Cram was a biscuit-like substance[1] made by the Men of Dale[2] and the Lake-men[1]. It was said to be nutritious, and was used as sustenance on long journeys, as it was by Thorin and Company on the last stage of their quest.[1] When Gimli first saw a lembas cake, he looked at it with a doubtful expression and thought that it was cram, but when he tasted a bit, he ate the whole cake with relish.[2]
Basic cram was a biscuitish, flavourless, uninspiring food.[1]. It was made of compressed flour, but sometimes milk and honey was added to it to make it more palatable.[3]
In the fictitious poem Perry-the-Winkle, written by Samwise Gamgee,[4] the Lonely Troll fed Perry "cramsome bread" and "cram-some cake".[5][6]
Etymology
Cram is probably a word in a Mannish language.[7]
The Oxford English Dictionary contains the word "cram-cake", which means a "fried-cake" or "pancake".[6]
Other versions of the legendarium
In The Etymologies, cram is said to be a Noldorin word (the precursor of Sindarin), from a root (KRAB-) meaning "press".[3] This entry seems to have been added in late 1937 or early 1938.[8]
An earlier manuscript version of what would later become the chapter "A Knife in the Dark" mentions that Cram was "a word in the language of the men of Dale and the Long-lake".[9] This version seems to have been written before late summer 1938.[10] In the final published version of the chapter "Farewell to Lórien", Gimli says after trying lembas that he "thought it was only a kind of cram" which the Dale-men would make for travel.[2]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "Not at Home"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, "Farewell to Lórien", p. 369
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part Three: "The Etymologies", base KRAB-, p. 365
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, "Preface"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, "Perry-the-Winkle"
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull (eds), The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion, p. 328
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, John D. Rateliff (ed.), The History of The Hobbit, Return to Bag-End, The Second Phase, "While the Dragon's Away...", (iii) A Note on Cram
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part Three: "The Etymologies", introduction, p. 382
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Return of the Shadow, "The First Phase: X. The Attack on Weathertop", p. 177
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Return of the Shadow, "The First Phase: XII. At Rivendell", p. 214