The Lord of the Rings: Here is the hidden meaning of Frodo Baggins’ name

Wielder of Sting’s sword and destroyer of the One Ring, Frodo Baggins is a hero, true, and knows that in difficult times he can count on his friends Sam and Gandalf. But did you know that the creator of Middle-earth and all these characters did not choose the name of his hero by chance?

JRR Tolkien was a novelist and linguistics enthusiast. Most of the characters in his works, including The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, are deliberately named.

A name that spoils?

Thus, in the original version, Frodo Baggins is called Frodo Baggins. In Old English, which Tolkien mastered perfectly, “fród” literally means “wise by experience.” This fits perfectly with the narrative trajectory of Frodo, who goes from a changed mission to cast the One Ring on Mount Doom, from a carefree hobbit to a hero troubled by life on his journey and quest.

As for Baggins, its translation into English can mean, among other things, “to eat between meals” or “to eat”: a behavior characteristic quite typical of hobbits, as presented in The Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit. Remember that they have six meals a day (and seven in the movies).

For an anecdote, during the first drafts of The Lord of the Rings, the story was supposed to be lighter and Frodo called (hence, VO): Bingo Bolger-Baggins. The idea was soon abandoned when the story became darker and more serious.

You have to admit that the answer: “The world is good Mr. Bingo and we must fight for it!” It sure sounds worse…