Peeping Jack was a Hobbit inhabitant of the town of Delving who appeared in Perry-the-Winkle, a nursery rhyme[2] by Samwise Gamgee[3].[1]
In the poem, Peeping Jack espied Perry-the-Winkle riding to Faraway on the Lonely Troll's back. Later, upon Perry's return, Peeping Jack revealed his spying to the rest of the People.[1]
Peeping Jack was one of the Shire-folk who travelled to Faraway in order to demand food from the Lonely Troll. Peeping Jack was among four Hobbits who the Troll never wanted to see again.[1]
Etymology
The real name of the character is unknown, because "Peeping Jack" is clearly a nickname which allude to his role as a spy. In fact, his name is a clear reference to the legendary character of Peeping Tom, popularly recognized as the voyeur par excellence.[4]
Background
In the first version of the poem in early 1928,[5] which was entitled The Bumpus, Peeping Jack didn’t exist and William Winkle himself told the People where he had been.[2] Peeping Jack was also absent in the second version on March 29,[2] in which Tolkien revised the poem as part[2] of his Tales and Songs of Bimble Bay series. He was absent in the third version as well.[5]
In early 1961,[2] when Tolkien revised the poem for inclusion within The Adventures of Tom Bombadil and Other Verses from the Red Book, Peeping Jack first appeared with no difference in details to the published version[1].[2]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 The Adventures of Tom Bombadil and Other Verses from the Red Book, No. 8: "Perry-the-Winkle", pgs. 41-4
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 The Collected Poems of J.R.R. Tolkien, Volume Two, no. 105: "The Bumpus · William and the Bumpus · Perry-the-Winkle (?1928–61)"
- ↑ The Adventures of Tom Bombadil and Other Verses from the Red Book, "Preface"
- ↑ James D. Allan (1978), An Introduction to Elvish, "Giving of Names"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 The Adventures of Tom Bombadil and Other Verses from the Red Book, commentary, No. 8: "Perry-the-Winkle"
| Living Creatures from folk-lore | |
| Animals: | Dumbledors · Gorcrows · Hummerhorns · Kine of Araw · Pards · Swans of Gorbelgod · Turtle-fish |
|---|---|
| Dragon-kind: | Sea-serpents · Spark-dragons · Were-worms |
| Other: | Badger-folk · Ettens · Giants · Great beasts · Half-trolls · Hobgoblins · Lintips · Mewlips · Nameless things · Ogres · Otter-folk · Snow-trolls · Spectres · Things of Morgoth |
| Individuals: | Badger-brock · Bill Butcher · Farmer Hogg · Fastitocalon · Fisher Blue · Fíriel · Grip · Hunter · Rider · Ûrî · Lonely Troll · Nîlû · Mrs. Bunce · Old Swan · Peeping Jack · Perry-the-Winkle · Old Pott · Talking Gurthang · Talking purse · River-woman · Tarlang · Tim · Tom · Túro · Whisker-lad · White cow · Willow-wren |