Citation :Klinger, Judith: Shifting Realms of Faërie and the Language of Trees: Smith of Wootton Major

The magical understanding by men of the proper languages of birds and beasts and trees,
that is much nearer to the true purposes of Faerie. (On Fairy-Stories)

In Smith of Wootton Major, Tolkien explores a vision of ‘Faery’ placed in close vicinity to the realm of the familiar: The setting is reminiscent of pre-industrialized Britain, the tone of the narrative echoes that of fairy-tales. Comparison with the conception of Elven ‘Otherworlds’ in Tolkien’s tales of Arda also shows that Faery in Smith is presented with significantly less spatial and temporal definition. Its boundaries and general topography remain as vague as the distances Smith crosses, or the time spent on his journeys. This vagueness appears to be part of a conscious literary strategy, however: In On Fairy-Stories, Tolkien described “Faerie” as “the realm or state in which fairies have their being”. One may then conclude that Smith’s entries into Faery illustrate the state of enchantment rather than a physical journey.

At the same time, the uncertainty of temporal/spatial boundaries that characterizes Faery in Smith points to a subtly developed theme. Only after years of journeying back and forth between worlds does it dawn on Smith that his access to the other reality is by no means without bounds. Crucial for the discovery of boundaries is his ambivalent encounter with the birch. While the birch warns Smith “you do not belong here”, the unsettling incident also initiates communication between the visitor and the inhabitants of Faery. Prior to this point, Smith had been a silent observer; when he returns, he will meet the – yet unrecognised – Queen of Faery and eventually becomes her messenger. The encounter with the speaking tree then functions as a hinge, connecting two major aspects of Faery: the crossing of (forbidden) boundaries and the most unlikely communication made possible by ‘enchantment’.

My proposed presentation will draw on the additional materials made available in Verlyn Flieger’s new edition of Smith (2005): Tolkien’s drafts, essay and notes that accompany the development of the story as well as his unfinished introduction to George McDonald’s The Golden Key. Based on an analysis of the four episodes that describe Smith’s experiences within Faery, I will focus on the significance of forest and birch, and the ‘language of trees’ as an important theme in Tolkien’s different conceptions of “Faerie” and his understanding of ‘enchantment’.

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