One of the most prolific places in the entire Tolkien literary world is the Shire. It was home to a significant portion of the hobbit population in Middle-earth. Its name in Westron was ‘Sûzat’ "The Shire," or ‘Sûza,’ "Shire." It was situated in the northwest region of Middle-earth, particularly in the northern part of Eriador, inside the remnants of the ancient ‘Kingdom of Arnor.’ During the Third Age, the Shire was one of the last highly populated lands remaining in Eriador. A popular misconception is the Shire is where Frodo Baggins was born. On the contrary, Buckland was Frodo’s birthplace, during which time it did not belong to the Shire, although Shire hobbits occupied it and lived therein. Near the Third Age’s last days, the white wizard Saruman (known at that time as ‘Sharkey’) attempted to subdue the Shire and control it for some time. However, this did not come to pass, as he was destroyed during the ‘Battle of Bywater,’ thus ending the ‘War of the Ring.'
At the same time, the area covered by the Shire was not inhabited then and was primarily considered as hunting grounds of the kingdom. The King accorded the hobbits official consent to dwell in the Shire. Because of that, the hobbits gave their absolute allegiance to the King as his loyal subjects. The hobbits proved their loyalty by sending a contingent of volunteers to the King when Arnor went to war opposing The Witch-king of Angmar. Due to some strange twist of fate, Angmar chose not to assault the Shire even after conquering Arthedain. Popular belief claims that several hobbit bowmen participated in what was called the Battle of Fornost. However, no accounts of it can be found in the ‘Records of Men.’ When Arnor fell, the Shire continued being a minor but autonomous domain of the ‘Kingdom of Gondor;’ under the auspices of Thain's agency which represented the Crown.
Most of all, the hobbits themselves are too peaceful and considered inconsequential to warlike peoples. These reasons made the Shire so modest to be considered a conquest goal by the powerful races from the South and East. More significantly, the Dúnedain Rangers protected and guarded the Shire by patrolling the borders and keeping intruders out. Tolkien states that most of the existing Shire hobbits have become so familiar with this fact, and they have unfortunately overlooked and sometimes ignored their protectors completely.
The Shire’s modest government did have the Shirriffs, which is a police contingent of volunteers tasked in keeping the Shire secure. However, the Shirriffs are busy gathering lost farm animals or driving away trespassing beasts, not enemy forces attacking the Shire. There were only a few foreigners who could enter the Shire. These were the ones who traveled on the Great Road, which traversed through the territory. Notable of these are the Dwarves traveling from and to their mines under the Blue Mountains, as well as the random Elves going to the Grey Havens with their Wandering Companies. Notwithstanding, the Shire was the site of two battles, the Battle of Bywater, and the Battle of Greenfields.
Furthermore, in the Fell Winter of TA 2911, White Wolves attacked the Shire, thus requiring the hobbits to blow the Horn-call of Buckland. The King at Fornost had authority over the Shire and lent his laws to the area. At the death of the last King and subsequently the fall of Fornost, the Hobbits had to appoint a Thain who would carry on the absent King’s authority. The Took clan patriarch and leader in Tuckborough eventually inherited the title of Thain. Mainly a symbolic role, the Thain nonetheless held direct command of an armed contingent in times of emergencies. The most important official in the Shire was the Mayor of the town of Michel Delving. The post had a tenure of 7 years, at the end of which a new Mayor would be elected.
Regarded by most hobbits as the Shire’s principal town, Michel Delving was foremost mainly as far as the government of the Shire is concerned. The Mayor also performed the duties of the First Shirriff and the Postmaster of the entire Shire. He was also referred to as the Mayor of the Shire. As such, he had the authority to call a Shire-moot during dire circumstances such as the Shire being under attack. Similarly, at Bucklebury, the Master of Buckland had authority over Buckland, but he still answers to the King of Gondor and the Thain.
However, the Hobbits' great efforts undid the devastation which Saruman brought forth by unnatural industrialization. Soil from the Elven realm of Lórien, which was given by Galadriel to Sam, restored the Shire. The Hobbits considered the year 1420 by Shire Reckoning as the most prosperous and productive year in the Shire’s history, and as such, they called it ‘The Great Year of Plenty.’ It is a common belief that the Shire’s forced industrialization could have been a manifestation of Tolkien's witnessing the Industrial Revolution’s advent to his town of Warwickshire when he was young, especially the detrimental penalties thereof. The hobbits’ rebellion and the subsequent restoration of the simple version of the Shire can be construed as a treatment of intended simplicity as a solution to the troubles of modern life.
J. R. R. Tolkien's maps show the Shire is situated in a similar location as England is on contemporary European maps, especially its location with the European continent. That is being considered as an instance of ‘Deep England’ philosophy (it should be noted though, the Shire is within a continent while England is on an island). All through the tale, Tolkien also infers many themes of similarities involving the two, like dialect, agriculture, and weather. It is also abundantly clear that England is Tolkien's basis of motivation in naming the Shire in his novels ("The Shire" being an alternative word to "county". [1].
History
Settlement of the Hobbits
During the year TA 1601 (or Year 1 by Shire Reckoning), the Hobbits settled the Shire. The hobbits initially dwelled in the Anduin valley, and after some decades, they migrated west by crossing the Misty Mountains. They settled in Dunland, as well as portions of the uninhabited Arnor realms Rhudaur and Cardolan before they arrived at the Shire. Legend has it the hobbits initially moved west so they could flee from the troubles attributed to the Easterlings, and most of all, the evils emanating from Mirkwood. At that time, the area occupied by the hobbits was a portion of Arthedain, which in turn was one of the realms of Arnor. That meant the Shire was under the authority of King Argeleb II, who ruled Arnor from Norbury.At the same time, the area covered by the Shire was not inhabited then and was primarily considered as hunting grounds of the kingdom. The King accorded the hobbits official consent to dwell in the Shire. Because of that, the hobbits gave their absolute allegiance to the King as his loyal subjects. The hobbits proved their loyalty by sending a contingent of volunteers to the King when Arnor went to war opposing The Witch-king of Angmar. Due to some strange twist of fate, Angmar chose not to assault the Shire even after conquering Arthedain. Popular belief claims that several hobbit bowmen participated in what was called the Battle of Fornost. However, no accounts of it can be found in the ‘Records of Men.’ When Arnor fell, the Shire continued being a minor but autonomous domain of the ‘Kingdom of Gondor;’ under the auspices of Thain's agency which represented the Crown.
Events in the Third Age
During the year 1343 by Shire Reckoning, the relatively long and peaceful condition altered when Bilbo Baggins obtained the One Ring. Around autumn of the year SR 1419 by Shire Reckoning (immediately after the initial events that preceded the War of the Ring), the Nine Ringwraiths visited the Shire and reached Hobbiton. Many unfortunate events unfolded until Saruman enslaved the Shire and the Hobbits through his pawn Lotho Sackville-Baggins. Ultimately, the four Hobbit friends and adventurers Frodo, Pippin, Merry, and Sam liberated the Shire at the latter part of the ‘Quest of the Ring.’ The Shire became a sheltered territory within the ‘Reunited Kingdom’ when Aragorn became the King of Arnor and Gondor. Shortly thereafter, Aragorn decreed a law that prohibited Men from entering the Shire.Shirewide Geographics
The Shire was bound by the Brandywine River to the east. Emphasis must be made that Buckland, which was east of the river, had Shire hobbits living in it. Buckland also sits west of the Hedge that protects the Shire from an invasion that could come by way of the Old Forest. Initially, Buckland was not a part of the Shire until after the events of the War of the Ring, when Aragorn II Elessar officially made it a part of the Shire. Furthermore, the Shire had no geographical boundaries from the west and the north. Instead, it was surrounded by the olden east and south roads, as well as by indefinite topographical structures like the Tower Hills. The Shire was heavily populated in some areas, with a few towns and many villages. However, it was still spacious enough to allow for immense marshes and forests. The Shire’s total land area was 21,400 square miles. That figure did not include the Westmarch land area.Climate
J. R. R. Tolkien has stated that the Shire’s weather was very comparable to England’s own, which is cool with no extreme cold winters, at the same time having reasonably warm summers. There was frequent rainfall throughout much of the year, but snow fell on infrequent occasions. Typically, the Shire has warm enough weather that keeps the rivers from freezing over, an exception being the Fell Winter. The University of Bristol made some weather simulations, and their computer models show that Hobbiton’s average temperature would be approximately 7 degrees Celsius. That corroborates Tolkien's works that the Shire does have a climate similar to that of England.Governance of the Shire
Originally the Shire comprised four Farthings (Westfarthing, Eastfarthing, Northfarthing, and Southfarthing). In the Fourth Age, the Westmarch and Buckland were included in its territories thereon. Inside the Farthings, existed smaller, informal sub-divisions like the family lands. As an example, most of the Tooks dwelled near or within Tuckborough. In most cases, a hobbit's last name specifies their family’s origins: Samwise Gamgee's surname came from ‘Gamwich,’ the place from where his family arrived. Buckland, located on the outskirts of the Farthings, derived its origins from the Oldbucks (known later as the Brandybucks). Refer to ‘Regions of the Shire.’ Earlier on, we marveled at the strange happenstance wherein the King of Angmar did not attack the Shire despite some Hobbits participating in the war against Arnor. His reasons could have included the following logic. The Shire is very small, almost an afterthought to vast lands available for the picking. It has a somewhat less strategically crucial geographical position. It has meager natural resources.Most of all, the hobbits themselves are too peaceful and considered inconsequential to warlike peoples. These reasons made the Shire so modest to be considered a conquest goal by the powerful races from the South and East. More significantly, the Dúnedain Rangers protected and guarded the Shire by patrolling the borders and keeping intruders out. Tolkien states that most of the existing Shire hobbits have become so familiar with this fact, and they have unfortunately overlooked and sometimes ignored their protectors completely.
The Shire’s modest government did have the Shirriffs, which is a police contingent of volunteers tasked in keeping the Shire secure. However, the Shirriffs are busy gathering lost farm animals or driving away trespassing beasts, not enemy forces attacking the Shire. There were only a few foreigners who could enter the Shire. These were the ones who traveled on the Great Road, which traversed through the territory. Notable of these are the Dwarves traveling from and to their mines under the Blue Mountains, as well as the random Elves going to the Grey Havens with their Wandering Companies. Notwithstanding, the Shire was the site of two battles, the Battle of Bywater, and the Battle of Greenfields.
Furthermore, in the Fell Winter of TA 2911, White Wolves attacked the Shire, thus requiring the hobbits to blow the Horn-call of Buckland. The King at Fornost had authority over the Shire and lent his laws to the area. At the death of the last King and subsequently the fall of Fornost, the Hobbits had to appoint a Thain who would carry on the absent King’s authority. The Took clan patriarch and leader in Tuckborough eventually inherited the title of Thain. Mainly a symbolic role, the Thain nonetheless held direct command of an armed contingent in times of emergencies. The most important official in the Shire was the Mayor of the town of Michel Delving. The post had a tenure of 7 years, at the end of which a new Mayor would be elected.
Regarded by most hobbits as the Shire’s principal town, Michel Delving was foremost mainly as far as the government of the Shire is concerned. The Mayor also performed the duties of the First Shirriff and the Postmaster of the entire Shire. He was also referred to as the Mayor of the Shire. As such, he had the authority to call a Shire-moot during dire circumstances such as the Shire being under attack. Similarly, at Bucklebury, the Master of Buckland had authority over Buckland, but he still answers to the King of Gondor and the Thain.
Economy
Despite its small area, the Shire remained a bountiful and beautiful land, cherished by its people. The Hobbits possessed a highly developed agricultural structure. However, they did not advance with industrialization. The Hobbits cultivate various products in the Shire, which include fruit, cereals, pipe-weed (the Hobbits’ favorite treat), and wood. The Shire’s reasonably peaceful way of life through the terrifying period before Sauron’s defeat could be ascribed to the alertness of the Rangers of the North and Gandalf. Aragorn, leader of the Rangers, used bold strategies to stop evil. However, when they went off to fight in the war, they left the Shire utterly defenseless, eventually falling to the enemy's control.However, the Hobbits' great efforts undid the devastation which Saruman brought forth by unnatural industrialization. Soil from the Elven realm of Lórien, which was given by Galadriel to Sam, restored the Shire. The Hobbits considered the year 1420 by Shire Reckoning as the most prosperous and productive year in the Shire’s history, and as such, they called it ‘The Great Year of Plenty.’ It is a common belief that the Shire’s forced industrialization could have been a manifestation of Tolkien's witnessing the Industrial Revolution’s advent to his town of Warwickshire when he was young, especially the detrimental penalties thereof. The hobbits’ rebellion and the subsequent restoration of the simple version of the Shire can be construed as a treatment of intended simplicity as a solution to the troubles of modern life.
Maps
J. R. R. Tolkien's maps show the Shire is situated in a similar location as England is on contemporary European maps, especially its location with the European continent. That is being considered as an instance of ‘Deep England’ philosophy (it should be noted though, the Shire is within a continent while England is on an island). All through the tale, Tolkien also infers many themes of similarities involving the two, like dialect, agriculture, and weather. It is also abundantly clear that England is Tolkien's basis of motivation in naming the Shire in his novels ("The Shire" being an alternative word to "county". [1].
Neighboring places
South: Brandywine River, West: Grey Havens, White Downs, North: Hills of Evendim, and East: Bree.Portrayal in adaptations
Films
Both “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” trilogies extensively showed the Shire in all its glory. The movies focused on the Hobbits’ preoccupation as being cultivation, farming, animal husbandry, gardening, food preparation, brewing (and drinking!) of ales, smoking pipe-weed, and generally having fun. But primarily, the films showed the peaceful, nurturing, and pure lives the Hobbits are accustomed to having. They focused on relationships and the importance of family bonds. The films also showed the somewhat isolationist tendencies of the Hobbits in general. They do not take kindly to outside visitors, especially when these are not of their kind. It also showed the complacency or ignorance of the Hobbits towards evil lurking just outside the perimeters of their land.
Video games
The Shire is depicted in the following video games: The Lord of the Rings Online, The Lord of the Rings: Conquest, The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II, The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II: The Rise of the Witch-king, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (video game), LEGO The Lord of the Rings: The Video Game, The Hobbit (2003 video game).
