Edward Wyke Smith

Edward Wyke Smith (1871-1935) was an English author, mining engineer and adventurer. He is the author of "The Marvellous Land of Snergs", now particularly noted as an inspiration for Tolkien's creation of hobbits.

Biography

After a time in the Horse Guards at Whitehall, Wyke-Smith joined the crew of a windjammer and sailed to Australia and the west coast of the United States. In the American West, he worked as a cowboy. Back in England, he studied mine engineering and later managed mines in Mexico, the Sinai, South America, Spain, Portugal and Norway. During the 1913 revolution in Mexico, he rescued his wife from the capital. He built a pontoon bridge across the Suez canal during the First World War.

He wrote his first book, "Bill of the Bustingforths", at his children's request, and went on to write several others, both for children and adults.

The Marvellous Land of Snergs

"The Marvellous Land of Snergs" is set on a fictional island somewhere on Earth, but difficult to reach. On the island is a colony of children rescued from neglect by the redoubtable Mrs. Watkyns, the crew of the "Flying Dutchman" and the Snergs, a race of short, thick-set, helpful people. Unfortunately Golithos, a not-so-friendly giant, and Mother Meldrum, a wicked witch also live there. When Sylvia and Joe run away for a big adventure their lives are in deadly peril when they fall into the clutches of these two evil characters. Gorbo the Snerg and Baldry the court jester come to the rescue.

nergs and Hobbits

J. R. R. Tolkien, author of "The Hobbit" and "Lord of the Rings" is known to have read "The Marvellous Land of Snergs" to his children. He said: "I should like to record my own love and my children's love of E. A. Wyke-Smith's "Marvellous Land of Snergs", at any rate of the snerg-element of that tale, and of Gorbo the gem of dunderheads, jewel of a companion in an escapade." [ [http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/catalog/titledetail.cfm?textType=excerpt&titleNumber=693091 The Annotated Hobbit; ISBN-10: 0618134700 ] at www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com] The similarities between the races of snergs and hobbits have led to speculation that the book was a major inspiration. [ [http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23596.Tales_Before_Tolkien_The_Roots_of_Modern_Fantasy?page=3 Goodreads | Tales Before Tolkien: The Roots of Modern Fantasy ] at www.goodreads.com] They are similar in their physical descriptions, their love of communal feasting, and their names, particularly Gorbo and Bilbo. In all the books there are also journeys through dangerous forests and underground caverns.

Bibliography

*"Bill of the Bustingforths" (1921)
*"The Last of the Baron" (1921)
*"Some Pirates and Marmaduke" (1921)
*"Captain Quality" (1922)
*"The Second Chance" (1923)
*"Because of Josephine" (1924)
*"Fortune My Foe" (1925)
*"The Marvellous Land of Snergs" (1927).

Notes

ources

* [http://www.tolkiencollector.com/snergs.htm The Tolkien Collector review]
* [http://www.tolkien-online.com/tolkiens-sources.html Tolkien's sources]
*Douglas A. Anderson (annotations), J. R. R. Tolkien , "The Annotated Hobbit" (2002)
*Douglas A. Anderson "Tales Before Tolkien: The Roots of Modern Fantasy" (2003)