Tom Bombadil (also Iarwain Ben-adar in Sindarin) is a fictional character of Middle-earth, created by J. R. R. Tolkien. In the first book of Tolkien's fantasy epic The Lord of the Rings, Frodo and his company meet Bombadil in the Old Forest. He is a quite mysterious figure living far from any settlement with his wife, Goldberry, "Daughter of the River". She describes him as being "Master of wood, water and hill." He speaks in stress-timed metre. His appearance is brief, but behind Bombadil's simple façade there are hints of great knowledge - he can see the Ring-bearer when invisible and is unaffected by wearing the Ring himself. Gandalf later says that this is because the Ring has no power over him.
| Template:Infobox LOTR |
As to the nature of Bombadil, Tolkien himself said that some things should remain mysterious in any mythology, hidden even to its inventor. He placed the fate of the Entwives in this category, as well as the Cats of Queen Berúthiel, although hints of the latter story have emerged in posthumously released materials.
It is clear, though, that Bombadil was not in Tolkien's conception part of Middle-earth from the start; he was invented in honour of a Dutch doll belonging to his children, to whom Tolkien told stories about Tom Bombadil. These predate the writing of The Lord of the Rings. Tom Bombadil was, however, part of The Lord of the Rings from the earliest drafts.
In the film and radio adaptations of the story, Bombadil is notable by his absence, possibly because nobody knows quite what to do with him. Both Ralph Bakshi and Peter Jackson have stated that the reason the character was omitted from their films was because he did little to advance the story, having nothing to do with the Ring storyline, and serving little purpose when it came to getting the hobbits to Rivendell, and putting together the Fellowship.
Given his comments about Faramir, one could also argue that Bombadil's reaction to the Ring, much like Faramir's, would have been inconsistent. However, much of Bombadil's dialogue, and the scene in which the hobbits meet Old Man Willow, are transplanted into the scenes that Merry and Pippin share with Treebeard.
The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, a book of verse published in 1962, purported to contain a selection of Hobbit poems, two of which were about Tom Bombadil.
See also: The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien, with special reference to Letters 144 and 153.
Tom Bombadil's nature
Tom Bombadil's mythological origins in the cosmology of Middle-earth have puzzled even erudite fans, as he is one of the only characters in Tolkien's entire mythology who does not neatly fit into any of the categories of beings Tolkien created. Speculative ideas about his true nature range from simply a wise Elven hermit to an angelic being (a Maia or Vala), to the creator, that is, God, who is called Eru Ilúvatar in J. R. R. Tolkien's mythology. Tolkien explicitly denied this last possibility.
The most popular theory is that Bombadil is a Maia, as Tom seems to have unlimited supernatural power inside the boundaries that he set for himself, and perhaps the reason why he has such powers is the fact that he is content to live within these limits. "'Eldest, that's what I am... Tom remembers the first raindrop and the first acorn... He knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless - before the Dark Lord came from Outside.'" - The Dark Lord Bombadil refers to is probably Melkor and not Sauron. But in that case, Tom was already there even before the Valar entered the world, dismissing the theory that he is a Maia. Another argument against the Maia theory is his immunity to the corrupting power of the One Ring, whereas both Saruman and Gandalf were clearly not immune, despite being Maiar. In addition, he is eager to protect the Hobbits from danger within his own ___domain, yet is completely indifferent to the threat to Middle Earth as a whole, which is paradoxical and also uncharacteristic of a Maia.
Bombadil could be part of the Music of the Ainur and that would explain why he was there in the beginning, but if he was indeed part of the music, it is not said why he exists. Everything in the music had a purpose, and Bombadil's is not explained.
Other possibilities (compatible with the above theory) are that he is an abstract, a concept: possibly the embodiment of Arda itself, a "Father Nature," or some kind of 'spirit' that (unlike the Maiar) was of non-divine nature. Not only does the Ring have no effect on him, Tom himself seems unable to affect the Ring in return which shows that Tom was outside the divine plan and struggle and had no position in it.
Another possibility for Tom Bombadil's nature arises from careful reading of the Ainulindalë, when Eru Ilúvatar proclaims, "Let these things Be! And I will send forth into the Void the Flame Imperishable, and it shall be at the heart of the world, and the World shall Be." It is a possibility that Tom Bombadil is some sort of guardian or protector of the Imperishable Flame. If one considers Bombadil's constant reference to "water, wood, and hill," three common motifs Tolkien uses to describe Middle Earth, it is possible to see how Bombadil is an encapsulation of Arda as it should be. There is substantial debate among those who choose this view regarding the exact nature of the Flame itself, yet it is another possibility that must be considered.
Gandalf calls Tom Bombadil the eldest being in existence; this is also evident by his Sindarin name Iarwain Ben-adar (Eldest and Fatherless). Dwarves called him Forn, Men Orald. All these names apparently mean "Eldest." However, Fangorn (Treebeard) calls himself the eldest living being of Middle-earth and that he was there before anyone else. Bombadil is just called the 'eldest.' If Tom Bombadil is indeed not a normal being but rather a supernatural being or "concept" this is, however, not necessarily a contradiction (Treebeard is likely the oldest living being, while Bombadil could be an older supernatural being). Concerning Fangorn, JRR Tolkien remarked, "Fangorn is a character in my story and even he does not know everything." Tom Bombadil was almost certainly created to be an enigma.
Quotes
"Eldest, that's what I am...Tom remembers the first raindrop and the first acorn...he knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless — before the Dark Lord came from Outside." - The Fellowship of the Ring
External links
- Entry in the Encyclopedia of Arda (a concise overview of the discussion)
- What is Tom Bombadil? by Steuard Jensen (a detailed explanation)
- Who is Tom Bombadil? by Gene Hargrove (a somewhat unorthodox but well-presented essay)
- Count, Count, Weigh, Divide discusses Tom Bombadil's moral aspects at length
- images of Tom Bombadil
- The Truth About Tom Bombadil is a rather silly theory about Tom's true identity.
- Bombadil Discovered by Barb Beier (a unique and compelling theory concerning the identity of Tom Bombadil)