Frodo Baggins

The nephew of Bilbo Baggins, and like him, hailing from Bag End in the Shire's Westfarthing, Frodo Baggins was the premier hero of the War of the Ring, even while yet in the company of many other great and dedicated heroes. Frodo was born in T.A. 2968 to Drogo Baggins, the great-grandson of Balbo Baggins, and Drogo's bride Primula, the youngest daughter of Gorbadoc "Broadbelt" Brandybuck of Brandy Hall. At the tender age of twelve, Frodo lost both his parents in a boating accident. When twenty-one, Frodo was adopted by Bilbo, who was in his ninety-ninth year, and being unmarried, still had no heir to his considerable estate. (For the sake of convenience, Bilbo was referred to as Frodo's uncle. In actuality, Primula Took was Bilbo's first cousin and Drogo was his second cousin; Bilbo was therefore Frodo's first and second cousin, once removed either way.) On Frodo's thirty-third birthday, and Bilbo's eleventy-first, Bilbo left the Shire for Rivendell, bequeath­ing all the estate to Frodo, including his magical items and Sauron's One Ring of Power. Frodo shared Bilbo's Fallohide blood and was considered by his peers to be the inheritor of the "Mad Baggins" in all respects, for he was somewhat moody, took long walks, and was suspected of entertaining dialogues with Elves. At Gandalfs urging, in TA 3018, Frodo assumed the name of Mr. Underhill and went to Rivendell to escape the Nazgul. On that journey he encountered Aragorn, whom he knew then as Strider, and was nearly slain by the Lord of the Nazgul. At Rivendell, Frodo volunteered to serve as the Ringbearer. After accomplishing the arduous and dangerous journey with the help of Samwise Gamgee, and standing on the very brink of Mount Doom, Frodo finally succumbed to the seduction of the One Ring and claimed it for himself. At that moment, Gollum, who was still alive only because of Frodo's invincible sense of mercy, bit off Frodo's ring finger and siezed the Prize, but toppled with it to their mutual destruction in the belly of the volcano. And so the quest was completed. Frodo's journey to Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring was successful, and Sauron and all his works were undone. Frodo returned from the task less than a year after his departure. Few of the Hobbits back in the Shire ever learned of Frodo's labors on their behalf. Their gratitude was mainly directed to Meriadoc, Peregrin, and Samwise, who helped evict Wormtongue and the other evil minions of Saruman during the Scouring of the Shire. Frodo then served for just a little while as the Mayor of Michel Delving, but could not endure the work of reconstruction. During these days he was much more moody than Hobbits normally are, yet still extremely perceptive regarding other persons, and continued to eagerly seek out news of the distant lands. So, he spent a little more man a year's time in scholarly work: completing Bilbo's volumes, a few songs, and composing his own part of the Tale of the Ring, which he entitled, 'The Downfall of the Lord of the Rings and the Return of the King' (as seen by the Little People; being the memoirs of Bilbo and Frodo of the Shire, supplemented by the accounts of their friends and the learning of the Wise). Frodo was surpassed in his scholarly and linguistic skills only by Bilbo himself. Frodo passed over the sea in his fifty-second year, claiming his reward for having served as Ring-bearer. He was still unrecoverabiy haggard in mind and spirit from the time he spent with the Ring, his wounding by the Witch Lord, and the poison of Shelob. He could not remain in the Shire, but was driven to seek the healing of the Green Land Beyond. So he left those words, along with all his possessions,to Samwise, "I tried to save the Shire, and it has been saved, but not forme. It must often be so... when things are in danger; some one has to give them up, lose them, so that others may keep them" (LotR HI 382). Frodo left behind a legacy of such dedication, selflessness, mercy, and strength that none may hope to match it. He, in a sense, lost himself in completing his quest, and the world could no longer hold or heal him.