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Smith of Wootton Major

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The fay-star in Smith of Wootton Major allowed its wearer to enter Faery. Eärendil’s device, featuring a Silmaril as a shining star, was painted by Tolkien around the same time. This is my second time wrestle-I-mean-reading! something by Tolkien. I will openly admit, I slept-read The Hobbit. *gasp*

The Cook let Smith decide who would receive the star the next, and Smith chose a boy named Tim. At the Feast Smith saw Tim swallow his piece of cake, and noticed how the boy changed – became merrier and radiant. Thus, the journey of the star and its new owner began. Update this section! a b c d e f g h Long, Josh B. (2021). "Faery, Faith, and Self-Portrayal: An Allegorical Interpretation of Smith of Wootton Major". Tolkien Studies. 18: 1–38. doi: 10.1353/tks.2021.0007. Tolkien himself called it “an old man’s book, already weighted with the presage of bereavement”, and taking their cue from him, many have read Smith’s surrender of the star as Tolkien’s farewell to his art.” On his last visit to Faery, Smith met the Queen herself on a high place under a night-sky filled with stars. Smith recognized her as the maiden with whom he had danced on the lawn in the Vale of Evermorn. On his return journey he met the King of Faery, who turned out to be Alf. Alf asked for the Fay-star to be returned so that it might be baked into Alf's Great Cake. Smith and Alf went to the store room and there Smith surrendered the Fay-star. Roger Lancelyn Green, who noted in the Sunday Telegraph for 3 December 1967 that, “To seek for the meaning is to cut open the ball in search of its bounce.” Tolkien treasured the comment, and wrote Green to thank him.”He stood before her, and he did not kneel in courtesy, for he was dismayed and felt that for one so lowly all gestures were in vain.” A Minor Kidroduction: We first meet Smith at age nine, when he acquires the star, but the rest of the story happens in his adulthood. a b c d e f Flieger, Verlyn (2001). "Pitfalls in Faërie". A Question of Time: J.R.R. Tolkien's Road to Faërie. Kent State University Press. pp.227–253. ISBN 0-87338-699-X. If "The Silmarillion" highlights Tolkien's mastery of the English language and "The Lord of the Rings" showcases his narrative and world-building skills, then "Smith of Wooton Major" and "Farmer Giles of Ham" reveal his wit and deep affection for philology.

This is the fourth tale in Tales from the Perilous Realm, and this is the only other story I had not read prior. I have to say I’m not sure how I feel about it, but like the others, I’m sure I’d like it more a second time. A Middle English Vocabulary · Sir Gawain and the Green Knight · Ancrene Wisse · The Old English Exodus The second was definitely my favorite. The dragon is literally named Gold-guarder the Rich which is pretty great. It features exactly the sort of dragon riddling I love. I'd recommend this to the Tolkien fans out there who also enjoy some more folktale-inspired light fantasy and want a lighter read. It's super short so it's not a huge time commitment either. I wouldn't just throw it out though, it's worth a look. Plus, this edition has these wonderful drawings. I love the cover! Chrysophylax and Giles are right in the middle of riddling! Giles seems to say, "I ENT HAVIN NONE O THAT SHENANIGANS FIREWURMLING." And Cyrsophylax seems to reply, "Oh simpering human let I, mighty fire drake that I am, consider your words (WHILE I WAIT FOR A LAPSE IN YOUR JUDGMENT AND SLAY YOU WHERE YOU STAND MWAHAHA)." "For dragons always have such evil thoughts in their hearts." Two great novellas by Tolkien which, I'd hazard to say, most readers (and probably most fans of JRRT's) don't know exist, but which are both among his stronger works. Both stories would make great animated adaptations like the Rankin/Bass productions of "The Hobbit" and "The Return of the King."

Tropes included in the tale:

The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún · The Fall of Arthur · The Story of Kullervo · The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun

Possession of the star also enables Smith to make journeys into Fairyland in a magically suspended time-warp that does not count as the ‘real’ time of the village. Only his family is aware of his absences, and even they do not know where he has wandered. In the perilous land that Tolkien called Faery, Smith sees events transpire to which he has no key, sees wonders unfold that he does not understand, and stumbles into dangers of which he is unaware. Trespassing on the dangerous Lake of Tears, he arouses the Wild Wind, but is sheltered from its wrath by a weeping birch. The tree warns him to go away, telling him outright that the Wind is hunting him and that he does not belong in the Faery land. Although the author himself called Smith of Wootton Major‘an old man’s book, already weighted with the presage of bereavement’, the story has much more to offer its readers than J.R.R. Tolkien’s farewell to his art. It follows admirably the criteria he established for fairy tales in his important essay On Fairy-stories, perhaps his clearest statement of the principles that informed his creativity. Here he reminded readers that while fairy stories are stories about ‘the realm or state in which fairies have their being’, they are not primarily concerned with fairies, but with ‘the aventures of men in the Perilous Realm or upon its shadowy marches’. First published in 1967, Smith of Wootton Major was the last of Tolkien’s stories to appear in his lifetime, and is of all his shorter works the most difficult to categorize. It is neither a story for ‘children’ nor ‘adults’, but rather for any reader of any age who enjoys fairy tales and can surrender to enchantment, since of all his works Smith comes closest to the spirit of a traditional fairy story. Smith of Wootton Major has been republished many times since 1967, and included in several anthologies of Tolkien’s shorter works. He was a son of the Smith, and when his father died he took his place. The young Smith became more and more handsome with every day, and all the people loved him both for his skilfull crafts and for his singing. Smith really was a master of iron and made great things out of this metal. While forging he always was singing.To me this was a great little tale, falling just short of me loving it. I think this is a cute, silly story that could so easily fall into the realm of other fairytale stories/the same popularity, if only it was more readily available. Although, it is again one of those older children’s stories where while I’m reading I’m like, “this was told to kids?!” So with that being said this could easily have been dulled down or “Disney-fied” or made even more adult in a longer version/adaptation. Carpenter, Humphrey (1977). J. R. R. Tolkien: A Biography. New York: Ballantine Books. ISBN 978-0-04-928037-3. I know, I know...how can someone do that? Like I have a clue, I was a freshman in high school - that on a whole is an unsolved mystery in itself.

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