Is Rings of Power's Nori Related to Frodo & Bilbo?
It is clear that the writers are trying to draw parallels.
Summary
- Nori from Rings of Power has a similar personality to Bilbo and Frodo.
- Since her people eventually settled in the Shire, there is no evidence of blood ties.
- However, the characters may be connected through Gandalf.
The Rings of Power will of course never become canonical in the legendarium of J.R.R. Tolkien. However, regardless of how you feel about Amazon's brainchild, there is no denying that the writers are scrupulous about the lore of Middle-earth. After all, the series is a direct prequel to the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, albeit set several millennia earlier.
So in addition to the obvious connections to major events such as the presence of Galadriel, Elrond, and Sauron, the writers may have provided viewers with a less obvious kinship between The Rings of Power and LOTR hobbits. It is quite possible that the young Harfoot Elanor Brandyfoot is a distant ancestor of Bilbo and Frodo. But is this the case?
How Are the Harfoots Related to the Hobbits of the Shire?
In short, yes, they are related. Although many millennia in the future, the Harfoots continued to exist as a subrace of the Hobbits. According to the prologue to The Fellowship of the Ring, by the Third Age these Hobbits had managed to cross the Misty Mountains and began to populate Eriador, along with two other Hobbit peoples, the Fallohides and the Stoors, forming the Shire.
All three branches of the Hobbits intermarried over time, though the three distinct identities were apparently still intact by the time of the Third Age. So, yes, if Elanor Brandyfoot or her brother Dilly had descendants, it is quite possible that their distant relatives would carry the same blood thousands of years later.
Is Elanor Brandyfoot an Ancient Relative of Bilbo and Frodo?
Of course, her family name, Brandyfoot, which is quite reminiscent of the Brandybucks, a family whose most famous representative in the Third Age is Merry, might suggest this. According to the family tree created by Tolkien, the Brandybucks and the Baggins interbred long ago, so that Frodo is also a descendant of that clan. However, it is important to note that the Hobbit clan named themselves after the river Brandywine, which runs through the Shire. It translates as 'boundary water,' but it is not known whether the name could etymologically refer to the Brandyfoot family, or whether the writers simply decided to create such a surname because it sounds similar to Brandybuck.
In addition, the narrative of the series itself may suggest a possible distant relationship, as Nori's personality is like that of Bilbo and Frodo — her courage is not characteristic of the cowardly Harfoots, she is considered a rascal by her kin, and she is prone to communicating with other races. It is quite possible that this is a direct reference to the Baggins having inherited the traits of Elanor Brandyfoot, although again this may just be the writers' decision to appeal to fans by providing an image similar to Bilbo in The Hobbit and Frodo in LOTR.
But if the Stranger is indeed Gandalf, the connection is not one of blood. The fact that the Wizard is so close to Bilbo and Frodo means that he sees in them the brave girl who lived thousands of years ago.
When Will the Rings of Power Season 2 Be Released?
The new season of The Rings of Power will premiere in August 2024. Check out the full release schedule for The Rings of Power Season 2 episodes:
- S2E1, TBA — August 29, 2024
- S2E2, TBA — August 29, 2024
- S2E3, TBA — August 29, 2024
- S2E4, TBA — September 5, 2024
- S2E5, TBA — September 12, 2024
- S2E6, TBA — September 19, 2024
- S2E7, TBA — September 26, 2024
- S2E8, TBA — October 3, 2024