When did J. R. R. Tolkien write Farmer Giles of Ham and when was it published?
J. R. R. Tolkien wrote Farmer Giles of Ham in 1937, though the story did not appear until 1949.
Questions about Farmer Giles of Ham
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What real locations does the fictional Little Kingdom in Farmer Giles of Ham map onto?
The fictional Little Kingdom maps directly onto actual locations in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire including Oakley, Otmoor, and the Rollright Stones near Oxenford.
Who were the four wise clerks of Oxenford that received a definition of blunderbuss from J. R. R. Tolkien?
The four wise clerks of Oxenford were Henry Bradley, William Craigie, James Murray, and Charles Talbut Onions who worked on the Oxford English Dictionary.
How does the dragon Chrysophylax differ from traditional dragons in Farmer Giles of Ham?
The dragon Chrysophylax is cowardly and tamed instead of killed which derives from medieval dragons and contemporary comic stories like Edith Nesbit's The Dragon Tamers.
Why did J. R. R. Tolkien lament the loss of the countryside around Oxfordshire during the mid twentieth century?
J. R. R. Tolkien lamented the loss because the population of Oxfordshire doubled between 1920 and 1960 driving rapid change through industrialization by Morris Motors and airfields growing from five to ninety-six during the Second World War.