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'''''Errantry''''' is a three-page long poem by [[J.R.R. Tolkien]], first published in 1933.  
'''''Errantry''''' is a [[Hobbit]] poem which was probably composed by [[Bilbo Baggins]], shortly after his return from the [[Lonely Mountain]] in {{TA|2941}},<ref>{{App|TA}}</ref> and probably having heard Elvish tales of the [[First Age]]. The attribution to Bilbo is made because of its similarity to the ''[[Song of Eärendil]]'', believed to be a transformed and applied to the legend of [[Eärendil]] version of this poem.<ref name="Preface">{{AB|Preface}}</ref>


Tolkien commented it as "most attractive." It consists of a complex trisyllabic assonances with a metre that Tolkien invented, and was difficult enough that he never wrote another poem again in this style, though he later did develop another style from this, and the result was ''Eärendil the Mariner''.  
While it referred to original [[Elvish]] names, they were probably fictitious.


This poem was set to music by [[Donald Swann]].  The sheet music and an audio recording are part of the song-cycle [[The Road Goes Ever On (book)|The Road Goes Ever On]].
==Structure==
''Errantry'' was actually one of the cyclical nonsense poems which amused [[Hobbits]], although this one is the longest and most elaborate of the kind found in the [[Red Book]].<ref name="Preface"/>


''Errantry'' later came to be categorised as a [[Hobbits|Hobbit]] poem from [[Middle-earth]].
The poem has complex trisyllabic assonances with an original metre invented by Bilbo, and was obviously proud of them. Such do not appear in other pieces in the Red Book.<ref name="Preface"/>


==Extract==
==List of words==
:"He battled with the Dumbledors,
Below is a partial list of rare and/or obsolete words used in the poem.<ref>{{AB|Errantry}}</ref>
:the Hummerhorns, and Honeybees,
:and won the Golden Honeycomb,and running home on sunny seas,
:in ship of leaves and gossamer,
:with blossom for a canopy,
:he sat and sang, and furbished up,
:and burnished up his panoply."


=="Dumbledors"==
*''[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/aerie Aerie]'', or an invention that rhymes on ''[[Faerie]]''.
'''Dumbledor''' is Old English for bumblebee, the same origin as Albus Dumbledore from J.K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' novels.  
*''[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/argosy Argosies]''
*''[[Belmarie]]''
*''[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cardamom Cardamom]
*''[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/chalcedony Chalcedony]
*''[[Derrilyn]]''
*''[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/dumbledore Dumbledors]'', see also ''[[Dumbledors]]''.
*''[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/errantry Errantry]''
*''[[Faerie]]''
*''[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/filament Filament]''
*''[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/foray Foraying]''
*''[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/furbish Furbished]''
*''[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/gondola Gondola]''
*''[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/gossamer Gossamer]''
*''[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/habergeon Habergeon]''
*''[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/honeycomb Honeycomb]''
*''[[Hummerhorns]]''
*''[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/malachite Malachite]''
*''[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Marigold Marigold]''
*''[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/marjoram Marjoram]''
*''[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/morion Morion]''
*''[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Paladin Paladins]'', see also ''[[Paladin Took II]]''.
*''[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/panoply Panoply]''
*''[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/plenilune Plenilune]''
*''[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/provender Provender]''
*''[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rove Roving]''
*''[http://www.answers.com/topic/sigaldry Sigaldry]''
*''[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/stalactite Stalactite]''
*''[[Thellamie]]''
*''[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tourney Tourneying]''


''[[A Tolkien Bestiary]]'' by [[David Day]] defines [[Dumbledors]] in Middle-earth as "a ferocious race of winged insects" that have vanished.
==Inspiration==
It is a three-page long poem by [[J.R.R. Tolkien]], first published on [[9 November]] [[1933]] in ''The Oxford Magazine''. Tolkien himself considered it his most attractive poem. The meter is his own invention (using trisyllabic assonances or near-assonances) and never wrote another in this style.<ref>{{L|133}}</ref>


[[category:Poems]]
==Usage outside the legendarium==
This poem was set to music by [[Donald Swann]].  The sheet music and an audio recording are part of the song-cycle ''[[The Road Goes Ever On (book)|The Road Goes Ever On]]''.<ref>{{RGEO|Errantry}}</ref>
{{references}}
 
[[category:Poems by J.R.R. Tolkien]]
[[de:Irrfahrt]]
[[fi:Harhailua]]

Revision as of 08:48, 29 July 2013

Errantry is a Hobbit poem which was probably composed by Bilbo Baggins, shortly after his return from the Lonely Mountain in T.A. 2941,[1] and probably having heard Elvish tales of the First Age. The attribution to Bilbo is made because of its similarity to the Song of Eärendil, believed to be a transformed and applied to the legend of Eärendil version of this poem.[2]

While it referred to original Elvish names, they were probably fictitious.

Structure

Errantry was actually one of the cyclical nonsense poems which amused Hobbits, although this one is the longest and most elaborate of the kind found in the Red Book.[2]

The poem has complex trisyllabic assonances with an original metre invented by Bilbo, and was obviously proud of them. Such do not appear in other pieces in the Red Book.[2]

List of words

Below is a partial list of rare and/or obsolete words used in the poem.[3]

Inspiration

It is a three-page long poem by J.R.R. Tolkien, first published on 9 November 1933 in The Oxford Magazine. Tolkien himself considered it his most attractive poem. The meter is his own invention (using trisyllabic assonances or near-assonances) and never wrote another in this style.[4]

Usage outside the legendarium

This poem was set to music by Donald Swann. The sheet music and an audio recording are part of the song-cycle The Road Goes Ever On.[5]

References

  1. ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Third Age"
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, "Preface"
  3. ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, "Errantry"
  4. ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 133, (dated 22 June 1952)
  5. ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Donald Swann, The Road Goes Ever On, "Errantry"
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