| Poems by J.R.R. Tolkien | |
| Domine defende nos contra hos Motores bos! | |
|---|---|
| Poem Information | |
| Written | Between mid-1957 and early 1960[1] |
| Published | The Bovadium Fragments: together with The Origin of Bovadium |
| Subject(s) | Jove, Motores Bi, The End of Bovadium, Valedictory |
Domine defende nos contra hos Motores bos! is a shared title of a poem "in thirty-one octosyllabic couplets"[2] and a Latin text that were written by J.R.R. Tolkien for The End of Bovadium[3].[1]
Poem excerpt
Alas! that prayer was never heard:
Jove’s ears, maybe, were rendered surd;
for Motors prolific bred and teemed;
from near and far to Town they streamed,
hunting their prey with hooting shrill
from Iffley turn to Hinksey Hill.
Their stink above the steeples went;
stones were shaken and ears were rent
by din of wheels and engine-blare.[4]
Background
While it is untold when exactly Tolkien first wrote the poem "in thirty-one octosyllabic couplets" and its related Latin text, Christopher Tolkien speculated that the Latin text followed the poem, but was unsure how they both relate to The End of Bovadium[3] since they share details with earlier drafts.[2] In a book review by the Tolkien Collector's Guide, it is suggested that Tolkien may have had the poem From Iffley, an early version of Valedictory,[5] in mind when writing Domine defende nos contra hos Motores bos! due to the mention of "from Iffley" in the poem. They noted in the review that "it is a stark change from the timelessness of the former to the smoke fumes of the" latter.[1]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Urulókë, onthetrail, Trotter, and Mr. Underhill, "The Bovadium Fragments: TolkienGuide review" 3 October 2025, Tolkien Collector's Guide, accessed 4 October 2025
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 J.R.R. Tolkien; Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Bovadium Fragments: together with The Origin of Bovadium, "THE BOVADIUM FRAGMENTS", "Other Texts of Fragment II", pp. 45-54
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Letter to Rayner Unwin (2 December 1968), quoted in Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond (2006), The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide: I. Chronology, p. 737 (entry "2 December 1968")
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien; Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Bovadium Fragments: together with The Origin of Bovadium, "THE BOVADIUM FRAGMENTS", "Other Texts of Fragment II", Domine defende nos contra hos Motores bos!
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien; Christina Scull, Wayne G. Hammond (eds.), The Collected Poems of J.R.R. Tolkien, "10. From Iffley · Valedictory (1911-?15)", pp. 54-6