Bilbo Baggins

Bilbo, the adventuring Hobbit, was born in the Shire. He had a strong strain of Fallohide blood running in him, and developed the corresponding love for adventure, Elves, and Elvish things. The owner of Bag End, near Hobbiton, Bilbo lived a quiet life until Gandalf coerced him into serving as Thorin and Company's burglar in TA. 2941 On this adventure, Bilbo first visited Rivendell and many other legendary places in Middle Earth (including Goblin-gate, Thranduil's palace in Mirkwood, and Erebor). He played an important part in the slaying of the Dragon Smaug, most chiefly by noirng the weak spot in the Worm's underbelly where Bard later was able to land his deadly black arrow. But most importantly. Bilbo was led by fate to discover Sauron's long lost One Ring in Gollum's nest in the depths of the Misty Mountains, beneath the lairs of the Orcs of the High Pass. Following his adventures he was able to live comfortably in the Shire on his portion of the Dragon-hoard. In T.A. 2980, he adopted his nephew Frodo after the death of Frodo's parents, Drogo and Primula Baggins. (For the sake of convenience, Frodo was referred to as Bilbo's nephew. In actuality, Primula Took is Bilbo's first cousin and Drogo is his second cousin; Frodo is therefore Bilbo's first and second cousin, once removed either way.) In T.A. 3001, with a dramatic and foolish exit, Bilbo left the Shire during Frodo's thirty-third birthday party (and Bilbo's own eleventy-first), a party which Bilbo called the Farewell Feast. At this time, Bilbo's possessions, including the awesome One Ring, came into Frodo's hands. Bilbo remained in Rivendell for the next twenty years, except for visits to Dale and Erebor in either T.A. 3001 or 3002, During this time. Bilbo devoted himself to writing, poetry, song-making, and scholarly work. Some of the significant works among these are the Red Book of Westmarch (edited by J.R.R. Tolkien as The Hobbit), the poem Errantry (and another about Earendil), and the great scholarly piece entitled Translations From the Elvish, These works credit Bilbo as the greatest of all Hobbitish scholars. When Bilbo passed over the sea in T.A, 3021 with the Last Riding of the Keepers of the Ring, he was the oldest Hobbit who had ever lived, at 131 years and 8 days (with the exception of Gollum). He is remembered as much for his extreme generosity, self-deprecation and scholarship as he is for his exploits and accomplishments.

Important Dates

 * born T.A. 2890
 * Thorin & Company T.A. 2941
 * the Farewell Party T.A. 3001
 * passing over the sea T.A. 3021.

Bilbo's Principal Items

 * Sting
 * Mithril-Mail shirt
 * The One Ring