kristan64r957611-blog

[velvet4510]

Thinking about all the parents of the Fellowship during the events of the War of the Ring.

Thinking about Saradoc & Esmeralda Brandybuck and Paladin & Eglantine Took, none of whom have any idea where their sons are.

Thinking about the Gaffer, seeing a creepy hooded Man asking for the whereabouts of his son’s boss and then hearing that said son’s boss’ house has been raided and his son is nowhere to be found.

Thinking about Bilbo, knowing that his dear nephew is going into danger because of his own actions so long ago and might never return.

Thinking about Glóin, having to come home to his wife in Erebor and tell her their son is facing life-or-death danger for the first time.

Thinking about Elrond, the wise part of him knowing what must be done vs. the paternal part berating himself for sending his beloved foster son into such peril and wondering if he’ll ever be able to look his daughter in the eye again if her fiancé doesn’t come back.

Thinking about Thranduil, finding out that his only child has entered the war with the very same enemy that destroyed his father and 2/3 of his army.

Thinking about Denethor, trying to protect and defend his entire kingdom while constantly wondering why his favorite son still hasn’t come home.

Thinking about all those parents, having to spend month after month with absolutely no idea if they will ever see their sons again.

[rhosgobelbun]

getting real emotional over hamfast and bilbos' friendship reading this fic. these two are almost like brothers and then there's sam and frodo being soso close too later on down the line is fucking me up.

[ent-maiden]

"The Gaffer, he says: “Make it (Elanor's name) short, and then you won’t have to cut it short before you can use it.” (Samwise Gamgee- somewhere in Return of the King)

The Gaffer doesn't even follow his own advice. He named his youngest son Samwise and nicknamed him Sam. Didn't he learn already after 4 other kids? His own name is Ham, short for Hamfast!

[tanadrin]

The other term we need to know if we want to understand the Shire is “clientelism”, perhaps more commonly refereed to as “patron-client relationships”. This is a social-political structure that emerges organically in many different contexts, and consists of a set of mutual, hierarchical obligations between powerful “patrons” and a network of “clients” who depend on them, economically, socially, or politically. It seems likely, from what we see of the Shire, that clientelism is the main organizing force within Hobbit politics. This would be far from unusual, in this sort of system. To understand this, let’s look at a prototypical example of this; the relationship between the Baggins and the Gamgees. Both Samwise Gamgee and his father, Hamfast Gamgee, are employed by Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, but the relationship is clearly far deeper than that. Throughout Lord of the Rings, Frodo treats Sam almost a feudal retainer, not just a person in a employee relationship, but someone who owes personal fealty to him, an attitude clearly reciprocated by Sam. There’s affection, friendship, and even love between them, but in the context of a hierarchical relationship. It’s never in question who “Mister Frodo” is, though it’s clear that this loyalty comes with expectations and obligations. Sam is not a slave, not is he bound by oaths of vassalage, or contract. He is loyal because he is expected to be, and because the Baggins repay loyalty with patronage, both to him, and his family. The Gamgees are likely tenants of the Baggins, or at least dependent on them for access to agricultural capital. They likely send much of their income up to Bag End in rent, and provide services, as gardeners, batmen, valets, traveling companions, etc. They also provide support, in a social and civic sense, as we see. If Frodo had gone to the Free Fair to run for Mayor, the Gamgees and other tenants would have voted for him, and would have accompanied him in public, to demonstrate his status and prestige. But in return for this, they could expect generous gifts on holidays, loans of money on favorable terms, lax enforcement of rental arrears in time of drought and famine, and legal support in disputes. ... For bachelors Bilbo and Frodo, these were personal, individual relationships. But the norm was likely closer to webs of debts, favors, and obligations, traded back and forth between families, cemented by marriage alliances and social ties. We’re told repeatedly that gift-giving and hosting feasts are two of the primary preoccupations of Hobbits. To modern ears, this may come across as utopian, or idyllic, but these sorts of status displays were a key part of many economic and social systems. In many Pacific Northwest Native American tribes, this was known as “potlatch“, and served as both a political and economic system, in which conspicuous displays of generosity were used to denote power and prestige. The Shire clearly has a monetary economy, but gift-giving remains important. The entire first chapter of Lord of the Rings is devoted to Bilbo’s 111st birthday party, which is a huge event that attracts intense attention from across Hobbit society, and involves massive displays of largess, solidifying the Baggins’ social position, and cementing ties with neighboring families and rival clans. Or at least, it would have been, if Bilbo hadn’t had an ulterior motive.

[greenandsorrow]

Headcanons for Samwise and Rosie meeting for the first time

I giggled when I saw this. I hope you'll like what I came up with for our sweethearts! 💛

Rosie lived with her family on South Lane, in a farm near Bywater. Her family had always been close to the Gamgees.

Sam was the youngest son of Hamfast Gamgee. He was the gardener of Frodo Baggins.

Everyone knows everybody in a place like Hobbiton. Consequently, Sam and Rosie were familiar with each other's faces long before they exchanged even a simple "good morning".

But that fact didn't make their first encounter any less exciting and nerve wracking.

Sam had always been in pure admiration of Rose Cotton. Her extremely curly hair, her puffy dresses... and not to mention the cheerfulness that she emitted while dancing, during the occasional event in the Shire.

He had a huge crush on her and the teasing jokes coming from Merry and Pippin -sometimes even from Mr.Frodo- only fueled his feelings for the young lass.

Unbeknownst to Sam but simultaneously luckily for him, Rosie saw in him a hardworking gentlehobbit. She was always kinder and faster to serve him when he would visit the Green Dragon.

But even with all that in mind, they had never actually met on a personal level.

It happened on a bright spring morning.

Rosie was out to fetch some fresh fish from the market. Sam was on his way to Bilbo's hobbit hole.

Sam's palms began sweating the moment she came in his field of vision.

Rosie's cheeks took a bright pink shade when she laid her eyes on him. One of her hands immediately went to fix her hair a bit.

Sam stuttered a greeting that was thankfully returned.

Rosie knew that the young hobbit was shy, something she found truly adorable, so she decided to take the initiative to ask him about his plans for the day.

Sam took this chance to talk to her with great enthusiasm.

He didn't want to admit it, but he always got jealous when other male hobbits talked to her at her work. It would make him feel insecure about his lack of courage to be the one to court her.

Not to insinuate that this was the only reason which made Samwise be so interested in miss Cotton.

Rosie was so lively and she liked flowers... just like he did. She could be a great company, a sun ray to warm up the coldest days of winter. Maybe she was the whole sun, at least in his eyes.

Their small talk wasn't of any importance if you were to view it as an outsider. To them however, it meant the whole world.

They were able to give permission to refer to each other more casually.

Samwise became Sam and Rose became Rosie.

The gardener even mastered up the courage to tell her she dances very gracefully.

Her giggle had made his knees go wobbly.

She returned the compliment in the best way possible...

"I saw how beautiful your peonies have gotten Sam. The whole village is talking about them!"

The goodbye that inevitably followed was awkward, but still sweet. Caution, shyness and eagerness all mixed together in a colourful haze.

A smile so wide it made their cheeks hurt was stuck with them for the rest of that day.

They just had to see each other again...

💛 tips are highly appreciated || masterlist

[cantsayidont]

It struck me while revisiting the unabridged LOTR audiobook that the only part of Sam's adventures that his father would really appreciate and approve of would be the part where Frodo introduced Sam to Faramir, future steward of Gondor, as "Samwise son of Hamfast," and the Gaffer would probably be lunching off of that for the rest of his life.

[matiasthecamilion]

Hc about the Gamgee siblings

So.... Hey!

I'm just going to leave some of my headcanons and drawings that I have about the siblings

Sisters:

May (0.85cm):

° The prettiest of the sisters (according to hobbit standards)

° The most feminine.

° Her craft is to be a healer and midwife (she later taught Rosie)

° Her Pa' and Sam taught her to recognize medicinal plants and how to use them.

° She likes to sew and mend.

° The most romantic among all her siblings (after Sam)

° She hates mud but adapts well to field work.

° She, along with Daisy, are the ones who take care of their Pa' the most and are attentive to him.

° She has a strong hand but she doesn't like to fight.

° She is very good at cooking

Daisy (1.00 m):

° She has a motherly and serious nature.

° She is in charge of directing the management and tasks of the home.

° Mother complex.

° The strongest of her sisters.

° The most similar to Bell (except for her brown hair)

° Works as a laundress.

° Of all the siblings, she's the one who understands best with Hamson.

° She has a special affection for Frodo.

° She's not very good at cooking but she makes up for it.

° She is very good at accounting.

Marigold (0.90 cm):

° The most outgoing along with Hal.

° The most "bocona" (that is, she can't stop talking even when she shouldn't)

° She is a little spoiled.

° She is in charge of running errands for their home.

° She always wants to follow Sam wherever he goes.

° Has an affinity with animals.

° Work at the Cotton's Farm (mainly for jobs that don't require a lot of physical strength)

° The most open-minded of the siblings.

° Especially attached to Hamfast (although she doesn't know how to show it)

° She has no problem doing heavy work.

° She is quite insightful.

° Her hair is extremely unruly and uncontrolled.

° She is the most likely to fight or argue (Véase, ella es peleona)

Brothers:

Halfred (1.12 cm):

° The tallest of the siblings.

° The most extrovert.

° His craft is being a baker

° He is the least interested in gardening.

° He likes joking.

° When he is around his Pa' he tries to keep a serious attitude.

° He gets along specifically well with Marigold.

° His best friend is Hamson.

° From time to time he helps MG with her work on the Farm.

° He is much more observant than he seems.

° Sam and MG are his spoiled little siblings.

° He doesn't know how to express his emotions.

° He loves to dance.

Hamson (1.00m):

° Along with Daisy they have the same eyes as Bell.

° Big brother complex.

° He has the most serious character of all the siblings.

° The most similar to the Gaffer in personality.

° He and Daisy always seek comfort in each other.

° His craft is to be a carpenter.

° He is in charge of repairing the furniture in their home or in Bag end.

° He finds it difficult to express his emotions.

° (Although he may not seem like it) he is very judgmental(? with his neighbors (Or Es bien juzgoncito)

° He goes out of his way for his siblings.

° He cares too much about his dad.

° Daisy is his confidant.

° He tried for a while to be the support of his home to relieve his father (although his Gaffer obviously did not allow it)

° Sometimes he helped his dad with the gardens.

° He is the one who has spent the most time with Frodo among the siblings and that is why he worries about him (although he chooses to keep his distance)

Samwise (1.10m):

° He is the most physically similar to his dad.

° The shyest of the siblings.

° Lass are easily attracted to him.

° Before Frodo's arrival in Bag End he thought that Bilbo was the most elvish hobbit in the entire Shire.

° May taught him everything he knows about cooking.

° He adores the dirt and plants almost as much as the Gaffer.

° He is quite clumsy but when he concentrates on doing things he is passionate about or protecting his loved ones, he stops being that way.

° He composes songs and poems in his free time.

° He knows how to draw structurally correct flowers.

° Gets angry easily.

° Explosive temperament.

° He spends most of his time lost in his head.

° He tends to talk more when it comes to people he feels comfortable with.

° It is difficult for him to express his emotions in front of his dad.

° He is constantly scolded for "talking about fantastic nonsense".

[balu8]

Meriadoc the Magnificent and the Children of Samwise Hamfast 

Kaluta's Tolkien Calendar

Michael Kaluta

[elvain]

Sweet Like Summer

            The silver mallorn twinkled like a beacon in the night, bathing all of the nearby Hobbits in its glow. The Shire had come together to celebrate Hamfast Gamgee’s ninety-fifth birthday and the Party Field looked incredible. Sam’s work with the elvish soil had done wonders for the Shire as a whole. The trees grew taller, the flowers bloomed brighter, the grass smelled sweeter. All thanks to Samwise Gamgee.

            Sam approached Frodo then, as though Frodo’s thoughts had summoned him. They could have, for Frodo’s thoughts had been consumed by Sam for a long time now. Ever since he had woken up in Ithilien, it seemed that the only thing he could think about was Samwise Gamgee. Samwise the Brave.

--

read the rest on AO3. this fic is being written for the @fellowshipofthefics network's February event: Sweet/Spicy Bingo. i've chosen to go with sweet for this fic. here is chapter 1/5!

[velvet4510]

The Gaffer is an interesting character to me. His few scenes definitely show us that he is a gruff kind of guy who never shies away from making his opinion known among the gossips. Though he’s illiterate, he’s not stupid at all, and is actually very intelligent when it comes to all things gardening. But he also has very polite manners toward the gentry and is more than humble enough to “know his place” and be content with the simple working class life. He doesn’t share Sam’s passion for Elves and for learning in general. He’s perfectly fine with his lot in life and has no aspirations. It’s clear that Sam’s modesty, resourcefulness, and grounded sense are all inherited from the Gaffer.

Yet I’ve seen the Gaffer get a bit of hate amongst the fandom. Some dislike how he apparently calls Sam names like “ninnyhammer,” and some fanfics have taken this and ran with it to the point of depicting the Gaffer as a straight-up abusive father. Which…absolutely does not gel with Tolkien’s portrait of him at all.

It seems to me that the Gaffer is actually similar to Gandalf in his demeanor. When frustrated or exasperated, he calls people names, but in an affectionate way. And Sam obviously adores his dad, constantly worrying about his wellbeing back home. It’s clear they have a close and good relationship. Sam just does not seem or feel like an abused child. Maybe overly humbled, yes - the Quest does give him a much-needed boost in self-esteem - but not abused. Sam doesn’t have an abusive or unkind bone in his body; I really don’t think he would be as benign as he is, if he grew up with as cruel a role model as many seem to assume the Gaffer is.

Especially since Sam’s mom is clearly no longer around, and his older siblings seem to have all moved out, since Sam and his dad are the only ones who live in 3 Bagshot Row. So they seem similar to Bilbo and Frodo in that it’s been the 2 of them for a while, they have their own little lifestyle system that works for them, and they look after each other.

Notice in particular how the Gaffer often calls his son “my Sam,” which to me indicates he has great affection and pride for Sam. He even seems like he has that parental mindset of remembering and always seeing his son as his little boy, even when his son is all grown up.

The Gaffer also gives off the vibe of somebody who is actually much more open-minded than he claims to be. Yes, he’s a traditionalist and doesn’t like the idea of leaving home for anything. But notice how he fervently defends Bilbo and Frodo in front of the gossips. He’s not among those who disapprove of the Bagginses or call them “mad.” He’s very fond of them and will not speak ill of them. He appreciates how kind they are to him, and doesn’t see any harm in their unusual interests. And while he does drill an absolute sense of humbleness into Sam by saying things like “don’t get mixed up with your betters,” he actually doesn’t seem to mind that Bilbo taught Sam to read and write, even though Sam wasn’t “supposed” to be literate given his place in society. I feel like while he is set in his ways, he is also able to notice and acknowledge when something unusual has its benefits.

And let’s never forget that the Gaffer is also brave! He literally lies to a Nazgûl’s face to protect Frodo, claiming Frodo had already left when he hadn’t. Even if he didn’t know Frodo hadn’t left yet, it’s still clear he has no intention of selling Frodo out to this creepy guy. When push comes to shove, the Gaffer has some admirable courage inside him…another quality of his that Sam inherited.

I also feel great sympathy for him when I consider what that year must’ve been like for him. Imagine your son disappearing without a trace for 14 straight months, right after some creepy cloaked guy comes asking for your son’s boss. How terrified must that poor guy have been! It’s not much of a stretch to assume he was worried about Sam every single day, wondering if he was safe, if he’d ever see him again. How much sleep must he have lost because of his fears.

And of course, Sam names his fourth son after him. Another indicator that they had a genuinely good and loving relationship.

I really like the Gaffer and will always defend him. Let’s give him some credit. He’s a good guy. We primarily have him to thank, anyway, for raising Sam to be the amazing person he is.

[windmilltothestars]

Tell us about the Elf Wife Nonsense 😍 Also Weird Little Angsty Woodcutting Interlude sounds fun

Ooooh friend, you've activated Hopeless Romantic Windmill with this ask! BOTH of these stories deal with Non-Canon Tolkien ships of a canon character and an OC, and BOTH of these ships I felt were just thrust upon me by the forces of nature XD So to start with Elf Wife Nonsense! This is, naturally, the tale of how Frodo Baggins - a traumatized oddball of a nerdy confirmed bachelor who never had much interest in courting hobbit ladies - finds love in the Undying Lands with a lovely Telerin Elf lady!! In its final form, it's got to be an INTENSE Slow-burn Romance. Frodo first meets her while walking on the eastern shore at night, thinking about and missing his friends back in Middle-earth. And this beautiful silver-haired elf just - emerges as out of a dream, gleaming in the starlight. And it turns out that that SHE, TOO is wandering the beach at night because she misses her friend! As it happens, she was Celebrian's closest friend, confidante and comforter from when she first arrived in the Undying Lands. But now she's giving Celebrian some space to reconnect with her husband Elrond, and she's happy for her, but she also knows their friendship won't quite be the same now. Anyway, this starts a friendship, and she and Frodo hang out together and have like, family dinners alongside Bilbo and Elrond and Celebrian and sometimes Gandalf or various other 'guest' characters. And then they discover they have lots in common, start doing music together, sharing their writings (poetry and prose) together, and Elf (not yet) Wife is really good at making Frodo feel loved and understood when he manages to talk about his trauma with her; she has some knowledge of the sorrows of Middle-earth from her friendship with Celebrian. After a Very Long time of not quite understanding his feelings for her - how the love is different than the love of friends, the admiration is different than how he feels about other Elves and 'higher' beings - Frodo realizes with great terror that what he feels for her is, in fact, ROMANTIC LOVE. But how is one poor 60-year-old mortal hobbit to win the love of the loveliest, merriest Elf to ever grace the Undying Lands? And more to the point - as a mortal, does he even have the RIGHT TO ASK??

Then we have the Weird Little Angsty Woodcutting Interlude!! This is part of the Theodoc Mythos - the tales of Theodoc "Trotter" Brandybuck, son of Meriadoc, Adventurer Extraordinaire!! Theodoc has been out having adventures with his stalwart Motley Crew, but in the early days, he still carried a torch for the best friend of his childhood - the dreamy, adventure-loving Elanor Gardner, daughter of Samwise! At first, he didn't have the nerve to ask for her love, but by the time he was going to - it was too late! In the interim, she had met and gotten engaged to Fastred of Greenholm! Theodoc, ever the gentlemen, abandoned his plans to make a glorious declaration of love to her, and instead - in a fit of heartbroken Chivalry - volunteered to venture all the way out to Lothlorien to bring Elanor back some *elanor* flowers to wear on her wedding-day! This story takes place on Theodoc's return from Lothlorien, as he stops in Buckland to rest and see his family on the way to Elanor's wedding. Two of Elanor's siblings - Rose and Hamfast - are there to get out of the noisy Bag End full of wedding preparations and concentrate on work for secret gifts; Rose is weaving something for Elanor to wear (originally it was a flower crown made with the elanor flowers, but I realized that might dry up before they get to the wedding?), Hamfast (who is very different from his namesake grandfather) is writing poems to celebrate his sister's wedding. Theodoc volunteers to go out and cut some wood for them so they can keep on working through the night in the firelight - also partially because he's feeling Angsty about the upcoming wedding of the woman he loves and doesn't want to inflict his Mood on the others' merriment and excitement. Anyway, he cuts some wood rather Violently to take out his hard feelings on it, but he ends up missing with his ax and hitting his feet! Thankfully, in this case, he has WOODEN FEET since that unfortunate horse accident of his youth (because he's Trotter, y'know?) so it's not a HUGE deal, but he still can't walk. Eventually, Merry comes out and talks to him about what's going on - his heartbreak and why he didn't speak to Elanor sooner, some memories, his experience in Lothlorien, and what he's feeling and planning now - and then carries him inside, where he plays his fiddle for Rose and Hamfast, a tune of Lost Love he wrote based on the Song of Nimrodel that he heard in Lothlorien . . . don't worry, he won't play THAT at the wedding! One of my favorite lines/moments I came up with was when Theo and Merry were discussing why Theo left so suddenly before, without saying a word to Elanor then. Theo mumbles something about being "afraid" and Merry is very confused that his fearless, adventurous son would be AFRAID of something in the Shire?? But soon he realizes that what Theodoc feared was "a cage" - like Eowyn had long ago . . . Anyway, I could go on and on and ON about these, but I think I'll leave it there! Thanks so much for you ask, this was fun <3

[carlandrea]

Frodo son of Drogo is my name, and with me is Samwise son of Hamfast

I love how the hobbits have slowly shifted to giving their patronymics when introducing themselves—like it shows how they’ve adjusted to this completely different world

the way they talk here is also different, less hobbitish and closer to the grander style of the narration and the people outside of the shire

But I do feel hungry. Hmm! Can I smell it from here? What have you stewed?

'A present from Sméagol,' said Sam: 'a brace o' young coneys; though I fancy Gollum's regretting them now.

They still talk like hobbits between themselves though <3

[bluehourskyeli]

He was in a land of darkness where the days of the world seemed forgotten, and where all who entered were forgotten too. 'I wonder if they think of us at all,' he said, 'and what is happening to them all away there.' He waved his hand vaguely in the air before him; but he was in fact now facing southwards, as he came back to Shelob's tunnel, not west. Out westward in the world it was drawing to noon upon the fourteenth day of March in the Shire-reckoning, and even now Aragorn was leading the black fleet from Pelargir, and Merry was riding with the Rohirrim down the Stonewain Valley, while in Minas Tirith flames were rising and Pippin watched the madness growing in the eyes of Denethor. Yet amid all their cares and fear the thoughts of their friends turned constantly to Frodo and Sam. They were not forgotten. But they were far beyond aid, and no thought could yet bring any help to Samwise Hamfast's son; he was utterly alone.

Just. This