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Guest
Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2006 12:29 am
Joined: Posts: Location:
I have dug into rather deep realms to find an answer this single question about the greatest (or oddest?) anomaly of LOTR. Who is Tom Bombadil? Or rather, what is Tom Bombadil?

I may get into a deep disscussion, but I'd rather know for sure where you all stand on who or what Tom Bombadil is. There have been theories from him being a spirit of a tree to Eru, The One.

Now, who or what is Tom Bombadil?
ingold55
Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2006 11:41 pm
Joined: 10 Oct 2005 Posts: 1199 Location: Out on the front line
he is the "master". the one person who was there before all else. {fellowship of the Ring the book}. also he is no thing, because he is living, but other than that i don't really know.

ingold Cool
CarpeGuitarrem
Posted: Sat Apr 08, 2006 2:52 pm
Joined: 07 Apr 2006 Posts: 3361 Location: Franciscan University of Steubenville
Ah, this question’s old as the hills...or at least the ents. Razz
Check this link: http://www.cas.unt.edu/~hargrove/bombadil.html
Tom Bomadillo...a very unique and different character, for sure.
syndrome
Posted: Sat Apr 08, 2006 4:36 pm
Joined: 20 Jul 2005 Posts: 423 Location: A cold place.
Good section from the page linked by CG:
Quote:
While Tolkien’s denial clearly rules out the possibility that Tom is Iluvatar, I do not see that it eliminates the possibility that he is an offspring of Iluvatar’s thought, a Vala or a Maia, for I see nothing theologically troublesome with existence being a predicate of part of God.

Finally, there is Tom’s singing. Tom’s inability to separate song from his other activities, speaking, walking, working, suggests that it is very fundamental to his being in a profound way that distinguishes him from all other beings encountered in the trilogy. The wizards, for example, who are Maiar, chant (in the modern sense of the word) rather than sing, and never unconsciously. This continuous singing may be an indication of Tom’s high status. The world was, after all, brought into existence by a group of singers, the Holy Ones, some of whom became Valar. Second, Tom’s basic song is structurally related to Legolas’ "Song of the Sea" (Rings, 3:234-35), suggesting the possibility that Tom’s is a corruption of an original piece of music from the Uttermost West common to both. Third, Tom’s songs, although seemingly comic and nonsensical, have power in them to control individual elements and things in the forest. When told that Old Man Willow is the cause of the Hobbits’ problems, Tom replies, "that can soon be mended. I know the tune for him" (Ibid., 1:131), which I suggest means something like, ’don’t worry. I have the plans for that thing and can fix it right away." This is the kind of knowledge that a Vala, who sang the Music, would likely have, and singing would be the natural way to apply it.


And:

Quote:
If we take Tom’s remark quite literally that he "was here before the river and the trees. . .the first raindrop and the first acorn" (Rings, 1:142), he is saying either that he was in Middle-earth when the Valar arrived or that he arrived as one of the Valar. His remark that "he knew the dark under ths stars when it was fearless - before the Dark Lord came from the Outside" refers to the time before Morgoth, the original Dark Lord, had officially turned renegade - the time when the "old" or original stars were made. Since the world was incomplete at that time and nothing lived on the earth except the Valar, it is hard to believe that Tom is anything but a Vala.


This the last one I’m posting, you can read the essay for yourself Razz

Quote:
Because most of the Valar are married, determining the possible identity of Goldberry can be a help in establishing Tom’s. There are three possible Valier who might have enjoyed living for a time in the Old Forest: Nessa, Vana, and Yavanna. Nessa, who loves deer and dancing, does not fit too well, since neither of these is Goldberry’s specialties. Her husband, Tulkas, the best fighter among the Valar, moreover, is probably too warlike to be Tom. Vana, who cares for flowers and birds, also does not fit very well, since Goldberry is concerned with a larger variety of plants, and birds have no special role. Orome, Vana’s husband, furthermore, is a hunter, especially of monsters. If he were Tom, there would have been no wights on the Downs. With Yavanna, however, we have just the right emphasis, for she is responsible for all living things, with a special preference for plants. Since she is Queen of the Earth, it is easy to imagine her watering the forest with special care, as Goldberry does during the Hobbits’ visit.





He’s got me convinced.
http://myspace/delicatesituation
sickofpalantirs
Posted: Sat Apr 08, 2006 7:23 pm
Joined: 23 Mar 2006 Posts: 7750 Location: somwhere, over the rainbow way up high. There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby.
me too but who was Yavanna’s husband
ArrowSop's haves/ top wantsExclamation
(mm)"SoP: you will always be the Official CC Spammer in my heart"
"DáinIronfoot"
Spammers really are amazing creatures. You can learn all there is to know about their ways in a month. And yet, after a hundred years, they can still surprise you. Razz
AnxiousChieftain
Posted: Sat Apr 08, 2006 7:26 pm
Joined: 15 Jul 2005 Posts: 3947 Location: Maryland
Aule the Smith.
MODS RULE. - lem0nhead
sickofpalantirs
Posted: Sat Apr 08, 2006 7:30 pm
Joined: 23 Mar 2006 Posts: 7750 Location: somwhere, over the rainbow way up high. There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby.
AnxiousChieftain wrote:
Aule the Smith.


that doesn’t excactly sound like Tom.
ArrowSop's haves/ top wantsExclamation
(mm)"SoP: you will always be the Official CC Spammer in my heart"
"DáinIronfoot"
Spammers really are amazing creatures. You can learn all there is to know about their ways in a month. And yet, after a hundred years, they can still surprise you. Razz
Guest
Posted: Sat Apr 08, 2006 9:49 pm
Joined: Posts: Location:
CarpeGuitarrem wrote:
Ah, this question’s old as the hills...or at least the ents. Razz
Check this link: http://www.cas.unt.edu/~hargrove/bombadil.html
Tom Bomadillo...a very unique and different character, for sure.

I’ve already read that essay. Actually, its either that essay, or another that caused me to start this thread in the first place.
Not that I totally agree with the essay anyway. Confused
syndrome
Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2006 10:23 pm
Joined: 20 Jul 2005 Posts: 423 Location: A cold place.
Aule makes perfect sense. I’m pretty sure that’s something tolkien would do too...
http://myspace/delicatesituation
Gagnut
Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2006 1:03 pm
Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 846 Location: Ames, Iowa
acually I agree that Tom might be one of the higher beings. But what ever the case he might accually be a
Maiar.
I don't have an avatar, I don't have a sig, my posts speak for themselves.

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