Springle-ring
The Springle-ring was a dance of the Shire-hobbits. It was described as "a pretty dance, but rather vigorous" where dancers leaped up often.[1]
At Bilbo's Farewell Party, while Bilbo Baggins was giving his speech, many thought that he had just finished and the children started playing with their toy instruments; Everard Took and Melilot Brandybuck got on a table and started performing the dance shaking bells on their hands.[1]
The dance is also mentioned in the Bucklandish poem Bombadil Goes Boating, as the daughters of Farmer Maggot sing and dance to honor their guest Tom Bombadil.[2]
Etymology
The word springle has several meanings in English, but is also a dialect word for "nimble, active".[3] Tolkien commented that the name is made-up and ought to evoke the style of the dance.[4]
Robert Foster gives the erroneous translation "war-horse ring".[5][6]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, "A Long-expected Party"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, "Bombadil Goes Boating"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien; Christina Scull & Wayne G. Hammond (eds), The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, "Commentary"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, "Nomenclature of The Lord of the Rings" in Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull (eds), The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion
- ↑ Robert Foster, The Complete Guide to Middle-earth, p. 363
- ↑ Cf. Forum discussion: "...although where this information proceeds from is not given ('springle' does not seem to be a synonym for 'war-horse' in any online dictionary)."