Lord of the Rings: The Animated Musical | Characters: Bilbo & Frodo Baggins

For this week’s post, I decided to focus on the physical appearances and clothing styles of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, the protagonists of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. As first mentioned in my character study of Elanor Gardner Fairbairn, the costume designs for my characters align to the timeline in the Real World. I used descriptions in the texts as my base and elaborated on these references with historical costumes. I also viewed the artwork created by other fans, including Tolkien himself, to understand how the characters are classically portrayed, and how my portrayal might differ.

Physical Appearance: Bilbo

The books do not contain much information about physical appearance for either of these characters despite their tendency to describe the appearances of other people. Bilbo mentioned looking like his father in appearance (The Hobbit, 2) but likely had the increased height of his mother’s side at about 4' (48 inches or 1.22 m), among the tallest hobbits while remaining in the average range of “two to four feet” (The Fellowship of the Ring, 2). As for appearance, he likely blended in with other hobbits with a face “good-natured rather than beautiful, broad, bright-eyed, [and] red-cheeked” (Fellowship, 2). The single sketch of Bilbo produced by Tolkien was not colorized and had noodle arms, so it may not be the best reference, although I tried to base his hair and nose shape on this sketch.

On a related side note, the name Bilbo is actually a real name, not one invented by Tolkien. The town of Bilbao in Spain, previously spelled Bilbo, was known during the late Middle Ages for its ironworks. Bilbo swords came to England around the 1590s, were used through the 18^th century, and became synonymous for any type of small rapier, like what the Three Musketeers might use, or similar to the little sword Sting used by Bilbo and Frodo. Tolkien’s own foster-father, Catholic priest Francis Xavier Morgan, was part Spanish, a likely inspiration for the name.

Since Bilbo self-described as having “long brown clever fingers” (The Hobbit, 2) and seemed to have the ancestry of both “browner of skin” Harfoots and “fairer of skin and also of hair… taller and slimmer” Fallohides (Fellowship, 3), this aligned to the appearance of people from southern Europe who are capable of tanning, in contrast to northwestern Europeans like me who tend to burn. My depiction of Bilbo has a nice tan and cute freckles at the end of summer since he spends plenty of time traveling the countryside and visiting his Elf and Dwarf friends. He has green eyes like the Fallohide prototypes I created several months ago and the same curly brown hair as most hobbits with the beginnings of grey near his ears to suggest that he is middle-aged, although he has been stuck at this age for sixty years.

A hobbit looking directly at the viewer with a mischievous expression. He has with curly brown hair and a hint of grey by the ears, tanned skin, freckles on his pink cheeks and slightly upturned button nose, and a wide gap-toothed grin.

I have not visited Stith Thompson’s Motif Index in a few weeks, and I thought another visit was in order when showing how Bilbo’s “(apparently) perpetual youth” (Fellowship, 21) fit with folk tales in the Real World (D1883). For him, the “magic object [that] rejuvenates” (D1338) was the Ring (D1338.5), rather than innate immortality (A191), magic fruit (D1338.3), a land of youth (D1338.7), or a fountain (D1338.1.1). Mythologies were inconsistent over whether the youth would “have to be paid for” (Fellowship, 1), as discussed by the Shire hobbits.

Physical Appearance: Frodo

Even with the number of times Frodo looked into mirrors, he rarely described his appearance. However, he and others noted his weight throughout the text, the only character to regularly receive this attention outside of apparently obese Bombur in The Hobbit. Frodo noticed he was “rather flabby” (Fellowship, 76) while pausing to look in the mirror at Bag End the day before his fiftieth birthday. Later that day, Pippin noted that Frodo would not complain about the weight of his pack “when he’s walked off some of his own” (Fellowship, 78). However, he later praised Frodo for “looking twice the hobbit that he had been”, while Frodo noted there was “actually a good deal less” of him (Fellowship, 208). Frodo noticed he was “much thinner” and his eyes were “thoughtful” when looking in the mirror at Rivendell (Fellowship, 252). By the time he had come to Mount Doom, about six months after the start of his journey, he had lost so much weight that Sam easily carried him up the mountain.

This focus on fatness, likely rooted in community opinion that Frodo’s parents Drogo and Primula died in a boating accident because “it was Drogo’s weight as sunk the boat” (Fellowship, 23), mirrored a shift in understanding about body image that took place in the Real World during the 19^th century. While fatness had previously been viewed as a sign of social status and wealth in medieval Europe due to food scarcity, our friend the Industrial Revolution meant that due to improved farming technology, more quality food was available at lower price points, allowing anyone to get fat if they wanted. By the end of the 20^th century, the tides had turned, as cheap, high calorie, low nutrients food became the only option for poorer people, while the wealthy could afford organic vegetables and gym memberships. But even when fatness was coveted, fat men who were already disliked were accused of being too girly.

As for the best explanation of Frodo’s overall appearance, this comes from Gandalf. While speaking to Barliman Butterbur in Bree, Gandalf joked that Frodo was “a stout little fellow with red cheeks… it goes for most hobbits”, using what we in the modern world might call a microaggression. This is when a person from one group does or says something mean about people in another group, although the original person may not have intended to be mean. The term was coined by Chester Middlebrook Pierce, an African-American psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School, back in 1970 but has not become mainstream until the last fifteen years.

Modern politics aside, Gandalf then changed his description to something more appropriate, noting that Frodo was “taller than some and fairer than most… a cleft on his chin; perky chap with a bright eye” (Fellowship, 189). Considering Gandalf may be using a form of modesty common in some older Western texts and today in Eastern cultures, Frodo might have been “as pale as a ghost and as tall as a tree” in the vernacular of hobbits, if one wanted to reference other characters appearing in the text.

Additionally, the term “fairer” can be compared to “beautiful”; in fact, this definition predates the usage of “fair” meaning “light of complexion”. An unusually attractive appearance was textually supported, as the wandering High Elves seemingly led by Gildor Inglorion call Frodo “a jewel among hobbits” (Fellowship, 92), while Sam described him as “beautiful”, although he was biased towards his favorite people. Even so, characters generally seemed enamored by him, from powerful Celeborn offering him a seat beside the throne at Caras Galadhon (Fellowship, 398) to Gollum gradually realizing his love for Frodo in Book IV. To be blunt, “plain” people are not generally treated with such “kindnesses”, as Frodo might put it.

In folk literature, beauty was frequently a sign of goodness and godliness, but when asked to pick between the two, a wise hero would choose goodness over beauty (J244). Polytheist religions had a god of beauty in the pantheon (A462), while the beauty of a maiden could tame even the fiercest animal (B771.1). Some characters were so beautiful that they lit up in the dark (F574.1) or glowed like the sun (F574.1.4), much like the bioluminescent nature of Tolkien’s Elves.

An implicit theme in these motifs was that beautiful people, especially women, became vulnerable because of their appearance. The tragic Greek heroine Helen was called “the face that launched a thousand ships”, as Paris of Troy kidnapped her to be his new girlfriend because of her supernatural beauty. Snow White was targeted by a jealous stepmother, while Sleeping Beauty (D1960.3) was cursed by a witch. Within Tolkien’s legendarium, the beautiful Elves and Half-Elven inevitably experience tragedies. Aredhel, an elf-lady from Galadriel’s family, was kidnapped by Eöl, an elf-lord from Celeborn’s family, so he could marry her, while Celebrían, daughter of Galadriel and Celeborn, was kidnapped and tortured by orcs. As one seemingly well-versed in these stories, Frodo must have been aware that his appearance set him up for tragedy.

As for the height of Frodo, I have previously mentioned that I am portraying him at 4'4" (52 inches, 1.32 m). This is among the tallest estimates I have seen, but I do have textual support for my portrayal. Bandobras “Bullroarer” Took was canonically 4'5" (53 inches, 1.35 m) (Fellowship, 2) and his height was not surpassed naturally in recorded history. However, Merry and Pippin grew past him after ingesting Entdraught, putting them at about 4'6" (54 inches, 1.37 m), with Merry classically portrayed as slightly taller than Pippin. Upon meeting again at the “Fields of Cormallen” in Book VI, Sam mentioned that they were about three inches taller than at the start, or about 4'3" (51 inches, 1.30 m), and Frodo seemed to be the largest at the beginning of the trip, bringing him to the height I chose.

Finally, because of the ambiguity surrounding Frodo’s appearance, as was typical of Tolkien’s work, I plan to make variations of his appearance to be shown in the perspectives of different characters. What I present today is the standard Frodo with realistically pale skin, golden-brown hair, light freckles, and typical body weight for a hobbit with the ancestry of “broader heavier” Stoors (Fellowship, 3). By systematically varying these factors, I hope to create visual ambiguity surrounding his appearance, mirroring his ability to become whatever his friends needed him to be, whether by changing his accent due to his “great ‘skill with foreign sounds’” (The Return of the King, 438), wearing the clothing provided to him, or showing intense interest in their equally intense interests.

A hobbit look up and somewhat towards the viewer with a nervously hopeful expression. He has long, golden-brown hair braided around the hairline, very pale skin, light freckles on his rosy cheeks and pointed nose, golden eyes, and a nearly closed mouth.

Clothing Style

My costumes for Bilbo and Frodo were inspired by the Georgian era in England during the late 18^th century after the American Revolutionary War along with the late Rococo period in France. I have chosen to create day wear for casual use, formal wear for business use, and a macaroni outfit for fancy parties. I took my inspiration from a day suit at Royal Ontario Museum, a formal suit from Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), a macaroni suit at LACMA, and hats at LACMA. When creating their outfits, I recalled a phrase of Hamfast Gamgee that Frodo was “Very much like Mr. Bilbo, and in more than looks” (Fellowship, 23). Since their limited physical descriptions seemed dissimilar, I thought the similarity noted by the Gaffer must have been their outfits. Additionally, Frodo’s obsession with Bilbo would cause him to dress similarly to his idol, while Bilbo’s obsession with Bilbo would support Frodo’s decision.

The hobbits face away from the viewer, revealing the back of their suits and their long hair tied back in matching green ribbons. Bilbo puts his arm around Frodo.

Since Bilbo had added to his extensive wardrobe over more decades than most of the hobbits had been alive, and he was not one to follow social norms, he likely combined pieces from different eras. During the 1770s in the Real World, three-piece suits were a must, with the woolen breeches buttoned below the knee often matching the collared frock coat or justaucorps. Around their necks were cravats, the precursor to the necktie. Holding up the breeches were braces or suspenders underneath their waistcoats, as described by Bilbo (Hobbit, 3). Hobbits also wore belts hidden by their “pudgy” hobbit bellies, mentioned at several points throughout the text that these needed to be tightened as they lost weight along their journeys. This was an anachronism made necessary by differences in body type, since men of the late 18^th century wore high-waisted breeches and cut a slim figure.

The hobbits stand facing each other at three-quarters view. The suits are mustard yellow with brown trim and a lighter yellow waistcoat.

The most flamboyant dressers at this time were macaronis, who loved bright colors, flowers, and towering wigs. They frequently pinned bunches of flowers to the front of their coats. At the time, these were called nosegays, a compound word derived from the pleasant smell of flowers that was coined during the late 15^th century. The similar word “boutonniere”, based on a French word meaning buttonhole flowers, did not arrive in English until 1875. As for the reception of the macaronis, their outfits were considered too girly for the general public, identical to the accusations towards fat men in the Middle Ages. Early magazines published mean cartoons about their tastes, not unlike modern political memes on Facebook. The main difference between the hobbits and the macaronis was that hobbits were proud of their curly brown hair and had no reason to wear wigs.

The hobbits face each other at three-quarters view. The suits are sea green with a lime green waistcoat. They wear lacy cravets and a nosegay of yellow roses and baby's breath flowers pinned over their hearts.

A decade later, the trendiest outfits in Europe during the 1780s were modeled after clothing worn by “the English country gentleman’s attire” as the Anglophonic world began its sad journey to renouncing color and embroidery. Waistcoats or vests worn in France still had fancy designs, with favorites including flowers, birds, and characters from books and plays. In some ways, these were no different than modern t-shirts featuring vacation spots and cartoon characters.

The hobbits face the viewer. The suits are forest green with a matching waistcoat.

Of course, I cannot forget hats! The stylish two-pointed bicornes and three-pointed tricornes adorned with a cockade, or a floral-inspired fabric decoration, are familiar to anyone who has studied portraiture of the American Revolutionary War. This style held strong during the 1770s, but began to fall out of fashion by the 1780s. “Wide-awake” hats with a broad brim became more popular, especially with the Quaker Oats guy, who was designed in 1877 when the hat was still in fashion.

Bilbo faces the viewer while Frodo stands at three-quarters angle looking at Bilbo. They wear matching golden bicorne hats with green cockades. The hats match their golden frock coats and green waistcoats.

Appearance and Community Acceptance

Like late medieval society of the Real World, Hobbiton and other communities in the Shire appeared to focus on maintaining status quo and social norms. Attempts to alter status quo by marrying outside of a clan or attaining higher levels of education were frowned upon, while hobbits of all socioeconomic levels disdained those who broke the implied rules of conduct. Bilbo was a hobbit of generosity and wealth, a clan leader, the oldest son from a line of oldest sons, an elder, and appearing similar to most hobbits, allowing him to get away with his idiosyncrasies. His stylish but out-of-date clothing should visually emphasize that time was moving along without him, which other hobbits found “unnatural”.

Frodo did not have such luck. His inheritance of Bilbo’s wealth was questioned and considered ill-gotten. His position as clan leader was taken after his rejection from the Baggins clan (Fellowship, 42), having already faced rejection by the Brandybuck clan and treated as illegitimate by the Took clan based on the family tree. His appearance was implied to be so dissimilar from other hobbits that forgetful Barliman Butterbur recognized him based on a vague description given by Gandalf several weeks before. Frodo did not have the social capital to dress as Bilbo did, but he may have lacked the social awareness to realize this or simply not cared. Bilbo seemed to have considered what effect his actions had on Frodo, and he wanted what he thought was best for his ‘nephew’, but his tendency towards self-absorption, along with his possession of the Ring, kept him from trying to change public opinion on himself or his heir.

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