The brave and kindSamwise Gamgee is one of the greatest characters in the Lord of the Ringsmythos - a strong-willed, adventurous hobbit and Frodo's closest friend. Tolkien himself considered Sam to be the series' "chief hero", a belief fans of his work have reiterated over the many years since the book's publication.
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Many details about Sam's character aren't particularly well-known, especially those that are barely mentioned or flat-out ignored in the films, or those which - worse yet - don't even appear in the books, and were only related in one of Tolkien's many letters. Here are 10 of the most interesting little-known details about Sam.
His Father Makes A Cameo Appearance In The Movies
The daunting task of adapting the twelve-hundred-page Long of the Rings trilogy for film resulted in some of the book's "less important" elements being cut from the final work. Case in point: in the books, Hamfast Gamgee (Sam's father) has an established backstory and several lines. In the films, it seems like he doesn't appear at all.
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However, eagle-eyed Tolkien fans might be able to glimpse the character, portrayed by veteran actor Norman Forsey, in the Green Dragon scene from The Fellowship of the Ring.
He Was Named After Gamgee Tissue
Gamgee Tissue is the name of a surgical dressing - invented by Dr. Joseph Gamgee - that, according to Tolkien, was synonymous with the term "cotton-wool" in his youth (interestingly enough, Sam's wife Rosie had the maiden name Cotton).
Tolkien doesn't really provide a reason for Sam's name beyond it being "caught out of a childhood memory"; in 1956, he was surprised to receive a letter from a man who was actually named Sam Gamgee, later writing about the incident "For some time I lived in fear of receiving a letter signed 'S. Gollum'. That would have been more difficult to deal with."
He Was Inspired By The Concept Of A Batman
Sam is one of the bravest and most heroic characters in the entirety of Tolkien's legendarium, and that's no small feat given the large group of worthy contenders. Tolkien, who served in the British military during World War I (an experience that would greatly influence his fantasy world in the years to come), based the character's friendship with Frodo on the concept of a "batman" - a soldier who also acted as a personal servant of sorts to an officer.
Tolkien bonded with many batmen during his time in the army, and in a 1956 letter he said that he considered most of them "far superior to [himself]."
He's One Of The Only Characters To Give Up The Ring Willingly
The Ring of Power is notoriously tempting, and, as witnessed by Gandalf and Galadriel's reactions to even coming in close contact with the desirable relic, it works its magic best when used by someone with power and prestige.
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Perhaps this is why, over the course of the Ring's existence, three of the books' more simple characters were the only ones to "give it up" without a fight: Bilbo, when he passed it on to Frodo in departing for Rivendell; Tom Bombadil, who, despite not appearing in the movies is notable for being the only character in the books who knows of the Ring's existence but isn't affected by it; and, finally, Sam, who was tempted by the Ring's promises, but kept his head and rightly returned it to the true Ring-bearer.
He Took A New Name After Returning To The Shire
After his marriage to Rose Cotton near the end of The Return of the King, Sam took the name "Gardner" for him and his family.
The peculiar name was meant to be used as a way of remembering Sam's great deed in replanting the trees of the Shire after their near-extinction at the hands of Sharky's vile orderlies (an event labeled as "The Scouring of the Shire" that appears only in the source text).
He Had 13 Children
While his daughter Elanor and son Frodo (shown here) are the only two of Sam's children to appear in the Peter Jackson film trilogy, there were thirteen in all, born between the years of SR (Shire Reckoning) 1421 and SR 1442.
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In order of birth, Sam's children (many of whom were named after his close friends and relatives) were: Elanor, Frodo, Rose, Merry, Pippin, Goldilocks, Hamfast, Daisy, Primrose, Bilbo, Ruby, Robin, and Tolman.
He Was Mayor Of The Shire For 49 Years
After saving the world from the forces of evil, Sam was a bona fide Shire hero.
His popularity led to him being nominated for the position of Mayor; he ended up serving seven consecutive terms of seven years each as the Shire's leader.
He Lived In Bag End After Frodo's Departure
At the end of the Third Age, Frodo departed the Shire, sailing to the Undying Lands with Bilbo, Gandalf, and many of the few remaining Elves.
He left his sizable estate, Bag End, to Sam, whose family lived in the hobbit-hole from then on.
He Wrote Part Of The Lord Of The Rings
While it's well-known that The Lord of the Rings was meant to be constructed as a narrative written by Bilbo and Frodo jointly as part of the "Red Book of Westmarch", Sam was actually the one responsible for finishing the work after Frodo's departure.
He was primarily responsible for adding in passages regarding his memory of the fateful journey; he also provided additional supplementary details throughout.
He Was Reunited With Frodo
After his wife's death in the year SR 1482, Sam was allowed to make the journey to the Undying Lands due to his (brief) role as a Ring-bearer.
There, he was reunited with Frodo, where it can only be assumed they lived out the rest of their days together.
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