Tobold Hornblower

From Tolkien Gateway
Tobold Hornblower
Hobbit
Biographical Information
Other namesOld Toby
PositionCultivator of pipe-weed
LocationLongbottom
BirthThird Age
DeathThird Age
Family
FamilyHornblower
Physical Description
GenderMale

Tobold "Old Toby" Hornblower was a famous Hobbit.[1][2]

History[edit | edit source]

Tobold Hornblower came from Longbottom in the Southfarthing of the Shire. He was the first to grow true pipe-weed in his gardens around S.R. 1070 (T.A. 2670[3]).[1][2] Tobold knew much about herbs. He was not a traveller, but in his youth he travelled often to Bree. Merry Brandybuck speculated that it was in one of such travels when he first learned of the pipe-weed and of smoking (the Bree-hobbits claim to be the first smokers of that herb, which Merry accepts as true).[1] Toby however never revealed how he came by the weed. His name, "Old Toby", was given to a variety of weed.[1]

Etymology[edit | edit source]

Tobold is a form of Theobald which contains theud "people" and bald "bold".[4]

Other versions of the legendarium[edit | edit source]

In a draft version of the chapter "The Road to Isengard", the name of this hobbit was Elias Tobiasson of Mugworth.[5] In Swedish, Elias Tobiasson is a normal name of a person.[6]

In another early version of the legendarium, Toby was named Tobias Hornblower, and his Westron name was Zāra-tōbi[7] Raspūta.[8]


References