September 21 - The Hobbit!

Posted on September 21, 2020

On this date in 1937, J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth fantasy world first became available to humans in an increasingly fearful real world!

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was a World War I soldier, a scholar and professor, a loving husband and father - as well as a writer. He made up stories for his own children; he wrote a book called The Hobbit for his kids - and they loved it.

Although he had published many works for adults, he didn't think about publishing The Hobbit.  

Luckily for the world, and quite by accident, a woman who worked at a publishing company learned of the existence of The Hobbit and asked to read it. She talked Tolkien into publishing it. On September 21, 1937, The Hobbit's first printing was released, and to Tolkien's surprise it earned a big thumbs-up from pretty much every reviewer that wrote about it!

It was nominated for prizes, and it won some of those prizes! It was reprinted and adapted for stage and film. It became popular with kids AND adults! The publishers even asked for a sequel...and THAT was The Lord of the Rings. 

Since the first bit of fame and acclaim received by The Hobbit, of course the popularity and adaptations have kept rolling in. Global sales may be as many as 100 million copies, and signed first editions sell for more than 60,000 pounds! Not just plays, operas, radio dramas, and movie versions have been created, but also comic books, computer and video games, and toys. Hobbiton - the movie set for the Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies - is a popular tourist destination in New Zealand.

Also on this date:

Joining the U.N. Day 

Independence Day in Malta

Independence Day in Armenia

Peace One Day

Independence Day in Belize

Anniversary of the approval of the first female Supreme Court Justice

National Doodle Day in the U.K.

Anniversary of the destruction of the Galileo spacecraft

World Gratitude Day

Birthday of artist Barbara Longhi

Plan ahead:

Check out my Pinterest boards for:

• September holidays
• September birthdays
• Historical anniversaries in September

And here are my Pinterest boards for:

• October holidays
• October birthdays
• Historical anniversaries in October

 

January 3, 2012 - J. R. R. Tolkien Day

If it weren't for Tolkien, there wouldn't be nearly so many geeky jokes about rings (precious rings), nor so many Halloween costumes with big feet or pointy ears. Our birthday boy's books, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, have been popular since their original publication. They rank among the most popular books of the twentieth century, and they have famously inspired movies and even tourism in New Zealand to see where the movies were (are being) filmed.

I'm looking forward to Part 1 of The Hobbit (the movie), due to be out at the end of this year. Here is a preview. 

The books inspired more than just movie adaptations: they inspired an entire genre. Tolkien is considered the father of modern fantasy literature – high fantasy, which takes place in an invented world and in which large themes of Good and Evil shake the very foundations of that world – and the popularity of The Lord of the Rings led to many more volumes of fantasy being written and published. Two good examples of high fantasy series include Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles and the Eragon books by Christopher Paolini (the Inheritance Cycle).

The Lord of the Rings also inspired adaptations for radio and theatre, plus artwork, music, video games, and many cultural references.

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born on this date in 1892 in South Africa. When he was little, he was bitten by a large baboon spider and was also briefly kidnapped by a house-boy who just wanted to show the beautiful baby off to his kraal. (The house-boy returned the baby the next morning, safe and sound!) When he was just three years old, Tolkien went to England with his mother and brother, just for a family visit – but his father died in South Africa, so the Tolkiens stayed in England. When J.R.R. was 12 years old, his mother died; she left guardianship of him and his brother to a Catholic priest.

Tolkien grew up to become a writer, a university professor, and a philologist (one who studies written languages). Tolkien learned Latin, French, and German from his mother at home, and during his schooling and career, he also learned Welsh, Finnish, and Old Norse. He made up whole languages for his invented Middle-earth, setting of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, including Elvish (both Quenya and Sindarin), Dwarvish (Khuzdul), Entish, and Black Speech. Many fantasy and science fiction books and movies have, since Tolkien's time, also included invented languages such as Fremen from Frank Herbert's Dune and Klingon from the Star Trek universe.

Celebrate by reading and watching high fantasy today!

Or learn an invented language. Check out these websites dedicated to Elvish  and Quenya. 

Also on this date:

Great Day for the Yankees 

Anniversary of patent for drinking straws