Three-Farthing Stone
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The Three-Farthing stone was a boundary marker in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional land where hobbits dwelt, called the Shire.
This stone marked the point where the borders of three of the Shire's four regions, or "Farthings", met. These three regions were the Eastfarthing, the Westfarthing and the Southfarthing, which came together at a point on the East Road, one of the Shire's principal and oldest thoroughfares.
The Three-Farthing Stone was considered the geographical centre of the Shire, and was the point chosen by Sam Gamgee to cast the last of his magical dust (given to him by Galadriel) into the air, resulting in a period of bountiful growth and plenty in the Shire year 1420.[1]
The Northfarthing was a less populated region, and so the junction of the Northfarthing, the Westfarthing and the Eastfarthing (which notably has no major road running through it) was of far less significance.
[edit] Notes
- ^ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King, (Chapter 9, "The Grey Havens").
[edit] See also
- Three Shire Stone, a term used in the United Kingdom
