Kingfishers

2012-08-24T13:35:05Z

Bullfinch63: /* History */

{{quote|Talk less, Fisher Blue! Keep your kindly wishes<br>Fly off and preen yourself with the bones of fishes!|[[Tom Bombadil]]<ref name="Boat">[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], ''[[The Adventures of Tom Bombadil]]'', "[[Bombadil Goes Boating]]"</ref>}}
'''Kingfishers''' were bright blue birds.

==History==
Kingfishers lived on the waterside, feeding on [[fish]]. One notable kingfisher lived, according to [[Hobbits|Hobbit]] folklore, in the [[Old Forest]]. It harassed [[Tom Bombadil]], and upon flying away lost a feather. Tom took to the bright blue feather and replaced the old battered [[Swans|swan]]-feather in his hat.<ref name="Boat"/> Tom still bore a noticeable large blue feather on his hat when he met [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] and his companions.<ref>{{HM|FR}}, "[[The Old Forest]]"</ref>

[[Gondor]] was also familiar with the Kingfisher; when [[Faramir]] saw what he thought was a black squirrel or kingfisher, he asked [[Anborn]] whether the were any black kingfishers in [[Mirkwood]],<ref name="Pool">{{HM|TT}}, "[[The Forbidden Pool]]"</ref> a forest known for its black animals.<ref>{{HM|RC}}, p. 480</ref> Anborn saw the mysterious creature had four limbs, and quickly dismissed both ideas. It turned out to be [[Gollum]], hiding in the [[Forbidden Pool]].<ref name="Pool"/>

==Etymology==
''Kingfishers'' were originally called ''the King's fisher'', as they, like [[swans]], were royal animals.<ref name="L240">[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], [[Humphrey Carpenter]], [[Christopher Tolkien]] (ed.), ''[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]]'', [[Letter 240]] (dated [[1 August|August 1]], [[1962]])</ref>
==Names==
Several [[Eldarin]] words for the bird are known as well: in [[Quenya]], it was called '''''halatir''''' (or ''halatir(no)''), from the [[Sundocarmë|roots]] [[SKAL]] and [[TIR]], literally meaning "fishwatcher".<ref name=Etym>{{LR|Etymologies}}, roots [[KHAL]], [[SKAL]] and [[TIR]]</ref> [[Noldorin]] had a similar word, '''''heledirn'''''.<ref name=Etym/>

==Inspiration==
The Kingfisher, and especially the rivalry between the kingfisher and the swan in ''[[Bombadil Goes Boating]]'', was inspired by its use in European royal houses. Originally, the swan was the animal owned by kings, but later, it became the kingfisher. Even in [[Middle-earth]], both yearned for the return of the [[Aragorn|rightful King]].<ref name="L240"/>

==External links==
* {{WP|Kingfisher}}
{{references}}
[[Category:Birds]]

Tolkien Gateway - User contributions [en]

Kingfishers