The geography of J. R. R. Tolkien’s tale “The Hobbit, or there and back again”: tradition and legend

The geography of the fictional world is a significant characteristic of fantasy literature, including children's literature. The works of J.R.R. Tolkien, author of the epic novel “The Lord of the Rings” (1954-1955), the fairy tale “The Hobbit, or There and Back Again” (1937) and other works, is characterized by the thoughtfulness of the geography of the artistic world and the history associated with it; this is especially true for his works related to the so called world of Middle earth. In his early works, Tolkien connects the fictional world and real Britain, which partly acquires the features of an utopia or becomes a way to the past; in “The Lord of the Rings” the geography of a completely fictional space is described, but the fairy tale “The Hobbit” in many ways occupies an intermediate place in the complex of Tolkien’s legendarium, as well as in relation to geography. In “The Hobbit”, Tolkien turns to English legends; сertain elements of “The Hobbit”’s geography can be considered references to legendary Britain. Fictional spaces play a significant role in the tale; maps of the world where events take place are inseparable from the text. In the “The Lord of the Rings” the depth of history and historical memory of a place (here one can use N.P. Antsiferov’s term “local legend”) is a significant part of the plot and philosophy of the novel, but in “The Hobbit” such episodes remain brief mentions. However, some places and events mentioned in “The Hobbit” become places of memory in “The Lord of the Rings”. Considering Tolkien's tale from the point of view of geography of the fictional world, we can see the features that will later appear in “The Lord of the Rings”.