The Hobbit Book of Songs

Title: The Hobbit Book of Songs

Type of Object: Book

Medium: Home-Bound Book (paper and twine)

Creator and Donator: Samwise Gamgee

Date of Manufacture: S.R. 1419 to current

Place of Creation: Bag End

Artifact Number: M-h 83

Status of Object: A Temporary Donation for the Special Exhibition

The Hobbit Book of Songs

Much like hobbits themselves, this hand-crafted collection of songs by Mayor Gamgee is simplistic yet warm and inviting: the perfect combination for an artifact that was composed with the intention of preserving and celebrating the cultural history of hobbits. Spanning the peaceful days of Hobbiton to the profound changes wrought by war, The Hobbit Book of Songs captures the essence of hobbit spirit through their songs: they are a folk who can weather wild storms while basking in their everyday delights.

Image Copyright Information

Photograph. 'The Hobbit Book of Songs.' Medium: Hard-cover book 
held together by twine. Description: Book of hobbit verse.
Date: November 22, 2024. Photographer: Jenna Mitchell. Source
of Object: Made by Jenna Mitchell

As this museum exhibition is being held in honour of the fiftieth anniversary of the Battle of Bywater, Samwise Gamgee (mayor, warrior, and creator of the famous ‘In the Orc-Tower’ song) saw it fit to donate The Hobbit Book of Songs: a text of his which has been in the making since his return to The Shire after The War of the Ring (The Return 1188-1189).

The primary function of The Hobbit Book of Songs is to preserve and celebrate hobbit culture, traditions, and history. As the Fourth Age continues to unfold, Mayor Gamgee recognized that the events of the Third Age and earlier were becoming more and more distant; thus, he felt compelled to find manners in which to preserve them. Therefore, inspired by both the Red Book of Westmarch and his love for song and poetry, The Hobbit Book of Songs was crafted. While the history of The Hobbit Book of Songs as an object is not yet extensive itself, its contents are rich with history, as the songs it contains encompass the music and poetry of the long past.

*A tip to those who desire reading the contents of this book: notice how the songs change in theme and style over time. As a result of travel and the discovery of songs across various cultures, hobbit songs began to have more variation in melody, structure, and subject matter. Mayor Gamgee suggests that though songs have been becoming stylized and more sophisticated, they have retained their hobbit charm nevertheless*

As with every race in Middle-Earth, song is an integral part of hobbit culture, serving as both an expression of their identity and a reflection of their way of life. Hobbits are a folk who love to laugh, eat, and jest, as well as believe that “peace and plenty (is) the rule in Middle-Earth” (The Fellowship 2). For those seeking a reflection of hobbit sensibilities, they need not go further than song, as the songs commonly sung by hobbits very much reflect their merry dispositions and their gravitation towards the sensual pleasures of life. Mayor Gamgee saw to it that The Hobbit Book of Songs thoroughly documented this; thus, readers will find a plethora of songs inside of this book dedicated solely to eating, walking, inns, and even the love of baths. For instance, see ‘The Bath Song’ on page thirty (The Fellowship 132), and ‘The Merry Inn Song’ on page eighty (The Fellowship 207-209)

In the late years of the previous age, there were few songs to be found amongst hobbits which did not convey hobbits’ traditional mirthful sentiments. However, the trauma of The War of the Ring and the Battle of Bywater had a significant influence on the hobbits who lived through these events; readers will find that the songs which the hobbits would sing post-war did not shy away from themes such as melancholia and grief. On page two-hundred and twenty-one, ‘The Ballad of Bywater’ can be found, which is a song that commemorates the warriors who both served and fell during the Battle of Bywater. By singing ‘The Ballad of Bywater’ every year at the Bywater Memorial garden cemetery on the anniversary of the Battle of Bywater, the events of, and emotional ties to, the past are preserved. In The Hobbit Book of Songs, songs which tell tales of war and praise the hobbits on their military successes can also be found. Prior to the War of the Ring and the Battle of Bywater, the hobbits did not sing of war, glory, nor violence of any sort; however, that began to shift after the hobbits experienced war for themselves. It is rumoured that, inspired by the songs sung by the warriors of Gondor and Rohan, many of these hobbit military songs were created by Meriadoc the Magnificent and the Thain, Peregrin Took, who were both captains of the Battle of Bywater, as well as warriors during The War of the Ring. To illustrate, see page two-hundred and fifty where Meriadoc the Magnificent’s famous song ‘The Shire’s Final Stand’ can be found.

The contents of The Hobbit Book of Songs, via the hobbits’ simple joys alongside their experiences of deep loss, demonstrates the duality that has come to exist within their culture; they are a people who have both endured the weight of sorrow and violence, yet are capable of seeing the quiet beauty of the world regardless. Through Mayor Gamgee’s dedication to preserving hobbit history and culture, this musical collection highlights the indomitable spirit of hobbits, whose courage and joy continues to echo through their songs.

Works Cited

Tolkien, J. R. R. The Fellowship of the Ring. Harper Collins, 2007.

–. The Return of the King. Harper Collins, 2007.