Tolkienists.org

Giles’s old grey mare is an interesting character with surprisingly deep roots. One influence may well be King Arthur’s mount, the mare Llamrei, in ​“Culhwch and Olwen” in the Mabinogion. Thanks to Dimitra Fimi​’s research, we know Tolkien owned facsimiles of some of the key texts as well as translations, so it’s highly likely he knew about this horse. As with much else in ​“Culhwch,” Arthur’s choice of a plain mare instead of one of the magical animals the story abounds in may well be intended as a comic touch, which would fit beautifully with Farmer Giles and his mare.…