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Bilbo is responsible for leaving the One Ring for Frodo, who subsequently became hunted by the Nazgûl, Saruman, Sauron, and even Boromir in a way. Yet in the Peter Jackson film Fellowship of the Ring, we come across Bilbo in Rivendell kind of just hanging out -- he gives Frodo all his weaponry and armour, tells Frodo he is sorry he brought Frodo into the whole One Ring mess, and then basically bids Frodo adieu and watches as Frodo sets off on the Fellowship of the Ring quest.

Almost all races are involved in the war to destroy the Ring. But what does Bilbo do during the quest of the Fellowship? Does he simply remain in Rivendell and work on his memoir? Is there any information regarding Bilbo and what he did while the quest of the Fellowship of the Ring was ongoing? What did he do during the time the One Ring was being taken to Mt. Doom?

ETA: The usual caveat. I've read The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers, but have not read The Silmarillion or The Return of the King. I've seen Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings Trilogy many times. I just got The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey on BD this past Tuesday, so I'm pretty unfamiliar with it still. I.e. I'm not a Tolkien scholar, so please pardon me if this is an obvious question to those in the know.

Slytherincess
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    +1, I have no idea why this was downvoted. I always thought it was an odd gap in the timeline as well... – Izkata Apr 30 '13 at 02:48
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    You haven't read The Return of the King? Come on. There are some very excellent parts that aren't in the movie. – Plutor Apr 30 '13 at 11:51
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    @Plutor - for better or worse, the community consensus was that reading/watching the source material is NOT required before asking a question. – phantom42 Apr 30 '13 at 14:24
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    My comment wasn't meant as a criticism of the question. I thought it was a fine question. I was just making a (firm) suggestion. – Plutor Apr 30 '13 at 14:44
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    This question seems trivial at best, and while @phantom42 mentions that it is not required to read the source material before asking a question, that does not make a question that is answered in the source material worthy for up vote, nor does it guarantee an absence of down votes. It is not explicitly mentioned that he did nothing during the events of LOTR, because implicitly that is exactly what he did, nothing. – NominSim Apr 30 '13 at 15:02
  • Probably I am mistaken, but I remember that he went to the Lone Mountain during that period(?) I have this feeling but I don't know whether this is written in the appendices, or somewhere else or whether Bilbo simply mentioned this, as a possibility, before going to Rivendell. – Bakuriu Apr 30 '13 at 16:25
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    @Plutor - Oh, believe me, Return of the King is on my to-read list for sure! I just haven't yet. I also need to re-read The Hobbit. While I know the movie isn't proper canon, watching The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey made me realize how much I've forgotten over the years. :) – Slytherincess Apr 30 '13 at 23:05
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    @phantom42 consensus was that "not reading the source material" was not grounds for closure; it doesn't mean people won't consider it a bad question anyway. – KutuluMike May 01 '13 at 01:33
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    @MichaelEdenfield, I know and I get that. But that's where things start getting fuzzy. According to the button, DVs are for unclear or poorly researched questions. How easy is it to find this info if you haven't read the book(s)? – phantom42 May 01 '13 at 11:09
  • Fuzzy for me, at least. I know we all have our different reasons and definitions for downvotes and all. – phantom42 May 01 '13 at 12:40
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    @phantom42 I would consider not reading the source material as the definition of poor research; if you want to ask a question without reading the source material first, we won't close it, but don't expect people to be happy about it :) But at least it's likely to get answered anyway. – KutuluMike May 01 '13 at 15:46
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    Always thought he spent the entire time smoking pipe 'weed'. It explains why he was all sleepy and tired all the time. Classic symptoms of old Toby. – Suman Roy Sep 05 '14 at 13:13
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    @SumanRoy - I suspect I am not alone in thinking some Old Toby might have helped in getting through J.R.R. Tolkien's dry writing. Love the universe; not so keen on Tolkien's prose. YMMV, of course. :) – Slytherincess Sep 20 '14 at 01:39
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    What was Bilbo up to? Elf-maidens and mai-tai's, my friend. – Omegacron Dec 30 '14 at 22:02
  • This is a good example of how LotR is not a "trilogy"! There are no pay-offs in the first two volumes (or the first four books, if you want), just cliffhangers. All resolutions happen at the end of the story. This separate volumes nonsense makes no sense now that the whole thing has been published for decades. More money for the publishers, though. – m4r35n357 Jul 19 '23 at 17:49

3 Answers3

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Advance warning: I'm going to assume that the fact that you've asked this question, despite having not read RotK, means that you don't mind being spoilered on anything in RotK.

If this assumption is false, then stop reading this answer and start reading RotK. Now.

End of advance warning.

When the Hobbits get back to Rivendell, Bilbo has grown old. He's sleepy, he doesn't get much done, he feels the end of his life coming on.

They found him all alone in his little room. It was littered with papers and pens and pencils; but Bilbo was sitting in a chair before a small bright fire. He looked very old, but peaceful, and sleepy.

From Bilbo himself:

"Do you know, I shall be one hundred and twenty-nine? And in one year more, if I am spared, I shall equal the Old Took. I should like to beat him; but we shall see."

Some general behaviour:

...they sat much with their old friend, who spent most of his time now in his room...At first he pretended to take some notes; but he often fell asleep; and when he woke he would say: 'How splendid! How wonderful! But where were we?' Then they went on with the story from the point where he had begun to nod.

He gets forgetful:

Then he gave Frodo his mithril-coat and Sting, forgetting that he had already done so ... 'what's become of my ring, Frodo, that you took away?'

His poem:

The Road goes ever on and on
Out from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
Let others follow it who can!
Let them a journey new begin,
But I at last with weary feet
Will turn towards the lighted inn,
My evening-rest and sleep to meet.

Sam's observation:

'I don't think, Mr. Frodo, that he's done much writing while we've been away. He won't ever write our story now.'

Bilbo's reply:

'You see, I am getting so sleepy,' he said. 'And when I have time to write, I only really like writing poetry.'

And much much more.

This is not a Hobbit who is going to do anything while the Fellowship were away. This is an old Hobbit at the end of his life. If all that you have to go by is Jackson's movie, you're not going to get the full weight of this. So I'll end as I started: read RotK.

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    No, no, the Jackson movies are a nice visual representation of Tolkien's world, but the books are really where it's at. I was merely sharing what experience(s) I have with the books versus the movies. In fact, part of what prompted me to ask this question was the possibility that Jackson had merely cut Bilbo's role out of the films and I wasn't sure. Thank you for a really nice answer and, no, I don't mind spoilers at all. In fact, I always read the last chapter of a book first -- I'm that bad when it comes to spoilers :) +1 – Slytherincess Apr 30 '13 at 23:28
  • I actually think this is a better answer than the most upvoted one. – daviewales May 01 '13 at 01:37
  • You mean you'll end as you started, right? :P – Junuxx May 01 '13 at 12:26
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    I'll also point out that this isn't really spoiling anything for anyone who's seen the movies. You see this Bilbo-as-extremely-elderly while they head to the Grey Havens. The only real difference with (this part of) the book is that the hobbits stop in Rivendell on their way back to The Shire. – Plutor May 01 '13 at 12:27
  • @Junuxx: "You mean you'll end as you started, right? :P" - yup; you win the prize for spotting the deliberate mistake! Plutor - you're probably right, although the movie does underplay it a little, and I'm conscious that (and this is an individual preference) some may take exception to even this much of a reveal. –  May 01 '13 at 12:39
  • Yet we don't know if Bilbo decayed shortly after the ring was destroyed which leaves plenty of time for some action. When we first see him in Rivendell in fellowship, he remains in good shape. – Ram Apr 17 '16 at 06:24
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Bilbo had given the ring up almost two decades before and though he reacted strongly to it when it reappeared, he recovered his composure. The books are infused with the idea that Hobbits are for some reason less affected by the One Ring's miasma--not unaffected, but resistant.

Further he was an old, old Hobbit and was aware of the demands of questing and his own limitations.

Bilbo had for a long time been contented with his maps and his writing, he was presumably happy as a clam living in Rivendell, and I see no reason to suppose that he did anything more than bug Elrond for updates rather more often than they were available.

dmckee --- ex-moderator kitten
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    And eat copious amounts of Lembas bread. – Jeff Apr 30 '13 at 13:06
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    I just want to make sure I'm understanding this correctly. Bilbo gave Frodo the One Ring twenty years before the Fellowship of the Ring began its quest? – Slytherincess Apr 30 '13 at 23:32
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    Well, I'm working from memory here but the big birthday party was for Bilbo's eleventy-first birthdays, and I seem to recall that he was 133 around the time of The Lord of the Rings. Someone with the source material in front of them may be able to give you more exact dates. Hmmm...I see below that I was recalling things a little later than they were. Will edit. – dmckee --- ex-moderator kitten Apr 30 '13 at 23:33
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    @aSlytherin Yup, roughly 20 years passed between Bilbo's party and the Ring's destruction. –  May 01 '13 at 01:03
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    Huh! I didn't know that. Thanks for clarifying that information because I'll admit I thought the time frame was around the same as it was in Peter Jackson's movies. – Slytherincess May 01 '13 at 01:06
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    @aSlytherin The movies are pretty terrible when it comes to conveying the passage of time. Every time you see a montage of the group walking somewhere, weeks/months are passing, but I never get that feeling from watching the films. –  May 01 '13 at 16:57
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    My memory is that Bilbo offers to take up the ring and go to destroy it at the Council of Elrond, but Gandalf essentially says no. – DJClayworth May 01 '13 at 18:22
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    @Keen - that may be true, but most of that time passed between the party and Gandalfs return to Frodo. Just a few months after that meeting passed before Frodo set out on the actual journey to Rivendell with the other Hobbits. – Oldcat Sep 05 '14 at 21:47
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    @Slytherincess Bilbo's 111th birthday party was on Sept 22nd in TA (Third Age) 3001 according to the books. The Fellowship set out from Rivendell on Dec 25 3018, and the Ring was destroyed on March 25th 3019. – maguirenumber6 Mar 04 '17 at 16:07
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I can't improve on dmkee's answer, but I'll add this just for completeness' sake:
(By the way, this is from Chapter 1, right after the Party)

[Bilbo:] "Well I've made up my mind, anyway. I want to see mountains again, Gandalf – mountains; and then find somewhere where I can rest. In peace and quiet, without a lot of relatives prying around, and string of confounded visitors hanging on the bell. I might find somewhere where I can finish my book. I have thought of a nice ending for it: and he lived happily ever after to the end of his days."

and this is one or two pages later:

"I am being swept off my feet at last."

This seems to suggest that he wants to go out walking again, and then go to Rivendell, and consume copious amounts of Lembas (see dmkee's answer).

I also found this in the Tale of Years (Appendix B):

3001 Bilbo's farewell feast [september]. Gandalf . . .
3002 Bilbo becomes a guest of Elrond, and settles in Rivendell.

That gives us a rough timeline.

MadTux
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    While true, and an excellent point, it doesn't really answer the question of what he did while the fellowship was on their quest (e.g. 3019 TA) – The Fallen Apr 30 '13 at 13:48
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    @SSumner He writes his book and bugs Elrond, as in dmkee's answer. I just though I could add to that answer, giving some extra information. – MadTux Apr 30 '13 at 14:24
  • No, I don't think that's necessary. Maybe just a short line at the beginning "In addition to dmckee's answer...". I don't think it was bad to post this, it's just supplementary information (I upvoted your answer, btw) – The Fallen Apr 30 '13 at 15:22
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    @SSumner Thanks for the hint and thanks for the upvote :-) – MadTux Apr 30 '13 at 15:34
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    +1 for "and he lived happily ever after to the end of his days" - reading over the early LotR drafts in HoME, one can see how much of a bother this particular line was to Tolkien, and how much effort he put into avoiding any further adventures for Bilbo because of it. –  Apr 30 '13 at 20:47
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    Also +1 for Bilbo living happily ever after to the end of his days :) – Slytherincess Apr 30 '13 at 23:30
  • Rivindell -> Rivendell – Faheem Mitha Apr 16 '16 at 19:47
  • @FaheemMitha Oop, thanks! – MadTux Apr 17 '16 at 06:19