Tom Bombadil's Mystery Lady?

[baragund]

Hey gang,

The other day I started rereading LOTR cover to cover (for the first time in Oh 6-7 years) and came across this interesting little passage from Fog on the Barrow Downs. This happens after Tom frees the Hobbits from the Barrow Wight and they were going through the treasure that was recovered from the Barrow.

He chose for himself from the pile a brooch set with blue stones, many-shaded like flax-flowers or the wings of blue butterflies. He looked long at it, as if stirred by some memory, shaking his head, and saying at last:
'Here is a pretty toy for Tom and for his lady! Fair was she who long ago wore this on her shoulder. Goldberry shall wear it now, and we will not forget her!'

Any idea who this fair lady was? My speculation is it's a queen or member of the royal court from one of the Arnorian kingdoms but I have nothing to base it on.

 

[YayGollum]

I think that there's plenty to back that up. They were in the Arnorian sector, and Tom Bombadil is quite friendly. That it belonged to some lady not from Arnor seems less likely, of course, but Tom might have been thinking about the Ainu who owned the thing Ages ago, who gave it to some human descendant or somesuch. It got in the barrow due to it being a gift from the guy's lady friend, mostly because she really liked her hair, and she had plenty of other brooches.

I am more interested in Tom's memory. He proclaims that he won't be forgetting somebody. Was the memory of whoever used to own the thing just really faint, and he's hoping that its presence will help him out, or was the memory not even able to fully surface, and he's saying that he's certain to not forget Goldberry? Either way, it's creepy. Is he just an idiot, or has he been neutralized by some evil character, since he could reportedly be a nuisance to them?

 

[baragund]

I didn't get the impression that Tom was being influenced by some evil Barrow Wight or that he was being forgetful. It seemed to me that he was lost in a nostalgic reverie over someone who may have once been quite dear to him. I think he remembered fully who the brooch belonged to but just didn't care share what may have been intimate memories of someone who lived over a thousand years earlier with the Hobbits.

Don't forget, the story is being told from the Hobbit's perspective so they are not going to have any insight on what's going on in Tom's head.

 

[YayGollum]

I wouldn't be surprised if the Tolkien dude meant things to be as harmless as you figure. I'm just being overly paranoid. Mostly because this is a thread about Tom Bombadil. More towards your original reason for the thread, though ---> No. It obviously came from some nasssty hobbit who had apparently passed through the area and was killed by the barrow wight. He was feeling sorrow for not being able to save her, too. <--- Only thought up because you mentioned the nasssty hobbit point of view, figuring that Tom figured that the nasssty hobbitses would have figured the lady to have, um, an attractive figure. *hides*

 

[Illuin]

Originally posted by baragund
Any idea who this fair lady was? My speculation is it's a queen or member of the royal court from one of the Arnorian kingdoms but I have nothing to base it on.

I agree. Here are a few clues.

They heard of the Great Barrows...There was victory and defeat...Gold was piled on the biers of dead kings and queens; and mounds covered them, and the stone doors were shut; and the grass grew over all.
LOTR, In the House of Tom Bombadil

Some say that the mound in which the Ring-bearer was imprisoned had been the grave of the last prince of Cardolan, who fell in the war of 1409.
LOTR, The North-kingdom and the Dunedain - Appendix A

A remnant of the faithful among the Dunedain of Cardolan also held out in Tyrn Gorthad (the Barrowdowns), or took refuge in the Forest behind.
LOTR, The North-kingdom and the Dunedain - Appendix A

It was at this time (at the time of the Great Plague, around 1636) that an end came of the Dunedain of Cardolan, and evil spirits out of Angmar and Rhudaur entered into the deserted mounds and dwelt there.
UT, The Hunt For The Ring - Note #19

 

[baragund]

Thanks Iluin

I'm thinking that this passage is one of the many glimpses of the vast and ancient history of the lands that the Fellowship encounters. Seeing as how little Tolkien wrote about the nature of Tom Bombadil and Goldberry I would have been surprised if he had gone to the trouble of fleshing out this long passed queen or princess of Cardolan.

Being that they were neighbors and that the rulers of Cardolan were, for the most part, decent people, it makes sense that Tom would have been friendly with them. Perhaps this queen or princess shared Tom's and Goldberry's love for the forest and the Withywindle River to an exceptional degree and they developed a particularly strong friendship. And as it would happen when an immortal forms such a friendship with a mortal, it would be quite sad for Tom to watch his dear friend grow old and eventually pass away. Tom's reaction when he found her brooch would have been similar to the reaction you or I would have if we come across something not seen for a long time that reminds us of a loved one who passed away long ago.

 

[ltnjmy]

Thank you baragund for a fascinating thread and thanks to all who have posted some very interesting replies thus far

 

[Bucky]

Great post by Illuin & great final thought by Bargund....

Nothing to add except "Sorry YayGollum, no conspiracy theory here'.

 

[baragund]

Aw shucks, thanks for the kind thoughts guys...

One of the wonderful things about these books is every time I read them I pick up something new. Also, it's interesting so see my attitudes towards elements of the story and towards the characters evolve over time.

 

[Ancalagon]

I always wondered what became of Queen Berúthiel, whom I suspect could have been buried among the Kings and Queens of the Barrow Downs. Could it be Tom 'purred' at the thought of her! Fascinating find Baragund, you are right, the works never cease to throw up new revelations. Somehow though, I believe Tolkien loved to leave the reader begging for more detail when he left so much unanswered. He is king of Carrot and Stick!

 

[Halasían]

They heard of the Great Barrows...There was victory and defeat...Gold was piled on the biers of dead kings and queens; and mounds covered them, and the stone doors were shut; and the grass grew over all.
LOTR, In the House of Tom Bombadil

Some say that the mound in which the Ring-bearer was imprisoned had been the grave of the last prince of Cardolan, who fell in the war of 1409.
LOTR, The North-kingdom and the Dunedain - Appendix A

A remnant of the faithful among the Dunedain of Cardolan also held out in Tyrn Gorthad (the Barrowdowns), or took refuge in the Forest behind.
LOTR, The North-kingdom and the Dunedain - Appendix A

It was at this time (at the time of the Great Plague, around 1636) that an end came of the Dunedain of Cardolan, and evil spirits out of Angmar and Rhudaur entered into the deserted mounds and dwelt there.
UT, The Hunt For The Ring - Note #19

Some good references here! Thanks Illuin (who hasn't been here since 2011...)