As a devoted fan of Middle-earth and all its tales, I must say that poor Fredegar Bolger, or Fatty as we know him, has had quite the tumultuous journey. From the peaceful Shire to the brink of danger and back again, his life has been nothing if not eventful.
Adapting any portion of J.R.R. Tolkien’s world is an intimidating task. The fantasy realm is brimming with characters, events, and places, and inevitably, key elements are left on the cutting room floor. The Scouring of the Shire at the end of “The Return of the King” is famously missing from Peter Jackson’s trilogy, for example, but “The Rings of Power” Season 2 finally brought Tom Bombadil to life after everyone else left him out (even if Jackson did hint at Bombadil’s existence in “The Two Towers.”)
In a natural and easy to read manner: The Amazon show “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” has been bold in adapting lesser-known aspects from J.R.R. Tolkien’s well-known trilogy. A notable example can be found in Episode 2 of Season 2, where the character Nori (Markella Kavenagh) proposes the name “Fredegar” for The Stranger (Daniel Weyman). This name is significant because it references a seldom-mentioned Hobbit from “The Lord of the Rings” story – specifically, Fredegar “Fatty” Bolger, who was one of Frodo Baggins’ companions.
In the epic journey Frodo Baggins undertakes across Middle-earth, his companions include Samwise Gamgee, Meriadoc “Merry” Brandybuck, and Peregrin “Pippin” Took. However, Fatty Bolger is also deeply involved in the quest’s details, contributing significantly albeit in a minor capacity. This role is more profoundly depicted in the books.
In Jackson’s films, Fatty Bolger, portrayed by Fran Walsh’s uncle Tom, has limited screen time and appears only in a cut scene at Bilbo Baggins’ party. The audio commentary sheds light on this as his character was significantly reduced from the original manuscripts of “The Lord of the Rings” by J.R.R. Tolkien himself. Since Fredegar’s role was larger initially, it makes sense that he has minimal screen presence. Moreover, parts of Fatty Bolger’s story are easily excised from the main narrative, such as the Scouring of the Shire, which Jackson decided to omit at the end of “The Return of the King.” Despite his limited role in the movies, Fredegar “Fatty” Bolger remains an entertaining character from the source books. So, let’s delve deeper into his story, shall we?
Who is Fredegar Fatty Bolger?
In a more casual and straightforward manner, we could say: Fredegar Bolger’s father is named Odovacar Bolger, which explains his surname. On the other hand, his mother is Rosamunda Took. This Took lineage links Fredegar to Pippin, Merry, and Frodo, who are all distant cousins within their family tree. Although it’s intriguing to trace their blood connection, it’s not what makes Fredegar significant in the original tale. Instead, his importance lies elsewhere.
In the books, Fatty Bolger belongs to the initial quartet of “plotters,” who are Frodo’s four Hobbit companions that take it upon themselves to discover that he possesses the One Ring and set the stage for aiding him on his mission (all without Frodo initially realizing this). Contrary to what the Jackson movies might suggest, Merry and Pippin did not just happen upon Frodo, Sam, and join in the adventure of saving the world from the Nazgûl. Instead, Tolkien writes that they were well informed about the situation beforehand and even made detailed plans for how they could assist Frodo in his quest. Therefore, Fatty Bolger is part of this group working behind the scenes to help Frodo.
While Fatty Bolger does want to help his friend, though, he doesn’t actually go on the journey. “The Fellowship of the Ring” book explains, “Fond as he was of Frodo, Fatty Bolger had no desire to leave the Shire, nor to see what lay outside it.” It goes on to add, “His task, according to the original plans of the conspirators, was to stay behind and deal with inquisitive folk, and to keep up as long as possible the pretence that Mr. Baggins was still living at Crickhollow.” In the books, Crickhollow is a house that Frodo buys after selling Bag End to make it look like he’s moving across the Shire (when, really, he’s heading out on his quest). The books also say that Fatty brings along some of Frodo’s clothes to pretend to play the part of Mr. Baggins in his new home and maintain the lie that Frodo is quietly living in the Shire. Then we get the foreboding line, “They little thought how dangerous that part might prove.”
What happened to Fredegar during the War of the Ring?
In “The Lord of the Rings,” Fredegar Bolger’s significant contributions to the story occur earlier rather than later – this happens when Frodo and his companions are in Bree. Whilst the other four Hobbits socialize with Aragorn and spend a night at The Prancing Pony, Fatty encounters trouble: Three Black Riders appear at Crickhollow seeking Mr. Baggins. As these sinister figures question the Shire, the clever but terrified Hobbit escapes through the back door and alerts others. This unexpected encounter causes the Nazgûl to storm into the house. Though Fatty manages to survive, this event ultimately reveals Frodo’s absence to the ringwraiths. Consequently, they abandon the Shire and pursue a course towards Bree, Weathertop, and eventually Rivendell, following Frodo’s trail.
Following this, one might assume Fredegar could hide and wait for the far-off terrors of war to pass, but alas, that was not the case in “The Return of the King” book by Tolkien. Saruman’s thugs invaded the peaceful Shire, transforming it into a nightmare factory. They enslaved the Hobbits, but only after the War of the Ring and the return of Frodo and his companions did the Halflings rise up, defeat their oppressors (a part omitted in Jackson’s films). However, before the Hobbit heroes returned, there were sporadic acts of resistance, one of which was led by none other than Fatty Bolger.
In simpler terms, the book describes that following the battle for the Shire, they discovered Fredegar in a place called “the Lockholes,” which served as a form of imprisonment for Hobbits who became too rebellious. It is noted that one of the first found was Fredegar Bolger, no longer known as Fatty. He was captured when his rebel group was discovered by the ruffians near Scary’s hills, hiding in Brockenbores. By this point, Fredegars health had deteriorated so much that he could barely walk, and Pippin remarked insensitively, “You should have joined us earlier, poor old Fredegar.
In summary, Fredegar’s tale doesn’t provide a fully conclusive ending, but things take a turn for the better from hereon. Interestingly, his sister, Estella, ends up wedded to Merry! It’s reasonable to assume that Fredegar lived blissfully ever after, along with the other Shire residents, as they reveled in the tranquility that ensued post the War of the Ring. If you recall, without Fatty’s role in plotting the conspiracy and misdirecting the Black Riders, the entire “Lord of the Rings” narrative might have unfolded quite differently. Fingers crossed that Frodo’s cousin and hobbit ally will find their way into a future film or streaming adaptation soon. This cunning half-elf hero truly deserves to be included in the story.
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2024-09-15 17:00