Education in Middle Earth

[Andsigil]

Originally Posted by Mansun

Pipeweed and beer trades, and perhaps food, were the chief international trades that the Shire boomed on economically. But again, what of housing, clothing, transport etc? Could Hobbits really adapt to serve the physical and cultural needs of men, be it in Bree or Dale? I would have thought the Dwarf market was more obvious in theory, but the needs of Dwarves for such things were not as apparent, being masters of many a craft themselves. The other factor is, Hobbits mostly worked for themselves and their own needs. I don't think the equivalent of many companies/organisations existed in the Shire.

Probably not. But what evidence of companies do we have in the rest of Middle Earth? Remember that the first company to issue stocks in the world was the Dutch East India Company, and that wasn't established until after the Renaissance, in 1602.

Originally Posted by Andsigil

Probably not. But what evidence of companies do we have in the rest of Middle Earth? Remember that the first company to issue stocks in the world was the Dutch East India Company, and that wasn't established until after the Renaissance, in 1602.

Michael Delving was a museum that existed in the Shire. In Bree, we come to the Prancing Pony. In Dale we have the Lake Town network. Just a few examples of equivalants to organisations. Not quite up there with Wall Street or Liverpool Street, but companies did exist in Middle Earth.

[Rumil]

I think the Shire (and Bree?) exported a fair bit of food to the Dwarves, who weren't intertested in, or suited to, farming. No doubt this was traded for metalwork, coinage etc. remember the silver pennies?

I guess the main customers must have been the Blue Mountain dwarves, though dwarves from 'the east' (ie Erebor and the Iron Hills) were passing through Bree, it seems a long way to transport ordinary foodstuffs (salted meat etc probably so as to be non-perishable) when they could get supplies through Esgaroth.

[Andsigil]

Originally Posted by Mansun

Michael Delving was a museum that existed in the Shire. In Bree, we come to the Prancing Pony. In Dale we have the Lake Town network. Just a few examples of equivalants to organisations. Not quite up there with Wall Street or Liverpool Street, but companies did exist in Middle Earth.

I wouldn't mix together the notions of traders, guilds, and actual companies.

Originally Posted by Andsigil

I wouldn't mix together the notions of traders, guilds, and actual companies.

Your reference does not support your theory that the equivalent of companies (i.e. businesses of some form) did not exist in Middle Earth.

[Andsigil]

Originally Posted by Mansun

Your reference does not support your theory that the equivalent of companies did not exist in Middle Earth.

But there is no proof that there are.

Given the societal and technological level which Tolkien took great pains to detail, there is nothing to support even the notion of an actual company, however. Given, it's a world of magic and the fantastic, but a company would be anachronistic in such a setting.

Originally Posted by Andsigil

But there is no proof that there are.

I think Hobbiton had a Post Office. Michael Delving, being a museum, would count as an organisation.

[Andsigil]

Originally Posted by Mansun

I think Hobbiton had a Post Office. Michael Delving, being a museum, would count as an organisation.

So, post office and museum = companies? I'll just say that's a bit of a conjecture.

In any event, I got involved in this part of the discussion to add more to the notion that the Shire wasn't worth much and had an insignificant value compared to some other places. I've explained that Lothlorien doesn't have monetary value the way we think it does, and Mordor would only have value in what someone would theoretically be willing to pay for it.

The Shire was prosperous and conducted trade with other place, notably Bree and Isengard, therefore, no, it wasn't as valueless as you gave the impression of it being at first.

However, organized companies didn't come into being in this earth until after the Renaissance- a time of social and technological advancement which Middle Earth never saw. A post office and a museum are nothing special- ancient societies had those. But something like the Central Eriador Export Company is anachronistic- there are too many things, societal, technological, and governmental preceding such a notion to simply assume it could exist in Middle Earth.

I'm sure businesses existed. "Hornblower Longbottom Leaf", or something, could well be a family business, with other hobbits in employ. But an actual company is something different.