Loose Lips Cost Lives

The Tolkien Society, of which I am a member, has accepted a brief article of mine 'Loose Lips Cost Lives' for the August 2023 Amon Hen (Issue 302). It is a partial response to Chris Walsh's article 'Gildor, Frodo and Bilbo: a Tolkien Puzzle' in the September 2020 issue (#285), which pondered (among other mysteries) the reluctance of various characters to tell Frodo that Bilbo was in Rivendell.

More landings on The Carrock?

I was surprised and delighted to find this blog (specifically: the Journal Issues listing) mentioned in Brenton Dickieson's article 5 Ways to Find Open Source Academic Research on C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and the Inklings. Thank you, Brenton.
I had created the listings for my own use, when I was initially exploring the many issues available online, and did not really expect anybody else to find them. Now that they have been more widely publicised, I have been inspired to add two new features: a listing of Mallorn, and an enhanced list of contents for the Proceedings of the J R R Tolkien Centenary Conference 1992, combining the information from the Mallorn and Mythlore websites. Two points arose from this work: firstly, the 20-page index of the Proceedings is not available as a separate downloadable PDF, and secondly, I can find no credit given for the compiler of the index.

I hope people find them useful.

Tolkien, Zeppelins, and an acoustic mirror

I was interested to read Seamus Hamill-Keays’ essay Tolkien and the Zeppelins in the Journal of Tolkien Research. Not only does it enlarge upon a significant period of Tolkien’s wartime service, but it also mentions the acoustic mirror, a strange device designed to locate incoming Zeppelins in time for defensive action to be taken.

These acoustic mirrors were a WWI phenomenon, useful in the days before radar against slow-moving aerial attackers, and obsolete before WWII. However, I was aware of one that has survived—they are rather solid blocks of concrete or equally durable materials—and I wondered if there was any trace remaining of the Kilnsea mirror that Tolkien knew. One man’s passing curiosity is another man’s hobby: behold Andrew Grantham’s website with a list of acoustic mirrors including pictures of surviving examples. The Kilnsea mirror has survived:

http://www.andrewgrantham.co.uk/soundmirrors/locations/kilnsea/

Die-hard Tolkien pilgrims should note that it is not on public land, but there are footpaths that give a view of it.

(It is now too late to visit Fort Paull, whose anti-aircraft gun is also mentioned in the essay. The fort, which dates from Tudor times although the current fortifications were built in the 1860s, has more recently been a rather eclectic museum, which closed in January 2020. The exhibits, including the last surviving Blackburn Beverley, were auctioned off.)

Bombadil and Bible stories

The Journal of Tolkien Research has published my essay "Bombadil and Bible stories: A Biblical Function for Tom Bombadil within Frodo’s Quest"

Abstract

This essay probes the purpose of the encounter between Tom Bombadil and Frodo and his friends, within the overall narrative of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. It asks: Why do the hobbits encounter Tom at this point in their journey? Why does Tom rescue, care for, equip and send them on? Why does Tom not accompany them further, and why does he never meet them again? Then it proposes an explanation based on comparisons with Bible stories that include theophanies and angelic appearances, and shown to provide answers to the questions, and suggestions for Tom Bombadil’s wider function. Finally, possible parallels between Bombadil and God are considered.

Citation and direct link

Shergold, Clive (2020) "Bombadil and Bible Stories: A Biblical Function for Tom Bombadil within Frodo’s Quest," Journal of Tolkien Research: Vol. 9 : Iss. 1 , Article 7.

Available at: https://scholar.valpo.edu/journaloftolkienresearch/vol9/iss1/7