Bag End

**Bag End** is a smial and the home of Bilbo Baggins. It was the home of Bilbo Baggins, afterwards of Frodo Baggins, and later of Samwise Gamgee and his wife Rosie Cotton.

## History

### Background

Bag End was built into the Hill by Bungo Baggins, where he went to live with his new wife, Belladonna Took. The hole was largely financed by her. The earth removed was shot over the edge of the sudden fall in the hillside onto the ground; this lane would thenceforth be known as "Bagshot Row". The hole was inherited by Bungo's son Bilbo, who employed Holman Greenhand, Hamfast Gamgee, and later Samwise Gamgee (who lived next door) to tend to its gardens.

Gandalf would often visit the home, even years after meeting the Old Took. The Baggins often welcomed the wizard with open arms, considering him one of their closest friends.

### *The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey*

In TA 2941, Gandalf the Wizard visited Bilbo Baggins, who was smoking on his front garden, and tried to convince him to join the Quest of Erebor. While he failed to convince Bilbo, who was in love with the comforts of Bag End, he did mark the Hobbit's door with his mark.

This signaled Thorin and Company - a total of thirteen Dwarves - to knock on Bilbo's door in Bag End. They raided his pantry, caused a malfunction in his toilet, trodden mud into the carpet and Belladonna's hope chest and moved the closet and Mungo Baggins' chair to host the entire company in Bilbo's dining room.

Once Thorin arrived, they sat to devise the Quest of Erebor, during which they intended to employ Bilbo as a burglar to retrieve the Arkenstone. They also toyed with the idea of slaying Smaug themselves, if necessary. Bilbo initially refused, but the emptiness of the house in the next morning (after it was diligently cleaned by the Dwarves) convinced him to join the company.

He left Bag End and all its contents at the mercy of Bilbo's family, the Sackville-Bagginses

### *The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies*

A year after his journey, Bilbo returned from his adventures, hauling a chest of gold from the Troll-hoard. However, upon walking through the streets of the Shire, he noticed people were taking his possessions.

He came to his home to find an auction that the Sackville-Bagginses had orchestrated after Bilbo was presumed deceased. He interrupted the auction, stopped Lobelia Sackville Baggins from taking his spoons. He entered Bag End to find it almost completely emptied, except for the pictures of his father and mother over the mantlepiece, and the handkerchief he left behind when he stormed out of his door.

Bilbo later bought back his possessions. In his hope chest he kept souvenirs from his adventures, including Sting his sword, a claw of Smaug, a chess-piece from Beorn's House and Orc armor, among others. He also bore The One Ring.

Bilbo adopted an orphaned nephew of his, Frodo Baggins, to live with him. Bilbo would tell him about his adventures. The One Ring began to gnaw at Bilbo's peace of mind, and he started talking about leaving for Erebor again.

In the morning of his 111th Birthday, he sat down to write a full and true version of his memoirs for Frodo in the Red Book.

### *The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring*

Bilbo hosted Gandalf in Bag End in the day of his birthday. He returned there after he used the Ring to vanish before the eyes of his guests. Gandalf intercepted him in Bag End, and confronted him. This revealed the Ring's effect on Bilbo and Gandalf was forced to terrify him and compel him to leave the Ring behind to Frodo.

At this, Bilbo left Bag End to Frodo and went west, eventually reaching Rivendell. Frodo owned Bag End for the next year, before Gandalf returned with news of the Ring's true nature, making Frodo undertake the Quest of the Ring which would see him away from Bag End for the next 13 months.

### The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

He returned for several years, but the pains of having lost the Ring and his various injuries made him leave Bag End for the Grey Havens, taking the last ship to Valinor.

## Character Affiliations

### Inhabitants

The home was initially home to Bilbo Baggins' parents, Bungo and Belladonna, the former who built the home for her. Their son, Bilbo grew up in the home. After he adopted Frodo, the young boy was raised by his adoptive uncle and guardian since his parents' deaths.

Afterwards, Samwise Gamgee and his family lived in Bag End.

### Employees

One of the most notable workers were Samwise Gamgee, his father Hamfast and their former gardener, Holman Greenhand.

Visitors

* **Ruffians:** In Frodo's absence, Bag End was invaded by Ruffians.