When was Farmer Giles of Ham written and published?
Tolkien wrote Farmer Giles of Ham in 1937 and it was published in 1949. The original edition was illustrated by Pauline Baynes.
Questions about Farmer Giles of Ham
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who is Chrysophylax in Farmer Giles of Ham?
Chrysophylax Dives is the dragon in Farmer Giles of Ham. He comes from Venedotia, is described as a coward, and is tamed rather than slain. Giles forces him to surrender part of his treasure.
What is the sword Caudimordax in Farmer Giles of Ham?
Caudimordax, meaning Tailbiter, is the magic sword given to Giles by the king. A local priest identifies it as a sword made specifically for killing dragons, and it can fight almost on its own.
What real places appear in Farmer Giles of Ham?
Tolkien based the story's geography on the area around Oxford where he lived and worked. The place-names include Oakley, Otmoor, and the Rollright Stones, and the Buckinghamshire village of Worminghall is given a mock etymological explanation in the story.
Who did Tolkien dedicate Farmer Giles of Ham to?
Tolkien dedicated Farmer Giles of Ham to Cyril Hackett Wilkinson (1888-1960), a don at Oxford University. Wilkinson had encouraged Tolkien to write the story for the Lovelace Society at Worcester College.
What literary sources influenced Farmer Giles of Ham?
Tolkien drew on Norse myth, Spenser's The Faerie Queene, the Volsunga saga, the legend of Saint George and the Dragon, and contemporary works including Edith Nesbit's The Dragon Tamers and Kenneth Grahame's The Reluctant Dragon. The story parodies the traditional dragon-slaying tale by making the hero a farmer and the dragon a coward.