Golfimbul
Golfimbul | |
---|---|
Orc | |
Biographical Information | |
Titles | King of the Goblins of Mount Gram |
Location | Mount Gram |
Death | T.A. 2747 Battle of Greenfields |
Physical Description | |
Race | Orcs |
Gender | Male |
Gallery | Images 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?]
Robert Foster notes that the connection with the English word "golf" suggests that the name is either fictitious or translated Westron[3].
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").[4] Many years later, in the never-finished 1960 rewrite of the story, Tolkien intended to change the name to "Gulfimbul".[5] John D. Rateliff speculated that this was either a further evolution of Tolkien's languages or because he was dropping the golf-joke reference[6] (the 1960 revision was an effort to "upgrade" The Hobbit to the same epic level as The Lord of the Rings).
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "An Unexpected Party"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Third Age"
- ↑ Robert Foster, The Complete Guide to Middle-earth, p. 167
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, John D. Rateliff (ed.), The History of The Hobbit, Mr. Baggins, The First Phase, "The Bladorthin Typescript", p. 39
- ↑ 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
- ↑ 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