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Location: 34.39S, 75.74W |
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Location: 33.53S, 75.89W |
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Location: 33.55S, 75.15W |
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Location: 33.86S, 75.20W |
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Location: 33.82S, 74.92W |
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Location: 33.46S, 75.33W |
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Location: 33.12S, 75.08W |
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Location: 33.14S, 75.56W |
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Location: 33.58S, 74.54W |
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Location: 33.47S, 74.39W |
While on the surface, Michel Delving seems little different than any other village in the Westfarthing, it is in truth the urban center of the Shire. Farming and agriculture give way to skilled trades, politics, and the latest gossip from the furthest corners of the Four Farthings. Whether a hobbit is looking for a new ploughshare or the rumor of the day, Michel Delving is the center of activity.
Michel Delving is home to Town Hole, the mayoral seat of Will "Flourdumpling" Whitfoot, the topic of most of the political talk, local gossip, and jeers and jibes of the village. The chief Shirriff-house and offices of the Bounders are also located here, as well as the central offices of the Shire's postal service. One of the most popular attractions in Michel Delving is the Mathom-house, where relics of Shire-history, including the legendary club of Bandobras "Bullroarer" Took, hero of the Battle of Greenfields, reside.
While Michel Delving is only briefly seen in The Lord of the Rings, specifically the old storage tunnels converted to the Lockholes by Sharkey's Men, it is a familiar location from the book. Town Hole plays a prominent role in the tale of how Will Whitfoot gained his nickname, and the Mathom-house is mentioned as the place where Bilbo Baggins' old Elf-knife Sting and his mithril shirt had long been on display. In The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar, players will be able to interact with characters from the book, like Mayor Whitfoot, and visit many prominent landmarks, such as the Mathom-house.
Michel Delving
Quick Facts
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| Dates: | Founded no earlier than III 16011 (year 1 by the Shire-reckoning): survived into the Fourth Age | ||||||||||||||
| Location: | The White Downs, in the Westfarthing of the Shire | ||||||||||||||
| Race: | Hobbits | ||||||||||||||
| Culture: | Shire-hobbits | ||||||||||||||
| Pronunciation: | The pronunciation of 'Michel' is uncertain, but is probably something like 'Mitchell'2. 'Delving' is pronounced as in English. | ||||||||||||||
| Meaning: | 'Great Excavation'3 | ||||||||||||||
The chief township of the Shire
The chief town of the Shire in the White Downs, that lay in the Westfarthing of the Shire. Its name means simply 'large excavation'.
Footnotes
| 1 | We have no date for the foundation of Michel Delving, but its size and its status as chief township both point to a foundation early in the Shire's history. |
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| 2 | 'Michel' comes from Old English Micel. In Old English, the letter 'c' (in these circumstances, at least) would normally be pronounced as modern 'ch'. So, in rendering the name 'Michel', Tolkien simply seems to be adjusting the spelling to make it simpler for a modern audience to read and pronounce. |
| 3 | micel is Old English for 'big', 'great'. It serves to distinguish this larger township from Little Delving, that stood nearby to the north. |
