Stories of Arda Home Page
About Us News Resources Login Become a member Help Search

Earth and Water  by swg12 7 Review(s)
PryderiReviewed Chapter: 1 on 8/3/2007
I enjoyed this chapter Samwisegirl and am looking forward to more.
I think I may be able to shed some light on the discrepancy in Sam's year of birth. I got this information from "The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion" by Wayne G Hammond and Christina Scull which I am finding a very useful reference book. Well apparently in the first edition of LotR there is no entry in the Tale of Years for Sam's birth: just the 2980 in the family tree. The Tale of Years entry for 2983 appeared in the second edition in 1965 creating the discrepancy you have noticed. The discrepancy remained in all editions until the Tale of Years entry was amended to 2980 in the new edition of 2004. The 2980 date in the family tree has remained constant in all editions.
It seems then that the publishers, the Tolkien estate and the scholars assisting them believe the 2983 date to have been a mistake made in 1965 and perpetuated for forty years, that the correct year is 2980 and that the correction has now been made.
On the other hand the vast majority of copies of LotR in circulation will contain the discrepancy and I don't think it unreasonable for writers to follow the copy that most of their readers have read!
So whatever the scholars say I think you were justified in using 2983 if it better suited your story. I find scholarship good fun but it is only scholarship after all.
Keep up the good work, Pryderi.

Author Reply: Thanks so much for the info, Pryderi! I went back and changed Sam's age to be 9 years old since I think that a slightly older Sam would be easier to write.
Thank you for reading and reviewing!

~ swg ~

DreamflowerReviewed Chapter: 1 on 8/2/2007
This was cute--I like stories of Frodo coming to stay with Bilbo. But Sam is just a little older than this--he should be about nine or ten, depending on what time of year it is and whether he's had a birthday or not. If Frodo is already 21, that makes it in the fall, and most people think Sam's birthday is probably in the spring.

I like your Sam's curiousity--I hope he gets his question answered soon.

Author Reply: This makes two corrections about Sam's age so I will definately be checking up on that! I wonder how I got that messed up? hmm ...
Thanks so much!

~ swg ~

LarnerReviewed Chapter: 1 on 8/2/2007
Lovely introduction, except Sam ought to have been ten at the time, Merry about eight, and Pippin either just born or just about to be born--I have Pippin born in December, myself, just before Yule. We know Sam's birthday was April sixth and Frodo and Bilbo's Sept. 22; we aren't given birthdays for Merry and Sam.

Author Reply: hmm... I'll take a look at those ages. I don't remember exactly how much I mentioned them in the story, and it's very likely I could have gotten my math or my research wrong .. thanks for pointing it out!

~ swg ~

Sweet Pea Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 9/12/2006
Why didn't you tell me you had written more? I loved this. It is really good. Looing forward to the next chapter with eagerness.

Author Reply: Hey Pea!! I'm so glad you liked it :)
I don't know how long it'll be before I update anything - it's my Junior year, lots of hard classes, marching band, Nutcracker ... but I'll try to get some done!
Thanks again, hun!

~ swg ~

Queen GaladrielReviewed Chapter: 1 on 8/20/2006
Aw, dear, sweet Sam! (He'd be nine by this time, BTW, but he's still a sweetie! :)) And of course Ham likes to tease, like any brother. I love your Bilbo and Frodo! Though I do feel sorry for both Frodo and Sam. Poor Frodo is still fighting that sorrow, and Sam doesn't understand. Please write more soon!
God bless,
Galadriel

Author Reply: I think that his age could go either way because ...

"There is a discrepancy between "The Tale of Years" (Appendix B), which gives Sam's birth year as 2983, and "The Longfather-Tree of Master Samwise" (Appendix C), which gives his birth year as 1380 S.R. or 2980." http://www.tuckborough.net/sam.html#Note

... but I'll double check on my math as well, just in case. :)

Thanks again so much!!! :)

~ swg ~

AntaneReviewed Chapter: 1 on 8/6/2006
Another sweet story you've begun! Wouldn't it, indeed, be nice to have our very own Sam. :) This is going to be a fun story to read. I hope when Frodo does tell his new friend about his parents, he'll get his first of many Sam hugs and be comforted by that and knows he's found someone who is going to love him forever.

Namarie, God bless, Antane :)


Author Reply: Thank you so much! I love sweet Sam stories - can he be anything *but* sweet? :)

~ swg ~

ArmarielReviewed Chapter: 1 on 8/6/2006
I think I'll look cool with that gold star! Hehehehe...

A most lovely beginning. Sam's shyness is so cutely depicted. I felt it right with him! Continue, please!

~~~{~@

Author Reply: ah, yes, the coveted gold star! congratulations - it's very becoming on you ;)
Thanks so much - I love writing Sam. Hopefully I'll be able to get the next chapter figured out in not too large an amount of time ...

~ swg ~

Return to Chapter List