Does Merry shag around?

[River Boy]

Some people think Tolkien's prose is humourless, but on my last reading of LOTR I think I've come across an actual joke, but in typical Tolkien style he wants us to figure it out for ourselves.

Here is an excerpt from the last chapter Grey Havens:
'All the children born or begotten in that year, and there were many, were fair to see and strong, and most of them had a rich golden hair that had before been rare among hobbits.'

Now I know that scientifically speaking Merry wouldn't have a golden-haired gene, but Tolkien is a writer heavy on using symbolism and this golden hair is surely a link to Rohan.

Now, of the two hobbits, the Appendices read of Pippin's lifelong allegiance to Gondor and Merry's to Rohan (if this isn't obvious already from the story itself). So the Merry and Rohan link and golden-haired children is just a coincidence? - I don't think so. Why, thematically, wouldn't Tolkien want to link the Shire with Rivendell, Lothlorian or Gondor, why does he choose Rohan? (He does with Sam's children's names - Elanor named after the Lothlorien flower - but why are the other children visually linked with Rohan?)

There seemed to be no reason for it (while Tolkien always has a symbolic reason) until I considered that the golden hair gene has found its way into Merry's makeup as a honourable child of Rohan - true to Tolkien's symbolic interpretation of characters and story. That Merry's soul is linked with Rohan is enough for a writer like Tolkien, but still the children having golden hair can only be put into effect if Merry is shagging around.

And actually it all makes sense. Tolkien writes of Merry becoming the lead hero of the Shire, ahead of Pippin and Sam in terms of his leadership and warrior prowess (while Frodo is overlooked by those in the Shire and becomes something of a recluse). So he is the most popular hero and also Tolkien writes of Merry and Pippin being very active in travelling the Shire, rather than staying at one fixed abode. Effectively they are celebrities and clearly Merry is acting like something of a rock star in having it away with those Shire wives fawning it over him. He is the tallest and strongest hobbit in the Shire and the children are described as 'fair to see and strong'. They really couldn't be any more Merry-like.

To me it seems clear that this is what Tolkien is implying. He had a clear enough appreciation of history to know that most of us have some kind of blood relation with a king because of the amount of ******* offspring they had. Surely he is giving Merry an equivalent role for the Shire.

What do you think? Do you agree that Merry is shagging around?

And have you spotted any other jokes in Tolkien's writing?

 

[JackoLantern]

Brilliant. I'm not sure how much water it holds but it made me smile!

 

[Boneman]

Well it ent beyond the realms of possibility... Tolkein does have a highly romanticised view of sex, and the Hobbits were always drawn as more earthy types, so you could well be right!

 

[Gary Compton]

Language, Timothy!

 

[DragonKhan25]

hahaha Tolkien the old mucker

 

[hopewrites]

I thought it was a nood to the effects of the lothlorian dirt same sprinkled throughout the shire after planting his precious seed where the party tree needed replacing.

Just as the two hobbits grew from ent draught, the hobbit children running about barefoot would pick up on and grow strong and golden from the earth of that elvish realm.


Which doesn't preclude Merry shagging about, just doesnt require it.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I think Tolkien draws a clear connection between the box of soil and Sam's use of it -- plus the presence of the Mallorn tree -- and all the golden-haired children, so the link is to Lothlorien.

And it is inconceivable to me that Tolkien would even imply that one of his protagonists was promiscuous. The thought would have horrified him.

 

[Alex The G and T]

Hmmmph. Brushing aside a couple of killjoys, there...

As much as Merry enjoys his Pipeweed, good eats, strong drink and singing and dancing on the tables; it would be odd if he were to eschew the other key component in that joyous blend. };-}

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

At the risk of sounding like a killjoy again, I can't remember any instances of Merry dancing around on tables in the books. And if you are talking about the movie, he does have the blond hair gene. There are an amazing number of blond hobbitses in the movie.

As for indulging in strong drink, I rather suspect hobbits confine themselves to ale and (very) small beer.




.

 

[AMB]

Sam had three golden haired girls. I highly doubt Merry slept with Rosie.

Interestingly, Merry is never stated to have married or had children, an his portion of his family tree ends with him, but when he and Pippin leave the Shire for the final time, they "handed their goods and offices over to their sons."

This oversight on Tolkien's part does allow for speculation, but I highly doubt the Brandybuck clan would be happy for a ******* son to become Master of Buckland, no matter who his father was.

 

[River Boy]

And it is inconceivable to me that Tolkien would even imply that one of his protagonists was promiscuous. The thought would have horrified him.

I think he would have been amused by being subtly, as opposed to outwardly, bawdy - especially as he knows it's against his own nature. Some of the Inklings did amuse themselves by attempting to write erotic poetry.

Merry also has the word 'buck' in his name and we all know how important name selection is to Tolkien - the plot thickens.

 

[Corbier]

The plot only thickens because you see what you want to see.

 

[Mr Fraaz]

I'm not entirely convinced, but the argument was interesting and fun to follow! Perhaps I should try to read Tolkien like this.

 

[Grimward]

*Puts on Killjoy hat*

Between Merry and Pippin, Pippin would seem the more likely if only for his penchant of getting into trouble, but I too really can't see Tolkien suggesting this, overtly or covertly. Read his letter to his son Michael and you'll see what I mean. And, as usual, Teresa is spot on about Galadriel's gift to Sam being the link, in my killjoy opinion anyway...

 

[River Boy]

The plot only thickens because you see what you want to see.

I don't make a habit of this kind of thing.

 

[Corbier]

As Teresa already argued, you can find in the text why there were golden-haired children and Tolkien himself was such a devout man that it's quite unthinkable that one of his heroes was "shagging around". So, you do see what you want to see because there's all the evidence against your point and you happily discard it.

 

[JoanDrake]

A book can be interpreted any way you want. The author's actual intentions are irrelevant.


My understanding has always been that the Hobbits actually had no sexual mores, though their continuance as a subspecies that aged and died assumed they had to have sex. I didn't hear them mention any in any case and in the absence of any such most civilizations I know become somewhat randy by our standards. Remember that the English and especially, we Americans, are generally regarded as incredibly uptight in this area by most of the world. Even other Europeans.


Also, didn't the Elvish queen nearly seduce Frodo into giving her the Ring? but repented of it?

 

[Corbier]

A book can be interpreted any way you want. The author's actual intentions are irrelevant.

Depends on what believes you follow... There are many different literary criticisms, so your statement is a little on the bold side!

 

[JoanDrake]

Depends on what believes you follow... There are many different literary criticisms, so your statement is a little on the bold side!

I don't see it as such. The author puts words on paper, I make the story.

 

[Grimward]

Also, didn't the Elvish queen nearly seduce Frodo into giving her the Ring? but repented of it?

Er, not exactly. From the Fellowship...

'You are wise and fearless and fair, Lady Galadriel', said Frodo. 'I will give you the One Ring, if you ask for it. It is too great a matter for me.'

Galadriel laughed with a sudden clear laugh. 'Wise the Lady Galadriel may be,' she said, 'yet here she has met her match in courtesy. Gently are you revenged for my testing of your heart at our first meeting.'

There's no such seduction involved here; Galadriel tested Frodo's heart upon their first meeting to ascertain that his intentions involving the ring were in line with the purpose of the quest. Even the movie didn't choose to alter this point.

Having said that, I won't (and would never) argue with your main point; by all means hear the story the way you want to. It's just my opinion that JRR didn't really have any of this in mind when he wrote his books.