The Fellowship of the Ring: Being the First Part of The... (The Lord of the Rings 1) by J. R. R. Tolkien

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The dark, fearsome Ringwraiths were searching for a hobbit. Frodo Baggins knew they were seeking him and the Ring he bore--the Ring of Power that would enable evil Sauron to destroy all that was good in Middle-earth. Now it was up to Frodo and his faithful servant Sam, with a small band of... read more

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Summary edit see section history

Frodo Baggins is the nephew of Bilbo Baggins. Its starts out with Bilbo's birthday party when Gandalf the Grey tells Bilbo that the ring he bore is possessing him and that he to get rid of it. So Bilbo gives the ring to Frodo who is to find a way to destroy the ring which will also destroy all... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)

Characters/People edit see section history

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Frodo Baggins: Bilbo's young nephew and heir, he inherits Bag End, and the Ring. A young Hobbit dreaming of having adventures like his uncle Bilbo. He was adopted by Bilbo when he was a young child
Bilbo Baggins: A strangely preserved Hobbit, despite the 111 years of his life. As owner of Bag End, he took his nephew Frodo as his heir. Known to go on various quests and adventures and to bring bags of gold back
Gandalf: An elderly Wizard that befriended Bilbo and the Hobbits. He uses his wisdom to advise the councils of the world against an impending danger. Gandalf starts the journey wearing grey robes and is sometimes referred to as Gandalf the Grey. Also known as Mithrandir, Olorin, Incanus, Tharkun, Lathspell, the Grey Pilgrim, the Grey Wanderer, Greyhame and Stormcrow.
Sauron: The Dark Lord, searching for the One Ring so that he might cover all the world in shadow and defeat the world of Men.
Barliman Butterbur: Man; inn-keeper and owner of the Prancing Pony in Bree. Very forgetful. He is very fat.
Old Man Willow: A malicious willow tree in the Old Forest.
Gollum (aka Sméagol): A creature destroyed by the Ring, searching for it forever more.
Samwise Gamgee: Hobbit that is Son of Hamfast "Gaffer" Gamgee; Frodo Baggins' gardener. Sam is one of the few hobbits who does not prefer to bury his head in the sand when trouble threatens. Sam is a loyal friend and servant of Frodo. Doesn't know his true power
Peregrin Took (aka Pippin): A semi-distant relative of Frodo. He is the youngest of the four Hobbits, and by far the most irresponsible of the bunch. He is humorous and lighthearted. He becomes a member of the Fellowship of the Ring.
Meriadoc Brandybuck (aka Merry): Frodo's friend from his days living in Brandybuck Hall before Bilbo adopted him. Merry and Pippin seem to be as close as brothers and Merry is the responsible one; becomes a member of the Fellowship of the ring
Farmer Maggot: Hobbit; a shrewd farmer of Bamfurlong, who thinks that Frodo and his friends are nothing but trouble. he has three large dogs that do anything their master says.
Tom Bombadil: A mysterious figure, the Master of the Old Forest. Red of face and draped in blue with a large hat and yellow boots. He is the ancient protector of the forest. Even the power of the One Ring couldn't match his.
Goldberry: Tom Bombadil's wife; the River's daughter.
Aragorn: A Ranger of the North also known as Elessar, Longshanks, Estel, Strider, Wingfoot, Longshanks, the Dunadan, and Thorongil. Asked by Gandalf to keep the young Hobbits safe. He becomes a member of the Fellowship at the Council of Elrond. He is the strongest of the group and golden of heart.
Glorfindel: Elf-lord of Rivendell. Aids Aragorn and the Hobbits. Dwells in the house of Elrond. Long-blond hair.
Elrond Halfelven: Halfelven. Keeper/Lord of Rivendell. One of the oldest elves in Middle-Earth.
Haldir: Elf who lives in Lorien. A Galadhrim (i.e. Tree-people). He is a temporary guide.
Saruman: Wizard; called "the White". Gandalf's boss. Head of the Council of the Wise.
Radagast the Brown: Wizard
Gloin: Dwarf: One of the 12 companions of the great Thorin Oakenshield. He has a son; Gimli. He is a visitor in Rivindell and an old friend of Bilbo.
Elladan & Elrohir: Sons of Elrond
Arwen Evenstar: Daughter of Elrond She is considered 'extremely fair'
Boromir: Man: son of Denethor, the Steward of Gondor; becomes a member of the Fellowship of the Ring. Has a brother named Faramir.
Gil-galad: Elven King who once overthrew Sauron but died doing so.
Fredegar Bolger (aka Fatty): Hobbit: Young friend of Frodo. Stayed behind in Crickhollow and did not accomapny the hobbits on their journey. He replaced Frodo while he was gone.
Folco Boffin: Hobbit: Young friend of Frodo. He doesn't go on the journey.
Legolas: Elf; Prince of the sylvan Elves of Mirkwood; becomes a member of the Fellowship of the Ring. The only elf on the journey.
Gimli: Dwarf: son of Glóin. He becomes a member of the Fellowship of the Ring. He is highly respected by the elves
Lady Galadriel: Elven woman: Lady of Lothlórien. Last of the high Elf lords who saw the light of the Blessed Realm. She lives with Tom.
Celeborn: Elf: Lord of Lothlórien. He is a high-ranked elf.
Drogo Baggins: Father of Frodo Baggins.
Primula Brandybuck: Mother of Frodo Baggins.
Otho & Lobelia Baggins: Husband and wife who are from Sackville. They are very greedy.
Fatty Lumpkin: The equine compainion to Tom Bombadil
Bill Ferny: A seedy inhabitant of the town of Bree. He has no friends and often gives the enemy helpful information

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Quotes edit see section history

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“Deserves it! I dare say he does. Many that live deserve death and some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be so eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the wise cannot see all ends.”
Gandalf
“Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky / Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone / Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die / One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne / In the land of Mordor, where the Shadows lie. One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them / One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them... In the land of Mordor, where the Shadows lie.”
The Ring Verse
“Memory is not what the heart desires.”
Gimli
“All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed shall be blade that was broken, The crownless again shall be king.”
Bilbo Baggins
“The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater.”
Haldir
“All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you.”
Gandalf
“Shelter! If this is shelter, then one wall and no roof make a house.”
Samwise Gamgee
“You can trust us to stick to you, through thick and thin – to the bitter end. And you can trust us to keep any secret of yours – closer than you keep it yourself. But you cannot trust us to let you face trouble alone, and go off without a word. We are your friends, Frodo.”
Meriadoc Brandybuck
“Faithless is he who leaves when the road darkens.”
Gimli
“Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.”
Galadriel
“Gandalf was shorter in stature than the other two; but his long white hair, his sweeping beard, and his broad shoulders, made him look like some wise king of ancient legend. In his aged face under great snowy brows his eyes were set like coals that could suddenly burst into fire.”
“Me go and see Elves and all! Hooray!”
Sam Gamgee
“And he that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom.”
Gandalf

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Setting & Locations edit see section history

Middle-earth is a fictional place which is the setting for most of the stories of author J. R. R. Tolkien. These stories include The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and Silmarillion.

Rivendell: Rivendell (Imladris) is an Elven outpost in Middle-earth. It was established and ruled by Elrond in the Second Age of Middle-earth (four or five thousand years before the events of The Lord of the Rings). In addition to Elrond and his family, notable Elves who lived there included Glorfindel and Erestor. Rivendell is a direct translation or calque of the Sindarin name Imladris, both meaning "deep valley of the cleft".
The Shire: Is a region settled exclusively by Hobbits and largely removed from the goings-on in the rest of Middle-earth. It is located in the northwest of the continent, in the large region of Eriador and the Kingdom of Arnor. Its name in Westron was Sûza "Shire" or Sûzat "The Shire". Its name in Sindarin was i Drann.
Rohan: Is a grassland which lies north of its ally Gondor and north-west of Mordor, the realm of Sauron, their enemy. It is inhabited by the Rohirrim, a people of herdsmen and farmers who are well-known for their horses and cavalry. Rohan is also referred to as Riddermark or the Mark.
Gondor: Is a fictional kingdom described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth by the end of the Third Age. Gondor was founded by brothers Isildur and Anárion, exiles from the downfallen island kingdom of Númenor, and together with Arnor in the north served as last strongholds of the Men of the West. Gondor gradually declined in course of the Third Age, being continually weakened by the allies of the Dark Lord Sauron, and was only restored in dominance after his final defeat.
Mordor: Is the dwelling place of Sauron, in the southeast of Middle-earth to the East of Anduin, the great river. Orodruin, the sole mountain in Mordor, was the destination of the Fellowship of the Ring in the quest to destroy the One Ring. Mordor was unique because of the three enormous mountain ridges surrounding it, from the North, from the West and from the South. The mountains both protected the land from an unexpected invasion by any of the people living in those directions and kept those living in Mordor from escaping.
Lothlórien: Is the fairest forest realm of the Elves remaining in Middle-earth during the Third Age The realm plays an important part in The Lord of the Rings as the Elven centre of resistance against Sauron and is a symbol for the Elves' aesthetics of preservation which provides a space 'out of time' for the characters who both live and visit there.

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The Fellowship of the Ring: The Nine Walkers pitted against the Nine Riders of Mordor, compiled by Elrond. Composed of Frodo the Ring-Bearer, Aragorn and Boromoir to represent the world of men, Legolas for the elves, Gimli for the dwarves, Gandalf of the wizards, and Sam, Merry, and Pippin to accompany Frodo.d
The Nine Riders of Mordor: A group of evil knights bent on finding the rings

First Sentence edit see section history

When Mr. Bilbo Baggins of Bag End announced that he would shortly be celebrating his eleventy-first birthday with a party of special magnificence, there was much talk and excitement in Hobbiton.

Table of Contents edit see section history

Book One
1. A Long-expected Party
2. The Shadow of the Past
3. Three is Company
4. A Short Cut to Mushrooms
5. A Conspiracy Unmasked
6. The Old Forest
7. In the House of Tom Bombadil
8. Fog on the Barrow-downs
9. At the Sign of the Prancing Pony
10. Strider
11. A Knife in the Dark
12. Flight to the Ford

Book Two
1. Many Meetings
2. The Council of Elrond
3. The Ring goes South
4. A Journey in the Dark
5. The Bridge of Khazad-dum
6. Lothlorien
7. The Mirror of Galadriel
8. Farewell to Lorien
9. The Great River
10. The Breaking of the Fellowship

Glossary edit see section history

Wain: A horse-drawn wagon.
Dearth: An acute insufficiency.
Doughty: Brave, strong, courageous and stouthearted.
Warren: A system of dwelling places, often underground, especially for rabbits.
Provender: A stock or supply of food.
Coppice: A grove of small growth.
Tussock: A tuft or clump of green grass or similar verdure, forming a small hillock
Sloe: The small, bitter, wild fruit of the blackthorn; also, the tree itself.
Bole: The trunk of a tree; the main structural member of a tree that supports the branches and is supported by and directly attached to the roots.
Brake: Bracken; a thicket, or an area overgrown with briers, etc.
Wight: An archaic term for a human being or another sentient creature. (Undead, as it happens in this case.)
Barrow: A very large mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Common in prehistoric England.
Down: An area of land characterized by hilly, rolling grassland. Grassy, barren chalk bluffs, as in south England.
Bower: A bedroom or private apartments, especially for women.
Bollard: A strong vertical post of timber or iron, fixed to the ground or to the deck of a ship.
Ewer: A pitcher; an open vessel with a handle and a spout for pouring.
Damasked: Decorated in figured designs.
Ostler: A person employed at an inn, hostelry, or stable to look after horses.
Swarthy: Tawny, dusky, or dark; weathered, or rough.
Bolster: A long narrow pillow or cushion filled with cotton, down, or fibre; usually placed at the head of bed and functions as head or back support.
Sallow: A sickly yellowish skin color.
Ere: Before.
Errantry: The state of roving in search of chivalrous adventure.
Panoply: A complete suit of armor.
Habergeon: A light sleeveless coat of chain mail worn under the hauberk.
Chalcedony: A mineral with a waxy luster, which may be semitransparent or translucent; most commonly white to gray, grayish-blue or a shade of brown.
Adamant: Diamond.
Carcanet: A jeweled necklace, collar, or headband.
Flammifer: A noun form coined by Tolkien of the word "flammiferous". Its meaning is "bringer or bearer of flame". Appearing only once in Tolkien's lexicon, it refers to the Silmaril of Eärendil.
Silmaril: One of the three jewels wrought by Fëanor of the light from the Two Trees of Valinor.
Baldric: A belt used to hold a sword, sometimes richly ornamented, worn diagonally from shoulder to hip.
Weregild: A reparational payment usually demanded of a person guilty of homicide or other wrongful death.
Bulwark: A defensive wall or rampart; metaphorically, something that serves a defensive purpose.
Glede: A live coal; an ember.
Mere: A pool, lake or marsh.
Halter: A rope or canvas headgear for a horse, with a rope for leading.
Silvan: Relating to, or characteristic of, forests or wooded regions.
Furlong: A measure of distance, equal to 220 yards.
Cordial: A strong, highly flavored sweet liquor, usually drunk after a meal.
Dolven: An old word for delven; past participle of delve. (to mine, quarry, dig)
Lode: A deposit of valuable ore occurring within definite boundaries separating it from surrounding rocks.
Corslet: A piece of body armor for the main part of the body; usually consists of a breastplate and back piece.
Affray: A noisy fight.
Truncheon: A stick or club of less than arm's length, usually made of wood or metal.
Scimitar: A curved saber, with the edge on the convex side of the blade.
Descried: Caught sight of.
Sward: An expanse of land covered in grass; a lawn or meadow.
Freshet: The occurrence of a water flow, resulting from sudden rain or melting snow.
Lee: Downwind, or towards the side away from the wind.
Mew: A sea-gull.
Fosse: A ditch or a moat.
Wont: Habit or established custom. Usually in the expression "as is <his/her/my> wont."
Wrack: Dried seaweed, especially that cast ashore; the destruction or collapse of something.
Hythe: A landing-place in a river; a harbour or small port.
Phial: A small glass vessel or bottle.
Wold: An unforested or deforested plain, a grassland, a moor; in this case, likely barren and treeless. Also can be used to mean: a wood or forest, especially a wooded upland.
Eyot: A little island, especially in a river or lake.
Gunwale: The topmost planking of a wooden vessel.
Writhen: Contorted or twisted.
Thrawn: Twisted or misshapen; difficult or awkward.
Clamber: To climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling.