In J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic fantasy world of Middle-earth, at the end of the War of the Ring many of the main characters chose to sail West across the sea to the Undying Lands. This included Frodo, Bilbo, Gandalf, Galadriel, and Elrond. However, two of the hobbits in the Fellowship of the Ring, Merry Brandybuck and Pippin Took, remained in Middle-earth and did not accompany their friends on this final journey.
Quick Summary
Merry and Pippin did not go to the Undying Lands because they were still young hobbits who wanted to live out their lives in their homeland, the Shire. As loyal hobbits, they felt deeply connected to the Shire and wished to help rebuild it after the damage caused by Saruman and his ruffians. Additionally, neither Merry nor Pippin had endured the level of physical and psychological trauma during the War of the Ring that Frodo and Bilbo had. Frodo and Bilbo needed healing that could only be found in the Blessed Realm, but Merry and Pippin were able to recover and thrive back in the Shire.
Different Roles in the War
While Merry and Pippin played important roles in the War of the Ring, their experiences were not as intensely damaging as what Frodo and Bilbo went through. Frodo took on the immense physical and psychological burden of bearing the One Ring all the way to Mount Doom. This took an enormous toll on his body and mind, leaving Frodo unable to find peace in the Shire afterwards. Bilbo had possession of the Ring for decades, which strained his mind and made him feel “thin and stretched” (as Gandalf put it).
In contrast, Merry and Pippin were not Ring-bearers. They bravely fought against the forces of Mordor, but they did not have the prolonged exposure to the evil of the One Ring that slowly poisoned Frodo and Bilbo’s minds and bodies. Additionally, Merry and Pippin were younger hobbits who were inherently more resilient and able to recover from their exploits in the War. They were still able to enjoy life back home in a way that Frodo could not after his arduous quest.
Frodo’s Trauma
As Ring-bearer, Frodo struggled immensely both physically and mentally from the start of his journey to Mount Doom. The Ring weighed on him heavier with every step, as he resisted its seductive pull and the temptation to surrender to evil. He endured physical harm like the wound from the Witch-king’s Morgul blade and the bite from Shelob. The Ring drained Frodo of energy and willpower as it tried to corrupt him.
By the end, Frodo was a shell of his former self. He accomplished his mission, but it took everything he had. The wounds Frodo suffered went deeper than the flesh and into his spirit. The sweet tranquility of the Shire could no longer heal him. He needed special grace and solace that could only be found across the sea in the Undying Lands.
Bilbo’s Long Exposure
Bilbo fared better than Frodo since he only possessed the One Ring for a limited time. However, decades of owning the Ring drained Bilbo in more subtle ways over time. As a very old hobbit of 131 years, the Ring’s grip on him was breaking down his mind and he felt weary and fragile. When Bilbo finally gave up the Ring, he was relieved but felt “thin and stretched” as Gandalf observed.
Going to the Undying Lands helped restore Bilbo’s mind and spirit after the Ring’s damage. The Blessed Realm revived him and allowed him to find peace. As an aging Ring-bearer, he needed this special grace to rejuvenate after years of being stretched and tormented by the Ring’s evil.
Resilience of Merry and Pippin
In contrast to Frodo and Bilbo, Merry and Pippin only carried the One Ring briefly. They were never obsessed with it or overwhelmed by its evil. They played their parts in the War of the Ring with courage and honor. However, their hearts remained untainted. This allowed them to return to normal lives in the Shire afterwards, despite some traumatic memories.
Overall, Merry and Pippin were still quite young for hobbits. Their youthful resilience combined with their limited exposure to the One Ring allowed them to bounce back in a way that more aged and burdened Ring-bearers could not. Healing in the Undying Lands was simply not as necessary for them compared to Frodo and Bilbo.
Love for the Shire
Another major reason Merry and Pippin did not go West is because of their deep love for their homeland, the Shire. As loyal, warm-hearted hobbits they wanted to stay in the place they cherished most. They longed to help rebuild the Shire after Saruman’s destructive occupation. Sailing to the Undying Lands would have felt too much like abandoning their friends and family.
Helping Restore the Shire
When Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin finally returned home after the War of the Ring, they were disheartened to see the state of the Shire. Under Saruman’s orders, ruffians had taken over and industrialized much of the land. Trees were ruthlessly cut down, ugly buildings constructed, and hobbits oppressed.
As devoted hobbits, Merry and Pippin were eager to play their part in restoring the Shire and bringing back its former tranquility. They rallied their fellow hobbits to rise up against Saruman and his thugs. Merry led the hobbits in physically overthrowing the ruffians from Bag End. Pippin brought more hobbit allies to Hobbiton from Tookland.
Merry and Pippin wished to remain in the Shire after the War of the Ring to oversee its restoration. They wanted to ensure life returned to normal for its inhabitants and that beauty flourished in the land once more.
Desire for Simple Pleasures
Even more fundamentally, Merry and Pippin longed for the simple comforts of home in the Shire after their adventures abroad. As Samwise famously said, hobbits truly love “good tilled earth, a well-stocked larder, a warm hearth, and all the comforts of home.”
After experiencing intense battles and dark places like Moria in their journey with the Fellowship, Merry and Pippin yearned for the good food, cheer, and pipeweed they had known since childhood in the Shire. Staying there provided nostalgic happiness. Their hearts drew them back home.
Lack of Sea-Longing
The sea-longing refers to a profound, bittersweet desire to sail West over the sea to the Undying Lands. It was common among Elves who grew weary of Middle-earth and longed for the mystical Valinor they knew from ancient days. Frodo and Bilbo also developed sea-longing after feeling estranged in Middle-earth following the War of the Ring.
However, Merry and Pippin never developed sea-longing. As content young hobbits who flourished back home in the Shire after the War, they felt no calling to go overseas. The sea held no special allure for them, only the comforts of home.
Elvish Sea-Longing
The Elves were special beings who were tied to Valinor in the Uttermost West. Over thousands of years in Middle-earth, many grew tired of mortal lands. The Sea acted as a siren call, awakening deep ancestral longing for the Undying Lands.
We see this sea-longing manifest in Legolas. After the passing of King Elessar, Legolas built a grey ship and sailed West. His close friend Gimli went with him, being the first dwarf to be permitted to the Undying Lands. But this journey was driven by Legolas’ sea-longing.
Frodo’s Sea-Longing
Frodo did not develop immediate sea-longing after the War of the Ring. For a few years he remained in the Shire trying to settle back into normal life. Over time, however, he felt increasingly estranged. The Shire could not rekindle joy and purpose in him.
Frodo’s sea-longing slowly grew until he finally decided to sail West. As a Ring-bearer, he longed for the healing only the Undying Lands could provide. The sea called to him until it could no longer be ignored.
No Sea-Longing for Merry and Pippin
In contrast to the Elves and Frodo, Merry and Pippin never developed any stirrings of sea-longing. They remained full-spirited, earthy hobbits who flourished back home in the Shire after their adventures. The sea held no special call or meaning for them.
The two young hobbits never grew weary of Middle-earth or felt estranged from their homeland. They settled contentedly back into life in the Shire. While they retained a youthful spark of wanderlust, they felt no special pull towards the mythical Undying Lands across the sea.
Later Travels in Middle-earth
While Merry and Pippin lived out their lives primarily in the Shire, they did undertake some more travels in Middle-earth later on. Their loyalty remained with the Shire, but they occasionally journeyed abroad to visit old friends or simply to satisfy their hobbit wanderlust.
Rohan and Gondor
Merry and Pippin periodically traveled south to visit their friends in Rohan and Gondor. Merry had a particularly close relationship with King Éomer of Rohan and became an esquire in service to him. He lived in Rohan for a time towards the end of his life.
Both hobbits were also friends of King Elessar in Gondor. They must have regaled him and Queen Arwen with many tales of their adventures together in the Fellowship.
| Year | Notable Travel |
|---|---|
| 1432 SR | Merry travels to Rohan and lives there for some years |
| 1482 SR | Death of Mistress Rose, wife of Master Samwise, on Mid-year’s Day. On September 22, Master Samwise rides out from Bag End. He comes to the Tower Hills, and is last seen by Elanor, to whom he gives the Red Book afterwards kept by the Fairbairns. Among them the tradition is handed down from Elanor that Samwise passed the Towers, and went to the Grey Havens, and passed over Sea, last of the Ring-bearers. |
| 1484 SR | In the spring of the year, Master Samwise rides out from Bag End. He comes to the Tower Hills, and is last seen by Elanor, to whom he gives the Red Book. Later on is told that Master Samwise passed the Towers and went to the Grey Havens, never to return. |
This table summarizes some of the known travels of Merry and Pippin in the years following the War of the Ring. They undertook journeys to visit friends, but always returned home to the Shire eventually.
Wandering in the Shire
When back in the Shire, Merry and Pippin remained restless souls deep down. Though devoted to their homeland, part of that hobbit-like wanderlust still stirred in them. They loved exploring the forests, fields, villages, and roads beyond Hobbiton.
Merry moved with his family from Buckland to Crickhollow at the eastern edge of the Shire, beyond the Brandywine River. From there he could easily ride out on mini adventures and wanderings.
Even in old age and poor health, Merry and Pippin enjoyed being carried about in litters through the Shire and reliving fond memories of the past. Though rooted in the Shire, there was still a spark of joyful adventure in them.
Death and Burial in Gondor
Though they never sailed West over the sea, Merry and Pippin did leave the Shire permanently in death. They were laid to rest together in Gondor, honoring the great friendship and loyalty they had shown that land and people during the War of the Ring so many years before.
Passing of Merry and Pippin
Merry passed away in the year 63 of the Fourth Age, at the ripe age of 102. Pippin had died a little earlier at the age of 93 in 58 of the Fourth Age. As beloved hobbit heroes of old, their passings were grieved by many.
Though Frodo’s companionship was bittersweet after his departure to the Grey Havens, Merry and Pippin were a great comfort to each other in their last decades. Their final parting was likely deeply felt.
Burial and Honor in Gondor
Upon his death, King Elessar saw to it that Merry was brought to Gondor and laid to rest in Rath Dínen. When Pippin died 5 years earlier, he was laid to rest there also. The two hobbits were buried among the great Kings and Stewards of Gondor.
This was the highest honor granted to Merry and Pippin by the people of Gondor. Though they never ruled Gondor, their courage and sacrifice for that land were held in beloved memory. Their resting place among Gondor’s greatest heroes was richly deserved.
Conclusion
In summary, Merry and Pippin did not sail West to the Undying Lands after the War of the Ring because their hearts remained loyal to their homeland the Shire. They were still quite young for hobbits, and thus more resilient than aged Ring-bearers like Frodo and Bilbo who needed healing across the sea.
Merry and Pippin played pivotal yet less damaging roles in the War compared to Frodo carrying the Ring. Afterwards, they flourished back in the Shire and devoted themselves to restoring it. They never felt an Elf-like sea-longing or desire to depart Middle-earth.
Though deeply rooted in the Shire, Merry and Pippin had some later travels and adventures. In the end they died in honor as beloved heroes of Gondor, laid to rest in the Hallows where the great of that land were buried.