The Shire

2009-01-15T10:39:29Z

163.1.230.197: /* Inspiration */

{{kingdom
| image = [[Image:fotr0066.jpg|300px]]
| name = The Shire
| meaning =
| type = Thainship
| hidep=yes
| headofstate = [[King of Arnor]] (de jure), [[Thain]], [[Mayor of Michel Delving]]
| executive = [[Shirriffs]]
| legislative =
| judicial =
| capital = [[Michel Delving]] (de facto)
| language = [[Hobbitish]]
| location = Central [[Eriador]]
| populace= [[Hobbits]]
| currency =
| religious =
| holiday =
| anthem =
| formed = The westward migration of Hobbits led by [[Marcho]] and [[Blanco]]
| established = [[Third Age 1600|T.A. 1600]]
| reorganized =
| fragmented =
| dissolved =
| restored =
}}
'''The Shire''' is the region that is occupied by [[Hobbits]]. It is located in the northwest of Middle-earth, in the 'continent' of [[Eriador]] and the Kingdom of [[Arnor]]. Its name in [[Westron]] was '''[[Sûza]]''' "Shire" or '''Sûza-t''' "The Shire".
==Geography==
According to Tolkien, the Shire measured 40 leagues (193 km, 120 [[Númenórean]] miles) from the Far Downs in the west to the Brandywine Bridge in the east, and 50 leagues (241 km, 150 miles) from the northern moors to the marshes in the south. This is confirmed in an essay by Tolkien (on the Languages of Middle-earth) wherein he describes The Shire as having an area of 18,000 square miles (47,000 km²). In order for this figure to be accurate it must be assumed that the Shire was roughly rectangular in shape.

The Brandywine ([[Baranduin]]) river bounds the Shire from the east. (Hobbits also live in ''Buckland'', which lies east of the river and west of the Hedge protecting the Shire from invasion from the [[Old Forest]]; however, Buckland was not formally recognised as part of The Shire until after the [[War of the Ring]], when it was granted officially to The Shire by [[Aragorn]] King Elessar.) From the north and the west The Shire has no topographical borders, but rather is bounded by the ancient south and east roads, and by vague geographical features such as the [[Tower Hills]].

The Shire is described as a small but beautiful and fruitful land, beloved by its inhabitants. The Hobbits had an extensive agricultural system in the Shire, but did not proceed with industrialization. Various supplies could be found in the Shire, including cereals, fruit, wood and tobacco (a favourite treat of Hobbits).

The Shire was quite densely populated in parts with many villages and a few towns, but it still was open enough to allow for wide forested areas and marshes.
==History==
The Shire was settled by Hobbits in the year 1601 of the Third Age (Year 1 in Shire Reckoning). The Hobbits (who originally lived in the vale of [[Anduin]]) had migrated west over the perilous [[Misty Mountains]] in the decades before that, and before entering The Shire they had lived in [[Dunland]] and parts of the depopulated [[Arnor]]ian splinter-realms [[Cardolan]] and [[Rhudaur]]. It has been speculated that the Hobbits had originally moved west to escape the evils of [[Mirkwood]], and the trouble caused by the [[Easterlings]].

[[Image:Ted Nasmith - One Morning Long Ago.jpg|thumb|left|250px|''One Morning Long Ago'' by [[Ted Nasmith]].]]
The Shire was a part of [[Arthedain]], and as such a part of Arnor. The Hobbits got official permission from King [[Argeleb II]] at Norbury ([[Fornost]]) to settle the lands, which were not populated and seen as the King's hunting grounds. The Hobbits considered themselves as subjects of the King, and sent some support troops to the great battles Arnor fought against [[Angmar]]. After the fall of Arnor, the Shire remained a minor but independent political unit.

Its small size, relative lack of importance, and brave and resilient Hobbit population made it too modest an objective for conquest. More important was that the Shire was guarded and protected by the [[Dúnedain]] Rangers, who watched the borders and kept out intruders. The only strangers to enter the Shire were the [[Dwarves]] travelling on the [[Great East Road]] that ran through the Shire to and from their mines in the [[Blue Mountains]], and the occasional [[Elves]] on their way to the [[Grey Havens]].

This peaceful situation changed after [[Bilbo Baggins]]' acquisition of the [[The One Ring|One Ring]] in the year 1343 of the Shire Reckoning. Shortly after the beginning of the events described in [[The Lord of the Rings]] (autumn of the year 1419 in Shire Reckoning), the Shire was first visited by the Nine [[Ringwraiths]] and then captured by [[Saruman]]. It was liberated with the help of [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]], [[Sam Gamgee|Sam]], [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]] and [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]] after the end of the Quest of the Ring through their victory at the [[Battle of Bywater]]. After [[Aragorn]]'s return as the King of [[Arnor]] and [[Gondor]], the Shire became a protected enclave inside the Reunited Kingdom. He is known to have issued an order that forbade the entrance of full-sized [[Men]] into the Shire.

Its relatively peaceful existence during the perilous period preceding the defeat of [[Sauron]] can be attributed to the vigilance of [[Gandalf]] and [[Rangers of the North]] led by [[Aragorn]] who used daring tactics to keep evil at bay. However when these set out to a distant war, the Shire became essentially defenceless, which led to its capture. But the damage which Saruman caused by forced industrialization was undone by the Hobbits' efforts. The Shire was restored with soil from [[Lórien]], given to Sam by [[Galadriel]]. The year 1420 (SR) was considered by the inhabitants of the Shire to be the most productive and prosperous year in their history.
==Administration==
Initially, The Shire was a part of Arthedain. The Hobbits considered themselves as subjects of the King and only after the fall of Arnor, the Shire became an independent political unit.

The Shire was originally divided in four Farthings (''[[Northfarthing]]'', ''[[Southfarthing]]'', ''[[Eastfarthing]]'', and ''[[Westfarthing]]''), but [[Buckland]] and later the [[Westmarch]] were added to it. Within the Farthings there are some smaller, unofficial divisions such as family lands: the [[Took Family|Tooks]] nearly all live in or near Tuckborough in Tookland, for instance. In many cases a Hobbit's last name indicates where their family came from: [[Samwise Gamgee]]'s last name derives from ''Gamwich'', where the family originated. Outside the Farthings, Buckland itself was named for the [[Oldbucks]] (later [[Brandybuck Family|Brandybucks]]). See further ''[[Regions of the Shire]]''.

Officials of the Shire were the '''[[Mayor of Michel Delving|Mayor]]''' of [[Michel Delving]] in the [[White Downs]] (by extension seen as the [[Mayor of the Shire]]), the '''[[Thain]]''' from ''[[Tuckborough]]'' who was the head of the important [[Took Family|Took clan]], and the '''[[Master of Buckland]]''' at ''[[Bucklebury]]''. While nominally the Thain ruled over the four [[Farthings]], in practice authority was so decentralized that the title was seen as more of a formality. The Mayor's chief duties were serving as postmaster of the Shire's mail service and presiding at fairs, while the Master controlled Buckland.

[[Image:fotr0059.jpg|300px|left|thumb|The Shire in [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]].]]
The sole law enforcement officials in the Shire were the [[Shirriffs]]. Their job was to protect the Shire from trespassers more than anything. There were three in each Farthing, and were distinguished from "civilians" by a feather worn in their caps.

==Inspiration==
{{quote|Though a Tolkien by name, I am a Suffield by tastes, talents, and upbringing, and '''any comer of that county [Worcestershire] (however fair or squalid) is in an indefinable way 'home' to me, as no other part of the world is.'''|[[Letter 44]]}}
On Tolkien's maps, the Shire is located at about the same position as England is on modern European maps and has been cited as an example of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_England#Deep_England Deep England] ideology (of course, England being an island while Shire is inside the continent). Throughout the narrative, Tolkien also implies numerous points of similarity between the two, such as weather, agriculture and dialect. One can also see England as Tolkien's source of inspiration for the Shire in its very name.

According to [[Paula Marmor]], the hobbit brothers [[Marcho]] and [[Blanco]] names are related to horses, parallel to [[Wikipedia:Hengest|Hengest]] and [[Wikipedia:Horsa|Horsa]], legendary leaders who brought the Saxons to Britain. Hengest was the founder of [[Wikipedia:Kent|Kent]] whose geography is similar to the Shire (North Downas above, hills to the west, water to the east and marshes to the southeast)<ref>''[[An Introduction to Elvish]]'', An etymological excursion among the Shire Folk</ref>.

The industrialization of the Shire was based on Tolkien's witnessing of the extension of the Industrial Revolution to rural Warwickshire during his youth, and especially the deleterious consequences thereof. The rebellion of the hobbits and the restoration of the pre-industrial Shire may be interpreted as a prescription of voluntary simplicity as a remedy to the problems of modern society.

==See also==
*[[:Category:Images of the Shire|Images of the Shire]]
*[[Thain|Thains of the Shire]]

[[Category:Shire]]
[[Category:Eriador]]
[[Category:Realms]]

[[de:Auenland]]
[[fr:encyclo:geographie:regions:eriador:comte]]
[[fi:Kontu]]

Tolkien Gateway - User contributions [en]

The Shire