Merry People

After the Quest of Erebor and the Battle of Five Armies, Gandalf and Bilbo Baggins made the long westward journey back across Middle-earth toward the Shire. On that journey they returned to Rivendell, where tales of their adventures were told long into the night, and the exhausted Bilbo fell asleep. He was put to bed, and the Elves of the valley sang him a moonlight lullaby that had the effect of waking him from his deep sleep.

Nonetheless Bilbo gave the Elves a good-hearted response, calling them Merry People. This was characteristic of at least some of the Elves who dwelt in Rivendell, who were always ready with a merry song (and had greeted Bilbo and the Dwarves with such a song on their first visit to the valley).

It is not absolutely clear to whom the name 'Merry People' precisely referred. In the context of Bilbo's use of the name, it would seem to be meant for just the merry Elves who awakened him with their song. Curiously, though, the term is presented in capitalised form, which implies that it was some kind of name or title rather than just a passing reference.

Perhaps the 'Merry People' described the Elves of Rivendell in a more general sense (and indeed songs and tales were greatly valued there). Samwise Gamgee's opinion of Rivendell's Elves may be relevant here: 'Some like kings, terrible and splendid; and some as merry as children.' (The Fellowship of the Ring II 1, Many Meetings). The implication here seems to be that only certain of the Elves fell within the description of 'Merry People', but with only a single recorded instance of its use, the exact meaning of the phrase remains somewhat elusive.