Took clan
Encyclopedia
In J. R. R. Tolkien
's Middle-earth
legendarium
, the Took clan (icon, not ˈ) was one of the most famous Hobbit
families.
The first recorded Took (Tûk of unknown meaning in Hobbitish Westron
) was an Isumbras Took, who became the 13th Thain
of the Shire
after Gorhendad Oldbuck crossed into Buckland, becoming Master there.
After Isumbras, the Thain position became hereditary in the Took family, and at the end of the Third Age
his descendant Peregrin "Pippin" Took
became the 19th Thain of the Took line, the 32nd in the Shire.
The Tooks lived in the Great Smials of Tuckborough, ruling Tookland in the Westfarthing of the Shire. A smaller clan called the North-Tooks lived far up in the Northfarthing; these were descendants of the legendary hero Bullroarer Took.
Tooks were mainly of Fallohide Hobbit stock, and were more adventurous than the other Hobbits. They also had quite a reputation for unusual behavior, a quality not exactly valued by most hobbits. For this reason they were seen as less respectable, and for the same reason they were one of the richer clans. The Wizard Gandalf
was a known, if disreputable, associate. Bilbo Baggins
and Meriadoc Brandybuck
both had Took mothers.
It is suggested by Tolkien, in the opening chapter of The Hobbit
, that a distant Took ancestor took a Fairy for a wife; possibly accounting for their 'unexpected behaviors'. But it is later said, that that was ridiculous.
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's Middle-earth
Middle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....
legendarium
Legendarium
Legendary may refer to:*A hagiography, or study of the lives of saints and other religious figures**The South English Legendary, a Middle English legendary*A legend-Entertainment:*Legendary, an album by Kaysha*Legendary...
, the Took clan (icon, not ˈ) was one of the most famous Hobbit
Hobbit
Hobbits are a fictional diminutive race who inhabit the lands of Middle-earth in J. R. R. Tolkien's fiction.Hobbits first appeared in the novel The Hobbit, in which the main protagonist, Bilbo Baggins, is the titular hobbit...
families.
The first recorded Took (Tûk of unknown meaning in Hobbitish Westron
Westron
Westron, or the Common Speech, is a fictional language in the fantasy works of J. R. R. Tolkien.Westron is the closest thing to a lingua franca in Middle-earth, at least at the time during which The Lord of the Rings is set. "Westron" is an invented English word, derived from West...
) was an Isumbras Took, who became the 13th Thain
Thain
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, the Thain was the traditional military leader of the Hobbits of the Shire. The Hobbits first chose a Thain to "hold the authority of the king" when Arvedui, last King of Arnor, was lost and the kingship in the North discontinued. The...
of the Shire
Shire (Middle-earth)
The Shire is a region of J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, described in The Lord of the Rings and other works. The Shire refers to an area settled exclusively by Hobbits and largely removed from the goings-on in the rest of Middle-earth. It is located in the northwest of the continent, in...
after Gorhendad Oldbuck crossed into Buckland, becoming Master there.
After Isumbras, the Thain position became hereditary in the Took family, and at the end of the Third Age
Third Age
The Third Age is a time period from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. The history of Middle-earth is to be taken fictionally as a history of the real Earth....
his descendant Peregrin "Pippin" Took
Peregrin Took
Peregrin Took, more commonly known as Pippin, is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. Pippin is introduced as a Hobbit who plays a major role as one of the companions of Frodo Baggins, in his quest to destroy the One Ring.Peregrin was the only son of...
became the 19th Thain of the Took line, the 32nd in the Shire.
The Tooks lived in the Great Smials of Tuckborough, ruling Tookland in the Westfarthing of the Shire. A smaller clan called the North-Tooks lived far up in the Northfarthing; these were descendants of the legendary hero Bullroarer Took.
Tooks were mainly of Fallohide Hobbit stock, and were more adventurous than the other Hobbits. They also had quite a reputation for unusual behavior, a quality not exactly valued by most hobbits. For this reason they were seen as less respectable, and for the same reason they were one of the richer clans. The Wizard Gandalf
Gandalf
Gandalf is a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. In these stories, Gandalf appears as a wizard, member and later the head of the order known as the Istari, as well as leader of the Fellowship of the Ring and the army of the West...
was a known, if disreputable, associate. Bilbo Baggins
Bilbo Baggins
Bilbo Baggins is the protagonist and titular character of The Hobbit and a supporting character in The Lord of the Rings, two of the most well-known of J. R. R...
and Meriadoc Brandybuck
Meriadoc Brandybuck
Meriadoc Brandybuck, usually referred to as Merry, is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, featured throughout his most famous work, The Lord of the Rings....
both had Took mothers.
It is suggested by Tolkien, in the opening chapter of The Hobbit
The Hobbit
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, better known by its abbreviated title The Hobbit, is a fantasy novel and children's book by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published on 21 September 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the New York Herald...
, that a distant Took ancestor took a Fairy for a wife; possibly accounting for their 'unexpected behaviors'. But it is later said, that that was ridiculous.
In reality
- Like many of Tolkien's Hobbit names, 'Took' is a real (though rare) English surnameTook (surname)-People:*Barry Took , British comedian and television presenter*Steve Peregrin Took , British musician*Took Leng How , Malaysian murderer-Fiction:...
. Genes Reunited lists more than 400 of them. - English musician Stephen Ross Porter took Peregrin Took as his stage nameSteve Peregrin TookSteve Peregrin Took was an English musician. He is best known for his membership of the duo Tyrannosaurus Rex with Marc Bolan...
.