Barliman Butterbur was the proprietor of the Prancing Pony, a famous inn at the crossroads of the Greenway and the Great East Road that had been in his family for generations. As innkeeper, Barliman was considered an important man. Both Tom Bombadil and Gandalf described him as "worthy," but Barliman's greatest failing was his poor memory.
On Mid-year's day in 3018, Gandalf passed through Bree and gave Barliman an urgent letter to be delivered to Frodo Baggins. Gandalf had learned that the Nine Ringwraiths were abroad in the guise of Black Riders and warned Frodo to leave the Shire at once. But Barliman had no one available to send the letter and soon forgot about it entirely. As a result, by the time Frodo left the Shire three months later the Black Riders were already on his trail.
Barliman was very apologetic and agreed to do what he could to help hide Frodo and speed him on his way. The innkeeper was honest as well, for when it was discovered the next morning that the inn had been attacked and the Hobbits' ponies set loose, he bought Bill the Pony for twelve silver pennies and gave Merry an additional eighteen pence, though that was quite a lot of money for him to lose.
Barliman was suspicious of Rangers in general and of Strider in particular. When Gandalf returned to Bree shortly after the Hobbits' departure, Barliman was terrified to tell him of the forgotten letter and of the fact that the Hobbits had gone off with Strider. Gandalf, however, was overjoyed by the news and put the innkeeper's beer under "an enchantment of surpassing excellence for seven years." [1]
When trouble reached Bree during the War of the Ring and several people were killed by ruffians, Barliman changed his opinion on Rangers. "
I don't think we've rightly understood till now what they did for us," he said.[2] Still, he was amazed to hear that Strider had become King and even more so to learn that the King had a high opinion of his beer.
On Mid-year's day in 3018, Gandalf passed through Bree and gave Barliman an urgent letter to be delivered to Frodo Baggins. Gandalf had learned that the Nine Ringwraiths were abroad in the guise of Black Riders and warned Frodo to leave the Shire at once. But Barliman had no one available to send the letter and soon forgot about it entirely. As a result, by the time Frodo left the Shire three months later the Black Riders were already on his trail.
Barliman was very apologetic and agreed to do what he could to help hide Frodo and speed him on his way. The innkeeper was honest as well, for when it was discovered the next morning that the inn had been attacked and the Hobbits' ponies set loose, he bought Bill the Pony for twelve silver pennies and gave Merry an additional eighteen pence, though that was quite a lot of money for him to lose.
Barliman was suspicious of Rangers in general and of Strider in particular. When Gandalf returned to Bree shortly after the Hobbits' departure, Barliman was terrified to tell him of the forgotten letter and of the fact that the Hobbits had gone off with Strider. Gandalf, however, was overjoyed by the news and put the innkeeper's beer under "an enchantment of surpassing excellence for seven years." [1]
When trouble reached Bree during the War of the Ring and several people were killed by ruffians, Barliman changed his opinion on Rangers. "
I don't think we've rightly understood till now what they did for us," he said.[2] Still, he was amazed to hear that Strider had become King and even more so to learn that the King had a high opinion of his beer.
Etymology
Barliman is meant to recall "barley," from which ale is made. Butterbur is the name of a plant, as were most names in Bree. But butter was also meant to imply "fat" or "thick" as a reference to the innkeeper's rotund figure.
References
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