What was Frodos relationship with Sam exactly? I have often read things like Sam was Frodos servant and it confuses me because they seem to be really good friends???

It’s both, really. Sam and Frodo’s relationship is simultaneously that of servant/employee and master and of close friends. It’s a combination that we don’t see too often these days (unless you happen to be really good friends with your boss), but a relationship that Tolkien had some personal experience with from his WWI days.  John…

Disappearing from the Shire

In the book it’s a bit more planned (on Merry and Pippin’s part, though Frodo wasn’t really aware they meant to accompany him until the last minute), but the basis of your question stands – as far as the rest of the Shire was concerned, the four hobbits just disappeared one day and never returned.…

Sam Gamgee’s Brown Hands

There are a couple places in the book that describe Sam as having darker skin. I’ll just list them below, and then move on to commentary: “Sam sat propped against the stone, his head dropping sideways and his breathing heavy. In his lap lay Frodo’s head, drowned deep in sleep; upon his white forehead lay one of…

Sam Gardner and the Replanting of the Shire

When Saruman was in control of the Shire he ordered most of the trees to be cut down, which was a huge tragedy (especially since it would take a couple generations for them to be replaced.) But then Sam remembered Galadriel’s gift – a small box of grey dust and a single seed. Frodo encouraged…

What are the approximate individual heights for Bilbo, Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin?

Tolkien doesn’t give us specific heights for these characters, but we can narrow it down pretty well in the books: Bilbo: In The Hobbit it’s say that hobbits are “about half our height”, so Bilbo was probably about 3 feet (91cm), or a little shorter Frodo: In the Prologue to Lord of the Rings, Tolkien…

Stockholm Syndrome, The One Ring, and Addiction

This is a very interesting idea you’re bringing up here, and one I did some thinking about before writing this post. I also did a little bit of psychology research (though that’s not my area of expertise, so if anyone more knowledgable sees I made a mistake or something, please let me know.) So, here’s…

The Thirteen Children of Samwise Gamgee

Sam and Rosie (who, by the way, were known as the Gardners in the Fourth Age, rather than the Gamgees) had thirteen children. Other than Elanor, though, we mostly only know everyone’s names and years of birth. But, here you go: Elanor Fairbairn: Born 3021 TA. Elanor is the only of Sam’s children that we…

In the last pages of The Two Towers, Sam takes the ring from Frodo and puts it on. How come Sauron INC doesn’t see/sense him?

They didn’t really include this in the movies, but in the books Sam spends about 2 days wearing the Ring (after Frodo was attacked by Shelob and captured.) And to be honest, it really doesn’t make sense that every other time Frodo puts the Ring on there’s this huge risk of Sauron sensing him, but…