Pop Culture|Cannabis in music and media celebrity stories as well as holiday ideas and other culture cues. Pop Culture Behind Tolkiens Books: Is Hobbit Pipe-Weed Really Cannabis? Bailey Rahn If youve ever read J.R.R. Tolkiens The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings or seen Peter Jacksons film trilogies you probably recall that Middle Earths hobbits are particularly keen on this leaf called pipe-weed. It goes by names like Longbottom Leaf Old Toby and Southern Star names that would much later be used by some cannabis breeders for their strains. Though unsuspecting in the books Jacksons portrayal of the hobbits herb has given rise to fan theories posing the question is it really tobacco in their pipes or might something else be growing in the gardens of the Shire? What is Pipe-Weed? You dont need to look further than the books appendices to know that Tolkien was talking about tobacco not cannabis. There is another astonishing thing about Hobbits of old that must be mentioned an astonishing habit: they imbibed or inhaled through pipes of clay or wood the smoke of the burning leaves of a herb which they calledpipe-weedorleaf avariety probably ofNicotiana. Did that probably leave enough room for the imagination to bring in the possibility of a psychoactive alternative? If youve seen Jacksons movie adaptation youd know the answer for many wishful thinkers is yes. New Line Cinema In Fellowship of the Ring Saruman gives Gandalf a judgmental sidelong glance and says Your love of the halflings leaf has clearly slowed your mind. An early scene of Jacksons Return of the King depicts power couple Merry and Pippin puffing pipes gorging themselves with food and grinning with telltale crescent eyes. (Although a scene in the extended edition shows the hobbits popping open a barrel of Longbottom Leaf to reveal tobacco leaves.) And Jacksons first installment of The Hobbit shows Radagast the Brown hitting a smoldering pipe with his eyes rolling backward as if to say Dang that was some fire Gandalf. But the subtle stoner-isms found in Jacksons trilogy are almost definitely a playful deviation from Tolkiens literary imaginings; it only takes a brief look at who Tolkien was and the historical context in which he wrote to understand why its so unlikely. Warner Bros. Pictures How Did Tolkien Feel About Cannabis? J.R.R. Tolkien born 1892 grew up in England where recreational cannabis consumption was during this time almost entirely unheard of. Even its traditional medical uses were becoming unfashionable replaced by newer forms of pain relief like aspirin. I am in fact a Hobbit (in all but size)I smoke a pipe and like good plain food (unrefrigerated) but detest French cooking. J.R.R. Tolkien When England began its prohibition of narcotics in 1925 (at the Convention of Narcotic Control) consumable cannabis was a product of such insignificance it was hardly even spoken of until much later. But other countries in the League of Nations Egypt and Turkey insisted hashish be prohibited. England followed in suit despite doubts of its enforcement. Although hemp was a common agricultural product tobacco was the leaf of choice for those looking to pack a bowl and relax. Tolkien too was fond of it. In a 1958 letter to Rayner Unwin a reviewer of his books an excited Tolkien described a Hobbit Dinner he had been invited to in Holland: In this home of smoking pipe-weed seems specially to have caught on. There were clay pipes on the table and large jars of tobacco provided I believe by the firm of Van RossemIn 3 qualities: Longbottom Leaf Old Toby and Southern Star. V. Rossem has since sent me pipes and tobacco! New Line Cinema Tolkiens comparison of himself to hobbits is also telling: I am in fact a Hobbit (in all but size)I smoke a pipe and like good plain food (unrefrigerated) but detest French cooking. Some also say that tobacco tins were used as storage in his home. So in summary it would seem that pipe-weed isnt at all a euphemism for cannabis given the historical context in which Tolkien lived. Though it is unfair to say that Tolkien never used cannabis because he was a studious professor a family man and a devout Catholic there exists very few cultural bridges between him and the demographics drawn to cannabis in both Tolkiens earlier and later life. Tolkiens Counter-CultureFollowing Coincidentally the convergence of Tolkien and counterculture groups of the 60s and 70s is precisely where the cannabis connection was to be first forged. The Hobbit was published in 1937 and Lord of the Rings in 1955 and by time the 60s rolled around a copy could be found in the hands of college students and young progressives far beyond the borders of England. New Line Cinema In the 1960s [Tolkien] was taken up by many members of the nascent counter-culture largely because of his concern with environmental issues David Doughan of the Tolkien Society writes in his biography. With strong overtones of environmental sustainability anti-industrialism strong female characters like Arwen and Éowyn and champion underdogs that stood no more than four feet tall Tolkiens books took on a widespread cult following because of their undeniably strong overlaps with civil rights counterculture and psychedelic drugs. Perplexed by our nations carnage in Vietnam and by the ultimate threat of a nuclear inferno a whole generation of young Americans could lose themselves and their troubles in the intricacies of this triple-decker epic writes Ralph C. Wood a theology and literature professor with an interest in Tolkien. Indeed the rumor got about a wish seeking its fulfillment no doubt that Tolkien had composedThe Lord of the Ringsunder the influence of drugs. [Tolkien] could only deplore those whose idea of a great trip was to ingestThe Lord of the Ringsand LSD simultaneously Doughan adds in his biography. New Line Cinema But even if his biographies make him sound like a prude dont write off the possibility that if Tolkien were a product of another time he might have in fact preferred cannabis. A hint is left in his book Unfinished Tales a collection of notes and stories edited and published later by his son Cristopher. Both the silence and the smoke seemed greatly to annoy Saruman and before the Council dispersed he said to Gandalf: When weighty matters are in debate Mithrandir I wonder a little that you should play with your toys of fire and smoke while others are in earnest speech. But Gandalf laughed and replied: You would not wonder if you used this herb yourself.You might find that smoke blown out cleared your mind of shadows within.Anywayit gives patience to listen to error without anger.But it is not one of my toys. It is an art of the Little People away in theWest: merry and worthy folk though not of much account perhaps in your high policies. Perhaps Tolkien found mind-clearing qualities in tobacco that many find in cannabis. But regardless of what pipe-weed actually is or what J.R.R. himself actually smoked the plants are different means to facilitating same end that no scholar reader or critic can deny Tolkien intending: an appreciation toward detail nature and things as simple as a pipe full of your favorite herb. And might we suggest one of these LOTR-themed strains? bookshistorymoviespop culture Bailey Rahn Bailey is an editor at Leafly specializing in strains and health. Related Articles Pay Tribute to Gene Wilder with a Wonka Strain and a Movie Marathon Is This Keanu Reeves Movie Character Stoned? Quiz: Strain Names from the Movies Close Sign Up for More Leafly News Thank you for subscribing! Email Sign Up By submitting this form you will be subscribed to news and promotional emails from Leafly and you agree to Leafly's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe from Leafly email messages anytime. Related Articles Pop Culture Cannabis The Symphony and The Fellowship of the Ring Pop Culture Build Your Own Cannabis Library with These Must-Read Books About Marijuana Pop Culture 7 Famous Book Characters That Use Cannabis The post Behind Tolkiens Books: Is Hobbit Pipe-Weed Really Cannabis? appeared first on Leafly. by Bailey Rahn at Leafly