Happy Holidays to all you Latin Lover, Latin Learners, and Latin Enthusiasts! If you find yourself with a gift card for the Holidays or with some spare time with relatives…I would recommend watching and reading “The Hobbit!”

“The Hobbit” is J.R.R. Tolkien’s masterpiece which has hit both the silver screen and millions of paper backs and hard backs. The book was luckily translated into Latin: “ILLE HOOBITVS.”The cover is a brilliant mosaic on the dragon Smaug, who guards a glorious treasure hoard.  You can learn more on the wonderful art of mosaics; here.The book tackles some interesting difficulties from names to songs like Gandalphus for Gandalf and some interesting poetic choices for songs such as:

http://youtu.be/zakVfDY0xZk

OR

You can follow to the book’s Latin’s translation:

Frange uitra et catilla!
ulctros unde, fucas flecte!
Biblo Baggins odit illa-
nunc et cortices incende!
textum seca, sebum calca!
lactem funde cellae terra
linque in tapeto ossa!
uinum sperge super porta!
has patellas aestu laua;
has contunde magna claua;
si nonnulla sint intacta,
uolue ea e culinca!
Biblo Baggins odit illa!
caue! caue! heac catilla!

Now, I hope each and everyone you enjoy your Christmas with you family, friends, neighbors, and so on! Be safe and Consider starting your New Year with the Hobbit! So I will leave you with the beginning words of the novel:

In foramine terrae habitabat hobbitus.

 In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit.

So remember, greatness can have very small beginnings. Have a safe holiday and I will see you in 2014!