Meriadoc Brandybuck
| Meriadoc Brandybuck | |
|---|---|
| Hobbit | |
 | |
| "Merry" by John Howe | |
| Biographical Information | |
| Other names | Merry, "the Magnificent", Kalimac Brandagamba |
| Titles | Master of Buckland |
| Location | Brandy Hall, Buckland |
| Affiliation | Fellowship of the Ring |
| Birth | Early S.R. 1382 Buckland |
| Death | After S.R. 1484 (aged 103+) Gondor |
| Notable for | Accompanying Frodo Baggins in the early stages of the Ring-quest Participating in the slaying of the Witch-King of Angmar Co-leading the Battle of Bywater with Peregrin Took |
| Family | |
| Family | Brandybuck |
| Parentage | Saradoc Brandybuck and Esmeralda Took |
| Spouse | Estella Bolger |
| Children | At least one son |
| Physical Description | |
| Gender | Male |
| Height | Taller than average Hobbit |
| Hair color | Brown, curly[1] |
| Weaponry | Dagger of Westernesse |
| Steed | Stybba |
| Gallery | Images of Meriadoc Brandybuck |
Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck, called The Magnificent, was a Hobbit, the son of Saradoc Brandybuck.[2] Merry (as he was often called), was the heir of the Brandybucks to Brandy Hall, and, after his participation to the War of the Ring, eventually became the Master there.
History
Merry is a person
Character
He was a good friend of Frodo Baggins, who eventually became the Ring-bearer, and Peregrin Took, a young relative. He was one of the few (if any) who saw Bilbo Baggins, Frodo's uncle, actually use the One Ring. He also managed to read, at least in part, Bilbo's book: There and Back Again, where he learned about the Ring.[3]
He can easily be recognised as a very sharp Hobbit, and his tone throughout The Lord of the Rings depicts him as practical, loyal, resourceful, and the best able to cope with the sudden happenings that drew him out of his peaceful home. He was also praised by Aragorn II as having a 'stout heart'[4] and Lady Éowyn as 'valiant'.[5] He was apparently much trusted by Frodo, who sent him along with Fatty Bolger to Crickhollow to prepare his newly-bought home.[6]
Other versions of the legendarium
In the pre-publication manuscript of The Lord of the Rings, Merry's name was originally "Marmaduke Brandybuck".[7]
Inspiration
Meriadoc (also spelled Meriadek) was the legendary leader of a group of Welsh mercenaries who settled Armorica (modern Brittany) in the fourth century and founded the house of Rohan.[8]
Etymology
The name Meriadoc means "Great Lord" in Welsh (from mawr="great" and udd="lord").[9]
Tolkien himself comments on the Celtic cast of this and other Buckland and Bree names that end in –ac, -ic, -oc. [10]
Portrayal in adaptations
Merry in The Lord of the Rings (1978 film)
Merry in The Return of the King (1980 film)
Merry in The Lord of the Rings (film series)
_-_Merry.jpg)
_-_Merry.jpg)
1955: The Lord of the Rings (1955 radio series):
- The voice of Merry is provided by Michael Collins.[11]
1978: The Lord of the Rings (1978 film):
- The voice of Merry was provided by Simon Chandler.
1979: The Lord of the Rings (1979 radio series):
- The voice of Merry was provided by Pat Franklyn.
1980: The Return of the King (1980 film):
- The voice of Merry was provided by Casey Kasem.
1981: The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series):
- The part of Merry is portrayed by Richard O'Callaghan.
1992: BBC Radio's Tales from the Perilous Realm:
- Matthew Morgan provided the voice of Merry in the two episodes of this series that make up The Adventures of Tom Bombadil.
2001-03: The Lord of the Rings (film series):
- Merry was played by Dominic Monaghan. Some book-readers argue that, like Pippin, he was made far less competent in the movie than he was in the books: instead of a clever "conspirator" who helped orchestrate Frodo's escape from the Shire, he was portrayed as someone who did not know what he was getting himself into. The movie trilogy also shows a blonde Merry as opposed to the brown-haired young hobbit in the novels.
2002: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (video game):
- The voice of Merry was provided by Quinton Flynn. Merry and Pippin are shown as the Conspirators, although the "three" does not include Sam. Merry meets Frodo in the Green Dragon Inn, and he and Pippin and Sam are not seen again until Bamfurlong.
See also
References
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, "The Road to Isengard"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix C, "Brandybuck of Buckland"
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedConspiracy - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedStrider - ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, "The Houses of Healing"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, "Three is Company"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Return of the Shadow, "The First Phase: I. A Long-expected Party, (iii) The Third Version", p. 33
- ↑ Mark T. Hooker, The Hobbitonian Anthology, p. 57
- ↑ "Welsh Names", Name Nerds (accessed 21 February 2016)
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "The Appendix on Languages"
- ↑ Radio Times, Volume 129, No. 1672, November 25, 1955
| Members of the Fellowship of the Ring |
|---|
| Frodo · Sam · Merry · Pippin · Gandalf · Aragorn · Legolas · Gimli · Boromir |
| Masters of Buckland |
|---|
| Gorhendad Oldbuck (from S.R. 740) · unknown · Gormadoc Brandybuck (until 1236) · Madoc Brandybuck (1236 - 1277) · Marmadoc Brandybuck (1277 - 1310) · Gorbadoc Brandybuck (1310 - 1364) · Rorimac Brandybuck (1364 - 1408) · Saradoc Brandybuck (1408 - 1432) · Meriadoc Brandybuck (1432 - 1484) · unknown |
