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[[Image:John Howe - Barliman Butterbur.jpg|thumb|''Barliman Butterbur'' by [[John Howe]]]]
{{men infobox
'''Barliman Butterbur''' (late [[Third Age]] – early [[Fourth Age]]) was the owner of the Inn known as [[The Prancing Pony]] in [[Bree]].
|image=[[Image:John Howe - Barliman Butterbur.jpg]]
|name=Barliman Butterbur
| pronun=
| othernames=Barley
| titles=
| position=Inn-keeper
| location=[[The Prancing Pony]], [[Bree]]
| affiliation=
| language=[[Westron]]
| birth=late [[Third Age]]
| birthlocation=
| rule=
| deathlocation=
| age=
| notablefor=
| house=
| parentage=
| siblings=
| spouse=
| children=
| gender=Male
| height=Short
| hair=None
| eyes=
| clothing=White apron
| weapons=
| steed=
}}
'''Barliman Butterbur''' was the owner of [[The Prancing Pony]] in [[Bree]]. He had two [[Bree-hobbits|hobbit]] employees: [[Bob]], who worked in the stables, and [[Nob]], a servant.
 
Barliman, a short, fat, red-faced [[Men of Bree|Man from Bree]], was a friend of Gandalf and appeared to have had a rather bad memory, "One thing drives out another" he says.  


==History==
==History==
Barliman appeared to have had a rather bad memory, "One thing drives out another" he says. He forgot to send [[Gandalf]]'s letter to [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]], leaving Frodo uncertain as to Gandalf's fate and causing him to start his journey much later than the letter indicated. He did not remember it until Frodo and his companions arrived to stay at the inn, and even then it was long before the connection was made. He did, however, remember to produce [[Aragorn II|Strider]]'s credentials.
During the [[War of the Ring]], [[Gandalf]] wrote a [[Gandalf's letter|letter]] to [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] and told Barliman to send it to [[Hobbiton]]. Barliman could not find anyone for the task, and eventually forgot the letter altogether, leaving Frodo uncertain as to Gandalf's fate and causing him to start his journey much later than the letter indicated.<ref name=strider>{{FR|Strider}}</ref>


When Gandalf finally arrived at The Prancing Pony, he was furious with Barliman's forgetfulness, but quickly foragve him when he found out the Hobbits are alive. He even went so far as to put a blessing on his beer.
He did not remember it until autumn, when Frodo and his companions arrived to stay at the inn, and even then it was long before the connection was made. He did, however, remember to produce [[Aragorn|Strider]]'s credentials.<ref name=strider/>
 
When Gandalf finally arrived at The Prancing Pony, he was furious with Barliman's forgetfulness, but quickly forgave him when he found out the Hobbits were alive. He even went so far as to put a blessing on his beer.


After the [[War of the Ring]], Barliman was amazed to learn that Strider, a former patron of the Prancing Pony, had become king of [[Gondor]] and [[Arnor]].
After the [[War of the Ring]], Barliman was amazed to learn that Strider, a former patron of the Prancing Pony, had become king of [[Gondor]] and [[Arnor]].


Barliman was a [[Men|Man]], but as Bree was inhabited by both Men and [[Hobbits]], he had two hobbit employees: [[Bob]], who worked in the stables, and [[Nob]], a servant.
==Other Versions of the Legendarium==
In the first version of the events at the Prancing Pony, written in pencil, the name of the innkeeper was "Timothy Titus", a name from an old incomplete story by [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]] (in which the character bore no resemblance to Mr. Butterbur).  "Timothy Titus" was written over in ink with the name "Barnabas Butterbur" in Tolkien's manuscript and was created as a very fat Hobbit before he was subsequently changed into the man called "Barliman".<ref>{{RS|1VIIIN}}, note 3</ref>


== Portrayal in Adaptations ==
==Etymology==
Barliman means "barley-man", a suitable name for an ale-brewer.<ref name="Nomen">[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], "[[Guide to the Names in The Lord of the Rings|Nomenclature of The Lord of the Rings]]" in [[Wayne G. Hammond]] and [[Christina Scull]] (eds), ''[[The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion]]'', pp. 754-5</ref>
 
==Portrayal in adaptations==
<gallery>
<gallery>
Image:Ralph Bakshi's Barliman Butterbur.jpg|''[[Ralph Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings]]''
File:The Lord of the Rings (1978 film) - Barliman Butterbur.jpg|[[The Lord of the Rings (1978 film)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (1978 film)]]
Image:Peter Jackson's Barliman Butterbur.jpg|''[[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]]''
File:The Lord of the Rings - The Motion Picture Trilogy - Barliman Butterbur.jpg|''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]]''
Image:Barliman viv lotr.JPG|''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (video game)]]''
File:Barliman viv lotr.JPG|[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (video game)|''The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring'' (video game)]]
Image:Barliman Butterbur lotro.jpg|''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]''
File:Barliman Butterbur lotro.jpg|''[[The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar]]''
File:The Lord of the Rings War in the North - Barliman Butterbur.jpg|''[[The Lord of the Rings: War in the North]]''
</gallery>
</gallery>


'''1978: ''[[Ralph Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings]]'':'''
'''1978: [[The Lord of the Rings (1978 film)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (1978 film)]]:'''
:Barliman was voiced by [[Alan Tilvern]].
:Barliman was voiced by [[Alan Tilvern]].


'''2001: ''[[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]]'':'''
'''1981: ''[[The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series)|BBC Radio's The Lord of the Ring]]'':'''
:[[James Grout]] provided the voice of Butterbur. Grout played what is a fairly minor character with great panache, and much of his garrulous dialogue from the book is intact, especially in the longer 1982 episodes.  Butterbur also appears in the penultimate instalment when the returning company stop off at Bree.
 
'''2001: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]]'':'''
:He is played by [[David Weatherley]], although the character is not named and most of his scenes from the book (including the reference to Gandalf's letter) are not in the film.
:He is played by [[David Weatherley]], although the character is not named and most of his scenes from the book (including the reference to Gandalf's letter) are not in the film.


'''2007: ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]'':'''
'''2007: ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]'':'''
:Barliman is a non-playable character that can be found at the [[Prancing Pony]]. The player meets with him during Book I: ''[[Stirrings in the Darkness]]'', Foreword: "An Unwanted Guest".
:Barliman is a non-playable character that can be found at the [[Prancing Pony]]. The player meets with him during Volume I ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar|Shadows of Angmar]]'', Book I: ''[[Stirrings in the Darkness]]'', Foreword: "An Unwanted Guest".
 
'''2011: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: War in the North]]'':'''
:Barliman Butterbur is the inn-keeper, and can be found behind the bar in the Prancing Pony. He tells the player news about troubles in the south, and [[Southernors]] who have come lately to Bree, and information about the Prancing Pony, that it almost exists as long as Bree.<ref>[[The Lord of the Rings: War in the North]], ''Prologue''</ref>


{{references}}
[[Category:Bree-men]]
[[Category:Bree-men]]
[[Category:Characters in The Lord of the Rings]]
[[Category:Characters in The Lord of the Rings]]
[[de:Gerstenmann Butterblume]]
[[de:Gerstenmann Butterblume]]
[[fr:encyclo/personnages/hommes/3a/hommes_de_bree/prosper_poiredebeurre]]
[[fi:Viljami Voivalvatti]]
[[fi:Viljami Voivalvatti]]

Revision as of 20:19, 2 March 2014

"...It is a long tale..." — Aragorn
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Barliman Butterbur
Man
John Howe - Barliman Butterbur.jpg
Biographical Information
Other namesBarley
PositionInn-keeper
LocationThe Prancing Pony, Bree
LanguageWestron
Birthlate Third Age
Physical Description
GenderMale
HeightShort
Hair colorNone
ClothingWhite apron
GalleryImages of Barliman Butterbur

Barliman Butterbur was the owner of The Prancing Pony in Bree. He had two hobbit employees: Bob, who worked in the stables, and Nob, a servant.

Barliman, a short, fat, red-faced Man from Bree, was a friend of Gandalf and appeared to have had a rather bad memory, "One thing drives out another" he says.

History

During the War of the Ring, Gandalf wrote a letter to Frodo and told Barliman to send it to Hobbiton. Barliman could not find anyone for the task, and eventually forgot the letter altogether, leaving Frodo uncertain as to Gandalf's fate and causing him to start his journey much later than the letter indicated.[1]

He did not remember it until autumn, when Frodo and his companions arrived to stay at the inn, and even then it was long before the connection was made. He did, however, remember to produce Strider's credentials.[1]

When Gandalf finally arrived at The Prancing Pony, he was furious with Barliman's forgetfulness, but quickly forgave him when he found out the Hobbits were alive. He even went so far as to put a blessing on his beer.

After the War of the Ring, Barliman was amazed to learn that Strider, a former patron of the Prancing Pony, had become king of Gondor and Arnor.

Other Versions of the Legendarium

In the first version of the events at the Prancing Pony, written in pencil, the name of the innkeeper was "Timothy Titus", a name from an old incomplete story by Tolkien (in which the character bore no resemblance to Mr. Butterbur). "Timothy Titus" was written over in ink with the name "Barnabas Butterbur" in Tolkien's manuscript and was created as a very fat Hobbit before he was subsequently changed into the man called "Barliman".[2]

Etymology

Barliman means "barley-man", a suitable name for an ale-brewer.[3]

Portrayal in adaptations

1978: The Lord of the Rings (1978 film):

Barliman was voiced by Alan Tilvern.

1981: BBC Radio's The Lord of the Ring:

James Grout provided the voice of Butterbur. Grout played what is a fairly minor character with great panache, and much of his garrulous dialogue from the book is intact, especially in the longer 1982 episodes. Butterbur also appears in the penultimate instalment when the returning company stop off at Bree.

2001: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring:

He is played by David Weatherley, although the character is not named and most of his scenes from the book (including the reference to Gandalf's letter) are not in the film.

2007: The Lord of the Rings Online:

Barliman is a non-playable character that can be found at the Prancing Pony. The player meets with him during Volume I Shadows of Angmar, Book I: Stirrings in the Darkness, Foreword: "An Unwanted Guest".

2011: The Lord of the Rings: War in the North:

Barliman Butterbur is the inn-keeper, and can be found behind the bar in the Prancing Pony. He tells the player news about troubles in the south, and Southernors who have come lately to Bree, and information about the Prancing Pony, that it almost exists as long as Bree.[4]

References