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[[Thain]] of the [[Shire]], famed for his great age, for which reason he was popularly known as the [[Old Took]].
{{hobbit infobox
| name=Gerontius Took
| image=[[File:Liz Danforth - Gerontius took.jpg|250px]]
| caption="Gerontius Took" by [[Liz Danforth]]
| pronun=
| othernames=The Old Took
| titles=[[Thain]] of [[the Shire]]
| position=
| location=[[Great Smials]], [[Tuckborough]]
| affiliation=
| language=
| birth={{SR|1190}}
| birthlocation=
| rule={{SR|1248}} - {{SR|1320|n}} (72 years)
| death={{SR|1320}}
| deathlocation=
| age=130
| notablefor=
| family=[[Took Family|Took]]
| parentage=[[Fortinbras Took I]]
| siblings=
| spouse=[[Adamanta Chubb]]
| children=[[Isengrim Took III|Isengrim]], [[Hildigard Took|Hildigard]], [[Isumbras Took IV|Isumbras]], [[Hildigrim Took|Hildigrim]], [[Isembold Took|Isembold]], [[Hildifons Took|Hildifons]], [[Isembard Took|Isembard]], [[Hildibrand Took|Hildibrand]], [[Belladonna Took|Belladonna]], [[Donnamira Took|Donnamira]], [[Mirabella Took|Mirabella]] and [[Isengar Took|Isengar]]
| gender=Male
| height=
| hair=
| eyes=
| clothing=
| weapons=
| steed=
}}
'''Gerontius Took''' ({{SR|1190}} - {{SR|1320|n}}, died aged 130), also known as '''The Old Took''', was a renowned [[Hobbits|Hobbit]] and twenty-sixth [[Thain]] of [[the Shire]].


==History==
Gerontius was the only son of [[Fortinbras Took I|Fortinbras I]]. He married [[Adamanta Chubb]], who gave birth to twelve children: [[Isengrim Took III|Isengrim III]], [[Hildigard Took|Hildigard]], [[Isumbras Took IV|Isumbras IV]], [[Hildigrim Took|Hildigrim]], [[Isembold Took|Isembold]], [[Hildifons Took|Hildifons]], [[Isembard Took|Isembard]], [[Hildibrand Took|Hildibrand]], [[Belladonna Took|Belladonna]], [[Donnamira Took|Donnamira]], [[Mirabella Took|Mirabella]] and [[Isengar Took|Isengar]].
After the death of his father in {{SR|1248|n}}, Gerontius became the twenty-sixth [[Thain]] of [[the Shire]].<ref>{{App|Took}}</ref> He was a friend of [[Gandalf]], who gave him a pair of magic diamond studs<ref>{{H|Party}}</ref> and performed firework tricks during Gerontius' [[Mid-year's Day|midsummer]]-eve parties.<ref>{{H|6}}</ref><ref group="note">Midsummer-eve obviously refers to 1 [[Lithe]].</ref>
Gerontius Took reached the impressive age of 130, which made him the oldest [[Hobbits|Hobbit]] until his grandson [[Bilbo Baggins]] celebrated his 131st Birthday.<ref>{{RK|Havens}}</ref> He also held the record of most offspring, until [[Samwise Gamgee]] bested him with [[Tolman Gardner|Tom]]'s birth in {{SR|1442}}.<ref>{{App|Gamgee}}</ref>
==Etymology==
He was called ''The Old Took'' not because of his age, but because of his numerous younger relatives.<ref name="RC">{{HM|RC}}, p. 54</ref>
The word element ''geron'' is Greek for ''old''. [[Wikipedia:Gerontius|Gerontius]] was also a Latin name of the Late Roman Empire, and is one of the very few Greco-Latin names appearing in Hobbit lore.
Gerontius is rendered as ''[[Wikipedia:Geraint|Geraint]]'' in [[Welsh]], found as a royal name in ''The [[Wikipedia:Mabinogion|Mabinogion]]'' and in Tennyson's ''[[Wikipedia:Geraint_and_Enid#Geraint_and_Enid|Geraint and Enid]]''.<ref>[[Mark T. Hooker]], [[Tolkien and Welsh]], p. 133</ref>
==Inspiration==
In [[Letter to Mr and Mrs Kloos|a letter to Mr. and Mrs. Kloos]], Tolkien stated that when he wrote ''[[The Hobbit]]'', he had imagined Bilbo's grandfather to be old, because both of his grandparents were around a hundred years old when they died.<ref name="RC"/>
== Portrayal in adaptations ==
[[File:The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey - The Old Took.jpg|The Old Took in ''[[The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey]]''|right|thumb|150px]]
'''2011: ''[[The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey]]'':'''
:The Old Took appears in a scene in the Extended Edition, played by [[Dan Hennah]].
{{references|notes}}
{{seq-start}}
{{seq-head
| race=hobbit
| house=[[Took Family]]
| born={{SR|1190}}
| died={{SR|1320}}
}}
{{Seq
| prev=[[Fortinbras Took I]]
| list=26th [[Thain]] of [[The Shire]]
| dates={{SR|1248}} - {{SR|1320|n}}
| next=[[Isengrim Took III]]
}}
{{seq-end}}
[[Category:Hobbits]]
[[Category:Hobbits]]
[[Category:Thains]]
[[Category:Took]]
[[Category:Took]]
[[Category:Greco-Roman names]]
[[Category:Third Age characters]]
[[de:Alter Tuk]]
[[fi:Gerontius Tuk]]
[[fr:encyclo/personnages/hobbits/touque/gerontius_touque]]

Revision as of 11:05, 18 September 2015

Gerontius Took
Hobbit
Liz Danforth - Gerontius took.jpg
"Gerontius Took" by Liz Danforth
Biographical Information
Other namesThe Old Took
TitlesThain of the Shire
LocationGreat Smials, Tuckborough
BirthS.R. 1190
RuleS.R. 1248 - 1320 (72 years)
DeathS.R. 1320 (aged 130)
Family
FamilyTook
ParentageFortinbras Took I
SpouseAdamanta Chubb
ChildrenIsengrim, Hildigard, Isumbras, Hildigrim, Isembold, Hildifons, Isembard, Hildibrand, Belladonna, Donnamira, Mirabella and Isengar
Physical Description
GenderMale
GalleryImages of Gerontius Took

Gerontius Took (S.R. 1190 - 1320, died aged 130), also known as The Old Took, was a renowned Hobbit and twenty-sixth Thain of the Shire.

History

Gerontius was the only son of Fortinbras I. He married Adamanta Chubb, who gave birth to twelve children: Isengrim III, Hildigard, Isumbras IV, Hildigrim, Isembold, Hildifons, Isembard, Hildibrand, Belladonna, Donnamira, Mirabella and Isengar.

After the death of his father in 1248, Gerontius became the twenty-sixth Thain of the Shire.[1] He was a friend of Gandalf, who gave him a pair of magic diamond studs[2] and performed firework tricks during Gerontius' midsummer-eve parties.[3][note 1]

Gerontius Took reached the impressive age of 130, which made him the oldest Hobbit until his grandson Bilbo Baggins celebrated his 131st Birthday.[4] He also held the record of most offspring, until Samwise Gamgee bested him with Tom's birth in S.R. 1442.[5]

Etymology

He was called The Old Took not because of his age, but because of his numerous younger relatives.[6]

The word element geron is Greek for old. Gerontius was also a Latin name of the Late Roman Empire, and is one of the very few Greco-Latin names appearing in Hobbit lore.

Gerontius is rendered as Geraint in Welsh, found as a royal name in The Mabinogion and in Tennyson's Geraint and Enid.[7]

Inspiration

In a letter to Mr. and Mrs. Kloos, Tolkien stated that when he wrote The Hobbit, he had imagined Bilbo's grandfather to be old, because both of his grandparents were around a hundred years old when they died.[6]

Portrayal in adaptations

2011: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey:

The Old Took appears in a scene in the Extended Edition, played by Dan Hennah.

Notes

  1. Midsummer-eve obviously refers to 1 Lithe.

References

Gerontius Took
Took Family
Born: S.R. 1190 Died: S.R. 1320
Preceded by:
Fortinbras Took I
26th Thain of The Shire
S.R. 1248 - 1320
Followed by:
Isengrim Took III