The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum - View Single Post - Goldberry: A new reading on the origin of her name

Balfrog · 11-20-2016, 08:18 PM

William Cloud Hicklin

Yes, I certainly agree – the photo of the yellow water-lily buds is somewhat persuasive.

I appreciate the blow-up of William Turner's art. We can now more clearly see a couple of Oxford's native river denizens also mentioned in Bombadil poetry: the 'coot' and the 'kingfisher'!

As to: "T wasn't big on classical language sources in his fiction"

I'm not so sure. Certainly at the outset of his mythology he used the word 'Gnome' to describe a branch of the elves. This he confessed originated from the Greek language (Letter #239).

Per Letter #255 he also outlines that:

"according to [a] system whereby as English replaces the Shire-speech so Latin and Greek replace the High-elven tongue in names."

This is one way I believe, he intended to connect one invented language of his more ancient mythological world with our most ancient spoken and tongues.

11-20-2016, 08:18 PM	#6
Balfrog Haunting Spirit Join Date: Nov 2014 Posts: 87	William Cloud Hicklin Yes, I certainly agree – the photo of the yellow water-lily buds is somewhat persuasive. I appreciate the blow-up of William Turner's art. We can now more clearly see a couple of Oxford's native river denizens also mentioned in Bombadil poetry: the 'coot' and the 'kingfisher'! As to: "T wasn't big on classical language sources in his fiction" I'm not so sure. Certainly at the outset of his mythology he used the word 'Gnome' to describe a branch of the elves. This he confessed originated from the Greek language (Letter #239). Per Letter #255 he also outlines that: "according to [a] system whereby as English replaces the Shire-speech so Latin and Greek replace the High-elven tongue in names." This is one way I believe, he intended to connect one invented language of his more ancient mythological world with our most ancient spoken and tongues.