A Tolkien Poll: the Ringbearers' Fate

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 10:29 am

When discussing Tolkien's mythology with a good friend, I was surprised to find that he thought that because Bilbo, Frodo, and Sam were granted the grace to cross the Sea to the Undying Lands, they would become immortal themselves and live there forever.

I have always been under the impression that they crossed the Sea for a time of healing and peace before they died.

I can make a decent argument justifying my position, but I thought I'd run this as a poll and see what the consensus was.

--James

BrassBlower · Post by **BrassBlower** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 10:35 am

FRODO LIVES!

jsluder · Post by **jsluder** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 11:10 am

Ribbit.

AaronMalcomb · Post by **AaronMalcomb** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 11:15 am

You're interpretation has merit, James, and you could probably persuade me.

I always interpreted 'sailing into the West' as going to another realm of existence, whatever that may be. The Undying Lands are Tolkien's interpretation of Avalon but without any return.

SteveK · Post by **SteveK** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 11:40 am

I can't seem to locate the books right now but I thought Sam stayed in the Shire and made babies with Rosie. Is that wrong?

Anyway, Frodo landed in New York and went to work on Wall Street.

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 11:47 am

c) there is not enough data to make an evaluation.

missy · Post by **missy** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 11:54 am

yes - Sam did not go with Frodo or Bilbo.

jsluder · Post by **jsluder** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 12:14 pm

missy wrote:yes - Sam did not go with Frodo or Bilbo.

He went later, after raising a bunch of little hobbitses and being mayor for several terms. This isn't mentioned in the main LOTR book, but it is in either the LOTR Appendices or the Silmarillion, or perhaps one of the Histories. (I can't remember exactly where at the moment.)

Innocent Bystander · Post by **Innocent Bystander** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 12:16 pm

Bilbo writes a column for the Daily Mail.

Samwise is heavily into market gardening, especially when the kids are noisy.

Frodo lives peacefully in seclusion, but now and then speculates on musical comedies.

gonzo914 · Post by **gonzo914** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 12:24 pm

They were rounded up by Blessed Lands Border Patrol, given a quick hearing in front of a BLINS (Blessed Lands Immigration and Naturalization Services) administrative judge, and put on the first bus back to the Shire.

Frodo eventually was able to sneak back in posing as a day laborer. He obtained his citizenship by trading his goblin sticker and special mithral chain mail for an arranged marriage with a half-orc who was a citizen, whom he divorced as soon as the ink was dry on his green card. He then married one of his half-sisters and had three oddly-shaped children named Dodo, Oboe and Mofo.

Bilbo died of old age, a dour and embittered shadow of his former self. He spent his last years rocking back and forth on his hairy little heels, chanting "I should have kept my big mouth shut, I should have kept my big mouth shut. I should have kept . . . ."

Sam went on to a successful career as a fantasy sidekick and was thrice president of the SSG (Screen Sidekick Guild).

Meriadoc Brandybuck, who with Eowyn slew the Witch-king of Angmar, went to work as a lawn jickey Eowyn's household after she married Faramir, who always wondered why Eowyn spent so much time out in the yard and looked so happy when she came back in.

Peregrin Took was arrested in Rohan for smuggling underaged trolls into the realms for immoral purposes. He is currently doing 10 to 200 years for troll-trafficking.

jsluder · Post by **jsluder** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 12:27 pm

Gonzo is my favorite Muppet.

Post by **Nanohedron** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 12:34 pm

gonzo914 wrote:...and special mithral chain mail...

May it be well that you misspelt this, as it is a peril to bring to light here on the boards. For there is a dark one who has come readily at its utterance, and may come yet, though he seems now to slumber. Speak not of it again.

djm · Post by **djm** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 12:43 pm

Too late, your words of Nano warning are. The dark thing is, indeed, arizzed. Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!

Mor Saur Ron

=====

They went on to live immortallish sort of lives, as what use is an undying land if people are dying in it, and what would the neighbours think if there were dead and rotting hobbit corpses lying around, what with there being no cemeteries in a land of the undying, and what would it do to real estate values? I mean, really? Geez, you guys are, like, so unreal sometimes!

djm

SteveK · Post by **SteveK** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 12:47 pm

[quote="gonzo914"]They were rounded up by Blessed Lands Border Patrol, given a quick hearing in front of a BLINS (Blessed Lands Immigration and Naturalization Services) administrative judge, and put on the first bus back to the Shire.
[quote]

C'mon. You're putting us on. You can't get back to the Shire on a bus.

Post by **Nanohedron** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 12:49 pm

djm wrote:Too late, your words of Nano warning are. The dark thing is, indeed, arizzed. Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!

Mor Saur Ron

You wish. Piker.

djm wrote:=====

They went on to live immortallish sort of lives, as what use is an undying land if people are dying in it, and what would the neighbours think if there were dead and rotting hobbit corpses lying around, what with there being no cemeteries in a land of the undying, and what would it do to real estate values? I mean, really? Geez, you guys are, like, so unreal sometimes!

djm

Personally, I think that they, not being Elvish, had to endure second-class citizenship in the Lands of the West. Would they be invited to barbecues and such? Maybe, but not without some grumbling and the rolling of elvish eyes, I warrant.

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A Tolkien Poll: the Ringbearers' Fate

What happened to Bilbo, Frodo, and Sam when they crossed the Sea to the Blessed Lands?

A Tolkien Poll: the Ringbearers' Fate