Forsaken Inn Theories

[Bucky]

Tolkien edited The Hobbit (especially Riddles in the Dark). This was necessary as he did not anticipate a sequel; so when one was written it was necessary to alter the original story for the sake of continuity. It was not a re-write.



Yeah, everyone knows that, but I was referring to the suppossed 1960 rewrite.....

As I said, in 1958-59, Tolkien was definitely writing material for The Silmarillion - I've seen Christopher Tolkien state these dates in HoME.
Also, I've seen dates for 1960-61 for certain writings in Unfinished tales, so I doubt that JRRT had much if any time for this alledged rewrite of the entire Hobbit....

Add to this the fact that none that are hardcore Tolkien fanatics (like me) ever seems to have heard of it, I tend to doubt the truth of it.

For example, it's never even mentioned in 'The Letters Of JRR Tolkien'.

 

[Elthir]

Bucky, the text was recently published in The History of The Hobbit, by John D. Rateliff. Here's a passage (for example) explaining why Gandalf did not read the runes on the swords...

'These look like good blades too, said the wizard, half drawing the swords and examining them closely. 'They were not made by any troll, nor by any smith among Men of these days. But there's black blood on them, goblin-blood. When they are cleaned and the runes on them can be read, we shall know more about them.'

The Broken Bridge, The History of the Hobbit

 

[Elthir]

Just to add, part of this revision of 1960 was read at the 1987 Mythopoeic Society conference in Milwaukee... by Christopher Tolkien!

Also just to add, Tolkien emended The Hobbit again for the American and British editions of 1966, the former in part due to copyright concerns.

 

[Bucky]

Galin, OK, I believe!

But, I don't understand the bit about the blades from Gondolin.....

As I've just read that part of The Hobbit - I'm reading it to my son - and have read it about 30 times, I realize there's no line about black blood being on the blades.....

Is that the point?

 

[Elthir]

Yes, that's just a fun example from the abandoned 1960 revision.

Tolkien appears to have added the goblin-blood to help explain why Gandalf seemingly couldn't read the runes on the swords.