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'''Meriadoc Brandybuck, Master of Buckland''' (usually just called '''Merry''') is a [[Hobbit]] from [[Middle-earth]]. He was a first cousin of [[Peregrin Took]] (Pippin), and also held several different relations to [[Frodo Baggins]].

'''Meriadoc Brandybuck''', usually referred to as '''Merry''', is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, appearing as a main character in ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''. Merry was a [[Hobbit]] from the [[Shire (Middle-earth)|Shire]]. He was born in T.A. 2982 as the only child of Saradoc Brandybuck, Master of Buckland, and Esmeralda Took. This made him a first cousin of [[Peregrin Took]], and also a more removed cousin of [[Frodo Baggins]], both of which were also close friends to him.  

In the books, Merry is often described as one of the smartest Hobbits - indeed, he is a great lover of cartography and seafaring. Merry and Pippin were captured by a band of [[Orcs]] from [[Isengard]] as the [[Fellowship of the Ring|Fellowship]] rested near [[Amon Hen]]. However, the duo escaped into [[Fangorn Forest]], where they encountered an [[Ent]] named [[Treebeard]], whom they convinced to attack Isengard. They soon ran into King [[Théoden]], who led them back to the rest of the Fellowship after the [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]]. He victoriously faced the [[Witch-king of Angmar]] along with [[Éowyn]]. He returned to the Shire after the destruction of the [[One Ring (Middle-earth)]], and was buried in [[Rath Dínen]] after his death.

In the books, Merry is often described as one of the smartest of the hobbits - indeed, he is a great lover of cartography and seafaring. Merry was the one of Frodo's friends in charge of organising his secret departure for [[Rivendell]]. He later became part of the ''Fellowship of the Ring''. At [[Amon Hen]] he and Pippin were kidnapped by Saruman's Orcs. At the border of the [[Fangorn|Fangorn forest]] they managed to free themselves and escape into the wood, where they met the Ent [[Treebeard]]. They went with him on the ''Last March of the Ents'', and witnessed the destruction of [[Isengard]]. There they met Gandalf and the remaining members of the Fellowship who came with King [[Théoden]] of Rohan.

 

He was separated from Pippin when he went with Gandalf to Gondor. Merry remained with Théoden and became his esquire. Although Théoden intended to leave him behind when riding to the aid of Gondor, he was approached by the warrior [[Éowyn|Dernhelm]] who offered Merry to ride with him on his horse. At the ''Battle of the Pelennor Fields'' he saw Dernhelm, now revealed to be the King's niece Éowyn, confront the [[Witch-king of Angmar]], leader of the Nazgûl. Merry struck the Witch-king with his [[Arnor|Dúnedain]] blade forged for use against the forces of Angmar, which enabled Éowyn to make the fatal stroke and kill the Witch-king. This fit with a thousand year old foretelling, that the Witch-king would not be killed "by the hand of man": Éowyn was a woman, and Merry a Hobbit.

 

After the war he is made a ''Knight of the Mark'' by King Éomer, and given a small horn by Éowyn. He would also remain known in Rohan by the name ''Holdwine'', which he had been given by Théoden. After his return home, he played a leading role in the ''Scouring of the Shire''. He later became known as '''Meriadoc the Magnificent''', and succeded his father as Master of Buckland. Merry married Estella Bolger, sister to his friend [[Fredegar Bolger]], with whom he had at least one son. In his old age he and Pippin went back to Rohan and Gondor, were they died a short time after the year F.A. 64, upon which they were laid to rest among the Kings of Gondor in Rath Dínen.

==Films==

==Films==

In Peter Jackson's film adaptations of ''Lord of the Rings'', Merry is played by Dominic Monaghan.

In Peter Jackson's [[The Lord of the Rings film trilogy|film adaptations]] of ''Lord of the Rings'', Merry is played by English actor [[Dominic Monaghan]].

[[Category:Middle-earth]]

[[Category:Middle-earth]]