Frodo Baggins

2008-09-09T23:56:04Z

69.86.27.183: /* War of the Ring */

{{Hobbit
| image = [[Image:Natalia Volodeva - Frodo Baggins.jpg|250px]]
| name = Frodo Baggins
| othernames = See ''[[#Names|Names]]'' below
| birth = [[September 22]], [[Third Age 2968|T.A. 2968]]
| death = Date unknown, [[Valinor]]
| parentage = [[Drogo Baggins]] + [[Primula Brandybuck]]
| location=[[Bag End]], [[Hobbiton]]; [[Valinor]]
| race = [[Hobbits]]
| gender = Male
| height =Taller than most Hobbits
| hair = Brown
}}
'''Frodo Baggins''' was a [[Hobbit]] of the [[Third Age]], the most famous of all Hobbits in the histories for his leading role in the [[Quest of the Ring]]. During this epic quest, he bore the [[One Ring]] to [[Mount Doom]] and there destroyed it, giving him renown like no other [[Hobbit|Halfling]] throughout [[Middle-earth]]. He is also peculiar for being, as a [[Ring-bearers|Ring-bearer]], one of the three Hobbits who sailed from Middle-earth to [[Aman]], there to die in peace.

==History==
''Main Article: [[History of Frodo Baggins]]''

Frodo was born to [[Drogo Baggins]] and [[Primula Brandybuck]] on September 22nd, [[Third Age 2968]]. He spent much of his youth at [[Brandy Hall]] in [[Buckland]], the home of his mother's family. He was considered something of a rascal, particularly by [[Farmer Maggot]] from whom Frodo stole mushrooms. In 2980, when Frodo was only twelve years old, he lost both his parents who took a boat out onto the [[Brandywine River]] and drowned. With no siblings, Frodo was taken in by the [[Brandybucks]] to live at [[Brandy Hall]] until his cousin, [[Bilbo Baggins]], adopted him and made Frodo his heir.

===War of the Ring===
[[Image:Rob Alexander - Lure of Expedience.jpg|thumb|left|275px|''Lure of Expedience'' by [[Rob Alexander]].]]Frodo was entrusted with the keeping of the [[One Ring]] when Bilbo left for [[Rivendell]] after the [[Bilbo's Birthday Party|celebration]] of his 111th birthday. [[Gandalf]] warned Frodo that the Ring must never be used and should be kept secret. (At the time, he was not yet certain that it was a [[Rings of Power|Ring of Power]].) Frodo kept the Ring hidden for seventeen years, until T.A. 3018, when Gandalf returned to confirm that it was indeed the [[One Ring]]. Gandalf sent him away with [[Samwise Gamgee|Sam Gamgee]], who was Frodo's gardener and eventually his dearest friend. Together with [[Peregrin I Took|Peregrin Took]], [[Meriadoc Brandybuck]] and later [[Aragorn II|Strider]], they made it to the [[Rivendell|House of Elrond]]. There, at Elrond's Council, it was decided that the Ring must be destroyed by casting it into the [[Crack of Doom]]. A [[Fellowship of the Ring|Fellowship]] was formed to protect Frodo as the [[Ring-bearer]]. His quest to destroy the Ring forms a large portion of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''. Eventually, he succeeded in reaching [[Orodruin]], where, at the last moment, he attempted to claim the Ring, whose power had grown too great for him. However, at that moment he was attacked by [[Gollum]], who seized the Ring and then fell into the fire with it. The Ring was destroyed.

Two years after the destruction of the Ring, still troubled by the wounds he received during the War of the Ring, Frodo and Bilbo as Ring-bearers were given the right to travel to [[Valinor]] where, though remaining mortal, they might rest and be healed, together with [[Gandalf]], [[Elrond]] and [[Galadriel]]. They boarded a ship from the [[Grey Havens]] and passed over the sea on September 29, T.A. 3021. Having no children of his own, Frodo left his estate and passed on the [[Red Book of Westmarch|Red Book]] to [[Samwise Gamgee]] who followed Frodo across the sea 61 years later, following the death of his wife [[Rose Cotton|Rose (nee) Cotton]].

==Etymology and Translations==
[[Image:Elizabeth Wyeth - Frodo's Journal.jpg|thumb|left|''Frodo's Journal'' by Elizabeth Wyeth.]]
The name ''Frodo Baggins'' is an English translation of his [[Westron]] name '''Maura Labingi'''. The name ''Maura'' has the element ''maur-'' (wise, experienced), which Tolkien equivalated to the Germanic element ''frod-'' of the same meaning. Frodo's name in [[Sindarin]] was '''''Iorhael''''' ("old-wise").

In the German translation he is called ''Frodo Beutlin'', in Spanish, ''Frodo Bolsón'', in French, ''Frodon Sacquet'', in Norwegian, ''Frodo Lommelun'', in Danish, ''Frodo Sækker'', in Faroese, ''Fróði Pjøkin'' in Finnish, ''Frodo Reppuli'' and in Dutch, ''Frodo Balings''. In one of three Polish translations he is called ''Frodo Bagosz'', but he keeps his original name in the other two.

== Frodo's Struggles ==
[[Image:Olanda Fong-Surdenas - Corruption.jpg|thumb|''Corruption'' by [[Olanda Fong-Surdenas]].]]
Notably, Frodo Baggins never actually killed anything in the course of the ''Lord of the Rings''. He did, however, stand up to fight against some formidable adversaries. He foolishly attempted to fight the [[Nazgûl]] at [[Weathertop]], and he stabbed a [[troll]] in the foot in [[Moria]] to keep it from forcing open a door.

Frodo was wounded several times in the ''Lord of the Rings''. The first came when he tried to fight the Nazgul at Weathertop and was stabbed with a [[Morgul blade]]. He was later knocked out by an orc's thrown spear in Moria, but the [[mithril]] armor [[Bilbo]] had given him saved his life. He was poisoned by [[Shelob]] in the pass of [[Cirith Ungol]] and later questioned by orcs in the tower. Finally, [[Gollum]] bit off his finger to obtain the [[One Ring]] as they struggled inside [[Mount Doom]].

==Description and Equipment==
Frodo's only real description is Gandalf's, and he is declared a "stout fellow with red cheeks." He was a tall hobbit, and fairer than most of his kind, with a cleft chin, a bright eye, and a perky personality.

Frodo carried a small Elven sword (actually a dagger) called [[Sting]] and wore a coat of Dwarven chainmail made of [[Mithril]] under his clothes, both given to him by Bilbo. At [[Lothlórien]], [[Galadriel]] gave him an Elven cloak that blends him in with the natural surroundings and a phial carrying the light of the star [[Eärendil]] to aid him on his quest.

==Portrayal in Adaptations ==
<gallery>
Image:Frodo.png|Frodo as portrayed in [[Ralph Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings]].
Image:Frodo Rankin Bass.png|Frodo as portrayed in [[Rankin/Bass' The Return of the King]].
Image:Frodo Elijah Wood.png|[[Elijah Wood]] as Frodo in [[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]].
</gallery>

'''1978: ''[[Ralph Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings]]'':'''
:Frodo was voiced by [[Christopher Guard]]. [[Sharon Baird]] was the model for Frodo in the live-action recordings Bakshi used for rotoscoping.

'''1979: ''[[The Lord of the Rings (1979 radio series)|Mind's Eye's The Lord of the Rings]]'':'''
:The voice of Frodo is provided by [[James Arrington]].

'''1980: ''[[Rankin/Bass' The Return of the King]]'':'''
:Frodo was voiced by [[Orson Bean]], who had previously played Bilbo in ''[[Rankin/Bass' The Hobbit]]''.

'''1981: ''[[The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series)|BBC Radio's The Lord of the Rings]]'':'''
:Frodo is voiced by [[Ian Holm]].

'''1992: ''[[Tales from the Perilous Realm (1992 radio series)|BBC Radio's Tales from the Perilous Realm]]'':'''
:In two episodes telling of the meeting of Frodo and [[Tom Bombadil]], [[Nigel Planer]] provided the voice of Frodo.

'''2001-3: ''[[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]]'':'''
:Frodo is played by [[Elijah Wood]]. He is portrayed as slightly younger than his character in the book.

'''2002: ''[[Vivendi's The Fellowship of the Ring (game)|Vivendi's The Fellowship of the Ring]]'':'''
:Frodo is one of the player characters. He is voiced by [[steve Staley]].

==Names==
* Frodo Baggins - ''fród'' means "wise by experience" in [[Old English]]. Baggins may have been a reference to [[Bag End]] or may come from "bagging" which means "eating between meals" in northern England.
* [[Ring-bearer]] - he bore [[the One Ring]] to [[Mount Doom]].
* [[Elf-friend]] - given to him by [[Gildor Inglorion]].
* [[Mr. Underhill]] - used during his stay in the [[Prancing Pony]] to conceal his identity.
* [[The Halfling]] - a name used for him from [[Boromir]]'s dream.
* [[Master]] - given to Frodo by both [[Samwise Gamgee]] as Sam was his gardener, and [[Gollum]], as Frodo was the Master of the Precious.
* Nine-fingered Frodo\Frodo of the Nine Fingers - given to Frodo after Gollum bit off his finger.
* Deputy Mayor of [[Michel Delving]] - he was the Deputy from November 3019 through Mid-Year's Day in 3020
* Bronwe athan Harthad - a name given to Frodo by Gandalf in an early version of [[The Lord of the Rings]], revealed in [[The History of Middle-earth]]. It means "Endurance beyond Hope".
* [[Daur]] - comes from ''[[taur]]'' which translates to "noble" and was given to Frodo at the [[Field of Cormallen]].
* [[Iorhael]] - the [[Sindarin]] name for Frodo which comes from [[ior]] meaning "old" and [[hael]] meaning "wise,"
* [[Maura Labingi]] - the Hobbit name for Frodo.
* [[Bingo Baggins]] - Frodo's name in the early drafts of [[The Lord of the Rings]].

==The Line of Frodo==

<code>
[[Balbo Baggins]] = [[Berylla Boffin]]
|
------------------------
| |
[[Mungo Baggins|Mungo]] Largo [[Baggins Family|Baggins]] = [[Tanta Hornblower]]
(grandfather of Bilbo) |
[[Fosco Baggins|Fosco]] = [[Ruby Bolger]]
|
--------------------------------------------
| | |
[[Dora Baggins|Dora]] [[Drogo Baggins|Drogo]] = Primula Brandybuck [[Dudo Baggins|Dudo]]
| |
'''Frodo''' [[Daisy Baggins|Daisy]] = [[Griffo Boffin]]
</code>

==See also==
*[[:Category:Images of Frodo Baggins|Images of Frodo Baggins]]
*[[Timeline of Frodo Baggins]]
{{sequence
|prev=[[Bilbo Baggins]]
|next=[[Tom Bombadil]]
|list=[[Ring-bearer]] [[September 22]], [[Third Age 3001|T.A. 3001]] - [[September 26]], [[Third Age 3018|3018]]}} 
{{sequence
|prev=[[Tom Bombadil]]
|next=[[Samwise Gamgee]]
|list=[[Ring-bearer]] September 26, 3018 - [[March 13]], [[Third Age 3019|3019]]}} 
{{sequence
|prev=[[Samwise Gamgee]]
|next=[[Gollum]]
|list=[[Ring-bearer]] [[March 14]], 3019 - [[March 25]], 3019}}{{fellowship}}

[[Category:Baggins]]
[[Category:Hobbits]]
[[Category:Ring-bearers]]
[[Category:Characters in The Lord of the Rings]]

[[de:Frodo Beutlin]]
[[fi:Frodo Reppuli]]

Tolkien Gateway - User contributions [en]

Frodo Baggins