The Chronicle of Fredegar

[Andorinha]

While pursuing my revision of Greek History, and in particular the Trojan War episode, I ran across the following mention of a certain "Fredegar" whose hobbit ancestry has yet to be confirmed or refuted:


"About 500 years before Benoît (around 660), the chronicle of Fredegar was written. It contains a transcription of the chronicle by Eusebius, who in turn had lived almost another 400 years earlier (around 260–340). Fredegar mentions a text Historia Daretis Frigii de Origine Francorum that is not identical with the Historia de Excidio Troiae of Dares that we know. Thus Benoît may indeed have used a different version of Dares as his main source."

cf luwianstudies.org/benoit-de-sainte-maure/

This got me to thinking, how much may Tolkien's Middle-earth history be influenced by the classical works devoted to the Trojan War?

[Stormrider]

Perhaps stories of battles influenced JRRT from medieval writings including the Illyad and Odisy and these reading you just found. I wonder if there are descriptions of structures like Helm's Dike, Meduseld, Dale, the Lonely Mtn, and Minas Tirith in any writings.

I always thought Minas Tirith was rather unique with the mountain jutting thru it and spiral layers like a birthday cake.

I think Venice inspired Lake Town, don't you?

JRRT surely did a lot of reading, especially ancient writings and tales and it wouldn't surprise me if he stumbled on these! Anything noted in Letters of JRRT? I'd look myself if my books weren't in storage.

[fanuidhol]

I knew he studied "Classics" in college, but then switched his major.

"In the autumn of that year [1911] he went up to Exeter College, Oxford where he stayed, immersing himself in the Classics, Old English, the Germanic languages (especially Gothic), Welsh and Finnish, until 1913, when he swiftly though not without difficulty picked up the threads of his relationship with Edith. He then obtained a disappointing second class degree in Honour Moderations, the “midway” stage of a 4-year Oxford “Greats” (i.e. Classics) course, although with an “alpha plus” in philology. As a result of this he changed his school from Classics to the more congenial English Language and Literature."
www.tolkiensociety.org/author/biography/

The modern day "greats" reading list: www.balliol.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate-admissions/classics-reading-lists A quick search did not give me an early 20th century syllabus or reading list. May try harder when I have more time.

Did a little digging on the origin of the name Fredegar which is Frankish. That got me curious about the other Hobbit names. Pippin is also Frankish. sciencenordic.com/names-tolkiens-universe-explained

[Fredeghar Wayfarer]

Just saw this thread. Nice to get a little backstory on my chosen alter ego.

If I recall, Tolkien used various historical influences in naming the hobbits. Some had Frankish or Anglo-Saxon names to mimic the Germanic influence on modern English (since the Shire was loosely based on rural England). And others had Celtic names since the Stoors used to live in Enedwaith beside the ancestors of the Dunlendings (who were based on the ancient Welsh).