[GreatWarg]

You must think, if we're talking about history, let's go back into history. Someone brought up the Dark Ages and the Renaissance.

The Dark Ages had no period of knowledge of the past. They knew not much of their culture as it was before, and almost nothing about toher cultures. But during the Renaissance however, artisans became more interested in their history and arts from the Roman and Greeks. This seems to show that interest in history has truly helped bring on better times for them. In ancient China, one could trace his history and lineage all the way up the beginning point of the dynasties, as hobbits or Elves could do in Middle-earth. This shows that Tolkien was not only using several Christian ideas, but his own knowledge of our past.

The Renaissance mostly began in FLorence, Italy, where a great thirst for learning and art grew. Their studies of the Greeks and Romans at that time opened up a whoel new world of art, science, medicine, and other highly-developed ideas. These times inspired some of the greatest artisans and scientists, such as Galileo and Michelangelo.

Tolkien, however, used his knowledge of these events, and others of course, into creating one smooth masterpiece of words.

If, however, Frodo had no notion of Elves or other histories of Middle-earth, that may well prove disastrous. Pippin and Merry learned all they knew from Gandalf, Aragorn, Frodo, and Bilbo, but they did not head anything, so it would seem that they really didn't need to know these things.

However, hobbits, as someone said earlier, are perhaps more like us in some ways: taking their protection for granted, until Saruman took over the Shire. Before this, most hobbits had a knack for family history, but never really knew much about the world of Men or Elves, and have never been farther than Bree. And also keep in mind that when Frodo returned to the Shire, he wasn't a hero like Sam or Merry or Pippin because the hobbits didn't want to hear anything about the far and distant lands and realms of Elves, Dwarves, or Men. All they cared about was the land of the Shire, and anything that was near enough to home, so to speak.