| Hobbit | |
| Tobold Hornblower | |
|---|---|
| Biographical Information | |
| Other names | Old Toby |
| Position | Cultivator of pipe-weed |
| Location | Longbottom |
| Birth | Third Age |
| Death | Third Age |
| Family | |
| Family | Hornblower |
| Physical Description | |
| Gender | Male |
Tobold "Old Toby" Hornblower was a Hobbit famous for introducing pipe-weed to the Shire.[1][2]
History
Tobold Hornblower came from Longbottom in the Southfarthing of the Shire. Around S.R. 1070 (T.A. 2670)[3] he started to grow true pipe-weed in his gardens, the first recorded Hobbit to do so.[1][2] He was not much of a traveller, but in his youth he often visited Bree. He already had a keen interest in herbs and it is speculated that in one of these visits he learned of pipe-weed and of smoking from the Bree-hobbits (who claim to be the first smokers of that herb).[1] Toby however never revealed how he came by the weed.
His name, "Old Toby", was given to a variety of weed that was still popular in the late Third Age.[1]
Etymology
Tobold is a form of Theobald which contains theud "people" and bald "bold".[4]
Other versions of the legendarium
In a draft version of the chapter "The Road to Isengard", the name of this hobbit was Elias Tobiasson of Mugworth.[5] Elias Tobiasson is a common name in modern Swedish.[6]
In another early version of the legendarium, Toby was named Tobias Hornblower, and his Westron name was Zāra-tōbi[7] Raspūta.[8]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, "Prologue", "Concerning Pipe-weed", p. 8
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, "The Road to Isengard", p. 558
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Third Age", p. 1870
- ↑ Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull (eds), The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion, p. 31
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Ring, "Part One: The Fall of Saruman", "III. The Road to Isengard", p. 36
- ↑ Elisa at Wikipedia and Tobiasson at Wikipedia
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "II. The Appendix on Languages", Personal names, §50
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "II. The Appendix on Languages", On Translation, §42
