Timeline Event
Bounders increased on the Shire borders
Event Type: Military/Strategic
Age: 3rd Age - The Stewards
Year: 3001
Description:
An event in the prelude to Bilbo's Farewell Party; see that entry for an overview:
At the time when [The Lord of the Rings] begins the Bounders... had been greatly increased. There were many reports and complaints of strange persons and creatures prowling about the borders, or over them: the first sign that all was not quite as it should be, and always had been except in tales and legends of long ago. Few heeded the sign, and not even Bilbo yet had any notion of what it portended.
The Fellowship of the Ring, LoTR Prologue, Of the Ordering of the Shire
'All the same,' said Sam, 'you can't deny that others besides our Halfast have seen queer folk crossing the Shire — crossing it, mind you: there are more that are turned back at the borders. The Bounders have never been so busy before.'
The Fellowship of the Ring, LoTR Book 1, Ch 2, The Shadow of the Past
Notes
The date is an estimate, based upon the increase being noticeable before September 3001.
Contributors:
Elena Tiriel 20Jul07