dietlbomb
Member
Running with the theme that absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, is Bree-land (Bree/Combe/Staddle/Archet) truly isolated in the wilderness?
I think it would be odd if Bree is a modern town (up to Hobbit standards) with travelers' amenities and plenty of commerce, but truly as isolated as it seems in the book. As far as we are informed, the only settlement anywhere near Bree is the Shire. This doesn't seem like enough population for the level of development we seen in Bree.
According to Strider there's nothing beyond the Forsaken Inn "a day's ride east of Bree", so there's probably nothing to the east. But is it possible there are more towns to the north and south that are just not discussed in the story?
Also, how big is the Shire? If Bree is a day's ride from Buckland, and it takes a couple days to traverse the Shire, Bree is really close to the shire. It's really part of the same island of settlement.
I think it would be odd if Bree is a modern town (up to Hobbit standards) with travelers' amenities and plenty of commerce, but truly as isolated as it seems in the book. As far as we are informed, the only settlement anywhere near Bree is the Shire. This doesn't seem like enough population for the level of development we seen in Bree.
According to Strider there's nothing beyond the Forsaken Inn "a day's ride east of Bree", so there's probably nothing to the east. But is it possible there are more towns to the north and south that are just not discussed in the story?
Also, how big is the Shire? If Bree is a day's ride from Buckland, and it takes a couple days to traverse the Shire, Bree is really close to the shire. It's really part of the same island of settlement.