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He is the unassuming hobbit at the heart of The Lord of the Rings. From humble gardener,
to trusted companion, to ringbearer, his simple courage and heart
would lead Tolkien himself to call him the story’s chief hero.
Today, on Nerd of the Rings, we cover the life and travels of Samwise Gamgee.
Sam is one of six children born to Hamfast Gamgee and Bell Goodchild, his siblings being Hamson,
Halfred, Daisy, May, and Marigold. He is born on April 6, 2980 of the Third Age.
Sam grew up learning his father’s trade of gardening. Hamfast,
better known as “Gaffer” would take Sam to help him tend the garden of Bilbo’s home of Bag End.
In addition to gardening from the Gaffer, Sam learned ropemaking from his grandfather
and his uncle, and from Bilbo Baggins, he learned his letters. Bilbo was also
responsible for passing on his love of elves, poetry, and an interest in the wider world.
Years after Bilbo’s disappearance, Sam notices the wizard Gandalf
visiting Frodo at Bag End. Among Frodo’s friends, Meriadoc Brandybuck organizes a
group of conspirators to keep an eye on Frodo with his ring and his discussions with Gandalf.
Sam, who is called the chief investigator, is tasked with eavesdropping on their conversations.
Sam overhears the discussion of the ring being The One Ring of Sauron on April 13, 3018,
and is discovered by Gandalf. Sam, who initially says he was simply curious of the conversation
and distraught by the idea of Frodo having to leave the shire, asks to be taken to see the
elves. Thus, Gandalf chooses Samwise as Frodo’s first companion on his journey to Rivendell.
On September 23, Frodo, Sam, and Pippin leave Bag End, heading toward Frodo’s new home in
Crickhollow. On their way, they have close calls with the Black Riders, and on September 24,
one of the Nazgul flees at the sound of elves. That night, Samwise gets his wish to meet the
elves as they camp with Gildor and his company. The following day, Sam awakens feeling changed,
feeling that he has a role to fulfill that lies beyond the Shire. That day they come to the home
of Farmer Maggot, who gives them transport to Buckleberry Ferry, where they meet Merry.
They travel on to Frodo’s home at Crickhollow, where Frodo reveals his plans to Merry, Pippin,
and Fatty Bolger. However, thanks in part to Sam, the plan is already known
and Merry and Pippin resolve to accompany Frodo while Fatty remains behind to keep up appearances
in the Crickhollow home. As they make their way for Bree, they opt to traverse the Old Forest.
And here we see one of the first instances of Sam’s resourcefulness.
As Merry and Pippin are taken by the roots of Old Man Willow, and he tries to drown
Frodo - Sam saves Frodo from the river and thinks to start a fire to strike back at Old Man Willow.
In the end, they are saved by Tom Bombadil. After staying for two nights in the home of
Tom and Goldberry, they make their way through the Barrow-downs, where they are captured by a
Barrow-wight. Once again, they are rescued by Tom Bombadil and make their way on to Bree.
There, they meet Strider, of whom Sam is very mistrustful.
That night, Sauron’s servants let all the hobbits' ponies loose from the stables,
leaving them to purchase a single pony from Bill Ferny. The animal, in rather rough shape,
is loved and taken care of by Sam, who names him Bill after his former owner.
They make their way to Weathertop where they are attacked by the Nazgul, and onward to Rivendell.
Sam spends much of his early time in Rivendell sitting by Frodo’s bedside
as he recovers from the Morgul-wound. In Rivendell, Sam once again eavesdrops,
this time with greater success, on the Council of Elrond,
where he insists that he will accompany Frodo on the quest to Mount Doom. Merry and Pippin would
later be appointed by Elrond at the behest of Gandalf, completing the group of nine.
The Fellowship departs Imladris on December 25, 3018 and in addition to the 9 companions,
Sam brings along Bill. The pony would travel with Sam throughout the former realm of Eregion,
the failed attempt to pass Caradhras, and the night raid by Wargs. However,
it was decided, much to Sam’s distress, that Bill should not attempt the passage of Moria.
Thus the pony is set loose, left to find his way back on safe roads.
When Frodo is attacked by the Watcher in the Water,
it is Sam who slashes at the arm holding him, causing the monster to release the ringbearer.
For the next two days, the Fellowship traverses the mines of Moria, coming to
the Chamber of Mazarbul on January 15. In the skirmish that follows, Sam kills his first orc
and in the process receives a scratch along his scalp. In their escape, Gandalf falls at
the bridge of Khazad-dum and the Fellowship is led by Aragorn to the elven realm of Lorien.
Sam tags along with Frodo when called to the Mirror of Galadriel and looking in,
he sees a vision of trees being felled in the Shire and Ted Sandyman’s mill being replaced by
a brick building. Sam briefly considers going back to help those remaining in the Shire, but after
Galadriel reminds him that it can be treacherous to allow the mirror to make his decisions for him,
Sam resolves to see it through with Frodo. As the Fellowship leaves Lorien on February 16,
Galadriel’s unique gift for Sam is a small box, with a silver G rune for Galadriel.
Inside was soil from Galadriel’s orchard and a single silver nut
from a Mallorn tree - the last east of the sea and west of the mountains.
Sam travels with the company down the river Anduin until the breaking of the Fellowship on
February 26th. Despite being unable to swim, he leaps into the water in order to go with Frodo.
They enter into the Emyn Muil, making their way toward Mordor. It is here that they
encounter and join with Gollum (Sept 29). Sam remains distrustful of the wretched creature
throughout their travels, nicknaming the two personalities Slinker and Stinker.
On March 1, they begin their passage of the Dead Marshes
and three days later, they approach the slag-mounds on the edge of the Desolation
of the Morannon. Unable to enter through the Black Gate, Gollum makes to lead them through Ithilien.
Sam, who unlike Frodo still had the return journey in mind, is concerned about their dwindling food
supply. And on March 7, he decides to risk a small fire with which to stew rabbit. He
accidentally allows it to smoke, which draws the attention of a group of Ithilien rangers.
Frodo and Sam witness a skirmish between the rangers and a group of Haradrim making their
way to Mordor, during which he sees an oliphaunt. It is here that, at the sight of a dead Haradrim
soldier, Sam wonders if the fallen warrior was truly evil at heart - a topic covered in
greater detail in my Haradrim video. Faramir and his rangers take the hobbits to Henneth Annun,
the window on the West, where Sam accidentally reveals the secret of their quest. However,
Faramir, unlike in the films, lets the hobbits go, rejecting any allure of the ring. Sam compliments
the captain of Gondor, saying his quality is the very highest and that he reminded him of Gandalf.
Gollum leads Frodo and Sam into Mordor via the Morgul Vale, taking the Stairs of Cirith
Ungol. It is there that Gollum’s treachery is revealed, for he had betrayed them to Shelob.
Frodo is bitten by the monstrous spider, but before she could make off with her prey,
Sam comes to his master’s rescue, piercing her flesh with Sting and driving her away.
Believing Frodo to be dead, Sam takes the Ring, resolving to finish the quest alone. Orcs from the
nearby Tower of Cirith Ungol discover Frodo’s body and their conversation reveals to Sam
that his master isn’t dead. Sam makes his way into the tower,
where orcs of Minas Morgul fought with those of Cirith Ungol over Frodo’s Mithril shirt.
Unable to locate Frodo and feeling defeated, Sam bows his head and to his own surprise
begins singing one of my personal favorite songs from Tolkien’s world:
In western lands beneath the Sun the flowers may rise in Spring,
the trees may bud, the waters run, the merry finches sing.
Or there maybe 'tis cloudless night and swaying beeches bear
the Elven-stars as jewels white amid their branching hair.
Though here at journey's end I lie in darkness buried deep,
beyond all towers strong and high, beyond all mountains steep,
above all shadows rides the Sun and Stars for ever dwell:
I will not say the Day is done, nor bid the Stars farewell.
After his rescue of Frodo, Sam returns the ring and accompanies him to Mount Doom.
In one of his most heroic moments, realizing his master can go on no longer, Sam carries Frodo part
of the way up the volcanic mountain. When they are attacked by Gollum, Sam, who had never trusted the
wretched creature, spares his life, for he now had experienced what it was like to be a ringbearer.
This would prove to be a pivotal moment, as it is Gollum’s taking the ring from Frodo
which leads to him slipping at the Cracks of Doom and the destruction of the One Ring.
Frodo and Sam are rescued by the great eagles and taken to the field of Cormallen, where on April 8,
they are honored by Aragorn as they celebrate their victory over Sauron.
They return to Gondor where they witness the coronation of King Aragorn Elessar,
and his wedding to Arwen Undomiel. After stops in Rohan,
Isengard, and Rivendell, they return to Bree, meeting Barliman Butterbur once again where it is
discovered that Bill the pony had returned to the Prancing Pony and is reunited with Sam once more.
Sam would take part in the liberation of the Shire from Saruman’s ruffians in the Battle of Bywater,
realizing that what he had seen in Galadriel’s mirror had indeed come to pass.
However, unlike Saruman had predicted, the Shire would not remain destroyed for their lifetimes.
Sam places a grain of Galadriel’s soil at the root of each sapling he planted
where beautiful and beloved trees once stood. The Party Tree, where Bilbo had
given his farewell speech all those years before, had been cut down in the scouring.
In its place, Sam plants the small silver nut and a great Mallorn tree grows in its place.
On May 1, 3020, Sam marries Rosie Cotton and they would go on to have thirteen children:
Elanor, Frodo, Rose, Merry, Pippin, Goldilocks, Hamfast, Daisy, Primrose, Bilbo,
Ruby, Robin, and Tolman. In honor of his restoration of the Shire using the Lorien soil,
the family of Samwise is given the name Gardner.
When Frodo sails into the west on the White Ship with the other ringbearers,
Sam inherits Bag End and is given the Red Book of Westmarch, in which the adventures featured
in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings were recorded. Six years later, Sam is elected Mayor
of the shire for the first time. He would go on to serve seven consecutive seven year terms.
King Elessar visits the northern kingdom in the 15th year of the Fourth Age,
meeting Sam, Merry and Pippin at the Brandywine Bridge. There, Aragorn gives Sam a badge of
honor called the Star of the Dunedain and makes his position of Mayor an official Counselor of
the North-Kingdom. His daughter Elanor is also made a maid of honor to Queen Arwen.
Six years later, Sam, Rosie and Elanor travel to Gondor where they spend a year as guests of
Aragorn and Arwen. They would return to the Shire and live out the rest of Rosie’s life together.
When Rosie dies in 61 FoA, Sam leaves Bag End on September 22 - Bilbo and Frodo’s birthday
and makes his way to the Tower Hills. There, he gives Elanor the Red Book and goes on to the Grey
Havens. From there, he would sail across the sea, the last of the bearers of the one ring
to make the great journey, where he would live out his remaining days with his friend Frodo Baggins.
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