Editing Bard the Bowman (section)

==Fictional history==

Bard is a descendant of Girion, the last lord of the city of Dale, which had been destroyed by the [[dragon (Middle-earth)|dragon]] [[Smaug]] 171 years<ref>{{cite web |url=https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Timeline/Third_Age |title=Timeline/Third Age |date=22 July 2023 |website=[[Tolkien Gateway]]}}</ref> before the events of ''[[The Hobbit]]'', which takes place in year 2941 of the [[Third Age]]. He is the captain of a company of archers in [[Esgaroth]] (also known as Lake-town). His friends accused him of prophesying floods and poisoned fish, but they knew his worth and courage. He is described as tall and grim with black hair.<ref name="XIV" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1937}}, Chapter XIV.</ref> When Smaug attacks Lake-town, Bard is the last of the archers to stand his post, but the dragon is immune to arrows. However, a [[thrush (bird)|thrush]] speaks to Bard, showing him the weak spot in the dragon's armour in the hollow under Smaug's left breast, which Bilbo had discovered in his conversation with Smaug. He fires his favourite shaft, the family heirloom "[[List of Middle-earth weapons and armour#Black Arrow|Black Arrow]]", and kills Smaug, who falls onto Lake-town, destroying it.<ref name="XIV" group=T/>

After the dragon's death, Bard joins the survivors of the attack on Lake-town and discovers that they had thought him dead. The survivors receive assistance from the elves of [[Mirkwood]], and together [[Thranduil]] and the able-bodied men of Lake-town travel to the [[Lonely Mountain]] to claim a share of the dragon hoard. In the absence of [[Thorin Oakenshield]] and his company, all believed to have been killed by the dragon, Bard has a rightful claim to the treasure as the heir of Girion, and also a charitable claim to alleviate the suffering of the people of Lake-town.<ref name="XIV" group=T/>

However, at the Lonely Mountain, Bard discovers that Thorin Oakenshield, King under the Mountain, is very much alive, along with all his companions. Their response to Bard's claim is to barricade themselves inside the mountain, refusing to surrender any of the treasure under threat of war.<ref name="XV and XVI" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1937}}, Chapters XV and XVI.</ref> To break the stalemate, [[Bilbo Baggins]] slips out of the mountain at night and offers the Arkenstone to Bard in order to put pressure on Thorin to make peace with the Elves and Men. However, Thorin is unwilling to share any of Smaug's treasure with an armed host at his gates, which causes the elves and men to prepare to besiege the mountain.<ref name="XV and XVI" group=T/> To make matters worse, Thorin's cousin [[Dáin II Ironfoot]] arrives to reinforce Thorin's claim to their family home under the mountain. However, a large army of Goblins and [[Warg (Middle-earth)|Wargs]] arrives on the scene, forcing the three armies to unite to fight against them. Bard leads the men into battle, reinforced by the arrival of [[Beorn]] and the [[Eagle (Middle-earth)|Eagles]].<ref name="XVII" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1937}}, Chapter XVII.</ref>

After the death of Thorin in the Battle of Five Armies, Dain becomes King under the Mountain. He redeems the Arkenstone from Bard with a fourteenth of the treasure, which is used to re-establish Dale.<ref name="XVIII" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1937}}, Chapter XVIII.</ref> Over the next three years, Bard rebuilds the city of Dale and becomes its ruler. The city begins to prosper again.<ref name="XIX" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1937}}, Chapter XIX.</ref> Bard's reign lasts for thirty-three years. He is succeeded by his son Bain.<ref name="LoTR-App2" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1955|loc=Appendix II, "The Third Age"}}</ref> His grandson, Brand, fought alongside Dain II Ironfoot in the Battle of Dale against a horde of [[Sauron]]'s Easterling invaders during the War of the Ring.