Months in the Hobbit - Science Fiction Fantasy Chronicles: forums

Legolas · 9th August 2002, 11:05 AM

In the Hobbit, Bilbo refers to the months of summer as May and June. Strange, as in the Appendices in LOTR, the Shire has a different calendar with months such as Afterlithe and Forelithe.

Can anyone shed any light?
:flash:

ps Hobbit was great. Will get little sis to read it when she is old enough!

ray gower · 9th August 2002, 11:19 AM

If I recall men used our twelve month calender, whilst the Hobbits had their own (plus a few days carefully ignored).

In the Hobbit they were using the Common Tongue- It would not be appropriate to start using Shire dates, Nobody but Bilbo would know when he meant. I got the impression from LOTR that the Shire calender was being phased out in favour of the common calender. Only being used by the historians.

Alternatively- JRRT just had not worked out all of the fundamentals yet

ewlyn · 28th March 2003, 04:49 PM

Or to add to this even more, Tolkien wrote the books as if they were written by Bilbo and Frodo and Sam and a number of other people which he then translated... so... you could say any inconsistencies in the month are due to translation.

Hee.

9th August 2002, 11:05 AM	#1 (permalink)
Legolas something more magical Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 3,971	Months in the Hobbit In the Hobbit, Bilbo refers to the months of summer as May and June. Strange, as in the Appendices in LOTR, the Shire has a different calendar with months such as Afterlithe and Forelithe. Can anyone shed any light? :flash: ps Hobbit was great. Will get little sis to read it when she is old enough!

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

9th August 2002, 11:19 AM	#2 (permalink)
ray gower Registered User Join Date: Jun 2001 Posts: 3,606	If I recall men used our twelve month calender, whilst the Hobbits had their own (plus a few days carefully ignored). In the Hobbit they were using the Common Tongue- It would not be appropriate to start using Shire dates, Nobody but Bilbo would know when he meant. I got the impression from LOTR that the Shire calender was being phased out in favour of the common calender. Only being used by the historians. Alternatively- JRRT just had not worked out all of the fundamentals yet

28th March 2003, 04:49 PM	#3 (permalink)
ewlyn Proud Ringer & HCNB Join Date: Apr 2001 Posts: 498	Or to add to this even more, Tolkien wrote the books as if they were written by Bilbo and Frodo and Sam and a number of other people which he then translated... so... you could say any inconsistencies in the month are due to translation. Hee.