Fr. C.’s old house in this picture to that in the 1920 image. What has changed? Which version do you like more?
Is the old house drawn too small, relative to Fr. C. and the bear? Why has Tolkien colored the intereior of the houses, as seen through door and windows, red? Why do the reindeer have zebra stripes? What is the orange red and yellow above the new house?
Does the house look irreperably damaged in the picture? Couldn’t it have been mended?
Were crackers a common Christmas gift in England? How do they work?
What is the meaning of the name by which the N.P.B. signs his note?
Further comments or questions about this letter?
(I haven't got much experience with pictures: can anyone suggest why when I scanned these in, each was indicated as being about 50Kb --the usually limit here-- but when I find them saved on my hard drive, they are less than half that size? And so much smaller [and harder to see] here than I would like them to be?)
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We're discussing The Silmarillion in the Reading Room, Aug. 9 - Mar 7. Please join the conversation!
This week: "Of Túrin Turambar".
 Also in the RR, Dec. 7-27: Letters from Father Christmas!
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How to find old Reading Room discussions.
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Aunt Dora Baggins
Elvenhome
Dec 8 2009, 3:59pm
Post #2 of 11
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I've always thought of the North Pole as a pole sticking up out of the snow. That's a pretty common idea in our culture, I think. It seems like I've seen it depicted with peppermint stripes, like a barber pole.
I'm not English (except partially by ancestry) but I think Christmas crackers are a pretty common tradition there. We've had them in our family in recent years. They are paper tubes with a little gunpowder device inside, and wrapped in shiny paper. When two people pull on the ends, the device goes off with a little bang, and inside are a tissue paper crown and a little toy. They're kind of like the New Year's Eve "poppers" that are more familiar in the US.
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"For DORA BAGGINS in memory of a LONG correspondence, with love from Bilbo; on a large wastebasket. Dora was Drogo's sister, and the eldest surviving female relative of Bilbo and Frodo; she was ninety-nine, and had written reams of good advice for more than half a century."
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"A Chance Meeting at Rivendell" and other stories
leleni at hotmail dot com
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Curious
Gondolin
Dec 8 2009, 7:13pm
Post #3 of 11
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I can't answer most of your questions. I think Tolkien was just having fun with his kids. I don't think a great deal of thought went into the letter or pictures, but I do find it delightful that he could think up a whimsical story, including a delightful interpretation of "North Pole," to amuse his children, and that he could compress so much drama into a short letter. Many of the details of this Secondary World are not worked out, which reminds me more of The Hobbit than of LotR, where Tolkien labored over the details.
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GaladrielTX
Dor-Lomin
Dec 8 2009, 7:48pm
Post #4 of 11
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What do you think of this little tale? Why might Tolkien have written it?
I like it. Father Christmas actually has a life apart from the annual delivery of toys. It’s Tolkien’s imagination at work.
Why does Father Christmas cry poverty?
I suppose it’s because he’s always giving things away. There’s no indication of where the things come from, though.
Do you think the N.P.B. had been mentioned before 1925, in a letter now lost?
I didn’t know of the missing 1921 and 1922 letters until yesterday. I suppose NPB could have appeared there or maybe Tolkien mentioned him in conversation some time. I prefer to imagine, though, that Father Christmas just assumes they know who he is, as if he is some important or legendary personage or because NPB is such a fixture in his own life he forgets other people might not know him..
Before reading these letters, had you ever thought of the North Pole as literally a pole sticking out of the snow? What are children supposed to imagine is the explanation for the pole’s existence? What is it made of? Is it natural or made by F.C.?
Yes, I had thought the Pole was a pole like the ones in my backyard with the clotheslines tied to them. They were metal so I suppose that’s how I imagined the North and South Poles. I don’t think I ever considered who made the Poles. I guess if they were metal they would have come from a foundry or something like that, but I probably didn’t know of the existence of such factories as a child.
Was the terrain at the North Pole known at this time? There is no land there, only ice. Are there cliffs on the ice sheet as large as the one where F.C. builds his house?
I don’t know. Probably there are no such cliffs. It doesn’t interfere with my enjoyment, though.
If the P.B.’s weight is sufficient to bring down the Pole, was there not a good chance of it falling on its own in that strong wind?
A polar bear weighs hundreds of pounds. I don’t think wind has that much force. I found the destruction delightful, in a childish way. Kind of like chipping the glasses and cracking the plates.
I also love the picture of the falling Polar Bear and Father Christmas with his arms up in dismay while the moon looks on and snickers.
What is the meaning of the celestial activity when the Pole breaks: the laughing moon, the shooting stars, and the one star “that went red” (and in the second picture has “gone yellow again”)? And why aren’t these details explained in the letter itself?
It’s magic.
Apart from the damage, compare Fr. C.’s old house in this picture to that in the 1920 image. What has changed? Which version do you like more?
I don’t have the book in front of me, and my memory isn’t that good. It’s going to be a challenge answering questions about pictures the next couple of weeks under the circumstances. I do recall one of the houses reminded me of a building I’ve seen a picture of in the Middle East recently. I’m not sure where. Maybe Kabul. It was the domed roof and the poles coming up from it that reminded me of minarets. Does anyone know what I’m talking about?
Is the old house drawn too small, relative to Fr. C. and the bear? Why has Tolkien colored the intereior of the houses, as seen through door and windows, red? Why do the reindeer have zebra stripes? What is the orange red and yellow above the new house?
I imagine the red in the windows represents warmth and firelight from inside. Regarding the other things you’ve asked about, my memory of the picture fails me.
Does the house look irreperably damaged in the picture? Couldn’t it have been mended?
Well, I didn’t think to question this, but I suppose so.
Were crackers a common Christmas gift in England? How do they work?
I sure would like to try one some time. I sent a box of them to a friend for Christmas one year and was tempted to buy one myself but restrained myself. I do know they’re little, paper-wrapped cylinders that you pull apart and that make a noise, and inside is a small gift. I wonder how loud they are.
What is the meaning of the name by which the N.P.B. signs his note?
If this is the note where he signs it “Great (Polar) Bear”, at first I thought it meant he was Ursa Major, the Big Dipper. In a later letter, though, we find out our Polar Bear is related to him. So the meaning remains unclear to me.
The contrast in penmanship to Father Christmas' writing piqued my curiosity. I wonder if Tolkien wrote it or had someone else do it. Note the Polar Bear's "fat paw" makes the penmanship fat. In the transcription, the publishers have used a fat, bold font which I thought was appropriate.
Further comments or questions about this letter?
Looking a the envelope, it tickled me to know that I'm not the only one to have ever written out my address, including my country, continent, and "The World".
Regarding the letterhead image at the top of the letter, look at that fancy "C" and the even fancier "T". Father Christmas sure loves fancy writing, just like a certain Hobbit.
Father Christmas mentions he has just moved and says, " you can imagine what a state everything is in and you will see why I have a new address…" I noticed that, although Father Christmas addresses this letter and the previous one in 1924 to the boys at 2 Damley Road, the 1923 letter went to11 St. Marks Terrace. So the boys really have experienced moving and could relate. I thought that was a nice touch.
Similarly, we learn the Polar Bear can be sulky and Father Christmas can be cross, just like people in real life. We're getting to know more about the old man's personality, including faults, than we normally get in Christmas stories, hmm? He seems to be drawing the kids in as friends.
Father Christmas has written in the margin, "The man laughed". Did anyone else think of the little dog laughing in "The Man in the Moon Came Down Too Soon"? For what it's worth, according to Wikipedia, he had The Hobbit published in 1937 so this is from much earlier.
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The TORNsib formerly known as Galadriel.
(This post was edited by GaladrielTX on Dec 8 2009, 7:50pm)
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Dreamdeer
Doriath
Dec 8 2009, 8:05pm
Post #5 of 11
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1. I would guess that Father Christmas pleaded poverty and/or the destruction of gifts in order to cover JRRT's inability to provide some requested gift or other.
2. The light over the house might be the aurora borealis.
3. I think the North Polar Bear's signature indicates a tremendous opinion of himself.
4. Notice that he can suddenly become quite dextrous when drawing his own portrait!
Life is beautiful and dangerous! Beware! Enjoy!
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Darkstone
Elvenhome
Dec 8 2009, 9:04pm
Post #6 of 11
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The bear fell down and broke his, er....
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Possibly a question for philatelists rather than about Fr. Christmas: on the envelope, the postmark includes the year written vertically, above which appears: "ATM". What does that mean?
Possibly an “airmail etiquette” (“Air Transit Mail”?). Airmail Etiquettes are the little stickers that say “Air Mail” and/or “Par Avion” which instruct the postmaster to send the letter by air mail. I note that before 1930 letters going by air mail had to have a stamp with the surface rate of the originating country and an air mail stamp of the country which provided the air delivery. Apparently in JRR Tolkien’s world the North Pole is British and so doesn’t need an additional stamp for letters delivered to Leeds.
Another tantalizing possibility is that it is a pen cancellation. Usually stamps are cancelled either automatically by a machine or manually by a hand stamp. A third method is by a postal worker simply writing his initials. In which case, who is ATM?
By the way, during this period there were several polar expeditions. Such expeditions usually planned on picking up a little extra money by carrying mail to be postmarked at the North or South Pole. The resulting covers would be sold to the public. (They’re worth up in the four or five figures today.) One wonders if Tolkien’s stamp conceit was partially inspired by that?
What do you think of this little tale?
Nice.
Why might Tolkien have written it?
As a Christmas gift for his kids. Hand made gifts supposedly show you truly care.
Why does Father Christmas cry poverty?
A good excuse if Santa doesn’t bring everything the kids ask for. Tolkien planned ahead.
Do you think the N.P.B. had been mentioned before 1925, in a letter now lost?
Dunno.
Before reading these letters, had you ever thought of the North Pole as literally a pole sticking out of the snow?
Doesn’t every kid when he/she first hears the phrase “North Pole”?
What are children supposed to imagine is the explanation for the pole’s existence?
Once they start wondering that then the fantasy ends.
What is it made of?
Candy cane.
Is it natural or made by F.C.?
Yes.
Was the terrain at the North Pole known at this time?
There were accounts from Cook and Peary. There were also plenty of accounts from various failed expeditions.
There is no land there, only ice. Are there cliffs on the ice sheet as large as the one where F.C. builds his house?
Ice pressure ridges can reach pretty high. That's why it was difficult getting to the North Pole.
If the P.B.’s weight is sufficient to bring down the Pole, was there not a good chance of it falling on its own in that strong wind?
Maybe, maybe not. But with the combination of both weight and wind there obviously was.
What is the meaning of the celestial activity when the Pole breaks: the laughing moon, the shooting stars, and the one star “that went red” (and in the second picture has “gone yellow again”)?
It’s an event of celestial magnitude when Ursa Major falls out of the sky.
And why aren’t these details explained in the letter itself?
If it was explained in the letter why bother drawing? I do laugh at Polaris turning red, but then I admit to a low-brow sense of humor.
Apart from the damage, compare Fr. C.’s old house in this picture to that in the 1920 image. What has changed?
There seems to be a basement.
Which version do you like more?
The Schloss Adler version which predates Where Eagles Dare (1968). BTW, the real castle is Burg Hohenwerfen, built in the 11th Century.
Is the old house drawn too small, relative to Fr. C. and the bear?
Small on the outside, big on the outside. Like Baba Yaga’s Hut.
Why has Tolkien colored the intereior of the houses, as seen through door and windows, red?
Ask my wife. She wants to paint the living room red. She says it will make the room seem warmer. I'm careful not to say what I think.
Why do the reindeer have zebra stripes?
Camouflage.
What is the orange red and yellow above the new house?
Northern lights.
Does the house look irreperably damaged in the picture?
Not the roof.
Couldn’t it have been mended?
Have a bear fall into your house and see how much structural damage you end up with.
BTW, I note tree lover Tolkien’s falling NPB predates Plane Stupid’s “Polar Bears Falling Out Of The Sky” global warming video by a good 80+ years. Maybe the Tolkien Estate should sue.
Were crackers a common Christmas gift in England?
Dunno.
How do they work?
http://www.associatedcontent.com/..._holiday.html?cat=22
What is the meaning of the name by which the N.P.B. signs his note?
I assume it’s a take on the constellation of The Great Bear. Of course the North Polar Bear seems to actually be The Little Bear since it’s Polaris that glows red when NPB falls on his tail.
Further comments or questions about this letter?
Since it's Polaris (the little bear's tail) that glows red when NPB falls I somewhat suspect it wasn't NPB's leg that was broken, but rather a portion of his anatomy that isn't mentioned in polite company. I bet Tolkien's kids giggled like crazy.
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That hobbit has a pleasant face,
His private life is a disgrace.
I really could not tell to you,
The awful things that hobbits do.
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squire
Gondolin
Dec 9 2009, 12:02am
Post #7 of 11
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A Tower/Castle on a cliff? In Tolkien? You're kidding....
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When I read about Father Christmas moving to "my new house on the cliffs above the North Pole" in 1925, I had a flash that this was not the only fantasy house on a cliff that Tolkien had imagined in 1925. That summer, he had told the story that eventually became Roverandom to Michael and John. In Roverandom, our hero dog Rover is flown to the Moon on the back of Mew the seagull. There he finds the home of the Man in the Moon.
"...the moon was all laid out below them...where the tall pointed mountains threw their long shadows far across the floor. On top of one of the tallest of these, one so tall it seemed to stab up towards them as Mew swept down, Rover could see a white tower. ...the tower stood on the edge of a white precipice, white as a cliff of chalk, but shining with moonlight..." (Roverandom, 22)
Here are the two pictures, the first from the Father Christmas letter of 1925; and the second from Roverandom - painted in 1927 but illustrating that passage written in summer of 1925.
 
Interesting pair of images! I wonder what was impelling Tolkien, to imagine the Man in the Moon in such a setting while spinning a yarn for his boys that summer of 1925, and then to have Father Christmas basically move into the same location later that year. Could it be that Roverandom's adventure was invented during a beach holiday in which:
"...the Tolkiens rented an Edwardian cottage...built high on a cliff overlooking the beach and sea. From this vantage point the view to the east was unobstructed..." (Roverandom, Introduction, ix)
Tolkien, of course, lived in the green gentle landscape of the English Midlands. Was this his first introduction to the prospect of a structure built high on a sheer cliff, commanding a broad view - an image which (along with preoccupying his fantasy landscapes at that time) recurs several times in The Lord of the Rings?
squire online:
RR Discussions: The Valaquenta, A Shortcut to Mushrooms, and Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit
Lights! Action! Discuss on the Movie board!: 'A Journey in the Dark'. and 'Designing The Two Towers'.
Footeramas: The 3rd TORn Reading Room LotR Discussion; and "Tolkien would have LOVED it!"
squiretalk introduces the J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia: A Reader's Diary
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Dreamdeer
Doriath
Dec 9 2009, 6:47pm
Post #9 of 11
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Life is beautiful and dangerous! Beware! Enjoy!
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sador
Gondolin
Dec 10 2009, 7:33am
Post #10 of 11
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Haven't read the letters, so I must resort to nitpicking...
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Was the terrain at the North Pole known at this time?
There were accounts from Cook and Peary. There were also plenty of accounts from various failed expeditions.
And next year, there was the successful expotition of Christopher Robin (another of this name!) and Winnie the Pooh.
And yes, they did find a pole.
Is the old house drawn too small, relative to Fr. C. and the bear?
Small on the outside, big on the outside inside. Like Baba Yaga’s Hut.
Like the Cottage of Lost Play, if you don't mind. This is Tolkien not Mussorgsky.
"Of what sort are the women of that land?"
- Saeros
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Dreamdeer
Doriath
Dec 10 2009, 5:12pm
Post #11 of 11
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Both Mussorgsky and Tolkien reveled in folklore and fairy stories. The tales of Baba Yaga predate Mussorgsky by centuries. Tolkien, as a lover of fairy-stories, would know about her. Indeed, she pops up in the Andrew Lang books, and he knew those well. So her hut could have influenced him, including for the Cottage of Lost Play.
Life is beautiful and dangerous! Beware! Enjoy!
(This post was edited by Dreamdeer on Dec 10 2009, 5:13pm)
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