Gerontius Took
Gerontius Took ( - , died aged 130), also known as The Old Took, was a renowned Hobbit and twenty-sixth Thain of the Shire.
History
Gerontius was the only son of Fortinbras I. He married Adamanta Chubb, who gave birth to twelve children: Isengrim III, Hildigard, Isumbras IV, Hildigrim, Isembold, Hildifons, Isembard, Hildibrand, Belladonna, Donnamira, Mirabella and Isengar.
After the death of his father in , Gerontius became the twenty-sixth Thain of the Shire. He was a friend of Gandalf, who gave him a pair of magic diamond studs and performed firework tricks during Gerontius' midsummer-eve parties.
Gerontius Took reached the impressive age of 130, which made him the oldest Hobbit until his grandson Bilbo Baggins celebrated his 131st Birthday. He also held the record of most offspring, until Samwise Gamgee bested him with Tom's birth in .
Etymology
He was called The Old Took not because of his age, but because of his numerous younger relatives.
Gerontius is a Latin name, which means "Old-man". It is derived from Greek Geróntios. The element géron is Greek for "old". Gerontius was a popular name in the Late Roman Empire and is rendered as Geraint in Welsh. Geraint is found as a royal name in The Mabinogion and in Tennyson's Geraint and Enid.
Gerontius is one of the very few Greco-Latin names appearing in Hobbit lore.
Inspiration
In a letter to Mr. and Mrs. Kloos, Tolkien stated that when he wrote The Hobbit, he had imagined Bilbo's grandfather to be old, because both of his grandparents were around a hundred years old when they died.
Portrayal in adaptations
2012: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey:
The Old Took appears in a scene in the Extended Edition, played by Dan Hennah.
Referencias
1. Esta ficha se ha importado inicialmente de TolkienGateway.net el día 26/05/2026.
