Letter 25: Difference between revisions

From Tolkien Gateway
mNo edit summary
m (iw fi)
(4 intermediate revisions by 3 users not shown)
Line 2: Line 2:
| #=25
| #=25
| to=The editor of the ''Observer''
| to=The editor of the ''Observer''
| date=Printed in the ''Observer'' on [[1938#February|February 20]], [[1938]]
| date=Printed in the ''Observer'' on [[20 February]] [[1938]]
| subject=''[[The Hobbit]]''
| subject=''[[The Hobbit]]''
}}{{letter|25}}
}}{{letter|25}}
==Summary==
==Summary==
On [[16 January]] [[1938]] the ''Observer'' newspaper published a letter asking about the ''[[The Hobbit|The Hobbit's]]'' links to ''[[Beowulf]]'' and other branches of mythology, as well as the literary and philological origins of Tolkien's [[Hobbits]]. In this letter, printed in the newspaper on [[February 20]] [[1938]],<ref group="note">In [[Letter 26]] Tolkien explained that this "long and ridiculous" letter was intended only to be forwarded to the original letter-writer. He had written another, "short and fairly sane" reply for publication which the editor did not use.</ref> Tolkien provided a thorough reply. He confirmed the debt he owed to ''Beowulf'', though he thought it was largely unconscious. Concerning Hobbits he did not remember precisely where he 'got the idea' and had not encountered the "old fairy tale" that the letter-writer vaguely remembered also contained furry creatures called "Hobbits" (Tolkien therefore suspected they are only accidental homophones, and pointed out that his Hobbits did not live in Africa and were not furry).
On [[16 January]] [[1938]] the ''Observer'' newspaper published a letter asking about the ''[[The Hobbit|The Hobbit's]]'' links to ''[[Beowulf (poem)|Beowulf]]'' and other branches of mythology, as well as the literary and philological origins of Tolkien's [[Hobbits]]. In this letter, printed in the newspaper on [[20 February]] [[1938]],<ref group="note">In [[Letter 26]] Tolkien explained that this "long and ridiculous" letter was intended only to be forwarded to the original letter-writer. He had written another, "short and fairly sane" reply for publication which the editor did not use.</ref> Tolkien provided a thorough reply. He confirmed the debt he owed to ''Beowulf'', though he thought it was largely unconscious. Concerning Hobbits he did not remember precisely where he 'got the idea' and had not encountered the "old fairy tale" that the letter-writer vaguely remembered also contained furry creatures called "Hobbits" (Tolkien therefore suspected they are only accidental homophones, and pointed out that his Hobbits did not live in Africa and were not furry).


Tolkien then gave the origins of some of the names he ''can'' trace: [[Gandalf]] and the dwarves' from the [[Poetic Edda|Elder Edda]], [[Smaug|Smaug's]] from the Germanic ''Smugan'' ("to squeeze through a hole") and Hobbits' from "Obvious Sources" (he gives "the full list of their wealthier families...: [[Baggins]], [[Boffin]], [[Bolger]], [[Bracegirdle]], [[Brandybuck]], [[Burrowes]], [[Chubb]], [[Grubb]], [[Hornblower]], [[Proudfoot]], [[Sackville]], and [[Took]]"). He also discussed his idiosyncratic use of the plural ''dwarves''&mdash;he "knew no better"&mdash;and [[runes]].
Tolkien then gave the origins of some of the names he ''can'' trace: [[Gandalf]] and the dwarves' from the [[Poetic Edda|Elder Edda]], [[Smaug|Smaug's]] from the Germanic ''Smugan'' ("to squeeze through a hole") and Hobbits' from "Obvious Sources" (he gives "the full list of their wealthier families...: [[Baggins]], [[Boffin]], [[Bolger]], [[Bracegirdle]], [[Brandybuck]], [[Burrowes]], [[Chubb]], [[Grubb]], [[Hornblower]], [[Proudfoot]], [[Sackville]], and [[Took]]"). He also discussed his idiosyncratic use of the plural ''dwarves''&mdash;he "knew no better"&mdash;and [[runes]].
Line 14: Line 14:


{{letters}}
{{letters}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Letter 025}}
[[fi:Kirje 25]]

Revision as of 09:09, 24 February 2018

The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
Letter 25
RecipientThe editor of the Observer
DatePrinted in the Observer on 20 February 1938
Subject(s)The Hobbit

Letter 25 is a letter written by J.R.R. Tolkien and published in The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien.

Summary

On 16 January 1938 the Observer newspaper published a letter asking about the The Hobbit's links to Beowulf and other branches of mythology, as well as the literary and philological origins of Tolkien's Hobbits. In this letter, printed in the newspaper on 20 February 1938,[note 1] Tolkien provided a thorough reply. He confirmed the debt he owed to Beowulf, though he thought it was largely unconscious. Concerning Hobbits he did not remember precisely where he 'got the idea' and had not encountered the "old fairy tale" that the letter-writer vaguely remembered also contained furry creatures called "Hobbits" (Tolkien therefore suspected they are only accidental homophones, and pointed out that his Hobbits did not live in Africa and were not furry).

Tolkien then gave the origins of some of the names he can trace: Gandalf and the dwarves' from the Elder Edda, Smaug's from the Germanic Smugan ("to squeeze through a hole") and Hobbits' from "Obvious Sources" (he gives "the full list of their wealthier families...: Baggins, Boffin, Bolger, Bracegirdle, Brandybuck, Burrowes, Chubb, Grubb, Hornblower, Proudfoot, Sackville, and Took"). He also discussed his idiosyncratic use of the plural dwarves—he "knew no better"—and runes.

Notes

  1. In Letter 26 Tolkien explained that this "long and ridiculous" letter was intended only to be forwarded to the original letter-writer. He had written another, "short and fairly sane" reply for publication which the editor did not use.


The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7* · 8* · 8a · 8b · 8c · 9 · 10 · 11* · 11a · 11b · 11c · 12 · 13 · 14 · 15* · 15a · 15b · 16 · 17* · 18* · 18a · 19* · 20 · 21* · 22* · 23 · 24 · 25 · 26 · 27* · 28 · 29 · 30 · 31 · 32 · 33 · 34 · 35 · 36 · 36a · 36b · 37 · 38 · 38a · 39 · 40 · 40a · 41 · 42 · 42a · 42b · 42c · 43* · 43a · 44* · 45* · 46 · 47 · 48 · 49 · 49a · 49b · 49c · 49d · 49e · 50 · 51 · 51a · 51b · 52* · 53* · 53a · 53b · 54* · 55 · 55a · 56* · 56a · 57 · 58* · 59 · 59a · 60 · 61 · 62 · 63 · 64 · 65 · 66* · 67* · 68 · 69 · 70 · 71 · 72 · 73 · 73a · 74* · 74a · 75 · 76 · 77* · 78 · 79 · 80 · 80a · 80b · 81 · 82 · 83* · 84 · 85 · 86 · 87 · 88 · 88a · 89 · 89a · 90* · 91 · 91a · 91b · 91c · 92* · 93 · 94* · 94a · 94b · 94c · 95 · 96* · 97 · 97a · 97b · 97c · 98 · 98a · 99 · 100

101 · 102 · 102a · 103 · 104 · 105 · 106 · 107 · 107a · 108 · 109 · 110 · 111 · 111a · 112 · 113 · 114 · 115 · 116 · 117 · 118 · 119 · 120 · 121 · 122 · 122a · 123* · 124 · 125 · 126* · 127* · 128 · 128a · 129 · 130 · 130a · 131* · 132 · 132a · 133 · 134 · 134a · 135 · 135a · 135b · 135c · 135d · 136 · 137 · 137a · 137b · 137c · 137d · 137e · 138 · 139 · 140 · 140a · 140b · 140c · 141 · 141a · 141b · 141c · 141d · 142* · 142a · 143 · 143a · 143b · 143c · 143d · 143e · 144 · 144a · 145 · 146 · 146a · 147 · 148* · 148a · 149* · 150 · 151* · 152* · 153 · 154 · 155 · 156 · 157 · 158 · 158a · 159 · 160 · 161 · 162 · 162a · 163 · 164 · 165 · 165a · 165b · 166 · 166a · 166b · 167 · 168 · 168a · 169 · 170 · 171 · 172 · 173 · 174* · 175 · 176 · 177 · 178 · 179 · 179a · 179b · 179c · 180 · 181 · 182 · 183 · 184 · 185 · 186 · 187* · 188 · 188a · 189 · 190 · 191 · 192 · 193 · 194 · 194a · 194b · 195 · 195a · 195b · 196* · 196a · 197 · 198 · 199 · 200 · 200a

201* · 202 · 203 · 204 · 204a · 205 · 205a · 205b · 206 · 207 · 208 · 209 · 210 · 211 · 212 · 212a · 213 · 214 · 214a · 214b · 215 · 215a · 216 · 217 · 218 · 219 · 220 · 220a · 221 · 222 · 222a · 222b · 222c · 222d · 222e · 222f · 223 · 224 · 225 · 226* · 227 · 228 · 228a · 229 · 230 · 231 · 231a · 232 · 233 · 234 · 235 · 236 · 237 · 238* · 239* · 239a · 240 · 241 · 241a · 241b · 242 · 242a · 243 · 244 · 245 · 246 · 247 · 248 · 249 · 249a · 250 · 251 · 252 · 253 · 254 · 254a · 255 · 256 · 257 · 258 · 259 · 260 · 261 · 262 · 263 · 264 · 265 · 266 · 267 · 268 · 269 · 270 · 271 · 272 · 273 · 274 · 274a · 275 · 275a · 276* · 277 · 277a · 278 · 279 · 280 · 281 · 282 · 282a · 283 · 283a · 283b · 284 · 284a · 285 · 286 · 287 · 288 · 289 · 289a · 289b · 289c · 289d · 290 · 290a · 291 · 292 · 293 · 293a · 293b · 294 · 294a · 294b · 295 · 295a · 295b · 296 · 297 · 298 · 298a · 299 · 300

301 · 302 · 303 · 304 · 305 · 305a · 306 · 307 · 307a · 308 · 309 · 309a · 310 · 311 · 312 · 313 · 314 · 315 · 315a · 315b · 316 · 317 · 318 · 319 · 319a · 320 · 321 · 322 · 323 · 324 · 324a · 325 · 326 · 327 · 328 · 329 · 330 · 330a · 331* · 331a · 331b · 332 · 333 · 334 · 334a · 335 · 336 · 337 · 338 · 338a · 339 · 339a · 340 · 341 · 342 · 343 · 343a · 344 · 345 · 346 · 347 · 347a · 347b · 348 · 348a · 349 · 349a · 350 · 351 · 352 · 353 · 354

Unpublished letters

Letters marked with a (*) are updated and expanded in the new edition.