Meriadoc Brandybuck

"But I have an odd feeling about these Ents: somehow I don't think they are quite as safe and, well funny as they seem. They seem slow, queer, and patient, almost sad; and yet I believe they could be roused. If that happened, I would rather be on the other side."

- Merry

Meriadoc Brandybuck, usually referred to as Merry, was a Hobbit, and one of Frodo's closest friends. He loved boats and ponies and had a great interest in the maps of Middle-earth. He was also related to Frodo several times over.

Merry was born in TA 2982. He was the only child of Saradoc Brandybuck (TA 2940-F.A. 11), Master of Buckland, and Esmeralda Took (TA 2936-?), the younger sister of Paladin Took, making him first cousins to their son Pippin, who was clearly his closest friend.

Character
Merry was considered the most perceptive and intelligent of the hobbits: for example, even before Bilbo Baggins leaves the Shire, he knew of the One Ring and its power. He guarded Bag End after Bilbo's party, protecting Frodo from the various and often unwanted guests. He also was the force behind "the Conspiracy" of Sam, Pippin, Fredegar Bolger (more commonly known as "Fatty", due to his plump form), and himself to help Frodo. Thus, even before the Quest of the Ring begins, Merry was well prepared and organised; he assembled their gear and brought ponies. His shortcut through the Old Forest did not serve them well, though they were saved by Tom Bombadil, and were not pursued by the Black Riders. At the Barrow-downs, he acquired his sword, a work of Westernesse.

At Bree, he was actually not present in the Prancing Pony when Frodo foolishly put on the ring; instead, he was outside taking a walk, and was nearly overcome by the Nazgûl who arrived. At Rivendell, he was seen studying maps and plotting their path. His approval to the Fellowship came with only a little less reluctance than Pippin's; they were the two youngest members, and Elrond had planned on sending them back home. At Amon Hen, he was captured along with Pippin by a band of Saruman's Uruk-hai, although he makes a good account for himself, and was valiantly defended by Boromir.

Escaping with Pippin into Fangorn Forest, he was met by Treebeard and the newly risen Gandalf the White. Along with Pippin, he drank significant amounts of Entwash and gains in height. Accompanying Treebeard to the Entmoot and later to Isengard, he and Pippin were set as the guardians following Saruman's fall. It was here that he first encounterd King Théoden of Rohan, and was reunited with the four of the remaining members of the Fellowship.

Separated by Pippin and Gandalf's journey to Gondor, he swore fealty to Théoden and became his esquire. Without permission from his liege, he rode to the Battle of the Pelennor Fields in the care of young Dernhelm. As the Riders of Rohan were attacked by the Nazgûl and Théoden was injured, Merry and Dernhelm faced the Witch King of Angmar alone. Here, Merry's companion was revealed to be Éowyn, White Lady of Rohan, niece to the King. Battling both fell beast and the Nazgûl alone, Éowyn was well assisted by Merry's crucial move: his sword, built for this very purpose, was one of the few weapons able to pierce the Ringwraith's form, at great expense to himself. This was enough to allow Éowyn to finish off the Witch King (or it may be that Merry's blow was the fatal one). Merry heard Théoden's last words, but was unnoticed by the honour escort of Riders and was found wandering the city by Pippin. He was saved by the healing of Aragorn and recovered fully.

For his bravery in battle, Merry was knighted by King Éomer as a Knight of the Mark. During the scouring of the Shire, he was in the forefront of the Battle of Bywater, particularly in using the Horn of Rohan presented to him by Éowyn.

Upon his return, he and Pippin were clearly seen as being the tallest of hobbits, taller even than the legendary Bullroarer Took. Merry married Estella Bolger sometime after the end of the Third Age. He became the Master of Buckland in 11 of the Fourth Age. He wrote Old Words and Names in the Shire. Although he was not recorded as having any children within the family trees, he clearly had at least one son. At the age of 102, he returned to Rohan and Gondor with Pippin, dying there around the year FA 64.

The Line of Merry

 * See also : Middle-earth and Brandybuck