Q: Who Governed the Bree-folk?
ANSWER: J.R.R. Tolkien does not describe or mention any form of government for the Bree-land’s four villages. Although the reader is free to assume that there may have been a Thain-like character in the background, it seems apparent to me that the Bree-folk’s quickly organized defenses against Saruman’s ruffians — as described by Barliman to Gandalf and the Hobbits — implies there were no traditional or hereditary leaders. The families of Bree apparently just came together and did what they needed to do.
The Bree-land was much smaller than the Shire, had fewer inhabitants, and therefore did not require as extensive an organization as the Shire. For example, when Gandalf wanted to send a letter to Frodo from Bree, Barliman had to look for someone among his folk who would be traveling to the Shire and at that time none of the Bree-folk made such a trip. Hence, there was either no organized postal service in the Bree-land or it was so small it was incapable of supporting communication with the Shire.
The only sign of authority among the Bree-landers are the gate-keepers (Harry Goatleaf watched the western gate of Bree but there was an eastern gate, too). Who appointed them and to whom did they answer? I suspect they were appointed or approved upon volunteering by their local communities. The only passage where Tolkien notes anyone of importance in the Bree-land is early in his introduction:
The Inn of Bree was still there, however, and the innkeeper was an important person. His house was a meeting place for the idle, talkative, and inquisitive among the inhabitants, large and small, of the four villages; and a resort of Rangers and other wanderers, and for such travellers (mostly dwarves) as still journeyed on the East Road, to and from the Mountains.
I think the Prancing Pony must have served as town hall for Bree itself and maybe as the assembly hall for all four villages. There would have been rare need for a large assembly because it’s doubtful they needed to levy taxes, enact new laws, or conduct negotiations with other people.
The Bree-land was isolated enough that it had no formal conflicts and the Rangers of the North watched over the Bree-folk, protecting them from wild creatures such as Orcs and Trolls and probably the occasional human outlaws. Any passing groups of Elves or Dwarves — if armed — would also have lent some protection to the Bree-folk. Hence, they probably had no equivalents to the Shire’s Shirriffs or Bounders.
If the farmers needed more land there was probably no objection to their breaking new ground beyond the borders of anyone else’s farm. If a family wanted to build a new house in a village they might have all gotten together to help build the home, maybe to extend the village defenses to make room, etc. But it seems unlikely there was much growth among the Bree-folk. Their population was so small at the end of the Third Age that the reader easily concludes they were merely surviving quietly, peacefully in a world that was more dangerous than they realized.
In times of great peril or distress there may have been occasional Bree-moots. Tolkien used moots and moot-like meetings in several of his cultures, including that of the Men of Brethil (in “The Wanderings of Hurin”, which Christopher Tolkien published in The War of the Jewels). The moots may have been presided over by the Butterburs but maybe more likely if anyone sent out a call for a moot they would be responsible for managing the assembly.
So, while we can certainly infer a few possible institutions for the Bree-folk, it seems they really had little more than tradition and the need to rely upon and trust their neighbors. The fact that Harry Goatleaf and Bill Ferny joined Saruman’s ruffians may have been a shock to the Bree-folk, who would never expect any of their own blood and kin to join with hostile strangers.
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Another “right on” essay.
You’ve probably mentioned this elsewhere, but there were probably more than four villages in Bree-land. In Letter #276, in response to the Tolkien Society of America, Tolkien says that he would be delighted to coin names for other places in Bree-land, and to place them on the map:
“Personally I should have liked the society’s title to be ‘The Shire Society’, with perhaps T.S.A. as an explanatory subtitle. But even without any change of title, I think it would be more appropriate and amusing to give members the title of ‘Member for Some-place-in-the Shire’, or in Bree. Would it not be a good thing to limit the number of persons entitled to a special name in some suitable way: as being earliest members, or later as being those who clearly continue to get some interest or amusement out of membership? There are only about 30 suitable place names in the small section of the Shire printed, but there are more in my map, and if a proper map of the whole Shire were drawn up there could be quite a large number of places entered. The names already entered, even those that seem unlikely (as Nobottle), are in fact devised according to the style, origins, and mode of formation of English (especially Midland) place-names. I should be delighted to construct new names on the same principles as desired and to find them places on the maps of Bree and the Shire.”
I wonder if the TSA took him up on that offer? Is there a more detailed map of the Shire and Bree-land sitting around somewhere?
I don’t know of a more detailed map, but while he could certainly have added place-names to Bree, adding more villages would have forced him to revise The Lord of the Rings. Maybe he would have been up for that, maybe not.
Or, maybe there were only four “villages”, as organized communities, but many more “inhabited places”? Anyplace with more than one residence could be a “named place”, but wouldn’t be a formal “village”.
There are a lot of these types of places in Appalachia. They have a name, and often a road sign with that name, but no legal standing. Give them a couple chuches, a convenience store, and maybe a volunteer fire station, and they become a formal community, but still not a “real” town. Once they have post office they become a real town, but still may not have a government. Only with incorporation do they become official.
Well, something I didn’t consider was that he could have devised place-names for abandoned villages, inns, farms, etc. Very similar to what you describe.