Lord of the Rings (musical) the region of Middle-earth known as the Shire, Bilbo Baggins, an eccentric and wealthy Hobbit, celebrates his eleventyhundredth birthday by vanishing from his birthday party, leaving his greatest treasure, a mysterious magic Ring, to his young relative Frodo Baggins ("Springle Ring"). The Ring is greatly desired by the Dark Lord Sauron, who could use it to conquer the world, and must be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom in Sauron's country of Mordor. Frodo and his friends Samwise Gamgee, Merry Brandybuck and Pippin Took set out along the road that leads out of the Shire ("The Road Goes On").
Samwise Gamgee way admirable – except in his service and loyalty to his master." (letter to Mrs. Eileen Elgar in September 1963) In the appendices of "The Lord of the Rings", Tolkien says the "true" or Westron form of Sam's name is "Banazîr Galbasi" (also spelt "Galpsi"). As with "Samwise", "Banazîr" comes from elements meaning "halfwise" or "simple". "Galbasi" comes from the name of the village "Galabas". The name "Galabas" uses the elements "galab-", meaning "game", and "bas-", corresponding somewhat to "-wich" or "-wick". In his role as "translator" of the "Red Book of Westmarch", Tolkien devised a strict English translation, "Samwís