Pippin Full Name: Peregrin Took Name Meaning: Peregrin means "Traveller in strange countries" Aliases: Pippin, Pip, Ernil-i-Pheriannath, Prince of the Halflings Birth Date: TA 2990 Date of Death: FO 65 Race: Hobbit Parents: Father, Paladin Took. Mother, Eglantine Banks Siblings: Pearl, Pervinca, & Pimpernel Spouse: Diamond of Long Cleeve Children: A son, Faramir History: Pippin was Frodo's third cousin once removed on Frodo's father's side, and his second cousin once removed on Frodo's mother's side. Pippin was very close to his first cousin, Merry, throughout his life. Pippin was a guest at Bilbo's 111th birthday party, and therefore a witness to the strange events leading up to the War of the Ring. With Merry and Sam, Pippin formed a conspiracy to find out about the Ring and to help Frodo with his burden as best they could. Pippin and Sam accompanied Frodo to Buckland, where Mr. Baggins was supposedly moving. They expected to have a quiet, uneventful journey, but they encountered a Black Rider instead. Fortunately, it was scared away by a passing company of Elves before it harmed the hobbits. After they spent the night with the Elves, the companions continued their journey, stopping at Farmer Maggot's house on the way and picking up one of Pippin's favorite foods: mushrooms. In the new house at Crickhollow, the conspiracy was unmasked, and the three conspirators insisted on going with Frodo. Frodo was, of course, shocked to learn that his friends knew almost as much about the Ring as he did. He relented to their demands to go with him, and the four companions left the next morning via the Old Forest (they didn't dare take the road because of the Ringwraiths). They fell prey to the sleep-inducing enchantments, and Pippin and Merry were ensnared by Old Man Willow. Tom Bombadil rescued them from their predicament, and after the hobbits left his house, Tom rescued them again--this time from a barrow-wight. At the village of Bree, the hobbits met Aragorn (introduced to them as Strider), who became their guide to Rivendell. Pippin was not present at the Council of Elrond that took place in the Elvish city, but he heard all about it from Gandalf and Frodo later. He was quite indignant to learn that Sam had snuck into the Council, and instead of being clapped in chains, had been appointed a member of the Fellowship. This may have caused Pippin, along with Merry, to tell Elrond that they would have to be sent home tied up in chains rather than stay behind (Elrond's original intent was to send them back to the Shire and warn the hobbits of the looming danger upon them). Pippin, known for being a foolish hobbit (even his youth was no good excuse), may have been the cause of the Balrog's awakening. While passing through the Mines of Moria, Pippin found a large well and decided to throw a stone to see how deep it was. Although Gandalf could never be sure if the stone was the cause, the unfortunate truth is that it probably was. Pippin, along with the rest of the Fellowship, was grief-stricken when Gandalf "died", although his grief somewhat abated during his stay in Lothlórien. Before Pippin left that land, Galadriel gave him a grey Elvish cloak, a green leaf brooch, and a small silver belt. Pippin and Merry were captured by Saruman's Uruk-hai at the Falls of Rauros. They both managed to escape their captors, thanks to Pippin cutting his and then Merry's bonds with the knife of a dead orc. The hobbits both escaped into Fangorn Forest, where they encountered Treebeard, leader of the Ents. Treebeard learned of Saruman's treachery, and roused the Ents into storming Isengard, Saruman's fortress. Pippin watched as the walls surrounding Orthanc crumbled under the flood that poured into the valley. That night, both hobbits stared as they saw the wizard whom they believed dead (Gandalf) ride into Isengard on his shining steed. After the filth of Saruman was somewhat washed away and the waters subsided, Pippin rejoined Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and Gandalf at Isengard, where he and Merry were acting as door-wardens. Pippin was also present during Saruman's last attempt to weasel his way out of Orthanc. Grima, stuck in the tower, aimed a palantir at Gandalf's head, and although the throw was poor and missed Gandalf, it had serious repercussions: Pippin picked up the seeing stone, handed it reluctantly to Gandalf, and, that night, stole and looked into it. Pippin saw Sauron himself, and although the hobbit remained silent, the ordeal put Pippin into a rigid trance. Gandalf woke Pippin, and the two rode to Minas Tirith on Shadowfax. At the city, Pippin offered his service to the Steward, Denethor, in payment of the debt he felt (Boromir, Denethor's son, had given his life attempting to save Pippin from the Uruk-hai). The offer was accepted, and Pippin became a Guard of the Citadel. He made friends with another guard, Beregond, and the guard's son, Bergil. Pippin stayed inside Minas Tirith during the siege, but when Denethor had the crazed idea to burn himself and his son Faramir alive, Pippin ran for help. He found Gandalf, and together they saved Faramir's life (Denethor succeeded in committing suicide). Pippin was the sole hobbit at the Last Battle before the Gates of Mordor. He slew a monstrous troll, thereby matching Merry's feat of helping slay the Witch-king. After Sauron's destruction, Pippin returned with his three hobbit friends to the Shire, and he and Merry became the main captains in the Battle of Bywater. With the official end of the War of the Ring, Pippin became the second of the four hobbits to marry, taking Diamond of Long Cleeve as his wife. Pippin and Merry continued visiting their foreign friends for the rest of their lives, and when they died in FO 65, their beds were set next to that of King Elessar beside the heroes of Gondor.   < <Back to character biographies index