The Encyclopedia of Arda - an interactive guide to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien
Dates
Bilbo Baggins found the Ring in III 2941 and wore it many times during his adventures in that year; he gave it up to his heir Frodo in III 3001
Location
The Ring was discovered in the tunnels of Goblin-town beneath the Misty Mountains; Bilbo carried it eastward to the Lonely Mountain, and then back westward to Hobbiton in the Shire
Race
Culture
Family
Settlements
Bilbo's home was at Bag End in Hobbiton; he found the Ring beneath Goblin-town, and claimed the title of 'Luckwearer' in the Great Hall of Thráin beneath Erebor
Meaning
A reference to the luck Bilbo had in finding the Ring, and the luck it had brought him while wearing it1
Title of

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 29 August 2022
  • Updates planned: 1

Luckwearer

A title claimed by Bilbo Baggins

One of several names and titles given to himself by Bilbo Baggins during his encounter with the Dragon Smaug. Bilbo made these titles intentionally obscure and mysterious: 'Luckwearer' is a reference to the Magic Ring Bilbo wore, and his extraordinary good luck - as he thought - in finding it within the Goblins' dark tunnels.


Notes

1

Even before he found the Ring, Bilbo was already associated with luck (indeed, part of the reason he was chosen to accompany the Dwarves on their Quest was to be the lucky number, so that their party did not have thirteen members). He showed extraordinary luck throughout his adventures, not least in stumbling across the Ring itself while wandering dark passageways beneath the Misty Mountains. Indeed, it is strongly hinted that there was more than luck at work here, and that Bilbo's great good fortune was influenced by greater and more mysterious forces, though Bilbo simply thought of himself as 'lucky'.

Throughout the adventures that followed its finding, Bilbo's possession of the Ring helped his companions numerous times, and so he would naturally come to see himself as the 'Luckwearer'. It was only long afterward that the true power of his Magic Ring was revealed, and it was seen to be not quite so 'lucky' after all, but instead a source of deadly danger.

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 29 August 2022
  • Updates planned: 1

For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page.

Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 2005, 2022. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ.

Website services kindly sponsored by Discus from Axiom Software Ltd.
Discus' unique reporting system creates individual assessments based on specific personality results.
The Encyclopedia of Arda
The Encyclopedia of Arda
Menu
Homepage Search Latest Entries and Updates Random Entry