Iceland in Tolkien's Work?

[davem]

Originally Posted by Morthoron

P.S. As far as the Shire, the terms 'moot', 'thain' (as in 'thane', 'thegn'), and even the 'farthings' (quarterings) of the Shire, indicate a wholly English squirearchy with nominal (or in this case, no) input from the monarchy. The Shire was not anarchical; it was ruled by custom (much the same as early English Common Law) and had specific agencies and bureacracies (postal service, bounders, shirrifs, etc.) that would not be apparent in early Icelandic culture, which would be more prone to hunter/gatherer and subsistence farming than stratified classes, legal documentation and flourishing, established business evident in Hobbitish society.

I think by later period there was a fairly complex social structure in Iceland. Whether or not the Shire can be considered 'anarchical' in the sense Tolkien used the term in whatever letter he expressed his approval of that 'system' is another question. I think a glance at the complexities of Gragas, the almost machiavellian system (at least in practical terms) of the Godi/thingman/advocacy set up & the means of dealing with feud points to a very advanced culture in Iceland. "With law must our land be built, or with lawlessness be laid waste" (Njal's Saga)

Yet, as I stated, I'm not arguing that the Shire is exactly like Iceland, merely that there is something of Icelandic society/ culture that went into the soup.