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bruinen
Bree
Jun 23 2013, 2:48pm
Post #1 of 41
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History of the Hobbit discussion: Chapter 1(a)
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The Book: The History of the Hobbit by John D. Rateliff This Week: Chapter 1(a), The Pryftan Fragment Next Week: Chapter 1(b), The Bladorthin Typescript Blatant rip-off of other reading room intros, if I may (thanks CuriousG and others!) Welcome to The History of the Hobbit discussion thread! As other RRoom leaders state: These chapter discussions are open to everyone -- all you need is to have read the book and have an opinion, question, and/or comment. This is absolutely not for experts only - everyone's participation is welcome, whether you are a veteran of the Reading Room or brand-new, and whether you've commented on other chapters or not. Feel very free to jump right in. Overview: The highlight of this chapter is getting to read the surviving piece of Tolkien’s very first opening chapter. It’s both alike and unlike the book version we know today, and (for the film fans) not too far removed from the movie version. (!) The character names for the wizard, chief dwarf, and dragon are different, but the other characters mostly have their names already. It's amazing to me that the whole premise of the burglary is firmly in place at this earliest of stages. Genius! It’s not necessary to read my notes (below) but be my guest. )Note, this is not a complete summary, just some highlights that might make discussion points. ) Chapter 1(a) --The Pryftan Fragment is the “very first stage of writing that grew out of the scribbled line ‘In a hole in the ground…’ --it is six surviving pages of manuscript from the middle of what is now Chapter One…corresponding roughly to pp 25-32 of the first edition. --Pryftan is the first name Tolkien used to refer to the dragon now known as Smaug. --Rateliff structures all chapters in THOTH this way A) introductory comments B) footnotes to intro comments C) text of the manuscript D) footnotes to the ms E) his observations F) footnotes to his observations. Notes according to those parts: A) Introductory comments: there are six pages from the original opening chapter, the first text penned by Tolkien for The Hobbit. Specualtion about the fate of the missing pages and final comment that we don’t know—Prof. Tolkien’s papers were quite scattered when they were packed up and sent to Marquette and some items are still retained by the family. Whether the other pages are truly lost or just separated from the papers at Marquette, no one knows. B) Footnotes to intro: Tolkien scribbled the following note in pencil on the third sheet of this fragment: “Only page preserved of the first scrawled copy of the Hobbit which did not reach beyond the first chapter.” There is also an early version of the Map (in the frontispiece of the one-volume edition.) C) The manuscript: The Pryftan Fragment starts with the line, “As they sang, the hobbit felt the love of beautiful things made by hands and by cunning and by magic moving through him; [added: A fierce and jealous love, the desire of the hearts of dwarves. Then] something Tookish awoke within…” --The action, in order: Bilbo hears the dwarves singing (song not identified); they all sit in the dark (dark for dark business) and Gandalf (Thorin) speaks, outlining the plan…Bilbo shrieks, passes out…they lay him on the drawing room sofa, then resume the discussion…Dwalin speaks, Bilbo recovers and rejoins the group, bit more discussion; Bladorthin (Gandalf) asks Bilbo to fetch a lamp; the map is spread out, the secret door pointed out; The dragon is named (Pryftan), the plan for burglary revealed, reason: warriors are very busy fighting one another in far lands.” --Gandalf is called Bladorthin in this version. Tolkien often abbreviates him as “Blad” or even Bld. or Bl. --Thrain is called Fimbulfambi. Thorin is called Gandalf. --Speaking parts: in the Fragment, characters with dialog are: Bilbo, Gandalf (Thorin), Bladorthin (Gandalf), Dwalin, Gloin, Balin. There are references to Fili and Kili’s youth. --On the sixth and final page Tolkien wrote the following list of dwarves’ names: Dwalin Balin Fili Kili Dori Nori Oi Oin Gloin Bifur Bofur Bombur Gandalf. (Where we would expect Ori, it is clearly spelled Oi.) --Bilbo makes a reference to China! “Tell me what you wish me to do and I will try it—if I have to walk from here to [cancelled: Hindu Kush] the Great Desert of Gobi and fight the Wild Wire worm<s> of the Chinese. I had a great-great-great uncle Bullroarer Took and—“ --The mountain is called “The Black Mountain.” D) Notes on the manuscript: the first time Tolkien writes Gandalf (Thorin), he wrote Dwa and crossed it out. Speculation that he might have first considered Dwalin for Chief Dwarf’s name…or had simply started to write “dwarf.” Black Mountain: Black is crossed out in favor of The Mountain…and it is unnamed on the map. E) Rateliff’s Observations: The Took/Baggins dichotomy already well-established. The motif of the “unexpected party” is clearly present. Two references to Bilbo as the “fourteenth member” make it clear that Bladorthin’s (Gandalf’s) withdrawal from active participation had been foreseen from the outset. One line from the song is present in the fragment, with speculation that the rest of it was contained in the lost portion: “To claim our long forgotten gold.” There is a section about nomenclature (dwarf names from the Elder Edda/Dvergatal). A long section on Geography, including the inclusion of real-world China. Speculation that Tolkien did not originally place The Hobbit in the world of the Simarillion…discussion of the original map (fairly close to the version we all know.) --the original runes on the early map say this, “five feet high is the door and three may walk abreast Stand by the grey stone when the crow knocks and the rising sun at the moment of dawn on Durin’s Day will shine upon the keyhole. “ At some point later the word crow is crossed out and “thrush” written in. Then the whole thing is crossed out and replaced with this: “Stand by the grey stone where the thrush knocks. Then the setting sun on the last light of Durin’s Day will shine on the key hole.” F) footnotes to Rateliff’s observations: Balin is the only dwarf name that is a mystery—does not actually come from the Edda even though Tolkien always claimed the Edda was the source of all dwarf names. Speculation that Tolkien modified “Vali” from the Edda to “Bali/Balin.”
My Avatar: the desk Tolkien used when he wrote The Hobbit...now on display at Wheaton College.
(This post was edited by bruinen on Jun 23 2013, 2:50pm)
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CuriousG
Half-elven
Jun 23 2013, 5:13pm
Post #2 of 41
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Thanks for the extensive notes, Bruinen. What strikes me are the names he began with. While "Bladorthin" sounds ridiculous compared to "Gandalf," it sounds akin to "Fingolfin," so it wouldn't be much different from a Silmarillion name, and it also sounds like many of the names invented by other fantasy writers. How attached do people get to a character because of their name? There's a certain friendly sound to Gandalf (even though he's not warm and fuzzy), but would readers have connected with the wizard if the book were identical and someone just did a search&replace with Bladorthin? I think he'd wind up getting reduced to nicknames like Blad, the way JRR did himself. Balin: my guess is that Tolkien wanted to keep everyone in pairs and triplets, so he came as close to "Dwalin" as he could get, and he may have felt compelled to use Dwalin as being the closest word to Dwarf. Pryftan: I'm so very glad he changed that one. "Smaug" doesn't particularly scare me as a name (Morgoth and Ugluk do), but "Pryftan" sounds a little light-hearted to be a dragon's name. Though it has a nice archaic sound to it, I'll give it that. I'll put the China reference in with the invention of golf. It's hard to picture anyone in the Shire or anyone else in LOTR playing golf after the hobbits invented it. Funny anecdote, however, and maybe hobbits traded golf clubs to China in exchange for silk.
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Brethil
Half-elven
Jun 23 2013, 5:36pm
Post #3 of 41
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Really enjoyed reading through it! I have read the Voluspa with the names on this site (for anyone who would like a peek) http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/poe/poe.pdf and its neat to read them through and see how they evolved. I'm curious ( ) to know if there is an approximate date for the early map you mention?
Manwe, when asked a simple "Yes" or "No" question, contemplated, and responded "the middle one."
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bruinen
Bree
Jun 23 2013, 6:48pm
Post #4 of 41
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Thanks, Brethil--for the comment and the link! Rateliff pegs it somewhere between 1930 and 1935. Tolkien states in several different letters that he remembers doing them [the map and then the first draft of chapter one] in the corner of his house on 20 Northmoor (he moved there in 1930)...but that it was before moving to 22 Northmoor in 1935.
My Avatar: the desk Tolkien used when he wrote The Hobbit...now on display at Wheaton College.
(This post was edited by bruinen on Jun 23 2013, 6:48pm)
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Brethil
Half-elven
Jun 24 2013, 12:25am
Post #5 of 41
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Manwe, when asked a simple "Yes" or "No" question, contemplated, and responded "the middle one."
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sador
Half-elven
Jun 24 2013, 9:53am
Post #6 of 41
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Normally I call my replies "Answers", but this time you haven't asked any questions... I am also way behind schedule in the Silmarillion discussion; but I've decided to stop over here; my apologies to Maciliel, noWizardme and CuriousG. Dwalin speaks As you might have noticed from the Dvergatal, Dwalin was actually one of the most important dwarves in Northren sagas. I have long wondered whether this was reflected in the early drafts. If you're interested, read here. warriors are very busy fighting one another in far lands. This somehow survived into the printed version; but nothing in Tolkien's later developing of the mythology fits with it. In fact, it doesn't make quite sense in light of the later events regarding the Necromancer. Gandalf is called Bladorthin in this version. Tolkien often abbreviates him as “Blad” or even Bld. or Bl. I'm not sure the abbreviations mean much; Tolkien seems to use this type of shorthand in his letters as well. It's interesting that Tolkien did seem to like this name - as he re-used it later for one of the mysterious characters, the King for whose armies thrice-forged spears were made, but they were never delivered. Who was he? Nobody knows. I am surprised that all of the RR regulars who've read this didn't notice the snigger-factor. I hope they won't read the last sentence. Thorin is called Gandalf. A dwarf's name from the Dvergatal. Shippey explains that it means "staff-elf", and that this wierd name, out of place in a dwarf-tally, sparked the idea of a wizard with a staff, intimately connected to elves, which is somehow involved with a migration of dwarves. A brilliant idea, and one which seems very plausible before reading The History of the Hobbit. Now it appears that Tolkien was more fascinated by the staff, as a symbol of authority of the leading dwarf (the name might indicate however that Tolkien was by now more interested in the connections between elves and dwarves, rather than seeing them as antagonistic races - leading to the ultimate positive portrayal of dwarves in later writings). But perhaps something like Shippey suggested might have pointed him to removing the name "Gandalf" and inversting the wizard with it. I think Rateliff discusses Thoirin's new name elsewhere - we'll wait until we get there. Bilbo makes a reference to China And to the Hindu-Kush. Does he think Pryftan is a member of al-Qaeda? For a stay-at-home hobbit, Bilbo knows quite a bit of Geography! Well, this idea of a hobbit with knowledge in this topic is re-used in a less ridiculous setting - when Frodo tries to pass in Bree as Mr. Underhill, who is intersted in such esoteric subjects. The mountain is called “The Black Mountain.” As originally were the Ered Nimrais, the White Mountains of Gondor. Tolkien loved the name, but couldn't find were to fit it. He had to settle for the black stone of Erech, and the river Morthond (Blackroot) which rose from beneath them. the first time Tolkien writes Gandalf (Thorin), he wrote Dwa and crossed it out. Speculation that he might have first considered Dwalin for Chief Dwarf’s name…or had simply started to write “dwarf" See above. At some point later the word crow is crossed out and “thrush” written in. One wonder's if Tolkien at first thought of crows as positive birds - long before the raven/crow distinction. Balin is the only dwarf name that is a mystery I personally like the theory which connects whom to Arthurian legends, which would make him ear-marked for distinction from the get-go. Do you happen to know if Tolkien wrote anything about Sir_Balin in his Fall of Arthur? I haven't read it yet. --Speaking parts: in the Fragment, characters with dialog are: Bilbo, Gandalf (Thorin), Bladorthin (Gandalf), Dwalin, Gloin, Balin. There are references to Fili and Kili’s youth. --On the sixth and final page Tolkien wrote the following list of dwarves’ names: Dwalin Balin Fili Kili Dori Nori Oi Oin Gloin Bifur Bofur Bombur Gandalf. (Where we would expect Ori, it is clearly spelled Oi.) --Bilbo makes a reference to China! “Tell me what you wish me to do and I will try it—if I have to walk from here to [cancelled: Hindu Kush] the Great Desert of Gobi and fight the Wild Wire worm<s> of the Chinese. I had a great-great-great uncle Bullroarer Took and—“ --The mountain is called “The Black Mountain.” D) Notes on the manuscript: the first time Tolkien writes Gandalf (Thorin), he wrote Dwa and crossed it out. Speculation that he might have first considered Dwalin for Chief Dwarf’s name…or had simply started to write “dwarf.” Black Mountain: Black is crossed out in favor of The Mountain…and it is unnamed on the map. E) Rateliff’s Observations: The Took/Baggins dichotomy already well-established. The motif of the “unexpected party” is clearly present. Two references to Bilbo as the “fourteenth member” make it clear that Bladorthin’s (Gandalf’s) withdrawal from active participation had been foreseen from the outset. One line from the song is present in the fragment, with speculation that the rest of it was contained in the lost portion: “To claim our long forgotten gold.” There is a section about nomenclature (dwarf names from the Elder Edda/Dvergatal). A long section on Geography, including the inclusion of real-world China. Speculation that Tolkien did not originally place The Hobbit in the world of the Simarillion…discussion of the original map (fairly close to the version we all know.) --the original runes on the early map say this, “five feet high is the door and three may walk abreast Stand by the grey stone when the crow knocks and the rising sun at the moment of dawn on Durin’s Day will shine upon the keyhole. “ At some point later the word crow is crossed out and “thrush” written in. Then the whole thing is crossed out and replaced with this: “Stand by the grey stone where the thrush knocks. Then the setting sun on the last light of Durin’s Day will shine on the key hole.” F) footnotes to Rateliff’s observations: Balin is the only dwarf name that is a mystery—does not actually come from the Edda even though Tolkien always claimed the Edda was the source of all dwarf names. Speculation that Tolkien modified “Vali” from the Edda to “Bali/Balin.”
'But my father loves them,' said Túrin, 'and he is not happy without them. He says that we have learned all that we know from them, and have been made a nobler people; and he says that the Men that have lately come over the Mountains are little better than Orcs.' 'That is true,' answered Sador; 'true at least of some of us. But the up-climbing is painful, and from high places it is easy to fall low.' Who was right? Join us in the Reading Room, for the discussion of Of the Coming of Men into the West, beginning on June 9!
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Brethil
Half-elven
Jun 24 2013, 1:18pm
Post #7 of 41
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Excellent question Sador - but no, Sir Balin is not mentioned in Fall of Arthur. Gawain (our Dwalin sound-alike, so similar to the ear) features most prominently at Arthur's side as his right-hand.. He mentions Lionel, Ector, Bors, Blamore, Bediver, Baldwin, Brian, Marrac and Meneduc, Errac, Iwain, Cedivor and Cador. And Lancelot of course. Among the names the excess of loyal B's is an interesting parallel to the naming of Men, and brothers identified by the first name letter.
Manwe, when asked a simple "Yes" or "No" question, contemplated, and responded "the middle one."
(This post was edited by Brethil on Jun 24 2013, 1:18pm)
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noWizardme
Half-elven
Jun 24 2013, 2:48pm
Post #8 of 41
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China and other real-world locations
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Somewhere (can I find it now? Of course not!) I read the idea that it was significant that Tolkien removed references to identifiable modern real-world places. The idea, as I recall it, was that Tolkien was moving towards a more standalone imagined world which was at some remove from our own, as opposed to stories where some parts happen in mundane locations, and others in faerie.
Disclaimers: The words of noWizardme may stand on their heads! I'm often wrong about things, and its fun to be taught more.... "nowimë I am in the West, Furincurunir to the Dwarves (or at least, to their best friend) and by other names in other lands. Mostly they just say 'Oh no it's him - look busy!' " Or "Hold off! unhand me, grey-beard loon!"
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dernwyn
Forum Admin
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Jun 26 2013, 9:33pm
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That is a rather "fluffy" name, isn't it? Pryftan - puffytan! So glad that was changed to the philological "joke", Smaug. And "Bladorthin", even though it's Noldorin, sounds too much like "bladder" - totally unappetiizing a name!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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CuriousG
Half-elven
Jun 26 2013, 9:40pm
Post #10 of 41
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sounds too much like "blathering," brother of Blithering the Idiot.
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Maciliel
Valinor
Jun 26 2013, 9:56pm
Post #11 of 41
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bladorthins are actually a thin, crispy lembas wafer, which go great with eagle eggs. cheers -- .
aka. fili orc-enshield +++++++++++++++++++ the scene, as i understand it, is exceptionally well-written. fili (in sort of a callback to the scene with the eagles), calls out "thorRIIIIIIN!!!" just as he sees the pale orc veer in for the kill. he picks up the severed arm of an orc which is lying on the ground, swings it up in desperation, effectively blocking the pale orc's blow. and thus, forever after, fili is known as "fili orc-enshield." this earns him deep respect from his hard-to-please uncle. as well as a hug. kili wipes his boots on the pale orc's glory box. -- maciliel telpemairo
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dernwyn
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Jun 26 2013, 11:54pm
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That's a very faerie-tale type of idea
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That "warriors are very busy fighting one another in far lands". Where's the knight in shining armor? Where's the hero who rescues princesses? Off in other faerie-tales, too busy to enter this one, so an alternative must be chosen! So does this mean that Tolkien intended The Hobbit to be in Faerie, or does it imply that The Hobbit is in a land different from Faerie (Middle-earth)? What intrigues me is the term "Wild Wire Worms of the Chinese". Wireworms are tiny thin things, and I can't find reference to legends of "wild" Chinese ones. Maybe that was some old British nannys' story?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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Escapist
Gondor
Jun 27 2013, 12:01am
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This is why I think that the most accurate place for Legolas to actually be
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would be elsewhere fighting different batttles. (RE: warriors busy fighting in other lands) But - I don't think that this is the best way to go with a movie of The Hobbit made 10 years after LotR by the same team right down to several of the very same actors. It just takes more work to explain what those other battles are and why Legolas isn't in his home realm than it would take to just have him there in the action with the rest of his people. But that's fine, I think I can manage to enjoy the movie with him in it anyway.
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Brethil
Half-elven
Jun 27 2013, 12:01am
Post #14 of 41
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What intrigues me is the term "Wild Wire Worms of the Chinese". Wireworms are tiny thin things, and I can't find reference to legends of "wild" Chinese ones. Maybe that was some old British nannys' story? A very fun bit of alliteration, whatever its source! Sounds very circus-festive at that.
Manwe, when asked a simple "Yes" or "No" question, contemplated, and responded "the middle one."
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dernwyn
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Jun 27 2013, 12:06am
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I've seen the page of it which has the Mountain on it. It was part of a Map exhibit which was making its rounds at museums, and when we took our youngest out to Chicago for college, it was at the Field Museum. So mr. dernwyn and I went with entmaiden and Annael to the exhibit. What a geeky moment, standing in front of that page, examining the handwriting...! Excellent summary of this chapter! What do you think of all of Rateliff's notes, then text notes, then more notes, then notes on the notes...I do get a bit lost in them at times (I have to use multiple bookmarks), but it seems to me that this was the best way he could have organized the vast amount of information he had to share. And I am most thankful that Tolkien was as much of a pack-rat as he was! But "Bladorthin" - ugh, what an ugly name, almost as bad as "Teleporno"! What was he thinking!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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dernwyn
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Jun 27 2013, 12:07am
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Uh-huh, now who's going to rescue you from a burning tree, eh?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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dernwyn
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Jun 27 2013, 12:09am
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...but not by too much!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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dernwyn
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Jun 27 2013, 12:11am
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to see Legolas (or another hero-Elf) travelling with those Dwarves? Who would get shot or hewn first, I wonder!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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dernwyn
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Jun 27 2013, 12:13am
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that it was "Wild Were-Worms", don't know where I'd gotten that from, but I loved the idea of were-worms!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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Escapist
Gondor
Jun 27 2013, 12:15am
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Well at least we get to find out what one person thinks may have happened.
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Escapist
Gondor
Jun 27 2013, 12:16am
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could they be like the worms of Dune? The world may never know. But it sure is fun to wonder about.
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acheron
Gondor
Jun 27 2013, 12:40am
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I thought it was "were-worms" too.
For instance, on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much -- the wheel, New York, wars, and so on -- while all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man, for precisely the same reasons. -- Douglas Adams
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Brethil
Half-elven
Jun 27 2013, 1:12am
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Somewhere (can I find it now? Of course not!) I read the idea that it was significant that Tolkien removed references to identifiable modern real-world places. The idea, as I recall it, was that Tolkien was moving towards a more standalone imagined world which was at some remove from our own, as opposed to stories where some parts happen in mundane locations, and others in faerie. "All I can say is that, if it were 'history', it would be difficult to fit the lands and events (or 'cultures') into such evidence as we possess, archaeological or geological, concerning the nearer or remoter part of what is now called Europe; though the Shire, for instance, is expressly stated to have been in this region...I could have fitted things with greater verisimilitude , if the story had not become too far developed, before the question ever occurred to me. I doubt if there would have been much gain; and I hope the, evidently long but undefined, gap in time between the Fall of Barad-dur and our Days is sufficient for 'literary credibility', even for readers acquainted with what is known or surmised of 'pre-history'. "I have, I suppose, constructed an imaginary time, but kept my feet on my own mother earth for place." Sounds a little like that idea; removing the real-world references through going back in time, and not having it be an exact fit (though as we read he may have considered doing that at an earlier point.) Interesting that I have read about his thoughts of 'the East' as being a reference to a land of implied but poorly understood danger, 'enemy-occupied' lands (later the two Lost Wizards disappear there. Over a Lost Weekend perhaps?) Eliminating a Middle Earth China (and their wiry worms) as described in TH drafts does let that part of the map remain undefined and mysterious.
Manwe, when asked a simple "Yes" or "No" question, contemplated, and responded "the middle one."
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dernwyn
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Jun 27 2013, 2:43pm
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...that you're on the correct Board? This is the Reading Room, dear gal, and at this point Legolas was not even a twinkle in the Professor's eye!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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bruinen
Bree
Jun 27 2013, 7:01pm
Post #25 of 41
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Wow...so glad to see all the discussion here! Shall I pass some chocolates around? Two things that had me thinking about this chapter: 1) the Golf thing--is it or is it not out of place? Obviously Tolkien liked it, as the reference survives into the final published version. I would like to suggest this: it's important for modern readers/film viewers to put ourselves in Tolkien's time and not let ourselves see modern day golf in this reference--but golf as it was in the early 1930s or even earlier. Golf dates back to the Middle Ages, after all. If we can accept Tolkien's use of weaponry circa Middle Ages, why not sports from the same era? So if we shift our thinking into that time frame and envision "golf" in the much simpler form as it was played in Scotland in the early 1400s, the inclusion of golf in TH is a bit easier to accept, I think. What do you think? As a fun aside, there was a law dating 1457 in Scotland that prohibited golf as King James II felt it distracted from the more appropriate pasttime of archery practice for military purposes. I found that a bit humorous...can imagine Thorin cantankerously nixing golf for the same reason. Poor Kili if Bilbo tries to teach him how to play... 2) The reference to China. Since Tolkien removes this in subsequent drafts, we can assume he, too, recognized that it was out of place. I've been thinking this was just a beginner's error--many new novelists make this kind of goof in the early stages of world building, and while we view Tolkien as a master in retrospect, he must have had a learning process like any other writer of speculative fiction (aka as SF/F.) I actually see this in a lot of fan art--example, nicely drawn dwarf, but there's an anachronistic modern day door handle in the background. I think it takes a bit of adjustment in the mind of an artist/writer to catch those sort of subconscious real-world bits. Putting your creative self in a completely different place/time is a bit harder than it looks, I suspect. Anyone else have a thought here?
My Avatar: the desk Tolkien used when he wrote The Hobbit...now on display at Wheaton College.
(This post was edited by bruinen on Jun 27 2013, 7:06pm)
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