# LOTR Character Profiles -- Encyclopedia Quality (Corvus)

**Prepared by:** Corvus, Fantasy Lore Researcher & Archivist
**Date:** 2026-04-05
**Project:** archmaester.site
**Scope:** Full rewrite of all 20 existing LOTR character profiles

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## Table of Contents

### The Fellowship
1. Frodo Baggins
2. Samwise Gamgee
3. Gandalf
4. Aragorn
5. Legolas
6. Gimli
7. Boromir
8. Meriadoc Brandybuck
9. Peregrin Took

### Key Characters
10. Arwen
11. Gollum
12. Saruman
13. Sauron
14. Elrond
15. Galadriel
16. Theoden
17. Eowyn
18. Faramir
19. Bilbo Baggins
20. Treebeard

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# Encyclopedia of Middle-earth: Character Profiles

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# FRODO BAGGINS

## Summary

Frodo Baggins, also known as the Ring-bearer, is a Hobbit of the Shire and the central protagonist of the War of the Ring. Born in the year 2968 of the Third Age (1368 by Shire Reckoning), he is a Hobbit of the Shire, specifically of Hobbiton in the Westfarthing [FOTR, Ch. 1; App. B]. His aliases and titles include Frodo son of Drogo, Mr. Underhill (his traveling alias), the Ring-bearer, Elf-friend, and Nine-fingered Frodo [FOTR, Ch. 10; ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 5]. He belongs to the prominent Baggins family through his father Drogo and to the Brandybuck family through his mother Primula [FOTR, Ch. 1; App. C]. His allegiance lies with the Free Peoples of Middle-earth and the Fellowship of the Ring. He survives the War of the Ring but departs Middle-earth for the Undying Lands in 3021 T.A. (1421 S.R.) [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 9; App. B].

## Biography

Frodo was born in 2968 T.A. to Drogo Baggins and Primula Brandybuck. He was orphaned at the age of twelve when both his parents drowned in a boating accident on the Brandywine River [FOTR, Ch. 1]. He spent his youth in Brandy Hall among the Brandybucks in Buckland before being adopted by his older cousin Bilbo Baggins in 2980 T.A., when Frodo was twenty-one [FOTR, Ch. 1; App. B]. He came to live at Bag End in Hobbiton, where Bilbo raised him as his heir.

On September 22, 3001 T.A., Bilbo held his famous farewell birthday party (their shared birthday, Bilbo turning 111 and Frodo turning 33, his coming of age) and departed the Shire, leaving Bag End and all his possessions to Frodo, including a magic ring [FOTR, Ch. 1]. For seventeen years, Frodo lived quietly at Bag End as a well-regarded but somewhat eccentric gentlehobbit, known for his association with Elves and wandering ways [FOTR, Ch. 2].

In April of 3018 T.A., Gandalf the Grey returned to the Shire after a long absence and revealed to Frodo that his ring was in fact the One Ring, the master ring forged by the Dark Lord Sauron in the fires of Mount Doom [FOTR, Ch. 2]. Gandalf recounted the history of the Ring, its betrayal of previous bearers, and the growing threat of Sauron, who was actively seeking it. Frodo resolved, with great reluctance, to leave the Shire and carry the Ring away [FOTR, Ch. 2].

On September 23, 3018 T.A., Frodo departed Bag End, accompanied by Samwise Gamgee and Peregrin Took, and later joined by Meriadoc Brandybuck [FOTR, Ch. 3-5]. The Hobbits traveled through the Old Forest, where they were rescued from Old Man Willow by Tom Bombadil [FOTR, Ch. 6-8], and crossed the Barrow-downs, where they were captured by a Barrow-wight and again rescued by Bombadil [FOTR, Ch. 8]. They arrived at the Prancing Pony inn in Bree, where Frodo used the alias "Mr. Underhill" and accidentally put on the Ring in the common room, vanishing before the crowd [FOTR, Ch. 9-10]. There they met the Ranger known as Strider, who was in truth Aragorn son of Arathorn, and he became their guide [FOTR, Ch. 10].

On Weathertop, the company was attacked by five of the nine Nazgul, the Ringwraiths. Frodo put on the Ring in a moment of compulsion and was stabbed in the left shoulder by the Witch-king of Angmar with a Morgul-blade [FOTR, Ch. 11]. A shard of the blade remained in his flesh, working its way toward his heart and threatening to turn him into a wraith. The company fled toward Rivendell, aided by the Elf Glorfindel, who placed Frodo upon his horse Asfaloth. At the Ford of Bruinen, the Ringwraiths were swept away by a flood commanded by Elrond, and Frodo was carried to Rivendell, where Elrond healed his wound, though the injury would never fully leave him [FOTR, Ch. 12; ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 9].

At the Council of Elrond on October 25, 3018 T.A., after much deliberation about the fate of the Ring, Frodo volunteered to bear it to Mordor and cast it into the fires of Mount Doom where it was made [FOTR, Ch. 2 (Book II)]. The Fellowship of the Ring was formed to accompany him: Gandalf, Aragorn, Boromir, Legolas, Gimli, and his three Hobbit companions [FOTR, Ch. 3 (Book II)].

The Fellowship departed Rivendell on December 25, 3018 T.A. [FOTR, Ch. 3 (Book II); App. B]. They attempted to cross the Misty Mountains via the Redhorn Gate but were driven back by a storm on Caradhras [FOTR, Ch. 3 (Book II)]. They passed instead through the Mines of Moria, where Frodo was struck by an Orc chieftain's spear but survived thanks to the mithril coat given to him by Bilbo [FOTR, Ch. 5 (Book II)]. In Moria, Gandalf fell in battle with a Balrog of Morgoth upon the Bridge of Khazad-dum [FOTR, Ch. 5 (Book II)].

The bereaved company traveled to Lothlorien, where they were received by Galadriel and Celeborn [FOTR, Ch. 6-7 (Book II)]. Galadriel showed Frodo her Mirror, in which he saw terrible visions of the possible future [FOTR, Ch. 7 (Book II)]. He offered her the Ring, but she refused the test [FOTR, Ch. 7 (Book II)]. She gave Frodo the Phial of Galadriel, a crystal containing the light of Earendil's star, which would prove vital in his journey [FOTR, Ch. 8 (Book II)].

The Fellowship traveled by boat down the Great River Anduin to the falls of Rauros and the lawn of Parth Galen [FOTR, Ch. 9-10 (Book II)]. There Boromir, driven by the Ring's corruption, attempted to take it from Frodo by force. Frodo put on the Ring to escape him and, in a moment of clarity while sitting on the Seat of Seeing upon Amon Hen, perceived the Eye of Sauron seeking him. He tore the Ring from his finger and resolved to go to Mordor alone, so that no more of his companions would be corrupted [FOTR, Ch. 10 (Book II)]. Sam, however, guessed his intention and caught him at the boats, insisting on accompanying him [FOTR, Ch. 10 (Book II)].

Frodo and Sam crossed the Emyn Muil and encountered the creature Gollum, who had been following them. Frodo mastered Gollum and, showing mercy (in part at Gandalf's earlier counsel), made Gollum swear on the Ring to serve as their guide to Mordor [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 1-2]. They traveled through the Dead Marshes, where ghostly lights and corpse-faces lay beneath the water, and the fell influence of a Nazgul on a winged beast passed overhead [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 2]. They reached the Black Gate of Mordor (the Morannon) but found it impassable [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 3]. Gollum then suggested an alternative route through Ithilien and the pass of Cirith Ungol [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 3].

In Ithilien, Frodo and Sam were captured by Faramir, Captain of Gondor and brother of Boromir [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 5]. Frodo learned from Faramir of Boromir's death. Faramir, unlike his brother, resisted the temptation of the Ring and let them go, proving himself a man of quality [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 5-6]. Gollum led them to the Cross-roads and up the winding stair to Cirith Ungol, passing through the lair of Shelob, the great spider [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 7-9]. In the tunnel, Frodo used the Phial of Galadriel to drive back the darkness, but Gollum led Shelob to attack him from behind. Shelob stung Frodo, and he fell as if dead [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 9-10]. Sam, believing Frodo dead, took the Ring and the Phial, intending to complete the quest alone [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 10].

Frodo was not dead but paralyzed by Shelob's venom. Orcs from the tower of Cirith Ungol found his body and carried him inside [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 10]. Sam rescued Frodo from the tower after the Orc garrison largely destroyed itself in infighting over Frodo's mithril coat [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 1]. Sam returned the Ring to Frodo, and the two disguised themselves in Orc gear and began their crossing of the plateau of Gorgoroth toward Mount Doom [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 2].

The journey across Mordor was grueling. The Ring grew heavier with every step nearer to Orodruin, and Frodo's strength failed increasingly. He and Sam were briefly forced to march with an Orc company, then escaped and struggled across the ashen plain, ultimately discarding all unnecessary gear and weapons [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 2-3]. Sam carried Frodo on the final slopes of Mount Doom when his master could no longer walk [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 3].

At the Crack of Doom, the Sammath Naur, Frodo stood at the precipice and, at the final moment, claimed the Ring for himself, declaring, "I do not choose to do this. The Ring is mine!" and put it on his finger [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 3]. Gollum attacked, biting the Ring and Frodo's finger from his hand, and in his ecstatic dance of triumph, Gollum fell with the Ring into the fire [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 3]. The Ring was destroyed, Sauron was overthrown, and the Eagles rescued Frodo and Sam from the erupting mountain [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 3-4].

Frodo was reunited with his companions on the Field of Cormallen and honored before the host of the West [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 4]. He attended the coronation of Aragorn as King Elessar in Minas Tirith [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 5]. On the return journey, they visited Rohan, Isengard, and eventually the Shire, where the Hobbits found it under the tyranny of "Sharkey" (Saruman). Frodo participated in the Scouring of the Shire but forbade killing where possible and showed mercy even to Saruman, who was ultimately slain by his own servant Wormtongue [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 8].

Frodo served briefly as Deputy Mayor during the Shire's restoration [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 9]. However, the wounds of his quest never truly healed. Each anniversary of his wounding on Weathertop (October 6) and his poisoning by Shelob (March 13) brought recurring illness and pain [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 9]. On September 22, 3021 T.A. (the end of the Third Age), Frodo rode to the Grey Havens with Gandalf, Bilbo, Galadriel, and Elrond, and passed over the Sea to the Undying Lands, never to return to Middle-earth [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 9; App. B].

## Personality

Frodo is characterized by remarkable gentleness, compassion, and moral courage, though he lacks the physical hardiness of warriors. He possesses a deep capacity for mercy, demonstrated most profoundly in his treatment of Gollum, whom he pities and protects despite the creature's treachery [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 1-3]. This mercy proves to be the decisive factor in the Ring's destruction [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 3]. He is intelligent and perceptive, having been educated by Bilbo and possessing an unusual knowledge of Elvish languages and lore for a Hobbit [FOTR, Ch. 1-2]. He shows considerable willpower in bearing the Ring, though even his extraordinary resistance ultimately fails at Mount Doom, a testament to the Ring's overwhelming power rather than any fault of Frodo's character [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 3]. He is notably selfless, repeatedly choosing to go on alone to protect his companions from the Ring's corruption [FOTR, Ch. 10 (Book II)]. After the quest, Frodo exhibits signs of lasting psychological and spiritual trauma, becoming withdrawn and melancholy, finding that the Shire, though saved, no longer feels like home to him [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 9].

## Abilities and Skills

Frodo possesses no martial training or magical abilities. His primary "ability" is his extraordinary capacity to resist the Ring's corruption, bearing it for approximately seventeen years without use and then carrying it actively for six months under increasing duress [FOTR, Ch. 2; ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 3]. He shows unusual resilience for a Hobbit, surviving a Morgul-blade wound, a cave troll's spear blow (deflected by mithril), Shelob's sting, and the crossing of Mordor [FOTR, Ch. 11; FOTR, Ch. 5 (Book II); TTT, Book IV, Ch. 9; ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 2-3]. He carries the Elvish short sword Sting, which glows blue in the presence of Orcs, given to him by Bilbo [FOTR, Ch. 2 (Book II)], and the mithril coat, also from Bilbo, which saves his life in Moria [FOTR, Ch. 5 (Book II)]. He uses the Phial of Galadriel effectively in Shelob's lair [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 9]. He speaks some Elvish (Sindarin and Quenya) [FOTR, Ch. 3].

## Relationships

**Bilbo Baggins**: Frodo's first cousin once removed (commonly called his uncle), adoptive father, and closest family [FOTR, Ch. 1; App. C]. Bilbo's influence shaped Frodo's love of Elves, learning, and adventure, and his gift of the Ring set Frodo's destiny in motion.

**Samwise Gamgee**: Frodo's gardener, servant, and dearest friend. Sam is the most constant and devoted figure in Frodo's life, accompanying him from the Shire to Mount Doom and literally carrying him when he could not walk [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 3]. Their bond is the emotional heart of the narrative.

**Gandalf the Grey/White**: Frodo's mentor, counselor, and protector. Gandalf guided Frodo's understanding of the Ring, entrusted him with the quest, and arranged much of his protection. His counsel to show mercy to Gollum proved to be among the most consequential advice in the story [FOTR, Ch. 2].

**Gollum/Smeagol**: Frodo's guide and eventual nemesis. Frodo showed Gollum pity and kindness, perceiving in him a possible version of what the Ring might make of any bearer. This relationship is complex: Frodo's compassion nearly redeems Gollum, but the Ring's influence and Sam's suspicion tip the balance back toward treachery [TTT, Book IV; ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 3].

**Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took**: Frodo's younger cousins and loyal companions, who insisted on joining his journey despite the danger [FOTR, Ch. 5].

**Aragorn**: Frodo's protector and eventual King. Frodo placed his trust in Strider at Bree and maintained deep respect for him throughout [FOTR, Ch. 10].

**Boromir**: A complicated relationship. Boromir's attempt to seize the Ring drove Frodo's decision to break from the Fellowship, yet Frodo bore no lasting anger and mourned Boromir's subsequent death [FOTR, Ch. 10 (Book II); TTT, Book IV, Ch. 5].

**Faramir**: Brother of Boromir, who proved his nobility by resisting the Ring's temptation and aiding Frodo's journey [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 5-6].

## Appearances

- *The Fellowship of the Ring* (1954)
- *The Two Towers* (1954), Book IV
- *The Return of the King* (1955), Book VI
- *The Lord of the Rings* Appendices (A, B, C)
- Mentioned briefly in *The Silmarillion* (editorial context) and *Unfinished Tales*

## Key Quotes

"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo. "So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us." [FOTR, Ch. 2]

"I will take the Ring, though I do not know the way." [FOTR, Ch. 2 (Book II)]

"I am a hobbit and no more valiant than I am a hobbit, and that is not very valiant indeed." [Paraphrased from Frodo's sentiments throughout; see FOTR, Ch. 2]

"I tried to save the Shire, and it has been saved, but not for me. It must often be so, Sam, when things are in danger: some one has to give them up, lose them, so that others may keep them." [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 9]

## Notes

The question of Frodo's "failure" at Mount Doom has been extensively discussed. Tolkien himself addressed this in Letter 192 and Letter 246, arguing that Frodo did not morally fail, as no being of free will could have resisted the Ring at the Crack of Doom, the seat of its power. The quest succeeded through the providential consequence of Frodo's earlier mercy toward Gollum [Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, #192, #246]. Tolkien considered Frodo a saint-like figure whose sacrifice was complete even though his will was overcome.

Frodo's departure to the Undying Lands is not, in Tolkien's legendarium, an achievement of immortality. Rather, it is a period of healing and peace, a grace granted by the Valar for his suffering as Ring-bearer. Tolkien noted that Frodo would still eventually die, as mortals do, but would find healing first [Letters, #246].

The date of Frodo's birthday (September 22) corresponds with the autumnal equinox in many years, a detail that may carry symbolic weight given Tolkien's attention to calendrical detail [App. D].

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# SAMWISE GAMGEE

## Summary

Samwise Gamgee, commonly known as Sam, is a Hobbit of the Shire, the son of Hamfast "Gaffer" Gamgee, and the gardener of Bag End. He is one of the four Hobbit members of the Fellowship of the Ring and the most loyal companion of Frodo Baggins throughout the quest to destroy the One Ring [FOTR, Ch. 1-2; App. B]. Born in 2980 T.A. (1380 S.R.), he is known by the epithet Samwise the Brave and later serves as Mayor of the Shire for forty-nine years [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 9; App. B]. His allegiance is to Frodo, the Shire, and the Free Peoples of Middle-earth. He survives the War of the Ring and, in 61 Fourth Age (1482 S.R.), having been himself a Ring-bearer (however briefly), is said to have passed over the Sea to the Undying Lands [App. B].

## Biography

Sam was born in 2980 T.A. in Bagshot Row, Hobbiton, to Hamfast Gamgee (known as "the Gaffer"), who served as gardener to Bilbo Baggins at Bag End [FOTR, Ch. 1; App. C]. Sam inherited his father's trade and became Frodo's gardener after Bilbo's departure. He was largely uneducated by the standards of gentlehobbits, but Bilbo taught him his letters and filled his head with tales of Elves, which gave Sam a deep (and somewhat naive) longing to see them [FOTR, Ch. 1-2].

In the spring of 3018 T.A., Gandalf caught Sam eavesdropping beneath the window of Bag End while he and Frodo discussed the Ring. As a condition of having overheard these secrets, Gandalf appointed Sam to accompany Frodo on his journey, a "punishment" that delighted Sam, who had always wished to see Elves [FOTR, Ch. 2].

Sam departed the Shire with Frodo and Pippin on September 23, 3018 T.A. [FOTR, Ch. 3; App. B]. On the journey, Sam saw his first Elves in the Woody End, a moment of wonder that he would long remember [FOTR, Ch. 3]. He traveled with Frodo through the Old Forest, the Barrow-downs, Bree, and Weathertop, and to Rivendell [FOTR, Ch. 3-12]. At the Council of Elrond, Sam was not invited but burst in uninvited, refusing to be parted from his master, and was appointed to the Fellowship [FOTR, Ch. 2 (Book II)].

In Lothlorien, Galadriel showed Sam her Mirror, in which he saw a vision of the Shire under devastation, with trees cut down and ugly buildings erected [FOTR, Ch. 7 (Book II)]. Galadriel gave Sam a box of earth from her garden, with a silver nut of the mallorn tree [FOTR, Ch. 8 (Book II)]. This gift would later restore the Shire after the Scouring [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 9]. Sam also received Elvish rope from the Elves of Lorien, which proved useful multiple times [FOTR, Ch. 8 (Book II); TTT, Book IV, Ch. 1].

When Frodo determined to go to Mordor alone at Parth Galen, Sam perceived his intention and waded into the river after Frodo's departing boat, nearly drowning, rather than be left behind. Frodo pulled him in, and the two continued together [FOTR, Ch. 10 (Book II)].

Throughout the journey across the Emyn Muil, the Dead Marshes, and toward Mordor, Sam served as Frodo's constant support, cook, and protector. He distrusted Gollum from the start and watched him closely, which was prudent but also contributed to Gollum's relapse into treachery, as moments of genuine repentance in Gollum were disrupted by Sam's suspicion [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 1-8]. In Ithilien, Sam witnessed the Oliphaunt (Mumak) during Faramir's ambush of the Haradrim, fulfilling a childhood wish [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 4].

At Cirith Ungol, after Shelob stung Frodo and Sam believed him dead, Sam took the Ring and the Phial of Galadriel, resolving to complete the quest alone [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 10]. He briefly wore the Ring at the Tower of Cirith Ungol, and it tempted him with visions of "Samwise the Strong, Hero of the Age," a vast garden blooming across all of Mordor; but his plain Hobbit sense saw through the fantasy, and he rejected it [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 1]. He fought off Shelob with Sting and the Phial, then stormed the tower to rescue Frodo, slaying multiple Orcs and using the Phial and invoking Elbereth to overcome the Watchers at the gate [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 1].

Sam returned the Ring to Frodo and supported him across the plain of Gorgoroth. When Frodo's strength gave out on the slopes of Mount Doom, Sam carried him bodily up the mountain: "Come, Mr. Frodo! I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you" [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 3]. He witnessed Frodo's claiming of the Ring and Gollum's fall into the fire, and the two were rescued together by the Eagles [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 3-4].

After the War, Sam returned to the Shire and played a central role in the Scouring, using Galadriel's gift to replant the Shire's trees, including a mallorn that grew in the Party Field to replace the felled Party Tree [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 9]. On 1 May 3020 T.A. (1420 S.R.), a year of extraordinary growth and beauty in the Shire, Sam married Rose "Rosie" Cotton [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 9; App. B]. They moved into Bag End at Frodo's invitation and eventually had thirteen children, the eldest being Elanor the Fair [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 9; App. C].

Sam saw Frodo off at the Grey Havens in September 3021 T.A. He returned to Bag End and spoke his famous last line in the text: "Well, I'm back" [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 9]. He was elected Mayor of Michel Delving in 3027 T.A. and served for seven consecutive seven-year terms, a total of forty-nine years [App. B]. After Rosie's death in 62 F.A. (1482 S.R.), Sam, then 102 years old, is said to have sailed over the Sea, the last of the Ring-bearers to do so [App. B].

## Personality

Sam is defined by his loyalty, humility, practicality, and deep love. He is the most steadfastly devoted character in the entire legendarium, never once wavering in his commitment to Frodo despite terror, exhaustion, starvation, and hopelessness [TTT, Book IV; ROTK, Book VI]. He is practical and domestic in nature, thinking frequently of food, gardening, and home comforts even in the darkest places [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 4; ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 2]. This groundedness is not a limitation but a strength, as it allows him to resist the Ring's grandiose temptations with common sense [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 1]. He possesses a love of stories and poetry, composing verses and recognizing that he and Frodo are participants in a great tale [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 8]. He can be suspicious and possessive, particularly regarding Gollum, and his class consciousness (his persistent use of "Mr. Frodo" and his deference) is a notable feature of his character, though it does not diminish the depth of his bond with Frodo [TTT, Book IV]. He is courageous not by nature but by devotion; he is frequently afraid but acts regardless.

## Abilities and Skills

Sam is a skilled gardener with a deep knowledge of plants and growing things, a talent that proves crucial in restoring the Shire [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 9]. He is physically tough and resilient, enduring the full journey to Mordor while also carrying much of the gear and doing the cooking [TTT, Book IV; ROTK, Book VI]. He shows unexpected martial ability at Cirith Ungol, wielding Sting effectively against Shelob and the Orcs of the tower [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 10; ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 1]. He uses the Phial of Galadriel with genuine power, invoking Elbereth in Elvish [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 1]. He is the bearer of the Ring for a brief period and relinquishes it voluntarily, one of very few beings in the history of Middle-earth to do so [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 1]. He demonstrates competence with Elvish rope [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 1] and basic cooking and survival skills throughout the journey.

## Relationships

**Frodo Baggins**: The defining relationship of Sam's life. Sam serves Frodo as gardener, servant, and eventually as something far deeper: his closest companion, protector, and the person who makes the quest's completion possible. Their relationship is marked by deep mutual love and respect, even across the class divide of Shire society [FOTR through ROTK].

**Rosie Cotton**: Sam's wife, whom he married in 1420 S.R. She bore him thirteen children and shared Bag End with him until her death in 1482 S.R. [App. B; App. C]. Sam's love for Rosie serves as one of his anchors to hope throughout the quest [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 3].

**Hamfast "the Gaffer" Gamgee**: Sam's father, a gardener and a figure of homely Shire wisdom and opinion. The Gaffer's views on the world (and particularly on "queer folk" and adventures) represent the most conservative strand of Hobbit culture [FOTR, Ch. 1].

**Gollum**: Sam's antagonistic relationship with Gollum is one of the most significant in the story. Sam's distrust is justified by events but may also have contributed to Gollum's ultimate betrayal by preventing his redemption [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 8; see also Letters, #246].

**Gandalf**: Sam holds Gandalf in awed respect and is devastated by his apparent death in Moria [FOTR, Ch. 5 (Book II)].

**Galadriel**: Sam is profoundly moved by Galadriel, calling Lothlorien the most beautiful place he has ever seen. Her gift to him is the one he treasures most [FOTR, Ch. 7-8 (Book II)].

## Appearances

- *The Fellowship of the Ring* (1954)
- *The Two Towers* (1954), Book IV
- *The Return of the King* (1955), Book VI
- *The Lord of the Rings* Appendices (B, C)

## Key Quotes

"Don't you leave him, Samwise Gamgee!" And Sam's response throughout the narrative is to never do so. [FOTR, Ch. 2; this inner injunction recurs as a motif]

"I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you and it as well. So up you get! Come on, Mr. Frodo dear! Sam will give you a ride. Just tell him where to go, and he'll go." [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 3]

"There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach." [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 2]

"Well, I'm back." [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 9]

## Notes

Tolkien identified Sam as the "chief hero" of the story in Letter 131, stating that the tale is most clearly seen through his eyes. Sam represents the ordinary person called to extraordinary circumstances, a figure Tolkien drew from his experience of the common soldiers (batmen and orderlies) of World War I [Letters, #131].

The name "Samwise" means "half-wise" or "simple" in Old English, a characterization that belies Sam's depth. His Westron name is Banazir Galpsi, translated by Tolkien into its English equivalent [App. F].

Sam's election as Mayor and his extraordinarily long service (49 years) suggest he became one of the most prominent Hobbits in Shire history. His daughter Elanor became a maid of honor to Queen Arwen [App. B].

The claim that Sam sailed to the Undying Lands rests on a note in the Red Book, as recorded in Appendix B. Tolkien treats it as a tradition rather than a certainty, though it is consistent with the grace granted to Ring-bearers.

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# GANDALF

## Summary

Gandalf is a wizard (Istar), one of five Maiar spirits sent to Middle-earth by the Valar in approximately 1000 T.A. to aid the Free Peoples against the rising power of Sauron [UT, "The Istari"; App. B]. His true (Maiar) name is Olorin; he is called Gandalf by Men of the North, Mithrandir ("Grey Pilgrim") by the Elves, Tharkun by the Dwarves, Incanus in the South, and Gandalf the Grey until his death and return as Gandalf the White [UT, "The Istari"; TTT, Book III, Ch. 5]. He is a member of the Istari order, a bearer of the Elven Ring Narya (the Ring of Fire), a founding member of the White Council, and the guide of the Fellowship of the Ring [FOTR, Ch. 2; UT, "The Istari"; ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 9; App. B]. His allegiance is to the Valar and the Free Peoples of Middle-earth. He departs Middle-earth for the Undying Lands at the end of the Third Age [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 9].

## Biography

In the beginning, Olorin was a Maia of the people of Manwe and Varda (and some accounts associate him with Lorien and Nienna as well), dwelling in the Blessed Realm of Valinor [Sil, "Valaquenta"; UT, "The Istari"]. He was accounted the wisest of the Maiar and was noted for his compassion and his habit of walking unseen among the Elves of Valinor, inspiring them with fair visions and wisdom [Sil, "Valaquenta"].

Around the year 1000 T.A., the Valar sent five Istari (Wizards) to Middle-earth in the guise of old Men to counsel and assist the Free Peoples in their struggle against Sauron, who was beginning to stir again after his defeat at the end of the Second Age [UT, "The Istari"; App. B]. The Istari were forbidden from matching Sauron's power directly or dominating the peoples of Middle-earth by force or fear; they were to advise, encourage, and inspire [UT, "The Istari"]. Gandalf (Olorin) was chosen last and reluctantly, considering himself too weak for the task; but Manwe insisted [UT, "The Istari"]. Cirdan the Shipwright, perceiving Gandalf's true nature and worth, gave him Narya, the Ring of Fire, one of the three Elven Rings, upon his arrival at the Grey Havens, saying that it would support him in the weariness of his labor [UT, "The Istari"; ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 9; App. B].

For over two thousand years, Gandalf wandered Middle-earth, never settling in one place, never taking a permanent abode [UT, "The Istari"]. He was known especially among Hobbits, Elves, and the Dunedain of the North. He became closely associated with the Shire, where he was known for his fireworks and visits [FOTR, Ch. 1]. He was instrumental in forming the White Council around 2463 T.A. to coordinate resistance against the growing shadow of Dol Guldur, though Saruman was made its head rather than Gandalf (as Galadriel had wished) [App. B; UT, "The Istari"].

In 2850 T.A., Gandalf entered the fortress of Dol Guldur in disguise and confirmed that the dark power dwelling there was indeed Sauron returned [App. B]. He discovered the dying Dwarf Thrain II in the dungeons and received from him the map and key of Erebor [UT, "The Quest of Erebor"; App. A]. This discovery led Gandalf to set in motion the quest that would become the subject of *The Hobbit*.

In 2941 T.A., Gandalf arranged the meeting between Bilbo Baggins and Thorin Oakenshield's company of Dwarves, guiding them on their quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain (Erebor) from the dragon Smaug [TH]. He accompanied the company through the Trollshaws (where he tricked the three trolls into staying out until dawn), to Rivendell, through the Goblin tunnels of the Misty Mountains (where Bilbo found the One Ring), and to the borders of Mirkwood, where he left the company to attend to "other business" [TH]. That business was the White Council's attack on Dol Guldur, which drove Sauron out (though he had already planned his return to Mordor) [TH; App. B]. Gandalf returned for the Battle of Five Armies at Erebor [TH].

In 3001 T.A., Gandalf attended Bilbo's farewell party and observed with unease the way Bilbo parted with his ring only with great reluctance. His suspicions grew over the following years [FOTR, Ch. 1-2]. Between 3001 and 3018 T.A., Gandalf researched the Ring's history, traveling to Minas Tirith to read the scroll of Isildur and confirming the identity of Bilbo's ring as the One Ring [FOTR, Ch. 2]. He arranged for the capture and interrogation of Gollum (with Aragorn's help), learning that Gollum had revealed the words "Shire" and "Baggins" to Sauron's servants [FOTR, Ch. 2].

In April 3018 T.A., Gandalf returned to the Shire and revealed the Ring's identity to Frodo, counseling him to leave [FOTR, Ch. 2]. He then rode to Isengard to consult with Saruman, the head of his order, but discovered that Saruman had been corrupted, seeking the Ring for himself and allying with Sauron (or planning to supplant him). Saruman imprisoned Gandalf atop the tower of Orthanc [FOTR, Ch. 2]. Gandalf was rescued by the Eagle Gwaihir and taken to Rohan, where he claimed the great horse Shadowfax, lord of the Mearas, and rode swiftly toward the Shire [FOTR, Ch. 2; App. B]. He arrived too late and instead made for Bree, where he left a letter for Frodo with Barliman Butterbur (which was not delivered in time), then rode to Weathertop, where he battled several Ringwraiths, and eventually met Frodo's company in Rivendell [FOTR, Ch. 2, 10; App. B].

At the Council of Elrond, Gandalf recounted the full history of the Ring and Saruman's treachery [FOTR, Ch. 2 (Book II)]. He became one of the nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring [FOTR, Ch. 3 (Book II)]. He guided the Fellowship south from Rivendell, advocated for the passage through Moria when the Redhorn Gate proved impassable, and led the company through the ancient Dwarven realm [FOTR, Ch. 3-5 (Book II)].

In the Chamber of Mazarbul, Gandalf read from the Book of Records and the company fought against Orcs and a cave troll [FOTR, Ch. 5 (Book II)]. On the Bridge of Khazad-dum, Gandalf confronted Durin's Bane, a Balrog of Morgoth. He broke the bridge, but the Balrog's whip pulled him down into the abyss [FOTR, Ch. 5 (Book II)].

Gandalf did not die in the fall. He and the Balrog plunged into the deep water at the roots of the mountains and fought in the depths, ascending through tunnels and finally up the Endless Stair to the peak of Zirakzigil (Celebdil/Silvertine). There, in the Battle of the Peak, Gandalf slew the Balrog but himself died [TTT, Book III, Ch. 5]. He was sent back by the authority of Eru Iluvatar (the One God of the legendarium), "naked," and clothed anew as Gandalf the White, the head of the Istari order in place of the fallen Saruman [TTT, Book III, Ch. 5; Letters, #156].

Gandalf was found by Gwaihir on the mountaintop and carried to Lothlorien, where Galadriel clothed him in white and he rested [TTT, Book III, Ch. 5]. He then sought out Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli in Fangorn Forest, where they mistook him for Saruman before recognizing him [TTT, Book III, Ch. 5]. He rode with them to Edoras in Rohan, where he healed King Theoden from the influence of Grima Wormtongue and Saruman, releasing the old king from despair [TTT, Book III, Ch. 6].

Gandalf counseled Theoden to ride to Helm's Deep and departed to gather Erkenbrand's scattered riders. He arrived at dawn on the fifth day of the battle, leading the Rohirrim reinforcements that turned the tide and defeated Saruman's army of Uruk-hai and Dunlendings [TTT, Book III, Ch. 7-8]. He then rode with Theoden and the company to Isengard, which the Ents under Treebeard had destroyed. There, he confronted Saruman on the balcony of Orthanc, offered him a chance to repent (which Saruman refused), and broke his staff, casting him from the order of the Istari [TTT, Book III, Ch. 10]. Pippin retrieved the palantir of Orthanc, which Saruman had thrown down, and Gandalf took it; but Pippin looked into it and was contacted by Sauron, prompting Gandalf to ride with Pippin immediately to Minas Tirith [TTT, Book III, Ch. 11].

In Minas Tirith, Gandalf served as the effective military commander during the siege, as the Steward Denethor had fallen into despair after using the palantir of Minas Tirith and being deceived by Sauron [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 1, 4, 7]. Gandalf organized the defense, confronted the Witch-king at the broken gate (a confrontation interrupted by the arrival of the Rohirrim) [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 4], and saved Faramir from being burned alive on a pyre by the maddened Denethor, who then immolated himself [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 7].

After the battle, Gandalf proposed the final stratagem: march the remaining army to the Black Gate of Mordor, not in hope of military victory, but to draw Sauron's Eye and forces away from Frodo and Sam's path to Mount Doom [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 9]. This plan succeeded. At the Battle of the Morannon, Gandalf stood before the Black Gate with the Captains of the West until the Ring was destroyed, Sauron fell, and the Eagles arrived [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 10; ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 3-4].

After the War of the Ring, Gandalf accompanied the Hobbits homeward but did not enter the Shire, telling them they no longer needed his help and must handle their own affairs [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 7]. On September 29, 3021 T.A., Gandalf rode to the Grey Havens and boarded the white ship with the Ring-bearers Frodo and Bilbo, Galadriel, and Elrond, departing Middle-earth forever. As the ship sailed, he was seen to be wearing Narya openly for the first time [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 9].

## Personality

Gandalf is characterized by wisdom, compassion, irascibility, humor, and a deep commitment to free will. He can be short-tempered and imperious, particularly with fools or the willfully stubborn, yet he shows profound gentleness with Hobbits, children, and the humble [FOTR, Ch. 1-2; ROTK, Book V, Ch. 1]. He believes firmly in the power of mercy, counseling Frodo not to kill Gollum [FOTR, Ch. 2]. He values courage, wisdom, and humility over power, and his mission in Middle-earth reflects this: he inspires resistance rather than commanding it [UT, "The Istari"]. He maintains a deep love for Middle-earth and its peoples, particularly the Hobbits, in whom he sees qualities that the wise overlook [FOTR, Ch. 2]. He is secretive by nature, often revealing his plans only when necessary, which frustrates his allies but reflects his long experience and the strategic necessity of operating against a far-seeing Enemy.

## Abilities and Skills

As a Maia incarnate, Gandalf possesses power far beyond any mortal, though constrained by the mandate of the Valar and by his aged physical form [UT, "The Istari"]. He wields Glamdring, the sword of Turgon, King of Gondolin, recovered from the trolls' hoard [TH]. He bears Narya, the Ring of Fire, which kindles courage and hope in others [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 9; UT, "The Istari"]. He uses his staff as a focus for his power, producing fire, light, and force [FOTR, Ch. 5 (Book II); TTT, Book III, Ch. 5-6]. He is able to produce fire and light (a specialty associated with Narya and his own nature), to speak spells of command and warding, and to contend with other spiritual powers such as the Balrog and the Witch-king [FOTR, Ch. 5 (Book II); ROTK, Book V, Ch. 4]. He is a master of lore, languages, and strategy, possessing knowledge accumulated over thousands of years. He has a special rapport with animals, particularly the Great Eagles and the horses of Rohan (especially Shadowfax) [TTT, Book III, Ch. 5]. He is an expert in fireworks [FOTR, Ch. 1]. After his return as the White, his power is significantly enhanced, and he can shatter Saruman's staff and resist the will of Sauron directly through the palantir [TTT, Book III, Ch. 10-11].

## Relationships

**Frodo Baggins**: Gandalf's relationship with Frodo is that of mentor and protector. He entrusts the quest to Frodo but guides him with counsel and compassion, never commanding [FOTR, Ch. 2].

**Bilbo Baggins**: Gandalf's long friendship with Bilbo began with the quest to Erebor. He selected Bilbo as the "burglar" partly through intuition and partly through strategic foresight [TH; UT, "The Quest of Erebor"].

**Aragorn**: Gandalf's most important strategic ally among mortals. They share a long history of cooperation against Sauron's agents, and Gandalf works throughout the Third Age to prepare the way for Aragorn's kingship [App. A; FOTR, Ch. 2].

**Saruman**: Once the head of Gandalf's order and the leader of the White Council, Saruman became Gandalf's adversary through jealousy, pride, and corruption. Their relationship moves from deference to confrontation to the breaking of Saruman's power [FOTR, Ch. 2; TTT, Book III, Ch. 10].

**Galadriel and Elrond**: Fellow bearers of the three Elven Rings and longtime allies. Galadriel advocated for Gandalf to lead the White Council [UT, "The Istari"].

**Shadowfax**: The lord of the Mearas, the greatest horse of Middle-earth, becomes Gandalf's companion from Rohan onward [TTT, Book III, Ch. 5; ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 9].

**The Balrog (Durin's Bane)**: Gandalf's mortal enemy in the depths of Moria and upon Zirakzigil. Their battle is a contest between two Maiar spirits, and Gandalf's victory costs him his life [TTT, Book III, Ch. 5].

**Denethor**: A tense and adversarial relationship. Denethor resents Gandalf's influence, suspecting (correctly) that the wizard favors Aragorn's claim to the throne [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 1, 7].

## Appearances

- *The Hobbit* (1937)
- *The Fellowship of the Ring* (1954)
- *The Two Towers* (1954), Book III
- *The Return of the King* (1955), Books V and VI
- *The Silmarillion* (1977), "Valaquenta"
- *Unfinished Tales* (1980), "The Istari," "The Quest of Erebor"
- *The Lord of the Rings* Appendices (A, B)

## Key Quotes

"A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to." [FOTR, Ch. 1]

"Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends." [FOTR, Ch. 2]

"I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. You cannot pass. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udun. Go back to the Shadow! You cannot pass." [FOTR, Ch. 5 (Book II)]

"I was sent back, until my task is done." [TTT, Book III, Ch. 5]

## Notes

Gandalf's death and resurrection is the only instance in Tolkien's legendarium of a being being sent back from death by direct intervention of Eru Iluvatar. Tolkien emphasized that this was not a "reincarnation" in any casual sense but a unique act of divine authority [Letters, #156].

The Istari's mandate forbade them from dominating the free peoples or matching Sauron power for power. Saruman's fall lay precisely in his violation of this mandate, while Gandalf's success lay in his adherence to it [UT, "The Istari"].

Gandalf's name means "Elf of the Wand" or "Wand-Elf" in Old Norse, derived from the perception of Northern Men who mistook him for an Elf. His Elvish name Mithrandir means "Grey Pilgrim" in Sindarin [App. F; UT, "The Istari"].

The relationship between Gandalf's power and the Ring Narya is somewhat ambiguous. Tolkien suggests that Narya's power to kindle hope and resist domination and despair was central to Gandalf's effectiveness, but the precise mechanics are never fully defined [UT, "The Istari"].

---

# ARAGORN

## Summary

Aragorn II, son of Arathorn II, is a Dunadan of the North, the sixteenth and last Chieftain of the Dunedain, and the heir of Isildur through an unbroken line of descent spanning nearly three thousand years [App. A; FOTR, Ch. 2 (Book II)]. He is crowned King Elessar Telcontar of the Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor at the conclusion of the War of the Ring [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 5]. He is known by many names and titles: Aragorn son of Arathorn, Strider (given by the people of Bree), Elessar ("Elfstone"), Telcontar ("Strider" in Quenya, his house name), Thorongil ("Eagle of the Star," his alias in his youth), Estel ("Hope," the name given him in Rivendell), Envinyatar ("the Renewer"), the Dunadan, Longshanks, and Wing-foot [FOTR, Ch. 10; ROTK, Book V, Ch. 2, 8; App. A]. His allegiance is to the Free Peoples of Middle-earth and the legacy of the kingdoms of the Dunedain. He is born on March 1, 2931 T.A. and dies on March 1, 120 F.A. (at the age of 210), having voluntarily laid down his life in the manner of the ancient Numenoreans [App. A; App. B].

## Biography

Aragorn was born on March 1, 2931 T.A. to Arathorn II, Chieftain of the Dunedain, and Gilraen the Fair of the Dunedain [App. A]. His father was slain by Orcs when Aragorn was only two years old, in 2933 T.A. [App. A]. His mother brought him to Rivendell, where Elrond took him in and raised him as a foster son, giving him the name "Estel" (Hope) and concealing his true lineage to protect him from Sauron's agents [App. A].

At the age of twenty, in 2951 T.A., Elrond revealed to Aragorn his true name and heritage and gave him the shards of Narsil and the Ring of Barahir [App. A]. That same day, Aragorn encountered Arwen Undomiel, daughter of Elrond, recently returned from Lothlorien, and fell in love with her [App. A]. Elrond, perceiving this, told Aragorn that Arwen would not be given in marriage to any man less than the King of both Gondor and Arnor [App. A].

From 2951 onward, Aragorn departed Rivendell and spent decades in the wild, ranging across Middle-earth in service of the Free Peoples. He served under the aliases "Thorongil" ("Eagle of the Star") in both Rohan (under King Thengel) and Gondor (under Steward Ecthelion II), achieving great renown without revealing his identity [App. A]. In Gondor's service, he led a raid on the port of Umbar, burning the fleet of the Corsairs, a feat that would prove prophetically relevant decades later [App. A]. He was befriended by Gandalf and became the wizard's closest mortal ally, sharing intelligence and strategy concerning Sauron [App. A; FOTR, Ch. 2].

In 2980 T.A., Aragorn visited Lothlorien and there, on the hill of Cerin Amroth, he and Arwen plighted their troth, and Arwen chose a mortal life, forsaking the immortality of the Eldar for his sake [App. A]. This choice echoed the decision of her ancestor Luth Tinuviel, who chose mortality for the love of Beren [App. A; Sil, "Of Beren and Luthien"].

In 3001 T.A., at Gandalf's request, Aragorn began hunting for the creature Gollum, eventually capturing him in the Dead Marshes in 3017 T.A. and bringing him to Thranduil's halls in Mirkwood for keeping [App. B; FOTR, Ch. 2].

In September 3018 T.A., Aragorn was at the Prancing Pony in Bree when Frodo and his Hobbit companions arrived. Using the alias "Strider," he revealed himself as a friend of Gandalf and offered to guide them to Rivendell [FOTR, Ch. 10]. He led the Hobbits through the wild, defended them against the Ringwraiths on Weathertop (where he drove off the Nazgul with fire and sword, though Frodo was wounded) [FOTR, Ch. 11], and brought them to the Ford of Bruinen and Rivendell [FOTR, Ch. 12].

At the Council of Elrond, Aragorn's identity was fully revealed to the assembled delegates. The shards of Narsil were displayed, and Aragorn was named as Isildur's heir [FOTR, Ch. 2 (Book II)]. He was appointed to the Fellowship of the Ring and bore the reforged sword, now called Anduril, the Flame of the West [FOTR, Ch. 3 (Book II)].

Aragorn traveled with the Fellowship from Rivendell through Hollin, Moria (where Gandalf fell), Lothlorien, and down the Anduin to Parth Galen [FOTR, Books I-II]. After Boromir's fall and the breaking of the Fellowship, Aragorn chose not to follow Frodo to Mordor but instead pursued the Uruk-hai who had captured Merry and Pippin, running across the plains of Rohan with Legolas and Gimli in one of the great feats of endurance in the legendarium [TTT, Book III, Ch. 1-2]. They covered forty-five leagues in less than four days [TTT, Book III, Ch. 2].

In Fangorn Forest, the three hunters encountered the resurrected Gandalf the White [TTT, Book III, Ch. 5]. They rode to Edoras, where Aragorn aided Gandalf in freeing Theoden from Wormtongue's influence [TTT, Book III, Ch. 6]. Aragorn fought at the Battle of Helm's Deep, acquitting himself with such valor that the enemy quailed before him on the walls [TTT, Book III, Ch. 7].

At Isengard, after Saruman's defeat, Aragorn looked into the palantir of Orthanc and, by right as Isildur's heir, wrested it to his own will, revealing himself to Sauron and thereby accelerating Sauron's ill-considered assault on Minas Tirith [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 2]. This was a calculated risk that placed immense strain on Aragorn but achieved its strategic aim.

Aragorn took the Paths of the Dead, calling upon the oath-breaking Dead Men of Dunharrow to fulfill their ancient oath to Isildur [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 2]. With the Grey Company of Dunedain Rangers (who had ridden south to his aid, along with Elrond's sons Elladan and Elrohir), he passed through the Haunted Mountain and emerged at the Stone of Erech, where the Dead answered his summons [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 2]. He led the host of the Dead to the Corsair fleet at Pelargir, captured the ships, dismissed the Dead (their oath fulfilled), and sailed up the Anduin to Minas Tirith [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 9].

Aragorn arrived at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields at the decisive moment, unfurling the standard of the King wrought by Arwen (depicting the White Tree, Seven Stars, and a high crown), and turning the tide of battle [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 6]. After the battle, he entered Minas Tirith not as King but as a healer, tending to the wounded Faramir, Eowyn, and Merry with the herb athelas (kingsfoil), fulfilling the ancient proverb: "The hands of the king are the hands of a healer, and so shall the rightful king be known" [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 8].

Aragorn led the Host of the West to the Black Gate of Mordor in the final gambit to draw Sauron's attention from Frodo [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 9-10]. At the Battle of the Morannon, he fought before the Gate until the Ring was destroyed and Sauron fell [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 10].

On May 1, 3019 T.A., Aragorn was crowned King Elessar of the Reunited Kingdom in a ceremony before the gates of Minas Tirith. Gandalf set the crown of Gondor upon his head [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 5]. On Midsummer's Day, he married Arwen Undomiel [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 5; App. A]. He replanted the White Tree after discovering a sapling of Nimloth on the slopes of Mindolluin, as Gandalf had foreseen [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 5].

Aragorn reigned for 120 years of the Fourth Age, restoring the Reunited Kingdom to prosperity, extending its borders, and fostering peace with former enemies [App. A]. He died voluntarily on March 1, 120 F.A. (at the age of 210), surrendering his life in the manner of the ancient Kings of Numenor, while still in full possession of his faculties, in the House of the Kings in Minas Tirith, with Arwen at his side [App. A].

## Personality

Aragorn is marked by patience, self-discipline, nobility of character, and a deep sense of duty that has been refined through decades of hardship and obscurity. He accepts his lineage not as a privilege but as a burden and a responsibility, living for nearly ninety years as a wandering Ranger before claiming his throne [App. A; FOTR, Ch. 10]. He is wise and cautious in counsel, valiant in battle, and merciful in victory, showing clemency to the Easterlings and Southrons who surrendered after the War [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 5]. He possesses a solemnity that reflects his awareness of the tragic history of his line (Isildur's failure to destroy the Ring), and yet he maintains hope, as his name "Estel" signifies [App. A]. He is tender and devoted in his love for Arwen, enduring a sixty-year betrothal with unwavering faithfulness [App. A]. He is decisive when the moment demands it, as shown by his willingness to take the Paths of the Dead and to challenge Sauron through the palantir [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 2].

## Abilities and Skills

Aragorn is among the most formidable warriors of his age, skilled with sword, knife, and bow, and hardened by decades of combat against Orcs, Trolls, and the servants of Sauron across the length and breadth of Middle-earth [FOTR, Ch. 11; TTT, Book III; ROTK, Book V]. He wields Anduril, the reforged sword of Elendil (originally Narsil), which is both a weapon of great power and a symbol of his kingship [FOTR, Ch. 3 (Book II)]. He possesses the gift of healing, particularly through the use of athelas (kingsfoil), and his healing ability is linked to his royal lineage [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 8]. He is an expert tracker and Ranger, capable of reading signs invisible to others, as demonstrated in the pursuit of the Uruk-hai [TTT, Book III, Ch. 1-2]. He has the extended lifespan of the Dunedain (living to 210), reflecting his descent from the Numenoreans [App. A]. He is a commander of great strategic ability, as shown in his campaigns in Rohan and Gondor. He has the authority to command the Dead Men of Dunharrow and to master the palantir of Orthanc by right of blood [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 2]. He is multilingual, speaking Westron, Sindarin, Quenya, and likely several other languages of Middle-earth.

## Relationships

**Arwen Undomiel**: The love of Aragorn's life and his queen. Their love story, told primarily in Appendix A ("The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen"), is presented as the last echo of the great romances of the First Age, particularly that of Beren and Luthien. Arwen's choice of mortality for his sake is one of the most poignant elements of the legendarium [App. A].

**Elrond**: Foster father and eventual father-in-law. Elrond raised Aragorn with love but set the stern condition that only a king of both Gondor and Arnor would be worthy of Arwen, knowing that Arwen's choice of mortality would mean the sundering of his family forever [App. A].

**Gandalf**: Aragorn's oldest ally and wisest counselor. They share a friendship and strategic partnership forged over decades. Gandalf's mission and Aragorn's destiny are deeply intertwined [FOTR, Ch. 2; App. A].

**Boromir**: A complex relationship of mutual respect and tension. Boromir represents the proud tradition of the Stewards and initially doubts Aragorn's claim. Their relationship moves from wariness to respect, and Aragorn cradles the dying Boromir, honoring his valor [TTT, Book III, Ch. 1].

**Legolas and Gimli**: Aragorn's closest companions after the breaking of the Fellowship. The three hunters' pursuit of the Uruk-hai forges a bond of deep friendship [TTT, Book III].

**Faramir**: Faramir recognizes Aragorn's kingship readily and becomes one of his most faithful servants, serving as Steward and Prince of Ithilien [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 8; ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 5; App. A].

**Theoden and Eomer**: Aragorn earns the trust and friendship of both kings of Rohan; Eomer becomes one of his closest allies in the years of his reign [ROTK, Book V; App. A].

## Appearances

- *The Fellowship of the Ring* (1954)
- *The Two Towers* (1954), Book III
- *The Return of the King* (1955), Books V and VI
- *The Lord of the Rings* Appendices (A, B)
- *Unfinished Tales* (1980), "The Quest of Erebor," "The Hunt for the Ring"

## Key Quotes

"All that is gold does not glitter, / Not all those who wander are lost; / The old that is strong does not wither, / Deep roots are not reached by the frost." [FOTR, Ch. 10; the verse written by Bilbo about Aragorn]

"I am Aragorn son of Arathorn, and am called Elessar, the Elfstone, Dunadan, the heir of Isildur Elendil's son of Gondor. Here is the Sword that was Broken and is forged again!" [TTT, Book III, Ch. 2]

"I do not know what strength is in my blood, but I swear to you I will not let the White City fall, nor our people fail." [This is a widely attributed paraphrase; compare ROTK, Book V, Ch. 2, 9, for Aragorn's resolve regarding Gondor]

"I have wished you joy since first I saw you." (To Eomer, spoken in their parting.) [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 6]

## Notes

The "Tale of Aragorn and Arwen" in Appendix A is the primary source for Aragorn's personal biography and love story. Tolkien considered it the essential human complement to the story of the War of the Ring, and it consciously mirrors the tale of Beren and Luthien from the First Age [App. A; Sil, "Of Beren and Luthien"].

Aragorn's healing power is both practical (herbal knowledge) and metaphysical (kingly authority). Tolkien presents the healing of Faramir, Eowyn, and Merry with athelas as the definitive proof of his kingship, more convincing than any genealogy [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 8].

The chronology of Aragorn's years of service as "Thorongil" is somewhat compressed in the Appendices, but it is clear that he spent decades in the south, earning fame under Ecthelion II, the father of Denethor, a fact that contributed to Denethor's resentment of him [App. A].

Aragorn's voluntary death at 210 years of age reflects the Numenorean ideal of surrendering life willingly, a grace that had been lost by the later Kings of Numenor through their rebellion against the Valar. Aragorn's ability to die in this manner marks him as the restoration of the highest Dunedain tradition [App. A; Sil, "Akallabeth"].

---

# LEGOLAS

## Summary

Legolas Greenleaf is a Sindarin Elf of the Woodland Realm of northern Mirkwood, the son of Thranduil, King of the Woodland Realm [FOTR, Ch. 2 (Book II); App. B]. He is a member of the Fellowship of the Ring and one of the representatives of the Elven people in the quest to destroy the One Ring [FOTR, Ch. 3 (Book II)]. He is known by the name Legolas Greenleaf (the name itself means "green leaves" or "green leaf" in Sindarin) [App. F]. His allegiance is to his father Thranduil, the Free Peoples of Middle-earth, and (after the War) to King Elessar. He survives the War of the Ring, establishes an Elven colony in Ithilien, and eventually sails to the Undying Lands with Gimli the Dwarf after King Elessar's death in 120 F.A. [App. A; App. B].

## Biography

Legolas's birth date is not recorded in any published text, and his age during the War of the Ring is unknown, though he is presumed to be very old by the standards of mortals [no specific citation; his age is one of the notable lacunae in Tolkien's published works]. He is the son of Thranduil, the Elven-king of the Woodland Realm of northern Mirkwood, who himself appears in *The Hobbit* as the captor of Thorin's company [TH]. Thranduil's people are Silvan (Wood) Elves ruled by a Sindarin royal house [UT, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn"; App. B].

Legolas arrived at Rivendell as a messenger from his father, bearing news that Gollum, who had been entrusted to the keeping of the Wood-elves, had escaped [FOTR, Ch. 2 (Book II)]. He participated in the Council of Elrond and was chosen as one of the nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring, representing the Elves [FOTR, Ch. 2-3 (Book II)].

Legolas traveled with the Fellowship from Rivendell through the attempted crossing of Caradhras, through Moria (where he recognized the Balrog as a creature of the ancient world), to Lothlorien [FOTR, Ch. 3-6 (Book II)]. In Lothlorien, he was at home among the Elves of the Golden Wood, though his Silvan heritage gave him a closer kinship with the wood-elves of Lorien than the High Elves [FOTR, Ch. 6-8 (Book II)]. He received from Galadriel the gift of a great longbow of the Galadhrim, longer and stouter than his own Mirkwood bow [FOTR, Ch. 8 (Book II)].

After the breaking of the Fellowship at Parth Galen, Legolas joined Aragorn and Gimli in the pursuit of the Uruk-hai across Rohan, covering vast distances at great speed [TTT, Book III, Ch. 1-2]. In Fangorn Forest, he encountered the resurrected Gandalf the White [TTT, Book III, Ch. 5]. He rode with Gandalf and the others to Edoras and fought at the Battle of Helm's Deep, where he and Gimli began their famous friendly competition in counting slain enemies, with Gimli ultimately claiming the higher total (42 to Legolas's 41, by one accounting) [TTT, Book III, Ch. 7-8].

At Isengard, Legolas witnessed the confrontation with Saruman and the recovery of the palantir [TTT, Book III, Ch. 10-11]. He accompanied the company to the borders of Gondor and eventually took the Paths of the Dead with Aragorn and the Grey Company, displaying unease but following his lord [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 2, 9]. He fought at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields after arriving with Aragorn's fleet [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 6, 9] and at the Battle of the Morannon [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 10].

A pivotal moment in Legolas's story occurs at Pelargir, when he first sees and hears the Sea. Thereafter, a longing for the Sea awakes in him that cannot be stilled, a development foreshadowed by a warning from Galadriel: "Legolas Greenleaf long under tree / In joy thou hast lived. Beware of the Sea! / If thou hearest the cry of the gull on the shore, / Thy heart shall then rest in the forest no more" [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 9; FOTR, Ch. 8 (Book II) for the message]. This sea-longing is a recurring theme in Tolkien's Elvish psychology [Sil, passim].

After the War of the Ring, Legolas brought a company of Wood-elves from Mirkwood (renamed Eryn Lasgalen, "Wood of Greenleaves") to Ithilien, where they established a colony and helped to restore the beauty of that war-scarred land [App. A; App. B]. He was present at the coronation of Aragorn and other post-war events [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 5-6].

Legolas maintained his friendship with Gimli throughout the Fourth Age. After the death of King Elessar in 120 F.A., Legolas built a grey ship in Ithilien and sailed down the Anduin to the Sea, crossing to the Undying Lands. Gimli sailed with him, reportedly the only Dwarf ever to do so [App. A; App. B].

## Personality

Legolas is characterized by the typical traits of Tolkien's Wood-elves: a deep love of the natural world (particularly trees and growing things), lightness of spirit, keen senses, and a somewhat detached perspective shaped by his immortal lifespan [FOTR, Ch. 6 (Book II); TTT, Book III]. He is less solemn than the High Elves of Rivendell and less melancholy than those of Lothlorien, possessing a youthful energy and cheerfulness that reflects the Silvan character [FOTR, Ch. 3 (Book II)]. He develops a deep and genuine friendship with Gimli the Dwarf, overcoming centuries of mutual suspicion between their peoples, which stands as one of the narrative's testaments to the power of shared experience over inherited prejudice [TTT, Book III; ROTK]. He is brave but not reckless, perceptive but not given to lengthy counsel, and generally the quietest member of the Fellowship in terms of dialogue and personality development [FOTR through ROTK].

## Abilities and Skills

Legolas is an exceptionally skilled archer, possibly the finest bowman in the Fellowship and one of the greatest in Middle-earth during the Third Age [TTT, Book III, Ch. 7-8; ROTK, Book V]. He possesses the characteristic Elven abilities of extraordinary keen eyesight (able to see clearly at great distances and in starlight), light-footedness (he can walk on snow without leaving tracks), and tirelessness over long marches [FOTR, Ch. 3 (Book II); TTT, Book III, Ch. 2]. He uses the great bow of the Galadhrim given to him in Lothlorien, and also carries an Elvish knife for close combat [FOTR, Ch. 8 (Book II); TTT, Book III]. He is agile beyond mortal ability, as demonstrated in various battles. Like all Elves, he does not require sleep as mortals do but rests his mind while walking or standing with open eyes [TTT, Book III, Ch. 2]. He speaks Sindarin, Westron, and likely Silvan Elvish.

## Relationships

**Gimli son of Gloin**: The defining relationship of Legolas's story. Beginning with mutual distrust rooted in the ancient enmity between Elves and Dwarves (exacerbated by Thranduil's imprisonment of Gimli's father Gloin in *The Hobbit*), their relationship evolves into one of the deepest friendships in the legendarium. Gimli's awed response to the caves of Helm's Deep and Legolas's love of Fangorn Forest become touchstones of mutual respect [TTT, Book III, Ch. 8]. Their friendship endures into the Fourth Age, and Gimli's passage to the Undying Lands with Legolas is an unprecedented honor [App. A].

**Aragorn**: Legolas serves Aragorn as a companion and warrior throughout the War and afterward as a lord of Ithilien under the Reunited Kingdom. Their bond is one of deep loyalty and martial brotherhood [TTT, Book III; ROTK, Book V].

**Thranduil**: Legolas's father and king. While their relationship is not explored in detail in the text, Legolas's presence at the Council of Elrond as Thranduil's messenger indicates his standing in the Woodland Realm [FOTR, Ch. 2 (Book II)].

**Gandalf**: Legolas respects and follows Gandalf's counsel, recognizing the White Wizard's authority. He is among the first to sense something changed about the resurrected Gandalf in Fangorn [TTT, Book III, Ch. 5].

## Appearances

- *The Fellowship of the Ring* (1954)
- *The Two Towers* (1954), Book III
- *The Return of the King* (1955), Books V and VI
- *The Lord of the Rings* Appendices (A, B)

## Key Quotes

"He stands not alone. You would die before your stroke fell." (To Eomer, defending Gimli, whom Eomer had threatened.) [TTT, Book III, Ch. 2]

"Alas! An Elf and a Dwarf in fell alliance! That will be an evil day indeed." (Saruman's mockery of Legolas and Gimli's friendship, to which they are indifferent.) [This is a paraphrase; see TTT, Book III, Ch. 10, for the Isengard confrontation]

"A! Elbereth Gilthoniel! / sillivren penna miriel..." (Legolas singing Elvish hymns is a recurring feature of his characterization, though specific verses vary.) [FOTR, Ch. 3 (Book II)]

"To the Sea, to the Sea! The white gulls are crying, / The wind is blowing, and the white foam is flying." [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 9]

## Notes

Legolas is notably undercharacterized relative to the other members of the Fellowship in Tolkien's text. His parentage (as son of Thranduil) is stated only in passing, and details of his age, rank, and history before the War of the Ring are almost entirely absent. Tolkien acknowledged in a draft letter that he had not fully developed Legolas's backstory [see *History of Middle-earth*, Vol. XII, for some compositional history].

The question of Legolas's precise Elvish kindred is somewhat complex. As the son of Thranduil, he belongs to a Sindarin (Grey-Elf) ruling house, but the people of the Woodland Realm are predominantly Silvan (Wood-elves). Tolkien generally treats him as a Wood-elf in cultural terms, though his lineage is technically Sindarin [UT, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn"; App. B; App. F].

The friendship of Legolas and Gimli is one of only a handful of close Elf-Dwarf friendships in the entire legendarium, the other notable example being that of Celebrimbor and Narvi in the Second Age (the makers of the Doors of Durin) [FOTR, Ch. 4 (Book II)].

Legolas's sea-longing, awakened at Pelargir, represents a central theme of Tolkien's Elvish metaphysics: the call of the Undying Lands and the inherent restlessness of Elves in Middle-earth as the world changes. That this longing can be "awakened" by hearing the gulls suggests it is latent in all Elves and requires only a trigger to become irresistible [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 9; Sil, "Of the Flight of the Noldor" and passim for Elvish sea-longing].

---

*Compiled and archived in the tradition of the Red Book of Westmarch, with cross-references to all published works of the Tolkien legendarium. All citations refer to the standard editions of J.R.R. Tolkien's published works: The Hobbit [TH], The Fellowship of the Ring [FOTR], The Two Towers [TTT], The Return of the King [ROTK], The Silmarillion [Sil], Unfinished Tales [UT], The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien [Letters], and the Appendices to The Lord of the Rings [App. A through F].*

# Encyclopedia of Middle-earth: Character Profiles

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# GIMLI

**Gimli, son of Gloin** (also known as **Elf-friend**, **Lockbearer**, and **Lord of the Glittering Caves**) is a Dwarf of Durin's Folk and a member of the Fellowship of the Ring. He served as the representative of the Dwarf-kindred in the quest to destroy the One Ring and later became one of the most renowned Dwarves of the Third and Fourth Ages. His allegiance lay with the Fellowship, the House of Durin, and ultimately the Reunited Kingdom under King Elessar.

## Biography

Gimli was born in the Blue Mountains (Ered Luin) in Third Age 2879 to Gloin, one of the twelve companions of Thorin Oakenshield on the quest to reclaim Erebor [App. A]. Though Gimli was too young to participate in the quest to the Lonely Mountain, he grew up in Erebor after its reclamation and became a Dwarf of considerable standing among his people [App. A].

In T.A. 3018, Gimli traveled with his father Gloin to Rivendell to seek counsel from Elrond regarding troubling messages received from Mordor. A messenger of Sauron had come to Erebor offering the return of the three lesser Dwarf-rings and the restoration of Moria in exchange for information about Hobbits and a certain ring that Bilbo Baggins had once possessed. The Dwarves of Erebor wished to warn Bilbo and to seek Elrond's wisdom [FOTR, Ch. 2, "The Council of Elrond"].

At the Council of Elrond, Gimli was present when the history of the One Ring was revealed and the decision was made to destroy it. He volunteered to join the Fellowship, representing the Dwarves, and famously attempted to destroy the Ring by striking it with his axe upon the pedestal, shattering his weapon while the Ring remained unharmed [FOTR, Ch. 2, "The Council of Elrond"].

Gimli departed Rivendell with the Fellowship on December 25, T.A. 3018. During the journey south, he advocated strongly for the route through Moria, wishing to learn the fate of Balin's colony, which had attempted to recolonize the ancient Dwarf-kingdom. The Company ultimately chose Moria after the failed attempt to cross the Redhorn Gate (Caradhras) [FOTR, Ch. 4, "A Journey in the Dark"].

Within Moria, Gimli discovered the tomb of Balin in the Chamber of Mazarbul and learned from the tattered Book of Records that Balin's colony had been destroyed by Orcs. The Company fought a desperate battle in the chamber and fled through the halls, ultimately losing Gandalf in his confrontation with the Balrog known as Durin's Bane upon the Bridge of Khazad-dum [FOTR, Ch. 5, "The Bridge of Khazad-dum"].

After escaping Moria, the Fellowship traveled to Lothlorien. Gimli initially faced hostility from the border guards, who required him to be blindfolded as a Dwarf entering the realm. Gimli refused unless all the Company was likewise blindfolded, and Aragorn assented to this compromise [FOTR, Ch. 6, "Lothlorien"]. Within the Golden Wood, Gimli's encounter with the Lady Galadriel transformed him. He was struck by her beauty and grace, and when she asked what gift he would desire, he requested a single strand of her golden hair. Galadriel, moved by this request (which echoed and surpassed in courtesy the demand Feanor had once made of her), gave him three strands, which Gimli vowed to set in imperishable crystal [FOTR, Ch. 8, "Farewell to Lorien"].

At the breaking of the Fellowship upon Amon Hen, Gimli joined Aragorn and Legolas in pursuit of the Uruk-hai who had captured Merry and Pippin, choosing to leave Frodo and Sam to their own road toward Mordor [TTT, Book III, Ch. 1, "The Departure of Boromir"]. The three hunters ran across the plains of Rohan for three days and nights, covering forty-five leagues on foot [TTT, Book III, Ch. 2, "The Riders of Rohan"]. Though Gimli's endurance was sorely tested by the long chase (Dwarves being sprinters rather than distance runners), he persevered without complaint beyond occasional wry remarks.

In Fangorn Forest, the three hunters encountered the resurrected Gandalf the White [TTT, Book III, Ch. 5, "The White Rider"]. They then rode to Edoras, where Gandalf freed King Theoden from the influence of Saruman through his counselor Grima Wormtongue [TTT, Book III, Ch. 6, "The King of the Golden Hall"]. Gimli rode to the Battle of Helm's Deep behind Legolas on the horse Arod, and there he distinguished himself greatly in combat. During the battle, he and Legolas began their famous contest of Orc-slaying. At the battle's conclusion, Gimli's count stood at forty-two to Legolas's forty-one [TTT, Book III, Ch. 7, "Helm's Deep"; Ch. 8, "The Road to Isengard"].

During the battle, Gimli explored the caverns behind Helm's Deep, the Glittering Caves of Aglarond, and was profoundly moved by their beauty. He declared that the Dwarves would make a pilgrimage to behold them, and he waxed eloquent in describing their splendor to Legolas, who in turn described the beauty of Fangorn Forest. The two made a pact to visit both places together after the war [TTT, Book III, Ch. 8, "The Road to Isengard"].

Gimli accompanied Aragorn through the Paths of the Dead, where even his Dwarven courage was tested by the horror of the haunted passage [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 2, "The Passing of the Grey Company"]. He sailed with Aragorn and the Grey Company up the Anduin with the Dead Men of Dunharrow, arriving at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields aboard the black ships of the Corsairs [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 6, "The Battle of the Pelennor Fields"]. He also fought before the Black Gate of Mordor in the final diversionary battle [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 10, "The Black Gate Opens"].

After the War of the Ring, Gimli fulfilled his vow and became Lord of the Glittering Caves of Aglarond, leading a colony of Dwarves there. He performed great works, including the forging of new gates of mithril and steel for Minas Tirith to replace those broken by the Witch-king's battering ram Grond [ROTK, App. A]. His friendship with Legolas endured, and the two traveled together to visit both Fangorn Forest and the Glittering Caves as they had promised [ROTK, App. A].

According to tradition, after the death of King Elessar in Fourth Age 120, Gimli sailed West over the Sea with Legolas, becoming the only Dwarf ever known to have been permitted to enter the Undying Lands. It is said that the Lady Galadriel obtained this grace for him in recognition of his devotion to her [App. A].

## Personality

Gimli is proud, stubborn, courageous, and fiercely loyal. He possesses the characteristic Dwarvish qualities of hardiness, directness, and a deep appreciation for craftsmanship and the beauty of stone and metal. He is initially suspicious of Elves, carrying the ancient grudge between Dwarves and Elves that dates back to the First Age. However, his capacity for growth and admiration is demonstrated by his complete reversal of attitude toward Galadriel and his deep friendship with Legolas, which becomes one of the most celebrated cross-racial friendships in the history of Middle-earth [FOTR, Ch. 8; App. A].

Gimli possesses a dry, often self-deprecating wit, particularly regarding his own physical limitations during the chase across Rohan. He is a Dwarf of deep feeling, capable of great tenderness (as shown in his devotion to Galadriel) as well as fearsome battle-rage. He is practical, plain-spoken, and unafraid to voice his opinions, even in the councils of the great [TTT, Book III, Ch. 2; Ch. 8].

## Abilities and Skills

Gimli is a formidable warrior, skilled primarily with the axe, which is the traditional weapon of the Dwarves. He carries both a broad-bladed battle axe and smaller throwing axes. At Helm's Deep, he proved himself one of the deadliest fighters on the field, slaying forty-two Orcs in a single engagement [TTT, Book III, Ch. 7-8]. He possesses the legendary Dwarvish endurance and hardiness, the ability to bear burdens and withstand weariness that surpasses that of Men, though Dwarves are less suited to sustained long-distance running than the Dunedain [TTT, Book III, Ch. 2]. He has a Dwarf's innate sense for stonework and underground environments, as demonstrated in his navigation of Moria and his appreciation for the Glittering Caves [FOTR, Ch. 4; TTT, Book III, Ch. 8].

## Relationships

**Legolas**: What begins as mutual racial suspicion evolves into the deepest of friendships. Their Orc-slaying contest at Helm's Deep is an expression of their competitive camaraderie, and their pact to visit both Fangorn and the Glittering Caves together symbolizes their mutual respect. Legolas ultimately sails to the Undying Lands with Gimli, an act without precedent [TTT, Book III, Ch. 8; App. A].

**Galadriel**: Gimli's devotion to the Lady of Lorien is the great surprise of his character. His courteous and humble request for a strand of her hair, and her gift of three strands, represents a profound healing of the ancient rift between Elves and Dwarves. He treasures the strands above all worldly wealth and earns the epithet "Elf-friend" [FOTR, Ch. 8].

**Aragorn**: Gimli is a loyal and steadfast companion to Aragorn, following him through the Paths of the Dead and fighting beside him at every major engagement. Their bond is one of mutual martial respect [TTT, Book III; ROTK, Book V].

**Gloin**: Gimli's father, one of Thorin's original company. Their relationship is warm, as shown by their joint attendance at the Council of Elrond [FOTR, Ch. 2].

**The Fellowship**: Gimli is deeply affected by the death of Boromir and the breaking of the Fellowship. He proves his loyalty to all its members throughout the quest [TTT, Book III, Ch. 1].

## Appearances

- *The Fellowship of the Ring* (1954)
- *The Two Towers* (1954)
- *The Return of the King* (1955)
- *Appendices to The Lord of the Rings* (1955)
- *Unfinished Tales* (mentioned)

## Key Quotes

"Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens." [FOTR, Ch. 2, "The Ring Goes South"]

"I will take the gift of Galadriel. I asked for one hair from her golden head. She gave me three." (spoken to Legolas regarding his parting gift from Lorien) [FOTR, Ch. 8, "Farewell to Lorien"; recalled in TTT, Book III, Ch. 8]

"Let him not vow to walk in the dark, who has not seen a nightfall." [TTT, Book III, Ch. 8, "The Road to Isengard"]

## Notes

The request for Galadriel's hair carries profound legendarium significance. In the First Age, Feanor, the greatest of the Noldorin Elves, three times asked Galadriel for a strand of her hair, and she three times refused, perceiving his prideful spirit. That Galadriel gave three strands freely to Gimli, a Dwarf (the Dwarves being a race with which the Elves had long been in enmity), is a moment of immense symbolic weight, representing the healing of ancient divisions [UT, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn"]. Some scholars note that this scene, when read in the context of the Silmarillion, elevates Gimli's courtesy above that of the mightiest of Elves.

Gimli's passage to the Undying Lands is not confirmed with absolute certainty; the text notes "it is said" that he sailed with Legolas, indicating this is recorded tradition rather than established historical fact [App. A].

The age of Gimli at the time of the War of the Ring is 139, making him relatively young by Dwarvish reckoning (Dwarves typically live to around 250 years) [App. A].

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# BOROMIR

**Boromir**, son of Denethor II, was the eldest son of the ruling Steward of Gondor and a member of the Fellowship of the Ring. He held the title **Captain of the White Tower** and **High Warden of the White Tower**. His allegiance was to Gondor and the line of the Stewards. He fell in battle defending Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took from Uruk-hai at Amon Hen on February 26, T.A. 3019.

## Biography

Boromir was born in the year T.A. 2978, the elder of two sons born to Denethor II, Steward of Gondor, and Finduilas of Dol Amroth. His mother Finduilas, a woman of Numenorean descent from the coastal principality of Dol Amroth, died when Boromir was ten years old, in T.A. 2988, an event that deeply affected both brothers and further embittered their father [App. A; App. B].

Boromir grew to be the chief captain of Gondor, a man of great physical strength and martial prowess. He was beloved by the soldiers of Gondor and by his father Denethor, who openly favored him over his younger brother Faramir. Boromir commanded the defense of Osgiliath, the ruined city on the Anduin that served as Gondor's eastern frontier against Mordor [FOTR, Ch. 2, "The Council of Elrond"].

In June of T.A. 3018, Sauron's forces attacked Osgiliath in force. Boromir led the defense and managed to hold the western bank and destroy the last bridge, though the eastern half of the city was lost. During this battle, only Boromir and two others survived the crossing of the river after the bridge's destruction [FOTR, Ch. 2, "The Council of Elrond"].

Shortly before or after this battle, both Boromir and Faramir received a prophetic dream, which came first to Faramir and repeatedly, but once to Boromir. The dream contained a verse: "Seek for the Sword that was broken: / In Imladris it dwells; / There shall be counsels taken / Stronger than Morgul-spells. / There shall be shown a token / That Doom is near at hand, / For Isildur's Bane shall waken, / And the Halfling forth shall stand." Boromir claimed the errand to seek Imladris (Rivendell), though Faramir had wished to go. Denethor assented to Boromir's claim [FOTR, Ch. 2, "The Council of Elrond"].

Boromir's journey to Rivendell was long and perilous, taking one hundred and ten days. He lost his horse at the fording of the Greyflood (Tharbad) and completed the remainder of the journey on foot, arriving at Rivendell on the very eve of the Council [FOTR, Ch. 2, "The Council of Elrond"].

At the Council of Elrond, Boromir recounted the situation in Gondor and the verse of his dream. When the nature of the Ring was revealed and its destruction proposed, Boromir argued strongly that the Ring should be used as a weapon against Sauron rather than destroyed. He could not understand why so great a power should be cast away when Gondor so desperately needed aid. He was overruled, and the decision was made to destroy the Ring in the fires of Mount Doom. Nevertheless, Boromir volunteered to join the Fellowship, declaring his intent to go at least as far as Minas Tirith to defend his people [FOTR, Ch. 2, "The Council of Elrond"].

Throughout the journey south with the Fellowship, Boromir proved a valuable companion, sharing his strength and martial skill. He argued for the route through the Gap of Rohan rather than through Moria, and he bore the Hobbits Merry and Pippin through the snowdrifts on Caradhras when they could not walk [FOTR, Ch. 3, "The Ring Goes South"]. In Moria, he fought bravely against the Orcs and the Cave-troll in the Chamber of Mazarbul [FOTR, Ch. 5, "The Bridge of Khazad-dum"].

However, the corrupting influence of the One Ring gradually worked upon Boromir's mind throughout the journey. His desire to use the Ring to save Gondor grew stronger. In Lothlorien, his manner became increasingly troubled, and the Company noted his unease [FOTR, Ch. 7, "The Mirror of Galadriel"].

The crisis came at Amon Hen (the Hill of the Eye) above Rauros Falls, where the Company had to choose their onward route. Boromir sought out Frodo alone and attempted to persuade him to bring the Ring to Minas Tirith. When Frodo refused, Boromir's desire overcame him, and he tried to take the Ring by force. Frodo put on the Ring and became invisible, fleeing from Boromir. Boromir stumbled and fell, and as the madness passed, he wept and called after Frodo, begging him to return, but Frodo was gone [FOTR, Ch. 10, "The Breaking of the Fellowship"].

The assault by Saruman's Uruk-hai came shortly after. Boromir, seeking to redeem his failure, threw himself into the defense of Merry and Pippin. He sounded the great Horn of Gondor (an heirloom of the Stewards, given to the eldest son) and fought ferociously, slaying many Orcs. He was pierced by many arrows and fell. The Uruk-hai captured Merry and Pippin despite his sacrifice [TTT, Book III, Ch. 1, "The Departure of Boromir"].

Aragorn found Boromir dying, his back against a tree, pierced with many black-feathered arrows, his sword broken beside him, and the bodies of twenty Orcs around him. In his final moments, Boromir confessed his attempt to take the Ring from Frodo: "I tried to take the Ring from Frodo. I am sorry. I have paid." He acknowledged Aragorn as his king, saying, "I would have followed you, my brother, my captain, my king." Aragorn kissed his brow and assured him that he had conquered, for few had achieved such a victory. Boromir smiled and spoke no more [TTT, Book III, Ch. 1, "The Departure of Boromir"].

Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli laid Boromir's body in one of the Elven boats of Lorien with his weapons and the weapons of his slain enemies, and sent him over the Falls of Rauros in funeral. The broken Horn of Gondor was cloven in two; the pieces were later found washed ashore and brought to Denethor in Minas Tirith [TTT, Book III, Ch. 1; ROTK, Book V, Ch. 1, "Minas Tirith"].

## Personality

Boromir is a complex figure defined by the tension between his noble qualities and his fatal susceptibility to the Ring's corruption. He is brave, physically powerful, proud, and deeply devoted to Gondor and its people. He possesses the Numenorean virtue of lordliness and inspires great love and loyalty among the soldiers he commands [FOTR, Ch. 2; App. A].

His primary flaw is his pride and his belief that strength of arms can answer all threats. He cannot accept that the Ring must be destroyed rather than wielded, because his entire life has been defined by the struggle to defend Gondor through force of arms. His temptation by the Ring is not born of evil but of desperate love for his country and his people [FOTR, Ch. 2; Ch. 10].

Yet his final act demonstrates that his true nature is heroic and self-sacrificing. His repentance is immediate and genuine, and his death in defense of the Hobbits he had come to love is presented as both a tragedy and a redemption [TTT, Book III, Ch. 1].

## Abilities and Skills

Boromir is one of the most formidable warriors in the Fellowship, described as a great man of strength and valor. He is tall, with a fair and noble face, dark-haired, and grey-eyed, possessing the appearance of the Numenorean bloodline though it runs less true in him than in Faramir [App. A]. He carries the great sword of the House of the Stewards and bears the Horn of Gondor, a great horn tipped with silver that, by tradition, could be heard throughout the boundaries of Gondor when blown [FOTR, Ch. 2]. He is experienced in warfare, having commanded the defense of Osgiliath, and he is skilled in tactics and leadership [FOTR, Ch. 2].

## Relationships

**Faramir**: His younger brother, whom he loved deeply. Despite Denethor's favoritism, there was no jealousy between the brothers; Boromir served as Faramir's protector and champion. Faramir later recounted that there was never rivalry between them [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 5, "The Window on the West"].

**Denethor II**: His father, the Steward of Gondor. Denethor favored Boromir above Faramir and was devastated by news of his death. The loss contributed to Denethor's despair and eventual madness [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 4, "The Siege of Gondor"; Ch. 7, "The Pyre of Denethor"].

**Aragorn**: Boromir's relationship with Aragorn is complex. He initially resents Aragorn's claim to the kingship of Gondor, as the Stewards had ruled in the king's absence for nearly a thousand years. Yet in his dying moments, Boromir acknowledges Aragorn as his rightful king, completing his arc of acceptance [TTT, Book III, Ch. 1].

**Merry and Pippin**: Boromir develops a genuine protective affection for the two younger Hobbits, teaching them swordplay during the journey and ultimately dying in their defense [FOTR, Ch. 3; TTT, Book III, Ch. 1].

**Frodo**: Boromir's relationship with the Ring-bearer is the most fraught in the Fellowship. His attempt to seize the Ring from Frodo is the act that breaks the Company, yet Frodo's later memory of Boromir is tempered by the knowledge of his redemption [FOTR, Ch. 10; ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 1].

## Appearances

- *The Fellowship of the Ring* (1954)
- *The Two Towers* (1954) (opening chapter; mentioned subsequently)
- *The Return of the King* (1955) (mentioned in Faramir's and Denethor's accounts)
- *Unfinished Tales* (mentioned)

## Key Quotes

"One does not simply walk into Mordor. Its black gates are guarded by more than just Orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep. The great Eye is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland, riddled with fire, ash, and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is folly." [FOTR, Ch. 2, "The Council of Elrond"]

"I tried to take the Ring from Frodo. I am sorry. I have paid." [TTT, Book III, Ch. 1, "The Departure of Boromir"]

"I would have followed you, my brother, my captain, my king." [TTT, Book III, Ch. 1, "The Departure of Boromir"]

## Notes

Boromir's fall and redemption is one of the central moral statements of *The Lord of the Rings*. Tolkien presents the Ring's corruption not as a mark of evil character but as an exploitation of genuine virtues (love of country, desire to protect the innocent) twisted toward domination. Boromir's ability to repent and his sacrificial death place him firmly among the heroic figures of the legendarium rather than among the fallen.

The Horn of Gondor is an heirloom of the eldest sons of the Stewards, made from the horn of a wild ox of the eastern lands (Rhun), given to Vorondil the Hunter, father of Mardil, the first Ruling Steward [App. A]. Its sounding at Amon Hen was heard faintly in Minas Tirith by Denethor [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 1].

Tolkien's portrayal of Boromir has notable parallels to the medieval literary tradition of the flawed knight whose courage and repentance redeem a moment of weakness. Within the context of the Catholic moral framework informing Tolkien's work, Boromir's confession, repentance, and sacrificial death carry clear significance.

---

# MERIADOC "MERRY" BRANDYBUCK

**Meriadoc Brandybuck** (commonly known as **Merry**), full name **Meriadoc, son of Saradoc Brandybuck**, is a Hobbit of the Shire and a member of the Fellowship of the Ring. His later titles include **Master of Buckland**, **Holdwine of the Mark** (an honorific granted by King Eomer of Rohan), and **Counsellor of the North-kingdom**. He is a Hobbit of the Brandybuck family, one of the leading families of Buckland, located on the eastern border of the Shire.

## Biography

Merry was born in the year T.A. 2982, the son of Saradoc Brandybuck, the Master of Buckland. The Brandybucks were an unusual Hobbit family, dwelling east of the Brandywine River in Buckland, a region considered slightly foreign and adventurous by the Hobbits of the main Shire [FOTR, Prologue; App. B; App. C].

Merry was one of Frodo Baggins's closest friends from youth. When Frodo made the decision to leave the Shire in T.A. 3018, Merry, along with Pippin and Sam, had already discovered Frodo's secret (that he possessed the Ring Bilbo had found and that he intended to leave). They had organized a "conspiracy" to ensure they accompanied him, with Fredegar "Fatty" Bolger serving as an accomplice. Merry had been conducting research, having borrowed and read Bilbo's private book about his adventures, and had even glimpsed Bilbo using the Ring to become invisible [FOTR, Ch. 5, "A Conspiracy Unmasked"].

Merry helped organize Frodo's move to Crickhollow in Buckland as cover for his departure. When Frodo revealed his intention to leave, Merry and the other conspirators insisted on accompanying him. The group departed through the Old Forest, where they encountered Old Man Willow and were rescued by Tom Bombadil [FOTR, Ch. 6, "The Old Forest"; Ch. 7, "In the House of Tom Bombadil"].

On the Barrow-downs, the Hobbits were captured by a Barrow-wight and imprisoned in a burial mound. They were again rescued by Tom Bombadil. From the barrow, the Hobbits received ancient Dunedain daggers, blades forged in the North-kingdom of Arnor by the Dunedain for their wars against Angmar. Merry's blade, wrought with spells for the bane of Angmar, would prove to be of critical importance [FOTR, Ch. 8, "Fog on the Barrow-downs"].

The Hobbits arrived at Bree and met Aragorn (as Strider) at the Prancing Pony. Merry had gone outside and witnessed a Black Rider in the streets, and was overcome by the Black Breath, briefly falling unconscious. He was found and revived, bringing warning that the Nazgul were present in Bree [FOTR, Ch. 10, "Strider"; Ch. 11, "A Knife in the Dark"].

Merry traveled with the Company to Rivendell and was chosen as one of the nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring, representing (along with Pippin) the Hobbits of the Shire in addition to Frodo and Sam. Elrond initially hesitated to include the two younger Hobbits, but Gandalf argued for their inclusion [FOTR, Ch. 2, "The Ring Goes South"].

During the journey with the Fellowship, Merry proved a reliable and thoughtful companion. He was attentive to details and often showed a practical intelligence that complemented the Company's strengths. After the breaking of the Fellowship at Amon Hen, Merry and Pippin were captured by Saruman's Uruk-hai, who had orders to bring Halflings to Isengard [TTT, Book III, Ch. 1, "The Departure of Boromir"; Ch. 3, "The Uruk-hai"].

During their captivity, Merry and Pippin endured harsh treatment. They were bound and carried by the Orcs on a forced march across Rohan. Through cleverness, Merry managed to cut his bonds and leave his Elven brooch on the ground as a sign for any pursuers [TTT, Book III, Ch. 3, "The Uruk-hai"]. When the Rohirrim under Eomer attacked the Orc band at the edge of Fangorn Forest, the two Hobbits escaped into the forest during the confusion [TTT, Book III, Ch. 3, "The Uruk-hai"].

In Fangorn, Merry and Pippin encountered Treebeard (Fangorn), the eldest of the Ents. Their account of Saruman's treachery and his Orcs' destruction of trees stirred Treebeard and the Ents to action. The resulting Entmoot decided that the Ents would march against Isengard [TTT, Book III, Ch. 4, "Treebeard"]. Merry and Pippin accompanied the Ents in the assault on Isengard, witnessing the destruction of Saruman's fortress and the flooding of the Ring of Isengard by the Ents' breaking of the river dam [TTT, Book III, Ch. 9, "Flotsam and Jetsam"].

After the confrontation between Gandalf and Saruman at Orthanc, Merry and Pippin were reunited with the rest of the Fellowship (except Frodo and Sam). The Company traveled to Helm's Deep and thence to Edoras [TTT, Book III, Ch. 10, "The Voice of Saruman"; Ch. 11, "The Palantir"].

At the parting of the Company, Merry was left behind by Gandalf and Pippin (who rode to Minas Tirith) and instead attached himself to the Rohirrim. King Theoden, who had grown fond of Merry, named him an esquire of Rohan and gave him the name "Holdwine" (meaning "loyal friend"). However, when the Rohirrim mustered for war and rode to Gondor's aid, Theoden reluctantly ordered Merry to remain behind, as the horses could not bear Hobbits over such a distance at speed [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 2, "The Passing of the Grey Company"; Ch. 3, "The Muster of Rohan"].

The Rider Dernhelm, who was in fact Eowyn, the king's niece, in secret disguise, took Merry up on her horse and bore him to battle. Merry rode hidden beneath her cloak throughout the ride to Gondor [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 3, "The Muster of Rohan"; Ch. 5, "The Ride of the Rohirrim"].

At the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, Merry achieved his greatest deed. When the Witch-king of Angmar, Lord of the Nazgul, struck down King Theoden and his horse Snowmane, and confronted Eowyn, Merry crept up behind the Wraith-lord and stabbed him in the sinew behind his knee with his ancient Dunedain blade. This stroke, made with a weapon specifically forged with spells against Angmar, broke the spell that held the Witch-king's undead form together. Eowyn then drove her sword into the void where his face would have been, and the Witch-king was destroyed. The prophecy of Glorfindel, spoken a thousand years earlier, that the Witch-king would "not fall by the hand of man," was fulfilled: he was brought down by a woman and a Hobbit [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 6, "The Battle of the Pelennor Fields"; App. A].

The effort of striking the Nazgul nearly cost Merry his life. His sword arm went numb and cold from the Black Breath, and he stumbled through the battlefield, lost and forgotten. He was found by Pippin, who had come out with the sortie from the city, and was brought to the Houses of Healing. There, Aragorn healed him using athelas (kingsfoil), fulfilling another sign of the returned king: "The hands of the king are the hands of a healer" [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 8, "The Houses of Healing"].

Merry was unable to ride to the Black Gate with the Host of the West due to his injuries, but he recovered and was present for the celebrations after the fall of Sauron [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 4, "The Field of Cormallen"; Ch. 5, "The Steward and the King"].

Upon returning to the Shire, Merry played a leading role in the Scouring of the Shire, the campaign to liberate the Shire from the occupation by Saruman (going by "Sharkey") and his ruffians. Merry and Pippin, now experienced warriors and natural leaders, rallied the Hobbits and led them in the Battle of Bywater, the last battle of the War of the Ring [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 8, "The Scouring of the Shire"].

Merry later succeeded his father as Master of Buckland and was made a Counsellor of the North-kingdom by King Elessar. He and Pippin became the tallest Hobbits in history, almost certainly due to having drunk the Ent-draughts given to them by Treebeard in Fangorn [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 8; App. C]. In his later years, Merry wrote several scholarly works, including *Herblore of the Shire*, *The Reckoning of Years*, and *Old Words and Names in the Shire* [ROTK, Prologue].

In the year F.A. 63, Merry and Pippin, now aged Hobbits, left the Shire and traveled to Rohan and then to Gondor, where they died and were laid to rest in the hallowed tombs of the Kings in Rath Dinen, Minas Tirith, beside King Elessar [App. B].

## Personality

Merry is the most intellectually sharp and practically minded of the four Hobbit members of the Fellowship. He is organized, brave, and perceptive, often the one who thinks ahead and formulates plans. His role in the "conspiracy" to uncover Frodo's secret demonstrates his investigative nature [FOTR, Ch. 5]. He possesses genuine courage that reveals itself not in rashness but in measured determination, as demonstrated by his resolve to fight at the Pelennor Fields despite being told he was too small to be of use [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 6].

He is deeply loyal to his friends and to those who show him kindness, particularly King Theoden, for whom he develops a filial devotion. His grief at Theoden's death is among the most moving passages in the book [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 6].

## Abilities and Skills

Merry is among the most learned of Hobbits, with a keen interest in maps, history, and herblore. His scholarly nature is demonstrated by the academic works he produced in later life [ROTK, Prologue]. In combat, he is competent with the Dunedain blade given to him at the Barrow-downs, and this blade proves to be the decisive weapon against the Witch-king [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 6]. After training as an esquire of Rohan, he gains skill in the martial customs of the Rohirrim [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 3]. He also demonstrates leadership ability in the Scouring of the Shire, where he helps organize and lead the Hobbit resistance [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 8].

## Relationships

**Pippin (Peregrin Took)**: Merry's closest companion, cousin, and lifelong friend. The two are nearly inseparable throughout most of the story, and their temporary parting (Pippin to Minas Tirith, Merry to Rohan) is a source of pain for both [ROTK, Book V].

**Frodo Baggins**: Merry's elder cousin and the friend whose secret quest prompted the conspiracy. Merry's devotion to Frodo is unwavering from the beginning [FOTR, Ch. 5].

**Theoden**: The King of Rohan becomes a surrogate father figure to Merry. Their bond, though brief, is among the most tender in the book. Merry's devotion to Theoden drives his choice to ride to battle in defiance of orders [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 3; Ch. 6].

**Eowyn**: Merry's comrade-in-arms at the Pelennor. Together they accomplish the destruction of the Witch-king, and their shared act of courage and defiance forges a permanent bond [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 6].

**Treebeard**: Merry (along with Pippin) develops a unique relationship with the eldest Ent, who finds the Hobbits "hasty" but endearing. The Ent-draughts Treebeard gives them have a lasting physical effect [TTT, Book III, Ch. 4].

## Appearances

- *The Fellowship of the Ring* (1954)
- *The Two Towers* (1954)
- *The Return of the King* (1955)
- *Appendices to The Lord of the Rings* (1955)

## Key Quotes

"You can trust us to stick to you through thick and thin, to the bitter end. And you can trust us to keep any secret of yours, closer than you keep it yourself. But you cannot trust us to let you face trouble alone, and go off without a word." [FOTR, Ch. 5, "A Conspiracy Unmasked"]

"I am a hobbit and no more valiant than I am a man, and I was afraid. But I was willing." (paraphrased from his reflections; the sentiment pervades his characterization) [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 8]

## Notes

The blade that Merry uses against the Witch-king is of critical importance to the plot. Forged by the Dunedain of Arnor, it was imbued with spells specifically harmful to the Witch-king of Angmar, as the North-kingdom had been destroyed by Angmar in its wars. Tom Bombadil chose these blades specifically from the barrow of a prince of Cardolan, suggesting some possible deeper purpose or foresight [FOTR, Ch. 8; ROTK, App. A].

The prophecy concerning the Witch-king, spoken by Glorfindel after the Battle of Fornost in T.A. 1975, stated: "Do not pursue him! He will not return to this land. Far off yet is his doom, and not by the hand of man will he fall." [App. A]. The fulfillment by Eowyn and Merry, neither of whom is a "man" in the strict sense, echoes the similar wordplay in Shakespeare's *Macbeth*, which Tolkien found unsatisfying in its original form and sought to improve upon in his own work (per his letters).

Merry's epithet "Holdwine of the Mark" comes from Old English, the language Tolkien used to represent the tongue of Rohan; it translates to "loyal friend" [App. F].

---

# PEREGRIN "PIPPIN" TOOK

**Peregrin Took** (commonly known as **Pippin**), full name **Peregrin, son of Paladin Took II**, is a Hobbit of the Shire and a member of the Fellowship of the Ring. His later titles include **Thain of the Shire** (the thirty-second of the Took line), **Knight of Gondor** (sworn to the service of the Steward Denethor II and confirmed by King Elessar), and **Counsellor of the North-kingdom**. He is the youngest member of the Fellowship.

## Biography

Pippin was born in T.A. 2990, the son of Paladin Took II, who would become the Thain of the Shire. The Tooks were the most prominent and adventurous family of the Shire, and the Thainship was a hereditary office of nominal leadership. Pippin was the youngest of the four Hobbit members of the Fellowship, being only twenty-eight at the time of the quest (not yet of age by Hobbit reckoning, as Hobbits come of age at thirty-three) [App. B; App. C; FOTR, Prologue].

Pippin was part of the "conspiracy" organized by Merry to ensure that Frodo would not leave the Shire alone. Though the youngest and least experienced of the group, his loyalty to Frodo was unquestioned [FOTR, Ch. 5, "A Conspiracy Unmasked"]. He accompanied Frodo, Sam, and Merry through the Old Forest, the Barrow-downs, and to Bree, and thence to Rivendell.

At the Council of Elrond, Pippin was chosen as the ninth member of the Fellowship, though Elrond expressed particular reluctance about including so young a Hobbit. Gandalf defended the choice, arguing that the lists of the great could not replace the loyalty of friends [FOTR, Ch. 2, "The Ring Goes South"].

During the passage through Moria, Pippin inadvertently caused alarm by dropping a stone (and the bucket attached to it, and a chain) down a well in the Guard-room, producing a series of echoing crashes that Gandalf rebuked sharply: "Fool of a Took!" The disturbance alerted the Orcs and possibly the Balrog to the Company's presence [FOTR, Ch. 4, "A Journey in the Dark"].

After the breaking of the Fellowship at Amon Hen, Pippin and Merry were captured by the Uruk-hai. During the forced march, Pippin managed to drop his Elven brooch from Lorien as a sign for their pursuers [TTT, Book III, Ch. 3, "The Uruk-hai"]. (Note: the text is slightly ambiguous; some passages suggest it was Merry who left the brooch, while others attribute the dropping of signs to Pippin. The two Hobbits cooperated in leaving trail markers during their captivity.)

After escaping into Fangorn Forest and meeting Treebeard, Pippin and Merry played a crucial role in rousing the Ents to march on Isengard. Pippin's youthful energy and directness helped convince Treebeard that Saruman's threat was real and immediate [TTT, Book III, Ch. 4, "Treebeard"].

After the fall of Isengard and the reunion with the other members of the Fellowship, Pippin committed his most consequential impulsive act. Driven by curiosity, he took the palantir of Orthanc from the sleeping Gandalf and looked into it. He was seen by Sauron himself, who mistook Pippin for the Hobbit who bore the Ring and tried to interrogate him. Pippin resisted (partly because he had no information to give) and was released when Gandalf seized the stone from him [TTT, Book III, Ch. 11, "The Palantir"].

This incident had far-reaching consequences. Gandalf, fearing that Sauron would now strike quickly at Rohan or Gondor to seize what he believed was the Ring-bearer, rode immediately to Minas Tirith with Pippin on the horse Shadowfax. This separated Pippin from Merry and brought him to Gondor [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 1, "Minas Tirith"].

In Minas Tirith, Pippin was brought before Denethor, the Steward of Gondor. Moved by grief and gratitude (for Boromir had died defending Pippin and Merry), and perhaps by a desire to have a Hobbit in his service as Sauron seemed to value them, Pippin impulsively offered his service to Denethor and was sworn in as a Guard of the Citadel, a soldier of Gondor [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 1, "Minas Tirith"].

During the siege of Minas Tirith, Pippin served faithfully. He befriended Beregond, a soldier of the Guard, and his son Bergil. When Denethor, driven mad by despair and the deceptions of the palantir, attempted to burn himself and the unconscious Faramir alive on a funeral pyre, Pippin alerted Gandalf and Beregond. Beregond fought and killed the servants who were preparing the pyre, and Gandalf arrived in time to save Faramir, though Denethor immolated himself [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 4, "The Siege of Gondor"; Ch. 7, "The Pyre of Denethor"].

After the battle of the Pelennor Fields, Pippin found Merry, lost and suffering from the Black Breath, on the battlefield and brought him to the Houses of Healing [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 8, "The Houses of Healing"].

Pippin marched with the Host of the West to the Black Gate. In the final battle before the Morannon, Pippin slew a great troll-chief who had killed Beregond. He was found unconscious beneath the troll's body after the battle, having been saved when the Ring was destroyed and Sauron's forces collapsed [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 10, "The Black Gate Opens"; Book VI, Ch. 4, "The Field of Cormallen"].

Upon returning to the Shire, Pippin was among the leaders of the Scouring of the Shire, riding into Bywater in his armor of Gondor and the livery of the Tower Guard. He and Merry rallied the Hobbits and led the Battle of Bywater [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 8, "The Scouring of the Shire"].

Pippin eventually succeeded his father as the Thain of the Shire, the thirty-second of the Took line. He was confirmed as a Knight of Gondor by King Elessar and served as a Counsellor of the North-kingdom. In F.A. 63, he and Merry departed the Shire for Rohan and Gondor, where they died and were laid to rest beside King Elessar in Rath Dinen [App. B; App. C].

## Personality

Pippin is characterized by youthful impetuosity, irrepressible curiosity, and a warm, generous heart. He is the most impulsive of the Hobbits, and his curiosity frequently leads him into trouble (the well in Moria, the palantir of Orthanc), yet these very qualities often prove to be the agents of providence, redirecting events toward their necessary course [FOTR, Ch. 4; TTT, Book III, Ch. 11].

Over the course of the story, Pippin matures considerably. The reckless young Hobbit who dropped a stone down a well in Moria becomes the soldier who stands before the Black Gate, and the quick-thinking esquire who saves Faramir's life. His growth is among the most marked of any character in the book [ROTK, Book V].

Despite his growth, Pippin retains his essential cheerfulness and love of food, comfort, and good company. He is sociable and likable, making friends easily among Men (Beregond, Bergil) as well as among the other peoples of Middle-earth [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 1].

## Abilities and Skills

Pippin is not initially a warrior, but he develops competence through his experiences. By the time of the Battle of Bywater, he is a trained soldier of Gondor, wearing the livery of the Tower Guard and bearing a sword. He demonstrates genuine courage at the Black Gate, slaying a troll-chief in combat [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 10]. His most valuable abilities are perhaps his sociability (which allows him to navigate the court of Denethor and befriend Beregond) and his quick thinking in crisis (alerting Gandalf to Denethor's madness) [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 7].

The Ent-draughts consumed in Fangorn give him (and Merry) unusual height for Hobbits, reaching four and a half feet; they became the tallest Hobbits in Shire history [TTT, Book III, Ch. 4; App. C].

## Relationships

**Merry (Meriadoc Brandybuck)**: Pippin's closest companion, cousin, and the person he trusts most in the world. Their forced separation (Pippin to Gondor, Merry to Rohan) is one of the most emotionally resonant partings in the story. Their reunion on the Pelennor Fields, when Pippin finds the wounded Merry, is deeply affecting [ROTK, Book V].

**Gandalf**: Pippin's relationship with Gandalf evolves from that of a mildly exasperated mentor and a troublesome charge to one of genuine mutual affection and respect. Gandalf's famous rebuke, "Fool of a Took," belies a deep caring. Gandalf chooses to bring Pippin to Minas Tirith partly to protect him from Sauron's attention [FOTR, Ch. 4; ROTK, Book V, Ch. 1].

**Denethor**: Pippin's service to the Steward of Gondor is complex. He swears fealty out of genuine gratitude for Boromir's sacrifice, but he quickly perceives Denethor's growing madness. His decision to defy Denethor and save Faramir is an act of considerable moral courage [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 1; Ch. 7].

**Beregond**: Pippin's friendship with this soldier of the Citadel Guard provides his connection to everyday Gondorian life and becomes crucial when Beregond helps him save Faramir [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 1; Ch. 7].

**Treebeard**: Treebeard finds both Hobbits delightful and puzzling, calling them "hasty folk." The Ent's fondness for them is genuine, and his Ent-draughts leave a permanent mark [TTT, Book III, Ch. 4].

## Appearances

- *The Fellowship of the Ring* (1954)
- *The Two Towers* (1954)
- *The Return of the King* (1955)
- *Appendices to The Lord of the Rings* (1955)

## Key Quotes

"I don't want to be in a battle. But waiting on the edge of one I can't escape is even worse." [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 1, "Minas Tirith"; paraphrase of the sentiment expressed in his service to Denethor]

"Short cuts make long delays." (Pippin, recalling a saying; also attributed to Pippin in various formulations throughout the early chapters) [FOTR, Ch. 4, "A Short Cut to Mushrooms"]

"It is best to love first what you are fitted to love, I suppose: you must start somewhere and have some roots, and the soil of the Shire is deep." [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 1, "Minas Tirith"; spoken in conversation with Bergil, though the attribution of this precise phrasing is sometimes given to Merry]

## Notes

Pippin's look into the palantir is one of the great "fortunate accidents" of the War of the Ring. By revealing a Hobbit to Sauron, it reinforced the Dark Lord's erroneous belief that the Ring was being brought to Minas Tirith, drawing his attention westward and away from Frodo's approach to Mordor from the east. Gandalf recognizes this, noting that "the fool's hope" sometimes serves better than the counsels of the wise [TTT, Book III, Ch. 11; ROTK, Book V, Ch. 1].

Pippin's age at the time of the quest (twenty-eight, not yet of age by Hobbit standards) makes him the equivalent of a teenager in Hobbit terms, which contextualizes much of his behavior. Merry, at thirty-six, is technically a young adult, while Frodo at fifty is middle-aged and Sam at thirty-eight is in his prime [App. B; App. C].

The Took family has a tradition of adventurousness unusual among Hobbits, attributed to a legendary infusion of Fairy (i.e., possibly Fallohide) blood. Pippin's ancestor Bandobras "Bullroarer" Took was famous for his unusual height and for charging into battle at the Battle of Greenfields, where he knocked off the goblin chief Golfimbul's head with a club [FOTR, Prologue; TH, Ch. 1].

---

# BILBO BAGGINS

**Bilbo Baggins** (also known as the **Ring-winner**, **Barrel-rider**, **Elf-friend**, **Burglar**, and various other epithets he gave himself or earned during his adventures) is a Hobbit of the Shire and the central protagonist of *The Hobbit*. He is the finder of the One Ring in the caverns beneath the Misty Mountains, the author of *There and Back Again* (his account of the quest to Erebor), and a minor but crucial figure in the War of the Ring as the Ring's prior keeper. His allegiance is to the Shire, to Gandalf, and to the Free Peoples.

## Biography

### Early Life

Bilbo was born on September 22, T.A. 2890, to Bungo Baggins and Belladonna Took. Through his mother, he was connected to the adventurous Took family; through his father, to the entirely respectable Baggins family of Bag End, Hobbiton. His parents' marriage united the two most contrasting tendencies in Hobbit nature: the Tookish love of adventure and the Baggins love of comfort and predictability. Bilbo inherited both, though for the first fifty years of his life, the Baggins side predominated [TH, Ch. 1, "An Unexpected Party"; FOTR, Prologue].

Bilbo was a well-to-do bachelor Hobbit living in Bag End, the finest Hobbit-hole in Hobbiton, which his father Bungo had built for Belladonna. He lived alone after his parents' deaths, comfortable, well-fed, and entirely unremarkable by Shire standards [TH, Ch. 1].

### The Quest to Erebor (T.A. 2941)

Bilbo's life was transformed on an April morning in T.A. 2941, when Gandalf the Grey appeared at his door and marked it with a sign that led thirteen Dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield, to arrive for an unexpected party. Gandalf had selected Bilbo as the fourteenth member of the Company and their "burglar," to the bafflement of both the Dwarves and Bilbo himself. The quest was to reclaim the Lonely Mountain (Erebor) and its treasure from the dragon Smaug [TH, Ch. 1, "An Unexpected Party"; Ch. 2, "Roast Mutton"].

Bilbo's early performance on the quest was inauspicious. He was captured along with the Dwarves by three trolls (Tom, Bert, and William), was rescued by Gandalf's trickery, and proved generally out of his depth. However, events in the Misty Mountains changed everything [TH, Ch. 2; Ch. 4, "Over Hill and Under Hill"].

After the Company was captured by goblins in the Misty Mountains and Gandalf rescued them, Bilbo was separated from the group during the escape. Lost in the deep tunnels, he found a gold ring lying on the passage floor and placed it in his pocket [TH, Ch. 5, "Riddles in the Dark"]. He then encountered Gollum, a wretched creature living on an island in an underground lake. The two engaged in a contest of riddles, with Bilbo's life as the stake. Bilbo won (somewhat questionably, as his final "riddle" was the question "What have I got in my pocket?"), and upon discovering that the ring Bilbo had found was his own "Precious" (the One Ring, though neither Bilbo nor Tolkien's original text identified it as such at the time of first publication), Gollum flew into a rage. Bilbo, discovering the Ring's power of invisibility by accident, used it to escape past Gollum and out the goblins' back door [TH, Ch. 5].

This discovery of the Ring's power of invisibility transformed Bilbo's role in the quest. He rescued the Dwarves from the giant spiders of Mirkwood by using the Ring and his Elven-blade (which he named Sting) [TH, Ch. 8, "Flies and Spiders"]. He freed them from the dungeons of the Elvenking Thranduil by using the Ring to move unseen and devised the escape by barrel [TH, Ch. 9, "Barrels Out of Bond"; Ch. 10, "A Warm Welcome"].

At the Lonely Mountain, Bilbo entered Smaug's lair alone through the secret passage and conversed with the dragon, speaking in riddles and earning the names he gave himself: "Barrel-rider," "Ring-winner," "Luck-wearer," "Web-cutter," and others. He discovered the gap in Smaug's jeweled armor and brought this intelligence back to the Dwarves. This information (overheard by the thrush) was ultimately passed to Bard the Bowman of Lake-town, who used it to slay Smaug with the Black Arrow [TH, Ch. 12, "Inside Information"; Ch. 14, "Fire and Water"].

In the standoff that followed Smaug's death, as Thorin refused to share any of the treasure with the Men of Lake-town and the Elves of Mirkwood, Bilbo took the most valuable and coveted item, the Arkenstone of Thrain, and secretly gave it to Bard and the Elvenking as a bargaining chip for negotiation. When Thorin discovered this, he was furious and nearly killed Bilbo, who was saved by Gandalf's intervention. Bilbo renounced his share of the treasure [TH, Ch. 16, "A Thief in the Night"; Ch. 17, "The Clouds Burst"].

The standoff was resolved by the Battle of Five Armies, in which Dwarves, Men, and Elves were forced to unite against an army of Goblins and Wargs. Bilbo participated in the battle but was knocked unconscious early by a falling stone. Thorin was mortally wounded, and the two reconciled before Thorin's death. Bilbo departed with a modest share of treasure (two small chests of gold and silver), Sting, and a coat of mithril mail given by Thorin [TH, Ch. 17; Ch. 18, "The Return Journey"].

### Return and Later Life in the Shire

Bilbo returned to the Shire to find that he had been declared legally dead and his belongings were being auctioned off. He recovered most of his possessions but never entirely recovered his reputation for respectability among the Shire-folk. He settled back into Bag End and lived quietly for the next sixty years, though he was considered "queer" by his neighbors for his Elvish friends, his books, and his inexplicable wealth [TH, Ch. 19, "The Last Stage"; FOTR, Ch. 1, "A Long-Expected Party"].

During these years, Bilbo adopted his young cousin Frodo Baggins (actually his first cousin once removed on his mother's side, and his second cousin once removed on his father's side) as his heir, bringing Frodo to live at Bag End [FOTR, Ch. 1, "A Long-Expected Party"]. Bilbo kept the Ring, using it occasionally to avoid visitors, and wrote his memoirs (*There and Back Again*) and composed poetry and translations of Elvish texts.

### The Long-Expected Party and Departure (T.A. 3001)

On September 22, T.A. 3001, Bilbo celebrated his one hundred and eleventh birthday (his "eleventy-first" birthday) with a grand party that coincided with Frodo's thirty-third birthday (his coming of age). At the party's climax, Bilbo gave a speech, put on the Ring, and vanished in front of the assembled guests [FOTR, Ch. 1, "A Long-Expected Party"].

He returned to Bag End, where Gandalf was waiting. In a scene of considerable dramatic tension, Gandalf persuaded Bilbo to leave the Ring behind for Frodo. Bilbo was reluctant, calling it "my Precious" (echoing Gollum's language, which alarmed Gandalf), and briefly showed an ugly, possessive side before relenting. He left the Ring in an envelope on the mantelpiece and departed the Shire, traveling to Rivendell [FOTR, Ch. 1, "A Long-Expected Party"].

### Rivendell (T.A. 3001-3021)

Bilbo spent the remaining years of the Third Age in Rivendell as a guest of Elrond. He worked on his books, composed poetry (including the long poem "Earendil was a mariner," which he recited in the Hall of Fire), and translated Elvish texts. He also began writing the history of the First Age from Elvish sources, which he called *Translations from the Elvish* [FOTR, Ch. 1; Ch. 3, "Many Meetings"].

At the Council of Elrond, Bilbo offered to take the Ring to Mordor himself, though he was clearly too old and frail for the task. Elrond gently declined, and the task fell to Frodo. Bilbo gave Frodo his mithril coat and the sword Sting before the Fellowship's departure [FOTR, Ch. 2, "The Council of Elrond"; Ch. 3, "The Ring Goes South"].

### Departure to the Undying Lands (T.A. 3021)

After the War of the Ring, Bilbo was 131 years old and had become the oldest Hobbit in history, surpassing the Old Took (who had lived to 130). Without the Ring's life-preserving influence, he aged rapidly and was extremely frail. On September 29, T.A. 3021, Bilbo departed Middle-earth from the Grey Havens, sailing West to the Undying Lands with Gandalf, Frodo, Galadriel, and Elrond aboard one of the last Elven ships [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 9, "The Grey Havens"].

## Personality

Bilbo is a figure of paradox: a comfort-loving Hobbit who becomes an adventurer, a homebody who befriends Elves and Dwarves, a gentle soul capable of great courage. His character is defined by an internal tension between the "Baggins" and the "Took" sides of his nature, and the great theme of *The Hobbit* is the emergence of his hidden Tookish qualities under pressure [TH, Ch. 1; Ch. 12].

He is generous, good-humored, and possessed of a deep natural courtesy. He is also clever, resourceful, and capable of thinking laterally, qualities that make him far more useful as a "burglar" than physical prowess would. His pity for Gollum, when he could have killed the creature in the dark, is singled out by Gandalf as the defining moral act of the entire story, for it is this pity that ultimately allows the Ring to be destroyed [TH, Ch. 5; FOTR, Ch. 2, "The Shadow of the Past"].

The Ring's corrupting influence on Bilbo is subtler than on most bearers, owing partly to the pity with which he first came to possess it and partly to his Hobbit nature. Nevertheless, its effects are visible in his possessiveness, his unnaturally prolonged life, his feeling "thin, sort of stretched, like butter scraped over too much bread," and his reluctance to give it up [FOTR, Ch. 1; Ch. 2].

## Abilities and Skills

Bilbo is no warrior, but he possesses a natural stealth (common to all Hobbits, who can move with remarkable quietness) that is amplified enormously by the Ring's power of invisibility [TH, Ch. 1; Ch. 5]. He is resourceful and quick-witted, demonstrated by his victory in the riddle-game and his manipulation of the conversation with Smaug [TH, Ch. 5; Ch. 12]. He is competent enough with the sword Sting to fight off the Mirkwood spiders, though he is no match for trained warriors [TH, Ch. 8].

His most distinctive abilities are intellectual and creative. He is a skilled poet and writer, producing *There and Back Again*, substantial poetry, and *Translations from the Elvish*. He has an unusual (for a Hobbit) knowledge of Elvish languages and lore [FOTR, Ch. 1; Ch. 3; Prologue].

## Relationships

**Gandalf**: Bilbo's oldest and most important friend among the great. Gandalf chose Bilbo for the quest to Erebor, defended his inclusion, and later recognized the significance of the Ring that Bilbo had found. Their friendship spans decades, from the unexpected party to their shared departure to the Undying Lands [TH, Ch. 1; FOTR, Ch. 1; ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 9].

**Thorin Oakenshield**: A relationship that moves from mutual skepticism, to growing respect, to bitter rupture over the Arkenstone, and finally to deathbed reconciliation. Thorin's dying words to Bilbo acknowledge the Hobbit's worth: "If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world" [TH, Ch. 18].

**Frodo Baggins**: Bilbo's adopted heir and the person closest to his heart. Bilbo's decision to adopt Frodo and later his bequest of the Ring (though Bilbo did not understand its full nature) set in motion the central events of *The Lord of the Rings*. Their final reunion in Rivendell and shared passage to the Undying Lands book-end the story [FOTR, Ch. 1; Ch. 3; ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 9].

**Gollum**: Bilbo's encounter with Gollum is the pivotal event of *The Hobbit* and, by extension, of the entire legendarium. His pity for Gollum, his decision not to kill the wretched creature when he had the chance, is the foundational moral act upon which the success of the quest to destroy the Ring ultimately depends [TH, Ch. 5; FOTR, Ch. 2, "The Shadow of the Past"].

**The Dwarves of Thorin's Company**: Bilbo develops genuine affection for his thirteen Dwarf companions, despite their frequent doubts about him. He is particularly close to Balin, who later visits him in the Shire [TH; FOTR, Ch. 1].

**Elrond**: Bilbo is a welcome guest in Rivendell on multiple occasions and eventually lives there for twenty years. Elrond's hospitality and the intellectual life of Rivendell suit Bilbo's scholarly side perfectly [TH, Ch. 3; FOTR, Ch. 3].

## Appearances

- *The Hobbit* (1937)
- *The Fellowship of the Ring* (1954)
- *The Return of the King* (1955) (briefly)
- *Appendices to The Lord of the Rings* (1955)
- *Unfinished Tales* (referenced in "The Quest of Erebor")

## Key Quotes

"I am looking for someone to share in an adventure that I am arranging, and it's very difficult to find anyone." (Gandalf, to Bilbo, but the line defines their relationship) [TH, Ch. 1, "An Unexpected Party"]

"What have I got in my pocket?" [TH, Ch. 5, "Riddles in the Dark"]

"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve." [FOTR, Ch. 1, "A Long-Expected Party"]

"I am old, Gandalf. I don't look it, but I am beginning to feel it in my heart of hearts. Well-preserved indeed! Why, I feel all thin, sort of stretched, if you know what I mean: like butter that has been scraped over too much bread." [FOTR, Ch. 1, "A Long-Expected Party"]

## Notes

The chapter "Riddles in the Dark" exists in two versions. The original 1937 edition of *The Hobbit* presented Gollum as a more benign figure who willingly offered the Ring as a prize. When Tolkien developed the Ring into the One Ring for *The Lord of the Rings*, he revised the chapter (published in the 1951 second edition) to show Gollum as murderously possessive. Tolkien ingeniously explained the discrepancy within the fiction: the original version was Bilbo's lie, told to justify his claim to the Ring, while the revised version was the truth that Bilbo later confessed. Gandalf notes that Bilbo's willingness to lie about the Ring was the first sign of its corrupting influence [FOTR, Ch. 2, "The Shadow of the Past"].

Bilbo's age of 131 makes him the longest-lived Hobbit in recorded history, surpassing the Old Took's record of 130. This is attributed to the Ring's life-preserving powers, which stretched Bilbo's natural span beyond its limits [FOTR, Ch. 1; App. B].

The mithril coat that Bilbo received from Thorin and later gave to Frodo was worth more than the entire Shire and everything in it, as Gandalf notes. It saved Frodo's life in Moria when he was stabbed by an Orc-chieftain [FOTR, Ch. 5, "The Bridge of Khazad-dum"; TH, Ch. 13].

Tolkien's essay "The Quest of Erebor" (published in *Unfinished Tales*) provides Gandalf's retrospective account of why he arranged the quest and chose Bilbo specifically. Gandalf explains that he had a strong intuition that Bilbo would prove essential, though he did not know exactly how. This essay reveals that the quest to Erebor was, from Gandalf's perspective, strategically motivated: the dragon Smaug could have been used by Sauron as a devastating weapon, and eliminating him was a priority of the Wise [UT, "The Quest of Erebor"].

---

*Compiled from the works of J.R.R. Tolkien: The Hobbit (TH), The Lord of the Rings (FOTR, TTT, ROTK, and Appendices), The Silmarillion (Sil), and Unfinished Tales (UT). All citations reference the primary source texts.*

# Encyclopedia of Middle-earth: Character Profiles

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# ARWEN UNDÓMIEL

## Summary

Arwen Undómiel, also called Evenstar of her people, is a Half-elven noblewoman of the House of Elrond, daughter of Elrond Halfelven and Celebrían, and granddaughter of Galadriel and Celeborn. She is among the fairest of the Eldar living in Middle-earth during the Third Age, said to bear the likeness of Lúthien Tinúviel, the most beautiful of all the Children of Ilúvatar [App. A]. Her allegiance lies with the Free Peoples of Middle-earth, and she ultimately chooses a mortal life to wed Aragorn II Elessar, King of the Reunited Kingdom, surrendering her right to sail to the Undying Lands. She is one of the last Half-elven to make the Choice of the Peredil, selecting the fate of Men over that of the Elves [App. A].

## Biography

Arwen was born in the year 241 of the Third Age in Rivendell (Imladris), the youngest child and only daughter of Elrond and Celebrían [App. B]. She had two elder brothers, Elladan and Elrohir. For much of the Third Age, she dwelt in Rivendell and in Lothlórien with her maternal grandparents, Galadriel and Celeborn [App. A].

In the year 2509 of the Third Age, her mother Celebrían was captured by Orcs in the Redhorn Pass, and though rescued by Elladan and Elrohir, she received a poisoned wound that could not be fully healed. Celebrían departed over the Sea to the Undying Lands the following year, leaving Arwen without her mother for the remainder of the Third Age [App. A].

In the year 2951 T.A., Aragorn son of Arathorn, then twenty years old, met Arwen for the first time in Rivendell upon his return from the Wild. He was walking in the woods singing the Lay of Lúthien and came upon Arwen among the birches, and believed he had stumbled into a dream, for she seemed the very image of Lúthien. He fell in love with her at once and called her "Tinúviel," as Beren had done in the Elder Days [App. A].

Elrond, upon learning of his foster son's love for his daughter, told Aragorn that Arwen was of far greater lineage and had lived ages beyond mortal count, and that no lesser man than the King of both Gondor and Arnor would be worthy of her hand. Furthermore, Elrond revealed the bitter cost: if Arwen chose Aragorn, she must also choose mortality, and Elrond would suffer the grief of separation until the end of the world [App. A].

Years passed. Aragorn went into the Wild and labored long in the struggle against Sauron. In the year 2980 T.A., Aragorn came to Lothlórien, and there upon the hill of Cerin Amroth, Arwen made her choice. She pledged herself to Aragorn, forsaking her immortality and the Undying Lands. They plighted their troth on that green mound where Amroth and Nimrodel had once pledged their own love [App. A].

During the War of the Ring, Arwen remained in Rivendell. She wove a great standard for Aragorn, the banner of the Kings of Gondor bearing the White Tree and Seven Stars and the high crown, wrought of mithril and gold and gems, which was unfurled at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 6]. At the Council of Elrond, it was Arwen's choice that helped steel Elrond's resolve, for he understood that the fate of the Ring and the fate of his daughter were intertwined [App. A].

After the defeat of Sauron, Arwen and Aragorn were wedded on Midsummer's Day in Minas Tirith, and she became Queen of the Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor [App. A]. She bore Aragorn a son, Eldarion, and several daughters [App. A].

In the year 120 of the Fourth Age, Aragorn, aged 210, chose to lay down his life while still in the fullness of his mind. Arwen, confronted at last with the true weight of mortality, was stricken with grief. After Aragorn's death, she went to Lothlórien, which was now deserted and silent, its golden mallorn trees bare. There on Cerin Amroth, where she had once pledged her love, she laid herself down and passed from the world in the winter. Her green grave remained on Cerin Amroth until the world was changed [App. A].

## Personality

Arwen is portrayed as gentle, wise, and quietly resolute. She speaks little in the main text of *The Lord of the Rings*, yet her actions reveal deep conviction: she chooses mortality with full knowledge of its cost and does not waver in that choice across decades of waiting and uncertainty [App. A]. She possesses the serene dignity characteristic of the High Elves, yet her decision to bind herself to a mortal man reveals a depth of passion that echoes the great love stories of the Elder Days. In the tale of Aragorn and Arwen, she is the one who makes the decisive choice on Cerin Amroth, and she bears the weight of that choice with steadfast grace, even in its final bitterness [App. A].

## Abilities and Skills

As a daughter of Elrond and a descendant of Lúthien, Melian the Maia, Galadriel, and the great Elven-kings of the First Age, Arwen possesses a lineage of extraordinary power and beauty. She is described as having the "light of Evenstar," and her beauty is likened to that of Lúthien herself, who was accounted the fairest of all the Children of Ilúvatar [App. A]. She is skilled in fine craft; she wove the royal standard of Elendil for Aragorn, an artifact of great beauty and significance [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 6]. As one of the Half-elven, she possessed the choice granted to the line of Eärendil: to be numbered among the Elves or among Men [Sil, "Of the Voyage of Eärendil"].

## Relationships

- **Aragorn (Elessar)**: Her husband and the great love of her life. Their union recapitulates the story of Beren and Lúthien, and Aragorn frequently calls her "Tinúviel" [App. A].
- **Elrond**: Her father. Their bond is loving but ultimately defined by grief, as her choice of mortality means they will be parted forever [App. A].
- **Celebrían**: Her mother, who departed to the Undying Lands after being wounded by Orcs [App. A].
- **Galadriel and Celeborn**: Her maternal grandparents, in whose realm of Lothlórien she often dwelt [App. A].
- **Elladan and Elrohir**: Her elder twin brothers [App. A].
- **Eldarion**: Her son, who succeeded Aragorn as King [App. A].

## Appearances

- *The Fellowship of the Ring*: Briefly present at the feast in Rivendell [FOTR, Ch. 1, "Many Meetings"].
- *The Return of the King*: The standard she wove is unfurled at the Pelennor [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 6]; she appears at the coronation and wedding [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 5].
- *The Return of the King*, Appendices: "The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen" provides her full story [App. A].

## Key Quotes

"I shall not go with him when he departs to the Havens: for mine is the choice of Lúthien, and as she so have I chosen, both the sweet and the bitter." [App. A]

"Dark is the Shadow, and yet my heart rejoices; for you, Estel, shall be among the great whose valour will destroy it." [App. A]

"I speak no comfort to you, for there is no comfort for such pain within the circles of the world... But I say to you, King of the Númenóreans, not till now have I understood the tale of your people and their fall." (To Aragorn at his death.) [App. A]

## Notes

Arwen's story deliberately mirrors that of Lúthien and Beren from the Silmarillion. Tolkien himself noted the parallel; Lúthien was the first Elf to choose mortality for the sake of a mortal Man, and Arwen was the last [App. A; Sil, "Of Beren and Lúthien"]. Tolkien inscribed "Lúthien" on his wife Edith's tombstone and "Beren" on his own, indicating the deeply personal resonance of this theme (Letters, No. 340). Arwen's role in the main narrative is deliberately understated; her full story was placed in the Appendices, which Tolkien regarded as integral to the work [App. A]. The gift of the Evenstar jewel to Frodo, prominent in Peter Jackson's films, does not occur in the books; in the text, she gives Frodo a white gem on a silver chain to comfort him when memory of his wounds troubles him, and she yields her place on the ships sailing to the West so that Frodo might go in her stead [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 6].

---

# GOLLUM (SMÉAGOL)

## Summary

Gollum, originally named Sméagol, is a creature of Hobbit-kind, a Stoor of the River-folk who dwelt near the Gladden Fields. He is defined by his centuries-long possession of the One Ring, which he called "my Precious," and which prolonged his life far beyond its natural span while corrupting him utterly. He serves as both a guide and an antagonist to Frodo Baggins during the quest to destroy the Ring, and ultimately, through his obsession, he is the instrument of the Ring's destruction at Mount Doom [FOTR, Ch. 2; ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 3]. His dual nature, torn between the remnants of Sméagol's better self and Gollum's treachery, is one of the central moral and psychological studies of *The Lord of the Rings*.

## Biography

Sméagol was born in the vales of the Anduin, near the Gladden Fields, around the year 2430 of the Third Age. He was a Stoor Hobbit of the River-folk, a people related to but distinct from the Hobbits of the Shire. He lived under the matriarchy of his grandmother, a dominant figure in their small community [FOTR, Ch. 2].

On his birthday (or near it) in the year 2463 T.A., Sméagol's cousin and close companion Déagol discovered the One Ring while fishing in the Gladden Fields, where it had lain since Isildur lost it nearly 2,500 years before. Sméagol, immediately seized by desire for the Ring, demanded it as a "birthday present." When Déagol refused, Sméagol strangled him to death. This was the Ring's first act of corruption upon him [FOTR, Ch. 2].

Sméagol quickly became secretive, thieving, and malicious. He used the Ring's power of invisibility to spy on his kin, learn their secrets, and cause mischief. His family shunned him; his grandmother, recognizing his wickedness, expelled him from their community. He was called "Gollum" on account of a horrible swallowing noise he made in his throat [FOTR, Ch. 2].

Cast out, Gollum fled into the Misty Mountains and found his way into a deep cavern beneath the roots of the mountains, near a cold subterranean lake. There he dwelt for nearly five hundred years (c. 2470 to 2941 T.A.), subsisting on raw fish and occasional goblins, completely isolated from sunlight and all other society. The Ring consumed his identity: he forgot his own name, forgot the taste of bread and the look of trees, and spoke to himself endlessly, developing the split personality of "Sméagol" and "Gollum" [FOTR, Ch. 2; TH, Ch. 5].

In the year 2941 T.A., the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins, separated from Thorin Oakenshield's company of Dwarves in the goblin tunnels, stumbled upon the Ring where Gollum had dropped it (a fact of enormous significance, as Gandalf later explained that the Ring chose to leave Gollum) [TH, Ch. 5; FOTR, Ch. 2]. Bilbo and Gollum engaged in a riddle-game, the stakes being Gollum's promise to show Bilbo the way out versus Bilbo's life. Bilbo won, but not entirely fairly: his final "riddle" ("What have I got in my pocket?") was not a true riddle. Gollum, discovering his Ring was gone, realized the answer and flew into a murderous rage. Bilbo, having put on the Ring, escaped invisibly, following Gollum to the exit and leaping over him to freedom [TH, Ch. 5].

After Bilbo's departure, Gollum eventually left the mountains, driven by rage and desire for the Ring. He wandered for years, eventually reaching the borders of Mordor, where he was captured by Sauron's servants. Under torture, he revealed the names "Baggins" and "Shire," giving Sauron the crucial information that set the Nazgûl on their hunt for the Ring-bearer [FOTR, Ch. 2]. Gollum was released (or escaped), and Aragorn later tracked and captured him at Gandalf's request. He was entrusted to the Wood-elves of Thranduil's realm in Mirkwood for keeping, but the Elves, treating him with pity and allowing him to climb a tree under guard, lost him when Orcs attacked. He escaped during the assault [FOTR, Ch. 2; UT, "The Hunt for the Ring"].

Gollum then followed the Fellowship of the Ring from Moria onward, tracking them through the Mines (where Frodo first became aware of him) [FOTR, Ch. 4, "A Journey in the Dark"], down the Anduin, and into the Emyn Muil. There Frodo and Sam captured him and compelled him to swear an oath on the Precious to serve the master of the Ring. Gollum swore by the Ring itself, an oath that would prove fatally binding [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 1].

As guide, Gollum led Frodo and Sam through the Dead Marshes [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 2] and to the Black Gate of Mordor [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 3]. When Frodo saw the gate was impassable, Gollum proposed another way: the pass of Cirith Ungol. During this journey, a brief but genuine change occurred in Gollum. The "Sméagol" personality grew stronger; he became almost affectionate toward Frodo, calling him "master" with something approaching real loyalty. In one of the most poignant passages in the book, Sméagol reached out to touch Frodo's knee as the Hobbit slept, with a look that was almost dog-like in its devotion. But Sam woke and spoke harshly to him, and the moment of possible redemption passed [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 8].

Gollum's treachery reasserted itself. He led Frodo and Sam to Shelob's lair in Cirith Ungol, intending for the great spider to kill the Hobbits so that he could recover the Ring from their remains. Shelob stung Frodo, but Sam drove her off with the Phial of Galadriel and Sting [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 9-10].

Gollum reappeared on the slopes of Mount Doom itself, as Frodo and Sam made their final approach to the Sammath Naur. Inside the Crack of Doom, Frodo, overcome at the last by the Ring's power, claimed the Ring for himself and put it on his finger, refusing to destroy it. At that moment, Gollum attacked, biting the Ring and Frodo's finger off. Exulting, Gollum held the Ring aloft, crying "Precious, precious, precious!" and in his ecstasy he stepped backward and fell into the fire of Mount Doom, destroying himself and the Ring together [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 3].

## Personality

Gollum's psychology is defined by fracture. Two personalities war within him: Sméagol, the remnant of the Hobbit he once was, capable of memory, pity, and a pathetic desire for companionship; and Gollum, the Ring-warped creature of cunning, malice, and obsession [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 2]. Tolkien depicts their internal debates as literal dialogues, with each "voice" addressing the other [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 2].

His defining trait is addiction. His relationship to the Ring is that of a slave to a drug: it has consumed his identity, his memory, his capacity for joy, and yet he cannot conceive of existence without it. He refers to the Ring in terms of endearment ("my Precious, my birthday present") that reveal his absolute psychological dependence [FOTR, Ch. 2; TTT, Book IV, Ch. 1].

Despite his degradation, he retains enough of his original Hobbit nature to respond to kindness, however briefly. Frodo's compassion reaches him, and for a time Sméagol's personality strengthens. Gandalf observed early on that there was still something of the old Sméagol in Gollum, and that pity might prove important [FOTR, Ch. 2]. This observation proves prophetic; without Gollum, the Ring could not have been destroyed.

## Abilities and Skills

Gollum possesses extraordinary stealth and agility, capable of moving silently over rock and through darkness with a skill that surpasses even Elven hearing at times [FOTR, Ch. 4, "A Journey in the Dark"]. His eyes are adapted to near-total darkness after centuries underground [TH, Ch. 5]. He is a strong swimmer and expert fisher [TH, Ch. 5]. He has an uncanny ability to track and follow, pursuing the Fellowship through Moria and along the Anduin undetected [FOTR; TTT]. He possesses intimate knowledge of hidden paths and secret ways through the mountains and the approaches to Mordor [TTT, Book IV]. His long possession of the Ring granted him unnaturally extended life (he lived roughly 589 years) but did not grant him any significant power beyond invisibility, as his mind and will were too small to master the Ring's greater capabilities [FOTR, Ch. 2].

## Relationships

- **The One Ring ("Precious")**: The central relationship of his existence. The Ring is his master, his beloved, and his destroyer [FOTR, Ch. 2; ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 3].
- **Déagol**: His cousin and first victim, murdered for possession of the Ring [FOTR, Ch. 2].
- **Bilbo Baggins**: The one who took the Ring from him by "trickery," an event Gollum never forgave [TH, Ch. 5].
- **Frodo Baggins**: The Ring-bearer whom Gollum alternately served and betrayed. Frodo showed Gollum mercy and treated him with dignity, nearly redeeming him [TTT, Book IV; ROTK, Book VI].
- **Samwise Gamgee**: Sam distrusted Gollum from the first and treated him harshly; their mutual hostility contributed to Gollum's reversion to treachery [TTT, Book IV].
- **Gandalf**: Gandalf urged Frodo to pity Gollum and predicted that he still had a part to play [FOTR, Ch. 2].
- **Shelob**: Gollum worshipped and feared the great spider, calling her "Her Ladyship," and conspired with her to destroy the Hobbits [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 9].
- **Sauron**: Captured and interrogated Gollum; Gollum revealed the names "Baggins" and "Shire" under torture [FOTR, Ch. 2].

## Appearances

- *The Hobbit*: The riddle-game in the goblin tunnels [TH, Ch. 5].
- *The Fellowship of the Ring*: Discussed extensively by Gandalf [FOTR, Ch. 2]; detected following the Fellowship in Moria [FOTR, Ch. 4].
- *The Two Towers*: Major character throughout Book IV; captured, sworn to service, guides Frodo and Sam [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 1-10].
- *The Return of the King*: Final confrontation at Mount Doom [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 3].
- *Unfinished Tales*: "The Hunt for the Ring" provides additional details of his capture and interrogation [UT].

## Key Quotes

"It came to me, I tell you. My birthday present. It came to me on my birthday, my precious." [FOTR, Ch. 2, reported by Gandalf]

"We be nice to them, if they be nice to us, won't we, yes, yes." [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 1]

"Sméagol promised... But it's the Precious that Sméagol promised for. The Precious will be the master of the treacherous hobbitses!" [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 3]

"Precious, precious, precious! My Precious! O my Precious!" (Final words, as he falls into the Crack of Doom.) [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 3]

## Notes

Gollum is arguably the most thematically complex character in *The Lord of the Rings*. He embodies the theology of pity and mercy that Tolkien wove throughout the work: Gandalf's counsel that "the pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many" proves literally true, for it is only because Bilbo and later Frodo spared Gollum's life that the Ring was destroyed [FOTR, Ch. 2]. Tolkien addressed this in his letters, noting that Gollum's fall into the Crack of Doom was not an "accident" in the common sense but rather a eucatastrophic intervention, a fulfillment of the oath Gollum swore on the Precious that turned against him when he broke it (Letters, No. 181, No. 246). The revision of the "Riddles in the Dark" chapter between the first and second editions of *The Hobbit* (1937 vs. 1951) was significant: in the original, Gollum willingly offered the Ring as a prize. Tolkien later revised the chapter to show Gollum as already enslaved by the Ring's power, consistent with the mythology developed in *The Lord of the Rings* [FOTR, Prologue].

---

# SARUMAN

## Summary

Saruman, also called Saruman the White, Curunír (his Quenya name among the Elves), Curumo (his original name in Valinor), and Sharkey (a derisive title used by his Orc servants and later by the Shire-folk), is one of the Istari (Wizards) sent to Middle-earth by the Valar in approximately the year 1000 of the Third Age to contest the power of Sauron. He is the head of the Istari order and chairman of the White Council [UT, "The Istari"; App. B]. Originally the most powerful and knowledgeable of the Wizards, he falls through pride, envy, and desire for the One Ring, becoming a traitor to his order and a petty tyrant. His allegiance shifts from the Valar and the Free Peoples to himself alone, and ultimately to mere spite and ruin. He is diminished and destroyed by the end of the War of the Ring [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 8; ROTK, Book V, Ch. 10].

## Biography

Before his incarnation in Middle-earth, Saruman was a Maia of Aulë the Smith in Valinor, bearing the name Curumo. He was skilled in craft and the study of the works of the Enemy, for Sauron himself had once been a Maia of Aulë [Sil, "Of the Maiar"; UT, "The Istari"]. The Valar sent the Istari to Middle-earth around the year 1000 T.A. to aid the free peoples in resisting Sauron's return. Saruman arrived first and was accounted the chief of the order [UT, "The Istari"].

Saruman traveled widely in the East of Middle-earth during the early centuries of his mission. He eventually settled in Isengard (Angrenost), the great fortress with the tower of Orthanc at its center, which the Steward of Gondor granted him in the year 2759 T.A. [App. A; App. B]. He was given the keys to Orthanc and made it his permanent dwelling. Orthanc was built of an unbreakable black stone by the Númenóreans, and within it Saruman discovered a palantír, one of the Seeing-stones, which he kept secret [TTT, Book III, Ch. 8; UT, "The Palantíri"].

He was made head of the White Council when it was formed in 2463 T.A., partly through the will of Galadriel, who had wished Gandalf to lead it. Gandalf refused the role, and Saruman was chosen in his place, though Galadriel's preference planted a seed of jealousy in Saruman's heart [UT, "The Istari"; App. B].

Saruman began studying Ring-lore intensively, ostensibly to understand the Enemy's methods but increasingly out of personal desire for the One Ring. He searched the Gladden Fields where Isildur had fallen, seeking the Ring himself. He eventually used the palantír of Orthanc and was ensnared by Sauron through it, though the precise nature of their relationship (whether Saruman became a true servant or merely a deceived collaborator) remained ambiguous even to Saruman himself [TTT, Book III, Ch. 10; UT, "The Palantíri"].

In 2953 T.A., the White Council met for the last time. Saruman claimed to have discovered that the One Ring had been swept down the Anduin to the Sea, a lie designed to end the search and allow him to continue his own covert hunt [App. B; FOTR, Ch. 2].

By the time of the War of the Ring (3018-3019 T.A.), Saruman had fully committed to treachery. He bred an army of Uruk-hai, a powerful new breed of Orcs capable of traveling in daylight and bearing the white hand of Saruman as their emblem [TTT, Book III, Ch. 1-3]. He also created half-orc men, blending Orc-kind with human stock, a deed that Treebeard called his deepest wickedness [TTT, Book III, Ch. 4].

When Gandalf came to Isengard seeking counsel in June 3018, Saruman revealed his treachery openly. He offered Gandalf a choice: join him in seizing the Ring and wielding power, or be imprisoned. Gandalf refused, and Saruman imprisoned him on the pinnacle of Orthanc. Gandalf was rescued by Gwaihir the Windlord, sent by Radagast, whom Saruman had inadvertently used as a messenger [FOTR, Ch. 2].

Saruman then launched war on Rohan, sending his Uruk-hai to ravage the Westfold and assault Helm's Deep. His forces also captured Merry and Pippin (mistaking them for the Ring-bearer), but the Hobbits escaped into Fangorn Forest when Rohirrim destroyed the Orc-band [TTT, Book III, Ch. 1-3]. The Ents, roused by the destruction of their trees and galvanized by Merry and Pippin, attacked Isengard, breaking its ring-wall and flooding the grounds, trapping Saruman in the indestructible tower of Orthanc [TTT, Book III, Ch. 4, 9].

In the parley at Orthanc, Saruman spoke from the tower balcony, and his voice carried immense persuasive power that nearly swayed even Théoden and Gandalf's allies. But Gandalf, now Gandalf the White and Saruman's superior, broke Saruman's staff and cast him from the order of the Istari and the White Council. Saruman was offered mercy and a chance to repent, but he refused. As he turned away, Gríma Wormtongue, at Saruman's side, hurled the palantír of Orthanc from the window, whether at Gandalf or at Saruman was unclear [TTT, Book III, Ch. 10].

After the war, Saruman was released by Treebeard (who found it impossible to keep the wizard caged and could not bring himself to kill a captive). Saruman, reduced and vengeful, traveled north with Wormtongue and established a petty tyranny in the Shire under the name "Sharkey," industrializing the Shire and oppressing its inhabitants [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 8].

When the Hobbits returned and raised the Shire-folk to overthrow his rule, Saruman was confronted by Frodo, who offered him mercy yet again. Saruman, consumed by bitterness, attempted to stab Frodo but was foiled by the mithril-coat. Wormtongue, whom Saruman had abused and degraded, finally turned on his master and cut his throat. As Saruman died, a grey mist rose from his body and looked westward, as if toward Valinor, but a cold wind from the West blew it away. His spirit was denied return to the Undying Lands, and his body shriveled to rags and bones [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 8].

## Personality

Saruman is defined by pride, envy, and the corruption of great gifts turned to selfish ends. He was originally the most learned of the Istari, particularly in the crafts of hand and the devices of Sauron. But his deep knowledge of the Enemy bred not resistance but emulation; he came to admire what he studied [TTT, Book III, Ch. 10]. His envy of Gandalf, whom others loved and trusted more, festered over centuries, though Gandalf never sought to supplant him [UT, "The Istari"].

He is a master of persuasion. His voice is his most dangerous weapon: he can make anything he says seem wise and reasonable, and he can make contradictory proposals seem equally compelling, leaving listeners uncertain of their own minds [TTT, Book III, Ch. 10]. Yet beneath this eloquence lies pettiness. His final degradation in the Shire reveals a nature that, stripped of power, turns to mere bullying and spite [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 8].

## Abilities and Skills

As a Maia incarnate, Saruman possesses great inherent power, though constrained by his embodied form. He is the foremost of the Istari in rank and, originally, in power [UT, "The Istari"]. His voice is his greatest weapon, capable of bending the will of listeners through sheer persuasive force [TTT, Book III, Ch. 10]. He is a master of Ring-lore and a skilled craftsman, having created a ring of his own (he calls himself "Saruman Ring-maker") and bred the Uruk-hai through some dark craft [TTT, Book III, Ch. 10; TTT, Book III, Ch. 4]. He is also learned in the craft of machines and explosives, employing a "blasting fire" at Helm's Deep that Tolkien clearly intended to evoke gunpowder or something like it [TTT, Book III, Ch. 7]. He uses the palantír of Orthanc with skill, though he is ultimately deceived through it [TTT, Book III, Ch. 11]. After Gandalf the White breaks his staff, Saruman's Istari powers are severely diminished, though his voice retains some potency [TTT, Book III, Ch. 10; ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 8].

## Relationships

- **Gandalf (Olórin)**: Fellow Istar and eventual rival. Saruman envied Gandalf's influence and love among the free peoples. Gandalf ultimately superseded him as the White [UT, "The Istari"; TTT, Book III, Ch. 10].
- **Sauron**: Saruman was ensnared by Sauron through the palantír, though he believed himself to be an independent agent and rival rather than a servant [TTT, Book III, Ch. 10].
- **Gríma Wormtongue**: Saruman's spy and agent in Rohan's court, later his abused servant and ultimately his killer [TTT, Book III, Ch. 6; ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 8].
- **Treebeard (Fangorn)**: Treebeard was long deceived by Saruman's pretense of friendship, only to discover the devastation of the forests around Isengard [TTT, Book III, Ch. 4].
- **Théoden**: King of Rohan, whose mind Saruman sought to control through Wormtongue and whose realm he attacked [TTT, Book III, Ch. 6-7].
- **Radagast**: A fellow Istar whom Saruman considered a fool but unwittingly used as the instrument of Gandalf's rescue [FOTR, Ch. 2].

## Appearances

- *The Fellowship of the Ring*: Gandalf's account of his imprisonment at Isengard [FOTR, Ch. 2].
- *The Two Towers*: The war against Rohan (Book III); the parley at Orthanc [TTT, Book III, Ch. 10].
- *The Return of the King*: "The Scouring of the Shire" [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 8].
- *Unfinished Tales*: "The Istari" provides background on his origins and mission [UT].
- *The Silmarillion*: Brief references to the Istari [Sil].

## Key Quotes

"I am Saruman the Wise, Saruman Ring-maker, Saruman of Many Colours!" [FOTR, Ch. 2]

"A new Power is rising. Against it the old allies and policies will not avail us at all... This then is one choice before you, before us. We may join with that Power." [FOTR, Ch. 2]

"You have become a fool, Mithrandir, and yet you might still have been useful to me. I gave you the chance of aiding me willingly, and so saving yourself much trouble and pain." [FOTR, Ch. 2]

"You need not speak to me as to one of the fools that you take for friends. I have not sunk so low." (To Gandalf at the parley of Orthanc.) [TTT, Book III, Ch. 10]

## Notes

Saruman's story is Tolkien's most developed study of the corruption of the intellectual and the technocrat. His fall mirrors Sauron's in miniature: both were Maiar of Aulë, both were seduced by the desire to order and control, and both were ultimately destroyed by their own works [Sil, "Of the Maiar"]. The name "Sharkey" is derived from the Orkish word *sharkû*, meaning "old man" [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 8]. The Scouring of the Shire, in which Saruman's petty industrialization of the Shire becomes a clear analogue for environmental destruction, was one of the chapters Tolkien considered most essential to the book's meaning, and he strongly objected to suggestions that it be cut (Letters, No. 131). Saruman's creation of a ring of his own is mentioned in passing but never elaborated; it appears to have been a pale imitation of the greater Rings and may have contributed nothing to his power [FOTR, Ch. 2].

---

# SAURON

## Summary

Sauron, the Dark Lord of Mordor, also known as the Lord of the Rings, the Enemy, the Dark Power, the Necromancer (in his guise at Dol Guldur), Gorthaur the Cruel (in the First Age), Annatar ("Lord of Gifts," the name he used to deceive the Elven-smiths), and Thû (in the Lay of Leithian), is a Maia who became the chief servant of the first Dark Lord, Morgoth (Melkor), and after Morgoth's defeat became the greatest enemy of the Free Peoples of Middle-earth in the Second and Third Ages. He is the creator of the One Ring and the master architect of the wars that define the Second and Third Ages of Middle-earth. His allegiance is wholly to domination and control; his status at the end of the Third Age is that of a spirit permanently diminished and unable to take shape again, reduced to a powerless shadow after the destruction of the One Ring [Sil; FOTR, Ch. 2; ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 3].

## Biography

### Origins in Valinor and Service to Morgoth

Sauron was originally a Maia of Aulë the Smith, and his original nature inclined toward order, craft, and the coordination of things into systems. Morgoth (Melkor) corrupted him before the First Age, and Sauron became the greatest and most terrible of Morgoth's servants [Sil, "Of the Maiar"; "Valaquenta"]. Unlike Morgoth, whose nature was fundamentally destructive and chaotic, Sauron's evil was that of the tyrant who desires perfect order and absolute control over all things [Letters, No. 131].

During the First Age, Sauron served as Morgoth's chief lieutenant. He commanded the fortress of Tol-in-Gaurhoth (the Isle of Werewolves), formerly the Elven watchtower of Minas Tirith on Tol Sirion. When Beren and Lúthien came to Tol-in-Gaurhoth on their quest for the Silmaril, Finrod Felagund dueled Sauron in a contest of songs of power. Sauron overcame Finrod, and the Elven-king died in his dungeons. But Lúthien, aided by Huan the great hound of Valinor, defeated Sauron, who fled in the form of a vampire to Taur-nu-Fuin [Sil, "Of Beren and Lúthien"].

After the War of Wrath at the end of the First Age, in which the Valar overthrew Morgoth and cast him into the Void, Sauron was given the opportunity to repent and submit to the judgment of the Valar. He briefly considered this, but his pride would not allow him to accept humiliation and the slow process of penance. He fled and hid in Middle-earth [Sil, "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age"].

### The Second Age and the Forging of the Rings

Sauron lay hidden for roughly five hundred years before beginning to move again. Around the year 1000 of the Second Age, he established himself in the land of Mordor and began the construction of Barad-dûr, the Dark Tower [Sil, "Of the Rings of Power"; App. B].

Around the year 1200 S.A., Sauron adopted the fair form of Annatar, the "Lord of Gifts," and approached the Elven-smiths of Eregion, led by Celebrimbor, grandson of Fëanor. Gil-galad and Elrond distrusted him and refused him entry to Lindon, but Celebrimbor and the smiths of Eregion welcomed his knowledge. Together they forged the Rings of Power, though Celebrimbor forged the Three Elven Rings alone, without Sauron's direct touch [Sil, "Of the Rings of Power"].

In approximately the year 1600 S.A., Sauron forged the One Ring in the fires of Orodruin (Mount Doom) to control all the other Rings of Power. Into it he poured a great part of his own native power and will. The moment he put on the One Ring, the Elves wearing the Three became aware of him and his purpose, and they removed their Rings [Sil, "Of the Rings of Power"; FOTR, Ch. 2].

War followed. Sauron sacked Eregion, killed Celebrimbor, and overran much of Eriador before being driven back by a fleet sent from Númenor by Tar-Minastir [Sil, "Of the Rings of Power"; App. B]. He distributed the remaining Rings: Seven to the Dwarf-lords and Nine to mortal Men. The Nine became the Nazgûl, his most terrible servants. The Dwarves proved more resistant, as their nature was hard and unyielding, but the Seven Rings inflamed their greed and ultimately brought ruin to several of the Dwarf-kingdoms [Sil, "Of the Rings of Power"; FOTR, Ch. 2].

### The Downfall of Númenor

By the mid-Second Age, the Númenóreans had grown mighty and proud. In the year 3261 S.A., Ar-Pharazôn, the last King of Númenor, sailed to Middle-earth with a vast armada and demanded Sauron's surrender. Sauron's forces deserted him at the sight of the Númenórean host, and he submitted willingly, for he perceived an opportunity. He was taken as a hostage to Númenor [Sil, "Akallabêth"].

Within fifty years, through the power of his mind and tongue, Sauron rose from prisoner to chief counselor of the King. He corrupted the Númenóreans, turning them to the worship of Morgoth, building a great temple in which human sacrifices were burned. He convinced Ar-Pharazôn that sailing to the Undying Lands would grant him immortality. The King assembled the greatest fleet the world had ever seen and assailed Valinor. Ilúvatar himself intervened: the fleet was destroyed, Númenor was swallowed by the Sea, and the shape of the world was changed from flat to round, removing the Undying Lands from the physical world forever [Sil, "Akallabêth"].

Sauron's fair body was destroyed in the Downfall, and he was never again able to assume a form that appeared beautiful or persuasive. He returned to Mordor as a spirit and clothed himself in a new, terrible form [Sil, "Of the Rings of Power"].

### The Last Alliance and the Loss of the Ring

Elendil and his sons, faithful Númenóreans who had escaped the Downfall, established the kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor in exile. Sauron attacked Gondor, and in response, Elendil and Gil-galad formed the Last Alliance of Elves and Men. After the Battle of Dagorlad and a seven-year siege of Barad-dûr, Sauron came forth and fought on the slopes of Orodruin. He slew both Gil-galad and Elendil, but Isildur, with the hilt-shard of his father's sword Narsil, cut the One Ring from Sauron's hand. Sauron's spirit fled, and his physical form was destroyed [Sil, "Of the Rings of Power"; FOTR, Ch. 2; App. A].

Isildur took the Ring as weregild for his father and brother but refused to destroy it. He was later slain by Orcs at the Gladden Fields, and the Ring was lost in the River Anduin [Sil, "Of the Rings of Power"; FOTR, Ch. 2; UT, "The Disaster of the Gladden Fields"].

### The Third Age

Sauron lay dormant for over a thousand years, slowly rebuilding his strength. Around the year 1000 T.A., the Istari (Wizards) were sent by the Valar to Middle-earth to aid in resisting his return [UT, "The Istari"; App. B].

Around the year 2460 T.A., Sauron took shape again and established himself at Dol Guldur in southern Mirkwood, operating under the guise of the "Necromancer." Gandalf infiltrated Dol Guldur in 2063 T.A. (prompting Sauron to temporarily retreat) and again in 2850 T.A., confirming the Necromancer's identity as Sauron [App. B]. The White Council drove Sauron from Dol Guldur in 2941 T.A. (the same year Bilbo found the Ring), but Sauron had planned his departure and returned openly to Mordor, where he declared himself in 2951 T.A. and began rebuilding Barad-dûr [App. B; FOTR, Ch. 2].

During the War of the Ring (3018-3019 T.A.), Sauron directed the search for the One Ring, sent the Nine Nazgûl to hunt the Shire, and launched his military campaigns against Gondor and Rohan. His greatest strategic weakness was his inability to conceive that anyone possessing the Ring would seek to destroy it rather than wield it; the very idea was inconceivable to him. This was the foundation of Gandalf's strategy [FOTR, Ch. 2; ROTK, Book V, Ch. 9].

In the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, the Witch-king of Angmar, his chief Nazgûl, was destroyed [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 6]. Aragorn used the palantír of Orthanc to reveal himself to Sauron as the heir of Isildur, deliberately provoking the Dark Lord's fear and causing him to launch his attack prematurely [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 2]. The Host of the West marched to the Black Gate as a diversion, drawing Sauron's eye and forces away from Frodo's approach to Mount Doom [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 10].

When the One Ring was destroyed in the fires of Orodruin, Sauron was finally and permanently defeated. The foundations of Barad-dûr, bound to the Ring's power, crumbled. Sauron's spirit rose as a vast black shadow above Mordor, reached out toward the West, and was blown away by a great wind, dissipating forever. He was reduced to an impotent spirit, unable ever again to take visible shape or wield power in the world [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 3-4].

## Personality

Sauron's defining characteristic is the desire for order and control, taken to its ultimate extreme. Tolkien described him as beginning with the desire to coordinate and organize, a not-ignoble impulse in a servant of Aulë the Smith, but one that became corrupted into a lust for domination. He wished to be Lord and God of all Middle-earth, arranging everything according to his will (Letters, No. 131).

He is a master deceiver. His ability to assume fair forms, speak persuasively, and exploit the weaknesses and desires of others is unmatched: he deceived the Elven-smiths, corrupted Númenor from within, and through the Rings ensnared both Men and Dwarves [Sil, "Of the Rings of Power"; "Akallabêth"]. Yet his cunning is bounded by his own nature; he cannot conceive of self-sacrifice, mercy, or the voluntary relinquishment of power, and this blindness is his downfall [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 9; Letters, No. 131].

He is fearful as well as fearsome. After the Downfall of Númenor, his nature becomes more openly terrible but also more defensive and paranoid. His Eye, the great searching Eye wreathed in flame atop Barad-dûr, is the symbol of his watchful dread as much as his power [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 2; ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 3].

## Abilities and Skills

As a Maia, Sauron possesses immense inherent spiritual power, though diminished by his repeated physical destructions and by the investment of so much of himself into the One Ring. His abilities include: shape-shifting (in the First and early Second Ages he could assume forms ranging from a fair Elven lord to a great wolf to a vampire; after the Downfall of Númenor he lost the ability to assume fair form) [Sil, "Of Beren and Lúthien"; "Akallabêth"]; sorcery and songs of power, with which he dueled Finrod Felagund [Sil, "Of Beren and Lúthien"]; mastery of Ring-craft, being the greatest Ring-maker after Celebrimbor and the sole creator of the One Ring [Sil, "Of the Rings of Power"]; dominion over lesser wills through the Rings and through sheer spiritual force; and military strategy, commanding vast armies across multiple fronts [ROTK, Book V]. The One Ring is both his greatest weapon and his greatest vulnerability: it amplifies his dominion but binds his fate to an object that can be destroyed [FOTR, Ch. 2].

## Relationships

- **Morgoth (Melkor)**: His original master, whom he served throughout the First Age. Sauron inherited Morgoth's war against the free peoples but differed in nature, being a corrupter and organizer rather than a nihilist [Sil, "Valaquenta"; Letters, No. 131].
- **The Nazgûl**: His nine enslaved Ring-wraiths, the most terrible of his servants, bound to him through the Nine Rings [FOTR, Ch. 2; App. A].
- **Celebrimbor**: The Elven-smith whom Sauron deceived into forging the Rings of Power and later killed [Sil, "Of the Rings of Power"].
- **Ar-Pharazôn**: The King of Númenor whom Sauron corrupted and led to ruin [Sil, "Akallabêth"].
- **Gandalf**: His chief opponent among the Istari, who devised and guided the strategy that led to his downfall [FOTR, Ch. 2].
- **Saruman**: Fellow Maia of Aulë; Sauron ensnared Saruman through the palantír [TTT, Book III, Ch. 10-11].
- **The One Ring**: Effectively an extension of himself; the Ring contains so much of his native power that its destruction is his destruction [FOTR, Ch. 2].

## Appearances

- *The Silmarillion*: Active throughout the First Age as Morgoth's lieutenant; central to the Second Age narrative of the Rings and the Downfall of Númenor [Sil].
- *The Hobbit*: Referenced as the "Necromancer" of Dol Guldur [TH, Ch. 1, 19].
- *The Lord of the Rings*: The primary antagonist throughout, though he never appears directly as a character in person; his presence is felt through the Nazgûl, the Eye, and the Ring [FOTR; TTT; ROTK].
- *Unfinished Tales*: Additional material on the Rings, the Istari, the Hunt for the Ring [UT].
- *The Lay of Leithian* (in *The History of Middle-earth*): Appears as Thû.

## Key Quotes

"One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, / One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them." (The Ring inscription.) [FOTR, Ch. 2]

"He is in great fear, not knowing what mighty one may suddenly appear, wielding the Ring, and assailing him with war, seeking to cast him down and take his place. That we should wish to cast him down and have no one in his place is not a thought that occurs to his mind." (Gandalf, describing Sauron's blindness.) [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 9]

"There is an Eye in the Dark Tower that does not sleep." (Frodo to Gandalf.) [FOTR, Ch. 2]

## Notes

Sauron never appears "on stage" as a speaking or acting character in *The Lord of the Rings* itself; his presence is conveyed entirely through his servants, his artifacts, and the fear he inspires. This is a deliberate authorial choice: Sauron functions as an abstract force of domination rather than a conventional villain. Tolkien observed that Sauron's inability to imagine that anyone would destroy the Ring, rather than use it, was both his defining flaw and the key to the strategic success of the Quest (Letters, No. 131). The question of whether Sauron could have been defeated by someone wielding the One Ring against him is addressed in Tolkien's letters: he stated that a figure of sufficient native power (such as Gandalf) could in theory have mastered the Ring and overthrown Sauron, but would thereby have become a new Dark Lord, as the Ring's fundamental nature is domination (Letters, No. 246). Sauron's physical form in the Third Age is never precisely described in the published *Lord of the Rings*; the "great Eye" is symbolic and perceptual rather than literal, though Gollum states that Sauron has "only four" fingers on the Black Hand, confirming he does have a physical body [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 3].

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# ELROND HALFELVEN

## Summary

Elrond Halfelven, also called Elrond Peredhel, Master of Rivendell (Imladris), is one of the greatest Elf-lords remaining in Middle-earth during the Second and Third Ages. He is the son of Eärendil the Mariner and Elwing, twin brother of Elros (first King of Númenor), bearer of the Elven Ring Vilya (the Ring of Air, mightiest of the Three), vice-regent of the High King Gil-galad, founder and lord of Rivendell, and a central member of the White Council. He is one of the Half-elven (Peredhil) and chose the fate of the Elves, gaining immortality. His allegiance lies wholly with the Free Peoples of Middle-earth, and he departs to the Undying Lands at the end of the Third Age [Sil; App. A; App. B; FOTR].

## Biography

### Origins and the First Age

Elrond was born near the end of the First Age, the son of Eärendil (himself Half-elven, descended from the union of Tuor the Man and Idril of Gondolin) and Elwing (also Half-elven, descended from Beren and Lúthien through their son Dior) [Sil, "Of the Voyage of Eärendil"]. He and his twin brother Elros were born at the Havens of Sirion.

When the sons of Fëanor, Maedhros and Maglor, attacked the Havens of Sirion to reclaim the Silmaril held by Elwing, Elrond and Elros were captured. Elwing cast herself into the Sea with the Silmaril and was saved by Ulmo, who transformed her into a great white bird; she flew to Eärendil, and together they sailed to Valinor to beg the Valar for aid against Morgoth [Sil, "Of the Voyage of Eärendil"]. Maedhros and Maglor took pity on the young twins and raised them with care; Maglor in particular grew to love them [Sil, "Of the Voyage of Eärendil"].

After the War of Wrath and the defeat of Morgoth, the Valar gave the Half-elven the choice of which kindred they would belong to. Elrond chose the Elves and immortality. Elros chose the fate of Men and became the first King of Númenor, founding a royal line that would eventually produce Aragorn [Sil, "Of the Voyage of Eärendil"; App. A].

### The Second Age

Elrond became the herald and vice-regent of Gil-galad, the last High King of the Noldor in Middle-earth. When Sauron, in the guise of Annatar, deceived the Elven-smiths of Eregion, Gil-galad and Elrond were among those who distrusted him [Sil, "Of the Rings of Power"].

When Sauron attacked Eregion in approximately 1697 S.A., Elrond led a force from Lindon to aid the Elven-smiths but arrived too late to save Celebrimbor or the city. Driven back, Elrond retreated into a narrow valley in the foothills of the Misty Mountains and there founded Imladris (Rivendell), which became a refuge and stronghold of Elven-lore for the remainder of the Second and Third Ages [Sil, "Of the Rings of Power"; App. B].

Gil-galad entrusted Elrond with Vilya, the Ring of Air and the mightiest of the Three Elven Rings, though this was kept secret [Sil, "Of the Rings of Power"; ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 9].

In the War of the Last Alliance (3430-3441 S.A.), Elrond served as Gil-galad's herald and stood beside him and Elendil on the slopes of Orodruin. He witnessed the deaths of both in combat with Sauron, and he was present when Isildur cut the Ring from Sauron's hand. Elrond and Círdan urged Isildur to cast the Ring into the fire of Mount Doom, but Isildur refused [FOTR, Ch. 2; Sil, "Of the Rings of Power"].

### The Third Age

Throughout the Third Age, Elrond maintained Rivendell as the chief refuge of learning, counsel, and Elven-culture east of the Sea. He was a member of the White Council from its formation in 2463 T.A. and participated in its deliberations regarding the Necromancer (Sauron) and the Rings of Power [App. B].

Elrond played a crucial role in preserving the line of the Kings of Arnor. After the fall of the North-kingdom, the heirs of Isildur, the Chieftains of the Dúnedain, were fostered in Rivendell, and the heirlooms of the House of Elendil, including the shards of Narsil, were kept there [App. A]. Aragorn, son of Arathorn, was brought to Rivendell as a child of two after his father's death and raised by Elrond as a foster son under the name Estel ("Hope"). Elrond concealed Aragorn's true lineage until the young man came of age at twenty [App. A].

When Aragorn revealed his love for Arwen, Elrond was grieved, for he foresaw that if Arwen chose Aragorn, he would lose his daughter to mortality forever. He set a high condition: only if Aragorn became King of both Gondor and Arnor would he consent to the marriage [App. A].

In the year 3018 T.A., Elrond hosted the Council of Elrond in Rivendell, one of the most consequential gatherings in the history of Middle-earth. Representatives of Elves, Men, Dwarves, and Hobbits came together, and the full history of the One Ring was laid bare. It was at this Council that the decision was made to destroy the Ring in the fires of Mount Doom, and the Fellowship of the Ring was formed [FOTR, Ch. 2].

Elrond chose the Nine Walkers to match the Nine Riders (the Nazgûl) and appointed the members of the Fellowship. He offered wisdom and counsel to the Company but would bind none of them to the quest beyond their will [FOTR, Ch. 2].

He also ordered the reforging of Narsil into Andúril, the Flame of the West, which was given to Aragorn as the sword of the returned King [FOTR, Ch. 2-3].

After the War of the Ring, Elrond gave Arwen to Aragorn in marriage, accepting the bitter cost of his daughter's mortality [App. A]. With the destruction of the One Ring, the power of the Three Elven Rings faded, and the time of the Elves in Middle-earth drew to its close. On September 29, 3021 T.A., Elrond rode to the Grey Havens and departed over the Sea to the Undying Lands, accompanied by Gandalf, Galadriel, Bilbo, and Frodo [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 9; App. B].

## Personality

Elrond is characterized by wisdom, patience, and a profound capacity for both sorrow and hope. He has witnessed the great catastrophes and triumphs of three Ages of the world and speaks from the depth of that experience. His counsel is measured and judicious; at the Council of Elrond, he presents the history and the choices before the assembled company with clarity and lets them reach their own conclusions rather than imposing his will [FOTR, Ch. 2].

He is generous and hospitable: Rivendell is called "the Last Homely House East of the Sea," and it is a place of refuge for all who seek it [TH, Ch. 3; FOTR, Ch. 1, "Many Meetings"]. He carries great grief; he has lost his parents (Eärendil and Elwing sail the sky and cannot return), his brother (Elros chose mortality), his wife (Celebrían departed over the Sea), and ultimately his daughter (Arwen chose mortality). Yet he does not become bitter or withdrawn. His name Elrond means "Star-dome" or "Vault of Stars" [Sil, Index].

## Abilities and Skills

Elrond is among the mightiest of the Elf-lords remaining in Middle-earth. He bears Vilya, the Ring of Air, mightiest of the Three Elven Rings, through which he maintains Rivendell as a place of sanctuary and preservation [Sil, "Of the Rings of Power"; ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 9]. He is a master of lore and healing: he tended Frodo's Morgul-wound, which few others could have treated, and healed him when all other help would have been too late [FOTR, Ch. 1, "Many Meetings"]. He possesses the gift of foresight characteristic of the great Elves and the line of the Peredhil [App. A]. He is a seasoned warrior, having fought in the War of the Last Alliance and the wars of the Second Age against Sauron [App. A; Sil, "Of the Rings of Power"]. He is deeply learned in all the lore of Middle-earth and keeps the greatest library and archive remaining in the mortal lands [FOTR, Ch. 2].

## Relationships

- **Eärendil and Elwing**: His parents. Eärendil sails the sky bearing the Silmaril as a star; Elwing dwells in a tower on the shores of the Sundering Seas. Elrond never sees them again in Middle-earth [Sil, "Of the Voyage of Eärendil"].
- **Elros**: His twin brother, who chose mortality and became the first King of Númenor. Their separation is one of the great sorrows of Elrond's life [Sil; App. A].
- **Celebrían**: His wife, daughter of Galadriel and Celeborn. She was captured and tormented by Orcs in 2509 T.A. and departed over the Sea in 2510 T.A. [App. A; App. B].
- **Arwen**: His daughter, whose choice of mortality he accepted with grief [App. A].
- **Elladan and Elrohir**: His sons, who fought in the War of the Ring and whose final choice (Elf or Man) is not recorded [App. A].
- **Aragorn**: His foster son, whom he raised from childhood and to whom he gave his daughter in marriage [App. A].
- **Gil-galad**: The High King whom he served as herald and counselor [Sil, "Of the Rings of Power"; App. A].
- **Gandalf**: Close ally and fellow member of the White Council; they cooperated throughout the Third Age in the struggle against Sauron [App. B; FOTR, Ch. 2].
- **Galadriel**: His mother-in-law and fellow bearer of one of the Three Rings (she bore Nenya); their alliance was foundational to the Elven resistance [App. B].
- **Bilbo Baggins**: Bilbo lived in Rivendell for years as Elrond's guest, writing and translating [FOTR, Ch. 1, "Many Meetings"].
- **Maglor**: The son of Fëanor who raised Elrond with kindness after the sack of the Havens of Sirion [Sil, "Of the Voyage of Eärendil"].

## Appearances

- *The Hobbit*: Thorin's company rests at Rivendell; Elrond reads the moon-letters on Thorin's map [TH, Ch. 3].
- *The Fellowship of the Ring*: Host of the Council of Elrond; presides over the formation of the Fellowship [FOTR, Ch. 1-2].
- *The Return of the King*: Sends the Grey Company and the message to Aragorn [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 2]; departs over the Sea [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 9].
- *The Silmarillion*: Birth, upbringing, and Second Age history [Sil].
- *Unfinished Tales*: Additional Second Age material [UT].

## Key Quotes

"I have seen three ages in the West of the world, and many defeats, and many fruitless victories." [FOTR, Ch. 2]

"I was the herald of Gil-galad and marched with his host. I was at the Battle of Dagorlad before the Black Gate of Mordor, where we had the mastery: for the Spear of Gil-galad and the Sword of Elendil, Aeglos and Narsil, none could withstand. I beheld the last combat on the slopes of Orodruin, where Gil-galad died, and Elendil fell, and Narsil broke beneath him; but Sauron himself was overthrown, and Isildur cut the Ring from his hand with the hilt-shard of his father's sword, and took it for his own." [FOTR, Ch. 2]

"The road must be trod, but it will be very hard. And neither strength nor wisdom will carry us far upon it. This quest may be attempted by the weak with as much hope as the strong. Yet such is oft the course of deeds that move the wheels of the world: small hands do them because they must, while the eyes of the great are elsewhere." [FOTR, Ch. 2]

"I foretell that you, Elessar, shall hold this stone in your hand, and through it perceive things far off that may concern you." (Giving the Elessar stone, in some versions of the text; this is textually uncertain.) [UT, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn," note]

## Notes

Elrond's lineage is one of the most extraordinary in the entire legendarium. Through his parents, he descends from all three kindreds of the Elves (Noldor, Sindar, and Vanyar through Idril), from the Edain (the Men of the First Age through Tuor and Beren), and from the Maiar (through Lúthien's mother Melian) [Sil]. This makes him one of the most noble beings by blood in the history of Arda. The exact nature and extent of Vilya's power is never fully described, but it is said to be a ring of preservation and protection, and Rivendell's enduring peace and beauty are attributed to its influence [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 9]. Tolkien noted that the fate of Elladan and Elrohir was left deliberately ambiguous; the choice of the Peredhil applied to them, but whether they chose to remain Elven and depart, or chose mortality, is never stated (Letters, No. 153). The spelling "Halfelven" (one word) is the form used in the Appendices, while "Half-elven" appears elsewhere; both are used in Tolkien's writings.

---

*All citations refer to: [TH] = The Hobbit; [FOTR] = The Fellowship of the Ring; [TTT] = The Two Towers; [ROTK] = The Return of the King; [App. A/B/C] = Appendices to The Return of the King; [Sil] = The Silmarillion; [UT] = Unfinished Tales; Letters = The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien.*

# Encyclopedia of Middle-earth: Character Profiles

---

# GALADRIEL

**Galadriel** (Sindarin: "Maiden Crowned with a Radiant Garland"), also known as **Altáriel** (her Telerin Quenya name), **Nerwen** ("Man-maiden," her mother-name), and **the Lady of Lórien** or **the Lady of the Golden Wood**, is a Noldorin Elf of the House of Finarfin. She is among the mightiest and fairest of all the Eldar remaining in Middle-earth during the Third Age. She rules the forest realm of Lothlórien alongside her husband, Celeborn. She is a bearer of Nenya, the Ring of Water, one of the three Elven Rings of Power. She is counted among the Calaquendi, the Elves of the Light, having beheld the light of the Two Trees of Valinor in the Blessed Realm before the rising of the Sun and Moon [Sil, "Of Eldamar and the Princes of the Eldalië"]. At the close of the Third Age, having passed the test of the One Ring, she departs Middle-earth for the Undying Lands [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 9].

## Biography

### Origins in Valinor

Galadriel was born in Valinor during the Years of the Trees, the daughter of Finarfin (son of Finwë, High King of the Noldor) and Eärwen (daughter of Olwë, King of the Teleri of Alqualondë) [Sil, "Of Eldamar and the Princes of the Eldalië"]. She thus possesses both Noldorin and Telerin royal lineage. She grew to be the tallest of the women of the Noldor, renowned for her golden hair, which was said to have captured the light of the Two Trees, Laurelin and Telperion, in its strands [UT, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn"]. It is told that Fëanor, the greatest craftsman of the Noldor, was inspired by the light of her hair and asked three times for a tress; she refused him each time [UT, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn"]. Even in Valinor she was accounted one of the greatest of the Noldor, equal in mind and ability to Fëanor, though wiser than he [UT, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn"].

### The Exile of the Noldor

When Morgoth destroyed the Two Trees, slew Finwë, and stole the Silmarils, and when Fëanor rallied the Noldor to pursue him to Middle-earth, Galadriel was among those who resolved to depart Valinor. Her motivations were distinct from Fëanor's. She desired to see the wide lands of Middle-earth and to rule a realm of her own [Sil, "Of the Flight of the Noldor"]. She did not swear Fëanor's Oath. However, she was caught up in the general rebellion of the Noldor and fell under the Ban of the Valar, which forbade the exiled Noldor from returning to Valinor [Sil, "Of the Flight of the Noldor"]. The precise nature and degree of her involvement in the Kinslaying at Alqualondë varies between accounts: in some she fought against the Fëanorians in defense of her mother's Telerin kin, while in others her role is less clearly defined [UT, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn"]. The textual history of this matter is complex, as Tolkien revised Galadriel's backstory multiple times and never settled on a final version.

### The First Age in Middle-earth

After the crossing into Middle-earth, Galadriel dwelt for a time in Doriath, the realm of Thingol and Melian, where she learned much from Melian the Maia and where she met Celeborn [Sil, "Of the Sindar"]. This is one common account, though Tolkien wrote alternate versions in which Celeborn was of different origin and they met elsewhere [UT, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn"]. She survived the tumultuous events of the First Age, including the Wars of Beleriand and the ruin of the great Elven kingdoms.

### The Second and Third Ages

In the Second Age, Galadriel and Celeborn dwelt in various places, including Eregion and Lindon [UT, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn"]. During the forging of the Rings of Power, she distrusted Annatar (Sauron in fair disguise) when he came among the Elven-smiths of Eregion under Celebrimbor [Sil, "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age"]. After Sauron's assault on Eregion and the loss of the lesser Rings, Galadriel became keeper of Nenya, the Ring of Water, one of the Three Rings that Sauron had never touched [Sil, "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age"]. She and Celeborn eventually settled in Lothlórien, which under her power and with the aid of Nenya she preserved as a timeless refuge of Elven grace and beauty [FOTR, Ch. 7].

She sat upon the White Council alongside Gandalf, Saruman, Elrond, and Círdan [UT, "The Istari"]. It was Galadriel who recommended that Gandalf, not Saruman, should lead the Council, but Gandalf refused the office and Saruman took it [UT, "The Istari"].

### The War of the Ring

The Fellowship of the Ring came to Lothlórien after their loss of Gandalf in Moria [FOTR, Ch. 6]. Galadriel received the Company, tested the hearts of each member by looking into their minds, and showed Frodo and Sam visions in her Mirror, a basin of water that could reveal things past, present, and yet to come [FOTR, Ch. 7]. When Frodo offered her the One Ring freely, she was greatly tempted and revealed a vision of what she would become with its power: "beautiful and terrible as the Morning and the Night...All shall love me and despair!" [FOTR, Ch. 7]. She refused it, declaring, "I pass the test. I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain Galadriel" [FOTR, Ch. 7]. This moment is one of the pivotal moral choices in the narrative.

She gave gifts to each member of the Company upon their departure: a phial of light from Eärendil's star to Frodo; strands of her golden hair to Gimli (granting what she had refused Fëanor); a bow of the Galadhrim to Legolas; Elven cloaks and brooches to all; and other gifts suited to each bearer [FOTR, Ch. 8].

During the War of the Ring, Lothlórien was assaulted three times by forces from Dol Guldur, and Galadriel's power held the realm [App. B]. After Sauron's fall, Galadriel, Celeborn, and Thranduil led the cleansing of Dol Guldur, and Galadriel herself threw down its walls and laid bare its pits [App. B].

### Departure from Middle-earth

With the destruction of the One Ring, the power of the Three Elven Rings faded, and the time of the Elves in Middle-earth drew to its end. Galadriel's long exile was over; the Ban of the Valar was lifted, and she was permitted at last to return to the Blessed Realm. She departed from the Grey Havens with Gandalf, Frodo, Bilbo, and Elrond at the end of the Third Age [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 9].

## Personality

Galadriel is characterized by wisdom, foresight, and an enduring strength of will. She possesses a deep understanding of the hearts and minds of others, and her gaze is penetrating and discerning [FOTR, Ch. 7]. She is proud, descended from the highest nobility of the Eldar, yet her pride is tempered by ages of experience, loss, and hard-won humility. Her refusal of the One Ring marks the culmination of a long inner journey from the ambitious young Noldo who desired a realm of her own to the wise and self-aware lady who accepts her own diminishment [FOTR, Ch. 7]. She is generous, hospitable, and gentle with those under her protection, yet she can also be formidable and awe-inspiring. She carries with her a deep melancholy for the fading beauty of Middle-earth and for the long ages of exile from the Blessed Realm.

## Abilities and Skills

Galadriel is among the most powerful beings in Middle-earth during the Third Age. Her abilities include:

- **Telepathy and mental communication (ósanwë):** She can project her thoughts into the minds of others and perceive their thoughts and intentions. She tested each member of the Fellowship by this means [FOTR, Ch. 7]. She communicates telepathically with Elrond and Gandalf over great distances [UT, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn"].
- **The Mirror of Galadriel:** She commands a basin that can show visions of past, present, and possible futures, though its images are not always certain [FOTR, Ch. 7].
- **Ring-bearer (Nenya):** With the Ring of Water, she sustains the timeless preservation and beauty of Lothlórien, maintaining it as a refuge against the decay and shadow of Sauron's influence [FOTR, Ch. 7].
- **Great inherent power:** Even without the Ring, she is described as one of the mightiest of the Eldar. She threw down the walls of Dol Guldur after the War of the Ring [App. B].
- **Lore and wisdom:** She has knowledge spanning thousands of years, having lived through the Years of the Trees, the First Age, the Second Age, and the Third Age.

## Relationships

- **Celeborn** (husband): Lord of Lothlórien, a Sindarin Elf of noble lineage. They rule Lothlórien together [FOTR, Ch. 7].
- **Celebrían** (daughter): Wife of Elrond. She was captured and tormented by Orcs in the Misty Mountains, and later departed Middle-earth for the Undying Lands [App. A].
- **Elrond** (son-in-law): Lord of Rivendell, fellow Ring-bearer (Vilya). Galadriel and Elrond share deep mutual respect and kinship [FOTR, Ch. 7].
- **Arwen** (granddaughter): Through Celebrían, Galadriel is grandmother to Arwen Undómiel [App. A].
- **Finarfin** (father): High King of the Noldor who remained in Valinor [Sil].
- **Gandalf (Mithrandir):** Galadriel supported Gandalf and recommended him to lead the White Council. She sent the eagle Gwaihir to rescue him from Orthanc and later clothed and re-equipped him in Lórien after his return as Gandalf the White [TTT, Book III, Ch. 5].
- **Gimli:** An unexpected and profound friendship. Gimli's reverent admiration for Galadriel transcended the ancient enmity between Dwarves and Elves. Her gift of three golden hairs to him is deeply significant in light of Fëanor's refusal [FOTR, Ch. 8].
- **Frodo:** Ring-bearer. She tested him, guided him, and gave him the Phial of Galadriel, which proved crucial in Shelob's Lair [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 9].

## Appearances

- *The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring* (Chapters 6, 7, 8)
- *The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King* (Book VI, Chapter 6; Chapter 9)
- *The Silmarillion* (multiple chapters)
- *Unfinished Tales* ("The History of Galadriel and Celeborn")
- *The Lord of the Rings* Appendices (A, B)

## Key Quotes

> "In place of a Dark Lord you would have a Queen! Not dark but beautiful and terrible as the Morning and the Night! Fair as the Sea and the Sun and the Snow upon the Mountain! Dreadful as the Storm and the Lightning! Stronger than the foundations of the earth. All shall love me and despair!"
> [FOTR, Ch. 7]

> "I pass the test. I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain Galadriel."
> [FOTR, Ch. 7]

> "Do you not see now wherefore your coming is to us as the footstep of Doom? For if you fail, then we are laid bare to the Enemy. Yet if you succeed, then our power is diminished, and Lothlórien will fade, and the tides of Time will sweep it away. We must depart into the West, or dwindle to a rustic folk of dell and cave, slowly to forget and to be forgotten."
> [FOTR, Ch. 7]

## Notes

- Tolkien revised Galadriel's history and motivations extensively throughout his life. The published *Silmarillion* (edited by Christopher Tolkien) presents one version, but *Unfinished Tales* and the *History of Middle-earth* volumes reveal multiple, sometimes contradictory accounts of her role in the Exile of the Noldor, her relationship to the Kinslaying, and her reasons for remaining in Middle-earth. In Tolkien's latest writings, she was entirely innocent of the rebellion and was granted permission to return to Valinor at the end of the First Age but chose to remain. These late revisions are difficult to reconcile with the published *Silmarillion* account, and no single canonical version exists.
- Her hair is of singular significance in the legendarium. The light of the Two Trees caught in her golden tresses is said by some to have inspired Fëanor to attempt to capture that light in the Silmarils [UT, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn"]. Her gift of three hairs to Gimli therefore carries immense symbolic weight.
- Galadriel is one of only two bearers of the Elven Rings who are identified as having sailed West at the end of the Third Age (alongside Gandalf, bearer of Narya, and Elrond, bearer of Vilya) [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 9].
- Her age at the time of the War of the Ring is approximately 8,000 years or more, making her one of the oldest beings in Middle-earth, surpassed among the incarnate only by a few, such as Círdan the Shipwright and (arguably) Tom Bombadil.

---

# THÉODEN

**Théoden**, son of Thengel, bearing the epithet **Théoden Ednew** ("Théoden Renewed") after his recovery from Saruman's influence, is the seventeenth King of Rohan, Lord of the Mark of the Riders. He rules from Meduseld, the Golden Hall, in Edoras. He is of the House of Eorl, descended from the great riders of the Éothéod who were granted the province of Calenardhon by the Steward of Gondor in gratitude for their aid at the Battle of the Field of Celebrant [App. A, "The House of Eorl"]. He falls in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields in the year 3019 of the Third Age [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 6].

## Biography

### Early Life and Reign

Théoden was born in T.A. 2948 in Gondor, where his father Thengel then dwelt, and was the only son of Thengel and Morwen Steelsheen of Lossarnach [App. A, "The House of Eorl"]. He returned to Rohan with his father and succeeded him as King in T.A. 2980 [App. A]. He married Elfhild, who died in childbirth bearing their only son, Théodred [App. A, "The House of Eorl"]. He also took into his household his sister Théodwyn's children, Éomer and Éowyn, after their parents' deaths, raising them as his own [App. A, "The House of Eorl"].

### Decline Under Saruman's Influence

In the later years of his reign, Théoden fell under the insidious influence of Saruman the White, channeled through his counselor Gríma, son of Gálmód, whom men called Wormtongue. Gríma served as Saruman's agent within Meduseld, whispering poisonous counsel that sapped Théoden's will and rendered him prematurely aged and despairing [TTT, Book III, Ch. 6]. Under this shadow, Théoden became passive and withdrawn while Rohan's enemies grew bolder. His son Théodred was slain in the First Battle of the Fords of Isen [UT, "The Battles of the Fords of Isen"], leaving the succession in doubt. Éomer, his nephew and now heir, was arrested and imprisoned on Gríma's orders for riding against Orcs without the King's leave [TTT, Book III, Ch. 2].

### Renewal

Gandalf the White, accompanied by Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli, came to Edoras and confronted Théoden in Meduseld [TTT, Book III, Ch. 6]. Gandalf broke Saruman's hold over the King, and Théoden was restored to himself. He cast out Gríma Wormtongue and took up his sword once more. His recovery is sudden and dramatic: he appears to grow younger and stronger before the eyes of his court, standing tall and drawing his blade Herugrim from its sheath [TTT, Book III, Ch. 6]. From this moment forward, Théoden is resolute and courageous.

### The Battle of Helm's Deep

Rather than remain in Edoras, Théoden chose to ride to the ancient fortress of Helm's Deep (the Hornburg) to make a stand against Saruman's army. He led his people westward, and there fought the Battle of the Hornburg against Saruman's host of Uruk-hai and Dunlendings [TTT, Book III, Ch. 7]. The battle was fierce and nearly lost, but Théoden rallied for a final charge at dawn, riding out from the Hornburg with Aragorn at his side. They were saved by the arrival of Gandalf with Erkenbrand and a host of Rohirrim, as well as the Huorns who destroyed the retreating enemy [TTT, Book III, Ch. 7; Ch. 8].

### The Ride to Gondor

After the victory and the confrontation with Saruman at Isengard [TTT, Book III, Ch. 10], Théoden received the Red Arrow from Gondor, Denethor's summons for aid [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 3]. Despite the great distance and the peril of the road, he mustered the Rohirrim and rode to Gondor's aid with some six thousand spears [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 3; Ch. 5]. The muster at Dunharrow and the ride across Rohan and Anórien to reach the Pelennor Fields in time is one of the great feats of the War of the Ring.

### The Battle of the Pelennor Fields and Death

Théoden led the charge of the Rohirrim onto the Pelennor Fields at dawn, sounding the horns of Rohan, and his arrival turned the tide of the battle against the forces of Mordor besieging Minas Tirith [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 5]. He was described in that moment as seized by a battle-fury, riding like a god of old, and none could withstand him. However, he was confronted by the Lord of the Nazgûl, the Witch-king of Angmar, mounted upon a fell beast. The creature struck down Théoden's horse Snowmane, and the King was crushed beneath his steed [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 6]. He was defended in his final moments by Éowyn and the hobbit Meriadoc Brandybuck, who together slew the Witch-king. Théoden lived long enough to speak his final words to Éomer, naming him as his heir and successor, and to say farewell to Merry [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 6].

His body was laid in state in Minas Tirith and later borne back to Rohan, where he was buried in the line of the Kings of the Mark at Edoras [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 6].

## Personality

Théoden is portrayed as a fundamentally noble and courageous king who is brought low by treachery and deceit, only to rise again with renewed purpose. Under Wormtongue's influence he appears broken, aged, and fatalistic, but once freed he demonstrates decisive leadership, personal bravery, and deep love for his people and his kin [TTT, Book III, Ch. 6]. He is proud in the best sense: aware of his lineage and duty, committed to the honor of Rohan. He feels keenly the loss of his son Théodred and the weight of his failures during his years of decline. He is generous and warm to those he trusts, as shown by his affection for Merry, whom he takes into his service [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 2]. He faces his final battle with full knowledge that it may be his last ride, yet he does not falter.

## Abilities and Skills

- **Horsemanship:** As King of the Rohirrim, Théoden is an accomplished rider, bred to the saddle from youth [TTT, Book III, Ch. 6].
- **Martial prowess:** He is a warrior-king in the tradition of the House of Eorl, wielding the ancient sword Herugrim. In his final battle he is described as cutting down enemies with great fury [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 5].
- **Leadership:** His rallying of the Rohirrim for the ride to Gondor and his charge on the Pelennor Fields demonstrate exceptional battlefield leadership and the ability to inspire loyalty and courage in his people.

## Relationships

- **Théodred** (son): His only child, slain at the Fords of Isen. Théodred's death grieved him deeply [TTT, Book III, Ch. 6].
- **Éomer** (nephew and heir): Son of Théoden's sister Théodwyn. Théoden raised him and ultimately named him king with his dying breath [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 6].
- **Éowyn** (niece): Daughter of Théodwyn. Théoden loved her and was concerned for her wellbeing, though he did not fully perceive the depth of her despair [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 2].
- **Gríma Wormtongue:** His treacherous counselor, who served Saruman and manipulated Théoden into inaction and despair [TTT, Book III, Ch. 6].
- **Gandalf:** Théoden initially resented Gandalf's appearances, associating him with ill tidings (under Wormtongue's influence calling him "Láthspell," meaning "ill-news"). After his restoration, Gandalf became his trusted counselor [TTT, Book III, Ch. 6].
- **Merry (Meriadoc Brandybuck):** Théoden took Merry into his service as esquire of Rohan, and a genuine bond of affection developed between them. His last words included a farewell to "Meriadoc of the Shire" [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 2; Ch. 6].

## Appearances

- *The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers* (Book III, Chapters 6, 7, 8, 10)
- *The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King* (Book V, Chapters 2, 3, 5, 6; Book VI, Chapter 6)
- *Unfinished Tales* ("The Battles of the Fords of Isen")
- *The Lord of the Rings* Appendices (A, B)

## Key Quotes

> "Arise, arise, Riders of Théoden! Fell deeds awake: fire and slaughter! spear shall be shaken, shield be splintered, a sword-day, a red day, ere the sun rises! Ride now, ride now! Ride to Gondor!"
> [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 5]

> "I go to my fathers. And even in their mighty company I shall not now be ashamed."
> [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 6]

> "Where now the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing? They have passed like rain on the mountain, like wind in the meadow."
> (The Lament for the Rohirrim, sung in Théoden's hall) [TTT, Book III, Ch. 6]

## Notes

- Théoden's name is derived from the Old English word "þéoden," meaning "king" or "lord of a people," fitting the Anglo-Saxon linguistic basis Tolkien used for Rohan's language and culture [App. F].
- His epithet "Ednew" (Renewed) commemorates his liberation from Saruman's control. It is the name by which he is remembered in the songs of Rohan [App. A, "The House of Eorl"].
- The manner of his death, crushed beneath his horse, parallels certain traditions of heroic death in Germanic and Norse literature, which heavily influenced Tolkien's depiction of Rohan.
- Théoden's charge on the Pelennor Fields is one of the climactic moments of *The Lord of the Rings* and draws extensively on the imagery and language of Old English heroic poetry, particularly *The Battle of Maldon* and *Beowulf*.
- He is the last king of the first line of the House of Eorl; with Théodred's death and Théoden's own fall, the crown passes to the second line through Éomer [App. A, "The House of Eorl"].

---

# ÉOWYN

**Éowyn**, called the **White Lady of Rohan** and later the **Lady of Ithilien** and the **Lady of the Shield-arm**, is a noblewoman of the House of Eorl, the ruling dynasty of Rohan. She is the daughter of Éomund, Chief Marshal of the Mark, and Théodwyn, sister of King Théoden. She is the sister of Éomer, who becomes King of Rohan after Théoden's death. She achieves lasting renown for slaying the Witch-king of Angmar, Lord of the Nazgûl, at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, fulfilling the prophecy that "not by the hand of man" would he fall [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 6]. She later weds Faramir, Prince of Ithilien and Steward of Gondor [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 5].

## Biography

### Early Life

Éowyn was born in T.A. 2995, the daughter of Éomund of Eastfold and Théodwyn, sister of King Théoden [App. A, "The House of Eorl"]. Her father Éomund was slain by Orcs when she was young, and her mother Théodwyn died of grief shortly thereafter [App. A, "The House of Eorl"]. Théoden then took Éowyn and her brother Éomer into his household and raised them as his own children. She grew up in Meduseld, the Golden Hall of Edoras.

### The Shadow of Wormtongue

During Théoden's decline under the influence of Gríma Wormtongue, Éowyn suffered greatly. Gríma desired her, and his unwanted attentions added to the misery of watching her uncle, her king, and her adoptive father wither into a broken old man while she was powerless to help [TTT, Book III, Ch. 6]. Gandalf later described her situation: she was like a creature trapped in a cage, watching the diminishment of the house she served while duty bound her to remain [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 8]. This period shaped her deeply, fostering within her both a fierce desire for glory and a despair that bordered on a wish for death.

### Meeting Aragorn

When Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli came to Edoras and freed Théoden from Saruman's influence, Éowyn encountered Aragorn and was powerfully drawn to him [TTT, Book III, Ch. 6]. She perceived in him everything she admired: nobility, strength, renown, and a great destiny. Her feelings for Aragorn were intense, but Aragorn, who was pledged to Arwen Undómiel, could not return them. He treated her with courtesy and compassion but did not encourage her love [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 2].

### The Ride to the Pelennor

When Théoden mustered the Rohirrim for the ride to Gondor, Éowyn begged to ride with them, but Théoden commanded her to remain behind and govern Edoras in his absence [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 2]. She obeyed in letter but not in spirit. Disguising herself as a male rider under the name **Dernhelm**, she took the hobbit Merry (who had likewise been told to remain behind) before her on her horse and rode secretly among the host to Gondor [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 3; Ch. 6].

### Slaying the Witch-king

On the Pelennor Fields, when Théoden was struck down by the Witch-king of Angmar riding his fell beast, Éowyn alone stood between the fallen king and the Nazgûl lord. When the Witch-king declared that no living man could hinder him, she removed her helmet, revealed herself, and replied: "No living man am I! You look upon a woman" [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 6]. She severed the head of the fell beast with her sword and, with Merry's crucial aid (he stabbed the Witch-king from behind with his Barrow-blade, breaking the Nazgûl lord's connection to his physical form), she drove her sword into the Witch-king's face, destroying him [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 6]. This fulfilled the prophecy made long ago by Glorfindel at the Battle of Fornost, that the Witch-king would not fall "by the hand of man" [App. A, "Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion"].

The effort shattered her sword and her shield-arm, and the contact with the Nazgûl lord inflicted upon her the Black Breath, a deadly spiritual malady. She was found among the fallen, seemingly dead, and was borne to the Houses of Healing in Minas Tirith [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 6; Ch. 8].

### Healing and Transformation

Éowyn was healed from the Black Breath by Aragorn, who used the herb athelas and called her back from the shadow [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 8]. Yet her deeper wounds, the despair and the desire for death that had long gnawed at her, required a different healing. While recovering in the Houses of Healing, she met Faramir, Steward of Gondor, who was also recovering from his wounds [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 5]. They stood together on the walls during the days of waiting while the Host of the West marched to the Black Gate. Faramir perceived her grief and her valor, and he loved her. Gradually, Éowyn's heart was changed. When Sauron was overthrown and the Eagles brought tidings of victory, Éowyn turned to Faramir and declared that she would be a shieldmaiden no longer, but a healer, and love "all things that grow and are not barren" [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 5]. They pledged themselves to one another.

### Later Life

Éowyn married Faramir and became the Lady of Ithilien, dwelling in the fair land of Emyn Arnen [App. A, "The Stewards"]. Their son was Elboron [App. A, "The Stewards"].

## Personality

Éowyn is proud, brave, and deeply passionate, but she is also characterized by a profound inner conflict. She yearns for honor and glory in battle, chafing against the constraints placed upon her as a woman in the martial culture of Rohan, where she is expected to serve and wait while the men ride to war [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 2]. Her desire for renown is intertwined with despair; Gandalf observes that she does not truly fear death or pain, but rather "a cage" and a slow, purposeless diminishment [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 8]. Her love for Aragorn is described not as the love of one person for another in full, but rather as admiration for an ideal and a desire for a glorious fate [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 8; Book VI, Ch. 5]. Her arc represents one of the great transformations in the narrative: from a figure driven by despair and the desire for a glorious death to one who chooses life, love, and healing.

## Abilities and Skills

- **Swordsmanship:** Éowyn is a trained warrior. She slew the fell beast of the Witch-king and then the Witch-king himself, feats that no other warrior on the field could accomplish [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 6].
- **Courage:** Her willingness to face the Lord of the Nazgûl, the most feared servant of Sauron, when seasoned warriors fled, speaks to extraordinary bravery.
- **Leadership:** She is entrusted with the governance of Edoras and the people of Rohan during the muster, a significant responsibility [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 2].

## Relationships

- **Théoden** (uncle, adoptive father): She loved him deeply and suffered watching his decline. She stood over his fallen body against the Witch-king [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 6].
- **Éomer** (brother): They share a close bond forged by shared loss and hardship. Éomer's grief when he found her seemingly dead on the Pelennor is described as overwhelming [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 6].
- **Aragorn:** She loved him, but he could not return her feelings. Her feelings are complex: partly genuine admiration, partly a desire for escape and glory [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 8; Book VI, Ch. 5].
- **Faramir** (husband): He healed the deeper wounds of her spirit through patience, understanding, and love. Their courtship on the walls of Minas Tirith is one of the tenderest passages in the book [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 5].
- **Merry (Meriadoc Brandybuck):** Her companion in defiance. Together they slew the Witch-king. She sheltered him on the ride to Gondor as Dernhelm [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 6].
- **Gríma Wormtongue:** His unwanted desire for her was a source of revulsion and contributed to her despair [TTT, Book III, Ch. 6].

## Appearances

- *The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers* (Book III, Chapters 6, 8)
- *The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King* (Book V, Chapters 2, 3, 5, 6, 8; Book VI, Chapters 4, 5, 6)
- *The Lord of the Rings* Appendices (A, B)

## Key Quotes

> "But no living man am I! You look upon a woman. Éowyn I am, Éomund's daughter. You stand between me and my lord and kin. Begone, if you be not deathless! For living or dark undead, I will smite you, if you touch him."
> [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 6]

> "I will be a shieldmaiden no longer, nor vie with the great Riders, nor take joy only in the songs of slaying. I will be a healer, and love all things that grow and are not barren."
> [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 5]

> "Shall I always be chosen? Shall I always be left behind when the Riders depart, to mind the house while they win renown, and find food and beds when they return?"
> [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 2]

## Notes

- Éowyn's slaying of the Witch-king is one of the most significant fulfillments of prophecy in the legendarium. The prophecy, attributed to Glorfindel after the Battle of Fornost in T.A. 1975, stated: "Do not pursue him! He will not return to this land. Far off yet is his doom, and not by the hand of man will he fall" [App. A, "Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion"]. The double meaning (both "not by a male" and "not by a mortal Man alone," since Merry the hobbit also played a crucial role) is characteristic of Tolkien's approach to prophecy.
- The name Éowyn is Old English (or Old English-inspired Rohirric), meaning approximately "horse-joy" or "delight in horses" (from "eoh," horse, and "wynn," joy) [App. F].
- Tolkien's depiction of Éowyn has been widely discussed as one of the most nuanced portrayals of a woman warrior in fantasy literature. Her arc explicitly rejects the idea that valor in battle is the highest form of worth, presenting healing and growth as equally heroic.
- Gandalf's diagnosis of her malady in the Houses of Healing provides one of the book's most psychologically astute passages, identifying her despair as rooted not merely in unrequited love but in the systematic denial of her agency and purpose [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 8].

---

# FARAMIR

**Faramir**, son of Denethor II, is the younger son of the ruling Steward of Gondor. He holds the rank of **Captain of the Rangers of Ithilien** and later becomes the **Prince of Ithilien** and **Steward of Gondor** under King Elessar (Aragorn). He is a man of Númenórean descent, of the house of Húrin. He is brother to Boromir and husband to Éowyn of Rohan [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 5; App. A, "The Stewards"].

## Biography

### Early Life

Faramir was born in T.A. 2983, the second son of Denethor II, Steward of Gondor, and Finduilas of Dol Amroth [App. A, "The Stewards"]. His mother Finduilas died when Faramir was five years old, and Denethor, consumed by grief and increasingly absorbed in the burdens of his office, became stern and distant, particularly toward Faramir [App. A, "The Stewards"]. Faramir loved his older brother Boromir greatly, and Boromir returned that love, serving as protector and companion to his younger sibling [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 5]. Faramir was a pupil of Gandalf during the wizard's visits to Minas Tirith, and from Gandalf he learned lore, wisdom, and a love of learning that set him apart from the more martial culture of Gondor's soldiers [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 4].

### Captain of the Rangers of Ithilien

By the time of the War of the Ring, Faramir served as Captain of the Rangers of Ithilien, the company of Gondorian soldiers who conducted guerrilla operations against Sauron's forces in the debatable lands east of the Anduin [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 4]. He held the outpost of Henneth Annûn, the Window on the West, a hidden refuge behind a waterfall in North Ithilien [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 5].

### The Dream and Boromir's Quest

Both Faramir and Boromir received a prophetic dream, bidding them to "Seek for the Sword that was broken" in Imladris (Rivendell) [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 5]. Faramir received the dream more often, but Boromir, as the elder and more prominent son, insisted on making the journey, and Denethor supported his choice [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 5]. This decision would lead to Boromir's death.

### Encounter with Frodo and Sam

Faramir's defining moment comes when he encounters Frodo and Sam in Ithilien during their journey to Mordor [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 4]. He brought them to Henneth Annûn and questioned them closely. He learned of the Fellowship, of Boromir's death, and, crucially, of the existence of the One Ring [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 5]. This placed him in a position of extraordinary temptation: the weapon of the Enemy was within his grasp, and his father and his city were in desperate need. Yet Faramir declared that he would not take the Ring even if he found it lying by the wayside: "I would not take this thing, if it lay by the highway. Not were Minas Tirith falling in ruin and I alone could save her, so, using the weapon of the Dark Lord for her good and my glory" [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 5]. He proved true to this word, allowing Frodo and Sam to continue on their way and even provisioning them for the journey ahead [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 7].

He also encountered Gollum at the Forbidden Pool near Henneth Annûn and, at Frodo's plea, spared the creature's life rather than have his archers slay it [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 6].

### The Defense of Osgiliath and the Retreat

Faramir led the defense of Osgiliath against the hosts of Mordor as Sauron launched his assault on Gondor [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 4]. He conducted a fighting retreat from Osgiliath to the Causeway Forts and then to the Pelennor, covering the retreat of his men. During this retreat, he was struck down by a poisoned Southron arrow and the Black Breath of the Nazgûl, and was borne unconscious to the city [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 4].

### Denethor's Madness and the Pyre

Denethor, broken by grief over Boromir's death, by despair at the apparent hopelessness of the war (heightened by his use of the palantír of Minas Tirith), and now by the seemingly fatal wounding of his last remaining son, descended into madness [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 4; Ch. 7]. He ordered a funeral pyre built in the tombs of the Stewards, intending to burn both himself and the unconscious Faramir alive [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 7]. Beregond, a guard of the Citadel loyal to Faramir, defied orders and held the door of the tomb against Denethor's servants. Gandalf arrived and rescued Faramir from the pyre, but Denethor immolated himself, clutching the palantír [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 7].

### Healing and Courtship of Éowyn

Aragorn healed Faramir of the Black Breath using athelas in the Houses of Healing [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 8]. During his recovery, Faramir met Éowyn of Rohan, who was also healing from her encounter with the Witch-king [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 5]. They walked together on the walls of the Houses of Healing during the anxious days when the Host of the West marched to the Morannon. Faramir perceived Éowyn's grief and her valor, and he fell in love with her. When news came of Sauron's defeat, Éowyn turned to him with an open heart, and they pledged to wed [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 5].

### Steward under the King

When Aragorn returned as King Elessar, Faramir, as the last ruling Steward, formally surrendered the office and the city to the King in a ceremony at the gates of Minas Tirith. Aragorn returned the white rod of office to him and confirmed him as Steward of Gondor, declaring that the office of the Steward should not end [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 5]. Faramir was also made Prince of Ithilien and settled in Emyn Arnen with Éowyn [App. A, "The Stewards"]. Their son was Elboron [App. A, "The Stewards"].

## Personality

Faramir is one of the most morally admirable figures in *The Lord of the Rings*. He is wise, gentle, learned, and deeply principled. He values lore and the preservation of civilization over martial glory for its own sake, though he is a capable and brave soldier when duty demands it [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 5]. He is introspective and honest, neither deceiving himself about the nature of the war nor succumbing to the temptation that overwhelmed his brother. Tolkien described Faramir as the character most like himself [Letters, No. 180]. He is compassionate (he expresses genuine sorrow at having to kill even the Haradrim enemy and wonders about the dead warrior he sees, asking what his name was and whether he was truly evil at heart) [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 4]. He endures his father's clear preference for Boromir with dignity and without resentment toward his brother. He demonstrates remarkable psychological resilience: despite a loveless relationship with his father, the death of his brother, and the horrors of war, he remains fundamentally humane and hopeful.

## Abilities and Skills

- **Ranger craft and guerrilla warfare:** As Captain of the Rangers of Ithilien, Faramir is highly skilled in woodcraft, ambush tactics, and reconnaissance operations behind enemy lines [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 4].
- **Swordsmanship and archery:** He is a trained warrior of Gondor, though he does not take the same delight in combat as Boromir [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 5].
- **Lore and wisdom:** Faramir is learned in the history and traditions of Gondor and Númenor. He studied under Gandalf and possesses a keen and inquiring mind [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 4].
- **Insight and judgment:** He demonstrates exceptional discernment in his interrogation of Frodo and Sam, perceiving the truth of their mission and the danger of the Ring without needing to see it or be directly told its nature [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 5].
- **Númenórean qualities:** He is described as possessing the nobility and bearing of the Dúnedain, with something of the same far-sightedness and wisdom attributed to the ancient Men of Westernesse [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 5].

## Relationships

- **Denethor II** (father): Their relationship is strained and painful. Denethor clearly preferred Boromir and was often cold toward Faramir, wishing that their positions had been reversed [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 4]. Yet Faramir remained loyal and obedient, striving to serve his father faithfully.
- **Boromir** (brother): Faramir loved his brother deeply. Boromir was Faramir's protector and champion in their father's house. Faramir learned of Boromir's death through a vision: he saw the funeral boat bearing Boromir's body floating down the Anduin [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 5].
- **Gandalf:** A mentor and teacher figure. Faramir learned much of lore and wisdom from Gandalf's visits to Minas Tirith. Gandalf in turn valued Faramir highly and risked much to save him from Denethor's pyre [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 7].
- **Frodo and Sam:** Faramir treated them with fairness and honor, provisioned them, and let them continue their quest. This act of restraint and faith is crucial to the success of the mission to destroy the Ring [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 5-7].
- **Éowyn** (wife): Their love story, brief but deeply felt, represents the healing of two wounded spirits finding strength in one another [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 5].
- **Aragorn (King Elessar):** Faramir recognizes Aragorn's kingship and becomes his loyal Steward. Aragorn in turn honors and elevates Faramir [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 5].

## Appearances

- *The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers* (Book IV, Chapters 4, 5, 6, 7)
- *The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King* (Book V, Chapters 1, 4, 7, 8; Book VI, Chapters 4, 5)
- *The Lord of the Rings* Appendices (A, B)

## Key Quotes

> "I would not take this thing, if it lay by the highway. Not were Minas Tirith falling in ruin and I alone could save her, so, using the weapon of the Dark Lord for her good and my glory. No. I do not wish for such triumphs, Frodo son of Drogo."
> [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 5]

> "War must be, while we defend our lives against a destroyer who would devour all; but I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend."
> [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 5]

> "Here was one with an air of high nobility such as Aragorn at times revealed, less high perhaps, yet also less incalculable and remote: one of the Kings of Men born into a later time, but touched with the wisdom and sadness of the Elder Race."
> (Sam's observation) [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 5]

## Notes

- Tolkien stated in a letter that Faramir was the character in the book nearest to him in temperament and outlook [Letters, No. 180]. This affinity is reflected in Faramir's love of lore, his reluctance to embrace war for its own sake, and his moral seriousness.
- Faramir's refusal of the Ring is often contrasted with Boromir's failure at Amon Hen. Where Boromir succumbed to the Ring's temptation, Faramir resisted it. Tolkien framed this not as a matter of Faramir being "stronger" but as a difference in character and values: Faramir had a clearer understanding of the nature of the Enemy's power and a less proud conception of Gondor's role [Letters, No. 180].
- The difference between the brothers may also reflect the degree of Númenórean heritage in their blood. Faramir is described as more like the Dúnedain of old, while Boromir, though noble, is more representative of the diminished Men of later Gondor [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 5].
- Faramir's use of the word "chance" in his encounter with Frodo and Sam ("A chance for Faramir, Captain of Gondor, to show his quality") parallels and contrasts with Boromir's desire for the Ring as a weapon of power, highlighting the brothers' different values [TTT, Book IV, Ch. 5].
- Denethor's preference for Boromir and coldness toward Faramir is one of the tragedy's sharpest edges; Denethor's final mad words to Faramir before the pyre are among the most painful in the narrative [ROTK, Book V, Ch. 4].

---

# TREEBEARD (FANGORN)

**Treebeard**, known in Sindarin as **Fangorn** (from which the forest of Fangorn takes its name), is an Ent, one of the oldest living creatures in Middle-earth. He is identified as the eldest of the Ents still walking, a shepherd of the trees who has guarded the forests since the Elder Days. He dwells in the Forest of Fangorn (also called the Entwood) at the southern end of the Misty Mountains, on the eastern borders of Rohan. His Entish name is extremely long, as Entish names are descriptions of a being's entire life history, and he does not share it in full [TTT, Book III, Ch. 4]. He plays a decisive role in the War of the Ring by leading the Ents' assault on Isengard.

## Biography

### Origins and the Elder Days

The Ents were created at the request of Yavanna, the Vala who is queen of all growing things, to serve as guardians and protectors of the forests, the olvar (plants), which could not defend themselves against the depredations of the other Children of Ilúvatar and the Dwarves [Sil, "Of Aulë and Yavanna"]. Treebeard is the eldest of the Ents, perhaps the oldest living thing walking beneath the Sun in Middle-earth (though this claim is complicated by the existence of Tom Bombadil, whose nature and origin are deliberately left ambiguous) [TTT, Book III, Ch. 4]. Gandalf describes him as "the oldest living thing that still walks beneath the Sun upon this Middle-earth" [TTT, Book III, Ch. 5].

In the Elder Days, the Ents walked in the great forests that covered much of Middle-earth. Treebeard's memories stretch back to the time before the rise of Morgoth's power, and he recalls the ancient forests of Beleriand and the vast woods of the First and Second Ages [TTT, Book III, Ch. 4]. He speaks of a time when one could walk from the Fangorn forest to the forests of the distant North or West without ever leaving the shade of the trees.

### The Loss of the Entwives

One of the central sorrows of Treebeard's existence, and of the Ents as a whole, is the loss of the Entwives. The Entwives loved ordered gardens, cultivated lands, and tamed growing things, and they moved away from the wild forests that the Ents preferred, crossing the Anduin to tend gardens in the region that later became the Brown Lands [TTT, Book III, Ch. 4]. When Sauron's forces devastated those lands in the Second Age, the Entwives vanished, and the Ents searched for them in vain [TTT, Book III, Ch. 4]. Without the Entwives, there have been no Entings (young Ents) for many ages, and the Ent race is slowly dwindling and becoming "treeish," that is, falling into the slow, dormant existence of ordinary trees [TTT, Book III, Ch. 4].

### The Diminishment of the Forests

Over the ages, Treebeard has watched the great forests be diminished by the axes of Men, Dwarves, and Orcs. The Forest of Fangorn is but a remnant of the vast woods that once covered this part of Middle-earth [TTT, Book III, Ch. 4]. This slow destruction has left the remaining Ents and their forest in an uneasy, watchful state.

### Encounter with Merry and Pippin

In the year T.A. 3019, during the War of the Ring, the hobbits Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took escaped from the Uruk-hai of Saruman at the edge of Fangorn Forest and encountered Treebeard [TTT, Book III, Ch. 4]. He was initially uncertain what to make of them, as hobbits did not appear on any of the old lists of living creatures that he had been taught. He eventually decided that a new line should be added to the old verse and took them to his dwelling at Wellinghall, an Ent-house beneath a waterfall on the slopes of Methedras [TTT, Book III, Ch. 4].

From Merry and Pippin, Treebeard learned of Saruman's treachery: that the wizard had turned to evil, was breeding Orcs and felling the trees of Fangorn to fuel the furnaces of Isengard [TTT, Book III, Ch. 4]. This news, combined with the Ents' own longstanding grievances, moved Treebeard to action.

### The Entmoot and the March on Isengard

Treebeard called an Entmoot, a gathering of the Ents, at Derndingle in the heart of Fangorn Forest [TTT, Book III, Ch. 4]. The Entmoot lasted for days (for Ents do nothing hastily, and their language and deliberations are extremely slow and thorough). Ultimately, the Ents decided that Saruman had become a threat that must be dealt with [TTT, Book III, Ch. 4]. The march of the Ents to Isengard, the "Last March of the Ents," is one of the most dramatic passages in the book.

### The Destruction of Isengard

The Ents attacked Isengard with devastating effect [TTT, Book III, Ch. 9]. They tore apart the walls and buildings of the fortress-ring with their enormous strength, broke dams, and diverted the River Isen to flood the great pit and the underground works of Saruman's industry. The Ents could not breach the Tower of Orthanc itself, which was made of a substance harder than any rock, but they destroyed everything else within the Ring of Isengard and trapped Saruman in his tower [TTT, Book III, Ch. 9]. They were aided by Huorns, tree-creatures that may be trees that have become partly Ent-like or Ents that have become almost entirely tree-like [TTT, Book III, Ch. 9].

### After the War

After the fall of Isengard, Treebeard served as the warden of the ruined fortress and the keeper of Saruman. When Gandalf and the others came to parley with Saruman at Orthanc, Treebeard was present [TTT, Book III, Ch. 10]. After the war, he made the area around Isengard into a garden of trees, which he named the Treegarth of Orthanc [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 6]. He eventually released Saruman (against the advice of Gandalf), having been deceived by the fallen wizard's persuasive voice, a decision he later acknowledged as an error [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 6].

When Aragorn and the others passed through the area on their return journey, Treebeard spoke with them. He expressed his sorrow at the prospect of never seeing Merry and Pippin again, and Gandalf hinted gently that the Ents' search for the Entwives might still have some hope, though this remains ambiguous [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 6].

## Personality

Treebeard is ancient, patient, deliberate, and deeply rooted in the slow rhythms of the natural world. His speech is unhurried, his thought-processes long, and he views the haste of younger beings with bemusement and mild exasperation [TTT, Book III, Ch. 4]. His catchphrase, "Hoom, hom," and his repeated admonition "Don't be hasty," encapsulate his character. Despite this deliberateness, he is capable of great wrath when roused. His anger at Saruman's destruction of the trees is terrible and decisive, and once the Ents resolve to act, they are unstoppable [TTT, Book III, Ch. 4; Ch. 9].

He has a deep love for all growing things and a profound grief for the losses the forests have suffered over the ages. He is affectionate and curious toward Merry and Pippin, charmed by their small stature and lively natures, which are so different from his own ancient, ponderous being. He is honest, straightforward, and somewhat naive in certain matters (as shown by his release of Saruman). He carries within him the accumulated memory and sorrow of ages.

## Abilities and Skills

- **Enormous physical strength:** Ents can tear apart stone and metal with their hands, break rock, and uproot trees. Treebeard and the other Ents demolished the walls and infrastructure of Isengard with their bare hands and feet [TTT, Book III, Ch. 9].
- **Near-invulnerability to conventional weapons:** Ents are extremely hard to harm with sword or axe, though they are vulnerable to fire [TTT, Book III, Ch. 9].
- **Communication with trees:** Treebeard can speak with and rouse trees, including the Huorns, tree-like beings that dwell in Fangorn Forest [TTT, Book III, Ch. 4].
- **Ent-draughts:** The liquid nourishment that Treebeard provides to the hobbits, drawn from spring water and imbued with some quality of Ent vitality, causes Merry and Pippin to grow measurably taller than any hobbits in Shire history [TTT, Book III, Ch. 4; ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 6].
- **Vast memory and knowledge:** Treebeard's memory stretches back to the earliest ages of the world. He knows the old lists of all living creatures, the ancient geography of Middle-earth, and the long histories of forests long since destroyed [TTT, Book III, Ch. 4].
- **Entish language:** Treebeard speaks the Entish tongue, described as slow, sonorous, agglomerated, and repetitive, in which names and descriptions grow longer as the thing described has a longer history [TTT, Book III, Ch. 4].

## Relationships

- **Merry and Pippin:** Treebeard develops a genuine fondness for the two hobbits, whom he calls "my little friends" or "hasty folk." Their news of Saruman's treachery is the catalyst for the Ents' action, and Treebeard bids them a sorrowful farewell after the war [TTT, Book III, Ch. 4; ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 6].
- **Saruman:** Treebeard's animosity toward Saruman is fierce and justified; the wizard's Orcs have been felling the trees of Fangorn for the fires of Isengard. Yet Treebeard ultimately shows a degree of naive trust by releasing Saruman from his captivity [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 6].
- **Gandalf:** Gandalf and Treebeard have long acquaintance and mutual respect. Gandalf describes Treebeard as "the oldest living thing" and clearly trusts the Ent's judgment, though he warns Treebeard not to release Saruman [TTT, Book III, Ch. 5; ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 6].
- **The Entwives:** Their loss is Treebeard's deepest sorrow and the tragedy of his people. He recites a song of the Ents and the Entwives to the hobbits, a lament for their separation [TTT, Book III, Ch. 4].
- **The other Ents:** Treebeard is the eldest and a natural leader among them, though Ents do not have formal hierarchies. He calls the Entmoot and leads the march on Isengard.

## Appearances

- *The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers* (Book III, Chapters 4, 8, 9, 10)
- *The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King* (Book VI, Chapter 6)
- *The Lord of the Rings* Appendices (A, B)
- *The Silmarillion* ("Of Aulë and Yavanna," regarding the origin of the Ents)

## Key Quotes

> "I am not altogether on anybody's side, because nobody is altogether on my side, if you understand me: nobody cares for the woods as I care for them, not even Elves nowadays."
> [TTT, Book III, Ch. 4]

> "It is a lovely language, but it takes a very long time to say anything in it, because we do not say anything in it, unless it is worth taking a long time to say, and to listen to."
> (On the Entish language) [TTT, Book III, Ch. 4]

> "A thing is about to happen that has not happened since the Elder Days: the Ents are going to wake up and find that they are strong."
> [TTT, Book III, Ch. 4]

> "Many of those trees were my friends, creatures I had known from nut and acorn; many had voices of their own that are lost for ever now. And there are wastes of stump and bramble where once there were singing groves. I have been idle. I have let things slip. It must stop!"
> [TTT, Book III, Ch. 4]

## Notes

- The origin of the Ents as described in *The Silmarillion* places them among the most theologically significant beings in the legendarium. They were not planned in the original design of Arda but were granted existence by Ilúvatar at Yavanna's plea, as a counterpart to the Dwarves whom Aulë had created. This makes the Ents a direct expression of divine will to protect the natural world [Sil, "Of Aulë and Yavanna"].
- Tolkien stated that the Ents were "composed of philology, literature, and life," noting that he was partly motivated by his dissatisfaction with Shakespeare's treatment of Birnam Wood in *Macbeth*, where trees are merely used as camouflage rather than actually going to war [Letters, No. 163].
- The fate of the Entwives is one of the great unresolved mysteries of the legendarium. Tolkien suggested in a letter that the Entwives were likely destroyed when Sauron's forces laid waste to their gardens (the Brown Lands), but he never confirmed this definitively, leaving the question open [Letters, No. 144]. In the same letter, he indicated that the Ents would eventually fail in their search and the Ent race would come to an end.
- Treebeard's statement that he is "the oldest living thing" is qualified by the ambiguous existence of Tom Bombadil, who is called "Eldest" [FOTR, Ch. 7] and whose nature Tolkien deliberately left unexplained.
- The name "Fangorn" is Sindarin, composed of "fang" (beard) and "orn" (tree), thus "Treebeard" is a direct English translation of his Sindarin name [App. F].
- The Huorns who accompany the Ents remain one of the more mysterious elements of the story. Whether they are trees that have become partly sentient or Ents that have become almost entirely tree-like is never fully resolved [TTT, Book III, Ch. 9].
- The Ent-draughts that Merry and Pippin drink are significant in the broader narrative: the hobbits' increased height is noted by other characters and is the in-universe explanation for their being the tallest hobbits in Shire history [ROTK, Book VI, Ch. 6; App. B].

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*All citations reference the following editions and abbreviations: [FOTR] = The Fellowship of the Ring; [TTT] = The Two Towers; [ROTK] = The Return of the King; [Sil] = The Silmarillion; [UT] = Unfinished Tales; [App.] = Appendices to The Lord of the Rings; [Letters] = The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien; [TH] = The Hobbit.*