Meriadoc Brandybuck
| House / Order | The Fellowship; the Brandybucks of Buckland |
|---|---|
| Race / Culture | Hobbit |
| Status | Departed |
| Origin | Brandy Hall, Buckland, the Shire |
| Born | T.A. 2982 |
| Died | Fourth Age, in Gondor (by tradition, with Pippin) |
| Weapon | A barrow-blade of Westernesse (the dagger that wounded the Witch-king) |
| Fate | Helped slay the Witch-king; became Master of Buckland; in old age rode to Gondor to die |
| Portrayed by | Dominic Monaghan |
Meriadoc Brandybuck, called Merry, was a Hobbit of the Shire, cousin and close friend of Frodo Baggins, and one of the four hobbits of the Fellowship of the Ring. Of the great Brandybuck family of Buckland, he was the most practical and clear-headed of the hobbits, and rose to deeds far beyond the measure of his small folk.
His greatest moment came upon the Pelennor Fields, where with Éowyn he brought down the Witch-king of Angmar, the Lord of the Nazgûl. Sworn into the service of Théoden of Rohan, Merry became a hero of two realms — Holdwine of the Mark in Rohan and, in the Shire, the renowned Master of Buckland.
Origins
Merry was born in T.A. 2982, son of Saradoc Brandybuck, the Master of Buckland, and Esmeralda Took. As heir to Brandy Hall he came of a clannish, river-dwelling family unusual among hobbits for their boldness with boats and the Old Forest. He was older and shrewder than his cousin Pippin, with whom he was inseparable, and was among the chief organisers of the "conspiracy" of Frodo's friends who learned his secret and resolved to go with him rather than let him slip away alone.
Biography
Out of the Shire
Merry helped plan Frodo's escape from Bag End and led the hobbits through the Old Forest, where he had some knowledge of the paths. There they were nearly slain by Old Man Willow and a barrow-wight, and rescued by Tom Bombadil; from the barrow Merry took an ancient blade of Westernesse, forged long ago against the realm of Angmar — a weapon that would prove fateful. He went on with the company through Bree and Rivendell and was named one of the Fellowship of the Ring.
Captured and the Ents
After the breaking of the Fellowship, Merry and Pippin were seized by the Uruk-hai and carried across Rohan, escaping into Fangorn forest during the Riders' attack. There they met Treebeard the Ent, and it was in no small part their account of Saruman's ravaging of the forests that roused the Ents to the Entmoot and the march on Isengard that destroyed Saruman's power.
Esquire of Rohan
Separated from Pippin, Merry came to Edoras and offered his service to King Théoden, who took him gladly as his esquire and grew to love him as a son. Commanded to remain behind when the host rode to war, Merry was instead borne secretly to the battle by the disguised Éowyn ("Dernhelm"). On the Pelennor Fields, when the Witch-king struck down Théoden, Merry alone stood with Éowyn and stabbed the wraith behind the knee with his barrow-blade of Westernesse — a blow that broke the spell binding his undead sinews and let Éowyn's stroke destroy him. The deed cost Merry a withering of the arm from the Black Breath, healed by Aragorn in the Houses of Healing.
Master of Buckland
Returning home, Merry and Pippin — grown tall and lordly in their war-gear — were leaders of the Scouring of the Shire, rallying the hobbits to throw off Saruman's ruffians at the Battle of Bywater. Merry succeeded his father as Master of Buckland, became a noted scholar of the Shire's history and herblore (writing learned works including a treatise on pipe-weed), and kept ties with Rohan and Gondor. In his old age, after the death of King Elessar, Merry and Pippin rode south together to die in Gondor and were laid among its great.
Character
Merry is sensible, observant, and loyal, the planner among the hobbits and the one most apt to grasp the larger shape of events. He bears the small folk's gift for friendship and good cheer, but also a deep and growing seriousness; his love for Théoden and his service to Rohan mark his maturing from a Shire prankster into a hero and a lord. Of the four hobbits, he is the one who most consciously takes up the duties of the wider world while never ceasing to love his home.
Relationships
- Pippin — his inseparable cousin and companion in every adventure.
- Frodo Baggins — his cousin and friend, for whom he joined the Quest.
- Théoden — the King of Rohan he served and loved as a father.
- Éowyn — with whom he slew the Witch-king of Angmar.
- Treebeard — the Ent he and Pippin roused against Isengard.
- Sam — his fellow hobbit of the Fellowship.
Appearances
In Peter Jackson's film trilogy (2001–2003), Merry was portrayed by Dominic Monaghan. The films cut the Old Forest, Tom Bombadil, the barrow-blade's origin, and the Scouring of the Shire; they also have Merry and Pippin manipulate Treebeard toward Isengard rather than the Ents deciding in full Entmoot.
Quotes
You can trust us to stick to you through thick and thin — to the bitter end. And you can trust us to keep any secret of yours — closer than you keep it yourself. But you cannot trust us to let you face trouble alone, and go off without a word.
But it is not your own Shire... Your fathers planted it and tended it. I want it to go on.