Meriadoc Brandybuck

2020-12-14T18:27:42Z

47.46.158.118: /* History */

{{hobbit infobox
| name=Meriadoc Brandybuck
| image=[[Image:John Howe - Merry.jpg|250px]]
| caption="Merry" by [[John Howe]]
| pronun=
| othernames=Merry, "the Magnificent", [[Kalimac Brandagamba]]
| titles=[[Master of Buckland]]
| position=
| location=[[Brandy Hall]], [[Buckland]]
| affiliation=[[Fellowship of the Ring]]
| language=
| birth=Early {{SR|1382}}
| birthlocation=[[Buckland]]
| rule=
| death=After {{SR|1484}}
| deathlocation=[[Gondor]]
| age=103+
| notablefor=Accompanying [[Frodo Baggins]] in the early stages of the Ring-quest<br/> Participating in the slaying of the [[Witch-King of Angmar]]<br/> Co-leading the [[Battle of Bywater]] with [[Peregrin Took]]
| family=[[Brandybuck Family|Brandybuck]]
| parentage=[[Saradoc Brandybuck]] and [[Esmeralda Took]]
| siblings=
| spouse=[[Estella Bolger]]
| children=At least one son
| gender=Male
| height=Taller than average Hobbit
| hair=Brown, curly<ref name="Isengard">{{TT|Road}}</ref>
| eyes=
| clothing=
| weapons=[[Daggers of Westernesse|Dagger of Westernesse]]
| steed=[[Stybba]]
}}
'''Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck''', called '''The Magnificent''', was a [[Hobbits|Hobbit]], the son of [[Saradoc Brandybuck]].<ref name=tree>{{App|Brandybuck}}</ref> Merry (as he was often called), was the heir of the [[Brandybuck Family|Brandybucks]] to [[Brandy Hall]], and, after his participation to the [[War of the Ring]], eventually became the Master there.

==History==
Merry is a person

==Character==
He was a good friend of [[Frodo Baggins]], who eventually became the [[Ring-bearers|Ring-bearer]], and [[Peregrin Took]], a young relative. He was one of the few (if any) who saw [[Bilbo Baggins]], Frodo's uncle, actually use [[the One Ring]]. He also managed to read, at least in part, Bilbo's book: ''[[There and Back Again]]'', where he learned about the Ring.<ref name="Conspiracy"/>

He can easily be recognised as a very sharp Hobbit, and his tone throughout ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' depicts him as practical, loyal, resourceful, and the best able to cope with the sudden happenings that drew him out of his peaceful home. He was also praised by [[Aragorn|Aragorn II]] as having a 'stout heart'<ref name="Strider"/> and [[Éowyn|Lady Éowyn]] as 'valiant'.<ref>{{RK|Houses}}</ref> He was apparently much trusted by Frodo, who sent him along with [[Fredegar Bolger|Fatty Bolger]] to [[Crickhollow]] to prepare his newly-bought home.<ref>{{FR|I3}}</ref>

==Other versions of the legendarium==
In the pre-publication manuscript of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', Merry's name was originally "Marmaduke Brandybuck".<ref>{{RS|1Iiii}}, p. 33</ref>

==Inspiration==
''Meriadoc'' (also spelled ''Meriadek'') was the legendary leader of a group of Welsh mercenaries who settled Armorica (modern Brittany) in the fourth century and founded the house of [[Rohan]].<ref> [[Mark T. Hooker]], ''[[The Hobbitonian Anthology]]'', p. 57</ref>

==Etymology==
The name '''''Meriadoc''''' means "Great Lord" in [[Welsh]] (from ''mawr''="great" and ''udd''="lord").<ref>{{webcite|articleurl=http://www.namenerds.com/welsh/meaning.html|articlename=Welsh Names|website=[http://www.namenerds.com/ Name Nerds]|accessed=21 February 2016}}</ref>

Tolkien himself comments on the ''[[Celtic]] cast'' of this and other [[Buckland]] and [[Bree]] names that end in –ac, -ic, -oc. <ref>{{HM|PM}}, "[[The Appendix on Languages]]"</ref>

==Portrayal in adaptations==
<gallery>File:The Lord of the Rings (1978 film) - Merry.jpg|Merry in [[The Lord of the Rings (1978 film)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (1978 film)]]
File:The Return of the King (1980 film) - Merry.jpg|Merry in [[The Return of the King (1980 film)|''The Return of the King'' (1980 film)]]
File:The Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers - Meriadoc Brandybuck.jpg|Merry in [[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (film series)]]</gallery>

'''1955: [[The Lord of the Rings (1955 radio series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (1955 radio series)]]:'''
:The voice of Merry is provided by Michael Collins.<ref name="RT1672">Radio Times, Volume 129, No. 1672, [[25 November|November 25]], [[1955]]</ref>

'''1978: [[The Lord of the Rings (1978 film)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (1978 film)]]:'''
:The voice of Merry was provided by [[Simon Chandler]].

'''1979: [[The Lord of the Rings (1979 radio series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (1979 radio series)]]:'''
:The voice of Merry was provided by Pat Franklyn.

'''1980: [[The Return of the King (1980 film)|''The Return of the King'' (1980 film)]]:'''
:The voice of Merry was provided by [[Casey Kasem]].

'''1981: [[The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (1981 radio series)]]:'''
:The part of Merry is portrayed by [[Richard O'Callaghan]].

'''1992: ''[[Tales from the Perilous Realm (1992 radio series)|BBC Radio's Tales from the Perilous Realm]]'':'''
:Matthew Morgan provided the voice of Merry in the two episodes of this series that make up ''The Adventures of Tom Bombadil''.

'''2001-03: [[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (film series)]]:'''
:Merry was played by [[Dominic Monaghan]]. Some book-readers argue that, like Pippin, he was made far less competent in the movie than he was in the books: instead of a clever "conspirator" who helped orchestrate Frodo's escape from the Shire, he was portrayed as someone who did not know what he was getting himself into. The movie trilogy also shows a blonde Merry as opposed to the brown-haired young hobbit in the novels.

'''2002: [[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (video game)|''The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring'' (video game)]]:'''
:The voice of Merry was provided by [[Quinton Flynn]]. Merry and Pippin are shown as the Conspirators, although the "[[Three is Company|three]]" does not include Sam. Merry meets Frodo in the [[Green Dragon Inn]], and he and Pippin and Sam are not seen again until [[Bamfurlong]].

==See also==
*[[:Category:Images of Meriadoc Brandybuck|Images of Meriadoc Brandybuck]]

{{References}}
{{fellowship}}{{FellowshipRoute}}{{masters}}
[[Category:Brandybuck]]
[[Category:Characters in The Lord of the Rings]]
[[Category:Fourth Age characters]]
[[Category:Hobbits]]
[[Category:Third Age characters]]

[[de:Meriadoc Brandybock]]
[[fi:Meriadoc Rankkibuk]]
[[fr:encyclo/personnages/hobbits/brandebouc/meriadoc_brandebouc]]

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Meriadoc Brandybuck