Golfimbul

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Golfimbul
Orc
Eytan Eylul Guler - Golfimbul the Wargrider.jpg
Biographical Information
DeathT.A. 2747
Physical Description
RaceOrcs
GenderMale
GalleryImages of Golfimbul

Golfimbul was a king of the goblins of Mount Gram.[1]

History

Golfimbul led a band of goblins in an invasion of the Shire in T.A. 2747[2]. Bandobras Took met Golfimbul in the Northfarthing of the Shire and defeated him in the Battle of Greenfields. During the battle Bandobras, who was large enough to ride a horse, charged at Golfimbul and knocked off his head with a club. Golfimbul's head flew through the air for 100 yards and went down a rabbit hole. It is said that this is how the game of golf was invented.[1]

Etymology

"Fimbul" is Old Norse for "great".[source?]

Other versions of the legendarium

At an early stage in writing The Hobbit J.R.R. Tolkien used the name "Fingolfin" for the Goblin-leader, which also contained the word "golf" for the joke about the origin of the game (although not as prominently as in "Golfimbul").[3] Many years later, in the never-finished 1960 rewrite of the story, Tolkien intended to change the name to "Gulfimbul".[4] John D. Rateliff speculated that this was either a further evolution of Tolkien's languages or because he was dropping the golf-joke reference[5] (the 1960 revision was an effort to "upgrade" The Hobbit to the same epic level as The Lord of the Rings).

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "An Unexpected Party"
  2. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Third Age"
  3. J.R.R. Tolkien, John D. Rateliff (ed.), The History of The Hobbit, Mr. Baggins, The First Phase, "The Bladorthin Typescript", p. 39
  4. J.R.R. Tolkien, John D. Rateliff (ed.), The History of The Hobbit, Return to Bag-End, "The Fifth Phase", "New Chapter I. A Well-Planned Party", p. 776
  5. J.R.R. Tolkien, John D. Rateliff (ed.), The History of The Hobbit, Return to Bag-End, "The Fifth Phase", "New Chapter I. A Well-Planned Party", note 24, p. 785