Sign In

Discuss

Collect

Events

Important links:

Guide to Tolkien's Letters
(Nominated for 2026 Tolkien Society Award)
-
Guide to Tolkien Calendars
-
Winner of the 2019 Tolkien Society award for Best Website

Back to results

TCG Letter #2565

From

J.R.R. Tolkien

To

Flt. Lt. Hyatt

Date

29 July 1964

Type

Autograph Letter Signed

Transcript

Complete

Tolkien is asked about using the names from his books in real life. He mentions that they are used for house and pet names, but was not happy that Shadowfax was used for the name of a 'hydrofoil' without asking him.

Notes

The letter is featured on the Inspired by History Podcast.

Tags

Related Letters

letters

Carpenter #258: Letter from J.R.R. Tolkien to Rayner Unwin • 2 August 1964 (#632)

References

link

In an Unpublished Letter, JRR Tolkien Writes on His Invention and Public Proliferation of Some of the Great Names of Lord of the Rings, Including Aragorn, Gandalf, Lorien, Rivendell, and Shadowfax, Asking price USD 56,000

link

The shadowfax was a hydrofoil taken up by the Orkney Steam to evaluate the possiblity of running a fast passenger service to the North Isles

link

Audio: Original JRR Tolkien Letter Surfaces and Sheds Light on His Work, Inspired by History Podcast

Next Previous

The Children of Húrin (U.S. PB)

On This Day

Christie's Hobbit from 2024

Events

May 21-
Jun 7 The Hobbit (Greg Banks) Olympia Family Theater 612 4th Ave E Olympia, WA 98501 (USA Event)

Jun 6-28 The Hobbit (Greg Banks) Shakespeare Tavern Playhouse, 499 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA 30308 (USA Event)

Jun 11 Tolkien and his Medieval Sources - Larissa Tracy (Online Event)

Jun 11 “Charting Faërie: Cartography as the Threshold of Enchantment” - Violeta De Frutos (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid) Sophia Sheppard Room Magdalen College Oxford OX1 4AU (UK Event)

More...

Recent Posts

Tolkien's translation of Sawles Warde to be published in 'The Review of English Studies

Olorin replied
35 minutes ago

Tolkien Audiobooks

AndyBirdUK replied
1 hour ago

J.R.R. Tolkien and G.B. Smith, With Wind in our Ears a review and interview with Giuseppe Pezzini

Tuor son of Huor replied
14 hours ago

Interesting listings

Mr. Underhill replied
22 hours ago

Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers Book Plate

Mr. Underhill replied
22 hours ago

Miriam Ellis art books

fgdj2000 replied
5 June

Myths and Legends (Boxed Set) #2

The late Stu replied
5 June

Tolkien Calendar Collecting

onthetrail replied
4 June

2026 Mythopoeic Scholarship Award in Inklings Studies

Trotter posted
4 June

Extant Copies of Unwin Hyman Unfinished Tales

The late Stu replied
3 June

All original content © by the submitting authors. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Contact Us