# Bilbo, the scatterbrain



## Ithrynluin (Nov 28, 2002)

The Hobbit, Chapter 2: Roast Mutton, p.39, 


> That's how they all came to start, jogging off from the inn one fine morning just before May, on laden ponies;



The Hobbit, Chapter 8: Flies and Spiders, p.146:


> He woke up suddenly and sat up scratching his head. He could not make out where he was at all, nor why he felt so hungry; for he had forgotten everything that had happened since they started their journey that May morning *long ago*.



Long ago? Bilbo had been gone less than a month and already it sounds as if he were gone for years! Did Bilbo lose his memory or mixed up the facts a bit? Or is this one of Tolkien's inconsistencies that he simply overlooked?


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## Anamatar IV (Nov 28, 2002)

time to prove YOU wrong ithryn or not...

After 2 days of journeying id think it was long ago. In thought itd seem like a very long time ago if you had limited food and no bed to sleep in...


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## Ithrynluin (Nov 28, 2002)

Hmmmmmm.... 
2 days of journeying? That doesn't seem that long to me.

Furthermore,whose perspective is it in this sentence:
"He woke up suddenly and sat up scratching his head. He could not make out where he was at all, nor why he felt so hungry; for he had forgotten everything that had happened since they started their journey that May morning long ago."
Bilbo's or Tolkien's?

Another thought: Could his observation be the influence of Mirkwood? Some sort of enchantment maybe that caused him to get lost and perceive time differently?

Looking forward to everyone's thoughts.


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## Confusticated (Nov 28, 2002)

I'm with Anamatar, I think that woud have seemed long for Bilbo, remember he was home sick.
I do not think he perceived time differently but simply forget where he was, being that he was used to waking up in his own bed, and he had a hard road and probably a good deep sleep caused him to be momentarily disoriented upon waking. I think that has happend to all of us at some point when waking up in a strange place.

ithrynluin...you're starting to get a little out there with your ideas, pretty soon you'll be as bad as me  
I do think Bilbo is a bit of a scatterbrain though..


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## Ithrynluin (Nov 28, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Nóm _
> *ithrynluin...you're starting to get a little out there with your ideas, pretty soon you'll be as bad as me
> *



  

But is it a mere coincidence that this happens exactly in the entangled forests of Mirkwood? I mean Bilbo was pretty homesick in other places too but no such observation was made.


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## Beorn (Nov 28, 2002)

> 'The dragon is still alive and in the halls under the Mountain then - or I imagine so from the smoke,' said the hobbit.
> 'That does not prove it,' said Balin, 'though I don't doubt you are right. But he might be gone away some time, or he might be lying out on the mountain-side keeping watch, and still I expect smokes and steams would come out of the gates: all the halls within must be filled with his foul reek.'
> 
> With such gloomy thoughts, followed ever by croaking crows above them, they made their weary way back to the camp. Only in June they had been guests in the fair house of Elrond, and though autumn was now crawling towards winter that pleasant time *now seemed years ago.* They were alone in the perilous waste without hope of further help. There were at the end of their journey, but as far as ever, it seemed, from the end of their quest. None of them had much spirit left.


From On The Doorstep.

Througout the Adventure, Bilbo was constantly relied upon, and the Dwarves really saw how correct Galdalf was in choosing Bilbo for the adventure. He began to mature in his decision making, and in other ways too--wake up to the world that really existed outside of his garden where he could blow smoke rings...This maturing, probably made him feel he was still a child at the beginning of the quest, and had grown up. ihrynluin's quote may possibly be the first sign of that.


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## Merry (Nov 29, 2002)

Have you ever stayed in a different place (like a friends house or hotel) and woken up not knowing where you are and which bed you are in the instant you start thinking? 

I stay in hotels a lot due to work and I often forget where I am or what I'm doing there. (It only happens for about 3 seconds but it does happen).

This must happen also with Bilbo esp because of the long and eventful trip they were on.

I also agree with Beorn, Bilbo matured a great deal from the wimp that left Bag End in a hurry so he probably felt like he had aged years and developed new skills. 

I don't like jumping to the conclusion that JRRT constantly made mistakes.

Good question though.


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## Ithrynluin (Nov 29, 2002)

Thank you for your answers everyone.

Beorn,in the quote that you cite,it at least uses the word "seem" but in the ones I cited there are no such words of possible uncertainty.

Also note this: How can it be 
*one fine morning just before May* and _that May mornig long ago_ 
at the same time? Since when do May mornings extend back into April?


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## kohaku (Dec 3, 2002)

Anytime I go through a major change, things that happened a month ago feel very distant. I imagine this is how Bilbo felt when he referred to a month as a long time.

I don't know about the whole May/before May thing, maybe its just a minor overlooked inconsistency.


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## Ithrynluin (Dec 3, 2002)

Would people stop talking about their personal experience already? 

Just kiddin'!


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## Turgon (Dec 3, 2002)

Not quite sure where you get your reckoning Ithrynluin. By the time Bilbo and Co had reached Mirkwood they had been on the road for two maybe three months, by the time they reached the Enchanted Stream it would have been nearer three. From the perspective of a hungry, half-starved hobbit that must indeed have seemed like an age ago.


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## Ithrynluin (Dec 3, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Turgon _
> *Not quite sure where you get your reckoning Ithrynluin. By the time Bilbo and Co had reached Mirkwood they had been on the road for two maybe three months, by the time they reached the Enchanted Stream it would have been nearer three. From the perspective of a hungry, half-starved hobbit that must indeed have seemed like an age ago. *



My reckoning??? You mean the "2 days" I mentioned in one of the earlier posts? That was supposed to be a joke since Anamatar (mistakenly) said "after 2 days of journeying"....I am well aware of the time spent so far on the journey. 
Alright, so we've established that Bilbo's wearyness and longing for his home have probably made him say "a long time ago".
But what about: one May morning vs. that morning just before May?
Whose mistake is this: Bilbo's or JRR's?


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## Turgon (Dec 4, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Ithrynluin_
> Long ago? Bilbo had been gone less than a month and already it sounds as if he were gone for years!



Okay Ithrynluin, this had me slightly confused - you seemed to be saying that Bilbo's journey had taken far less time than it actually did. Several weeks, instead of several months.

As for the 'one May morning vs. that morning just before May?'



> '_from LoTR, Appendix D, The Calendars_
> '...the Shire hobbits seem to have concerned themselves a good deal with dates; and they even drew up complicated tables showing the relation of their own system with others. *I am not skilled in these matters, and may have made many errors;* but at any rate the chronology of the crucial years S.R. 1418, 1419 is so carefully set out in the Red Book that there cannot be much doubt about days and times at that point.'


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## Ithrynluin (Dec 4, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Turgon _
> *Okay Ithrynluin, this had me slightly confused - you seemed to be saying that Bilbo's journey had taken far less time than it actually did. Several weeks, instead of several months.
> 
> As for the 'one May morning vs. that morning just before May?' *



Turgon, I hadn't even noticed that I've made a mistake, until you pointed it out!


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## Proudfoots (Dec 6, 2002)

> From the perspective of a hungry, half-starved hobbit that must indeed have seemed like an age ago.



In fact, to a normal well fed hobbit, i would imagine that breakfast would seem like long ago around Ten in the morning.

'foots


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## Ithrynluin (Dec 7, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Proudfoots _
> *In fact, to a normal well fed hobbit, i would imagine that breakfast would seem like long ago around Ten in the morning.
> 
> 'foots *



That is also a good point 'foots!


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## Flame of Udûn (Jan 28, 2003)

*It was Bombur, not Bilbo!*



> The only scrap of comfort there was came unexpectedly from Bombur.
> He woke up suddenly and sat up scratching his head. He could not make out where he was at all, nor why he felt so hungry; for he had forgotten everything that had happened since they started their journey that May morning long ago. The last thing that he remembered was the party at the hobbit's house, and they had great difficulty in making him believe their tale of all the many adventures they had had since.



Sorry for the long quote, but all this time that you have been debating the reckoning of time and Bilbo's forgetfulness, you have neglected to check the quote.


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