watcher in the water

[morgoth145]

i don't know for sure if there have been more threads about this nut i am still going to ask.
what is the watcher in the water? is there any information given on what he is?
or is it just like tom bombadil where the origin or race of the being is not described and meant to stay a mystery even for the creator?
any answers are welcome

 

[Peeping-Tom]

Basically, it's the latter....
But, in my opinion, it is one of the spirits, who entered Arda in the elder days....

Here is a link to the answer I would have postet here, if I had not just postet it elswhere...

And I believe, that the question has been asked many many times before, but don't let that stop you... :*D If you make an effort, but are not able to find a desired thread, just make a new. Then, probably, some idiotic smart-a** comes along and points you in the right direction... :*up

 

[morgoth145]

Basically, it's the latter....
But, in my opinion, it is one of the spirits, who entered Arda in the elder days....

Here is a link to the answer I would have postet here, if I had not just postet it elswhere...

And I believe, that the question has been asked many many times before, but don't let that stop you... :*D If you make an effort, but are not able to find a desired thread, just make a new. Then, probably, some idiotic smart-a** comes along and points you in the right direction... :*up

lol true true and im glad there are smart a**es, that way i get the answers i want (most of the time) and im glad that people respond quick to threads

 

[Parsifal]

But, in my opinion, it is one of the spirits, who entered Arda in the elder days....

Thats what I assume too. Basically, I need to answer these questions for myself, for answers like "Tolkien wanted it to remain an enigma" or "Bombadil adds something the story would miss otherwise" just don't satisfy me.

Anyway, I would say most of the creatures not part of any "race" would be some kind of "spirits", be they Good (Gandalf), Evil (Sauron) or neutral (Bombadil).
This includes Ungoliant (but what about her offspring?), probably mountain giants, powers like Caradhras, and all Maiar (Angels) and Enemies (Demons). It possibly includes some powerfull Orc chieftains, which are fallen Maia who have taken the form of an Orc.

Most Medieval scholars assumed the total number of Angels and Demons to be half a billion, of which a significant part (the two most famous estimates are 44,435,622 and 133,316,666) has Fallen.

Tolkien being Catholic (and having based his lore on ancient legends) probably thought in the neighbourhood of these numbers as well, and that leaves room to spare for all the powers, great and small, in his books.