Hobbit ages (and such)
sam_g...@my-deja.com
reading, I began to wonder exactly how old the four hobbits (Frodo
etc.) were. Merry and Pippin are called the youngest, but I find this
rather odd. Here's Why:
Frodo is the oldest, 12 years older than Sam (how pathetic is THAT? Sam
is the one who's always saving Frodo!). He was 52 when the ring was
destroyed.
Sam was 40 when the ring was destroyed. He's 12 years younger than
Frodo (in case you didn't get that impression from my previous comment).
Merry and Pippin are the youngest, and almost not allowed to go. Pippin
I can understand, since he is all of 29 years old when the ring is
destroyed and still underage by 4 years. But Merry and Sam are only 2
years apart (Sam being the older of the two). I find it rather strange
that anyone would think Merry too young to go along without thinking
Sam was too young as well.
~Mainecoon
...and NO, I don't expect anyone to care.
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Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
Anthrax
ring. Sam, being the true friend he is, is there to help poor Frodo to
complete his task. Frodo has a much more difficult trip than the others, he
is having to battle the power of the ring, Sam understands this. To me Sam
more aware of the journey than the other hobbits. Or maybe it was his pure
love for his friend Frodo, that it didn't matter what happened. I don't
think the other hobbits quite realized the danger than where getting into;
though they were brave just the same for trusting the friendship over
danger.
Just my opinion.
--
_____________________________
'The Road goes ever on and on,
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
I must follow, if I can.'
--JRR Tolkien, FOTR |
_____________________________
<sam_g...@my-deja.com> wrote in message
news:7k441t$705$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...
elyse
sam_g...@my-deja.com wrote:
> It took me a whole 15 minutes to figure this out! In the course of my
> reading, I began to wonder exactly how old the four hobbits (Frodo
> etc.) were. Merry and Pippin are called the youngest, but I find this
> rather odd. Here's Why:
>
> Frodo is the oldest, 12 years older than Sam (how pathetic is THAT? Sam
> is the one who's always saving Frodo!). He was 52 when the ring was
> destroyed.
> Sam was 40 when the ring was destroyed. He's 12 years younger than
> Frodo (in case you didn't get that impression from my previous comment).
> Merry and Pippin are the youngest, and almost not allowed to go. Pippin
> I can understand, since he is all of 29 years old when the ring is
> destroyed and still underage by 4 years. But Merry and Sam are only 2
> years apart (Sam being the older of the two). I find it rather strange
> that anyone would think Merry too young to go along without thinking
> Sam was too young as well.
>
> ~Mainecoon
> ...and NO, I don't expect anyone to care.
>
> Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
> Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
I've just reread the passage where Elrond decides who should accompany the
Ring-bearer. It is decided that the Fellowship should number 9 and 7 are
immediately chosen. Then Elrond says, " There remain two more to be found.
These I will consider. Of my household I may find some that it seems good to
me to send." Then Pippin protests that there will be no room for either him
or Merry. Elrond replies that they only want to go because they don't
understand the danger. Gandalf surprisingly supports Pippin. Elrond replies
that he had thought to sent Merry and Pippin back to the Shire as messengers
to warn the Hobbits of dangerous times ahead. He says, "In any case, I judge
that the younger of these two, Peregrin Took, should remain. My heart is
against his going." Elrond never says that Merry is too young, just that he
wants to send him back to the Shire on another errand. He never explicitly
says that Pippin is too young, although this is implied.
sam_g...@my-deja.com
I stand corrected. :-)
~Mainecoon
who is surprised anyone bothered to READ this!!
dara...@my-deja.com
Hobbit in his 20s is roughly comparable to a man in his teens.
Also, remember this is no holiday they are going on. By all rights,
they should have all died four or five times.
Michael Martinez
>Frodo is the oldest, 12 years older than Sam (how pathetic is THAT? Sam
>is the one who's always saving Frodo!). He was 52 when the ring was
>destroyed.
>Sam was 40 when the ring was destroyed. He's 12 years younger than
>Frodo (in case you didn't get that impression from my previous comment).
>Merry and Pippin are the youngest, and almost not allowed to go. Pippin
>I can understand, since he is all of 29 years old when the ring is
>destroyed and still underage by 4 years. But Merry and Sam are only 2
>years apart (Sam being the older of the two). I find it rather strange
>that anyone would think Merry too young to go along without thinking
>Sam was too young as well.
The only place I can think of where anyone expresses concern about Merry or
Pippin going is in "The Ring Goes South" when Elrond says he wants to send
them back to the Shire as messengers. Nonetheless, he only reserves
judgement about Pippin (apparently on account of his youth) after Gandalf
argues with him.
I think it's interesting that Elrond wanted to send them back as
messengers. What sort of message would he have sent to the Shire?
--
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Idril Celebrindal
happen. It could have changed the Sharkey history, but anyway the poor
hobbits kind of deserved it.
And would anyone have listened to Pippin??
I guess not. And the story would have been a bore without him!
Namarie
--Idril
elyse
> reading, I began to wonder exactly how old the four hobbits (Frodo
> etc.) were. Merry and Pippin are called the youngest, but I find this
> rather odd. Here's Why:
>
> is the one who's always saving Frodo!). He was 52 when the ring was
> destroyed.
> Sam was 40 when the ring was destroyed. He's 12 years younger than
> Frodo (in case you didn't get that impression from my previous comment).
> Merry and Pippin are the youngest, and almost not allowed to go. Pippin
> I can understand, since he is all of 29 years old when the ring is
> destroyed and still underage by 4 years. But Merry and Sam are only 2
> years apart (Sam being the older of the two). I find it rather strange
> that anyone would think Merry too young to go along without thinking
> Sam was too young as well.
>
> ...and NO, I don't expect anyone to care.
>
> Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
Here is a related question. There is an apparent inconsistancy in my edition
of RotK. If you look at the family trees in appendix C, it gives Sam's year
of birth as S.R. 1380 which would make him 39 when the Ring was destroyed.
But the Tale of Years (appendix B) states 2983 (or S.R. 1383) as his year if
birth, which would make him 36 when the Ring was destroyed. Was this
inconsistancy ever explained in HOME? I obviously haven't read all the
volumes...
sam_g...@my-deja.com
Sam
> >is the one who's always saving Frodo!). He was 52 when the ring was
> >destroyed.
> >Sam was 40 when the ring was destroyed. He's 12 years younger than
> >Frodo (in case you didn't get that impression from my previous
comment).
> >Merry and Pippin are the youngest, and almost not allowed to go.
Pippin
> >I can understand, since he is all of 29 years old when the ring is
> >destroyed and still underage by 4 years. But Merry and Sam are only 2
> >years apart (Sam being the older of the two). I find it rather
strange
> >that anyone would think Merry too young to go along without thinking
> >Sam was too young as well.
>
Merry or
> Pippin going is in "The Ring Goes South" when Elrond says he wants to
send
> them back to the Shire as messengers. Nonetheless, he only reserves
> judgement about Pippin (apparently on account of his youth) after
Gandalf
> argues with him.
>
> I think it's interesting that Elrond wanted to send them back as
> messengers. What sort of message would he have sent to the Shire?
>
Maybe he wanted to make it known to the other hobbits what a big deal
it was that Frodo and Sam were going off to save the world? It's not as
if they knew that... When Frodo & co. returned, nobody really seemed to
care that there had been any saving of the world going on.
sam_g...@my-deja.com
> happen. It could have changed the Sharkey history, but anyway the poor
> hobbits kind of deserved it.
>
> And would anyone have listened to Pippin??
>
> I guess not. And the story would have been a bore without him!
>
> Namarie
> --Idril
>
DESERVED it???? Deserved heck! What did they deserve to be treated like
slaves for?
sam_g...@my-deja.com
elyse <elys...@my-deja.com> wrote:
> In article <7k441t$705$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>,
> sam_g...@my-deja.com wrote:
my
> > reading, I began to wonder exactly how old the four hobbits (Frodo
> > etc.) were. Merry and Pippin are called the youngest, but I find
this
> > rather odd. Here's Why:
> >
Sam
> > is the one who's always saving Frodo!). He was 52 when the ring was
> > destroyed.
> > Sam was 40 when the ring was destroyed. He's 12 years younger than
> > Frodo (in case you didn't get that impression from my previous
comment).
> > Merry and Pippin are the youngest, and almost not allowed to go.
Pippin
> > I can understand, since he is all of 29 years old when the ring is
> > destroyed and still underage by 4 years. But Merry and Sam are only
2
> > years apart (Sam being the older of the two). I find it rather
strange
> > that anyone would think Merry too young to go along without thinking
> > Sam was too young as well.
> >
> > ...and NO, I don't expect anyone to care.
> >
edition
> of RotK. If you look at the family trees in appendix C, it gives
Sam's year
> of birth as S.R. 1380 which would make him 39 when the Ring was
destroyed.
> But the Tale of Years (appendix B) states 2983 (or S.R. 1383) as his
year if
> birth, which would make him 36 when the Ring was destroyed. Was this
> inconsistancy ever explained in HOME? I obviously haven't read all the
> volumes...
>
Well I'm not certian my reckoning of ages is entirely accurate. It may
be off by a year. But I think it's explained in the section about the
calenders that the number of days in a year was slightly different in
the two calenders, and that the astronomy of the time really wasn't
created for the purpose of keeping streight dates. I'm pretty sure Sam
was 39 or 40, because if he was 36 that would make Pippin 26. But
Pippin says in the book while talking to one of the knights that he
would not "come of age" for four years, which would make him 29. By the
family trees, Pippin is 10 years younger than Sam. The ring was
destroyed in S.R. 3019, which would make Pippin 29, and therefor Sam 39.
~Mainecoon
can you tell I have way too much time on my hands? :-)