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Fredegar Bolger
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Character from Tolkien's Legendarium | |
|---|---|
| Name | Fredegar Bolger |
| Other names | Fatty |
| Race | Hobbit |
| Culture | Hobbit, Shire-hobbit, Bolger family |
| Realm | Eriador |
| Book(s) | The Fellowship of the Ring The Return of the King |
Fredegar "Fatty" Bolger is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings.
He was one of the small group of Hobbits who knew that Frodo had the Ring. Fatty was a descendant of Hildibrand Took (T.A. 2849–2934), one of the many sons of the Old Took. He was the son of Odovacar Bolger and Rosamunda Took, part of the Bolger family.
When Frodo Baggins, Sam, Merry and Pippin set out to take the Ring to Rivendell, Fredegar stayed behind in Frodo's house at Crickhollow in an attempt to keep up appearances and delay news of their departure, as well as give any message to Gandalf should he turn up. He was frightened half out of his wits by the arrival of the Nazgûl but escaped unharmed (although he failed to communicate with Gandalf). Fredegar could have gone with Frodo and his companions into the Old Forest, but was terrified of the stories about it and too in love with the Shire to leave it, even for Frodo. Though Merry tried to persuade him that the Old Forest would be nothing compared to meeting the Ringwraiths, Fatty was adamant, so the other Hobbits went into the forest with only the knowledge of Merry to aid them.
Fatty was born in T.A. 2980. He had a younger sister, Estella (T.A. 2985–?), who married Meriadoc Brandybuck.
During Saruman's rule of the Shire he led a group of partisans fighting against the Ruffians around the hills of Scary, before eventually being captured. He was imprisoned and starved, meaning that after his release nobody could call him Fatty any more.
In Peter Jackson's film adaptation, the entire subplot of Frodo buying a house in Crickhollow was dropped, so Fatty was reduced to a mere cameo at Bilbo's birthday party.
In earlier drafts of The Lord of the Rings Fatty Bolger played a much larger role, but this was later abandoned. He does, however, become one of the first and last heroes of the book. He leaves the other four hobbits at the gate to the Old Forest and goes back to Crickhollow to face the wrath of the Black Riders, possibly delaying them by several days by his deception. Then he is one of the last to be rescued from prison, having defied the gangs of Saruman, in the very last chapter of the book.