LotR -- Book 1 - Chapter 05 - A Conspiracy Unmasked

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Not silly at all, Evisse! Your question got me thinking about the meaning of the word "brand" - "brandy" is based on that word root. In German, "Brand" is a fire or blaze, and alcohols (like brandy) are said to be "burned". I looked up "brand" in the M-W online dictionary and found that the etymology of the word is

Middle English, torch, sword, from Old English; akin to Old English bærnan to burn

Accordingly, the definitions are (very briefly) 1)firebrand; 2)sword; 3)brandmark, trademark, or stigma; 4)make; and 5)branding tool.

Now I'm really starting to wonder - what connection did old Gorhendad have with fire? Do you suppose he was the one who was involved in the Old Forest fire which took place at the Bonfire Glade? I couldn't find any reference to that on the quick...

Additional thoughts: The River involved here is the Brandywine, corrupted from Baranduin (meaning in Sindarin: 'golden-brown river' ). In Fosters's Guide, I found this information:

The original (and genuine) Hobbitish name for the river was Branda-nîn, 'border-water,' which was later corrupted to Bralda-hîm, 'heady ale,' its normal name at the time of the WR.

In that case, perhaps the Brandybucks were named for their location at the border of the Shire.

Now I challenge someone to find a connection between the fire and the border definitions!

[davem]

Originally Posted by Evisse

Silly question warning: Why did Gorhendad Oldbuck change his name to Brandybuck? Did he like brandy that much

In't it just related to the Brandywine River, which was named for its colour (a 'corruption' of Baranduin=brown river)?

Or is Esty right, & the explanation more obscure?

[Fordim Hedgethistle]

This might be a bit obscure, but here goes…

Thanks to Esty for bringing up the question of the name of the Brandywine. Davem has already quite rightly identified the meaning of the name in terms of its secondary world origins (a corruption of the Elvish), but I was still intrigued enough by Esty’s challenge to work through some of the implications of the name in terms of the primary world (i.e. what it means in terms of English philology)

The “brandy” part is, I think, as Esty has theorised: it refers to “brand” and the idea of a fire (or more poetically a sword). One of the advantages of using the OED over the M-W, however, is that I found a further connotation to the word “brand” when used as a verb (that is, when one ‘brands’ something with a heated iron). The idea of “branding” began as a royal privilege: the king would “brand” his enemies by burning the King’s mark onto their face, indicating that they were outlaws and not to be allowed to mingle with civilised society. In its earliest uses (as a verb), it meant to mark someone as an outsider and to designate them to that outsider status forever. This, I think, goes along very nicely with the idea of the River as the border between the Shire (the civilised world of everyday experience) and the Wild (the world of outlawry and danger that lies beyond the fringes of the normal world).

The “wine” is even more interesting. There’s the obvious connotation of the fermented drink – it’s a drink that is communal and festive, even celebratory. But it’s also the drink used at communion… A bit of a leap, but bear with me.

Wine in Old English – especially when used as a suffix – means “friend” or “protector,” almost invariably associated with princely or kingly privilege (e.g. maegenwine = a powerful, kingly friend and protector).

So how does this sound – brand+wine could indicate that beyond this River is a land that has been branded or marked as a place of outlawry by the power of the king? In this sense there are two ways to go. First, the Shire is a land that pays nominal duty to “the King” while the lands about it do not: so the Brandywine in this sense really does mark the edge between the King’s power (those who acknowledge his “wine” ) and outlawry (those who do not and are “brandy” ). But I’m going to go completely nuts here – given the associations between wine and communion, is it possible to see the King who is acknowledged in the Shire, but not out, as Christ???

Like I said, I’m taking a bit of flier here…

The only other point I would like to make is that I think this chapter gives us a chance to look back and assess how far the hobbits and we have come. Not in terms of the distance travelled, but in moral terms. There has been some real development in the hobbits (in Frodo and Sam in particular) but are they substantially different here in Crickhollow than they were at Bag End? I think that this is a very important question, actually, as if they are different, if they have already begun to learn and grow then they are doing so entirely by themselves, which would seem to indicate that their greatness – dare I say their heroism – is something that is truly and wholly innate to their hobbitty natures, and native to the Shire. If they have not substantially changed, however, then it would appear that hobbits need to leave the Shire before they can become ‘fully heroic’ (whatever that means).

In other words, as they cross the boundary of the River, how much of what they are going to need later are they taking with them? How much has already been accomplished? For my money, I think that there has been a lot – but I will await your responses.

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Thanks for adding those good thoughts about the second part of the river's name, "wine", Fordim! It seems to me that we have evidence for another of Tolkien's clever wordplays here. On the surface (no water pun intended ) we have a lighthearted river name that sounds like what the Hobbits seem to be at first glance - all about eating and drinking! But go down deeper and you find layers of meaning and of, well - depth, the toughness of the Hobbits. Those who live in Buckland are indeed "border-friends", if we combine two of those meanings.

Knowing how important names were to Tolkien, I can well imagine that he was fully aware of all of these connotations and used them on purpose. How like a linguist to combine several languages, including the archaic form, to make a name that seems simple yet has so much more to it than meets the eye! As a matter of fact, even within the context of the story, we have three linguistic layers to the river's name: Brandywine, Branda-Nîn, and Baranduin.

Now I'm curious about the "Buck-" part of the name. M-W online again -

Etymology: Middle English, from Old English bucca stag, he-goat

The presumed founder of the house of Oldbuck was Bucca of the Marsh, first Thain of the Shire. I'm not sure what significance that has; any additional ideas?

In answer to your question, Fordim, I think they had their heroic qualities inside them from the beginning - the circumstances only brought them out. I don't think adventures can make changes in a person unless the seed is already there.

[davem]

Originally Posted by Estelyn

Now I'm curious about the "Buck-" part of the name. M-W online again -
Quote:
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English bucca stag, he-goat

The presumed founder of the house of Oldbuck was Bucca of the Marsh, first Thain of the Shire. I'm not sure what significance that has; any additional ideas?

Some folkloric connections, considering Tolkien's desire to link the Legendarium into English myth & legend('bucca/pucca, buck/puck are linked etymologically). woodland creatures/earth spirits are possibly a good direction to look in:
http://groups.google.co.uk/groups?q=...pdx.com&rnum=8

[Fordim Hedgethistle]

I've said before and I will say it again -- the Oxford English Dictionary is the best book ever written (and we of course all know that Tolkien helped with putting it together!)

I had a look through all the various uses of "buck" and found this fascinating entry:

Talk, conversation; spec. boastful, bragging talk; insolence; esp. in phrase old buck

Now what does this suggest about Gorhendad? That he was 'all talk' in a way? That his venture out of the Shire and onto the edge of the Wild is in some way mere bluster and braggadoccio? This might indicate that the supposed adventurousness of the Bucklanders is not so great as it appears: they hold themselves out as the great visionary adventure seekers by having crossed the River, and yet when they get there they set up hobbit holes, build a high hedge against the world, and burn back the Old Forest. In effect, they settle down and once more become very very hobbitty, bragging about how they have 'left' the Shire but retaining it with all their strength.

Oldbuck's journey then is in stark contrast to what our hobbits are doing -- as this chapter makes clear in its tone, they are already somewhat out of step with their homeland, already disconnected from it, since they are well and truly leaving. They aren't just living in the border region, but going past and beyond it.

[Essex]

A few things regarding the Brandywine (Baranduin)

Around 1700 of the Second Age, as stated in Unfinished tales, Sauron was driven away by Tar-Minastir and his forces after great slaughter at Sarn Ford (the crossing of the Baranduin).

The ringwraiths fear of the water could stem from here. (But then they did use the actual Sarn Ford crossing to reach the Shire, so this is not concrete evidence).

More on the river: regarding people who seem to have been driven out of their homesteads by the Numenorians

and the native folk that survived fled from Minhiriath into the dark woods of the great Cape of Eryn Vorn, south of the mouth of the Baranduin, which they dared not cross, even if they could, for fear of the Elvenfolk.

Again we see (people this time) afraid to cross the river Brandywine.

I think it could just boil down to the fact that black rider and horse were not able to swim across the river, but could use Sarn Ford, which just required ‘wading’.

[mark12_30]

After finishing the chapter, my first reaction is a simple one: this used to be one of myleast favorite chapters, but now I think it is one of my most favorite. All the dark wandering and separation and evil the hobbits face in the war are cast into sharp relief by the backbone of this chapter: the wrenching in Frodo's heart as he prepares to leave his good friends, their steely determination that he will not escape their diligence, and his relief and joy at their companionship.

Frodo's surprise and indignation is wonderfully comic. Merry's firm gentle assertions deeply touch me.