..."in a barrow built into the side of a hill with my shop built into the same barrow next to my dwelling."
In this context, what does "barrow" mean? I found definitions of barrow meaning a hill or mound; used as a means of transport - i.e, wheelbarrow or handbarrow.
I went back to the Webster's Unabridged of the 1940s (which weighs approximately 17 million pounds)- no help.
I found this additional definition of barrow: a large mound of earth or stones over the remains of the dead
In this context I would read barrow as a variant spelling of burrow, a hole or tunnel dug by a small animal, especially a rabbit, as a dwelling.
In a human/humanoid context I would read quoted passage as meaning a house/home dug into the side of a hill.
IIRC, barrow was used in this way by Tolkien for the homes that the hobbits built.
IIRC, barrow was used in this way by Tolkien for the homes that the hobbits built.
You do not recall correctly.
The string "[Bb]arrow" appears 44 times in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and 3 times in the Silmarillion. 3 instances in Fellowship are part of or short for "wheel-barrow"; every other instance is in reference to a burial mound.
I suspect that hobbits would be gravely insulted if you were to refer to their cozy hobbit-holes as "barrows".
Considering the manner in which "barrow" is used, I suspect the author meant burrow, which is defined as - a hole or tunnel dug by a small animal, especially a rabbit, as a dwelling.
Dispite what Tolkein did, I don't think the OP conciously used a variant spelling.
As I said, I suspect he was thinking of burrow and misspelled it.
A word means exactly what the author chooses it to mean (after Humpty Dumpty).
I suspect we all get the picture but the etymology and whether the 'hill' is man-made or natural are questionable.
Writer Mick is the best person to elucidate on his intention.
AJ
In this context, what does "barrow" mean?
I would suggest that the author, (along with many others) used barrow as the shortened form of long barrow, which if you search you'll discover is a stone lined chamber covered over with earth. Often with one or more passageways running the length of the structure with chambers branching off along each side. Mostly used as burial chambers and found throughout northern Europe. Many still exist and plenty of them are more than big enough to serve as a home.
Many still exist and plenty of them are more than big enough to serve as a home.
It's not common, but there are houses/homes in the US purpose build like this. Some cut into a natural hill/mountain side, others with an artificial mound build around the home.
I'm actually surprised this sort of thing isn't more popular with the off-grid crowd as thermally it would be very energy efficient.
I'm actually surprised this sort of thing isn't more popular with the off-grid crowd
The ones I refer to WERE popular with the "off-grid crowd", around 5 to 4,000 BC
The ones I refer to WERE popular with the "off-grid crowd", around 5 to 4,000 BC
Not as homes, and they weren't "off-grid" in the modern sense as there was no grid to be off.
It's a lot more popular than you might believe. Not just for the off grid crowd either.
My home and shop were constructed using ICFs:
https://www.cement.org/cement-concrete-applications/paving/buildings-structures/concrete-homes/building-systems-for-every-need/insulating-concrete-forms-(ICFs)
The home is above ground, while the shop is dug into a hill. The shop has secondary purpose of tornado shelter and energy storage. The solar arrays sit above it, while the wind turbine sits ~100 feet back up on the hill.
Other people have used ICFs to simply build an energy efficient home, as the cost isn't as bad as many other options.
As for a "long barrow," I believe joyR has the right of it. From an engineering stand point, the basic premise is just as solid now as it was thousands of years ago. That is assuming a low threat seismic zone.
My home and shop were constructed using ICFs:
I know what ICFs are. They don't have anything to do with what I was talking about.
They are neither necessary for nor primarily used for the purpose of building a home buried in a natural or artificial hill of earth.
They are neither necessary for nor primarily used for the purpose of building a home buried in a natural or artificial hill of earth.
There are multiple different methods to build subsurface. ICFs are included in that. The difference with ICFs and a normal concrete wall subsurface build is the foam. Which btw, can and is incorporated into water proofing the structure via various methods. Application of bitumen on the outside surface for instance.
One of the issues inherent with subsurface builds is temperatures. While it is good for cooling, subsurface builds are inherently difficult to keep warm. In my area it is ~13.5°C in the winter at 3 meters down. That varies by area, especially in areas subject to permafrost or desert conditions, but in most cases, below surface builds can be considered chilly to the average person.
Insulating such a structure after the fact can be problematic and expensive. Standard structural concrete has an R value between .08 and .325. Not very efficient at all. AirCrete is another option, but not for structural values. It's very often used for the aforementioned insulation retrofit.
I would suggest further research on your part before commenting further.
From my door-stopper Webster's Dictionary - the foot breaking type they used to put on pedestals in libraries Other than the wheelbarrow derivative, a woven basket for salt it, and a castrated hog it also has:
Barrow - noun - (from Middle English: berw; derived from Anglo-Saxon beorg, a grove):
1. hillock or mound of earth or rocks marking a grave - especially and ancient one.
2. a mountain or hill - dialectic.
.............
I've read old English books and text where barrow is used to describe a small living quarters built into the hillside. So it's use to describe the dwelling used by the Hobbits in Bywater is appropriate.
I would not be confused by the author's use of 'Barrow' in this context. It was, in my day (perhaps no longer?) quite a well-known use of the word to describe a small hillock.
The major examples of the word would usually be as burial mounds, but in this case it's not ambiguous what the author was conveying.
I started reading this, got to barrow, had a wtf moment, and got over reading any further.
Barrows are neolithic to bronze age burial mounds, with or without a stone central chamber.
Tolkien was a historian so he used a few ancient references. Meriadoc Brandybuck is a Hobbit who joins the army of Rohan. In 'real history' Meriadoc was the founder of the House of Rohan, princes of Brittany.
I am a Czech god of beer and do not have an obsession with rodents of unusual size.
