Post by Ethiriel on Dec 26, 2011 15:04:53 GMT -5
The lady of Light:
"Galadriel! Galadriel!
Clear is the water of your well;
White is the star in your white hand;
Unmarred, unstained is leaf and land
In Dwimordene, in Lórien;
More fair than thoughts of mortal men."
—Mithrandir
Galadriel was co-ruler of Lothlórien along with Lord Celeborn. Neither she nor Celeborn took royal titles as they saw themselves but guardians of Lothlorien. Galadriel was the only daughter and youngest child of Finarfin, prince of the Ñoldor and of Eärwen, whose cousin was Lúthien. Her elder brothers were Finrod Felagund, Angrod, and Aegnor.
She appears in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales. She was referred to as The Lady of Lórien, Lady of Light, Storm Queen, The Lady of the Galadhrim, White Lady, Queen Galadriel, Sorceress of the Golden Wood or The Lady of the Wood interchangeably. In the Extended Edition of Peter Jackson's version of The Fellowship of the Ring, Gimli initially referred to Lady Galadriel as an elf-witch. Within the realm of Lothlórien, she was referred to as simply Lady Galadriel or The Lady. When she and Celeborn were being referred to collectively, they were known as The Lord and Lady. Galadriel was undoubtedly one of the greatest of the Eldar in Middle-earth, and surpassed nearly all others in beauty, knowledge, and power. She was also the bearer of Nenya, one of the three elven rings.Tolkien thought of her, along with Gil-Galad the Elven-king, as one of the mightiest and fairest of all the Elves left in Middle-earth. She was highly praised for her beauty- particularly her hair, which, said to have ensnared the light of the two trees, Telperion and Laurelin, was a deep and radiant gold, shot with silver. It has been speculated that her hair inspired the creation of the Silmarils by Fëanor. She was also the tallest of elf-women, standing at around 6 feet 4 inches, or 193 centimeters. Her power and intellect delegated her an imperative role throughout the history of Middle-earth, especially during her time in Eregion and in the midst of the War of the Ring.
Galadriel was born in Valinor during the Years of the Trees, before the First Age had even begun. Much of Galadriel's story is confusing, and there are several distinct tales told about her collected in the Unfinished Tales. According to the older account, used in the published Silmarillion, Galadriel is an eager participant and leader in the rebellion of the Ñoldor and their flight from Valinor due to her desire to one day rule over a patch of middle-earth herself. However, separated from Fëanor and his kin, she and her people do not take part in the Kinslaying at Alqualondë. Once in Beleriand, she lived nominally with one of her brothers, but spent much time at the court of Thingol and Melian in Menegroth where she arrived in FA 52 and where she was welcomed because of her family relationship to Thingol's brother Olwë (Galadriel's maternal grandfather). She met Celeborn, a kinsman of Thingol, in Doriath. She also traveled to visit her brother, Finrod, in his realm of Nargothrond multiple times. All four of her brothers were killed during various battles in the first age. She played a relatively insignificant part in the wars of the First Age, as she thought that defeating Morgoth was beyond the power of the Eldar. However, Morgoth was defeated by the coming of the Valar out of the West; she, for playing no part in the Kinslaying, was offered safe return to her home, although she, being prideful, stayed in Middle-earth.
The Second Age
Celeborn and Galadriel traveled first to Lindon, where they ruled over a group of Elves, probably as a fiefdom under Gil-galad. Later they moved eastward, and established the realm of Eregion, or Hollin. Eregion, to the west of the Misty Mountains near Moria, was a prosperous kingdom during this time, and had open trade with a civilization of Dwarves. At this time they made contact with a Nandorin settlement in the valley of the Anduin, later to be known as Lothlórien. Later they left Eregion by way of the mines of Khazad-dûm, and became lords of Lothlórien. Celebrimbor now ruled over Eregion. In Lórien Galadriel and Celeborn had a daughter, Celebrían, who later married Elrond, half-elven of Rivendell. They gave Galadriel two grandsons: Elladan and Elrohir, and a granddaughter, Arwen.
During the Second Age, Annatar, the "Giver of Gifts", guided Celebrimbor and the other Ñoldor of Eregion in the creation of the Rings of Power. Galadriel took an immediate distrust to Annatar, and it later turned out that this mistrust was justified, as he was finally revealed to be Sauron. It was she that counseled Celebrimbor in the hiding of the rings, and when Eregion was attacked, Galadriel was entrusted with one of the Three Rings of the Elves. Her ring was Nenya, the Ring of Water. Conscious of Sauron's power, and wishing to thwart it, she did not openly use the powers of her ring as long as the One Ring was in Sauron's hands. However, during the Third Age, when the One Ring was lost, she put it to good use protecting the borders of her realm; the powers of her ring were protection, preservation, and concealment from evil.
The Third Age
For many centuries in the Third Age, we hear little of Galadriel or of Celeborn; it is not until the formation of the White Council in TA 2463 that she puts forth her might in opposition of Sauron. She played a pivotal role in the formation of this council, and wished for Gandalf to become the head of it. After Sauron was ousted from his fortress of Dol Guldur, Lorien kept vigilance over the region until the time of the War of the Ring.
In The Lord of the Rings, Galadriel hosted the Fellowship of the Ring after their escape from the mines of Moria. Once in Caras Galadhon, Galadriel allowed Frodo and Sam to peer into the Mirror of Galadriel, enabling them to glimpse possible events of the future. She, in turn, was tested when Frodo Baggins later offered to place the One Ring in her keeping- to whom she presents an image of herself corrupted by the ring declaring; "And now it comes to it at last. You will give me the One Ring freely! In place of the Dark Lord, you will set up a Queen, and I shall not be dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Morning and the Night. Fair as the Sea and the Sun and the Snow upon the Mountain...all shall love me and despair!" Swiftly after showing her terrible form to Frodo, she shrank back to her original form, seemingly smaller and frailer than before. Recalling the ambitions that had once brought her to Middle-earth, she declared, "I pass the test," and refused the Ring, accepting her fate of diminishing (as the time of the dominion of men had come) and returning at last to Valinor. When the Fellowship departed, she gave each member a gift and an Elven cloak as well as outfitted the party with boats and supplies. Gimli, in particular, is touched by Galadriel's lordliness and beauty, and asks for one strand of her golden hair as an heirloom of his house; she so generously gives him three, which he later sets in crystal. Apart from the hairs given to Gimli, she gifts a Mallorn seed and a small box of earth from her garden to Samwise Gamgee, a green stone set in silver to Aragorn, along with a sheath for his sword, three belts to Boromir, Merry, and Pippin, and to Legolas is given a short, stout bow of the Galadhrim. The most important of her gifts is that which is given to Frodo, specifically the Phial of Galadriel; without this gift, Frodo and Sam would have been unable to pass through Shelob's lair and the quest would have ultimately failed. It is likely that these gifts were planned out through her gazing in the mirror.
After the departure of the Fellowship, she acted so as to ensure the success of the quest; it was she that summoned Gwaihir to rescue Gandalf off the peak of Celebdil and it was she that nursed him back to health, dressing him in the white of his order. Later, she sent word to Aragorn about the Paths of the Dead, and messages to the Rangers of the North, asking for their aid in the war.
As Sauron put forth all his power during the end of the War of the Ring , he was aware of the threat of the Elves and their ancient potency, sending armies to besiege many of their settlements in the North while simultaneously assailing the major cities of Men and Dwarves; Lorien itself was assaulted three times, but the armies of Mordor were driven back due to the courage of the Elves and the power of Galadriel's Ring. It is said that the power of her ring could not be overcome unless Sauron himself would come to do battle. After the fall of Sauron, she, alongside Thranduil of Mirkwood and their elven allies, crossed the Anduin into Dol Guldur wherein she tore down its walls and laid bare its pits.
She traveled to Minas Tirith for the wedding of King Aragorn and Lady Arwen, and continued living in Lorien until TA 3021, when she went north and west, and, taking a boat, sailed into the West with the remaining ring-bearers.
Pippin:
Peregrin Took (TA 2990 - FO 65), better known to his friends as Pippin, was a Hobbit of the Shire, and one of Frodo Baggins's youngest but closest friends.
Pippin had three older sisters, Pearl Took, Pimpernel Took, and Pervinca Took. His parents were Paladin Took II (TA 2933 - FO 13), Thain of the Shire, and Eglantine Banks. Pippin's dear friend Meriadoc Brandybuck was the son of Paladin's sister Esmeralda Brandybuck.
The hair on his head and his feet (which are exceptionally hairy, even for a Hobbit) was almost golden and curly. At the beginning of Quest of the Ring he was smaller than the rest of the Hobbits because he was the youngest.
Peregrin "Pippin" Took was eight years younger than Merry, and thus was far younger than Frodo. He was a worthy accomplice to Merry's plans, but showed his age as well; he was still a cheerful, if occasionally thoughtless Hobbit, and was first to miss the comforts of Hobbit life. At Rivendell, Pippin was nearly denied the chance to accompany Frodo by Elrond who seriously considered using the youngest Hobbit as a messenger to the Shire. Gandalf, however, supported his and Merry's claims of friendship and loyalty, and Pippin was chosen as the last member of Fellowship at Gandalf's request to Elrond.
When the Fellowship was passing through Moria, Pippin dropped a stone down an old dwarven well. (In the film, it is a skeleton and a bucket that he knocks down.) It may be that this act was what alerted the unfriendly goblins to the Fellowship's presence in Moria. In the resulting battle, he was able to distract the enemy's Cave-troll by plunging his sword in the troll's neck long enough for Legolas to shoot the Cave -Troll with two arrows through the neck into its head.
Pippin journeyed to Lothlorien with the rest of the Fellowship after Gandalf had fallen to the Balrog in Moria. He was presented with an Elven Belt by the Lady Galadriel. After leaving Lothlorien, the Fellowship went to Amon Hen but unfortunately, while they were there, Pippin, Merry, and Boromir were split apart from the rest. Orcs attacked them and Boromir died defending the hobbits. Pippin and Merry were captured by Uruk-hai who marched toward Isengard to give Saruman the White the One Ring.
While held captive by the Orcs, he left his elven belt of Lórien as a signal for Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli. During a skirmish amongst his captors Pippin managed to cut his bonds using a sword held fast by a dead Uruk. Upon their escape, he and Merry befriended old Treebeard, leader of the Ents. He and Merry were able to convince Treebeard to attack Saruman at Isengard, while the Rohirrm defended Helm's Deep. After the battle, they were told by Treebeard to watch the gate, for Théoden, the King of Rohan, would be passing that way as well as Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and Éomer. When they came, Pippin and Merry met the remaining four of the fellowship again. Pippin stayed at the bottom of the stairs of Orthanc when Gandalf, Théoden, Éomer, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli went to confront Saruman.
It was Pippin who picked up the Palantír of Orthanc after Gríma Wormtongue foolishly threw it as a missile; later, in an almost equally foolish act, Pippin actually stole it out of Gandalf's hands while the wizard slept. Looking into the stone, he had a terrifying encounter with Sauron himself. Because of this, Gandalf separated him from his friends and brought him to the City of Minas Tirith. Meeting Denethor II, Steward of Gondor, he volunteered for service to repay him for the death of Denethor's son, Boromir, who had died trying to defend Merry and Pippin from Saruman's Uruk-hai. Denethor accepted the Hobbit's offer and made him one of the elite Guards of the Citadel. Later, it was Pippin who rushed to fetch Gandalf when Denethor, driven to despair by Sauron's deception, set out to burn his remaining son Faramir and himself alive. The young hobbit thus saved Faramir, Captain of Rangers and last Steward to the Throne of Gondor.
Pippin was part of the Army of the West led by Aragorn that assaulted the Black Gates in a desperate attempt to give Frodo time to destroy the Ring. Before the final parley with the Mouth of Sauron, Gandalf instructed that members of each race that opposed Sauron be present at the parley, including Aragorn, son of Arathorn, King of Gondor, and Eomer, King of Rohan for Men, Gimli for the Dwarves, Legolas, Elladan and Elrohir, (Elrond's twin sons) for the Elves, and Merry and Pippin for Hobbits. During the Last Battle before the Morannon (Black Gate), Pippin managed to slay an Olog-hai, a genetically modified troll, the first hobbit ever to do so. He was then knocked unconscious when the troll fell on him. Gimli later recognized the Hobbit feet under the Troll and dragged him out of the battle, saving his life. After the restoration of the monarchy, King Elessar, who then granted him, knighted him and his fellow hobbits leave to return home, as well as leave to return to Gondor whenever they liked. Later, he, Merry, Frodo, and Sam were instrumental in overthrowing the small remainder of Saruman's forces during the Scouring of the Shire.
In the year FO 6 of the Fourth Age Pippin married Diamond of Long Cleeve, when she was 32 and he himself was 37. They had one son, Faramir. Faramir Took the Ist later married Samwise Gamgee's daughter Goldilocks (Gardner) Took.
In the year FO 13 Pippin became the 32nd Thain of the Shire, a position he held for 50 years before retiring in FO 63, when he revisited Rohan and Gondor with Merry. He remained in Gondor for the rest of his life.
Merry:
Meriadoc Brandybuck, or Merry for short, was a Hobbit, and one of Frodo's cousins and closest friends. He loved boats and ponies and had a great interest in the maps of Middle-earth. He was also related to Frodo several times over.
Merry was born in TA 2982. He was the only child of Saradoc Brandybuck (TA 2940 - FO 11), Master of Buckland, and Esmeralda Took (TA 2936 - ?), the younger sister of Paladin Took, making him first cousin to Paladin's son Pippin, who was clearly his closest friend.
Merry was considered the most perceptive and intelligent of the hobbits: for example, even before Bilbo Baggins leaves the Shire, he knew of the One Ring and its power. He guarded Bag End after Bilbo's party, protecting Frodo from the various and often unwanted guests. He also was the force behind "the Conspiracy" of Sam, Pippin, and Fredegar Bolger (more commonly known as "Fatty", due to his plump form), and himself to help Frodo. Thus, even before the Quest of the Ring begins, Merry was well prepared and organized; he assembled their gear and brought ponies. His shortcut through the Old Forest did not serve them well, though they were saved by Tom Bombadil, and were not pursued by the Black Riders. At the Barrow-downs, he acquired his sword, a work of Westernesse.
At Bree, he was actually not present in the Prancing Pony when Frodo foolishly put on the ring; instead, he was outside taking a walk, and was nearly overcome by the Nazgûl who arrived. At Rivendell, he was seen studying maps and plotting their path. His approval to the Fellowship came with only a little less reluctance than Pippin's; they were the two to relay news to the people of the Shire about Frodo's journey, but in the end Gandalf came to the defence of Merry and Pippin believing in the friendship and loyalty shown to Frodo and Sam, therefore requesting to Elrond to allow the two hobbits to come along. At Amon Hen, he was captured along with Pippin by a band of Saruman's Uruk-hai, although he makes a good account for himself, and was valiantly defended by Boromir.
Escaping with Pippin into Fangorn Forest, he was met by Treebeard and the newly risen Gandalf the White (In Peter Jacksons Film Trilogy). Along with Pippin, he drank significant amounts of Entwash which controbutied to speedy gains in height and hair growth. Accompanying Treebeard to the Entmoot and later to Isengard, he and Pippin were set as the guardians following Saruman's fall. It was here that he first encountered King Théoden of Rohan, and was reunited with the remaining members of the Fellowship (save Frodo and Sam).
Separated by Pippin and Gandalf's journey to Gondor, he swore fealty to Théoden and became his esquire. Without permission from his liege, he rode to the Battle of the Pelennor Fields in the care of young Dernhelm. As the Nazgûl attacked the Riders of Rohan and Théoden was injured, Merry and Dernhelm faced the Witch King of Angmar alone. Here, Merry's companion was revealed to be Éowyn (he was already aware of the fact that it was Eowyn in the film, but in the book he only found out at this moment), White Lady of Rohan, niece to the King. Battling both fell beast and the Nazgûl alone, Éowyn was well assisted by Merry's crucial move: his sword, built for this very purpose, was one of the few weapons able to pierce the Ringwraith's form, at great expense to himself. This was enough to allow Éowyn to finish off the Witch King. Merry heard Théoden's last words, but was unnoticed by the honour escort of Riders and was found wandering the city by Pippin. He was saved by the healing of Aragorn and recovered fully.
For his bravery in battle, King Éomer, as the new King of Rohan, knighted him and gave hime the name of "Holdwine". During the Scouring of the Shire, he was in the forefront of the Battle of Bywater, particularly in using the Horn of Rohan presented to him by Éowyn.
Upon his return, he and Pippin were clearly seen as being the tallest of hobbits, taller even than the legendary Bandobras "Bullroarer" Took (Due to drinking large amounts of Entwater). Merry married Estella Bolger sometime after the end of the Third Age. He became the Master of Buckland in 11 of the Fourth Age. He wrote Old Words and Names in the Shire. Although he was not recorded as having any children within the family trees, he clearly had at least one son.
"Galadriel! Galadriel!
Clear is the water of your well;
White is the star in your white hand;
Unmarred, unstained is leaf and land
In Dwimordene, in Lórien;
More fair than thoughts of mortal men."
—Mithrandir
Galadriel was co-ruler of Lothlórien along with Lord Celeborn. Neither she nor Celeborn took royal titles as they saw themselves but guardians of Lothlorien. Galadriel was the only daughter and youngest child of Finarfin, prince of the Ñoldor and of Eärwen, whose cousin was Lúthien. Her elder brothers were Finrod Felagund, Angrod, and Aegnor.
She appears in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales. She was referred to as The Lady of Lórien, Lady of Light, Storm Queen, The Lady of the Galadhrim, White Lady, Queen Galadriel, Sorceress of the Golden Wood or The Lady of the Wood interchangeably. In the Extended Edition of Peter Jackson's version of The Fellowship of the Ring, Gimli initially referred to Lady Galadriel as an elf-witch. Within the realm of Lothlórien, she was referred to as simply Lady Galadriel or The Lady. When she and Celeborn were being referred to collectively, they were known as The Lord and Lady. Galadriel was undoubtedly one of the greatest of the Eldar in Middle-earth, and surpassed nearly all others in beauty, knowledge, and power. She was also the bearer of Nenya, one of the three elven rings.Tolkien thought of her, along with Gil-Galad the Elven-king, as one of the mightiest and fairest of all the Elves left in Middle-earth. She was highly praised for her beauty- particularly her hair, which, said to have ensnared the light of the two trees, Telperion and Laurelin, was a deep and radiant gold, shot with silver. It has been speculated that her hair inspired the creation of the Silmarils by Fëanor. She was also the tallest of elf-women, standing at around 6 feet 4 inches, or 193 centimeters. Her power and intellect delegated her an imperative role throughout the history of Middle-earth, especially during her time in Eregion and in the midst of the War of the Ring.
Galadriel was born in Valinor during the Years of the Trees, before the First Age had even begun. Much of Galadriel's story is confusing, and there are several distinct tales told about her collected in the Unfinished Tales. According to the older account, used in the published Silmarillion, Galadriel is an eager participant and leader in the rebellion of the Ñoldor and their flight from Valinor due to her desire to one day rule over a patch of middle-earth herself. However, separated from Fëanor and his kin, she and her people do not take part in the Kinslaying at Alqualondë. Once in Beleriand, she lived nominally with one of her brothers, but spent much time at the court of Thingol and Melian in Menegroth where she arrived in FA 52 and where she was welcomed because of her family relationship to Thingol's brother Olwë (Galadriel's maternal grandfather). She met Celeborn, a kinsman of Thingol, in Doriath. She also traveled to visit her brother, Finrod, in his realm of Nargothrond multiple times. All four of her brothers were killed during various battles in the first age. She played a relatively insignificant part in the wars of the First Age, as she thought that defeating Morgoth was beyond the power of the Eldar. However, Morgoth was defeated by the coming of the Valar out of the West; she, for playing no part in the Kinslaying, was offered safe return to her home, although she, being prideful, stayed in Middle-earth.
The Second Age
Celeborn and Galadriel traveled first to Lindon, where they ruled over a group of Elves, probably as a fiefdom under Gil-galad. Later they moved eastward, and established the realm of Eregion, or Hollin. Eregion, to the west of the Misty Mountains near Moria, was a prosperous kingdom during this time, and had open trade with a civilization of Dwarves. At this time they made contact with a Nandorin settlement in the valley of the Anduin, later to be known as Lothlórien. Later they left Eregion by way of the mines of Khazad-dûm, and became lords of Lothlórien. Celebrimbor now ruled over Eregion. In Lórien Galadriel and Celeborn had a daughter, Celebrían, who later married Elrond, half-elven of Rivendell. They gave Galadriel two grandsons: Elladan and Elrohir, and a granddaughter, Arwen.
During the Second Age, Annatar, the "Giver of Gifts", guided Celebrimbor and the other Ñoldor of Eregion in the creation of the Rings of Power. Galadriel took an immediate distrust to Annatar, and it later turned out that this mistrust was justified, as he was finally revealed to be Sauron. It was she that counseled Celebrimbor in the hiding of the rings, and when Eregion was attacked, Galadriel was entrusted with one of the Three Rings of the Elves. Her ring was Nenya, the Ring of Water. Conscious of Sauron's power, and wishing to thwart it, she did not openly use the powers of her ring as long as the One Ring was in Sauron's hands. However, during the Third Age, when the One Ring was lost, she put it to good use protecting the borders of her realm; the powers of her ring were protection, preservation, and concealment from evil.
The Third Age
For many centuries in the Third Age, we hear little of Galadriel or of Celeborn; it is not until the formation of the White Council in TA 2463 that she puts forth her might in opposition of Sauron. She played a pivotal role in the formation of this council, and wished for Gandalf to become the head of it. After Sauron was ousted from his fortress of Dol Guldur, Lorien kept vigilance over the region until the time of the War of the Ring.
In The Lord of the Rings, Galadriel hosted the Fellowship of the Ring after their escape from the mines of Moria. Once in Caras Galadhon, Galadriel allowed Frodo and Sam to peer into the Mirror of Galadriel, enabling them to glimpse possible events of the future. She, in turn, was tested when Frodo Baggins later offered to place the One Ring in her keeping- to whom she presents an image of herself corrupted by the ring declaring; "And now it comes to it at last. You will give me the One Ring freely! In place of the Dark Lord, you will set up a Queen, and I shall not be dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Morning and the Night. Fair as the Sea and the Sun and the Snow upon the Mountain...all shall love me and despair!" Swiftly after showing her terrible form to Frodo, she shrank back to her original form, seemingly smaller and frailer than before. Recalling the ambitions that had once brought her to Middle-earth, she declared, "I pass the test," and refused the Ring, accepting her fate of diminishing (as the time of the dominion of men had come) and returning at last to Valinor. When the Fellowship departed, she gave each member a gift and an Elven cloak as well as outfitted the party with boats and supplies. Gimli, in particular, is touched by Galadriel's lordliness and beauty, and asks for one strand of her golden hair as an heirloom of his house; she so generously gives him three, which he later sets in crystal. Apart from the hairs given to Gimli, she gifts a Mallorn seed and a small box of earth from her garden to Samwise Gamgee, a green stone set in silver to Aragorn, along with a sheath for his sword, three belts to Boromir, Merry, and Pippin, and to Legolas is given a short, stout bow of the Galadhrim. The most important of her gifts is that which is given to Frodo, specifically the Phial of Galadriel; without this gift, Frodo and Sam would have been unable to pass through Shelob's lair and the quest would have ultimately failed. It is likely that these gifts were planned out through her gazing in the mirror.
After the departure of the Fellowship, she acted so as to ensure the success of the quest; it was she that summoned Gwaihir to rescue Gandalf off the peak of Celebdil and it was she that nursed him back to health, dressing him in the white of his order. Later, she sent word to Aragorn about the Paths of the Dead, and messages to the Rangers of the North, asking for their aid in the war.
As Sauron put forth all his power during the end of the War of the Ring , he was aware of the threat of the Elves and their ancient potency, sending armies to besiege many of their settlements in the North while simultaneously assailing the major cities of Men and Dwarves; Lorien itself was assaulted three times, but the armies of Mordor were driven back due to the courage of the Elves and the power of Galadriel's Ring. It is said that the power of her ring could not be overcome unless Sauron himself would come to do battle. After the fall of Sauron, she, alongside Thranduil of Mirkwood and their elven allies, crossed the Anduin into Dol Guldur wherein she tore down its walls and laid bare its pits.
She traveled to Minas Tirith for the wedding of King Aragorn and Lady Arwen, and continued living in Lorien until TA 3021, when she went north and west, and, taking a boat, sailed into the West with the remaining ring-bearers.
Pippin:
Peregrin Took (TA 2990 - FO 65), better known to his friends as Pippin, was a Hobbit of the Shire, and one of Frodo Baggins's youngest but closest friends.
Pippin had three older sisters, Pearl Took, Pimpernel Took, and Pervinca Took. His parents were Paladin Took II (TA 2933 - FO 13), Thain of the Shire, and Eglantine Banks. Pippin's dear friend Meriadoc Brandybuck was the son of Paladin's sister Esmeralda Brandybuck.
The hair on his head and his feet (which are exceptionally hairy, even for a Hobbit) was almost golden and curly. At the beginning of Quest of the Ring he was smaller than the rest of the Hobbits because he was the youngest.
Peregrin "Pippin" Took was eight years younger than Merry, and thus was far younger than Frodo. He was a worthy accomplice to Merry's plans, but showed his age as well; he was still a cheerful, if occasionally thoughtless Hobbit, and was first to miss the comforts of Hobbit life. At Rivendell, Pippin was nearly denied the chance to accompany Frodo by Elrond who seriously considered using the youngest Hobbit as a messenger to the Shire. Gandalf, however, supported his and Merry's claims of friendship and loyalty, and Pippin was chosen as the last member of Fellowship at Gandalf's request to Elrond.
When the Fellowship was passing through Moria, Pippin dropped a stone down an old dwarven well. (In the film, it is a skeleton and a bucket that he knocks down.) It may be that this act was what alerted the unfriendly goblins to the Fellowship's presence in Moria. In the resulting battle, he was able to distract the enemy's Cave-troll by plunging his sword in the troll's neck long enough for Legolas to shoot the Cave -Troll with two arrows through the neck into its head.
Pippin journeyed to Lothlorien with the rest of the Fellowship after Gandalf had fallen to the Balrog in Moria. He was presented with an Elven Belt by the Lady Galadriel. After leaving Lothlorien, the Fellowship went to Amon Hen but unfortunately, while they were there, Pippin, Merry, and Boromir were split apart from the rest. Orcs attacked them and Boromir died defending the hobbits. Pippin and Merry were captured by Uruk-hai who marched toward Isengard to give Saruman the White the One Ring.
While held captive by the Orcs, he left his elven belt of Lórien as a signal for Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli. During a skirmish amongst his captors Pippin managed to cut his bonds using a sword held fast by a dead Uruk. Upon their escape, he and Merry befriended old Treebeard, leader of the Ents. He and Merry were able to convince Treebeard to attack Saruman at Isengard, while the Rohirrm defended Helm's Deep. After the battle, they were told by Treebeard to watch the gate, for Théoden, the King of Rohan, would be passing that way as well as Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and Éomer. When they came, Pippin and Merry met the remaining four of the fellowship again. Pippin stayed at the bottom of the stairs of Orthanc when Gandalf, Théoden, Éomer, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli went to confront Saruman.
It was Pippin who picked up the Palantír of Orthanc after Gríma Wormtongue foolishly threw it as a missile; later, in an almost equally foolish act, Pippin actually stole it out of Gandalf's hands while the wizard slept. Looking into the stone, he had a terrifying encounter with Sauron himself. Because of this, Gandalf separated him from his friends and brought him to the City of Minas Tirith. Meeting Denethor II, Steward of Gondor, he volunteered for service to repay him for the death of Denethor's son, Boromir, who had died trying to defend Merry and Pippin from Saruman's Uruk-hai. Denethor accepted the Hobbit's offer and made him one of the elite Guards of the Citadel. Later, it was Pippin who rushed to fetch Gandalf when Denethor, driven to despair by Sauron's deception, set out to burn his remaining son Faramir and himself alive. The young hobbit thus saved Faramir, Captain of Rangers and last Steward to the Throne of Gondor.
Pippin was part of the Army of the West led by Aragorn that assaulted the Black Gates in a desperate attempt to give Frodo time to destroy the Ring. Before the final parley with the Mouth of Sauron, Gandalf instructed that members of each race that opposed Sauron be present at the parley, including Aragorn, son of Arathorn, King of Gondor, and Eomer, King of Rohan for Men, Gimli for the Dwarves, Legolas, Elladan and Elrohir, (Elrond's twin sons) for the Elves, and Merry and Pippin for Hobbits. During the Last Battle before the Morannon (Black Gate), Pippin managed to slay an Olog-hai, a genetically modified troll, the first hobbit ever to do so. He was then knocked unconscious when the troll fell on him. Gimli later recognized the Hobbit feet under the Troll and dragged him out of the battle, saving his life. After the restoration of the monarchy, King Elessar, who then granted him, knighted him and his fellow hobbits leave to return home, as well as leave to return to Gondor whenever they liked. Later, he, Merry, Frodo, and Sam were instrumental in overthrowing the small remainder of Saruman's forces during the Scouring of the Shire.
In the year FO 6 of the Fourth Age Pippin married Diamond of Long Cleeve, when she was 32 and he himself was 37. They had one son, Faramir. Faramir Took the Ist later married Samwise Gamgee's daughter Goldilocks (Gardner) Took.
In the year FO 13 Pippin became the 32nd Thain of the Shire, a position he held for 50 years before retiring in FO 63, when he revisited Rohan and Gondor with Merry. He remained in Gondor for the rest of his life.
Merry:
Meriadoc Brandybuck, or Merry for short, was a Hobbit, and one of Frodo's cousins and closest friends. He loved boats and ponies and had a great interest in the maps of Middle-earth. He was also related to Frodo several times over.
Merry was born in TA 2982. He was the only child of Saradoc Brandybuck (TA 2940 - FO 11), Master of Buckland, and Esmeralda Took (TA 2936 - ?), the younger sister of Paladin Took, making him first cousin to Paladin's son Pippin, who was clearly his closest friend.
Merry was considered the most perceptive and intelligent of the hobbits: for example, even before Bilbo Baggins leaves the Shire, he knew of the One Ring and its power. He guarded Bag End after Bilbo's party, protecting Frodo from the various and often unwanted guests. He also was the force behind "the Conspiracy" of Sam, Pippin, and Fredegar Bolger (more commonly known as "Fatty", due to his plump form), and himself to help Frodo. Thus, even before the Quest of the Ring begins, Merry was well prepared and organized; he assembled their gear and brought ponies. His shortcut through the Old Forest did not serve them well, though they were saved by Tom Bombadil, and were not pursued by the Black Riders. At the Barrow-downs, he acquired his sword, a work of Westernesse.
At Bree, he was actually not present in the Prancing Pony when Frodo foolishly put on the ring; instead, he was outside taking a walk, and was nearly overcome by the Nazgûl who arrived. At Rivendell, he was seen studying maps and plotting their path. His approval to the Fellowship came with only a little less reluctance than Pippin's; they were the two to relay news to the people of the Shire about Frodo's journey, but in the end Gandalf came to the defence of Merry and Pippin believing in the friendship and loyalty shown to Frodo and Sam, therefore requesting to Elrond to allow the two hobbits to come along. At Amon Hen, he was captured along with Pippin by a band of Saruman's Uruk-hai, although he makes a good account for himself, and was valiantly defended by Boromir.
Escaping with Pippin into Fangorn Forest, he was met by Treebeard and the newly risen Gandalf the White (In Peter Jacksons Film Trilogy). Along with Pippin, he drank significant amounts of Entwash which controbutied to speedy gains in height and hair growth. Accompanying Treebeard to the Entmoot and later to Isengard, he and Pippin were set as the guardians following Saruman's fall. It was here that he first encountered King Théoden of Rohan, and was reunited with the remaining members of the Fellowship (save Frodo and Sam).
Separated by Pippin and Gandalf's journey to Gondor, he swore fealty to Théoden and became his esquire. Without permission from his liege, he rode to the Battle of the Pelennor Fields in the care of young Dernhelm. As the Nazgûl attacked the Riders of Rohan and Théoden was injured, Merry and Dernhelm faced the Witch King of Angmar alone. Here, Merry's companion was revealed to be Éowyn (he was already aware of the fact that it was Eowyn in the film, but in the book he only found out at this moment), White Lady of Rohan, niece to the King. Battling both fell beast and the Nazgûl alone, Éowyn was well assisted by Merry's crucial move: his sword, built for this very purpose, was one of the few weapons able to pierce the Ringwraith's form, at great expense to himself. This was enough to allow Éowyn to finish off the Witch King. Merry heard Théoden's last words, but was unnoticed by the honour escort of Riders and was found wandering the city by Pippin. He was saved by the healing of Aragorn and recovered fully.
For his bravery in battle, King Éomer, as the new King of Rohan, knighted him and gave hime the name of "Holdwine". During the Scouring of the Shire, he was in the forefront of the Battle of Bywater, particularly in using the Horn of Rohan presented to him by Éowyn.
Upon his return, he and Pippin were clearly seen as being the tallest of hobbits, taller even than the legendary Bandobras "Bullroarer" Took (Due to drinking large amounts of Entwater). Merry married Estella Bolger sometime after the end of the Third Age. He became the Master of Buckland in 11 of the Fourth Age. He wrote Old Words and Names in the Shire. Although he was not recorded as having any children within the family trees, he clearly had at least one son.