Master of Laketown

From the One Wiki to Rule Them All, the Lord of the Rings Encyclopedia.

The Master of Lake-Town (TA 2890 ? - TA 2941) was the original leader of Laketown when Bilbo Baggins and his companions arrived. He is described as being greedy. Contrary to popular opinion, he was not a rival or enemy of Bard the Bowman. He actually was depicted as being a close companion of Bard's, and even allowed Bard to remain in Esgaroth while the Lakemen recovered from their ordeal with Smaug.

[edit] History

The Master of Laketown ruled from 2920 of the Third Age of Sun to 2941 of the Third Age of Sun, as he would have approximately been about twenty when he began leadership. This would make him forty-years old at the time of the Battle of Five Armies and the Quest of Erebor, as these events both occurred in the year 2941 of the Third Age of Sun. The Master's rule in Lake Town was rather amicable, and therefore under his dominion the Men of the Long Lake traded peaceably with the Elves of Mirkwood, and so a steady trade was kept until year 2941, when Thorin and his friends came to wrest dominion from Smaug, who had first arrived ages before the Master's rule in year 2770.

When the dwarves arrived, the Master of Laketown greeted the dwarves when they arrived, but only to as to keep public spirits up. After the destruction of Esgaroth and the slaying of the dragon by Bard, he is given money for the rebuilding of Laketown. He is therefore described as weak, because he is easily overcome by the lust of the treasure Smaug held, and is overcome by the dragon-spell and flees into the wild with the gold, and is eventually abandoned in the waste and perishes there of desertion.

[edit] Portrayal in other Media

In the play adaptation of The Hobbit by Edward Mast, The Master of Laketown is named Maxwell, though this is not considered canon.

Known Rulers of Dale & Laketown
Lordship of Dale:	Girion
Rulers of Laketown:	Master of Laketown
Kings of Dale:	Bard I | Bain | Brand | Bard II