Bill the pony - A Character Study
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- čas přidán 6. 09. 2024
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"Bill swished his tail and said nothing" is one of my most favorite lines in LOTR
Right up there with the Thinking Fox's inner monologue and that moment when Sam beans Bill Ferny on the head with an apple, and just comments that it was a waste of a good apple.
Bill knows when no words are needed.
Mine is "I don't want to answer a string of questions while i am eating. I want to think!" - "Good heavens!" said Pippin. "At breakfast?"
@@bacul165 At *first* breakfast at that!
Bill is smart enough to know that silence is golden.
Now this is quality LOTR content
He never disappoints
Coving all details, none to small to be made to heros
Absolutely
Every LOTR video on this channel i end up thinking "wait, what? Really?", going to my bookshelf and re-reading the relevant parts of the books. It's always correct of course! (in this video i had not realized the Pony wasn't called Bill until Rivendell)
Ive been waiting years for this
Sam: "I cannot carry the ring for you, Mr. Frodo, but I can carry you."
Bill: "And I can carry YOU."
"You have my sword!"
"And my axe!"
"And my hooves!"
….and your pots and pans, bedrolls, and whatnots ect..
Except he's back home in Bree for months by that stage, and nobody rode him anywhere.
@@theressomelovelyfilthdownh4329 Woosh.
When you realize that Bill was Sam's Sam
and now we need a complete "what did the lord of the rings look like from the pov of bill the pony" history of the third age
Or “ what if Bill the Pony took the ring? “ 😅
They are kind of running out of topics..
Bill the pony: complete travels!
@@p-ar1755am I tripping or didn’t this already happen?
@@dingo1547 You're not tripping, but you're not quite correct either. The video in question is by Men of the West, not In Deep Geek.
Sam's character owes so much to the 'lower-class' soldiers of the Great War that I can't help thinking that Bill probably owes a lot to its horses. Tolkien saw men and horses suffer and die all around him; even after the war, many of the surviving men were never the same again and the surviving horses were much more likely to be slaughtered for food than shipped home. Sam and Bill beating impossible odds to come back together feels like a cathartic moment for Tolkien. There was nothing he could do as a soldier to save the men or horses of his own war, but as an author, he could make sure that one small gardener and his pony lived through theirs to thrive in peacetime.
How did a fictional pony make me cry.
And me
Probably a combination of Tolkien's and IDG's storytelling. Tolkien was a master wordsmith and IDG is excellent at retelling bits of the story like underlying plots. Frodo, Aragorn, Sam, and Pippin were the main characters of LOTR, but each character was the main character of their own story and Tolkien seemed to know that. He managed to thread enough of those stories into the main one and eagle-eyed readers like IDG are able to parse through them and extract the secondary stories.
Glad I'm not the only one.😊
I think it means you have a good heart.
i've got tears in my eyes listening to this now and i'm only 4 mins in
“There and Back Again: A Horsie’s Tale” By Bill 🤗
❤
A Horsie’s *Tail 😊
Actually
It's a ponys tale
Or if you wants a ponytail 😂
And he lived a good and long life well taken care of by Sam
Wanting for noting and giving love to his owner as he was given from SAM
A unsung hero of the LOTR
Every bit as important as any other of the fellowship
Carrying FRODO when in the greatest of need and doing so whit stamina and fortitude as a real hero that he was
Just saying 🇳🇴
Tail
Dedicating an episode to Bill honours you, Robert.
Bill the pony was a ring bearer I would like to imagine he had an extended life with Sam
i loved learning about how Bills health improved on the journey with strider and the hobbits out of bree
Did he get to go to Valinor?
I like to think he did.
@@Jebbtube i had the same happy vision of it too.
@@JebbtubeSam lived a long and fruitful life until Rosie died and he went West but I don't think a pony would live that long. He definitely had a pleasant life in Hobbiton tho. 🤓😎✌🏻
I literally asked ChatGPT 4.0 this question.
"No, Bill the Pony does not count as a ring-bearer in J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series. The term "ring-bearer" specifically refers to the characters who have carried the One Ring, the central object of power and the focus of the story. Some of the notable ring-bearers include Sauron, Isildur, Gollum, Bilbo Baggins, Frodo Baggins, and Samwise Gamgee.
Bill the Pony is a loyal and brave character in the story, primarily associated with the Fellowship of the Ring. He is a pack animal, carrying supplies for the company. While he is an important character in his own right, he does not play a direct role in carrying the One Ring and thus is not considered a ring-bearer."
Some might think, "Oh no, In Deep Geek has ran out of characters to cover.", but I think, "Oh no, In Deep Geek has peaked!"
And then you have people like me that underwent a character arc from one to the other!
The unsung 10th member of the Fellowship, indeed Bill is. He is a good pony, the best
Tolkien has me crying over the character arc of a freaking pony. That's how much of a genius writer he was.
Never read "Black Beauty" by Anna Sewell?
I love that you did a 10 minute video on Bill, it's awesome.
I want him to do more videos on characters like this
2:13 That is a great point to bring up. Bill Ferny was one of the Nazgul's spies and accomplices within Bree, and yet his greed to take advantage of the situation unwittingly thwarted the goal of those he was working for. As you said, without Bill to carry their supplies and eventually carry Frodo, the group likely could not have made the journey to Rivendell that they did in time to escape the Nazgul.
It's another great example of a theme we see throughout the series. As Gandalf puts it later, "Oft evil will shall evil mar." - that evildoers will unwittingly help bring about their own downfall through their own evil motives. The very selfishness and venality that enabled the Nazgul to recruit Bill Ferny was what ultimately thwarted the plans that they recruited him to help fulfill.
Exactly. Wonderful Kizmet as Tolkien does so well.
I never thought of it quite like that. Bill turned them in and then sold them the getaway vehicle. That's the kind of person that just goes around destroying lives without even trying. How angry is Souron's ghost at frickin Bill Ferney of Bree and Smeagol. Isuldur was just minor hassle compared to old Bill.
I love so much that Tolkien tells us what became of Bill the pony, and that Bill is fine and lives out a happy life with Sam. Little details like that are part of what makes Tolkien one of the great geniuses of all time.
I just find the mental image of the Nazgul going around opening stables and spooking horses kind of hilarious...
This is why I love Sam so much. It is Sam's love that touched Bill and helped him to thrive. In Middle Earth love is a very powerful magic - and I believe Tolkein believed it is just as powerful in our world.
I love asking people (in socially appropriate situations, not just at Wendy's) who the ten members of the Fellowship were. Bill was such a solid member of the party he deserves to be remembered.
"...And who doesnt love Sam..?"
"Nasty little hobbitsies... Gollum! Gollum!"
the fat one
There is so much in the Lord of the Rings that really pulls at the heartstrings but to have such a minor detail mean so much to the reader is one of those things that make this such a beloved story.
If you want to know if a story is good, pick a side character at random and see how they develop throughout the story.
My favorite novels have side characters like that. They’re all told from a single protagonists viewpoint, but each supporting character could be a protagonist of an interconnected but independent story.
Bill was the second most powerful member of the fellowship. If Gandalf had allowed Sam to lead him into Moria, no doubt the Balrog would have been too afraid to even approach them.
I didn't think I would cry over a horse's fulfilling character arc, but here I am. Tolkien's masterpiece is a gift that keeps giving, and so are you, Robert.
The story of Bill really hit me as a kid when I first read LotR. It made me think long on how animals might view life.
Ever since, I've been a magnet for lost dogs and stray cats. I've befriended local crows and have tended a new nest of what became very mellow wasps. I've been approached by deer and raccoons; sometimes I had tidbits to share, always I've had kind words. I've even made friends with skunks at a camping lodge my better halves and I used to frequent and have yet to be sprayed once.
All because Professor Tolkien put it into my head to pay attention. ☺
Contente d'apprendre qu'une personne s'est liée d'amitié avec des guêpes ! Elles m'ont longtemps terrorisée puis un jour elles sont devenues mes amies....
You are Ratagast at heart.
@@juletaurus I now have a pair of squirrels and a jay who stop by daily for food and a chat. Our youngest cat found a nest of red striped garter snakes to lounge around with this past late summer, too. 😁
Finally!!! Some love for Bill! I’m tired of Shadowfax getting all the bedroom poster art space. Bill FTW!
That was a wonderful and unexpected treat. Tolkien created many animal heroes (and some animal villains) and Bill the pony is one of the most memorable. What a good boy he was! Tolkien never killed animals off, even villainous ones, unless the plot absolutely demanded it (rabbit stews excepted.) Huan died helping to save the world, but Bill's fate as a secondary character was never in doubt.
A good boy that had a rough start but embraced his role in the Fellowship. Bill the Pony lived happily ever after with his new master, Sam.
I like to think all the members of the fellowship were carefully chosen in a way by manwe or eru. And that applies even to the prancing pony that we know as bill:
This is peak In Deep Geek content
I liked this even before the video started😍. Everyone needs to hear the story of Bill the Pony. He is an invaluable member of the Fellowship and they wouldn't have made it far without him. And let's not forget, he kicked the shit outta Bill Ferny.
I gotta say, he is much undervalued...
Finally, someone gives us a video on a rather ignored, yet beloved, character. Thank you, Robert.
Such a sweet tribute to an unsung hero. A story about love, carring, protecting, and support. We love you Bill you have a huge heart and are a model for living a good life.
Thank you talking about Bill the pony.
It seems stupid perhaps, but I was very much invested in this "small" character and hoping for the reunion between Sam and Bill the pony.
Thanks for this. I remember reading the books for the first time and feeling so sad when Sam set Bill free at the doors of Moria. And then how my heart grew when they were reunited at the end. You rekindled those feelings after so many years. Thank you thank you thank you.
first time I read the books I got really upset over Bill running away, i assumed he died and I felt really sad, but reading he was at Bree, being looked after was one of the fist punching happy moments for me.
People give me weird looks when I tell them my favorite characters in the lord of the rings are Bill the Pony and Treebeard. Glad you have made videos about both.
Its always interesting what animals in stories and in real life bond best with humans in their adventures, I think horses have lost some of the esteem they once had, but its nice to see a character like Bill, simple side character, but with a personality all his own. Good to watch.
Well I smiled my way through this entire video. When I read the books as a child, I was VERY concerned for Bill's well-being and was so happy he was okay at the end. A beautiful video.
This now takes it's place amongst my very favorite commentaries on Professor Tolkien's work! Thank you for this wonderful video and for giving our beloved Bill his due.
This also rings very true to me. I've seen the change that can come over an animal when they go from a bad situation to a loving home. Their whole demeanor changes, they go from shy and scared to open and happy, and they treat their new humans far better than they ever did their old ones. They will surprise you in that before and after way, and you will see things in them you never expected when you first met them. All you need, as they say, is love.
And a few good meals.
BILL! BILL! BILL!
Good to see Bill the Pony get some love. He certainly deserves it for services rendered and his devotion to Sam. I was glad to read at the end that Bill had made it back to Bree safely, though I'd have thought he'd have been happier in Rivendell, or even going in search of Fatty Lumpkin at old Tom's place. 😊
Out of all the things they glossed over or left out of the Peter Jackson films, Bill the Pony was one that I wish they spent more time showing. He was really an integral part of the fellowship and a main character in his own way.
He got some love! ...and PJ wanted the Watcher to eat him! I think Fran and Philippa told Peter to pound sand, and that the audience would feel terrible if Bill wasn't sent back home, just like in the books. They won, he lost. Well done, ladies.
About damn time our boy gets his due!
I'm proud to share a name with this pony
Bill was always one of my favorite feel-good minor characters from the novel, along with Gildor Inglorion, Butterbur, Farmer Maggot, Bergil, Ioreth, and Ghan-Buri-Ghan.
Never clicked on a video quicker. Bill is such a Good Boy(tm)
the professor was just on another level, Even the story about the pony makes you cry. he was just built difrrent, words were his air.
Wait, this actually made me feel feels.
Thank you, Robert, ,for honoring so well the unofficial 10th member of the Fellowship.
We love you bill ❤️
From my very first reading of LotR, the Ballantine PBs an age ago, I fell in love with Bill. Yes, Bill definitely deserves his own bio.
This was a beautiful video to make, and Bill deserved it.
Thanks.
There is no one but you, who could do an entire session about Bill. Well done. Well done indeed
Finally Bill gets the recognition he deserves
I agree with all the comments listed so far; a great and much needed short discussion about Bill! Really enjoy your informative and researched style of video and analysis.
Excellent. That just brought tears to an otherwise tearless old man. Thanks! Long live Bill.
You left out that Bill saved the quest. If Bill hadn't carried Frodo after Frodo was injured on Weathertop, the Nazgul (all 9 of them) would have caught them in the wild well before they reached the Ford of Bruinen.
He does mention that part
@@Tzukaikari He mentions that Bill could spare his rider. He did NOT mention why Bill had a rider in the first place nor did he mention that saved the quest and without Bill carrying Frodo that the quest would have ended before they even got to Rivendell.
@@margaretalbrecht4650 2:47 , he mentions it.
Bill is the true unsung hero of LOTR
Bill is one of the Blue Wizards
Ah, now THAT is a proper Game of Thrones level dose of theoryitis!
Magnificent.
Plot twist!
Polando the Pony does have a ring to it
@@jefffinkbonner9551 Superb!
There's another thread that has asked "have you ever see Bill the pony and Shadowfax at the same time?"....so..are they both the SAME blue wizard?
No. The normal and the natural can do the extraordinary. That is enough for me. :)
Man seeing this video on my feed put a huge smile on my face!
Just last week, a couple days after my girlfriend and I watched Fellowship, I found myself wondering what happened to good ol’ Bill and now I know.
Not sure if it’s due to the right content for me at the right time or whether you’ve just made so many videos so regularly Robert that this was inevitable and coincidental.
Either way, you’re the man
Hell yeah, Bill was my favorite when I read LOTR back in middle school.
Fantastic! The wife and I were doing the first of our twice yearly marathon of the extended editions on Saturday, and we spent a good 20 minutes wondering about Bill. Perfect timing!
Thank you, Robert. I needed to cry like a baby at work today.
I think I'll call into work and say I have to cry all day so I need the day off.
Thank you Robert, I always loved Bill. This was wonderful.
Bill is a good boy
Finally some apreciation for our Bill. Thank You.
great video, loved the chefs kiss of sam riding bill home after the grey havens... never really thought about that before
Finding Bill in Eregion and escorting him out of (wolf) danger was one of my nerdy happy moments while playing LOTRO. Bill needs more recognition and juicy apples.
I'm crying, genuinely. This was so beautiful. 💜💜💜
I always loved Bill the Pony 💖
Bill?!? Our Bill?!?!?!? On In Deep Geek?!?!?!?!?!?!? Oh Robert, you’ve made my heart happy!!!
Bill the Pony is Sam's Sam, and I love that
My new head canon is that, just like how Aragon kneeled to the Hobbits; Shadowfax finds Bill and bows to him stating that he also bows to no one🥹🥹
Bill the Pony! This is the kind of hard hitting info I need.
Instead of the Gollum game we should have gotten a Bill the Pony game. The prologue could be the moment he and Sam say goodbye at the Gates of Moria and the actual gameplay would be him battling waugs, orcs, trolls, and Bill Ferny on his way back to the Prancing Pony. The epilogue being him reunited with Sam and family in the Shire.
As an actual cowboy who has worked with horses, I can personally attest to this: HORSES ARE SMART. They are more intelligent than most animals, sometimes have more common sense than humans, and have very real personalities.
The character arch of Bill the Pony is, in my appraisal at least, within the realm of possibility (minus the wizardly blessings of course.)
This is because I know what these animals are like from firsthand experience. Mind you, I am more inclined to ride a 4-wheeler when handling livestock than ride a horse, but I know that a "good" horse will aid their rider however they can, especially if they are experienced. Bill learning to spare the rider bumps and jolts is realistic, and a horse developing a deep bond with a human has absolutely happened many times before.
This is probably your best video. Ive never cried about a fictional pony before!
"Bill the Pony is the tenth member of the Fellowship"
Dude, you CANNOT come out swinging with suck a freaking wholesome and accurate line.
Damn, the end got me all misty eyed - LOL Good 'ol Bill. To be honest, I think he should have been allowed to travel with Frodo across the sea as he carried a ringbearer. So he also carried the ring, from a certain point of view.
"What if Bill the Pony got the One Ring?"
You know what the people want Robert...and you deliver, thank you.😁
Bill The Pony = Bill The Essential! 🤗👍
Thank you for another view on this magnificent story. ❤
M 🦘🏏😎
Not the video we deserve but the video we needed!
2:45
If you've never had to fight the highland midge before then I don't think you'll appreciate quite how horrific an experience that is. Mosquitos suck but being stuck outdoors with midges is a hell that I can't explain.
Yay, Bill! I always felt he deserved more recognition.
Damn bill the pony almost made me cry
Great video on Bill, but can we get one on Butterbur next? Dude seems super swell in the films, want to know if there's any further lore on him.
I think he did do one on Butterbur already…
I'm unsurprised, though delighted, that you made such a great Bill video. Good form as always!
Bill is clearly Eru and you can't change my mind about that
Everything starts to go sideways the moment they are separated from Bill the pony
He was clearly the strongest member of the fellowship.
“Neat work, Bill.” Always loved that line.
I love the part in the book that mentions Sam eating an apple as they leave Bree and Bill Ferney makes a snide comment about the horse and Sam throws the apple at him and knocks him out lmao
I love that you use images from Lord of the Rings Online. I love that game and it deserves more recognition. Their design of the Prancing Pony is very charming.
All joking aside, I'm legitimately pleased that someone thought to do a character study of Bill the Pony. He is such an overlooked character, especially because he made a not insignificant contribution to the success of getting the ring to Mordor.
Bill is the 10th member of the fellowship. The bravest of the ponies. It warms my heart knowing that thanks in part to Gandalf magical protection, he made a safe journey back to Bree and later reunited with Sam. Such good pony deserves it ❤️
This is fantastic! Thank you, Robert!
Great job on the story of Bill
Truly one of the relatively small elements that separates great stories from the merely good.
Its a testament to both Tolkien and your own presentation that I'm crying at the end of this video about a pony- whos role in a trilogy probably wouldn't even take up a whole page.
In my last D&D campaign I was playing a Goliath and the whole crew scored steeds through some backhanded dealings. I named my tiny Shetland pony “Fill Berny” in honor of the good Bill.