Today, on Nerd of the Rings, we’re mapping the complete travels of Bilbo Baggins - Middle-earth’s
most adventurous hobbit.
Bilbo was born on September 22, 2890 of the Third Age to his father Bungo Baggins and
his mother Belladonna Took, making him the grandson of The Old Took.
While he was known as a respectable young hobbit, he also had an adventurous streak.
During his childhood, he would attend the famous parties thrown by the Old Took, during
which he would be enthralled by the stories told by Gandalf the Grey - hearing about adventures
and Dragons and Goblins and princesses and the unexpected luck widow’s sons.
After his parents’ deaths - first Bungo in 2926 and Belladonna in 2934, the 44-year
old Bilbo inherits Bag End and comes to be known as a mostly respectable and admirable hobbit.
However, over the next few years, Bilbo starts leaving his house for days at a time to go
on excursions where he would meet strangers on the road, such as dwarves travelling in the area.
When Gandalf comes to the Shire on April 6.
2941, he is pondering the idea of enlisting Bilbo as the burglar for the Quest of Erebor.
He arrives only to find that Bilbo has gone off once again - this time because it was
the Elven new year, and he hoped to come across elves travelling through Eriador.
On April 25, Bilbo is back at home when receives a visitor - Gandalf, who attempts to convince
him to go on the quest.
The following day, he is interrupted by a company of dwarves and the grey wizard, creating
an Unexpected Party.
Despite his insistence on being like his respectable Baggins father, his Tookish side wins out
and Bilbo agrees to go on the great adventure.
He travels to the Green Dragon on the morning of April 27 and joins the company, who then
set out on their journey.
They travel east through the shire, to the lone-lands east of Bree.
On May 16, they pass Amon Sul and continue east to the trollshaws, arriving on May 29.
This same day, Bilbo and the dwarves realize Gandalf is missing.
That night, they encounter three trolls who capture the entire group.
Fortunately, Gandalf returns and keeps the trolls arguing until dawn, when they are turned to stone.
From the troll hoard, Bilbo receives an elven dagger he would carry on the rest of the journey.
Their path leads them through the forest and toward Rivendell.
They arrive in the House of Elrond on June 17, where they spend the next couple weeks.
On Midsummer’s Day, which comes between the end of June and beginning of July, Thorin’s
company leaves Rivendell, continuing on their trek to Erebor.
Over the next 16 days, they make their way up into the mountains, where they take shelter in a cave.
That night, they’re attacked by goblins.
Bilbo wakes and notices the ponies disappearing into the back of the cave.
His shout gives Gandalf just enough warning to evade capture.
Bilbo and the dwarves are taken to Goblin Town, where Gandalf kills the Great Goblin.
In their escape, Bilbo is separated and becomes lost in the caves.
On July 19, he discovers the One Ring and meets Gollum, with whom he plays a game of riddles.
As Gollum chases Bilbo through the tunnels, Bilbo inadvertently slips on the ring, becoming
invisible and evading his pursuer.
Bilbo follows Gollum to the eastern door of the goblin-tunnels and exits the mountain.
Shortly afterward, he reunites with Gandalf and the dwarves, but keeps the ring a secret
for the time being.
Soon after, the group hears the howl of a Warg and are pursued and trapped in the trees.
The great eagles come to their rescue, taking them to their eyrie, where they rest for the night.
On July 20th, the eagles fly them to the Carrock.
The company climbs down and travels to Beorn’s house that afternoon.
Bilbo, Gandalf, and the dwarves spend the following two nights in the home of Beorn
before continuing their journey on the afternoon of July 22.
They travel for four days, watched over by Beorn, coming to the west edge of Mirkwood on July 26.
Gandalf leaves the company there while Bilbo and the dwarves press on.
They travel through Mirkwood for over three weeks when they see the campfires of the elves
on August 21st, causing them to leave the path.
After three attempts to infiltrate the elf camp, the woods is plunged into darkness,
Thorin is captured, and the group is separated.
After falling asleep, Bilbo wakes to find a spider attempting to wrap him in webbing.
Bilbo fights the spider off, naming his sword Sting after its first kill and goes on to
save the dwarves as well.
The following day, August 23, the group is surrounded by elves and taken captive.
Bilbo once again uses the ring to disappear and evades capture.
For the next month, the dwarves would be prisoners in Thranduil’s halls.
All the while, Bilbo remains in hiding, sneaking around the woodland realm attempting to find
a way to break out his friends.
It wouldn't be until September 7th that Bilbo finally discovers where Thorin is being held.
Two weeks later on September 21st, Bilbo discovers that the main gates are not the only way out.
That afternoon, he makes his move - springing the dwarves as they make their way down the
forest river in barrels.
Just one day earlier, Gandalf and the White Council had attacked Dol Guldur - driving out Sauron.
Over the following two days, Bilbo and the dwarves make their way down the river until
September 23 when the company arrives at Lake-town.
There, they are welcomed by the Master.
As they enjoy their time in Lake-town, Sauron reappears in Mordor on September 25.
Around October 6, Thorin requests supplies for the dwarves trip to Erebor.
Three days later, Bilbo and the 13 dwarves embark on the final leg of their journey to the Lonely Mountain.
They take boats upstream for three days before reaching the northern shore.
They take their ponies the rest of the way, arriving at the mountain on October 17 to
search for the hidden door.
The follow day, they discover the door, where they spend the next four days before the last
light of the sunset on Durin’s Day (Oct 22) reveals the keyhole.
That day, and the next, Bilbo makes his two trips down into the lair of the Smaug, leading
to the dragon smashing the secret door, and attacking Lake-town where he would meet his end.
Three days later, (Oct 26) Bilbo, Thorin, and the dwarves finally learn of Smaug’s
death from the ravens.
As the dwarves fortify the front gate of Erebor, the survivors of Lake-town and the elves of
Mirkwood make their way toward the mountain.
On November 9, they make their claim to Thorin for a share in the treasure within.
Over the next 12 days, Bilbo sees the dwarves prepare for battle and Thorin succumbs to
dragon sickness, becoming obsessed with the treasure.
During this time, Thorin gives Bilbo the famous mithril shirt.
Roac the raven brings word to Thorin that Dain is bringing over 500 dwarves from the
Iron Hills and is quickly approaching.
That night, Bilbo delivers the Arkenstone to Bard and Thranduil in hopes of avoiding war.
The following day, November 22, Bard and Thranduil reveal their possession of the Arkenstone to Thorin.
A day later, as the men, elves, and dwarves are preparing to fight, the army of Orcs and
Wargs arrives and thus the Battle of Five Armies ensues.
Bilbo would miss the majority of the conflict, as he is knocked out by a falling stone while invisible.
On November 24, Bilbo awakes and is brought to Thorin on his deathbed, bidding farewell to his friend.
The next day, Thorin, the king under the mountain, is laid to rest in Erebor and Dain is made the new King.
Two days later, on November 27, Bilbo and Gandalf bid farewell to the survivors of the
company and begin their return journey.
They retrace much of their route to Erebor, travelling alongside Thranduil and Beorn before
accompanying the skinchanger to his home west of Mirkwood.
On December 27, they arrive at Beorn’s house, where they spend the Yule holiday.
They would in fact spend much of the winter there, finally leaving Beorn in early April of 2942.
Ten days later, they reach the very pass where the goblins had captured the company months earlier.
As they make their way toward Rivendell, (April 18) the Master of Lake-town falls to dragon-sickness
- dying in the wilderness with stolen gold.
On May 1, Gandalf and Bilbo reach Rivendell once again, where they spend a week.
They leave on May 8, retracing their previous path before finally arriving home in the Shire
on June 22, where he would live comfortably in Bag End.
He would be the subject of much intrigue in the Shire due to his disappearance, unexplained
wealth, and that would appear to not age over the coming years.
He would also receive odd visitors like the grey wizard and dwarves, such as in 2949 when
Balin and Gandalf come to Bag End where Bilbo learns of the prosperity of Dale and Erebor
and Balin’s pending mission to reclaim Moria.
Bilbo was also known to leave the Shire from time to time on journeys, perhaps shorter
ones like he took prior to his grand adventure.
In 2989, Bilbo would embark on another kind of adventure, as he would adopt his young
cousin Frodo Baggins, who had been orphaned 9 years earlier and was being raised by his Brandybuck relatives.
Frodo would refer to Bilbo as his uncle, and would become Bilbo’s heir.
In the coming years, Bilbo would begin writing his memoirs - what would one day become the
Red Book of Westmarch.
In 3001, Bilbo would celebrate his 111th birthday with a great party (Sept 22).
After his grand disappearance, Bilbo takes with him Sting, his mithril coat, and his
book as he leaves the Shire.
He leaves Frodo many of his remaining possessions, including his home and the ring.
A group of three dwarves, who had helped Bilbo with party preparations, accompanies him as
he leaves his home for the last time.
Bilbo travels east through Woody End, where he greets Gildor and his group of elves near Woodhall.
Bilbo comes to Rivendell once again, and as he would later tell Frodo, after a rest he
goes with the dwarves to Dale - visiting the location of his greatest adventure one last time.
Bilbo makes his final journey back to Rivendell, where he would enjoy the twilight of his years.
He would remain in Rivendell, working on his book, translating elvish stories, and writing poetry.
Seventeen years later, Bilbo would see his adopted heir once again, as Frodo brings the One Ring to Imladris.
Bilbo attends the Council of Elrond, going as far to offer to take the Ring to Mount Doom.
However, this journey would be undertaken by Frodo.
In an effort to help his nephew on his quest, Bilbo gives him Sting and the mithril coat.
With the destruction of the One Ring, Bilbo starts to show his age more and more - beginning
to look ancient, as Arwen tells Frodo.
Gandalf, Elrond, Frodo and the other hobbits would stop by Rivendell on their way back from their journeys.
While the four hobbits would return to the Shire to liberate it from Saruman’s control,
Bilbo would remain in Rivendell for the next two years.
Finally, on September 29, 3021, Bilbo arrives at the Grey Havens.
Now 131 years old, he is officially the oldest living hobbit in history, surpassing the Old Took.
With his cousin Frodo, friend Gandalf, and some of the great elves of Middle-earth, he sails into the west.
There he would live out the rest of his mortal days in peace.
Embarking on the final great adventure.
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