A hobbit-hole in my backyard? It may sound crazy, but I can tell you that my kids love it. It is the coolest playhouse ever. Plus, they can enjoy the grassy hill for sledding in winter and water sliding in summer. This was all my wife's idea. She dreamt it, and I got to be the one to bring it to reality. I'm not a construction expert; this was a total do-it-yourself job by a complete amateur. It has turned out rather nicely, I think. Here is the story of how it came to be.

Since this is in blog format, the posts are in order from newest to oldest. To read this in chronological order, start with How it all Began and use the "Newer Post" links. Or click on the links under Blog Archive, in order.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Antecedent to the hobbit-hole?

white trash repairs - Eiríksstaðir
Look familiar?  This is a replica of Erik the Red's home in Iceland, but you might mistake it for the home of a hobbit.  Apparently, the majority of homes in Iceland were made of turf well into the 20th century.  My ancestors came from Iceland and may well have lived in such homes.  In fact, when my great-great grandfather first came to America, their first home was a dugout with a turf roof.  Tolkien was a scholar of the Norse languages and cultures and one wonders whether the Viking turf homes served as inspiration for the dwellings of the gentle folk of The Shire.  You can learn more about Icelandic sod homes here:  http://thereifixedit.failblog.org/2010/09/30/historical-thursday-viking-turf-homes/
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