# How did Gandalf and Bilbo meet?



## Firawyn (Jan 30, 2005)

I was wondering, Bilbo regarded Gandalf as and olf friend even in the hobbit right? So how and where did they acctually meet, and what happened that they became so close?

Can spmeone help me with this?


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## Starflower (Jan 31, 2005)

the first time BIlbo and Gandalf meet is in the first chapter of the Hobbit when Gandalf comes to Hobbiton. Though Gandalf did know Bilbo as a very young hobbit, but Bilbo did not remember Gandalf from other than stories form his grand parents' time.


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## baragund (Jan 31, 2005)

There is some additional background in "The Quest for Erebor" in Unfinished Tales. It elaborates a little more on Starflower's point that Gandalf had his eye on Bilbo since Bilbo was a child.


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## Firawyn (Jan 31, 2005)

So your saying that Gandalf was around the Hobbits before Bilbo was even born?! Who'd he sent on adventures then?! LOL


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## Starflower (Feb 1, 2005)

Gandalf is known to have 'kept an eye' on the hobbits for centuries before Bilbo was born. We do not have any records of him sending other hobbits off on speficic adventures, but certainly there are mentions of young hobbits who 'went off to sea and never came back', especially in the Took and Brandybuck families. Maybe these young hobbits were influenced by Gandalf's tales of far off lands...

if you read in the Appendices of Lord of the RIngs, there in the Tale of Years there are several mentions of Gandalf and the Shire


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## Ingwë (Feb 1, 2005)

*Gandalf met Bilbo when he was young hobbit*. This is said in the book. Bilbo is Took and that`s why Gandalf the Grey like him.


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## FrankSinatra (Feb 6, 2005)

I think 'old friend' is too loose a term for the way they knew each other.

As others have said, it was more that Bilbo knew 'of' Gandalf rather than 'knew' him, as it were.


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## FLAMEOFTHEWEST (Feb 24, 2005)

They met in the very beginning chapters of the book. Unless I'm mistaken Bilbo invited Gandolf to tea. Gandolf then marked Bilbos door. That is when the adventure begain.


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## Aiglos (Feb 28, 2005)

IIRC, way, way before Bilbo, Hobbits had already helped defend the dying north kingdom before Arvedui, the last king, drowned in Forochel. They sent archers against Angmar but didn't do too well...!

They were known to be enemies of the enemy!


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## Eledhwen (Feb 28, 2005)

baragund said:


> There is some additional background in "The Quest for Erebor" in Unfinished Tales. It elaborates a little more on Starflower's point that Gandalf had his eye on Bilbo since Bilbo was a child.


What's more, this is a superbly written piece, and very satisfying to read for anyone who loves The Hobbit. There are tales concerning the other races in this book too.


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## Periharadan (Feb 28, 2005)

Eledhwen said:


> What's more, this is a superbly written piece, and very satisfying to read for anyone who loves The Hobbit. There are tales concerning the other races in this book too.



I agree. it's a fascinating piece, I read it in "the annotated hobbit", and Gandalf is unusually talkative in it. (It made me think of a kind of interview of a retired general, tough  I imagined the "journalists" (Pippin, Merry and Gimli) taking notes on yellow pads )


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## Eledhwen (Mar 1, 2005)

Periharadan said:


> I agree. it's a fascinating piece, I read it in "the annotated hobbit", and Gandalf is unusually talkative in it. (It made me think of a kind of interview of a retired general, tough  I imagined the "journalists" (Pippin, Merry and Gimli) taking notes on yellow pads )


I didn't know it was in there too. I have been meaning to buy the Annotated Hobbit, for the original text of Riddles in the Dark.


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## Flame of Udûn (Mar 2, 2005)

You can read it here.


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## Eledhwen (Mar 2, 2005)

Yippee! Thanks Flame.


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## Maerbenn (Mar 2, 2005)

The _Unfinished Tales_ version of ‘The Quest *of* Erebor’ was the compressed ‘C’ text, with extracted passages from the longer ‘B’ text given at the end. The entire ‘B’ typescript is given as an appendix in the Revised Edition of _The Annotated Hobbit_ and includes previously unpublished information.


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## Eledhwen (Jun 16, 2005)

So Gandalf noticed Bilbo as a child among the Tooks, and was impressed with him, though Gandalf doesn't seem to have made much of an impression on Bilbo at the time, as he did not recognise the Wizard when he called at Bag End, and when he realised who his visitor was, he remembered him more by reputation than by acquaintance.


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## Mooky87 (Jul 8, 2005)

FrankSinatra said:


> I think 'old friend' is too loose a term for the way they knew each other.
> 
> As others have said, it was more that Bilbo knew 'of' Gandalf rather than 'knew' him, as it were.


 
This is exactly how I would have put it. Brava FrankS!


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## Wonko The Sane (Jan 23, 2006)

baragund said:


> There is some additional background in "The Quest for Erebor" in Unfinished Tales. It elaborates a little more on Starflower's point that Gandalf had his eye on Bilbo since Bilbo was a child.



Why does that sound so much more sinister than it actually is?


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## Eledhwen (Feb 11, 2006)

Eledhwen said:


> So Gandalf noticed Bilbo as a child [buit] Bilbo did not recognise the Wizard when he called at Bag End, and when he realised who his visitor was, he remembered him more by reputation than by acquaintance.


Think of distant relatives you have visited only a couple of times in your childhood. You get an impression (white hair, fat, thin etc) but not enough for an adequate description. Also there's the 'road to Emmaus' factor. Bilbo was not expecting to see Gandalf again, ever (probably). So even if he remembered him quite well, he would be just half-looking at a stranger at his gate, not wanting to get involved; seeing him properly only when he announced himself.


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