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08-05-2004, 01:09 PM | #1 | ||
Shade of Carn Dûm
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The Cat and the Fiddle
A question regarding the origin of the popular nursery rhyme:
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Recall that the more lengthy version appears in The Fellowship of the Ring:At the Sign of the Prancing Pony when Frodo sings one of Bilbo's songs: Quote:
Since I have never seen the actual book (I assume some of you have) I deduce that the aforementioned rhyme IS an extension. Furthermore I doubt that old children's books such as these would have old men from the moon who want to get drunk (hah!) in a merry old inn beneath an old grey hill -- and tipsy cats! Correct me if I'm wrong... So now I wonder if Tolkien ever had an account regarding this song -- why he chose it etc. |
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08-05-2004, 02:03 PM | #2 |
Princess of Skwerlz
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles)
Posts: 7,499
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In the HoME, Christopher Tolkien tells a bit of the background of this poem. It was originally published in 1923, and the undertitle is "A Nursery Rhyme Undone and its Scandalous Secret Unlocked". Apparently JRRT felt that such a strange nursery rhyme needed a background explanation and came up with the poem which expands on it. Later he changed it somewhat and put it in the LotR as Frodo's song in the 'Prancing Pony'.
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'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth...' |
08-05-2004, 02:46 PM | #3 | |
Alive without breath
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: On A Cold Wind To Valhalla
Posts: 5,912
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Good gracious me!
Well that is a question I have meant to ask myself, but never got around to it. I think he did this to emphasise how Middle earth and all its history was written as a mythology FOR England and so had to have at least some connections with this world and time, so that people would realise this. On another note, do you think Tolkien was putting in some tiny mention or hint of Tom Bombadill in this song? Quote:
Or is it just coincidence? Any thoughts?
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I think that if you want facts, then The Downer Newspaper is probably the place to go. I know! I read it once. THE PHANTOM AND ALIEN: The Legend of the Golden Bus Ticket... |
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08-05-2004, 03:01 PM | #4 |
Shadow of Starlight
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Cat and the Fiddle
Incidentally, the Cat and the Fiddle near me is a marvellous if tiny pub - smaller than my bedroom and filled inside and outside with bikers. It's on the Cat and Fiddle Pass - the most dangerous road in Britain.
But still a marvellous pub Hookbill - that's an interesting link, I hadn't thought of that. But I think in this case, that may actually just be coincidence - it's like the saying along variations of 'making a racket fit to raise the dead'. But that could lead to a chicken-or-egg question of whether that saying came first or whether it was picked up from the poem...
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08-05-2004, 03:04 PM | #5 |
Alive without breath
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: On A Cold Wind To Valhalla
Posts: 5,912
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Yar (In a pirate voice), it was a bit farfetched anyway.
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I think that if you want facts, then The Downer Newspaper is probably the place to go. I know! I read it once. THE PHANTOM AND ALIEN: The Legend of the Golden Bus Ticket... |
08-05-2004, 03:30 PM | #6 | |
Shade of Carn Dûm
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Even more fascinating is the connection Hookbill presented -- it is farfetched but a coincidence that is nonetheless Hookbilly cool Nothing is too farfetched in the Downs as I have observed so don't be discouraged. |
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08-06-2004, 10:33 AM | #7 |
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
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They're both singable to the same tune, with a minor alteration. (a bit of the tune has to be repeated in each verse as Tolkien's version has one more line)
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Don't let me die! Last edited by Elennar Starfire; 08-06-2004 at 10:34 AM. Reason: a bit of stupidity removed |
11-29-2004, 10:18 PM | #8 |
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I live in Los Angeles. We also have a Cat and the Fiddle Pub in Hollywood. It is a very popular and busy "British" Pub with quite a good kitchen. I am a member of a local group "Tolkien Forever" which is an official smial of the Tolkien Society. We will be offering a toast to the professor on his birthday at this most appropriate venue. Anyone in the area, please feel free to join us.
Kent |
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