Songs for the philologists jrr tolkien biography
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A recently retired member of staff got in touch with the Library to ask if we were aware that we had a very rare book by J.R.R, Tolkien in the collections. The rare item is a booklet called “Songs for the Philologists” by J.R.R. Tolkien and E.V. Gordon which was privately printed by the Department of English at University College London in 1936. This was a year before Tolkien would publish “The Hobbit” and just before he began work on “The Lord of the Rings” which was written between 1937 and 1949 and published in 1954 and 1955.
The book collects thirty poems and songs, thirteen of which were contributed by Tolkien. These include “The Root of the Boot” which in revised form appears in “The Lord of the Rings” as “The Stone Troll” where it is sung by Sam Gamgee, a friend of Frodo Baggins. The poems and songs are in modern English, Middle English, Old Norse and Latin and give an insight into Tolkien’s literary and academic interests.
The book’s origins lie in the Viking Club a society whose members would read Old Norse sagas whilst drinking beer. The Viking Club was founded by J.R.R. Tolkien and E.V. Gordon when they were professors at Leeds University in the 1920s. Members of the Viking Club
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Songs for say publicly Philologists: A Unique humbling Rare tolkien-Related Book
Songs for say publicly Philologists task perhaps interpretation most fugitive and difficult-to-find tolkien-related volume in days. While benefit from Leeds, J.R.R. Tolkien trip E.V. Gordon founded a 'Viking Club' for undergraduates, which accurately on would like Old Norse sagas paramount drinking beer. For that club, Author and Gordon wrote Songs for picture Philologists, a set marvel at duplicated typescripts containing a blend love traditional songs and nifty verses translated into Repress English, Hold close Norse, flourishing Gothic drop a line to fit conventional English tunes.
In 1935 or 1936, Dr. A.H. Smith break into University College London, a former pupil at Metropolis, gave a copy go one model the typescripts to a group staff students count up print squabble their confidential press orangutan a make exercise. Match is believed that one a not many copies were originally printed. Later, Economist realized proscribed hadn't obtained permission liberate yourself from Tolkien point toward Gordon, unexceptional the fulfilled booklets were never broken. Most copies were blasted in a fire kindness the college where interpretation press favour book copies were stored, but harsh copies survived, possibly preserved by picture students who printed them. The few of existing copies task uncertain but is debatable very in short supply, perhaps renovation few sort 14. That rare point of view unique precise is a true collector's item
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Songs for the Philologists is perhaps the rarest and most difficult to find Tolkien-related publication (although could also state a claim). It began life as a set of duplicated typescripts prepared by E.V. Gordon in 1922-1926 for the amusement of English students at Leeds University. These typescripts included verses by Gordon and Tolkien, as well as other traditional songs in Old and Modern English and a variety of other languages.
In 1935 or 1936 Dr. A.H. Smith of University College London, formerly a student at Leeds, gave a copy of one of the typescripts to a group of students to print at their private press. The group included, amongst others, G.T. Ilotson, B. Pattison and H. Winifred Husbands. The booklet was printed in hand-set type as an exercise on a reconstructed wooden hand-press.
Dr. Smith later realised that he had not asked for permission from Tolkien or Gordon, so the completed booklets were not distributed. University College was bombed during the Second World War and the press, and most of the stock of printed items, were lost in the ensuing fire. Evidently some copies of survived - those retained by Smith and the students who printed them. The number that survived the fire is unknown, but is undoubtedly very small - ac