Father Christmas Letters: 1926

[Estelyn Telcontar]

The 1926 letter includes the picture that has become rather iconic - it is the cover illustration for some editions of the Father Christmas Letters - including the translation that Legate has*, and from which his Christmas avatar picture is taken.

http://www.nytimes.com/images/2001/12/07/books/tolk-christmas.3.jpg

I wonder which came first - the picture or the story? Tolkien being a man of words, I assume the latter, but they are so closely linked that it's hard to say. Those of you who don't have the book can almost tell the story from the illustration.

The North Polar Bear is the mischief-maker again, though not intentionally so. He causes an explosion of the "Rory Bory Aylis" fireworks (what a fun childlike word play for aurora borealis!), turning the North Pole black and causing havoc among the reindeer. The possibility that chocolate intended for England was thereby damaged makes me think that there may have been some actual reason for that fiction. Other than that, there is no mention of the children's presents in this letter.

Tolkien must have used a plain white envelope for this letter - the NPB mentions that the Snow Man is addressing them, and he writes in white...


*...and the German translation as well.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

The 1926 letter includes the picture that has become rather iconic - it is the cover illustration for some editions of the Father Christmas Letters - including the translation that Legate has*, and from which his Christmas avatar picture is taken.
I should correct here: not really on the cover of my edition. The picture on the cover of my edition is the 1928 one, with the 1931 "FC packing" one on the back cover. But yes, of course, it is one of my favourite pictures - although many of the "North Pole and something" look a lot alike in the basic concept (e.g. the earlier mentioned stamps with sunrise? at the North Pole), they all have its different styles, colours and so on, and this one is really wonderfully done, despite Tolkien's (or FC's) humble remark that it is not easy if not downright impossible to draw such a thing.


I wonder which came first - the picture or the story? Tolkien being a man of words, I assume the latter, but they are so closely linked that it's hard to say. Those of you who don't have the book can almost tell the story from the illustration.
I would also be interested to know if there was something that might have prompted this idea. I have also something else to say to this subject, but I will keep it for the 1927-discussion, since I think it is more appropriate there :)

There is one more thing mentioned in this letter and that is actually a character who appears constantly throughout Tolkien's legendarium (perhaps even the only one who does so!): the Man of the Moon. Just look: he appears in here, then in Roverandom and also in Middle-Earth, of course, in the famous poems/songs. I would say he really is an important character, maybe not here (his role is rather episodic), but in his general influence, for certain. His portrayal remains more or less consistent: you could say that in LotR, Roverandom and here, in all the cases his character, function, responsibilities, behavior etc. are more or less along the same lines.

[Bêthberry]

That drawing and the Rory Bory Aylis part of the story makes me think that Tolkien might have seen the real northern lights.

However, I wasn't aware that one could see them in England. I've seen them, both coloured and white, on a summer night and in the "the days between the years" but that was considerably farther north than I am now. Does anyone know if the northern lights can be seen in England? Tolkien was quite familiar with the night sky and the constellations.

[Formendacil]

That drawing and the Rory Bory Aylis part of the story makes me think that Tolkien might have seen the real northern lights.

However, I wasn't aware that one could see them in England. I've seen them, both coloured and white, on a summer night and in the "the days between the years" but that was considerably farther north than I am now. Does anyone know if the northern lights can be seen in England? Tolkien was quite familiar with the night sky and the constellations.

I don't know if topography or climate is a consideration in seeing the "Rory Bory Aylis," but if it's simply a question of latitude, you can see the Northern Lights in Edmonton, Alberta and even a couple hundred kilometres south--and a quick glance at Wikipedia informs me that Edmonton is the same latitude as Manchester, England or Hamburg, Germany--so I'll assume it's not impossible to see them in England... though an Englishman would be a better authority than this Canadian as far as that goes.

...and a cursory glance at Wikipedia's article on the Aurora Borealis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora_borealis) suggests that England *is* in visual range, though I've no idea of the frequency.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

That drawing and the Rory Bory Aylis part of the story makes me think that Tolkien might have seen the real northern lights.

However, I wasn't aware that one could see them in England. I've seen them, both coloured and white, on a summer night and in the "the days between the years" but that was considerably farther north than I am now. Does anyone know if the northern lights can be seen in England? Tolkien was quite familiar with the night sky and the constellations.

I am at least sure that there are some old chronicle reports of them being spotted in the area of the current Czech Republic (and people going completely "what the heck is that???", with some scientist guys rushing in to explain - of course it was something happening like once per half a millenium), which is still considerably more south than England, so I think, under certain circumstances, it should be possible. Rare, but possible.

[Guinevere]

Hitherto I had never understood the meaning of "Rory Bory Aylis" !! :eek:

I love PB's marginal notes!