Star Elijah Wood has found humor in a bizarre theory aboutThe Lord of the Ringsinvolving his character Frodo and fellow Fellowship member Legolas Greenleaf. The beauty of Peter Jackson’s firstLord of the Ringsmovie,The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, lies in the unlikely group of allies setting out on a dangerous, life-altering journey together.
Hobbits, elves, dwarves, men, and wizards usually don’t mix, but in this case, they all had a common goal and found common ground. Sean Bean’s Boromir found friendship with the hobbits. John Rhys-Davies' Gimli came to an understanding with the elves. And yet,according to one peculiar yet hilariousLord of the Ringstheory, twomembers of the Fellowshipbarely knew each other.
During an interview withScreenRant’s Ash Crossan at San Diego Comic-Con for their upcoming remake of cult horror comedyThe Toxic Avenger, Elijah Wood, co-star Peter Dinklage, and director Macon Blair discussed one of the more amusingLord of the Ringstheories floating around on the internet.
Ash Crossan: I haven’t been able to get this out of my brain. I saw this clip a couple months ago that there’s a theory that Frodo doesn’t know Legolas' name.
Elijah Wood: I’ve seen this, yeah.
Ash Crossan: What do you think of that? Because he never says it.
Elijah Wood: He doesn’t say his name. I know. He must, though. It comes from that scene where he is reunited with The Fellowship. He says everyone’s name except for Legolas. He just smiles at him.
Peter Dinklage: Is it a snap? Like old s–t between the two of you?
Macon Blair: Which makes it seem like it’s your fault. Did he ever introduce himself to you? It’s really on him.
Peter Dinklage: It’s like an awkward dinner party.
Elijah Wood: At the Council of Elrond, I feel like he is named. “You have my bow.” I suppose he doesn’t say, “I’m Legolas, you have my bow.” I don’t think he knows his name. I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. But I love this theory. [Laughs]
Peter Dinklage: They were roommates. It didn’t end well. [Chuckles]
Macon Blair: It’s like after you’ve gone through all of that, then it’s too late to ask.
Is It Possible That Frodo Didn’t Know Legolas' Name?
Frodo Doesn’t Speak Elvish!
As Wood mentioned during the interview, at the end ofThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, there’s an extended, slow-motion sequence where the entirety of the fellowship is reunited with the sickly but heroic Frodo. Each member of the Fellowship enters his room in turn, but, as the theory points out,the only one Frodo doesn’t mention by name is Legolas(Orlando Bloom).
Is it possible that Frodo never learned Legolas' name? I had to rewatch the Council of Elrond scene inFellowship. Elrond (Hugo Weaving) introduces Frodo by name. Gandalf calls out Boromir and tells him to calm down. Legolas, of course, brazenly reveals Aragorn’s (Viggo Mortensen) real identity to the entire congregation. When Gimli tries to crack the One Ring, Elrond calls him by his full name, too.
Legolas is mentioned by name, though it’s easy to miss – Frodo may well have missed it, too. After Legolas' brave defense of Aragorn, Aragorn essentially tells him to calm down in Elvish, uttering his friend’s name at the end. Since Frodo doesn’t speak Elvish, it’s entirely possible that he thought"Legolas"was just another random Elvish word rather than the elf’s actual name.
Our Take On This Hilarious Lord Of The Rings Theory
It’s Unlikely But Highly Amusing
I’m choosing to believe Frodo was under the impression that Legolas was just an Elvish word. I love the idea that, after they survived the grueling ordeal of traversing snow-capped mountains and being chased by Orcs, Frodo felt too awkward to ask Legolas for his name, resorting to nodding at him awkwardly instead.
Of course, it’s more likely that Frodo learned Legolas' name at some point during their journey, and we just never get to hear him say it out loud. Perhaps he simply couldn’t speak when Legolas walked into the room in all his elvish glory. Whatever the case may be, there’s always room for more wild, tongue-in-cheekThe Lord of the Ringstheories.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Cast
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is the first film in Peter Jackson’s critically acclaimed Lord of the Rings trilogy. The movie follows Frodo Baggins (Elijah Woods) as he is tasked with destroying the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom after he inherits the ring.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The final installment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Return of the King concludes the epic saga of the Fellowship’s quest to destroy the One Ring and put an end to Sauron’s reign of terror. As Frodo and Sam continue on their way to Mordor and Mount Doom, accompanied by Gollom, the rest of the Fellowship work to defend Minas Tirith from Sauron’s forces. The film’s ensemble cast includes Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Ian McKellen, Vigo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, and Dominic Monaghan.
