Dates

Created during the early Fourth Age¹

Location

Compiled in the Shire, probably at Great Smials, but later taken to Minas Tirith, where an expanded and annotated copy was made

Origins

A direct copy of the original Red Book of Westmarch

Race

Hobbits

Culture

Shire-hobbits

Family

Created at the request of the Thain of the Took family

Settlements

Kept at Great Smials, and later at Minas Tirith

Meaning

The Thain was the hereditary (and largely titular) military leader of the Shire

Indexes:

About this entry:

Updated 27 December 2021
Updates planned: 1

Thain’s Book

The book that held the original stories of the Silmarillion

Years of the TreesFirst AgeISecond AgeIIThird AgeIIIFourth AgeIV

Red Book
of Westmarch

The Thain's Book
(all volumes)
with annotations

Numerous other copies
(especially the first volume)

Findegil's copy

A direct copy of the Red Book of Westmarch, and one of very few to include Bilbo Baggins' Translations from the Elvish. It was kept by the head of the Took family, the Thain of the Shire, at Great Smials.

Notes

The original Red Book was completed in III 3021, when Frodo Baggins finished adding his account of the War of the Ring, and so this is the earliest possible date for the Thain's Book to have been created. However, the Thain who requested its creation was presumably Peregrin Took, who did not accede to the title until IV 13, so the Thain's Book was probably produced after that date. It was certainly in existence by IV 64, when Thain Peregrin took it with him as he retired to Gondor.

Thain’s Book

The book that held the original stories of the Silmarillion

Notes

See also...

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