# In a hole in the ground there lived a hole builder



## Gary Gamgee (Apr 3, 2003)

I've discovered this fantastic book called 'The Hobbit Companion' by David Day. It's premise is how Tolkien's facination with language, and his playfullness with it, is what created the Hobbit and subsequently LotR. It points out that the very first sentence in the Hobbit is a lingustic joke and how it became the building block for the world Hobbits. He says the word Hobbit, an invention of Tolkien's, is a derivitation of an old english construct, again constructed by Tolkien, Holbytla. Of course we all know Holbytla as the old word in middle earth for hobbits Theoden uses this word, but Hol is an old english word for Hole, and Bytla is an old english word for Builder. The construction Holbytla was done by Tolkien and led to believe in his story as the precipit of the word Hobbit. What he was saying was 'In hole in the ground there lived a hole builder'

It a facinating and beautifully illustrated book, seriously give it a look.


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## Idril (Apr 3, 2003)

Sounds quite interesting - I'll look out for it. Thanks for info.


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## FrankSinatra (Apr 3, 2003)

*Well*

Has Mr Day written any other books on Tolkien?

The name does not sound familiar.


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## Gothmog (Apr 4, 2003)

David Day has writen a few books about Tolkien. "A Tolkien Beastiary" and " A Guide to Tolkien" are two that I know of.

Although I must say that "A Guide to Tlokien" is just an update of his "Beastiary". If you wish to read these you only need to the the Guide as it has all that is in the Beastiary anyway.


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## Niniel (Apr 5, 2003)

I'm not sure whether this joke was intended when Tolkien first wrote the sentence. The story is that he wrote just that one sentence 'In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit' while he was correcting exams, without knowing what hobits were or why they lived in holes. So it's very well possible that only afterwards, when he had found out what hobbits were, he made the connection between holbytla and hobbit. But anyway, whether intended or not, it's interesting all the same.


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## FoolOfATook (Apr 10, 2003)

Day also wrote the text for _The J.R.R. Tolkien Illustrated Encyclopedia_, and I think that he wrote a book called _Tolkien's Ring_, but I might be making that one up- I'm doing this, as usual, from the top of my head, without looking it up. Not one of my best habits, now that I think about it...


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## jallan (Apr 20, 2003)

Day’s _Tolkien Encyclopedia_ is rather well known for its inaccuracy, Day seemingly unable to distinguish between what Tolkien wrote and his own imaginings.

His book _Tolkien’s Ring_ is not especially enlightening about Tolkien, but is quite a good study of magic rings in general as they appear in myth and legend. 

Some of Day’s attempts to connect the material to Tolkien are very forced and untenable. Others are not.

But his summaries of tales and traditions are interesting for their own sake and accurate in the cases where I have independant knowledge of his sources.

For what seems to me a crank discussion of Tolkien’s linguistic inspiration see The Philosophical Etymology of Hobbit.


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## Sarah (Apr 20, 2003)

I own that book. Great buy. I love the part about gollum.


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## Dr. Jane (May 5, 2003)

Hey, I was interested in reading books about the ties in "The Hobbit." I would also like to read books that are sorta like it. I've read "Watership Down," (very good, by the way,) and I was wondering if anyone knew of some books like that. Thanks!


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