photo courtesy of One WikiaIn keeping with Pam's choice, of Arwen, I've also chosen a hero from my favorite trilogy, J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.
My choice is Samwise Gamgee, not for his bravery, his intelligence, or even his intuition, but for his friendship.
A gardener by trade, Sam, on the surface, appeared to be a Hobbit of plain speech. However, his love for Elves, gift for poetry, and his belief that the world contains greater wonders than most hobbits are aware of, set him apart.
He lives with his parents, Hamfast and Belle (Goodchild) Gamgee and five siblings at # 3 Bagshot Row, near the home of the first hobbit to fall under the spell of the "Ring," Bilbo Baggins. As a young hobbit, he was tutored by Bilbo, who taught him to read and gave him the desire to explore beyond his "comfort zone."
But it was his love of eavesdropping that set him off on the adventure of his life. Caught listening in on a discussion about the One True Ring, White Wizard, Gandalf punishes the hobbit by ordering him to accompany his best friend, Frodo, on the quest to destroy the ring.
This was probably the best decision Gandalf ever made. Without Sam traveling with The Fellowship, it's widely believed the quest would've failed.
Fighting fear of unknown creatures and unfamiliar lands, Sam always had Frodo's back, and was responsible for saving him, and keeping the ring out of enemy hands many times over.
The British Army term for personal assistant is "batman." Although this term is used to compare Sam's relationship with Frodo, I believe "true friend" is a more accurate description.
In case you're wondering, after the War of the Rings, Sam settled, once again, in the Shire, married Rose "Rosie" Cotton and had 13 children.
To read more on Sam: The Thain's Book
My choice is Samwise Gamgee, not for his bravery, his intelligence, or even his intuition, but for his friendship.
A gardener by trade, Sam, on the surface, appeared to be a Hobbit of plain speech. However, his love for Elves, gift for poetry, and his belief that the world contains greater wonders than most hobbits are aware of, set him apart.
He lives with his parents, Hamfast and Belle (Goodchild) Gamgee and five siblings at # 3 Bagshot Row, near the home of the first hobbit to fall under the spell of the "Ring," Bilbo Baggins. As a young hobbit, he was tutored by Bilbo, who taught him to read and gave him the desire to explore beyond his "comfort zone."
But it was his love of eavesdropping that set him off on the adventure of his life. Caught listening in on a discussion about the One True Ring, White Wizard, Gandalf punishes the hobbit by ordering him to accompany his best friend, Frodo, on the quest to destroy the ring.
This was probably the best decision Gandalf ever made. Without Sam traveling with The Fellowship, it's widely believed the quest would've failed.
Fighting fear of unknown creatures and unfamiliar lands, Sam always had Frodo's back, and was responsible for saving him, and keeping the ring out of enemy hands many times over.
The British Army term for personal assistant is "batman." Although this term is used to compare Sam's relationship with Frodo, I believe "true friend" is a more accurate description.
In case you're wondering, after the War of the Rings, Sam settled, once again, in the Shire, married Rose "Rosie" Cotton and had 13 children.
To read more on Sam: The Thain's Book
Mary Cunningham, author of the award-winning series, Cynthia's Attic.
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