Education in Middle Earth

[Morthoron]

There is a dearth of information regarding education in Lord of the Rings, along with virtually no information regarding minting of coins, commerce (there is more commerce referred to in the Hobbit than in all of LotR), taxation, military organization (outside the 'Captain' title), and any number of professions (scribes, for instance, are not mentioned, and mortal minstrels only two times I can recall).

In the Shire, one would assume that the mass of the population was illiterate, save for the middle and upper classes (for whom there was a thriving postal service). For instance, the Gaffer, based on his colloquial and malaprop ridden speech, was illiterate, and Samwise only learned to read based on the kindly intervention of Bilbo and Frodo. Interestingly, we know some female Hobbits could read (based on their correspondence with Bilbo). I would assume the dissemination of knowledge was strictly a family affair, passed on from parents to children.

In Rohan, I would again assume the majority of the populous was illiterate, mirroring, perhaps, early Anglo-Saxon settlements where history was passed along orally by scops and not written down.

In Gondor, education of any sort is seemingly on the decline. The very rich (like Boromir and Faramir) would of course have their personal tutors as part of their households; but based on Gandalf finding information regarding Isildur in Minas Tirith's archives that had long been forgotten by Gondor's scholars, it is obvious that there is only a reverence for the form of the past and not an actual study of history. This is also evidenced by Gondor's healers being quite ignorant (the babbling Ioreth for instance), which caused Aragorn much irritation.

Of the Dwarves, we know they wrote rambling contracts in legalese (Thorin for instance), and their avidity for commerce and their natural acquisitiveness made them a likely race for cultural literacy; for where there are accountants, there is the writing of lists, documents, inventories and such. Tolkien mentions on several occasions the Dwarves' fondness for the Cirth, as well as their secret language.

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by Morthoron

Of the Dwarves, we know they wrote rambling contracts in legalese (Thorin for instance), and their avidity for commerce and their natural acquisitiveness made them a likely race for cultural literacy; for where there are accountants, there is the writing of lists, documents, inventories and such. Tolkien mentions on several occasions the Dwarves' fondness for the Cirth, as well as their secret language.

We also know that dwarves could be very competent musicians--look at the effect their playing had on Bilbo.

Originally Posted by Morthoron

In the Shire, one would assume that the mass of the population was illiterate, save for the middle and upper classes (for whom there was a thriving postal service). For instance, the Gaffer, based on his colloquial and malaprop ridden speech, was illiterate, and Samwise only learned to read based on the kindly intervention of Bilbo and Frodo. Interestingly, we know some female Hobbits could read (based on their correspondence with Bilbo). I would assume the dissemination of knowledge was strictly a family affair, passed on from parents to children.

One wonders if each hobbit farm produced its own beer as I think once was done in English farming communities. Now brewing is a fine art! And there would be weaving and sewing and quilting as home work, for clothes and bed linens. Tapestry produced some art works of considerable historical importance in our own Ages--perhaps Arwen's influence as Queen might have been to inspire a LotR Bayeux Tapestry of the War of the Ring. We could speculate endlessly whether this would have been produced in The Shire or Gondor, or possibly by both, each society producing different sections. No doubt the reason for Tolkien's reticence in including this possibility, while he does mention Arwen's banner for Aragorn, lies more with the French ownership of the famous artefact concerning the Anglo Saxon defeat. Nothing French in his Legendarium!

Plus those family genealogies had to come from some form of literacy. And, as I posited above, any society which produces its own calendar is not devoid of knowledge.

A formal system of education is not the only means of developing character, industry, skill, and art. Just the most bureacratic.

[Alfirin]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

One wonders if each hobbit farm produced its own beer as I think once was done in English farming communities. Now brewing is a fine art!

It's quite possible. In pre-pasterization there was a limit to how far you could ship beer before it began to spoil so most, if not all, of the Shire's beer was likey locally produced. Pippin also mentions his desire to have stopped at the Golden Perch on the ground that they have "the best beer in the West farthing" (or something like that" which seems to indicate that that place, at least has beer that is likey locally produced, or at least in some way different from other beers Pippin has drunk.

[Groin Redbeard]

Originally Posted by Morthoron

Of the Dwarves, we know they wrote rambling contracts in legalese (Thorin for instance), and their avidity for commerce and their natural acquisitiveness made them a likely race for cultural literacy; for where there are accountants, there is the writing of lists, documents, inventories and such. Tolkien mentions on several occasions the Dwarves' fondness for the Cirth, as well as their secret language.

I always pictured the dwarves as a class type of system. The noble's sons got the greatest tutors and learned from great philosophers and mathamaticians, like the ancient Greeks, or even better, Carthage. The Carthaginians believed that the higher ranking aristocracy was superior to the average day worker but also thought it necassary that though showed this through superiority fighting, knowledge, wisdom, and governing. They were a proud people and the Dwarf's system might not be that much different than this.

Being a secret race we have little information about them, my guess is that the lower ranking families and their sons worked in the mines while some ascended to jewel crafting or making "magical toys" like we saw at Bilbo's birthday party.