Who is Barliman Butterbur?
 

My friend took the personality test on this site and she got 'most like Barliman Butterbur'. I have absolutly no idea who that is. Help?

Barliman Butterbur is the inkeeper of the Prancing Pony, an inn located in Bree. The Hobbits stopped there on their original journey to Rivendell. Barliman, though knowing little about the affairs outside of Bree nor the importance of Frodo's mission, aided the hobbits with food and other supplies. He is very forgetful yet kind hearted and harmless. I rather like the fellow myself. This is a rather vague interpretation of him, undoubtedly more learned Barrow Downs members could give you a better explanation.

According to Gandalf, Barliman Butterbur, although he seemed slow and rather stupid, could 'see through a brick wall in time'. As the landlord of the most prominent inn west of the mountains he must have met a great variety of folk pasing through and be reasonably well informed about the goings-on of Middle Earth. Although he wasn't exactly sparky, he could get to the bottom of a problem eventually and must have been a good businessman. His heart was certainly in the right place, when told that the Black Riders were from Mordor he bravely tried to do what he could for the Hobbits. Aragorn, though, had a harsher view, evidently believing him to be just a fat bar-steward.

I think you got it quite wrong, Rumil. Aragorn's view on Barliman Butterbur, I mean. I think Aragorn knew Barliman was a kind-hearted fellow, and not thinking him a fat bar-steward. In many things Aragorn had a point of view quite the same as Gandalf.
Barliman on the other hand was rather suspicious towards Aragorn, because he was a ranger, and people did not like the rangers in Bree, them being grim-looking men which came and went when they wanted to and not knowing what they really were.

I think Aragorn was indeed thinking Barliman a good man, who knew his business, but not the business of the Rangers and therefore unkindly to them.

greetings,
lathspell

I wonder why Gandalf thinks Barliman is 'shrewd'.