The Peace of the Shire

The Peace of the Shire is the state of restored order and prosperity that follows the Scouring of the Shire, the final military action of the War of the Ring. After the Battle of Bywater and the death of Saruman, the hobbits, led by the returning Travellers, dismantle the oppressive rule of Lotho Sackville-Baggins and his ruffians, rebuild their homes, and usher in a period of remarkable natural abundance and social harmony. This peace is not merely the absence of conflict but a deliberate reclamation of the Shire's identity, marked by the restoration of Bagshot Row, the planting of a mallorn tree in the Party Field, and the quiet, healing lives of its inhabitants, even as the Ring-bearer himself finds no lasting rest within it.

The End of Tyranny and the Restoration of Order

The peace was achieved through decisive action. The Battle of Bywater, fought on November 3, 1419, saw the hobbits, rallied by the horns of Merry and Pippin, defeat the ruffians who had been terrorizing the land. The battle ended with the death of Saruman, who was stabbed by his own servant, Gríma Wormtongue, and the subsequent killing of Wormtongue by hobbit archers. With the tyrant's death, the oppressive rule of the 'Chief', Lotho Sackville-Baggins, who had been murdered by Wormtongue, was over. The hobbits then set about the immense task of clearing up the mess. The new Shirriff-houses and other buildings erected by 'Sharkey's Men' were torn down, and their bricks were used to repair many an old hole. The prisoners were released from the Lockholes, including the former Mayor, Will Whitfoot, and Frodo's friend, Fredegar Bolger. The last remnants of the ruffians were hunted down by Merry and Pippin and driven from the land before the year's end.

The Rebuilding and the Return of Abundance

The physical restoration of the Shire was a great labour, but the hobbits worked with a will. One of the first tasks was the clearing of the Hill and Bag End, and the restoration of Bagshot Row. The sand-pit that had been dug there was levelled and made into a sheltered garden, and new holes were dug into the southward face of the Hill, lined with brick. The Gaffer, Hamfast Gamgee, was restored to his home at Number Three. The trees that had been felled were the greatest loss, and Samwise Gamgee grieved over this more than anything else. He used the gift of Galadriel, a box of earth from her orchard, to plant saplings in all the places where beloved trees had been destroyed, and he cast the remaining dust at the Three-Farthing Stone. In the Party Field, he planted the little silver nut, which grew into a beautiful mallorn tree, the only one west of the Mountains and east of the Sea. The year 1420 was a marvellous year, with wonderful sunshine and delicious rain, and an air of richness and growth. The fruit was so plentiful that young hobbits nearly bathed in strawberries and cream, and the beer of 1420 malt was long remembered.

The Lives of the Travellers and the Unhealed Wound

The peace brought contentment to most, but not to all. Merry and Pippin lived together at Crickhollow, cutting a great dash with their songs, tales, and finery. Samwise Gamgee married Rose Cotton in the spring of 1420, and they came to live at Bag End, where Sam was looked after with great care by his master. Frodo, however, dropped quietly out of all the doings of the Shire. He was wounded, as he told Sam, and it would never really heal. He was ill again in March of 1421, and on the anniversary of his poisoning by Shelob, October 6, he was taken ill once more. The peace of the Shire could not cure the wounds he had received from the knife of the Witch-king, the sting of Shelob, and the burden of the Ring. His departure was foreshadowed when he told Sam that he was going to Rivendell, and then, on September 21, 1421, he set out with Sam, meeting Elrond, Galadriel, and Bilbo on the way, and departing over Sea from the Grey Havens, leaving Sam to enjoy the peace he had helped to create.