The Prancing Pony

The Prancing Pony (i.e. the Inn of the Prancing Pony) was an inn in the town of Bree where Frodo Baggins, Sam, Pippin, and Merry first met Strider.

History[]

The Prancing Pony was based inside the central hub of the town, near stables and various merchant stalls. Since Bree was built on the cross-roads of the Greenway and Great East Road, it was a fairly well-traveled inn, and was so accustomed to hobbits that designated hobbit-rooms had been built. Barliman Butterbur was the innkeeper at the time of the War of the Ring. Nob and Bob were two hobbits that worked under him: Nob was a general servant, and Bob was as a ostler, tending to the horses and ponies.

In the years leading up to the Quest of Erebor, Gandalf the Grey met up with Thorin Oakenshield at The Prancing Pony by chance. Thorin wished to slay Smaug the dragon and claim his rightful title of King under the Mountain. Gandalf spoke with him, and would aid him in finding and appointing a burglar.^[1]

Frodo Baggins stayed at this inn in TA 3018 while traveling to Rivendell with his three companions, having been told by Gandalf to meet him there. They encountered Aragorn ("Strider"), and allowed him to join their company. On the night of their stay, the hobbits feared the Black Riders who had been searching for them, so they avoided sleeping in their rooms, and stayed with Aragorn. That night, their rooms were indeed searched and ravaged by some of the Ringwraiths. The hobbits and Aragorn made off into the Lone-lands the next day.^[2][3]

Trivia[]

• In The Chronicles of Narnia: The Horse and His Boy, a fantasy novel by Tolkien's good friend C.S. Lewis, published the same year as The Fellowship of the Ring, Bree is the name of a main horse character who could talk.
• In The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Betsy Butterbur, who served Thorin a Ploughman's lunch-like menu, was portrayed by Katie Jackson.
• This location is the namesake of the Prancing Pony Podcast.

Translations[]

References[]