Pards were feline creatures only mentioned in Hobbit poetry. Apparently the pards lived in wooded lands of the East (perhaps referring to the lands beyond Rhûn, the Uttermost East). The beast, "fleet upon feet", leaped on its prey from above.[1]
Inspiration
At the Bodleian Library in Oxford are kept several manuscripts of medieval bestiaries containing descriptions of the legendary pard. The animal is described as very swift, killing its prey with a single leap. It was believed that the mating of a pard and a lion produced the leopard.[2] In 1962 Tolkien published the poem "Cat",[1] which, carrying many similarities with this medieval notion, shows that he was likely familiar with these manuscripts.
External links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, "Cat"
- ↑ "Pard" at The Medieval Bestiary (accessed 12 March 2011)
| 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 |