Letters from Father Christmas - omaggio a Tolkien

Molti conoscono Tolkien per i la trilogia de Il Silmarillion, Lo Hobbit ed Il Signore degli Anelli però Tolkien scriveva anche per i suoi quattro figli. Letters from Father Christmas è una raccolta di lettere che Tolkien usava inviare ai figli nel corso del mese di Dicembre. Lettere da Father Christmas, Babbo Natale, per trasportare i bambini in quel mondo quasi magico che è il Polo Nord abitato da renne, da elfi, da omini di neve giardinieri, a volte anche dal “Man in the Moon” (la tradizione anglosassone vuole che la luna sia misteriosamente abitata da un “Uomo nella Luna” ) e soprattutto da Father Christmas in persona.
Tolkien dedicò molto tempo alla preparazione di ognuna di queste missive. Per quasi vent’anni le lettere furono scritte, dipinte e decorate dalle abili mani dell’autore. Ogni tratto di penna, ogni parola messa su carta erano rappresentative di un'anziano di oltre 1900 anni di età , che dico, di 1924 anzi di 1927 anni di età come egli stesso scrisse in una delle sue prime letterine.
Tremante di gioia Tolkien riproduceva addirittura i francobolli, i timbri postali e l’intero decoro della busta. Inventava parole per donare ai figli una immagine veramente magica del Natale.

All’arrivo di ogni lettera i figli si radunavano intorno ad essa in ammirazione delle inattese sorprese dal Polo Nord e poi, in preda ad una felice curiosità, essi s’immergevano completamente nella lettura del contenuto immaginando e sognano quel luogo così lontano e così freddo che Babbo Natale riusciva a rappresentare con giusta immaginazione.
Per diletto e per nostro piacere desideriamo condividere con voi una di queste lettere. Le parti in neretto sono i commenti e le parole degli aiutanti di Father Christmas così come dei vari personaggi che Babbo Natale cita durante la sua corrispondenza.

1927
Cliff House
Top o’ the World near the North Pole
Wednesday December 21st, 1927

My dear people: there seem to get more and more of you every year:
I get poorer and poorer: still I hope that I have managed to bring you all something you wanted, though not everything you asked for (Michael and Christopher! I haven’t heard from John this year, I suppose he is growing too big and won’t even hang up his stocking soon).
It has been so bitter at the North Pole lately that the North Polar Bear has spent most of the time asleep and has been less use than usual this Christmas.

Everybody does sleep most of the time here in winter – especially Father Christmas.
The North Pole became colder than any cold thing has ever been, and when the North Polar Bear put his nose against it – it took the skin off: now it is bandaged with red flannel. Why did he? I don’t know, but he is always putting his nose where it oughtn’t to be – in my cupboards for instance.

That’s because I’m hungry.

Also it has been very dark here since winter began. We haven’t seen the Sun, of course, for three months, but there are no Northern Lights this year – you remember the awful accident last year? There will be none again until the end of 1928. The North Polar Bear has got his cousin (and distant friend) the Great Bear to shine extra bright for us, and this week I have hired a comet to do my packing by, but it doesn’t work as well.
The North Polar Bear has not really been any more sensible this year:

I have been perfectly sensible, and have learnt to write with a pen in my mouth instead of a paintbrush.

Yesterday he was snowballing the Snow Man in the garden and pushed him over the edge of the cliff so that he fell into my sleigh at the bottom and broke lots of things – one of them himself. I used some of what was left of him to paint my white picture. We shall have to make ourselves a new gardener when we are less busy.

The Man in the Moon paid me a visit the other day – a fortnight ago exactly – he often does about this time, as he gets lonely in the Moon, and we make him a nice little Plum Pudding (he is so fond of things with plums in!)
His fingers were cold as usual, and the North Polar Bear made him play “snapdragons” to warm them. Of course he burnt them, and then e licked them, and then he liked the brandy, and then the Bear gave him lots more, and he went fast asleep on the sofa. Then I went down into the cellars to make crackers, and he rolled off the sofa, and the wicked bear pushed him underneath and forgot all about him! He can never be away a whole night from the moon; but he was this time.

I have never been expected to look after the Man in the Moon before. I was very nice to him, and he was very comfy under the sofa.

Suddenly the Snow Man (he wasn’t broken then) rushed in out of the garden, next day just after teatime, and said the moon was going out! The dragons had come out and were making and awful smoke and smother! We rolled him out and shook him and he simply whizzed back, but it was ages before he got things quite cleared up.
I believe he had to let loose one of his simply terrificalest freezing magics before he could drive the dragons back into their holes, and that is why it has got cold down here.
The Polar Bear only laughs when I tell him it’s his fault, and he curls up on my hearthrug and won’t do anything but snore.
My messengers told me that you have somebody from Iceland staying with you. That is not far from where I live, and nearly as cold. People don’t hang up stockings there, and I usually pass in a hurry. Though I sometimes pop down and leave a thing or two for their very jolly Christmas Trees.
My usual way is down through Norway, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, and then back through Germany, Northern France, Belgium, and so into England: and on the way home I pass over the sea, and sometimes Iceland and I can see the twinkling lights faint in the valleys under their mountains. But I go by quick, as my reindeer gallop as hard as they can there – they always say they are frightened a volcano or a geyser will go off underneath them.
This must be all: I have written you a very long letter this year as there was nothing to draw, but dark and snow and stars.

Love to you all, and happiness next year.

Your loving Father Christmas