When did J. R. R. Tolkien begin writing The Hobbit?
J. R. R. Tolkien began writing The Hobbit in 1930 or 1931 while grading student essay exams.
Questions about Hobbit
Short answers, pulled from the story.
How tall are hobbits and what is their average height?
Hobbits stand between two and four feet tall with an average height around three feet six inches.
Where did the first hobbits live before settling in The Shire?
In their earliest folk tales hobbits lived in Rhovanion within the Valley of Anduin between Mirkwood and the Misty Mountains.
What year did Marcho and Blanco found The Shire on the west bank of River Brandywine?
Marcho and Blanco gained permission from King Arnor at Fornost to cross River Brandywine in Third Age 1601 and founded The Shire on the west bank where many others followed them.
Why do hobbits wear boots according to the description of Stoors?
Stoors wore boots to keep dry feet safe from muddy banks because they lived near rivers, used boats, swam, and had sturdier hands and feet than other groups who generally avoided footwear.
When was the term mathom invented by Tolkien for old useless objects?
Tolkien invented the term mathom to describe old useless objects that hobbits were unwilling to throw away given repeatedly as presents or stored in museum houses.