when was lotr? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Lobelia · 01-11-2004, 02:48 AM

You just have to suspend disbelief. The Shire is pretty much late Victorian England, which Tolkien mentioned at one stage - the Diamond Jubilee, which was when he was born. The hobbits have matches while everyone else uses more primitive firemaking equipment, they have a post office and a museum, they eat fish and chips (Sam mentions this in LOTR) and drink coffee...you get the idea. The rest of the world is more or less mediaeval, even if it did happen thousands of years ago. The only anachronism he did alter was the mention of tomatoes in "An Unexpected Party" because tomatoes came from America. But so did potatoes and tobacco (hence the latter is called pipeweed and I think he hopes we won't notice if he calls the potatoes "taters" and "spuds").

Don't worry about it! Just enjoy! :-)

01-11-2004, 02:48 AM	#3
Lobelia Wight Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Australia Posts: 150	You just have to suspend disbelief. The Shire is pretty much late Victorian England, which Tolkien mentioned at one stage - the Diamond Jubilee, which was when he was born. The hobbits have matches while everyone else uses more primitive firemaking equipment, they have a post office and a museum, they eat fish and chips (Sam mentions this in LOTR) and drink coffee...you get the idea. The rest of the world is more or less mediaeval, even if it did happen thousands of years ago. The only anachronism he did alter was the mention of tomatoes in "An Unexpected Party" because tomatoes came from America. But so did potatoes and tobacco (hence the latter is called pipeweed and I think he hopes we won't notice if he calls the potatoes "taters" and "spuds"). Don't worry about it! Just enjoy! :-)