The J. R. R. Tolkien Companion and Guide: Volume 1: Chronology. Christina Scull
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where to place the three smaller maps. The star ornament to which he objects will be removed. – Abdication of Edward VIII. George VI succeeds to the throne.
14 December 1936 Members of Convocation meet in the Sheldonian Theatre at 12.00 noon to hear the proclamation of George VI, and then process, led by the Vice-Chancellor and the Proctors, to St Mary’s Church to witness the proclamation there by the City authorities. Lectures which would interfere with attendance at the ceremony are cancelled.
Christmas 1936 Tolkien, as ‘Father Christmas’, writes a letter dated 23 December, addressed only to Christopher and Priscilla. He apologizes for not being able to send a long letter, but hopes that his picture will explain why. In fact the letter from Father Christmas is accompanied by another letter in a different script, as from the elf Ilbereth: this tells how the North Polar Bear worked hard to give each child an individual number to help in packing and record keeping, then fell asleep in the bath with the taps running, so that water poured into the English Delivery Room below. A picture, drawn in tiers, shows the North Pole and the Northern Lights; Polar Bear in the bath; water pouring through the ceiling; and Polar Bear explaining his numbering system to the elves. Also enclosed with the letters and picture are a copy of a goblin alphabet as by Polar Bear. – During the holidays members of the Tolkien family one by one are laid low with influenza, brought back from school by one of the boys. – Tolkien redraws some of his pictures for The Hobbit.
31 December 1936 Tolkien himself contracts influenza.
Late 1930s Tolkien writes the first version of an essay, *The Feanorian Alphabet. He will revise this in the early to mid-1940s.
c. 1937–41 Tolkien writes a sentence in Quenya, with an English translation, related to his mythology, telling of Oromë and the Waters of Awakening (*‘The Koivienéni Manuscript’).
1937 Tolkien revises his poem Kortirion among the Trees (first composed in November 1915).
4 January 1937 Tolkien writes to Susan Dagnall, enclosing six pictures. He has redrawn Thror’s Map and Wilderland and has decided that the other three maps are not necessary. He has also redrawn ‘one or two of the amateur illustrations of the “home manuscript” [of The Hobbit, presumably the master typescript], conceiving that they might serve as endpapers, frontispiece or what not’ (Tolkien–George Allen & Unwin archive, HarperCollins). These are Mirkwood, The Elvenking’s Gate, Lake Town, and The Front Gate (Artist and Illustrator, figs. 88, 121, 127, 130; Art of The Hobbit, figs. 47, 58, 66, 68). He intends Mirkwood to be used as the front endpaper. The final Elvenking’s Gate has evolved through a series of drawings made from various perspectives, and has inspired (probably at the same time) a similar view of Nargothrond (Artist and Illustrator, fig. 57; Art of The Hobbit, fig. 55). Lake Town is based on an earlier drawing, Esgaroth (Artist and Illustrator, fig. 126; Art of The Hobbit, fig. 65).
7 January 1937 Tolkien returns a ‘slip’ to Allen & Unwin, probably a proof of the publicity paragraph he has written about The Hobbit. He has made some corrections. – C.A. Furth of the Allen & Unwin production department writes to Tolkien. The publishers think that his line drawings for The Hobbit are admirable, and are having reproduction blocks made. Mirkwood, shaded with ink wash, ‘will present a little difficulty in reproduction – unless it were to be printed separately on glossy paper, which we think would be disturbing’, and since (except for The Front Gate) the drawings are horizontal, they will have to be turned parallel with the spine of the book (Tolkien–George Allen & Unwin archive, HarperCollins). Allen & Unwin will try a cunning method to deal with the ‘moon-letters’ on Thror’s Map (probably they mean to print the runes in a grey tone). Furth asks Tolkien where the interior illustrations should be placed in the book. In regard to Mr. Bliss, the manuscript of which Furth is returning, Allen & Unwin would like to publish it but are concerned about the cost of printing. Furth asks Tolkien to redraw his lavishly coloured pictures in only three colours and black, to make them easier and cheaper to reproduce. He is willing to call on Tolkien in Oxford to explain better what is needed. He also discusses the calligraphy or type that might be used in place of Tolkien’s original lettering. – Rayner Unwin enthusiastically reports on Farmer Giles of Ham and Roverandom. He thinks that both books need illustrations, and suggests that they might be published together.
14 January 1937 Tolkien visits the British Museum in London, perhaps to do research in its manuscript or book collections. He also calls on George Allen & Unwin in nearby Museum Street, hoping to discuss The Hobbit, but C.A. Furth and Susan Dagnall are not in the office due to illness.
17 January 1937 Hilary Full Term begins. Tolkien’s scheduled lectures and classes for this term are: The Elder Edda on Tuesdays at 12.00 noon in the Examination Schools, beginning 19 January; The Vespasian Hymns: Grammar and Phonology on Thursdays at 11.00 a.m. in the Examination Schools, beginning 21 January; Fundamental Problems of Old English Phonology on Thursdays at 12.00 noon in the Examination Schools, beginning 21 January; and Old English Verse Texts (Class), at an hour and place to be arranged. Tolkien is also listed as one of a series of lecturers (with Nevill Coghill, H.V.D. Dyson, C.S. Lewis, and C.L. Wrenn) on Hamlet, Fridays at 5.00 p.m. in the Examination Schools, beginning 22 January. – Tolkien writes to C.A. Furth. He is endeavouring to earn a grant for ‘research’ in addition to his ordinary duties, but might find odd moments to redraw Mr. Bliss, especially as he is free from the burden of examining for two years. He would welcome Furth’s advice. He did not imagine that Mr. Bliss was worth so much trouble. ‘The pictures seem to me mostly only to prove that the author cannot draw’ (Tolkien–George Allen & Unwin archive, HarperCollins). Regarding The Hobbit, he had not intended Thror’s Map to be used as an endpaper. He discusses the placement of Wilderland and of the four drawings (other than maps) he sent on 4 January. He now sends six more, probably drawn after his earlier drawings were accepted: The Hill: Hobbiton across the Water, The Trolls, The Mountain-path, The Misty Mountains Looking West from the Eyrie towards Goblin Gate, Beorn’s Hall, and The Hall at Bag-End, Residence of B. Baggins Esquire (Artist and Illustrator, figs. 97, 102, 109, 111, 116, 139; Art of The Hobbit, figs. 10, 16, 34, 38, 44, 90). The final pen and ink version of The Hill has evolved through several sketches and drawings. For The Trolls Tolkien has abandoned an earlier drawing, Trolls’ Hill (Artist and Illustrator, fig. 99; Art of The Hobbit, fig. 13) and an intermediate illustration, The Three Trolls Are Turned to Stone (Artist and Illustrator, fig. 100; Art of The Hobbit, fig. 15), instead adapting a picture by Jennie Harbour for a retelling of ‘Hansel and Gretel’. The Misty Mountains Looking West has been redrawn from a similar version (Artist and Illustrator, fig. 110; Art of The Hobbit, fig. 37). Beorn’s Hall is adapted from an earlier picture by Tolkien, Firelight in Beorn’s House, which had been inspired by a drawing of a Norse hall in a book by E.V. Gordon (Artist and Illustrator, figs. 115, 114; Art of The Hobbit, figs. 44, 41).
22 January 1937 In the evening, Tolkien attends a dinner of The Society hosted by Michael Holroyd in the new Common Rooms at Brasenose College, Oxford. Twelve members are present. Holroyd speaks about careers for undergraduates, referring to the declining birth rate and the experience of foreign universities.
23 January 1937 Susan Dagnall asks Tolkien if he could see her and C.A. Furth in Oxford on either Saturday or Sunday, 13 or 14 February, to discuss the problem of illustrations for Mr. Bliss. Allen & Unwin can include at least four of the six additional Hobbit drawings without increasing the price of the book, and perhaps will use a fifth on the dust-jacket. (In the event, all will be printed in the book.) She asks Tolkien to send them again the original drawing of Thror’s Map, as the blockmaker omitted the ‘moon-letters’. Fresh blocks will have to be made, but the map will be folded and tipped in at the point Tolkien wants. – Tolkien replies