A Disturbing Development

[Mithadan]

Galadriel, during the late 1930s the possibility that The Hobbit would be published in Nazi Germany arose. Tolkien was sent a questionaire to determine his "racial purity" in order to qualify the book for publication under that regime's laws. His letter to Stanley Unwin stated that:

I do not regard the (probable) absence of all Jewish blood as necessarily honourable; and I have many Jewish friends, and should regret giving any colour to the notion that I subscribed to the wholly pernicious and unscientific race-doctrine.

His response to the inquiry from Germany called the questions "impertinent" and said that his having a German name would not be a matter of pride in the future. The undoubtedly profitable German edition was not published during the tenure of the Nazi regime.

Dwarvish language is semitic in origin. Although JRRT's Dwarves were based primarily upon Northern and Icelandic legend, he, in an interview, stated that he drew aspects of their culture (insular, clannish, with a private language) from the culture of Orthodox Jews. The statement, which was not meant to be taken as racist or offensive, has been cited or quoted out of context to support arguments that Tolkien was racist.