What IS Tom Bombadil?

[elf boy]

Good to see this is being discussed again... I voted for other because I believe he comes closest to being one of the maiar, but I've heard lots of tolkien quotes and other material that say there isn't enough material to say what he is. He's just someone that can't really be explained.

 

[JediHobbit]

I always just sort of assumed he was a maia.

 

[LadyRanger]

This is my first time reading the LOTR and I just past the Tom Bombadil chapter.

I don't know what a maia or any other name posted in some of the replies (because I am a new tolkien fan and don't know too much yet) but I think Tom is someone who was just untouched by whatever it is that made others who they were. He was very close to nature making him a humble "being".

Maybe there's no name for what he is because the rest of the middle earth had forgotten the importance of his ways--which made the place how it is--evil lords, war etc. I'm probably way off but I just thought I'd post something (hehe).

 

[flame]

i dunno who he is, i think he is just a mad person who has a habbit of turning up when poeple are in truobal

 

[celebdraug]

Tom Bombadil is just...Tom Bombadil

 

[Barliman Butterbur]

Tolkien never said exactly who it was but he gave a few hints, and that has caused many theories on what he is.. So, what do you think he is?

Tolkien said quite specifically (In letter #16, "The Letters of JRR Tolkien") that he was "the spirit of the (vanishing) Oxford and Berkshire countryside..."

Also (#144): "And even in a mythical Age there must be some enigmas, as there always are. Tom Bombadil is one (intentionally)."

And from the same letter:

"Tom Bombadil is not an important person — to the narrative. I suppose he has some importance as a 'comment'. I mean, I do not really write like that: he is just an invention (who first appeared in the Oxford Magazine about 1933), and he represents something that I feel important, though I would not be prepared to analyze the feeling precisely. I would not, however, have left him in, if he did not have some kind of function. I might put it this way. The story is cast in terms of a good side, and a bad side, beauty against ruthless ugliness, tyranny against kingship, moderated freedom with consent against compulsion that has long lost any object save mere power, and so on; but both sides in some degree, conservative or destructive, want a measure of control, but if you have, as it were taken 'a vow of poverty', renounced control, and take your delight in things for themselves without reference to yourself, watching, observing, and to some extent knowing, then the question of the rights and wrongs of power and control might become utterly meaningless to you, and the means of power quite valueless. It is a natural pacifist view, which always arises in the mind when there is a war. But the view of Rivendell seems to be that it is an excellent thing to have represented, but that there are in fact things with which it cannot cope; and upon which its existence nonetheless depends. Ultimately only the victory of the West will allow Bombadil to continue, or even to survive. Nothing would be left for him in the world of Sauron."

There are more passages in the book referring to Bombadil, but these I leave to the reader who wants to read them for himself.

Lotho

 

[Gandalf The Grey]

Well, Lotho;

Another point on which we agree. ... I've read the very same quotes, and the first word that pops into my head to describe old Tom is "enigma." The second being "naturalist."

... By saying "naturalist" is where I can personalize and add something. For I know "in real life" a naturalist who to my mind is the very embodiment of Tom Bombadil ... right down to beard, boots, song, story, sense of humor / good-natured banter, fiddle-playing, and devotion to his wife!

You see, the Historical Interpreter for the park system where I volunteer is the spitting image of Old Tom, and he hosted a potluck dinner for the volunteers of the voyageur canoe program.

Here's something I wrote about a year ago after visiting his house:

Wind chimes of azure blue and silver rolled out rich tones on my arrival. Door was open. I let myself in, for all the rest were just sitting down to supper. A hearty meal it was, of ham and spiced green beans with mushrooms, of sausage and stuffed peppers, of white rolls with butter, of pie and cake, beer and coffee.

We spoke of the ways of chipmunks, and of boating on the river. There came a sad tale, for Tom had gone walking and come across a dead fox that someone had hunted and simply left behind.

There was a table for children set with candles. The tiny flames seemed to cast a spell to make them well-behaved and keep a decorous quiet ... for we grown-ups had no candles at our table, and it was we elders who were full of boisterous laughter!

We then went and sat before the hearth where a strong fire blazed. With eyes and smile as warm as the afternoon summer sun, the merry Bombadil asked us each to tell what we were doing to enjoy the winter! The magic of it was such that winter itself seemed to thaw into a golden blending of time, so that I ended by forgetting what day it was. And any who were cold were laughingly encouraged to sit in "the hot seat" closest to the fire ... People took turns, shivering as they came, but not shivering, nor sitting there, for long!

But there was a more touching magic, the magic of an unspoken wish come true. For two years ago, someone as a surprise had brought a cake decorated with a drawing of Old Tom, his boat, and each one of us volunteers who together form a fellowship. We were each served the slice of cake bearing our image on the frosting, and laughingly devoured it all too soon. So this year, I hoped for the same sort of surprise ... only one more tangible, lasting. When lo and behold! Tom brought out a parcel of shirts bound up with string, and began passing them around to each of us ... and there adorning each shirt was the very same drawing of our fellowship that had graced the cake!

At last the time came for visitors to depart. Tom, Goldberry and I kept our spirits up at our farewell, though all three of us keenly felt at that time the uncertainty of where my road would lead. Thus, we did not wish to say good-bye, preferring the promise of, "I'll see you again in the spring!" The road of course, goes ever on, and leads to ever more adventure ... But may the road never lead me so far as to keep me from returning to this house and these friends!

Gandalf the Grey

 

[Barliman Butterbur]

Well, Lotho; Another point on which we agree. ... I've read the very same quotes, and the first word that pops into my head to describe old Tom is "enigma." The second being "naturalist." ... By saying "naturalist" is where I can personalize and add something...

By Gad Sir! If that lovely piece is characteristic, then you must have an exceptionally lovely life indeed, and do have a lavish gift for writing about it as well! Thanks for a thoroughly enjoyable post!

Lotho

PS: Come to think of it, I'm reminded of a Tom I know, who lives in a small town in Oregon. You two are cut of the same cloth, you'd really enjoy each others' company — two bon bivants!

 

[Gandalf The Grey]

While characteristic, good Lotho,

... also characteristic of my life has been a nightmare about the One Ring (I actually dreamed a scene from PJ's first movie before ever seeing it in waking life, though my dream was more intense and tangible, the fire more burning, etc.), as well as facing a certain Balrog in a way more vivid than I care to speak of in a public forum or to people who don't know me well, having been called Stormcrow by those whose false ways I've challenged, walking the road alone (being a Ring-bearer) and thus not being spared becoming careworn over the years.

So it's not all lovely by any means. Still,the good outweighs the ill, adventure yet beckons, beauty remains to those who look up, and Home gleams a promise ahead to those who look West.

Having rambled overlong just now, ... * bows pardon *

Would you be so good as to satisfy my curiosity and explain a bit more about your friend from Oregon, and why you deem him a worthy candidate to bear the name of Tom Bombadil? And wouldn't you, as I suspect, get along with such a fine bon vivant yourself?

Gandalf the Grey

 

[Barliman Butterbur]

While characteristic, good Lotho, ... also characteristic of my life has been a nightmare about the One Ring (I actually dreamed a scene from PJ's first movie before ever seeing it in waking life, though my dream was more intense and tangible, the fire more burning, etc.), as well as facing a certain Balrog in a way more vivid than I care to speak of in a public forum or to people who don't know me well...

Methinks you've been reading LOTR altogether too much, take a break!

Would you be so good as to satisfy my curiosity and explain a bit more about your friend from Oregon, and why you deem him a worthy candidate to bear the name of Tom Bombadil? And wouldn't you, as I suspect, get along with such a fine bon vivant yourself?

I first met him online: he was the author of the AOL Tour Guide of long ago, in the days when AOL had but a couple of hundred thousand people, and there was a great civility on some of the more cultural boards. It hadn't been overrun by snerts and snots to the point of necessitating IGNORE buttons. Anyway — I emailed him to compliment him on the wonderful racontuer-like style in which he wrote this user's manual — and a long friendship was born! He got me a "job" on AOL: Part of his duties was to field technical questions sent in to him by members. I took that over in return for free AOL, and I did that for quite a number of years.

He loves nature and boating and loves to be on the water or in the forest or the woods, and is quite skilled, gregarious, and at home in either place. He loves good food, good talk, good friends, good drink and green nature. He left AOL to open a holistic clinic in one of the Oregon villages, along with his holistic physician wife.

My wife and I once took the Coast Starlight train up to see them, and had a great time there. (I wouldn't mind living up there around the Portland area.)

So that's a short answer for you — I don't want to get too revealing on a public site such as this.

Lotho

 

[meneldor]

I have not a clue, but there were other Ainuric spirits we have no clue about. Tom was born to Arda. Probably only departing when all around him was destroyed. I dont know. It seems to me that all in middle earth show a HUGE amount of respect for him though, even Gandalf. He says at the end of the book that they are going to have a talk like they have never had before, like they are equal or one greater. For Gandalf does not speak like that to the ignorant, only those that will understand.

 

[e.Blackstar]

I think he was something like the Balrogs (except good, of course) and he was created by Manwe or Yavanna or somebody to watch over the trees and plants and stuff.

 

[Beren&Lutien]

First of all when answering 'what is Tom Bombadil' you have to see it from a broader context. Since he was first, the Master, did not get affected by the Ring, is a mystery,... you have to go back to the creation of Arda. The creation was made by a song, by the Valar. Pick one of those to start with, because all lesser (even Maiar) would be under effect of the Ring. The Master... leaves us with one person: Aule.

Second, if he is Aule, and he is such a fine and wonderful god, why doesn't he choose to be more helpful? Put another way, why isn't there power in him to fight the enemy? The answer to this question is simpler than one might at first imagine...

It is the song of creation, I believe, that contains the conflicting instructions both Ulmo and Osse are following, different parts, elements, or themes of the whole. If I am correct, then Ulmo's power to help the Elves is both limited by and partially determined by the Music of the Ainur, insofar as it established the existence of the earth and determined its major events...

While Ulmo may have had free will as he sang his part of the song in those distant times, he is now bound by what he sang and cannot go beyond or change his part. If Tom is Aule, then he too is bound by his part in the song and although sympathetic and concerned, he can only help the Hobbits and the Free Peoples of the West in little ways.

This is important because if Tom is Aule, he may not be allowed to do anything what could change the balance of good and evil in middle earth without destroying the harmony. Even if it sounds strange, but the balance of good an evil - or high tones and dark tones - is important for a sound. And Sauron as a dark tone had his counterpart in the good forces of Saruman and Gandalf. An indication for that is, that Gandalf became more powerfull after Saruman joined the dark side.

I don't say Gandalf could match Sauron face to face. No way. But his power lay in his popularity in middle earth. He was loved of many good people and could motivate them to fight the evil - that was the real power he had. And his hope lie in the hearts of men, because they could switch their minds from bad to good while elves and orks belonged fixed to that part of harmony they were made for. If I am right, the balance depended on a few good or bad men and could switch easy and was very fragile. A huge good power would have desruped the whole harmony.

Its just like making sweet-sour cabage. Too much acid is horrible, too much sugar, too. And if you nearly hit the point of balance and is only slightly too sour, you wouldn't put a suggarblock into but a few grains.

Another indication could be that Gandalf left middle earth after Sauron was defeated and Sarumans death. You can have short times with just having high tones or dark tones in a melody, but it never ends without the full harmonic spectrum.

 

[Ithrynluin]

Second, if he is Aule,

I don't see much sense in equating Tom with one of the Ainur (not just Valar), nor do I see an especial connexion to Aulë the Smith - he is much more of an Oromëic figure in my minds's eye - running wild through the woods and hills and pastures, taming wild beasts and taking care of his own patch of land, but owning none of it. Anyway, no matter how much we try to classify Tom, it's been proven time and time again that he cannot be fitted into a little box. He is unique, a whole category of his own. And like I said before, the most sensible explanation for his existence would be that he came to be through themes of Yavanna intertwining with those of Oromë (two of the Valar that Tom is most akin to IMO).

Pick one of those to start with, because all lesser (even Maiar) would be under effect of the Ring.

How do you know they would? It may just be that Gandalf and Saruman were tempted by the ring because they were incarnate Maiar, and were thus more susceptible to being lured by its power, in a desire to enhance their own powers (which were diminished in their Istari edition) and more easily achieve their goals of ousting Sauron.

Anyhow, welcome to the forum, Beren&Lutien (Luthien?).

 

[Annaheru]

Hmm, gonna start this up again. Personally I think Tom is an Ainu, I think he (and Goldberry) is from among those of the Ainur who entered into Ea. Moreover I think Tom was only involved with the First Theme of the Music, which became Arda itself. This would explain why he could no more resist Sauron then the earth: he never took part in the Second Theme (the conflict between Melkor and the Valar). If this is the case, then he could have been the first in Arda (Oldest, Fatherless), been uninfluenced by the Ring, and filled all the other qualifications indicated by Tokien.

 

[Ingwë]

Maybe he really is Ainur but Tolkien himself didn`t told us anything. Tom told hobbits he is the eldest, he is their before the trees and before the River. What does it mean? Tom is Ainur or no? Maybe Tolkien wanter to tell us Tom is from among those of the Ainur who entered into Ea. I agree and I think we all agree.

 

[Inderjit S]

"I agree and I think we all agree"

Maybe. Or maybe he just is. A Middle-Earthen anamoly, so to speak, a strange creature amongst many strange creatures. Perhaps creature is something of a misnomer though, perhaps 'being' is a more apt term.

Also, here is similairty between him a Maia-Sauron. Sauron was able to assume power in a certain fixed area (Mordor) in the same way that Tom was able to assume power in the Old Forest-even then, his bounds in the Old Forest were much smaller than his bounds in previous ages. Also what of the strang tongue he was using when he was singing to himself. Not Elvish, for Frodo would have recognised it, perhaps it was Valarin, which was supposed to be similair to Mannish tongues, though uncouth to the ears of the Elves; or maybe it was some long forgotten Mannish tongue. And I often wonder what Gandalf and Bombadil talked about in their long talk.

 

[Ingwë]

In the house of Tom Bombadil

He says he was there before the river and the trees. If we reckon that these words men before the creating of Ea then he is Ainur. The First war had begun before the creating of the plants and the animals. Then the Ainurs had already lived in Arda. If I understand these words he really is an Ainur.
But if he is Nature spirit? If he is a Nature spirit he was created by the Ainurs. Or by Yavanna? She had created the ents as shepherds of the trees. Tom is master of the Forest. Threfore he is a keeper of the forest. The ents are shepherds of the trees but I would say they are keepers of the forests. Hence he was created by Kementári to keep the Old forest before it become Old.
I think he is not Valar because if he was he would help free peoples of the Middle earth to destroy Sauron. Tom is a merry fellow; he is disengaged.

I would conclude he was Ainur. I thought he was a Nature Spirit but the text up above disprove this supposition.

 

[Retired Manwe]

Maybe he was originally just a man but he meditated and reached nirvana. He has perfect peaces and so is in harmony ith all living things so he can talk to them and sing songs that control them. Otherwise, he's a hippy .

 

[bauglir]

I would think he is a Nermir, a spirit who came with the ainu`s and is a spirit of nature.

more info on the Nermir: http://www.thetolkienwiki.org/wiki.cgi?Nermir
(not much, but it`s something)