Man in the Moon
In the folklore of the Hobbits, the Man in the Moon is an old being who secretly hid on the island of the Moon, and built his minaret there.[1][2] He is also featured in the song The Man in the Moon Stayed Up Too Late.[3]
Combined with the Elven lore, the Man in the Moon of the Hobbits' tales must have his origins in the legend of Tilion the Maia.[4]
Other versions of the legendarium
In The Book of Lost Tales Part One, a creature living on the moon is mentioned, although his nature and the tale of how he came to live there was never fully told. In that version of the legendarium there were no Hobbits, and the Man in the Moon was mentioned in the context of Elven lore, alongside the Valar and Maiar; his name in Qenya was Uolë Kúvion.[5]
Other writings
In Tolkien's Roverandom the Man in the Moon also lives in a Minaret.
Inspiration
The Man in the Moon is a real-life tradition referring to a figure on the moon disc that appears like a face.
References
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, "The Man in the Moon Came Down Too Soon"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, "The Man in the Moon Stayed Up Too Late"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, "At the Sign of the Prancing Pony"
- ↑ Robert Foster, The Complete Guide to Middle-earth, entries "Man in the Moon", "Tilion"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part One, pp. 193, 198, 215, 271
| Legendary races of Arda | |
| Animals: | Dumbledors · Gorcrows · Hummerhorns · Pards · Swans of Gorbelgod · Turtle-fish |
|---|---|
| Dragon-kind: | Sea-serpents · Spark-dragons · Were-worms |
| Evil Races: | Ettens · Giants · Half-trolls · Hobgoblins · Ogres · Snow-trolls · Two-headed Trolls |
| Other: | Badger-folk · Great beasts · Lintips · Mewlips · Nameless things · Spectres |
| Individuals: | Talking Gurthang · Talking purse · The Hunter · Lady of the Sun · Lonely Troll · Man in the Moon · The Rider · River-woman · Tarlang · Tim · Tom · White cow |
