Economy in Middle Earth
Jeff Mejia
like to join the fray.
The first question I would like to ask is, what type of economy exists in
The Lord of the Rings? The economy seems to be a feudal agrarian one, but
how would this work in the Shire? There is no feudal lord to pay homage to.
Also, what did Bilbo (and later, Frodo), do in Shire society? They seem to
be landed gentry of some kind, but there is no indication that they have any
job or function in society other than being Master of Bag End with its
attendant duties and privileges. One can assume that Bilbo and Frodo could
live off of Bilbo’s portion of the Smaug hoard, but what did Bilbo live off
of before then? I mean, he was able to leave all of his duties and
obligations at the drop of a hat without making any dispensations. It
appears that the Sackville-Bagginses had him declared dead so that they
could obtain Bag End (as his legal heir) and were auctioning off his
property for profit.
Anyway, that is one topic that I’m curious about.
Jeff Mejia
Michael Martinez
>Hello, I have been lurking in this newsgroup for quite a while and would
>like to join the fray.
[Whap! Bat! Slam! KABLAM!]
Welcome to the fray.
>The first question I would like to ask is, what type of economy exists in
>The Lord of the Rings?
There is no one economy in THE LORD OF THE RINGS.
>...The economy seems to be a feudal agrarian one, but how would this work
> in the Shire? There is no feudal lord to pay homage to.
Hence, no feudalism. Feudalism in its strictest definition is an exchange
of obligations between two parties (as opposed, say, to an exchange of
goods and/or services for money).
There is, in fact, a monied economy in both the Shire and Bree. Otho
Sackville-Baggins buys up a lot of property in the Southfarthing and he and
Lotho end up doing business with Saruman, selling a lot of food and
pipeweed to Isengard.
For specific mentions of money, reread the chapters where the hobbits are
in Bree.
>Also, what did Bilbo (and later, Frodo), do in Shire society?
Tolkien never says, but many people suspect they owned Bagshot Row and
perhaps other rental properties. Of course, Bilbo gained a lot of wealth
on his adventure, though he ended up giving a lot of that money away.
>...They seem to be landed gentry of some kind, but there is no indication
>that they have any job or function in society other than being Master of
>Bag End with its attendant duties and privileges.
[snip]
Technically, "landed gentry" are wealthy people who live in and own
considerable real estate in the country. Bilbo and Frodo were the closest
thing to "urban" hobbits one gets in the Shire.
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Jeff Mejia
Michael Martinez wrote in message <7sbar3$1tc...@Org.xenite.org>...>>snip<<
>
>There is no one economy in THE LORD OF THE RINGS.
>
>>...The economy seems to be a feudal agrarian one, but how would this work
>> in the Shire? There is no feudal lord to pay homage to.
>
>Hence, no feudalism. Feudalism in its strictest definition is an exchange
>of obligations between two parties (as opposed, say, to an exchange of
>goods and/or services for money).
>
There did seem to be some vague vestiges of feudalism when the Shire was
chartered in T.A. 1601 by Arveleg II (?). The bridge over the Baranduin and
the road had to be maintained, and the laws of the King had to be upheld.
The Thain was held to be the King's representative in the Shire. As an
aside, it seems that feudalism was the main system in Gondor (hence the
arrival of the troops from the corners of the realm).
>[snip]
>>...They seem to be landed gentry of some kind, but there is no indication
>>that they have any job or function in society other than being Master of
>>Bag End with its attendant duties and privileges.
>
>[snip]
>
>Technically, "landed gentry" are wealthy people who live in and own
>considerable real estate in the country. Bilbo and Frodo were the closest
>thing to "urban" hobbits one gets in the Shire.
>
Actually, Bag End was in a fairly rural setting, amidst many "farms bordered
by neat hedgerows". Hobbiton, the nearest town to bag end, was so small
that it did not even have an inn, forcing the hobbits in the area to walk to
Bywater for a proper pint of 1420.
>
>--
> \\ // Worlds of Imagination on the Web in...@xenite.org
> \\// FREE! Watch Internet TV shows at Xenite.Org!
> //\\ [http://www.xenite.org/index.htm]
> // \\ENITE.org...............................................
Jeff Mejia
Michael Martinez
>Michael Martinez wrote in message <7sbar3$1tc...@Org.xenite.org>...
>
>chartered in T.A. 1601 by Arveleg II (?).
[snip]
Well, to (perhaps vainly) forestall another long-winded Medieval/Feudalism
thread, I will point out that what scant evidence for any sort of feudalism
in Middle-earth does exist in the Arnorian relationships.
However, there was no such relationship at the time of the War of the Ring.
Neither the Shire nor the Bree-landers were beholden to any overlords, and
their societies don't display evidence of feudalism.
The one possible exception is Buckland. We know virtually nothing of its
government, except that there was an autocratic chieftain, the Master of
Buckland, whose position was hereditary. But there is no indication of
vassalage or other forms of feudalism in Buckland.
>>>...They seem to be landed gentry of some kind, but there is no indication
>>>that they have any job or function in society other than being Master of
>>>Bag End with its attendant duties and privileges.
>>
>>[snip]
>>
>>Technically, "landed gentry" are wealthy people who live in and own
>>considerable real estate in the country. Bilbo and Frodo were the closest
>>thing to "urban" hobbits one gets in the Shire.
>
>>
>
>Actually, Bag End was in a fairly rural setting, amidst many "farms bordered
>by neat hedgerows". Hobbiton, the nearest town to bag end, was so small
>that it did not even have an inn, forcing the hobbits in the area to walk to
>Bywater for a proper pint of 1420.
The IVY BUSH was the local inn of Hobbiton. It was the Gaffer's favorite
hangout. Tolkien's depiction of Hobbiton and the Hill shows that the Hill
was on the edge of Hobbiton. Bagshot Row was below Bag End. The town of
Over Hill lay just north of the Hill.
According to Tolkien's map (in THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING) Hobbiton lay on
both sides of the Water and Bywater lay only on the south side and was
smaller than Hobbiton.
So Bag End was in the heart of Hobbit urbanism.
Öjevind Lång
>Hello, I have been lurking in this newsgroup for quite a while and would
>like to join the fray.
>The first question I would like to ask is, what type of economy exists in
>The Lord of the Rings? The economy seems to be a feudal agrarian one, but
>how would this work in the Shire? There is no feudal lord to pay homage
to.
[snip]
I think that it would be over-simplifying matters if one called Middle-earth
"Medieval"; it is a world that contains features from many epochs and
cultures. Even so, much of it has an atmosphere that feels more medieval
than anythig else. However, I have been through some fairly intensive
discussions about that and don't wish to get sucked into another one.
Accordingly, I will simply end on a lighter note by reposting a note
supplied to alt.fan.tolkien by Tribimat on 5th May this year:
[post begins]
Some thoughts on the Shire economy.
I apologise for the absence of precise quotations and any inaccuracies in my
recollections.
1) The Shire is primarily a nation of food-growers. It was chosen as the
site of a colony of Hobbits from the Bree-land because of its unusual
fertility, exploited in times past by the Kings of Arnor. Notable farmers
and landowners include Mr. Maggot, Tom Cotton and Paladin Took. A variety of
crops were grown: wheat (stored in granaries such as the Grange at Hobbiton,
and ground in mills such as the water-mill owned by the Sandymans/men),
mushrooms (a much desired commodity), potatoes, barley (for beer) and vines
are some of those mentioned or implied by the text. Hobbits also kept pigs,
chickens and cows (all implied by the contents of Bilbo's larder in The
Hobbit), and while some hobbits such as Sam knew how to prepare their own
meat, others (like Bilbo) had theirs delivered ready to cook from the
butcher's.
A significant non-essential but popular crop is of course 'pipe-weed',
largely grown in the Southfarthing. This resource played a significant part
in the developing instability of the Shire economy (see 6 below).
2) Although there were quarries at Scary, quarrying and mining for materials
does not seem to have been much practised, except as a consequence of the
excavation of smials. Hobbits had little knowledge of and limited interest
in machinery. They had blacksmiths
to shoe ponies and carry out similar work essential to a largely agrarian
society (refer to The Shadow Of The Past for some evidence); they understood
the forge bellows. They had some
trading contacts with Dwarves, and probably gained much of their worked and
unworked metal from this source.
They also had carpenters to make furniture and weavers, fullers and
tailors for textiles. This must have been at the 'cottage industry' level
(hand-looms were in use, for example). They also had
tanners to provide leather (the Marish hobbits wore boots in muddy weather,
and it could be used for buttons and other small but useful articles;
moreover, the Red Book was bound in leather). Many of the Gamgees were
ropers.
3) 'Service' industries include the postal service, the Shiriffs and
gardeners. There were few public officials, and those that existed seem
largely to have been hereditary offices, such as the Thain
and the Master of Buckland. The Mayor of Michel Delving was elected at the
Free Fair on the White Downs every seven years: his duties were not arduous.
There were numerous inns.
4) Miscellaneous. Basket-weaving (for waste-paper baskets), paper-making
(from wood shavings?), some means of obtaining ink (toadstools?).
5) Despite the relative simplicity of this system, which could fairly easily
be run on a subsistence basis or through payment in kind, there exists the
complication of the money economy. This complication manifests itself
primarily in the person of Mr. Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit whose sole purpose in
life as revealed through the Red Book is to consume. He appears to have no
job, is not a landowner as far as we know, and at the time of Gandalf's
visit in The Hobbit seems to be living off the remnants of his parents'
fortunes. It would seem that the money economy was brought in by Tolkien to
explain this anomalous position. However, this creates a further problem.
Hobbits do not appear to have minted money, since this would require a mint
and a supply of some suitable metal (gold and silver are recorded, but the
high value of the silver coinage in Bree, a town with more commercial links
to the outside world, suggests that copper coins were also used). Therefore
they presumably obtained coinage in trade with Dwarves. Large landowners,
such as the Tooks, will have possessed a greater surplus of foodstuffs and
therefore will have obtained the most money in return, thus accounting for
Belladonna Took's sizeable dowry (which Bungo dipped into to finance the
excavation of Bag End). Lesser landowners, among whom we may number the
Bagginses (who once had their own 'folk-land'), will have profited to a
lesser degree. The advantages of the money economy are great, and will have
facilitated the development of service industries especially (try buying a
pint with a sackful of potatoes!). However, the influx of precious metals
was probably small (witness the surreptitious acquisition of the silver
spoons by Lobelia Sackville-Baggins).
6) What then will have been the result of the sudden return of Bilbo
Baggins, gentleman of leisure, bearing two chests of precious metals and a
share (later charitably distributed) of ill-gotten troll treasure? Both
Bilbo and his heir Frodo were given to lavish exhibitions of their wealth,
so much so that after the War of the Ring Bilbo possessed only a small bag
of gold, and Frodo was widely believed to have sold his smial through a
paucity of funds. In the space of eighty years or so, the Bagginses had
flooded the limited money economy, doubtless causing appreciable inflation
of prices. This tendency was aggravated by the large-scale export of goods
to Isengard carried out by Lotho Sackville- Baggins using his sizeable land
resources. The suffering under the gathering and redistribution days of the
Lotho-Sharkey regime was undoubtedly intensified by the high prices of
goods.
7) The exceptional fecundity of the Shire recorded at the end of the Red
Book may have gone some way towards restoring the balance of the disturbed
economy (more food=lower prices). But the example of the (sackville-)Baggins
exploits cannot have passed unnoticed. The increased links with the outside
world that followed the end of the Third Age will have encouraged
acquisitive hobbits to follow Lotho's example. The re-establishment of the
North Kingdom as an effective political unit meant that colonists came up
the Greenway in ever-increasing numbers, and they will have needed food at
least in the early years of their settlements. However, as the north became
tamed, the Shire's
resources will have been less and less in demand. The political isolation
undertaken by King Elessar, however well-intentioned, will have hindered the
acquisition of new skills to offset the inevitable time when Shire
foodstuffs were not in demand. How long will it have taken before the Shire
Food Bubble burst? Unfortunately, we can only speculate.
(NOTE: This is a good-humoured exercise in extrapolation based on my limited
understanding of economics. Do not take it too seriously!) --
[/post ends]
I'm sure Matt doesn't mind that I repost this.
--
Öjevind
Jeff Mejia
Öjevind Lång wrote in message ...
[snip marvelous post]
This is exactly what I have been looking for. Thank you for the repost.
This is a clear and concise summation of what I have wondered about the
Shire economy. I still wonder how Gandalf handles his affairs in the
moneyed economies outside of the Shire (I know, I know, this has been
discussed in other posts). Thanks for the information.
Jeff Mejia
Jeff Mejia
Michael Martinez wrote in message <7sbjrt$3no...@Org.xenite.org>...
>In article <37e9...@news3.prserv.net>, "Jeff Mejia"
<jme...@vhasecurenet.com> wrote:
>>Michael Martinez wrote in message <7sbar3$1tc...@Org.xenite.org>...
>>
>The IVY BUSH was the local inn of Hobbiton. It was the Gaffer's favorite
>hangout. Tolkien's depiction of Hobbiton and the Hill shows that the Hill
>was on the edge of Hobbiton. Bagshot Row was below Bag End. The town of
>Over Hill lay just north of the Hill.
Upon further review of the text, I have to agree that the IVY BUSH was in
Hobbiton. I was basing my observations on the description of Hobbition and
Bag End found in the ATLAS OF MIDDLE-EARTH. I should know better than to
rely on secondary sources.
>
>According to Tolkien's map (in THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING) Hobbiton lay on
>both sides of the Water and Bywater lay only on the south side and was
>smaller than Hobbiton.
>
>So Bag End was in the heart of Hobbit urbanism.
>
I still get the impression that Bag End was more rural than urban. I think
this impression is due to Tolkien's paining of the Hill that is on an old
paperback cover of THE FELLOWISHIP OF THE RING. My impression was of a
hill surrounded by fields and farms, with a small town at the bottom of the
hill by the water.
>
>
>
>--
> \\ // Worlds of Imagination on the Web in...@xenite.org
> \\// FREE! Watch Internet TV shows at Xenite.Org!
> //\\ [http://www.xenite.org/index.htm]
> // \\ENITE.org...............................................
Thanks,
Jeff Mejia
Michael Martinez
>Michael Martinez wrote in message <7sbjrt$3no...@Org.xenite.org>...
>>According to Tolkien's map (in THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING) Hobbiton lay on
>>both sides of the Water and Bywater lay only on the south side and was
>>smaller than Hobbiton.
>>
>>So Bag End was in the heart of Hobbit urbanism.
>>
>
>I still get the impression that Bag End was more rural than urban. I think
>this impression is due to Tolkien's paining of the Hill that is on an old
>paperback cover of THE FELLOWISHIP OF THE RING. My impression was of a
>hill surrounded by fields and farms, with a small town at the bottom of the
>hill by the water.
I looked at the painting, too. The fields are indeed mentioned, but it's
more like an old country estate around which a couple of communities have
grown up (although Bag End wasn't very old -- it was built by Bilbo's
father).
The map inidcates there were a lot of people in the area. I would not
agree that Bilbo was "landed gentry". And there is no mention of farms and
plantations in the area like in the Southfarthing.