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The '''Red Book of Westmarch''' is a red-leather bound book written by the [[Hobbit]] [[Bilbo Baggins]] and his heir [[Frodo Baggins]], and contained both their adventures, as well as a lot of background information which the Bagginses collected. The Book was started by Bilbo Baggins, and recounted his quest for [[Erebor]], which he called ''There and Back Again''. He gave the Book to Frodo at [[Rivendell]] after completing it, and Frodo organized Bilbo's manuscript and used it to write down his own quest during the [[War of the Ring]]. Inscribed within, it reads:
 +
The '''Red Book of Westmarch''' was a red-leather bound book written by the [[Hobbit]] [[Bilbo Baggins]] and his heir [[Frodo Baggins]], (with supplemental information later added by Samwise Gamgee) which chronicled both their adventures, as well as background information which the Bagginses had collected. The Book was started [[File:Screen shot 2011-11-05 at 11.20.27 AM.png|thumb|Red Book]]by Bilbo Baggins and recounted his quest for [[Erebor]], which he called ''There and Back Again''. He gave the Book to Frodo at [[Rivendell]] after completing it, and Frodo organized Bilbo's manuscript and used it to write down his own quest during the [[War of the Ring]]. Inscribed within, it reads:
  +
  ⚫
{{cquote|<center>
  +
''&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<s>My Diary.</s> <s>My Unexpected Journey.</s> <s>There and Back Again. And<br />What Happened After.</s>''<br />
  +
''<s>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Adventures of Five Hobbits.</s> <s>The Tale of the Great Ring, compiled by</s>''<br />''<s>Bilbo Baggins from his own observations and the accounts of his friends.</s>''<br />''<s>What we did in the War of the Ring.</s>''<br /><br />
  ⚫
THE DOWNFALL<br />
  ⚫
OF THE<br />
  ⚫
LORD OF THE RINGS<br />
  ⚫
AND THE<br />
  ⚫
RETURN OF THE KING<br /><br />
  ⚫
(as seen by the [[Hobbit|Little People]]; being the memoirs of Bilbo and<br />
  ⚫
Frodo of the [[Shire]], supplemented by the accounts of their friends<br />
  +
and the learning of the Wise.)<br /><br />
  ⚫
Together with extracts from Books of Lore translated by Bilbo<br />in [[Rivendell]].
  ⚫
</center>}}
  +
  +
==Description and History==
   
⚫
<center>
  
−
<small><s>My Diary.</s><br><s>My Unexpected Journey.</s></small><br>
  
−
<s>'''There and Back Again.'''</s><br><s>'''And What Happened After.'''</s><br>
  
−
<small><s>Adventures of Five Hobbits.</s></small><br>
  
−
<s><small>The Tale of the Great Ring,</small><br>
  
−
<small>compiled by Bilbo Baggins from his own observations and the accounts of his friends.</small></s><br>
  
−
<small><s>What we did in the War of the Ring.</s></small><br><br>
  
⚫
'''THE DOWNFALL'''<br>
  
⚫
'''OF THE'''<br>
  
⚫
'''LORD OF THE RINGS'''<br>
  
⚫
'''AND THE'''<br>
  
⚫
'''RETURN OF THE KING'''<br>
  
⚫
<small>(as seen by the Little People; being the memoirs of Bilbo and Frodo of the Shire,</small><br>
  
⚫
<small>supplemented by the accounts of their friends and the learning of the Wise.)</small><br>
  
⚫
<small>Together with extracts from Books of Lore translated by Bilbo in Rivendell.</small>
  
⚫
</center>
  
 
Bilbo's translations of legends from the [[Elder Days]] were also added to it, as were various Hobbit poems and a lot of background information on the realms of [[Arnor]], [[Gondor]] and [[Rohan]], added to it by [[Peregrin Took]] and [[Meriadoc Brandybuck]].
  
Bilbo's translations of legends from the [[Elder Days]] were also added to it, as were various Hobbit poems and a lot of background information on the realms of [[Arnor]], [[Gondor]] and [[Rohan]], added to it by [[Peregrin Took]] and [[Meriadoc Brandybuck]].
   
 
After Bilbo and Frodo left for [[Valinor]], the Red Book passed into the keeping of [[Samwise Gamgee]], mayor of [[Hobbiton]]. The book was left in the possession of Sam Gamgee's eldest daughter, ''Elanor Fairbairns'', and her descendants (the ''Fairbairns of the Towers'' or ''Wardens of Westmarch''). Several copies, with various notes and later additions, were made and the original was kept in a red case (with a three-volume Elvish Translation and a fifth volume [genealogical tables and commentaries]). Copies were passed on to future generations, of which one, the "''[[Thain]]'s Book''", is the most important.
  
After Bilbo and Frodo left for [[Valinor]], the Red Book passed into the keeping of [[Samwise Gamgee]], mayor of [[Hobbiton]]. The book was left in the possession of Sam Gamgee's eldest daughter, ''Elanor Fairbairns'', and her descendants (the ''Fairbairns of the Towers'' or ''Wardens of Westmarch''). Several copies, with various notes and later additions, were made and the original was kept in a red case (with a three-volume Elvish Translation and a fifth volume [genealogical tables and commentaries]). Copies were passed on to future generations, of which one, the "''[[Thain]]'s Book''", is the most important.
   
  +
From the cover it is properly red colored; and has signature print on the top, shaped as a shine of light. It also has stitch patterns and beautiful marks around the edges. Bilbo Baggins' initials BB are in gold and it is very smooth, soft and silky to the touch. On the inside, there is a page of contents; writing each story by the four owners. There is a chance that The Adventures Of Tom Bombadil (a book of poems) was written by Samwise Gamgee. However it is unknown what Elanor Gamgee wrote.
⚫
In the first edition of ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'', Tolkien's foreword claimed he had translated the Red Book from the original [[Westron]] into [[English language|English]], and it therefore must be supposed that copies of the book survived through several Ages.
  
  +
  +
== Behind the Scenes ==
  ⚫
In the first edition of ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'', Tolkien's foreword claimed he had translated the Red Book from the original [[Westron]] into [[wikipedia:English|English]], and it therefore must be supposed that copies of the book survived through several Ages.
   
 
The contents of the Red Book were probably as follows:
  
The contents of the Red Book were probably as follows:
  +
 
*Bilbo's journey: ''[[The Hobbit]]''
  
*Bilbo's journey: ''[[The Hobbit]]''
 
*Frodo's journey: ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''
  
*Frodo's journey: ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''
Line 30: Line 34:
 
*Bilbo's translation of legends: ''[[The Silmarillion]]''
  
*Bilbo's translation of legends: ''[[The Silmarillion]]''
   
  ⚫
{{enWP|Red Book of Westmarch}}
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Much of the background information was added by [[Meriadoc Brandybuck]] and [[Peregrin Took]], from their contacts in [[Rohan]] and [[Gondor]]. Other material was provided by [[Aragorn|King Elessar]].
  
   
  +
==Translations around the World==
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The "original" version of the Red Book contained the story of Bilbo's journey as it originally stood in the first edition of ''the Hobbit'': thus, Gollum willingly gives the [[One Ring]] to Bilbo, and there is no trace of the Ring's hold over Gollum. Later copies of the Red Book contained, as an alternative, also the true account (later written in by Frodo), where Bilbo comes across the Ring by accident (the story as it stands in the current edition of ''the Hobbit'' and ''the Lord of the Rings'').
  
  +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
  +
!Foreign Language
  +
!Translated name
  +
|-
  +
|French
  +
|Livre Rouge de la Marche de l'Ouest
  +
|-
  +
|Norwegian
  +
|Vestmarks Røde bok
  +
|}
   
  ⚫
== See also ==
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In [[Peter Jackson]]'s movie trilogy, the Red Book appears at the end of ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (film)|The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King]]'', where Frodo entrusts the book to Samwise just before he leaves Middle-earth. It also seen in the extended version of ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (film)|The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]]'', where Bilbo is seen writing in it at [[Rivendell]].
  
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Tolkien's inspiration for this repository of lore was the real [[wikipedia:Red Book of Hergest|Red Book of Hergest]], the early 15th century compilation of Welsh history and poetry that contains the manuscript of the [[wikipedia:Mabinogion|Mabinogion]]. Bound (and rebound) in red leather, in the [[wikipedia:Bodleian Library|Bodleian Library]], Oxford, the manuscript was well known to Tolkien.
  
−  
⚫
==See Also==
  
 
*[[Third Age]]
  
*[[Third Age]]
 
*[[Westmarch]]
  
*[[Westmarch]]
   
  +
==External links==
⚫
{{enWP|Red Book of Westmarch}}
  
   
  +
*{{TGlink|Red Book of Westmarch}}
 
[[Category:In-universe books]]
  
[[Category:In-universe books]]

Revision as of 23:01, 5 April 2016

The Red Book of Westmarch was a red-leather bound book written by the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins and his heir Frodo Baggins, (with supplemental information later added by Samwise Gamgee) which chronicled both their adventures, as well as background information which the Bagginses had collected. The Book was started

Screen shot 2011-11-05 at 11.20

Red Book

by Bilbo Baggins and recounted his quest for Erebor, which he called There and Back Again. He gave the Book to Frodo at Rivendell after completing it, and Frodo organized Bilbo's manuscript and used it to write down his own quest during the War of the Ring. Inscribed within, it reads:

“

    My Diary. My Unexpected Journey. There and Back Again. And
What Happened After.
    Adventures of Five Hobbits. The Tale of the Great Ring, compiled by
Bilbo Baggins from his own observations and the accounts of his friends.
What we did in the War of the Ring.

THE DOWNFALL
OF THE
LORD OF THE RINGS
AND THE
RETURN OF THE KING

(as seen by the Little People; being the memoirs of Bilbo and
Frodo of the Shire, supplemented by the accounts of their friends
and the learning of the Wise.)

Together with extracts from Books of Lore translated by Bilbo
in Rivendell.

”


Description and History

Bilbo's translations of legends from the Elder Days were also added to it, as were various Hobbit poems and a lot of background information on the realms of Arnor, Gondor and Rohan, added to it by Peregrin Took and Meriadoc Brandybuck.

After Bilbo and Frodo left for Valinor, the Red Book passed into the keeping of Samwise Gamgee, mayor of Hobbiton. The book was left in the possession of Sam Gamgee's eldest daughter, Elanor Fairbairns, and her descendants (the Fairbairns of the Towers or Wardens of Westmarch). Several copies, with various notes and later additions, were made and the original was kept in a red case (with a three-volume Elvish Translation and a fifth volume [genealogical tables and commentaries]). Copies were passed on to future generations, of which one, the "Thain's Book", is the most important.

From the cover it is properly red colored; and has signature print on the top, shaped as a shine of light. It also has stitch patterns and beautiful marks around the edges. Bilbo Baggins' initials BB are in gold and it is very smooth, soft and silky to the touch. On the inside, there is a page of contents; writing each story by the four owners. There is a chance that The Adventures Of Tom Bombadil (a book of poems) was written by Samwise Gamgee. However it is unknown what Elanor Gamgee wrote.

Behind the Scenes

In the first edition of The Fellowship of the Ring, Tolkien's foreword claimed he had translated the Red Book from the original Westron into English, and it therefore must be supposed that copies of the book survived through several Ages.

The contents of the Red Book were probably as follows:

Small Wikipedia logo This page uses content from Wikipedia. The original article was at Red Book of Westmarch. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with The One Wiki to Rule Them All, the text of Wikipedia is available under the Commons Attribution-Share Alike license.


Translations around the World

Foreign Language Translated name
French Livre Rouge de la Marche de l'Ouest
Norwegian Vestmarks Røde bok

See also

External links

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