Off the Map

[davem]

Tolkien Library has news of a new letter by Tolkien: http://www.tolkienlibrary.com/press/...r_for_sale.php

Now, what's interesting about this to me is the following comment by Tolkien:

He then comments on the origins of Honeybourne’s surname and notes that
"It’s such a good name that I must, in any future, more complete map of the Shire (often asked for), find a place for it. It is one of the comparatively rare place-names that means what it says: a stream, of sweet water and/or flowing through flowery-meads."

Taken in conjunction with the All-Welcome Inn which was added in the 1960 Hobbit re-write it shows that Tolkien was still inventing the Shire. The second invention here - the Inn is perhaps less interesting, in that it was Tolkien's own invention to add depth to the story, but for him to be inspired to add a new water feature to the Shire simply because a Miss Honeybourne happened to write to him is fascinating. I wonder where it would have been placed? A stream flowing through flowery meads perhaps implies a water meadow.

The idea that a correspondent's name could produce an addition to the Shire in this way perhaps opens up a bigger question about what, exactly, contributed to the 'leaf-mould' of the mind. We are familiar with the 'usual' sources, myth, folklore, sagas & the like, but a correspondent's name???

Plus, how many writers would pay so much attention to a name - to the extent that they would be so inspired to add to their creation?