Blotmath was the eleventh month of the Shire Calendar, and derives ultimately from the Old English blōtmōnaþ. That word translates literally as 'sacrifice-month', because the Saxons would make sacrifices in the hope of lessening the hardship of winter. The Old English words for 'sacrifice' (blōt) and 'blood' (blōd) seem to be etymologically connected, and the variant pronunciation Blodmath (which would be 'blood month') reflects this connection.
Of course, there's no implication that the Shire-hobbits themselves took part in sacrifices of any kind: Blodmath and its related names are merely taken from the Old English calendar as a convenient translation for the actual Westron names that would be used in the Shire itself.
Indexes:
About this entry:
- Updated 8 May 2023
- This entry is complete
For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page.
Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 2007, 2023. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ.
Website services kindly sponsored by Axiom Discovery aptitude and skill testing.
Personality is one part of understanding a candidate's suitability for a role, but aptitude can also be crucial.