Gerontius Took: Difference between revisions

From Tolkien Gateway
No edit summary
m (Bot comment: changed category.)
(13 intermediate revisions by 7 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{hobbit
{{hobbit
|image=
|image=[[File:Liz Danforth - Gerontius took.jpg|250px|link=Liz Danforth]]
|name=Gerontius Took
|name=Gerontius Took
|othernames=Old Took
|othernames=Old Took
|birth=[[Third Age 2790|S.R. 1190]]
|birth={{SR|1190}}
|death=[[Third Age 2920|S.R. 1320]]
|death={{SR|1320}}
|parentage=[[Fortinbras Took I]]
|parentage=[[Fortinbras Took I]]
|location=[[Great Smials]], [[Tuckborough]]
|location=[[Great Smials]], [[Tuckborough]]
Line 13: Line 13:
|eyes=
|eyes=
}}
}}
'''Gerontius Took''' ([[Third Age|T.A.]] 2790 - 2920, died aged 130), also known as '''The Old Took''' because of his longevity, was a renowned [[Hobbits|Hobbit]] of [[the Shire]].
'''Gerontius Took''' ({{SR|1190}} - {{SR|1320|n}}, died aged 130), also known as '''The Old Took''', was a renowned [[Hobbits|Hobbit]] and twenty-sixth [[Thain]] of [[the Shire]].


==History==
==History==
Gerontius was the only son of Fortinbras Took I. Gerontius married [[Adamanta Chubb]], who gave birth to twelve children:
Gerontius was the only son of [[Fortinbras Took I|Fortinbras I]]. He married [[Adamanta Chubb]], who gave birth to twelve children: [[Isengrim Took III|Isengrim III]], [[Hildigard Took|Hildigard]], [[Isumbras Took IV|Isumbras IV]], [[Hildigrim Took|Hildigrim]], [[Isembold Took|Isembold]], [[Hildifons Took|Hildifons]], [[Isembard Took|Isembard]], [[Hildibrand Took|Hildibrand]], [[Belladonna Took|Belladonna]], [[Donnamira Took|Donnamira]], [[Mirabella Took|Mirabella]] and [[Isengar Took|Isengar]].


* [[Isengrim Took III|Isengrim III]] 1232 – 1330
After the death of his father in {{SR|1248|n}}, Gerontius became the twenty-sixth [[Thain]] of [[the Shire]].<ref>{{App|Took}}</ref> He was a friend of [[Gandalf]], who gave him a pair of magic diamond studs.<ref>{{H|Party}}</ref>
* [[Hildigard Took|Hildigard]] 1235 – 1255
* [[Isumbras Took IV|Isumbras IV]] 1238 – 1339
* [[Hildigrim Took|Hildigrim]] 1240 – 1341
* [[Isembold Took|Isembold]] 1242 – 1346
* [[Hildifons Took|Hildifons]] 1244 – ?
* [[Isembard Took|Isembard]] 1247 – 1346
* [[Hildibrand Took|Hildibrand]] 1249 – 1334
* [[Belladonna Took|Belladonna]] 1252 – 1334 ([[Bilbo Baggins|Bilbo's]] mother)
* [[Donnamira Took|Donnamira]] 1256 – 1348
* [[Mirabella Took|Mirabella]] 1260 – 1360
* [[Isengar Took|Isengar]] 1262 – 1360


In [[Third Age 2848|T.A. 2848]] after the death of his father, Gerontius became the twenty-sixth [[Thain]] of the [[Shire]]. He was a friend of [[Gandalf]] the wizard, who gave him a pair of magic diamond studs, and Gerontius loved his magic fireworks, too. Gerontius Took reached the impressive age of 130, which made him the second oldest [[Hobbits|Hobbit]] (after Bilbo), that ever lived.
Gerontius Took reached the impressive age of 130, which made him the oldest [[Hobbits|Hobbit]] until his grandson [[Bilbo Baggins]] celebrated his 131st Birthday.<ref>{{RK|Havens}}</ref> He also held the record of most offspring, until [[Samwise Gamgee]] bested him with [[Tolman Gardner|Tom]]'s birth in {{SR|1442}}.<ref>{{App|Gamgee}}</ref>


==Etymology==
==Etymology==
He was called ''The Old Took'' not because of his age, but because of his numerous younger relatives.<ref name="RC">{{HM|RC}}, page 54</ref>


The word element '''geron''' is Greek for ''old''. The name ''Gerontius'' was not used because of the Hobbit's age, but because of his numerous and younger relatives.
The word element ''geron'' is Greek for ''old''. [[Wikipedia:Gerontius|Gerontius]] was also a Latin name of the Late Roman Empire, and is one of the very few Greco-Latin names appearing in Hobbit lore.


==References==
Gerontius is rendered as ''[[Wikipedia:Geraint|Geraint]]'' in [[Welsh]], found as a royal name in ''The [[Wikipedia:Mabinogion|Mabinogion]]'' and in Tennyson's ''[[Wikipedia:Geraint_and_Enid#Geraint_and_Enid|Geraint and Enid]]''.<ref>[[Mark T. Hooker]], [[Tolkien and Welsh]], p. 133</ref>
* {{H|1}}
* {{HM|AC}}, "[[Took Family|Took of Great Smials]]"
* [[Wayne G. Hammond]], [[Christina Scull]] (eds.), ''[[The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion]]'', "</ref>''[[The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion]]'', page 54


==Inspiration==
In a letter to Mr. and Mrs. Kloos, Tolkien wrote that when he wrote ''The Hobbit'', he had imagined Bilbo's grandfather to be old, because both of his grandparents were around a hundred years old when they died.<ref name="RC"/>
{{references}}
{{Sequence
{{Sequence
  |prev=[[Fortinbras Took I]]
  |prev=[[Fortinbras Took I]]
  |next=[[Isengrim Took III]]
  |next=[[Isengrim Took III]]
  |list=26th [[Thain]] of [[The Shire]]<br>[[Shire Reckonging|S.R.]] [[Third Age 2848|1248]] - [[Third Age 2920|1320]]
  |list=26th [[Thain]] of [[The Shire]]<br>{{SR|1248}} - {{SR|1320|n}}
|}}
|}}
[[Category:Characters in The Hobbit]]
[[Category:Hobbits]]
[[Category:Hobbits]]
[[Category:Thains]]
[[Category:Took]]
[[Category:Took]]
[[Category:Characters in The Hobbit]]
[[Category:Greco-Roman names]]
 
[[de:Alter Tuk]]
[[de:Alter Tuk]]
[[fi:Gerontius Tuk]]
[[fi:Gerontius Tuk]]
[[fr:encyclo/personnages/hobbits/touque/gerontius_touque]]

Revision as of 18:34, 29 July 2012

Gerontius Took
Hobbit
Liz Danforth - Gerontius took.jpg
Biographical Information
Other namesOld Took
LocationGreat Smials, Tuckborough
BirthS.R. 1190
DeathS.R. 1320
Family
ParentageFortinbras Took I
Physical Description
GenderMale
GalleryImages of Gerontius Took

Gerontius Took (S.R. 1190 - 1320, died aged 130), also known as The Old Took, was a renowned Hobbit and twenty-sixth Thain of the Shire.

History

Gerontius was the only son of Fortinbras I. He married Adamanta Chubb, who gave birth to twelve children: Isengrim III, Hildigard, Isumbras IV, Hildigrim, Isembold, Hildifons, Isembard, Hildibrand, Belladonna, Donnamira, Mirabella and Isengar.

After the death of his father in 1248, Gerontius became the twenty-sixth Thain of the Shire.[1] He was a friend of Gandalf, who gave him a pair of magic diamond studs.[2]

Gerontius Took reached the impressive age of 130, which made him the oldest Hobbit until his grandson Bilbo Baggins celebrated his 131st Birthday.[3] He also held the record of most offspring, until Samwise Gamgee bested him with Tom's birth in S.R. 1442.[4]

Etymology

He was called The Old Took not because of his age, but because of his numerous younger relatives.[5]

The word element geron is Greek for old. Gerontius was also a Latin name of the Late Roman Empire, and is one of the very few Greco-Latin names appearing in Hobbit lore.

Gerontius is rendered as Geraint in Welsh, found as a royal name in The Mabinogion and in Tennyson's Geraint and Enid.[6]

Inspiration

In a letter to Mr. and Mrs. Kloos, Tolkien wrote that when he wrote The Hobbit, he had imagined Bilbo's grandfather to be old, because both of his grandparents were around a hundred years old when they died.[5]

References

Preceded by:
Fortinbras Took I
26th Thain of The Shire
S.R. 1248 - 1320
Followed by:
Isengrim Took III