The Encyclopedia of Arda - an interactive guide to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien
Dates
Born some time before the War of the Ring;1 lived at least until III 3019
Race
Culture
Family
Settlements
The inn of the Prancing Pony in Bree
Meaning
Barliman comes from 'Barley-man', meaning a brewer or innkeeper; Butterbur is the name of a plant, one of the typically botanical names used by the Men of Bree
Other names

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About this entry:

  • Updated 4 December 2014
  • Updates planned: 1

Barliman Butterbur

The keeper of the Prancing Pony

Generations of Butterburs,
Landlords of the Prancing Pony
Barliman
Butterbur

A Man of Bree, the keeper of the Prancing Pony inn where Frodo Baggins met Aragorn for the first time.


Notes

1

Barliman's dates of birth and death are not recorded, but he's often referred to in The Lord of the Rings as 'old Barliman' or 'old Butterbur'. On that basis, it's probably fair to assume he was born no later than about III 2968 (that is, he would be fifty or more years old when he first encountered Frodo Baggins - who would have been around the same age - in III 3018).

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 4 December 2014
  • Updates planned: 1

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