Q: What Did Beorn Mean by ‘Travelling Circus’?
ANSWER: In November 2019 a reader submitted the following question:
We all know the Hobbit has some out-of-place words here in there, most often said by the Narrator. But one of the perhaps funniest, is the fact that Beorn knows of travelling circuses.
Here is the quote:
“Troop of ponies? What were you-a travelling circus? Or were you carrying lots of goods? Or do you always call six a troop?”
A travelling circus, in the Anduin? What do you (speculate please!) think he actually meant? would it be more like a roman circus, with horse races? Or a troop of performers? Maybe dwarves with wonderful things to look at, like Bilbo hired for his Birthday party?
Or do Beorn perhaps get troubled by clowns a lot?
Tempting as it is to send in the clowns, I found your question was no joke. It raises an interesting question about Tolkien’s use of the word circus. Most people learn in school about ancient Rome’s circuses – great stadia in which horse races and other spectacles were held. But though such events continued in the eastern empire until the 13th or 14th centuries, they fell into disuse in western Europe.
Western European Entertainers in the Early Middle Ages
The Germanic invasions changed many things including the size of towns, the interconnectivity of towns and cities, and how people entertained themselves. The German tribes who conquered western Europe (including the Franks, Visigoths, Angles, Jutes, Saxons, and Frisians) became the dominant groups. Their cultural traditions replaced most of the older Roman traditions that had been adopted by the Celtic peoples of western Europe.
One thing the old empire’s connectivity had allowed was the transportation of animals from exotic locations (largely Africa) to Europe. That trade died off considerably. But the rise of Christianity played a role in the changing cultural practices of Europeans as well. Human sacrifices and contests to the death fell out of favor.
The Germanic and Scandinavian tribes of Europe had skalds, great poets and story-tellers. They might use music or not. In Old English the word scop was used in literature to describe a counterpart to the skalds. Scholarly opinions are divided on whether the scops were real people or a literary invention. What we can be sure of is that skalds would have performed in Britannia from the earliest days of the Angle and Saxon invasions. Many of the tribes and clans who invaded and settled in what became England came from what are now Denmark and northern Germany. The northern tribes spoke very closely related dialects of the same language.
The poem “Beowulf” is a clear example of a Scandinavian story that survived in Old English form past the great phonetic shift event that divided English from what became Scandinavian languages. Skalds probably recited “Beowulf” and similar poems in the great halls of northern Europe for hundreds of years.
Minstrels had Replaced the Skalds by the 12th Century
Where did minstrels come from?
The word is of French origin but that doesn’t mean much. By 1200 France had become the dominant culture in western Europe. Norman English nobles spoke French and still enjoy close connections with French nobility. It could be that the old English/Norse skalds simply became known as minstrels.
The word menestral could refer to an entertainer or to a rogue, but it evolved from the Medieval Latin word ministralis meaning a jester or entertainer. Scholars agree that minstrelsy was introduced into England by the Norman conquest. The minstrels mingled their professional with the Anglo-Saxon gleemen. Glee is an Old English word for entertainment, fun, etc.
Still, by 1200 there weren’t any traveling circuses. But the minstrels gave rise to a new class of entertainers who were known as janglers, jonglers, joglers (trickers, magicians, entertainers). These roguish characters traveled from town to town performing songs, poems, and occasionally managing some trained animal acts. They might use dogs, horses, lions, bears, or whatever they could find.
As minstrels and their successors were awarded guilds in France and England they became more specialized. The acrobats broke off from the poets and musicians. As best I can determine, it was the acrobats who retained the practice of traveling around the countryside performing at fairs and festivals and occasionally bringing animals with them.
The Modern Circus Arose in the 1700s
All sources now agree that what we think of as a “circus” – a company of traveling performers of various skills, including animal trainers – began in the 1700s when Philip Astley began performing horse stunts in a circular amphitheatre in London in 1768. In 1770 Astley hired acrobats and other entertainers to establish the first modern circus. These early modern circuses were held in permanent structures and were continuing shows. The tradition of the traveling circus using tents for performances began in the early 1800s.
So What Was Beorn Referring To?
Well, having researched all that I think it would be an immense stretch of logic and credulity to argue that Beorn’s comment had anything to do with Middle English or Old English. It appears to be a very modern reference.
It’s – so far as I can determine – a genuine anachronism. Tolkien almost certainly included it in the story as an easy reference for his intended audience, children and their families. Unlike the “express train” passage in The Fellowship of the Ring (where the narrator describes Gandalf’s fireworks), Beorn literally speaks the words “Troop of ponies? What were you — a travelling circus?”
There can be no doubt about the reference being part of the story itself, not merely narrative adornment. Hence, in The Hobbit‘s world, there are travelling circuses. But we don’t really know what Tolkien imagined such things would be — or even if he gave the matter any thought at all.
The Lord of the Rings mentions minstrels. Aragorn refers to Elvish minstrels when he meets Arwen. But I don’t think J.R.R. Tolkien was retconning circuses, minstrels, and jugglers into The Hobbit. It’s probably an inadvertent idea like Glorfindel’s bit and bridle for Asfaloth. In a letter Tolkien mused that he should have used halter rather than bit and bridle. These are details that would annoy the writer but probably don’t bother the reader (in most cases – obviously someone was curious enough to ask me about this).
Had Tolkien been pressed to explain what Beorn was referring to, my guess is he would have conceded that Beorn was being somewhat condescending and skeptical. He was obviously not fooled by Gandalf’s lies. And it was the point of Gandalf’s changes in number to intrigue Beorn enough to bring out his curiosity rather than his hostility. At this point in the conversation Beorn was hooked but not yet ready to accept a large number of guests.
There’s not much point in speculating about what kind of circus Beorn might be familiar with. One might as well ask how Bilbo can have clocks, waistcoats, tea, and a barometer. Well, people have asked such things. They are part of Middle-earth because they suited the author’s fancy.
I suppose it would be just as acceptable if Tolkien had included a flying automobile in the story. He would have made it work, somehow. The idea of a travelling circus works (in my opinion) by virtue of Tolkien’s not elaborating on what that would entail. He merely inserted the reference in the story and left it to the reader to imagine the details.
See Also
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Have you read our other Tolkien and Middle-earth Questions and Answers articles?
Flying automobiles? Forged by the Noldor, no doubt. And animated by the Deep Art,
Well some early drafts of stories contain references to flying ships devised by Numenoreans hehe or as the Lost Road mentions a whole lot of interesting developments, ships of metal and missiles passing huge distances hehe. Of course it’s only that drafts but it’s nice to speculate about those things. Besides Bilbo song of Earendil mentions that his flying ship was made of ‘mithril and elven glass’ so.. ;), but the Valar were said to hallow this vessel.
One thing I would point out is that clearly the Hobbit has been “redacted” at some point in its fictional composition, and what you the reader picking up the text is reading is very obviously not what Bilbo supposedly wrote in the Red Book of Westmarch. Paragraphs like
“what is a hobbit? I suppose hobbits need some description nowadays, since they have become rare and shy of the Big People, as they call us. They are (or were) a little people, about half our height, and smaller than the bearded Dwarves. Hobbits have no beards. There is little or no magic about them, except the ordinary everyday sort which helps them to disappear quietly and quickly when large stupid folk like you and me come blundering along, making a noise like elephants which they can hear a mile off.”
There’s more description, but I don’t think it’s necessary to demonstrate the point; namely that this is NOT something Bilbo would have written as a Hobbit, with an intended audience of other hobbits. Someone must have come along later and inserted that bit, and probably added all those other narrational notes to things that Bilbo probably wasn’t familiar with, like steam trains coming out of tunnels and gunpowder.
I guess this is a long way of saying that I don’t quite see the distinction between Beorn saying something and the narrator saying something when it comes to inclusion of anachronisms, because the later narrator/translator probably went over everything and changed it to help modern readers understand it, so to speak. It’s entirely possible Beorn said something else and this later narrator changed it to circus.
That’s possible, though I would say it’s a nice amusing thought to think that such thing as ‘traveling circus’ is a a ‘real’ thing in Middle-earth, simply a group of traveling performers doing tricks for people for some money :). Entertainment in Middle-earth is sometimes mentioned but rarely is it elaborated, we certainly can imagine that besides music and poetry, with minstrels and musicians playing, feasting and hunting for royals and nobles as entertainment there could be other things, we know of existence of various sports, even The Hobbit itself mentions many and other texts:
“If we don’t get blown off, or drowned, or struck by lightning, we shall be picked up by some giant and kicked sky-high for a football…”
…
“There was a noise like the kicking of a flabby football, and the enraged spider fell off the branch, only catching itself with its own thread just in time.”
…
“As a boy [Bilbo] used to practise throwing stones at things, until rabbits and squirrels, and even birds, got out of his way as quick as lightning if they saw him stoop; and even grownup he had still spent a deal of his time at quoits, dart-throwing, shooting at the wand, bowls, ninepins and other quiet games of the aiming and throwing sort – indeed he could do lots of things, besides blowing smoke-rings, asking riddles and cooking, that I havent had time to tell you about.” (so Bilbo could fit in a traveling circus really ;)).
…
“He charged the ranks of the goblins of Mount Gram in the Battle of the Green Fields, and knocked their king Golfimbul’s head clean off with a wooden club. It sailed a hundred yards through the air and went down a rabbit-hole, and in this way the battle was won and the game of Golf invented at the same moment.”
…
“Axes and spears and bows they had, and shooting with bows on foot and on horseback was a chief sport and pastime of the Númenóreans… Beyond all other pursuits the strong men of Númenor took delight in the Sea, in swimming, in diving, or in small craft for contests of speed in rowing or sailing.”
…
“strong of body, mind, and will, a match for both the loremasters and the athletes of the Eldar in the days of their youth.”
So Eldar have athletic sports of some kind. There is even reference to chess or chess-like board games:
“‘Alas! my own hand feels as light as a feather,’ he thought, but he said nothing. ‘A pawn did Gandalf say? Perhaps but on the wrong chessboard.’”
Plus all sorts of references to wagers and games of chance, basically form of gambling.
“Even now he plays a game with peril and wins a throw. Hours of my precious time he has wasted already.”
And of course game of riddles he most famous example, we also know of dancing (and even have one example of specific dance, Hobbit one the ‘springle-ring’ described as vigorous dance, even a reference to ‘hide and seek’ game or races can be found, or wrestling as a form of sport/fighting, well one of the Valar, Tulkas is said to: “He delights in wrestling and in contests of strength; and he rides no steed, for he can outrun all things that go on feet, and he is tireless.”). And since readers usually like to find out about the details of the life in fictional world, it’s culture and practices in it, forms of entertainment etc. we can even sort of accept that maybe ‘traveling circus’ might just exist in some form :). Curiously we don’t hear much of theaters and mummers troops or acrobats or some such, but who can say that they are not there? After all as Tolkien himself said it’s incomplete world and many things may be supposed to exist there that are not mentioned specifically. Still take example of Elves being able to be so naturally graceful and agile with acrobatic skill to run on a single rope hanged between two trees ;), of course it’s not for performing, Elves would suit well in circus hehe, jokes aside, the examples I’ve given above and probably some I missed might just show a glimpse of larger sphere of life we just don’t get into.
My favorite anachronism may be Sam’s dialog with Sméagol in ‘Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit’ regarding ‘taters. “‘Po-ta-toes’ said Sam. ‘The Gaffer’s delight, and rare good ballast for an empty belly…” Really? How did Columbus figure into Middle-earth? Was it after Eärendil? Before the fall of Nûmenor?
I’ll note that anything we have from the Red Book is a translation, and part of the art of translation is to put things in terms to which the readers will relate. When every reference requires explanation (unfamiliar idioms, sports and games, etc.), the tale quickly bogs down; when everything seems alien the reader loses interest. One needs to feel some commonality with the characters in order to identify with them. So let’s just say Bilbo’s translators took the necessary license to produce a bestseller.
I personally take it as one of the introduced plants by numenorean sailors and explorers. After all pipe-weed which is said to be a subspecies of tobacco is speculated in-universe to be brought over by Numenoreans (in turn elves brought many unique plant species into Numenor from Aman, which supposedly hold all plant and animal lifeform species that ever lived, save for dark creatures of Morgoth: “For all living things that are or have been in the Kingdom of Arda, save only the fell and evil creatures of Melkor, lived then in the land of Aman; and there also were many other creatures that have not been seen upon Middle-earth, and perhaps never now shall be, since the fashion of the world has changed.”), plus there’s also this mysterious earth-bread of the Petty Dwarves, it’s unclear what it is, though edible root sounds similar to potato :), but it’scertainly possible that Numenorean mariners brought many discovered plants to their island and in turn to Middle-earth.
“And thence at times the Firstborn still would come sailing to Númenor in oarless boats, as white birds flying from the sunset. And they brought to Númenor many gifts: birds of song, and fragrant flowers, and herbs of great virtue.”
After all we are told that in Second Age they visited other lands and continents, a small reference even mentions possible voyages to other continents post Downfall of Numenor:
“Thus it was that because of the Ban of the Valar the voyages of the Dúnedain in those days went ever eastward and not westward, from the darkness of the North to the heats of the South, and beyond the South to the Nether Darkness; and they came even into the inner seas, and sailed about Middle-earth and glimpsed from their high prows the Gates of Morning in the East.”
…
“Thus it was that great mariners among them would still search the empty seas, hoping to come upon the Isle of Meneltarma, and there to see a vision of things that were. But they found it not. And those that sailed far came only to the new lands, and found them like to the old lands, and subject to death. And those that sailed furthest set but a girdle about the Earth and returned weary at last to the place of their beginning; and they said:
‘All roads are now bent.’
Thus in after days, what by the voyages of ships, what by lore and star-craft, the kings of Men knew that the world was indeed made round, and yet the Eldar were permitted still to depart and to come to the Ancient West and to Avallónë, if they would.”
This would imply that in early days of Gondor and Arnor some brave adventurers managed to sail to ‘new lands’ other continents. 🙂 The early version of the The Hobbit had even reference to tomatoes, when the Dwarves and Gandalf ordered food, but in later editions it was changed from ‘tomatoes’ to ‘pickles’ (well it was in early spring/May so tomatoes would not be available unless from previous year or simply Tolkien felt that the all kinds of New World foods are not fitting, and only left the potatoes and tobacco :)).
As domesticated potatoes don’t reseed themselves well, they almost have to be cultivated. It wouldn’t be at all surprising to have them in Middle Earth, then be “lost” before modern history began.