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Guinevere · 06-11-2004, 06:45 AM

We have recently talked about family names in this thread :Race parents
I think that Middle-earth in general is an archaic heroic world, where people don't have family names but are called "son of ...." or have a "nickname" as surname.

The Hobbits (and the men of Bree as well ) are somehow quite a different, and more modern society; they do have family names, and in The Hobbit, Bilbo is even called "Mr.Baggins". In fact, they are an anachronism in ME ;(Not only because of the names. Think of how Bilbo and his way of living is described , the clock on the mantlepiece, the morning post etc.) they sound more like rural people of the 19th century.)
And I think Tolkien did this deliberately, so we can identify with the Hobbits, because they are not so remote , they are a bridge to the archaic world of ME.

06-11-2004, 06:45 AM	#45
Guinevere Banshee of Camelot Join Date: May 2002 Location: Switzerland Posts: 5,830	family-names We have recently talked about family names in this thread :Race parents I think that Middle-earth in general is an archaic heroic world, where people don't have family names but are called "son of ...." or have a "nickname" as surname. The Hobbits (and the men of Bree as well ) are somehow quite a different, and more modern society; they do have family names, and in The Hobbit, Bilbo is even called "Mr.Baggins". In fact, they are an anachronism in ME ;(Not only because of the names. Think of how Bilbo and his way of living is described , the clock on the mantlepiece, the morning post etc.) they sound more like rural people of the 19th century.) And I think Tolkien did this deliberately, so we can identify with the Hobbits, because they are not so remote , they are a bridge to the archaic world of ME. __________________ Yes! "wish-fulfilment dreams" we spin to cheat our timid hearts, and ugly Fact defeat!