Hobbit
Hobbits or halflings are fictional, 60 to 120 cm tall human-like beings in the fantasy world of Middle-earth created by JRR Tolkien . They play a leading role in the novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings , as well as in the films The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by Peter Jackson . They are hardly mentioned in Tolkien's other publications.
The word hobbit
Stressing that the name Hobbit was a spontaneous idea, not a conscious construction, Tolkien did not rule out the possibility that he might have encountered the word in his childhood.
Between the publication of The Hobbit (1937) and that of the appendices to the Lord of the Rings (1955), various speculations about the derivation of the name were discussed. In 1976 the name found its way into the Oxford English Dictionary . In 1977, hobbit was found on a list of mythical creatures in The Denham Tracts , a collection of English folklore from the 1890s. However, there is no evidence that Tolkien could have drawn the word (consciously or unconsciously) from this list.
Tolkien pretends that the stories about the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings are "translations" from the language of the Hobbits, which never really existed. This language is derived from an older root, the language of the Rohan people . The designation of the hobbits in their own language was, according to Tolkien, kuduk , which is derived as a smooth form from the Rohirrischen kûd-dûkan "cave dweller" or "burrow dweller". Since Tolkien reproduces the language of the Hobbits as modern English, he consequently transfers the language of the Rohirrim into Old English. Kud-Dukan would be in Old English holbytla , then what - to - in modern English Hobbit would have been. The idea of "translations" from the hobbit language, more precisely the Westron, only emerged in the course of the creation of the Lord of the Rings , so played no role in the novel The Hobbit and the origin of the name.
The hobbits in Tolkien's works
Special features and essential characteristics
Outwardly, hobbits differ from humans mainly in that they are only about half as tall as these (maximum 1.20 meters), hence the name "halfling". The proportions of the body largely correspond to those of a normal adult; However, they are seldom stocky in stature, which in turn distinguishes them (in addition to the lack of beard growth) from the dwarfs, who are not significantly larger than hobbits. They also have hairy and exceptionally large feet with leathery soles and rarely wear shoes. This is another reason why hobbits can move almost noiselessly at will. Other features include curly hair and charismatic, but rarely really beautiful faces. Despite all the differences, hobbits are a branch line of the people of Middle-earth and thus bear the same fate as these: the mortality of body and soul. However, an age of 100 years is not unusual for hobbits, similar to e.g. B. Today's people with a normal life cycle are around 80 to 85 years old.
They are a quiet, cozy crowd. Hence their often rounded figure and their tendency to usually avoid excitement. Many of them traditionally live in partly widely ramified caves, the "smials". In Hobbiton in the Shire, these are mostly comfortable apartments with circular doors and windows. The love for good and frequent food and drink, the celebrated smoking of the "pipe herb", the respected horticulture and carefree celebrations are characteristic of the life of the hobbits. They are skilled in their craft, but do not use machines that are much more complicated than, for example, mills. In addition, their erudition seldom goes beyond knowing their own family tree, so they know very little about the countries and peoples outside their borders. They are often reserved towards foreigners and do not think much of hobbits who voluntarily travel the wide world and want to experience adventures. The language of the hobbits corresponds to the so-called Westron, which functions as the common language of the peoples of the West. There are slight deviations, especially in vocabulary , which stem from their early language.
Hobbits are considered peaceful, have never fought among themselves, capital crimes are unthinkable. Their style of clothing differs significantly from the rest of "fashion" Middle-earth, as they like to wear button-rich, colorful vests. Combat clothing or armor are rarely used.
Despite their calm lifestyle, hobbits are also considered to be amazingly resilient and fearless when they do get into distress, whereby they succumb to their injuries comparatively slowly. They also show a natural aptitude for the use of ranged weapons, which include bows, slings, or a simple hand-throwing stone. Hobbits rarely took part in wars; they never tried to conquer countries or to subjugate peoples or to gain their possessions.
Originally the hobbits are divided into three tribes:
- The Harfoots, with brown skin, are usually smaller than the other tribes, but by far the largest group, prefer hilly areas or plateaus.
- The Starren (English: "Stoors") are larger and stockier, love river landscapes, wear shoes and live more often than the other tribes in wooden houses. Some of them even use boats.
- The Fallohides, a northern tribe, fair-skinned, taller and slimmer than the others, have a preference for trees and forests.
At the time of the War of the Ring, the three tribes have been living in the Shire for centuries and have partially intermingled.
Hobbits in the "Shire"
After their great migration, the Shire became the home of the hobbits (in the English original the name Shire is what in German would best be translated as Grafschaft or Gau . The translator Margaret Carroux preferred another name because of the burden of the name “Gau “During the time of National Socialism ). The hilly Shire is located to the west of Middle-earth in the Eriador region and is well suited for building hobbit caves. The eastern border is formed by the Baranduin River (called "brandy wine" by the hobbits), the western border by the Far Heights . They settled there about 1400 years before the events in "Lord of the Rings". At that time the country was still under the rule of the King of Arnor, who resided in Fornost . He allowed them to live there if they recognized his rule, respected his messengers, and maintained the bridges and roads of the country.
After the western human kingdoms failed and collapsed in the battle against the Witch King of Angmar , the hobbits considered the land their property. However, this did not change their life as they always had their own administrative system. Since hobbits were not prone to violence, there had been no battle in the Shire for three hundred years before the War of the Ring.
The Shire has no government in the strict sense; the so-called Thain , the mayor and the Lord von Bockland enjoy the highest authority . The "Büttel" were considered the police, but actually rarely had anything to regulate. Little did the little people suspect that they were protected and screened year in and year out by the descendants of the great human race, the Dunedain .
The role of the hobbits in the "War of the Ring"
The magician Gandalf the Gray discovered the special abilities of the hobbits. He found that the hobbits had long ago come from the areas east of the Anduin River ( Long River ) across the Mist Mountains to Eriador . Hobbits remained unknown even to the Ents , who are familiar to all living things in the world. Gandalf noticed that hobbits have a particularly strong character and are therefore suitable for delicate missions. So Bilbo Baggins largely resisted the magic of the dragon Smaug , and he as well as his nephew Frodo Baggins and his companion Sam Gamgee managed to wear the One Ring without completely losing its magical power.
function
The main function of the hobbits in Tolkien's works is to introduce the reader to the stories. They are actually an inappropriate anachronism in a much older, heroic, and mythical-medieval world. The hobbits smoke pipes, live unspectacularly in their Shire and initially remain undisturbed by the great problems of their time. Bilbo, the protagonist of the novel The Hobbit , is as confused at the beginning as the reader when he leaves the Shire and enters this adventurous world. The hobbits represent the modern and domestic reader who can identify with them and get to know the world of Tolkien together with them.
Hobbit society is in many ways similar to Victorian or Edwardian England. The social roles are clearly distributed: the Baggins family is wealthy and respected, while other families such as the Gamgee have a lower social status. There are neither high industries nor cars that destroy the landscape. Even the English word for the Shire, the specifically English The Shire , indicates Tolkien's intention. He associated Shire with pristine landscapes such as familiar Warwickshire , where he had lived for a few years as a child in the village of Sarehole : "[I] lived in a pre-mechanical age during my early years in the Shire," he wrote in a letter. Tolkien repeatedly emphasized the deep connection between the conception of the Shire and his home country England: "But of course [...] the 'Shire' is based on rural England and on no other country in the world". So he fought vehemently when the English names of the hobbits and the Shire places were to be translated: “The toponymy of Shire [...] is a 'parody' of that of rural England, in the same sense as its inhabitants: the two belong together , and on purpose ”.
Not only the landscape, but also the idiosyncrasies of the hobbits, Tolkien brought in to a large extent with himself:
- “I am actually a hobbit myself (in everything but size). I love gardens, trees and farmland without machines, I smoke a pipe, I like to eat good, simple things (nothing from the fridge) and I hate French cuisine; I dare to wear decorative vests in these gray times. I like mushrooms (from the fields); have a very simple sense of humor (which even my benevolent critics find annoying); I go to bed late and get up late (if possible). I don't travel much. "
The hobbit and middle earth
Tolkien wrote on December 16, 1937 in a letter to Stanley Unwin , the owner of the publisher George Allen & Unwin , that the tale about the hobbit Bilbo Baggins was initially a comic story, while he had conceived The Silmarillion as part of his mythology he later integrated this story on the sidelines and expanded it in the novel The Lord of the Rings .
“My chief joy comes from learning that the Silmarillion is not rejected with scorn. I have suffered a sense of fear and bereavement, quite ridiculous, since I let this private and beloved nonsense out; and I think if it had seemed to you to be nonsense I should have felt really crushed. [...] But I shall certainly now hope one day to be able, or to be able to afford, to publish the Silmarillion! [...] I think it is plain that quite apart from it, a sequel or successor to The Hobbit is called for. [...] But I am sure you will sympathize when I say that the construction of elaborate and consistent mythology (and two languages) rather occupies the mind, and the Silmarils are in my heart. [...] Mr Baggins began as a comic tale among conventional and inconsistent Grimm's fairy-tale dwarves, and got drawn into the edge of it - so that even Sauron the terrible peeped over the edge. And what more can hobbits do? They can be comic, but their comedy is suburban unless it is set against things more elemental. But the real fun about orcs and dragons (to my mind) was before their time. "
“My greatest pleasure is to learn that the Silmarillion was not rejected with scorn. I've felt a twinge of fear and sadness, rather ridiculous, since I released this private and beloved nonsense, and I think if it had seemed like nonsense to you it would have shaken me. […] But now I hope one day I will be able, or be able to afford it, to publish the Silmarillion! […] I think it is clear that apart from that, a sequel or sequel to The Hobbit will be called for. […] But I am sure you will find your sympathy when I say that the construction of an elaborate and consistent mythology (and two languages) is more likely to take possession of the spirit, and the Silmaril are in my heart. […] Mr. Baggins began as a humorous story between conventional and inconsistent dwarfs from Grimm's fairy tales and was pulled to the edge - so that even Sauron the Terrible peeked over the edge. What more can hobbits do? They can be weird, but their humor is just enough for the suburbs, as long as they don't stand up to elementary things. But the real fun with orcs and dragons (in my opinion) took place before their time. "
reception
The huge success of the Lord of the Rings in particular led to numerous adaptations and ultimately also to the establishment of a new genre, fantasy . Above all, Tolkien's conception of elves (mostly elves among the successors ), dwarves and orcs was adopted, but less so the hobbits. Hobbits can still be found in various fantasy novels and role-playing games . Here they are almost exclusively referred to as halflings, as the term "hobbit" is protected. The licensees are held by the Tolkien heirs represented by Tolkien Enterprises . The use of "Hobbit" in the 1st edition of the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons distributed by TSR had to be withdrawn after a legal dispute.
Hobbit Day has been celebrated annually on September 22nd since 1978 .
Homo floresiensis , a relatively small species of the genus Homo , was found fossil by researchers on the Indonesian island of Flores in 2003 and was soon referred to as the "hobbit" in the press and public.
The Mooswald flower bat , described in 1982, was given the scientific name Syconycteris hobbit because of its small size and hairy feet.
literature
- JRR Tolkien: The Hobbit. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 2006, ISBN 3-423-08559-2 .
- JRR Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings. Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 2008, ISBN 978-3-608-93830-2 .
Web links
- Hobbits in the Ardapedia
- Family trees of the hobbits on Rodovid
Individual evidence
- ↑ "The Hobbit" is filmed ( Memento from February 21, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
-
^ Marjorie Burns: Tracking the Elusive Hobbit (In Its Pre-Shire Den). In: Tolkien Studies . 4, 2007, pp. 200-211;
Donald O'Brien, On the Origin of the Name 'Hobbit'. In: Mythlore. 16, No. 2, Winter 1989, pp. 32-38. - ↑ Appendix F to the Lord of the Rings
- ↑ JRR Tolkien to Deborah Webster, October 25, 1958. In: Humphrey Carpenter (Ed.): JRR Tolkien: Briefe. Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 1991, No. 213, p. 377 f., Here p. 378.
- ↑ Humphrey Carpenter: JRR Tolkien. A biography. 2nd Edition. Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 2001, pp. 31-36. (To Tolkien's happy youth in Sarehole).
- ^ JRR Tolkien to Rayner Unwin, July 3, 1956. In: Humphrey Carpenter (Ed.): JRR Tolkien: Briefe. Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 1991, No. 190, pp. 328-330; Quotations on p. 329.
- ↑ Tom Shippey : JRR Tolkien. Author of the Century. Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 2002, pp. 45-52. (To the whole complex of the function and representation of the hobbits).
- ↑ JRR Tolkien to Deborah Webster, October 25, 1958. In: Humphrey Carpenter (Ed.): JRR Tolkien: Briefe. Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 1991, No. 213, p. 377 f., Here p. 378.
- ^ Humphrey Carpenter: The Letters of JRR Tolkien. Letter No. 19, p. 32. Houghton Mifflin, Boston 1981, ISBN 0-395-31555-7 .
- ↑ Christoph Rosenkranz: Middle Earth - JRR Tolkien: World builder and myth creator. In: Wunderwelten . Issue 44 (July / August) Fanpro Verlag, Erkrath 1998, pp. 76–83.
- ↑ Syconycteris hobbit . In: Ronald Strahan, Pamela Conder (eds.): Dictionary of Australian and New Guinean Mammals . Csiro Publishing, Collingwood, Vic. 2007, ISBN 978-0-643-09167-2 , pp. 148 (English, books.google.se ).