Father Christmas Letters: 1929

[Estelyn Telcontar]

The Christmas letter for this year takes up 6 pages in my edition of the book! There are two written letters, one from the North Polar Bear, the other from Father Christmas, and there are two different pictures - one a typical North Pole scene inside the house, the other a drawing especially for Christopher. I was able to locate only a part of the first picture to show: should someone find more, please post it here - thanks!



On this section, at the top of the page, we see that everything is orderly and work is progressing. The middle section shows the Bonfire and the rockets which were set off by the Snow-elves (new characters in this particular legendarium!). The bottom of the page shows what happened when the NPB opened the office window - all of the paper is blowing around, and the ink has spilled.

The latter is the reason for FC's use of a different drawing medium - chalk and pencil. He also writes that he has no silver sparklers to send, as NPB let them all off at once. There is also some explanation of the way FC works - the various time zones allow him to cover all of the countries for which he is responsible. Perhaps the children had been asking more as they grew older, wondering how he could get around all on one night.

I'll add some thoughts on the North Polar Bear's letter later - we have plenty to discuss already!

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

I think this is where the "long stories" begin, slowly but steadily - compared to the earlier letters, this one starts becoming incredibly complex. Maybe "dense" is better word than "long" - there is so much written in a matter of a couple of lines. Note the incredible amount of different characters appearing in a couple of sentences: Snow Elves, the Great Seal (or whatever it is called in the original - and whatever it might be??? I find it probably the most interesting creature in the whole story. Some predecessor to the Watcher in the Water, perhaps? ), and some random Olaf (what purpose does it have there??? It is just so incredibly random remark! I don't have PB's letter there, so maybe something more about those is explained in there; could you satisfy my curiosity?).

The incredible amount of detail in the stories does not stop with the list of characters, but also the descriptions of "how the system works" (=how FC's spells are the strongest during Christmas, how his speed of giving presents is measured and so on). Also, what is it with those numbers? We have the number of how many rockets were set off by PB or how many kids can FC give presents to per minute. Was it just that the kids were learning lots of maths/physics by that time?

Compared to for example the 1927 letter, which basically does not tell about anything happening, I find this one incredibly - yes, let me use the word yet again - dense.

And one thing I really like about this year's letter are the illustrations. Starting with the hat-wearing PB on the edges, through the picture of him lying on the ground with the detail of his paw bandaged (and I really like his expression) - but the best are two details: the wind going through the window in the bottom picture (I really like these, hmm, what would you call it, anyway, these blue-ish lines representing the wind, if you know what I mean), and then the MAP. The map on the wall on the first picture, which in the later picture is folded by the wind. Good job in any case. But if you look at the map, it is interesting: what do you think does it represent? Is it simply a geographical map representing the northern part of Europe - simply a sort of random map of the part of the world close to FC's home, or is it supposed to show some places where FC is carrying his presents to, i.e. some of his "radius"?

Two things are interesting about the map: first, why just Europe? No relation to Santa Claus? No North America? Not even Greenland, for that matter? (Maybe it all comes just from Tolkien's uncertainity about drawing the typical stereographic map with the pole in the center and other things around it.)

Second, is it just me or is the map white where Russia should be? (Or even part of Finland, in fact.) If it is, why? Is it random? Is it supposed to be the snow cover? Or (in case the map marked the places where FC "works"), is it outside FC's sphere of influence? (In other words: does the reddish-brownish color represent the places he visits, and the rest is blank?) Or is it just random? Personally, I don't find either of the answers very satisfying, but I cannot imagine why Tolkien wouldn't bother to draw a bit of Russia, it is only a couple of pen strokes.

[Guinevere]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

Note the incredible amount of different characters appearing in a couple of sentences: Snow Elves, the Great Seal (or whatever it is called in the original - and whatever it might be??? I find it probably the most interesting creature in the whole story. Some predecessor to the Watcher in the Water, perhaps? ), and some random Olaf (what purpose does it have there??? It is just so incredibly random remark! I don't have PB's letter there, so maybe something more about those is explained in there; could you satisfy my curiosity?).

I observe that in all the works of Tolkien there are marginal figures that are not essential to the plot, but often have names, even if they make just a short appearance. In my opinion this adds to the sensation of reality of these imaginary worlds! Seals can swim under the ice, but must of course return to some "breathing hole" from time to time. So it's not really logical that the "Great Seal" could be "waked up". But I don't think of him as an evil creature.

Here is the content of the Polar Bear's letter for you:

Originally Posted by Polar Bear

Dear boys,
my paw is better. I was cutting Christmas trees when I hurt it. Don't you think my writing is much better too? Father Christmas is very bisy already. So am I. We have had hevy snow and sum of our messengers got buerried and sum lost: that is whi you have not herd lately.
Love to John for his birthday. Father Christmas says my English spelling is not good. I kan't help it. We don't speak English here, only arktik (which you dont know. We also make our letters different - I have made mine like Arktik letters for you to see. We always rite * for T and V for U . this is sum Arktik langwidge wich means "Goodby till I see you next and I hope it will be soon."- Mára mesta an ni véla tye ento, ya rato nea.
P.B.
My real name is Karhu but I dont tell most peeple.
P.S. I like letters and think Cristofers are nice

* is a rune like an upright arrow that I cannot type. All the "Arctic" letters are rune-like.
It is interesting to see how Tolkien's love for creating languages and writings appears here too! (the Arctic sentence and PB's secret name sound kind of Finnish to me, or what do you think?)

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

But if you look at the map, it is interesting: what do you think does it represent? Is it simply a geographical map representing the northern part of Europe - simply a sort of random map of the part of the world close to FC's home, or is it supposed to show some places where FC is carrying his presents to, i.e. some of his "radius"?

Two things are interesting about the map: first, why just Europe? No relation to Santa Claus? No North America? Not even Greenland, for that matter? (Maybe it all comes just from Tolkien's uncertainity about drawing the typical stereographic map with the pole in the center and other things around it.)

Well, I don't know about the map,(and I can't see it very clearly in my edition, it's too small) but in the letter Father Christmas names the countries he specially looks after: Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Germany. (And of course North America and Canada)

I love the drawing for Christopher with F.C. and the reindeer on the upper North Wind.
Btw, Christopher was just 5 years old by then - and already writing a letter to FC! (John was 12 and Michael 9 years old then) I guess "One more stocking to fill this year" refers to Baby Priscilla, born in 1929.

[Aiwendil]

the Arctic sentence and PB's secret name sound kind of Finnish to me, or what do you think?

The Arctic sentence actually appears to be Quenya (or Qenya, as I believe it was called in 1929) - which explains its looking Finnish. At least, the phonology and the pronouns agree with Quenya, and in Tolkienian linguistics the Arctic sentence is usually added to the meagre corpus of Quenya texts.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Guinevere

I observe that in all the works of Tolkien there are marginal figures that are not essential to the plot, but often have names, even if they make just a short appearance. In my opinion this adds to the sensation of reality of these imaginary worlds! Seals can swim under the ice, but must of course return to some "breathing hole" from time to time. So it's not really logical that the "Great Seal" could be "waked up". But I don't think of him as an evil creature.

I never said he was meant to be evil! But a mysterious big creature living in a lake - I think Tolkien might have something for lake-dwellers, one way or another

Here is the content of the Polar Bear's letter for you:

* is a rune like an upright arrow that I cannot type. All the "Arctic" letters are rune-like.
It is interesting to see how Tolkien's love for creating languages and writings appears here too! (the Arctic sentence and PB's secret name sound kind of Finnish to me, or what do you think?)

Thanks! And yes, the sentence is rather quenyan, but the name actually IS Finnish - it means, plainly and simply, "Bear". The names of the small polar cubs, as mentioned later, also come from Finnish (and they indeed mean what they are said to be).

It is interesting that my edition mentions PB's real name and quotes the Arctic greeting - but only in an "appendix", since it does not quote the letter.

Well, I don't know about the map,(and I can't see it very clearly in my edition, it's too small) but in the letter Father Christmas names the countries he specially looks after: Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Germany. (And of course North America and Canada)

Then those would roughly cover the area on the map - with the bonus of the British Isles (and what appears to be malformed Iceland), and minus the North America, of course.

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Originally Posted by Guinevere

I guess "One more stocking to fill this year" refers to Baby Priscilla, born in 1929.

Yes, she was also included in FC's greeting: "Dear Boys and Girl".

I hadn't stopped to think about the waking of the Great Seal - a North Pole Balrog?!

I too like the second picture, which reminds me a lot of Tolkien's border drawings, as it's divided into three layers.

I was wondering about the 'Arktik' sentence - thanks for providing the additional information, Aiwendil! Hammond and Scull mention the fact that the NPB's real name is Finnish for "bear".