Why Bilbo?

[Glamdring]

This has probably been brought up before, but I have not been here long. Anyway, why did Gandalf choose Bilbo to accompany the dwarves on their quest? Did Gandalf even know Bilbo? (I think he knew one of Bilbo's relatives). but why Bilbo?

[Celebthôl]

i believe this is becoz he knew that Bilbo had toolish blood and that it wouldnt take much to convince him to come, then again it may jush have bin part of the story or it might have bin, one of those coinsidences (sp) in which it was meant to happen i.e Bilbo finding the ring was meant to happen maybe Bilbo getting chosen was meant to happen.

Celeb

[Rogue666666]

Gandalf had been studying the Hobbits for a very long time and understood that Bilbo would be the most likely Hobbit to undertake such a journey, let alone survive it. even so he had to give him " a little push out the door". :)

[Galaad]

>One of the questions I've been wondering for a long time was actually:Why a hobbit ?And why Bilbo ?
D'U think it deals with his natural innocence and that Tolkien wanted a character who was totally naive (in the good sense of the word) and innocent, or was there another reason for it ?
Because if we just read the "incipit" of The Hobbit, there are many details that tend to make me believe that if Bilbo hadn't been there, it may have been anyone else, but cud it have been another "race" ?

[Manwë Súlimo]

I feel that Gandalf picked Bilbo is because he was destined to pick Bilbo. Throughout Lord of the Rings there are many references to destiny and fate. Gandalf even said that Bilbo was "meant" to find the ring, as was Frodo. There is a higher order (Eru, Illúvatar, god) that is moving things that is beyond the characters in the books. But that does not exclude the free will of the characters. If Bilbo and Frodo did not partake in their "role" the "higher power" would have found somebody else to do it. It is destined that Sauron will fall as Sam finaly understands when he see's the star of Eärendil when he was in Mordor, knowing that the shadow is just a passing thing, and that there are places that will never be tainted by it. So as I have said, if Bilbo and Frodo did not chose to go along their appointed path then somebody else would have done it. Hope this helps.

[Galaad]

>Thanks for your information, Smeagol, I'm gonna have a look at it.

[Wolfshead]

To expand on Smeagol's comment about Unfinished Tales, here's the appropriate part of the passage. Gandalf had spoken to Thorin about the quest the Dwarf wanted to undertake. The Wizard had said he'd think about it, but couldn't see how Thorin's dreams of conquest would work.
Somehow I had been attracted by Bilbo long before, as a child, and a young hobbit: he had not quite come of age when I had last seen him. He had stayed in my mind ever since, with his eagerness and his bright eyes, and his love of tales, and his questions about the wide world outside the Shire. As soon as I entered the Shire I heard news of him. He was getting talked about, it seemed. Both his parents had died early for Shire-folk, at about eighty; and he had never married. He was already growing a bit queer, they said, and went off for days by himself. He could be seen talking to strangers, even Dwarves.

"Even Dwarves!' Suddenly in my mind these three things came together: the great Dragon with his lust, and his keen hearing and scent; the sturdy heavy-booted Dwarves with their old burning grudge; and the quick, soft-footed Hobbit, sick at heart (I guessed) for a sight of the wide world. I laughed at myself; but I went off at once to have a look at Bilbo, to see what twenty years bad done to him, and whether he was as promising as gossip seemed to make out.

[Incánus]

I agree. From what I understand the Tookish blood was quite strong in Bilbo's family (not unlike one Luke Skywalker,hehe:D) I think that that had a lot to do with Gandalf's decision.

[sandra]

hobbits,are very unambitious creatures..if gandulf choose a man,etc..he would have been taking a chance the ring would have been used for the wrong reasons..he knew that bilbo,and later frodo,would have taken the ring,and hid it and then destroyed it..all they wanted was quite lives,cakes,a good pipe etc..not conquering other lands and starting wars.the ring was should i say safe with them

[Froggum]

Um... there was no ring when Bilbo set out. Not in the story, anyway. I think you're thinking of Frodo, sandra.

[lightingstrike]

I think that there were several reasons why bilbo was chosen. But I think the main reason was that he was a Hobbit. Gandalf had been studying Hobbits for a while now and I th9ink he knew that Hobbits could travel heavy and still leave almost no footprints behind. of course his main job was to be a burglar and "burgle" the treasure, or at least some of it, from Smaug. So yeah, I think Gandalf sort of knew him in that he had been searching for a person of his hieght and stature. Oh, and Celebtho, I think you were talking about Bilbo being Tookish not Toolishl

;)

[tom bombadil]

Gandalf didn't take Bilbo to Erebor to be a burglar and steal some of the dragon's treasure. He told the dwarves that he was a prpofessional burglar so that he convinced them to take Bilbo.
Gandalf had his "feeling" that Bilbo was part of that history and he should take him, for he would help them in some way not yet known by Gandalf. He just "knew" he needed to go!

The Ainulindalë is not only the formation of Ëa, but the formation of the whole history of Arda! Everything is predestined by Ilúvatar, as in the Christian Mythology: God sees all, God knows everything that have happened and all that will come to happen.

[Turin]

It says in the Hobbit that Gandalf knew bilbo when bilbo was a kid
and bilbo loved remembered Gandalf's fireworks.I hope this helps you.:D

[morello13]

tom that makes alot of sense, gandalf was an ainur and witnessed the result of their singing, it makes sense that he would feel that it was bilbo's role
really cool
thanks

[gandalfthegreat]

More or less, Bilbo Baggins was destined to go with the dwarves. He was just the hobbit for the job...also what would have happened if another hobbit went along with the dwarve company instead of Bilbo. Would the ring still made it away from Gollum somehow? Would the ring go unnoticed...

-*Gandalf*-

[Eledhwen]

-from The Hobbit Companion, by David Day-

Bagg(ins) is a diminutive of Bag or Bagg, meaning "money-bag, pack, bundle", a pun repeated in Bilbo's father's name 'Bungo' (a pocket or purse). Bungo's purse was substantial, as he built the magnificent Bag End. Bilbo was therefore a Burgher (one who owns a house) - derivative=Bourgeois (one with humdrum, middle-class ideas).

Also, change two letters of burgher and you have Burglar (one who plunders a house). Bilbo was a Hero-Burglar.

It gets worse... In underworld jargon in Britain, bag means capture, aquire or steal. A baggage man is the outlaw who carries off the loot; and a bag man is the man who collects and distributes the loot dishonestly.

Bilbo means 'short sword or rapier', from the Portugese city once renowned for the making of delicate swords of flexible, almost unbreakable steel.

There's even more about the word 'Hobbit', and other related Middle Earth words in this absurdly fascinating book, which I won't go into here.

So, Bilbo's name, history and abode all spell out the adventure he is to take. Gandalf could choose no other - Tolkien's love of puns would not have allowed it.