Friday, August 10, 2012

More on Arndis Thorbjarnardottir

So, thanks to Morgan Thomsen's providing some links in his response to my last post (and thanks also to JL for the google-translated version of the full piece), here's a translation/synopsis that originally appeared on Svanur Gisli Thorkelsson's blog back in 2010; it makes for an interesting read:


Obviously, this is full of interesting information. To note just a few high points:

(1) the part about "The house they had just bought" (=20 Northmoor Road) and going over next door (=#22) to dig up flowers they'd left behind (hope they cleared that with the new owners first!) confirms the date as 1930.

(2) the "Mrs. Gro" Arndis mentions is clearly 'Aunt' Jennie Grove, Edith's elderly cousin who was a sort of honorary grandmother to the Tolkien children.

(3) this is perhaps the most negative view of Edith Tolkien I've ever seen, and contrasts sharply with descriptions of her from Walter Hooper (who met her late in life and liked her v. much). Though I must say the part about her not playing the piano is odd. I wonder if she had arthritis -- my own grandmother had a piano in her house, but during the years we lived with her I never heard her play it but once (beautifully, though apparently not up to her own standard).

(4) the part that interest me most of all (of course, it wd) is the statement about THE HOBBIT "(which he started writing at the time she was working for him)", and again "Tolkien had started writing THE HOBBIT while I was there". That's pretty definite, and agrees with timeline I reconstructed for MR. BAGGINS. So while not conclusive, it's nice to have another little bit of collaborating evidence to add into the mix.


MT also sent a link to an online discussion of this story from back in 2008. For the relevant entries, see the post by "Lalaith" and the reply by "Findegil", about three-fifths of the way through the thread (scroll down to see the posts for Sept 5th & 6th)





If all this were not enough, last night spoke to a friend who's been in touch with someone in Iceland who (a) confirms the authenticity of the original article -- that is, this interview really did run in the 1999 issue of that paper -- and (b) thinks he can put me in touch with someone who can provide a full translation. That'd be great; if we can manage it, I'll post news of it here.


I know that if I were in Iceland right now I'd be trying to track down those letters . . .

--JDR
current reading: MEMOIRS OF HECATE COUNTY (still! gah!)



UPDATE 8/12-12:
I've gone in and fixed Morgan's name, which is THOMSEN, not 'Thomas'. My apologies, Morgan, for the mistake. --JDR
at

5 comments:

  1. David BratmanAugust 10, 2012 at 9:34 PM

    As I'm sure you're aware, the children's ages match 1930-31.

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  2. John D. RateliffAugust 10, 2012 at 10:23 PM

    Hi David.

    Yes, that's another suggestive detail, which matches up to Tolkien's statement a few years later that John, the eldest, was about thirteen at the time.

    By contrast, her statement that it was mainly young Christopher who was interested in the story doesn't fit in all that well, unless perhaps hinted at in Michael's account about his younger brother's insistence on detail (the "damn the boy!" story)

    So, not conclusive but seems to fit in well with what we already knew. I'd say genuine memories, slightly distorted by the passage of time.

    --JDR

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  3. Morgan ThomsenAugust 11, 2012 at 5:43 AM

    I'm glad I was able to contribute with some useful links -- thanks for acknowledging it! Would it be much trouble to correct my last name ("Thomsen", not "Thomas")? :-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. TabelettesdeChocalatMay 15, 2014 at 10:03 AM

    Did you ever get the translation? Or discover what became of the letters and Christmas cards?

    ReplyDelete
  5. y welisMarch 19, 2016 at 1:52 PM

    Maybe her name Arndis, inspire Tolkien to invent the name Erendis (the mariner's wife).

    ReplyDelete