| Character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Legendarium | |
| Name | Samwise Gamgee |
|---|---|
| Other names | Sam Samwís Gamwich Samwise Gammidgy Samwise Gardner Samwise the Brave |
| Titles | Ring-bearer |
| Race | Hobbit |
| Culture | Shire-hobbit |
| Date of birth | April 6, T.A. 2980[1] |
| Date of departure to Aman | F.A. 62 |
| Date of death | Fourth Age |
| Book(s) | The Fellowship of the Ring The Two Towers The Return of the King |
Samwise Gamgee, later known as Samwise Gardner[2] or Samwise the Brave and commonly known as Sam, is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. Tolkien's Legendarium (ISBN 0-313-30530-7 is a collection of scholarly essays edited by Verlyn Flieger and Carl F A title is a prefix or suffix added to a person's name to signify either veneration an official position or a professional or academic qualification This is a list of all animals that appear in J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth legendarium In J R R Tolkien 's legendarium, Hobbits are a diminutive race that inhabit the lands of Middle-earth. Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate" generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic The Shire is a region of J R R Tolkien 's fictional Middle-earth, described in The Lord of the Rings and other works Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato in the Battle of Thapsus The Third Age is a time period from J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth fantasy writings The Fourth Age and the later ages that followed it are time periods from J The Fourth Age and the later ages that followed it are time periods from J The Fellowship of the Ring is the first of three volumes of the epic novel The Lord of the Rings by the English author J The Two Towers is the second volume of J R R Tolkien 's High fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. The Return of the King is the third and final volume of J R R Middle-earth refers to the fictional lands where most of the stories of author J Tolkien's Legendarium (ISBN 0-313-30530-7 is a collection of scholarly essays edited by Verlyn Flieger and Carl F
Contents |
Sam is first introduced in The Fellowship of the Ring. The Fellowship of the Ring is the first of three volumes of the epic novel The Lord of the Rings by the English author J Sam is Frodo Baggins' gardener, having inherited the position as Bag End's gardener from his father, Hamfast "Gaffer" Gamgee. At the time of the War of the Ring, Sam was living in Number 3, Bagshot Row with his father. Very typically for a Hobbit, Sam had never ventured far from the immediate area where he lived, having never even travelled extensively to other areas of the Shire. Unusually for a hobbit, however, since childhood Sam was always enthralled by stories of fantastical quests in far off places and legends of ancient times. Sam was particularly interested in the Elves, and always hoped to one day see one. Sam was literate (probably in Cirth as he was said to know his "letters"), having been taught by Bilbo and Frodo, which was atypical for most hobbits due to their rustic culture. The Cirth (" Runes " are the letters of an Artificial script which was invented by J Bilbo Baggins is the protagonist of The Hobbit and also makes an appearance in The Lord of the Rings, two of the most well-known of Sam was in attendance at Bilbo's Farewell Party.
As "punishment" for eavesdropping on Gandalf's conversation with Frodo regarding the dangers of the One Ring, Sam was — at his own request — made Frodo's first companion on his journey to Rivendell. Eavesdropping is the act of surreptitiously listening to a private conversation Concept and creation Humphrey Carpenter in his 1977 biography relates that Tolkien owned a Postcard entitled Der Berggeist ("the mountain Rivendell ( Sindarin: Imladris) is an Elven outpost in Middle-earth, a Fictional realm created by J They were joined by Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took, Frodo's cousins. Meriadoc Brandybuck, usually referred to as Merry, is a Fictional character from J Biography Pippin was the only hobbit who had not yet reached his 'coming of age' when the Fellowship set out (being eight years younger than Merry while Frodo himself was 50 Before they left Frodo's home at Crickhollow, it was revealed that Sam, Merry, Pippin, and Fredegar Bolger had formed "the Conspiracy" to find out what the purpose of Frodo's journey was, and that Sam had been assigned to gather information by eavesdropping. Fredegar "Fatty" Bolger is a Fictional character in J
The four hobbits travelled to Bree where they met Strider. Aragorn II is a fictional character from J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth Legendarium. Though unsure of Strider's intentions, Sam allowed the Ranger to come once he saw that Frodo felt safe. Many other occasions occurred when Sam would be protective of his master, including when allowing injured Frodo to go ahead to Rivendell.
In the haven of Rivendell, Sam eavesdropped again during the Council of Elrond. The Lord of the Rings is an epic When he heard that Frodo was to take the Ring to Mordor, he refused to let his master go without him. In J R R Tolkien 's Fictional universe of Middle-earth, Mordor (from Sindarin Black Land and Quenya Land of Shadow The two became members of the Fellowship of the Ring, as did Merry and Pippin. The Fellowship of the Ring, or Company of the Ring, as described in the first volume of The Lord of the Rings, which bears the same name is
Sam often showed a skill in poetry, one occasion being when in Lothlórien after Gandalf fell to his apparent death, Sam added an interesting extension to the poem that Frodo had made about their old leader. In J R R Tolkien 's fiction Lothlórien is a Welsh -sounding name given to the fairest forest realm of the Elves remaining in Middle-earth He, like all the others, was concerned about what might happen now, without Gandalf.
When Frodo decided to leave the rest of the Fellowship at Amon Hen, Sam refused to give up his responsibilities as a companion, protector, and friend. While his general bearing and speech patterns were deceptively simple, Sam frequently displayed great perception and understanding. As Frodo determined to sneak away from everyone else, Sam quickly caught on. Finding Frodo, he insisted on being allowed to accompany him. He carried most of the luggage, cooked, kept watch at night whenever he could, and rationed the food so Frodo had enough for the journey.
In The Two Towers, he and Frodo encountered Gollum, who had once possessed the Ring and would do anything to get it back. The Two Towers is the second volume of J R R Tolkien 's High fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. Character overview Originally known as Sméagol, this character was later named Gollum after his habit Sam took an instant dislike of the creature, and warned Frodo that "Stinker", as he called Gollum, was not to be trusted. Sam's suspicions were proven correct when Gollum led them to the lair of the monstrous spider Shelob. Literature Shelob was an "evil thing in Spider form" living high in the Ephel Dúath mountains that border Mordor; the “last child of She attacked and seemingly killed Frodo. After wounding and driving off Shelob, Sam mourned for his master. Because he still didn't want the quest to fail, Sam took the Ring, intending to complete it himself. Because he held the Ring during this time (in order to keep the ring out of the hands of the Orcs), he is considered one of the Ring-bearers. It should be noted that among those to bear the One Ring, Sam is the only one to, after a brief temptation of great power, resist the power of it. He soon learned that Frodo was merely incapacitated, and had been taken to the tower of Cirith Ungol. Cirith Ungol (ˈkiriθ ˈuŋgɔl is a location in J R R Tolkien 's fictional universe of Middle-earth in his fantasy work The Lord of the Rings.
In The Return of the King, Sam rescued Frodo from the tower, returning the Ring to him, and accompanied him into Mordor. The Return of the King is the third and final volume of J R R Disguised as Orcs, they were shanghaied and nearly sent to the Battle of the Black Gate. In J R R Tolkien 's Legendarium, the Battle of the Morannon or Battle of the Black Gate is a fictional event that took place at the end of the There was little food (except lembas) or water available, and the two hobbits were forced close to starvation while making the journey across Gorgoroth. The following list of Middle-earth food and drink includes all food and drink featured in J Minor places in Middle-earth#Place Name -->;Place name description1 Further description prefix with Safe passage across the plains was partly ensured because the forces of Mordor were lured to the Black Gate by Aragorn and Gandalf the White.
As they moved deeper into Mordor, the temptation of the Ring started becoming too much for Frodo. Against his own will, Frodo felt compelled to put on the Ring, and Sam had to keep him from giving in to temptation. Will, or willpower is a philosophical concept that is defined in several different ways When Frodo had no strength left, Sam struggled to carry Frodo up Mount Doom. At the volcano's rim, Gollum attacked again. Sam had a chance to kill Gollum, but was overcome with pity and let him go. Sam's pity and the role of fate eventually fulfilled the quest moments later, as Gollum seized the Ring and plunged to his doom. Destiny refers to a predetermined course of events It may be conceived as a predetermined future whether in general or of an individual Frodo and Sam were nearly overcome when Mount Doom erupted after the destruction of the One Ring, but were rescued at the last minute by the Giant Eagles. In J R R Tolkien 's Fictional universe of Middle-earth, the eagles were immense flying Birds that were sapient and could speak
After the hobbits' return home and the Battle of Bywater, Sam travelled the length and breadth of the Shire replanting trees that had been cut down during Saruman's brief reign of terror. J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth fantasy writings include many wars and battles set in the lands of Aman, Beleriand, Númenor, and Concept and creation Saruman first appears in 1954's The Fellowship of the Ring, the first volume of the Fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings He used the gift of earth given to him by the Lady Galadriel, which caused the saplings he planted to grow at an accelerated rate. Appearances Literature Stories of Galadriel's life prior to The Lord of the Rings are collected in the Unfinished Tales. The small amount remaining he took to the Three-Farthing Stone (roughly the centre of the Shire) and cast into the air, prompting the bountiful period of growth starting in the spring of the year 1420 (Shire Reckoning). The Shire is a region of J R R Tolkien 's fictional Middle-earth, described in The Lord of the Rings and other works Middle-earth calendar refers to one of the systems of keeping time in the fictional Middle-earth devised by J The greatest wonder was a young mallorn tree sprouting in the Party Field: "the only mallorn west of the Mountains and east of the Sea" (grown from an acorn included as part of Galadriel's gift). This is a list of all fictional Plants that appear in J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth writings
After the War of the Ring, Sam married Rose "Rosie" Cotton and moved to Bag End with Frodo. In J R R Tolkien 's legendarium Hobbits are a fictional race related to Men. The Shire is a region of J R R Tolkien 's fictional Middle-earth, described in The Lord of the Rings and other works Sam and Rosie had thirteen children: Elanor the Fair, Frodo, Rose, Merry, Pippin, Goldilocks, Hamfast, Daisy, Primrose, Bilbo, Ruby, Robin, and Tolman. Elanor Gardner, also known as Elanor the Fair, is a character in J
After Sam and Rose's first child was born it was revealed that Frodo would leave Middle-earth, along with Bilbo (Sam's old hero), Gandalf and most of the remaining Elves, for the Undying Lands. In J R R Tolkien 's Legendarium, an Elf is an individual member of one of the races that inhabit the lands of Arda. Before Frodo left, he gave the estate of Bag End to Sam, as well as the Red Book of Westmarch for Sam to continue, hinting that Sam, too, might be allowed to travel into the West eventually. The Red Book of Westmarch (sometimes Red Book of the Periannath, and The Downfall of the Lord of the Rings, also known as the Thain's Book after its principal
The Appendix of The Return of the King says that in F.A. 7 (S.R. 1427), Sam was elected Mayor of the Shire for the first of seven consecutive seven-year terms. The Fourth Age and the later ages that followed it are time periods from J Middle-earth calendar refers to one of the systems of keeping time in the fictional Middle-earth devised by J
After the death of his wife in the year 62 of the Fourth Age (Shire Reckoning 1482), Sam entrusted the Red Book to Elanor and left the Shire. The Fourth Age and the later ages that followed it are time periods from J Middle-earth calendar refers to one of the systems of keeping time in the fictional Middle-earth devised by J He was not seen again in Middle-earth, but Elanor and her descendants preserved the tradition that he went to the Grey Havens and sailed into the West. As the last of the Ring-bearers, he was entitled to sail across the Sea and be reunited with Frodo in the Undying Lands.
Tolkien took the name from a colloquial word in Birmingham for cotton wool. This was in turn derived from Gamgee Tissue, a surgical dressing invented by a 19th century Birmingham surgeon named Joseph Sampson Gamgee. Gamgee Tissue is a surgical dressing invented by Dr Joseph Sampson Gamgee in Birmingham, England, in 1880 Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um Dr Joseph Sampson Gamgee, MRCS, FRSE (born 17 April, 1828, Livorno, Italy; died 18 September, 1886 Tolkien originally used it as a nickname for a man living in Lamorna Cove, England before adapting it into his stories:
"There was a curious local character, an old man who used to go about swapping gossip and weather-wisdom and such like. To amuse my children I named him Gaffer Gamgee. . . The choice of Gamgee was primarily directed by alliteration; but I did not invent it. It was caught out of childhood memory, as a comic word or name. It was in fact the name when I was small (in Birmingham) for 'cotton-wool'. (Hence the association of the Gamgees with the Cottons. ) I knew nothing of its origin. " (The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien #257, ed. The Letters of J R R Tolkien (ISBN 0-618-05699-8 is a selection of J Humphrey Carpenter)
Tolkien claimed to be genuinely surprised when, in March 1956, he received a letter from one Sam Gamgee, who had heard that his name was in The Lord of the Rings but had not read the book. Tolkien replied on March 18:
"Dear Mr. Gamgee,
It was very kind of you to write. You can imagine my astonishment when I saw your signature! I can only say, for your comfort, I hope, that the 'Sam Gamgee' of my story is a most heroic character, now widely beloved by many readers, even though his origins are rustic. So that perhaps you will not be displeased at the coincidence of the name of this imaginary character of supposedly many centuries ago being the same as yours. " (The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien, ed. Humphrey Carpenter)
He sent Gamgee a signed copy of all three volumes of the book. However, the incident sparked a nagging worry in Tolkien's mind, as he recorded in his journal:
"For some time I lived in fear of receiving a letter signed 'S. Gollum'. That would have been more difficult to deal with. " (Tolkien: A Biography, Humphrey Carpenter)
After publication of The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien traced the origin of the name back to Gamgee and eventually the earlier English surname 'de Gamaches'.
In the appendices of The Lord of the Rings, it is mentioned that the Westron form of Sam's name is Banazîr Galbasi (also spelled Galpsi). Westron, or the Common Speech, is an Artificial language developed by J Banazîr comes from elements meaning "halfwise" or "simple". Galbasi comes from the name of the village Galabas. The name Galabas uses the elements galab-, meaning "game", and bas-, corresponding somewhat to "-wich" or "-wick". Tolkien's English translation, Samwís Gamwich, could have been corrupted as Samwise Gammidgy and eventually come to Samwise Gamgee in modern English.
Tolkien called Samwise Gamgee the "chief hero" of the saga in one of his letters: he places special emphasis on Sam's "rustic love" for Rosie, [3] a union that serves to establish a family in which allusions to Elvish wonders (embodied in Sam's daughter Elanor) are combined with the best qualities of traditional Shire-life. The sagas (from Icelandic saga, plural sögur) are stories about ancient Scandinavian and Germanic history about early Viking voyages Sam and his descendants also become the keepers of the Ring-war history and uphold the memory of events that most 'ordinary' hobbits take little interest in.
The quest to destroy the Ring only succeeds because of Sam, who repeatedly saves Frodo from disaster (such as rescuing him at Cirith Ungol and carrying him up Mount Doom). Cirith Ungol (ˈkiriθ ˈuŋgɔl is a location in J R R Tolkien 's fictional universe of Middle-earth in his fantasy work The Lord of the Rings. He is one of two Ring-bearers strong enough to surrender the Ring voluntarily (the other being Bilbo Baggins), and the only one to resist the temptation of the Ring's power. Bilbo Baggins is the protagonist of The Hobbit and also makes an appearance in The Lord of the Rings, two of the most well-known of
The relationship between Frodo and Sam is, in many respects, at the heart of The Lord of the Rings. A strong bond of love and trust grows between them, portrayed most poignantly during the events of Cirith Ungol, where Sam vows to return to his (apparently) dead master, to be reunited with Frodo in death.
One branch of Tolkienologists compares Sam to the British batman of the First World War. Tolkien studies redirects here For the journal see Tolkien Studies The works of J A batman (or batwoman) is a Soldier or Airman assigned to a Commissioned officer as a personal servant World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All In the British Army, a batman was an orderly who acted as the personal servant of an officer. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. It was a role with which Tolkien (who served as an Army officer in the First World War) would have been familiar. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Sam undertakes the typical roles of a batman — he runs errands, he cooks, he transports Frodo (or at least carries him) and he occasionally carries his luggage. Tolkien confirmed this interpretation when he wrote in a private letter that:
"My Sam Gamgee is indeed a reflexion of the English soldier, of the privates and batmen I knew in the 1914 war, and recognised as so far superior to myself" (The Letters of J. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All R. R. Tolkien, ed. Humphrey Carpenter).
However, it is equally obvious that Sam's abilities and qualities by far exceed the typical required virtues of a batman, just as his bond with Frodo extends beyond 'military' duties and attachments. A batman (or batwoman) is a Soldier or Airman assigned to a Commissioned officer as a personal servant The most apparent differences are Frodo's and Sam's shared interest in Elvish traditions (distinguishing them from the majority of hobbits) and their equally shared aesthetic sensibilities for poetry and song, which paves the way for their joint authorship of the Ring-history, the 'source text' for The Lord of the Rings.
At the start of the Trilogy, Sam was dressed as a typical Hobbit: knee-breeches, waistcoat, jacket, cloak. Typical colours were brighter shades of green and yellow, at least among Shire-folk.
After their encounter with Barrow-wights, Sam awoke dressed in a burial shrift. Barrow-wights are wraith -like creatures in J R R Tolkien 's world of Middle-earth, based on the Old Norse Draugr. He had to wear heavier winter-weight clothing packed on his pony the rest of the way to Rivendell. From the wight's treasure-hoard, the Hobbits obtained Dúnedain daggers, suitable for use as short swords. In J R R Tolkien 's Legendarium, the Dúnedain (singular Dúnadan, "man of the west" were a race of Men descended from
In Lórien, he was given an elven cloak that allowed the wearer to blend into natural surroundings. This proved quite useful, considering the surreptitious nature of his mission.
At Cirith Ungol, Sam used Frodo's sword, Sting to attack Shelob. Cirith Ungol (ˈkiriθ ˈuŋgɔl is a location in J R R Tolkien 's fictional universe of Middle-earth in his fantasy work The Lord of the Rings. The following list of weapons and armour of Middle-earth includes all weaponry and Armour directly taken from J Literature Shelob was an "evil thing in Spider form" living high in the Ephel Dúath mountains that border Mordor; the “last child of He placed his own weapon next to Frodo, whom he thought dead. Thus, Sting was never seized by the Orcs of Cirith Ungol and delivered by Shagrat to the Dark Tower. Upon entering the Tower of Cirith Ungol, Sting provoked fear in the few live Orcs Sam encountered.
After the destruction of the Ring, Sam was apparently dressed in non-Shire clothing. His Father, the Gaffer, made a negative comment about Sam's new attire referencing "iron-mongery. " This could mean that Sam was wearing mail, though this is never specifically mentioned. The Gaffer wondered aloud, "where's his weskit?" (waistcoat).
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Sam in Ralph Bakshi's 1978 animated version of The Lord of the Rings. Ralph Bakshi (born October 29 1938 is an American director of animated and occasionally live-action films The year 1978 in film involved some significant events Top grossing films (U JRR Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings is a 1978 animated Fantasy film directed by Ralph Bakshi. |
Sean Astin as Sam in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. Sean Astin (born February 25, 1971) is an American Film Actor, director, and Oscar -nominated producer best The Lord of the Rings film trilogy consists of three Live action Fantasy Epic films The Fellowship of the Ring ( 2001 |
Blake Bowden as Sam (below) in a 2003 stage production of The Return of the King. The Return of the King is the third and final volume of J R R in Cincinnati, Ohio |
In Ralph Bakshi's 1978 animated version of The Lord of the Rings, Sam was voiced by Michael Scholes. Ralph Bakshi (born October 29 1938 is an American director of animated and occasionally live-action films JRR Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings is a 1978 animated Fantasy film directed by Ralph Bakshi. Billy Barty was the model for Sam, as well as Frodo and Bilbo, in the live-action recordings Bakshi used for rotoscoping. Billy Barty ( October 25, 1924 – December 23, 2000) born William John Bertanzetti, was an American Film Actor Rotoscoping is an Animation technique in which Animators trace over live-action film movement frame by frame for use in Animated films Originally Many critics have pointed out that this portrayal of the character looks and acts as if he is mentally retarded. Mental retardation is a generalized triarchic disorder characterized by subaverage cognitive functioning and deficits in two or more adaptive behaviors with onset before the age
In the 1980 animated version of The Return of the King, made for television, the character was voiced by Roddy McDowall. The Return of the King is an animated adaptation of the novel by J Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude McDowall ( September 17, 1928 – October 3, 1998) was an English -born
In the Peter Jackson movies The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), Sam was played by Sean Astin. Peter Robert Jackson, CNZM (born 31 October 1961 is a three-time Academy Award -winning New Zealand director producer and writer best known for directing The Lord of the Rings The Fellowship of the Ring is a 2001 Fantasy film directed by Peter Jackson based on the similarly titled first The Lord of the Rings The Two Towers is a 2002 Fantasy film directed by Peter Jackson based on the second volume of J This article is about the live-action movie which shares a title with a book, video game, and animated film. Sean Astin (born February 25, 1971) is an American Film Actor, director, and Oscar -nominated producer best
(See the stage article: The Lord of the Rings)
On stage, Sam was portrayed by Peter Howe in the 3-hour long Toronto, Canada stage production of The Lord of the Rings, which opened in 2006. This article is about the theatrical productions For other uses see The Lord of the Rings (disambiguation. Toronto (təˈrɒntoʊ colloquially pronounced or) is the largest city in Canada and is the provincial capital of Ontario In the United States, Sam was portrayed by Blake Bowden in the Cincinnati productions of The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002), and The Return of the King (2003) for Clear Stage Cincinnati. The Fellowship of the Ring is the first of three volumes of the epic novel The Lord of the Rings by the English author J The Two Towers is the second volume of J R R Tolkien 's High fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. The Return of the King is the third and final volume of J R R Founded in 2003 Clear Stage Cincinnati is a professional theatre company in Cincinnati Ohio, United States, dedicated to developing and showcasing fresh new theatrical In Chicago, Dale Inghram played Sam in the Lifeline Theatre production of The Two Towers in 1999. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. Lifeline Theatre was founded in Chicago Illinois, United States, in 1983 by four Northwestern University graduates The Two Towers is the second volume of J R R Tolkien 's High fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings.
In the 1981 BBC radio serial of The Lord of the Rings, Sam was played by Bill Nighy. In 1981 the UK radio station BBC Radio 4 broadcast a dramatisation of J William Francis "Bill" Nighy (ˈnaɪ born 12 December 1949) is a Golden Globe - and BAFTA -award winning English Actor It is not clear whether Sean Astin, who played Sam in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, had heard Nighy's radio performance, but both actors bring very similar characterizations and accents to the role. Sean Astin (born February 25, 1971) is an American Film Actor, director, and Oscar -nominated producer best The Lord of the Rings film trilogy consists of three Live action Fantasy Epic films The Fellowship of the Ring ( 2001 It is a possibility that both may come from Tolkien's own version from his audio readings.