[davem]

Peregrine: a pilgrim or traveller in a foreign land; to live in a foreign country, to go on a pilgrimage; - to traverse- foreign looking;a complet & systematic course or round; a sojourn abroad.
Pippinsomething or someone especially nice, attractive, good.(Chambers Dictionary)

I think this pretty much sums up Pippin - especially nice, attractive, good on a pilgrimage or sojourn abroad.

He's very much like the Grail knight Perceval, or Peredur, innocent but curious, getting himself into various scrapes, but coming through in the end. He is drawn to 'dark things, but not out of malice, or a tendency towards evil, but out of curiosity, a desire to discover things. In a sense he is like the medieval pilgrims - he has a goal but is not averse to stepping aside & following his curiosity, or even like the Fool in Tarot, shown about to step off a cliff into the unknown, with a little dog pulling at his stocking, trying to hold him back from disaster, but he himself ignores it, as he is full of trust in God, fate, the Universe, whatever label you want to attatch.

Actually, its that innocent trust that preserves him, endears him to us, makes us care about him. Its not that he is unaware of dangers, of the risks he faces & even leads others into - its that his trust, his belief that whatever happens, 'All shall be well, & all shall be well, & all manner of thing shall be well' (Mother Julian of Norwich) that makes him so necessary to the Fellowship. His innocence may infuriate but it also uplifts.

In the end, he does learn the lessons that he needs to, but he is never overwhelmed by what he faces, & never loses his innocent joie de vivre. If he & Merry make their way home from the haves laughing & singing, I bet its Pippin who starts them off, because he, of all of the Companions, knows that there is light beyond any apparent darkness & joy beyond the walls of the world.