The Red Book

I'd like to take a look at where these histories and legends of Middle-earth came from. Tolkien wrote this story as a history. History comes about by historians, historical documents, and oral traditions. I'll explore those sources in this post.

Hobbits became rather interested in the world around them after the downfall of Sauron. Suddenly, the Shire was a well-known and well-received region of Aragorn's kingdom. "By the end of the first century of the Fourth Age there were already to be found in the Shire several libraries that contained many historical books and records" (p. 23, The Fellowship of the Ring). The major source of historical material in the Shire was the Red Book of Westmarch. "It was in origin Bilbo's private diary, which he took with him to Rivendell" (p. 23, The Fellowship of the Ring). Bilbo's writings consisted of what we know as The Hobbit, poetry he enjoyed and created, translations of the Elvish language and "The ancient legends of the First Age, in which Bilbo's chief interest lay..." (p. 313, The Return of the King). The translations of Elvish and legends of the First Age make sense given Bilbo spent his final years in Middle-earth in Rivendell with Elrond, Glorfindel, and other ancient Elves of much lore.

Bilbo gave Frodo his book to record his own adventure. "Frodo brought it back to the Shire, together with many loose leaves of notes, and during S.R. 1420-1 he nearly filled its pages with his account of the War" (p. 23, The Fellowship of the Ring). The S.R. stands for Shire Reckoning and corresponds with Third Age 3020-21. When it was completed it was bound in red leather (hence the name Red Book) in four volumes along with a fifth concerning records and genealogies of the Shire as well as information concerning various members of the Fellowship of the Ring. Since Frodo gave the book to Sam when he left Middle-earth. It is likely that Sam put together much of the remaining information. The original Red Book was lost but many copies were made for Sam's many descendents (he and Rose had thirteen children--wow).

However, a most important copy survived. "It was kept in the Great Smials, but it was written in Gondor, probably at the request of the great-grandson of Peregrin, and completed in S.R. 1592 (F.A. 172). Its southern scribe appended this note: Findegil, King's Writer, finished this work in IV 172" (p. 23-24, The Fellowship of the Ring). F.A. coincides with Fourth Age 172 one of the latest historical dates of Tolkien's Middle-earth. Aragorn had requested a copy of the Red Book and Pippin brought it to him in Fourth Age 64 when he and Merry came to Gondor in the last years of their lives. Information concerning Dwarves in these histories were "...probably derived from Gimli the Dwarf, who maintained his friendship with Peregrin and Meriadoc and met them again many times in Gondor and Rohan" (p. 313, The Return of the King).

In Gondor mostly corrections were made but the tale of Aragorn and Arwen was added to the copy of the Red Book, at least in part. "The full tale is said to have been written by Barahir, grandson of the Steward Faramir, some time after the passing of the King. But the chief importance of Findegil's copy is that it alone contains the whole of Bilbo's 'Translations from the Elvish'" (p. 24, The Fellowship of the Ring). Although not explicitly apart of the Red Book Merry also added some interesting information. Merry compiled histories of Rohan (given Rohan's long years of alliance and friendship with Gondor it is not likely such information came from Merry), Herblore of the Shire, Reckoning of Years, and Old Words and Names in the Shire. His Reckoning notes sought to reconcile the Shire Calendar with those of other people, and his Old Words book investigated the relation of hobbit vocabulary to other languages. Pippin, given his connection with Gondor, compiled the only records in the Shire concerning the Second Age: focused on the Númenoreans and the rise of Sauron.

Indeed the Tale of Years (from which I highlighted portions at the end of Ages Two, Three, and Four) was most likely written by Merry with assistance from Rivendell where he would visit. "There, though Elrond had departed, his sons long remained, together with some of the High-elven folk. It is said that Celeborn went to dwell there after the departure of Galadriel; but there is no record of the day when he sought the Grey Havens, and with him went the last living memory of the Elder Days in Middle-earth" (p. 25, The Fellowship of the Ring).

I love the notion of how this history, albeit feigned, came together. Bilbo living in Rivendell with Elrond and many other ancient Elves recording his adventure, Elvish language, and legends from the First Age given his interest in the Elves (with some poetry dabbled in there as well). Frodo recording the his quest in detail. Sam keeping tabs of the Fellowship after Frodo's departure. The history of Rohan added by Merry and his close association with those people. Much of the Second Age information is Númenorean centric, which makes sense since that's Aragorn's ancestor's and claim to the throne. So given Pippen's close ties to Gondor I see where that information may have from. It all fits beautifully together. You can see how these legends, myths, and histories were passed down from Age to Age to finally be recorded in the Red Book. And the fact that much of it may have been through hobbit eyes--perhaps that has give Peter Jackson some latitude in his movie adaptation of The Hobbit?

Middle-earth timeline: Fourth Age, 172
Today's reading comes from: The Fellowship of the Ring, pages 23-24; The Return of the King, page 313; The Fellowship of the Ring, pages 24-25