Isumbras Took IV

From Tolkien Gateway
Revision as of 17:34, 19 December 2007 by Mith (talk | contribs) (→‎Etymology)
Isumbras Took IV
Hobbit
Biographical Information
LocationGreat Smials
BirthS.R. 1238
DeathS.R. 1339
Family
ParentageGerontius Took
Adamanta Chubb
Physical Description
GenderMale

Isumbras Took III (born in S.R. 1238) was the third child of Gerontius Took (the Old Took) and Adamanta Chubb and succeeded to the Thainship at the age of ninety-two in S.R. 1330 after the death of his brother, Isengrim III.

The Old Took lived to an old age of 130, a record in Hobbit history, and was Thain for seventy-two years. Because of this, Isengrim III didn't inherit the title until he was eighty-eight in S.R. 1320 and reigned for only ten years.

Isengrim left no heir - and as far as we know, never married - so the Thainship passed to Isumbras IV. Due to Isumbras's old age he only reigned for nine years, dying at the age of 101 in S.R. 1339; he was succeeded by his son, Fortinbras.

Genealogy

 
 
 
 
Fortinbras I
1145 - 1248
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Old Took
1190 - 1320
 
Adamanta Chubb
unknown
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Isengrim III
1232 - 1330
 
Hildigard
(died young)
 
ISUMBRAS IV
1238 - 1339
 
9 children
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Lalia Clayhanger
1283 - 1402
 
Fortinbras II
1278 - 1380
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ferumbras II
1316 - 1415
 
 
 
 
 
 

Etymology

"Isumbras" is of French and Anglo-Saxon origin and means "iron-arm". It comes from the French bras meaning "arm", and the Anglo-Saxon and Middle High German word isen which means "iron" (c.f. Isengard and the modern German word, Eisen).

Tolkien undoubtedly got the name from Sir Isumbras, an English medieval romance about a man who suffers a lifetime of hardship but who finds happiness in his latter years. The name may a nod towards the fact Isumbras IV didn't become Thain until he was ninety-two, although internally he may have been named after one of the earllier Isumbrases.

Titles

Preceded by:
Isengrim Took III
28th Thain of The Shire
S.R. 1330 - 1339
Followed by:
Fortinbras Took II