The Marvellous Land of Snergs
Encyclopedia
The Marvellous Land of Snergs is a children's fantasy
, written by Edward Wyke Smith
and published in 1927. It was illustrated by the Punch
cartoonist George Morrow
. It is noted as an inspiration source for Tolkien's The Hobbit
.
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.
, 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."
The similarities between the races of snergs and hobbits have led to speculation that the book was a major inspiration. 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.
– a remote island populated by disparate groups – and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
– a haphazard plot and fantastic creatures. It criticizes the inconsistencies in the island story and the stylistic flaws which come from an over-awareness of the child audience, but considers that "Wyke-Smith transcends such superficial, dreamlike stories by creating a true fairy story, along the lines that were later elucidated by Tolkien".
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
, written by Edward Wyke Smith
Edward Wyke Smith
Edward Augustine Wyke-Smith 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:...
and published in 1927. It was illustrated by the Punch
Punch (magazine)
Punch, or the London Charivari was a British weekly magazine of humour and satire established in 1841 by Henry Mayhew and engraver Ebenezer Landells. Historically, it was most influential in the 1840s and 50s, when it helped to coin the term "cartoon" in its modern sense as a humorous illustration...
cartoonist George Morrow
George Morrow (illustrator)
George Morrow was a cartoonist and book illustrator. He was the son of a painter and decorator from Clifton Street in west Belfast...
. It is noted as an inspiration source for Tolkien's The Hobbit
The Hobbit
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, better known by its abbreviated title The Hobbit, is a fantasy novel and children's book by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published on 21 September 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the New York Herald...
.
Plot summary
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 Miss 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 wickedWicked
Wicked is generally used as an adjective to mean evil or sinful.Wicked may also refer to:* Wicked Pictures, an American pornographic studio...
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
Court jester
A jester, joker, jokester, fool, wit-cracker, prankster, or buffoon was a person employed to tell jokes and provide general entertainment, typically for a European monarch. Jesters are stereotypically thought to have worn brightly colored clothes and eccentric hats in a motley pattern...
come to the rescue.
Snergs and Hobbits
J. R. R. TolkienJ. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
, author of The Hobbit
The Hobbit
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, better known by its abbreviated title The Hobbit, is a fantasy novel and children's book by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published on 21 September 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the New York Herald...
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."
The similarities between the races of snergs and hobbits have led to speculation that the book was a major inspiration. 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.
Reviews
A recent review describes the book as "a classic fairy tale written in traditional style but with great gusto, whimsy and a surprising freshness." The review in The Tolkien Collector notes the points of similarity with Peter PanPeter Pan
Peter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie . A mischievous boy who can fly and magically refuses to grow up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with...
– a remote island populated by disparate groups – and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is an 1865 novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells of a girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures...
– a haphazard plot and fantastic creatures. It criticizes the inconsistencies in the island story and the stylistic flaws which come from an over-awareness of the child audience, but considers that "Wyke-Smith transcends such superficial, dreamlike stories by creating a true fairy story, along the lines that were later elucidated by Tolkien".
Sources
- The Tolkien Collector review
- Tolkien's sources
- J. R. R. Tolkien, Douglas A. Anderson (annotations): The Annotated Hobbit (2002)
- Douglas A. Anderson: Tales Before Tolkien: The Roots of Modern Fantasy (2003)
- Old Earth Books reprints 'Snergs' after nearly 70 years