Farmer Giles of Ham by J. R. R. Tolkien
"Farmer Giles of Ham" is a humorous mock folktale written by J.R.R. Tolkien, set in a fictional medieval English locale known as "The Little Kingdom." The story begins with a deaf and nearsighted giant who inadvertently disrupts the peaceful life of Farmer Giles and his talking dog, Garm. When the giant encounters Giles, a series of comedic events unfold, leading to Giles unexpectedly gaining fame and a reputation for heroism after he drives the giant away. However, his adventures escalate when a hungry dragon named Chrysophylax arrives, prompting Giles to confront him with the aid of an ancient sword, Tailbiter.
As the narrative progresses, Giles's initial luck transforms into boldness, ultimately leading him to claim wealth and prestige, even ascending to the title of king. Although "Farmer Giles of Ham" is distinct from Tolkien's more famous works related to Middle Earth, it shares common themes of ordinary characters rising to greatness and the presence of fantastical creatures. This tale reflects Tolkien's scholarly interests and serves as a light-hearted counterpart to his serious academic pursuits, while also drawing on traditions from Victorian fairy tales and earlier parodic works. The story remains a testament to the humorous exploration of heroism and adventure within children's literature.
Farmer Giles of Ham by J. R. R. Tolkien
First published: 1949
Subjects: The supernatural and war
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Fantasy and folktale
Time of work: The legendary past
Recommended Ages: 10-13
Locale: Middle England
Principal Characters:
Aegidius de Hammo (Farmer Giles) , a prosperous farmer in Middle EnglandGarm , his talking dog, who is both proud and frightened of his masterChrysophylax Dives , an ancient Welsh dragon, the owner of a fabulous treasureAugustus Boniface , the king of the Little KingdomThe blacksmith , the village pessimistThe miller , a rival of Farmer Giles
Form and Content
Farmer Giles of Ham is a mock folktale, supposedly translated from a medieval Latin original. It purports, among other things, to reveal the origins of certain place names in Oxfordshire, which is more or less the locale of “The Little Kingdom.” It is certainly located, at some unspecified time in the past, in the Midland counties of England, with the mountains of Wales to the west.
From these mountains comes the first event to disturb the pleasant routine of Farmer Giles’s rural life. A deaf and nearsighted giant gets lost and stumbles through the English marches, trampling everything in his path. Giles’s talking dog, Garm, hears and sees this giant as he approaches their part of the world and, panic-stricken, wakes Giles and his wife in the middle of the night. Farmer Giles loads an ancient blunderbuss, never before fired in anger, and hits the giant in the face as he appears over a hill. The giant, thinking that he has been stung by a fierce insect, decides that the place is unhealthy, turns around, and stumbles back home. Garm boasts to the whole village that his master has fought off the giant. The king in his palace some miles away hears of this and, as a token of gratitude, sends Giles an old sword from his treasury for which he has no further use.
Giles enjoys his newfound reputation, that is until a Welsh dragon, hearing from the giant how pleasant Middle England is and being extremely hungry, sets out to find himself a feast. Chrysophylax soon reaches the Little Kingdom and eats his fill of animals and people. The king summons his knights, but in vain. As the dragon approaches Ham, Giles is expected by all the villagers to be their champion. More by luck than judgment, Giles outfaces the dragon, thanks to the fact that the old sword is the famous Tailbiter, weapon of former dragonslayers. The dragon departs, having promised to return with money to serve as reparation for the damage caused.
He does no such thing, however, and the king, whose treasury needs replenishing, summons Giles to lead a party of knights to retrieve the promised compensation. Again, somewhat more by luck than by skill, although with some courage (especially by Giles’s horse) the farmer bargains with Chrysophylax, using the threat of Tailbiter, not only to render up much of his wealth but also to carry it back for him. Giles decides to keep the money for himself. The king is powerless to prevent this action, his knights having been routed by the dragon. The king confronts Giles but, with the dragon firmly on Giles’s side, must retreat. Giles advances in power and prestige, and he eventually takes over the title of king. The dragon departs, and Giles prospers happily ever after.
Critical Context
Farmer Giles of Ham is one of a small number of humorous stories told by John Ronald Reuel Tolkien for his young family of four children; Smith of Wootton Major (1967) is another. They differ from the more famous The Hobbit (1937) by being unconnected with the history of Tolkien’s Middle Earth. Nevertheless, strong similarities exist between Farmer Giles and The Hobbit: The Shire is based on the same stretch of English countryside as the Little Kingdom. In addition, both heroes are ordinary, small people who are thrust into greatness by accident. In being so thrust, however, they find resources within themselves to accomplish what is a heroic task. Dragons and giants also feature widely.
Farmer Giles of Ham reflects Tolkien’s own scholarly interests. He had been working on a new edition of the medieval poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight from the Arthurian tradition; perhaps the story represented some light relief for Tolkien as he ground his way through the necessary scholarship for the poem.
The mock heroic tone had appeared in some of the earlier Victorian fairy stories, especially those by Charles Dickens and William Makepeace Thackeray, and in fantasies, as in the Alice books by another Oxford don, Charles Dodgson (who wrote under the name Lewis Carroll). Tolkien’s parody form was in some ways renewing this older tradition within children’s literature. In more recent years, many such parody fairy stories or fantasies have appeared, often with feminist or politically subversive messages, such as C. McNaughton’s King None the Wiser (1981) and I. Williams’ The Practical Princess and Other Liberating Fairy Tales (1978).