 | |
| Troll | |
| Lonely Troll | |
|---|---|
| Biographical Information | |
| Other names | Bumpus,[1] Lonely Worm,[2] Old Troll,[2] Troll[3] |
| Position | Baker[3] |
| Location | Faraway[3] |
| Affiliation | Perry-the-Winkle[4] |
| Language | Westron[3] |
| Notable for | Being a friendly troll. |
| Physical Description | |
| Gender | Male[3] |
The Lonely Troll, or the Troll, was an old inhabitant of Faraway who appeared in Perry-the-Winkle, a nursery rhyme[2] by Samwise Gamgee[4].[3]
This was a very unusual Troll: He wanted friends, he did not steal, drink beer, or even eat meat, and most amazingly of all, he was a very good cook. The Lonely Troll lived in the hills of Faraway, which seems to have been somewhere in Eriador, for he was the last troll "from Weathertop to the Sea".[3]
One day the Lonely Troll decided to seek friendship in the Shire. When he came to Delving, though, the Shire-hobbits ran and hid. The old troll sat down outside of the Lockholes and wept. It was then that a hobbit lad, Perry-the-Winkle, came up and befriended him. The happy troll took Perry home for tea and fed him generously.[3]
When the other hobbits learned that Perry-the-Winkle had been so handsomely fed they all went to the Troll's house to demand food for themselves. The Lonely Troll refused to feed them though since they had refused to be his friend. Instead he invited Perry to tea-time Every Thursday and taught him to be a great Baker.[3]
Background
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In the first version of the poem, entitled The Bumpus, in early 1928,[5] which was unconnected to the legendarium, the Lonely Troll was a being known only as the Bumpus. On the manuscript of the poem, J.R.R. Tolkien drew an unintentionally sinister[2] sketch of the Bumpus.[5] On 29 March,[2] the Bumpus became part[2] of Tolkien's Tales and Songs of Bimble Bay series[5].[1]
In the third version of the poem, entitled William and the Bumpus, Tolkien added an extra 111 lines,[2] which incorporated the scene where the Bumpus/Lonely Troll teaches William/Perry the art of baking, bringing the poem more in line with the final version.[5]
In early 1961,[2] when Tolkien revised the poem for inclusion within The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, the Bumpus was changed to the Lonely Worm[2] and then to the Lonely Troll. Despite the name change of the protagonist, Tolkien included the place-name Bumpus Head in the published version of The Dragon's Visit.[5]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond (2006), The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide: II. Reader's Guide p. 754 (entry "Perry-the-Winkle")
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 J.R.R. Tolkien; Christina Scull, Wayne G. Hammond (eds.), The Collected Poems of J.R.R. Tolkien, "105. The Bumpus · William and the Bumpus · Perry-the-Winkle (?1928-61)"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, "Perry-the-Winkle", pp. 41-4
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, "Preface"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 J.R.R. Tolkien; Christina Scull & Wayne G. Hammond (eds), The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, "Commentary", Perry-the-Winkle
| Legendary races of Arda | |
| Animals: | Dumbledors · Gorcrows · Hummerhorns · Pards · Swans of Gorbelgod · Turtle-fish · Wise-fish |
|---|---|
| Dragon-kind: | Sea-serpents · Spark-dragons · Were-worms |
| Other: | Badger-folk · Ettens · Giants · Great beasts · Half-trolls · Hobgoblins · Lintips · Mewlips · Nameless things · Ogres · Otter-folk · Snow-trolls · Spectres |
| Individuals: | Badger-brock · Bill Butcher · Farmer Hogg · Fastitocalon · Fisher Blue · Fíriel · Grip · Hunter and Rider · The Lady of the Sun · Lonely Troll · Man in the Moon · Mee · Mrs. Bunce · Old Swan · Peeping Jack · Perry-the-Winkle · Pott the Mayor · Talking Gurthang · Talking purse · River-woman · Shee · Tarlang · Tim · Tom · Whisker-lad · White cow · Willow-wren |