What is the name of the innkeeper who shelters Frodo’s group in Bree in The Lord of the Rings?

Barliman Butterbur is the innkeeper who shelters Frodo’s group in Bree in The Lord of the Rings.

Butterbur runs The Prancing Pony, the principal inn of Bree. Frodo and his companions stay there during the journey from the Shire, but Butterbur accidentally delays an important letter from Gandalf, contributing to the uncertainty surrounding Frodo’s departure.

He is portrayed as busy, forgetful, and good-natured rather than as a warrior or an intentional enemy. After the hobbits leave, he helps communicate information and provides practical assistance. His role shows how ordinary people in Bree become involved in the larger conflict without understanding all of its causes.

Butterbur is sometimes confused with Hamfast Gamgee, Frodo’s gardener and Sam’s father, or with Tom Bombadil, a powerful and mysterious figure encountered later. Gildor Inglorion is an Elf who helps the hobbits near the Shire. None of those characters runs the Bree inn.