Greatest hobbit deeds/actions

[Tuor in Gondolin]

How about some consideration, and eventual comparative
discussion and listing of notable hobbit brave or notable deeds?
Some witness multiple contributors and some might rate lower
then might be thought, for example, here's one
beginning selective list.

1-Bilbo leaves the Ring for Frodo
2-Sam Gives the Ring back to Frodo
3-The Bullroarer kills an orc defending The Shire
4-Merry helps slay the Witchking of Angmar
5-Bilbo goes down the tunnel to first Smaug confrontation
6-Gollum's epic efforts to regain the Ring
7-Frodo defies the nazgul at the Ford of Bruinen
8-Deagol finds the Ring in the Anduin
9-Bilbo saves the dwarves from the giant spiders
10-Bilbo gives the Arkenstone to the elves and men of Dale
11-Bilbo returns to Erebor after giving up the Arkenstone
12-Lobelia confronts Sharkey's gang with her umbrella
13-Frodo finally (with "assistance" from Boromir) decides to go to Mordor
14-Bilbo gets the dwarves out of Thranduil's Realm
15-Frodo's failed effort to destroy the Ring
16-Rosie has numerous children
17-Fatty Bolger stays behind to cover Frodo's trail
18-Pippin kills a troll

[Holbytlass]

I'm not sure if the list was meant to go in order....

17-Fatty Bolger stays behind to cover Frodo's trail
I find this situation to be very interesting. At first, Fatty feels that the Old Forest is "quite as dangerous as Black Riders". He had not encountered Black Riders with Frodo, Sam and Pippin nor has he been in the Old Forest only scared by the bogey-stories told by his nurses.

He stays behind to keep up pretense that Frodo is still there and to give Gandalf the message of where the company went to, but Fatty also stays because he had no desire to leave the Shire.

On the same night as Frodo and company meet up with Strider at the Prancing Pony, Fatty meets up with some of the Black Riders. He saw them creep in the garden and he ran more than a mile to the nearest home to (finally) raise an alarm.

I personally think that even though Fatty is fond of Frodo, had he really known how dangerous and scary Black Riders were, he would not have even stayed at the Crickhollow house to keep up pretenses or to give Gandalf the message.

[The 1,000 Reader]

I mean no offense, but having numerous children isn't really something to make you that great. In that instance, I would place Rosie at the end of the list, if not taking her off completely.

[Holbytlass]

Originally Posted by The 1,000 Reader

I mean no offense, but having numerous children isn't really something to make you that great.

It does and it doesn't . Anyone knows how much time, energy, finances one child sucks out of parents leaving them emotionally, physically, and mentally drained let alone 13, also the flipside of feelings of love, enjoyment and fulfillment.

But I actually agree with The 1,000 Reader that having 13 children alone doesn't make a person great. I have four and that doesn't make me stupendous.

I think what makes Rosie great is what isn't written. Rosie falls into the category of a great woman behind a great man. This is pure specualtion but I don't think I'm wrong when I say Rosie supported Sam 100% in his political career, Sam is the type of man if he didn't have Rosie's support or if she didn't want him to he would not have been mayor for so many terms.

Rosie should stay on the list but there is more to her than children.

[Tuor in Gondolin]

The list is theoretically in order of "merit", and
to some extent of a humorus nature. Taking
comments into account:


1-Bilbo leaves the Ring for Frodo
2-Sam Gives the Ring back to Frodo
3-The Bullroarer kills an orc defending The Shire
4-Merry helps slay the Witchking of Angmar
5-Bilbo goes down the tunnel to first Smaug confrontation
6-Gollum's epic efforts to regain the Ring
7-Frodo defies the nazgul at the Ford of Bruinen
8-Deagol finds the Ring in the Anduin
9-Rosie has numerous children and emotionally supports Samwise
10-Bilbo saves the dwarves from the giant spiders
11-Bilbo gives the Arkenstone to the elves and men of Dale
12-Bilbo returns to Erebor after giving up the Arkenstone
13-Lobelia confronts Sharkey's gang with her umbrella
14-Frodo finally (with "assistance" from Boromir) decides to go to Mordor
15-Bilbo gets the dwarves out of Thranduil's Realm
16-Frodo's failed effort to destroy the Ring
17-Fatty Bolger stays behind to cover Frodo's trail
18-Pippin kills a troll

Any additions/subtractions/alterations in such a list to make?
I'm actually unsure as to #1 and #2 shouldn't be flipflopped,
given that Bilbo barely surrendered the Ring with Gandalf's
help and Sam gave it up while figuratively in the shadow of Mount Doom.

[Anguirel]

And why on earth is Frodo's failed effort to destroy the Ring not at the very top? Saving the world is pretty pedestrian; Frodo managed to be the only Hobbit ever to break the mould and achieve a Turinesque, almost Feanorian moment of hubris and grandeur...

[Galadriel]

None of them.

The invention of 'Golf' by Bullroarer Took

[bcbdrums]

I have my own ideas about the order of importance of the great hobbit deeds... I ordered them by what I believe took the greatest courage and strength of character in each of the given circumstances. Accordingly, there are some things left off from the previous lists. I also tried to limit the list, because while there are many great hobbit deeds worth mentioning not all fall into the category of brave or notable deeds, which was the original topic.

1 - Frodo's efforts to destroy the ring. - Easily the most notable hobbit deed of all time and requiring the greatest strength of character.
2 - Bilbo surrenders the ring before leaving Bag End. - Bilbo may not have known what the ring was, but he used to wear it for weeks at a time--its hold on him was very great.
3 - Sam's efforts to help Frodo destroy the ring. - I think the Bible says it best, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends," and Sam knew well that the quest was likely to end in death.
4 - Bilbo gives the Arkenstone to the men of Dale. - To do what one believes is right when it may cost them everything, especially high-standing in the minds of others, is a quality rarely found anymore in the world.
5 - Sam rescues Frodo from Cirith Ungol. - Sam chooses love and friendship over all fear and the pull of the ring, and braves the tower.
6 - Bilbo rescues the dwarves from giant spiders. - Risking his life for dwarves who still don't think him all that worth their time, and doing part of it without invisibility.
7 - Merry helps slay the Witch-king of Angmar. - An act of great courage despite his knowledge of the great personal risk.
8 - Pippin slays a troll outside Morannon. - Just like Merry (and interchangeable I think in ranking) an act of great courage despite the risk to his own life.
9 - Bilbo confronts Smaug. - Facing a dragon alone requires a lot of courage and character, but not as much as if one didn't have a magic ring.
10 - Sam defeats Shelob. - Taking on this giant spider requires great courage, but not perhaps as much courage as others would need to complete the task--I think it's fair to argue Sam is the most courageous hobbit in history.
11 - The hobbits take back the Shire from Saruman. - A group effort so not as high on the list, and probably seeming like nothing after everything else they had been through. But still notable and courageous.
12 - Bilbo gets the dwarves out of Thranduil's realm. - Perhaps deserving of a higher place on the list, but we know by now of Bilbo's propensity to pop his ring on and disappear if danger was near to him.
13 - Bandobras Took slays Golfimbul at the Battle of Greenfields. - Orcs are quite frightening whether you are a halfling or one of the big-folk. But he was four foot five and had a horse.
14 - Frodo decides to go to Mordor alone. - At this point Frodo had some idea of what he was getting into so it was a very brave decision, but he didn't yet know the great weight the ring would become.
15 - The hobbits continue on the quest after their encounter with the barrow-wights. - A new one, and last on my list. For the four hobbits to be willing to strike out on their own without Tom Bombadil after near-death is quite notable and brave, but they still were very innocent.

Now you may ask...why didn't I include Sam giving the ring back to Frodo? Or Lobelia confronting Saruman, or Frodo defying the Nazgul, or any of the other things previously mentioned? Well...

In the case of Sam returning the ring, I believe he had already made that choice in his heart before he had even found Frodo. His heart was not with the ring but with his friend, and that wasn't going to change. Which is also why I might argue that Sam has the greater strength of character between the two of them, but that's another topic.
Other items I left off were either because they made the list too long and were about the same level of courage and character as other things (much like Merry's and Pippin's individual deeds). And then there were other deeds that were noteworthy but not falling into the categories of brave, courageous or requiring strength of character. Some in fact are mere historical facts or instances of happenstance rather than requiring any character strength on the parts of the hobbits (such as Gollum's accidentally falling into the Cracks of Doom with the ring).

That said, there is one such deed in hobbit history I wanted to bring up because I find it is often forgotten: Marcho and Blanco get permission from Argeleb II to cross the Brandywine and begin settling the Shire. It may not necessarily be courageous or even notable outside that it is the beginning of recorded hobbit history, but without them it can be safely said our dear hobbits of the Shire wouldn't even exist!

So that is my list. A humble noob, I welcome your comments!

[Pervinca Took]

I agree with you completely on number 1, but would bump 3 up to 2.

I wonder if Lobelia should appear somewhere, for standing up to Sharkey's men ... and perhaps a little for her redemption at the end.

I would say the Taming of Smeagol was a very praiseworthy deed, too - even if its motives were mixed, compassion and finding a way to control Gollum (and hence try not to jeopardise the Quest) without killing him were pretty high among them.

Good point about Marcho and Blanco.

9 - Bilbo confronts Smaug. - Facing a dragon alone requires a lot of courage and character, but not as much as if one didn't have a magic ring.

I thought of this before seeing it in the list - or rather, going on alone down the tunnel to find Smaug there. Tolkien states in the book that that is the bravest thing Bilbo ever did.

[Belegorn]

I think when the Hobbits took back Hobbiton from the invaders after Saruman lost his station was pretty brave.

[Jabbawocky Took]

How about Frodo and the Barrow Wights? Gandalf singled it out even ahead of his encounter with the nazgul on weathertop. It was the first biggest test that Frodo went through, on his own and with no guidance from anyone at that stage.

Definitely agree that despite his final failure, Frodo just getting the Ring to mount doom was a huge achievement, given that he was going through mental torture the whole way through mordor.