Burdock Everdeen

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Burdock Everdeen
Biographical Information
Age	15 (Sunrise on the Reaping) 35 (at death)
Also known as	Burdie (by Haymitch Abernathy)
Occupation	Coal miner Hunter
Home	The Seam in District 12
Relatives	The Covey (maternal family) Lenore Dove Baird (distant cousin) Asterid Everdeen (wife) Katniss and Primrose Everdeen (daughters) Peeta Mellark (son-in-law) Unnamed granddaughter Unnamed grandson
Weapon	Bow and arrow
Fate	Deceased
Physical Information
Gender	Male
Eye Color	Gray (books)
Hair	Black (books) Brown (film)
Appearances
Book Appearances	Sunrise on the Reaping
Book Mentioned	The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay
Movie Appearances	The Hunger Games (flashbacks)
Movie Mentioned	The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2
Portrayed by	Phillip Troy Linger

Burdock Everdeen, nicknamed "Burdie" by Haymitch Abernathy, was the father of Katniss and Primrose Everdeen, as well as being Asterid Everdeen's husband. He lived and worked inside the gates of District 12 as a coal miner, poacher, and Katniss's teacher when it came to hunting in the woods, singing, and making good quality bows. His teachings are what allowed her to support her family after he died, and herself while she was in the Hunger Games.

Quick Answers

What skills did Mr. Everdeen teach Katniss that helped her survive the Hunger Games?

Mr. Everdeen imparted survival skills to Katniss Everdeen that proved crucial in the Hunger Games. He trained her in hunting, crafting high-quality bows, and understanding woodcraft. Additionally, Katniss inherited her father's beautiful singing voice, which played a significant role in her survival.

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How did Mr. Everdeen's death impact Katniss's life?

Mr. Everdeen's death in a mining accident led to a significant shift in Katniss's life. His demise plunged Mrs. Everdeen into severe depression, causing her to neglect her children. Consequently, Katniss had to assume the role of the family's provider, utilizing the foraging and hunting skills her father had taught her. This event not only burdened her with responsibilities but also molded her into a resilient survivor.

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What was Mr. Everdeen's occupation in District 12?

In District 12, Mr. Everdeen worked as a coal miner and a hunter. He imparted vital skills to his daughter, Katniss, including hunting, crafting quality bows, and singing. These skills later became crucial for Katniss in providing for her family post his demise and while participating in the Hunger Games.

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Why didn't Peeta's father buy Mr. Everdeen's entry out of the Hunger Games?

There's no mention in the source material that Peeta's father had the option or ability to buy Mr. Everdeen's entry out of the Hunger Games. The games are compulsory for all eligible children in the districts. The connection between Peeta's father and the Everdeen family is that he initially desired to marry Katniss's mother, but this doesn't imply he could influence the games' selection process.

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Biography

Burdock Everdeen was a friend of Haymitch Abernathy when they were children. Burdock used to sneak out of District 12 under the fence "all the time". When they were ten, he encouraged Haymitch to go under the fence and into the woods for the first time. Burdock was said to have had a beautiful voice, just like his daughter, Katniss, and it was claimed that even the birds would stop to listen when he sang. On the way, he sang and showed Haymitch how the mockingjays would sing back. He then introduced Haymitch to his cousin, Lenore Dove, who Haymitch would later fall in love with.

When he was a teenager, he started hunting and trading game. He owned and cherished arrows made by Tam Amber. He also took up wildcrafting and traded them in the apothecary to Asterid March, a healer from the merchant area of District 12, while he was from the Seam. He impressed her with his singing voice. Burdock and Haymitch used to sneak into the empty Victors' Village and peek into the windows. On the day of the reaping for the 50th Hunger Games, he went to the apothecary and gave her a sprig of chamomile for good luck. After Woodbine Chance was reaped, he saved Otho Mellark by punching his knee to get him on the ground and out of the Peacekeepers' line of fire.

Burdock tried to help when the home of Willamae and Sid Abernathy was burned down. He stopped Haymitch from running into the fire and held onto him, asking Asterid to help soothe his pain with sleep syrup. Later, Burdock was one of the people that carried Willamae and Sid's coffin. He and Blair caught Haymitch after he collapsed in grief, taking him to his new home in the Victors' Village and staying there overnight after bringing hand-me-down clothes and more sleep syrup. Following Lenore Dove Baird's death and Haymitch's subsequent withdrawal from his friends, Burdock and Asterid stayed with him longer than anyone else, only stopping when Haymitch threw a rock at Asterid.

Burdock found Haymitch in the woods weeks later, still searching for Lenore Dove. He led him to the Covey graveyard before leaving.

Sometime later, Burdock and Asterid married and had two daughters named Katniss and Prim together. Their lives were considerably different, and it was a big change for both of them to be together and to move on to their new life. He taught his daughters "The Hanging Tree" song, but Asterid yelled at him when she found the girls singing it and making rope necklaces. After that, he told Katniss they'd "better not sing that song anymore." He also taught Katniss survival skills in the woods and introduced her to the lake, she definitely looked up to her father.

Death

Mr. Everdeen in Katniss's flashback

Mr. Everdeen died in a mine explosion in January five years before the 74th Hunger Games. The explosion killed both him and Mr. Hawthorne as well as other workers, who were either vaporized or blown into bits.

That day, sirens went off and all the kids were herded out of school to the entrance of the mine. The elevator brought up many men, but Katniss' father and Gale Hawthorne's father never emerged and were instantly presumed dead.

Katniss had many nightmares about that day, which involved her screaming and telling her father to escape the mine before it exploded. Later, Katniss met Gale for the first time when they were given the Medal of Honor for their fathers' sacrifices.

Personality and traits

As an adolescent, his voice was "high and sweet like a grown-up woman's but cleaner, nothing warbly about it." According to Katniss, Mr. Everdeen liked to sing, swim, and hunt, and he had a very level head. He taught Katniss all of these things, and many songs as well. He was well-liked all over District 12, his wife even leaving her merchant life for the Seam.

In addition to being a loving father, Mr. Everdeen also seemed to have a rebellious streak, a trait inherited by his eldest daughter. For example, his work as a hunter and gatherer in the woods surrounding District 12 was technically illegal, although the relatively lenient government officials of District 12 allowed it, as they were among the customers who bought the hunted animals.

Relationships

Haymitch Abernathy

"He has not forgiven me, will never, but is not beyond pity. Perhaps because he knows what it is to love."

—Haymitch Abernathy

Burdock and Haymitch were good friends as children and young men. He encouraged Haymitch to take risks, such as venturing beyond the fence, and the two sometimes went skinny dipping together. Burdock comforted Haymitch following the deaths of his family and girlfriend. After Haymitch injured Asterid in an attempt to get them to stop coming by, Burdock never forgave him, but still showed him the location of Lenore Dove's grave.

Family

His only known family members are his two children, Katniss and Primrose Everdeen, and his wife, Asterid. Peeta Mellark later became his son-in-law, and he and Katniss bore him two grandchildren, a girl and a boy, but he didn't live to see it. He is related to the Covey on his mother's side, and was a distant cousin to Lenore Dove Baird.

Gallery

Trivia

• Various facts about Lucy Gray Baird, the winner of the 10th Hunger Games, prompted fan speculation that she could be a relative of Katniss and her father, either through one of her cousins (most popularly Maude Ivory) or as a direct ancestor (making her Katniss's paternal grandmother or great-grandmother).
  • Lucy Gray wrote The Hanging Tree, a song Mr. Everdeen taught to Katniss, and that was only sung once in public, not enough for the average person to learn it, meaning either Lucy Gray herself or Maude Ivory could have taught it to him. Lucy Gray also mentioned that Maude Ivory could memorize a song after just one listen, so she may have been able to repeat it.
  • Lucy Gray and the Covey lived in the Seam, which is where Katniss' father was from.
  • She knew of wild herbs such as katniss and stated her preference for that name, maybe becoming an influence for later naming his daughter that way.
  • She and the rest of the Covey knew of the lake and the cabin outside of District 12.
  • The Covey collected milk from their pet goat Shamus, similar to Primrose Everdeen with her goat Lady.
  • Lucy Gray performed The Valley Song, which she may have written, in the Capitol Zoo and at the Hob — in the 74th Games, Peeta mentions that on the first day of school, Katniss was the only one in their class who knew the Valley Song.
  • Lucy Gray used to sing the Deep in the Meadow lullaby to Maude Ivory, which Katniss used to sing to her sister Prim and also sang to Rue when she died.
• He was younger than Haymitch Abernathy, possibly by a few weeks or months.

Etymology

His surname, Everdeen, comes from Bathsheba Everdene, the main character in Far from the Madding Crowd. The first name Burdock, comes from the burdock plant of the daisy family (Asteraceae), specifically the genus Arctium. "Bur" refers to the plant's burrs (prickly seed vessels), and "dock" refers to the plant's large dock-like leaves. The hardy, deep-rooted burdock symbolizes resilience, aligning with Collins’ plant-based naming pattern, as Burdock remains a guiding force in Katniss’ life.