Tom Bombadil

[Tears of the Siren]

Does anyone have any ideas what Tom might be? I thought he might be a Maia at first but when I reread the section about him it seems he's a lot older than that, maybe older than, or at least as old as, the Vala. I haven't read the Adventure of Tom Bombadil, so I'm just going on what's said in LotR.

Quote:

But you are young and I am old. Eldest, that's what I am. Mark my words, friends: Tom was here before the river and the trees; Tom remembers the raindrop and the first acorn. He made paths before the Big People and saw the little People arriving. He was here before the Kings and the graves and the Barrow-wights. When the Elves passed weastward, Tom was here already before the seas were bent. He knew the dark when under the stars when it was fearless- before the Dark Lord came from the Shadow Outside.

My interpretation of this was that Tom was in Arda before the principle Vala. The only explantion I could come up with is that Tom is another Vala. Does anyone else have any theories as to what he is?  

[Rudhe]

I've queried about this before...and the general reply I received was that he is a mystery....a league all of his own.  

[-Luthien123-]

I have often wandered who is older, Treebeard or Tom?
But as for Tom, he was definateley here before the principle Valar, thats my theory, but I haven't had time to think about it.  

[Crazymexican101]

it could be that tom is a manifestation of eru himself....  

[Jessies_Inferno]

All I know is that Tom ROCKS  

[Tears of the Siren]

-Luthien123-

I have often wandered who is older, Treebeard or Tom?
But as for Tom, he was definateley here before the principle Valar, thats my theory, but I haven't had time to think about it.

Wouldn't that make Tom older then?

I found something else, too. At the Counsel of Elrond there are several things said that caught my attenmtion. Elrond says that he had forgotten about Tom and that Tom had been known to Men and Dwarves as well as Elves. Gandalf says the Ring has no power over Tom because he is his own master. But this is the one I found most interesting: Gildor says "I doubt he has the power to resist the Enemy unless such power is in the earth itself." If Tom was a manifestation of Eru, which was something that had occured to me, wouldn't he be able to destroy Morgoth, or at least Suoron?

The only other idea that I came up with is that Tom might be some kind of super Ent because it seems that in all the ages of the world he has not strayed far from the borders of the forest that became the Old Forest.  

[Arandur]

Sakura Uzamachi

-Luthien123-

I have often wandered who is older, Treebeard or Tom?
But as for Tom, he was definateley here before the principle Valar, thats my theory, but I haven't had time to think about it.

Wouldn't that make Tom older then?

I found something else, too. At the Counsel of Elrond there are several things said that caught my attenmtion. Elrond says that he had forgotten about Tom and that Tom had been known to Men and Dwarves as well as Elves. Gandalf says the Ring has no power over Tom because he is his own master. But this is the one I found most interesting: Gildor says "I doubt he has the power to resist the Enemy unless such power is in the earth itself." If Tom was a manifestation of Eru, which was something that had occured to me, wouldn't he be able to destroy Morgoth, or at least Suoron?

The only other idea that I came up with is that Tom might be some kind of super Ent because it seems that in all the ages of the world he has not strayed far from the borders of the forest that became the Old Forest.

If he were indeed a manifestation of Eru, he would I guess be able to destroy Morgoth/Sauron/etc., but he wouldn't for the same reason Morgoth wasn't stopped from wreaking havoc upon the world even as it was being built upon by the other Valar. Eru pretty much just sits back and watches, as would Tom, I suppose.  

[-Luthien123-]

Sakura Uzamachi

-Luthien123-

I have often wandered who is older, Treebeard or Tom?
But as for Tom, he was definateley here before the principle Valar, thats my theory, but I haven't had time to think about it.

Wouldn't that make Tom older then?

I found something else, too. At the Counsel of Elrond there are several things said that caught my attenmtion. Elrond says that he had forgotten about Tom and that Tom had been known to Men and Dwarves as well as Elves. Gandalf says the Ring has no power over Tom because he is his own master. But this is the one I found most interesting: Gildor says "I doubt he has the power to resist the Enemy unless such power is in the earth itself." If Tom was a manifestation of Eru, which was something that had occured to me, wouldn't he be able to destroy Morgoth, or at least Suoron?

The only other idea that I came up with is that Tom might be some kind of super Ent because it seems that in all the ages of the world he has not strayed far from the borders of the forest that became the Old Forest.

Something just occured to me! If Tom had "such power as in the earth itself" then wouldn't Tom be more of a manifestation of Aule more than Illuvitar (or Eru) ?  

[SYFFER]

This is one of the most debated topics in all of Tolkien's works. After much research and lengthy debates, the most likely answer to what is Tom is exactly what Ruddheniel said, he is a mystery. That does not mean that no one knows what he is. What I've gathered as an English major in Univeristy this year is that great authors realize that their works will be studied thoroughly as so called "experts" emerge and claim that they know everything there is to know about the books and worlds of those authors. That is the reason Tolkien created Tom Bombadil. Tolkien put so much detail in every other aspect of Middle-earth that it seems unusual for such a powerful and influential character to have such little description and history. In my opinion, Tolkien himself did not know what Tom was and he intended that no one else knew either. In doing that, he guaranteed that his works will continue to be discussed for years to come just as we are right now.  

[mystifyingbliss]

Well, if he is a Vala, he's certainly a strange one. But aren't they all blaugh

Personally, next to Melian, Tom is my absolute favorite character. No one tops him, in my opinion. Well, except Melian, of course.

-xx- Nika  

[Khorkalba]

Maybe he's an alien... eek

















...

xp but no, I agree that he's simply a mystery intended by Tolkien.
You could spend a lot of time looking into it, examining theories,
ruling things out, etc. but to no definite conclusion.
Of the theories, I think Tom as a Maia is quite likely,
and the evidence against it, for me, isn't as solid as the
evidence against the other theories... but still it's just a guess.  

[Arandur]

-Luthien123-

Sakura Uzamachi

-Luthien123-

I have often wandered who is older, Treebeard or Tom?
But as for Tom, he was definateley here before the principle Valar, thats my theory, but I haven't had time to think about it.

Wouldn't that make Tom older then?

I found something else, too. At the Counsel of Elrond there are several things said that caught my attenmtion. Elrond says that he had forgotten about Tom and that Tom had been known to Men and Dwarves as well as Elves. Gandalf says the Ring has no power over Tom because he is his own master. But this is the one I found most interesting: Gildor says "I doubt he has the power to resist the Enemy unless such power is in the earth itself." If Tom was a manifestation of Eru, which was something that had occured to me, wouldn't he be able to destroy Morgoth, or at least Suoron?

The only other idea that I came up with is that Tom might be some kind of super Ent because it seems that in all the ages of the world he has not strayed far from the borders of the forest that became the Old Forest.

Something just occured to me! If Tom had "such power as in the earth itself" then wouldn't Tom be more of a manifestation of Aule more than Illuvitar (or Eru) ?

I'm not too keen on that idea, because he seems somewhat Yavanna-ish to me as well xd

Either way, despite my asserted speculation, I do indeed accept his status as a mystery that was meant to be.  

[Tindomerel Elenin]

-Luthien123-

I have often wandered who is older, Treebeard or Tom?

I read somewhere (I wish I could remember) that Tolkien said Tom is definitely older. To paraphrase, he said that Treebeard claims to be the oldest thing ever, but that's according to Treebeard and not Tolkien himself.

As to what he is... who knows? I think that's the point.  

[Soloikos]

SYFFER

What I've gathered as an English major in Univeristy this year is that great authors realize that their works will be studied thoroughly as so called "experts" emerge and claim that they know everything there is to know about the books and worlds of those authors. That is the reason Tolkien created Tom Bombadil. Tolkien put so much detail in every other aspect of Middle-earth that it seems unusual for such a powerful and influential character to have such little description and history. In my opinion, Tolkien himself did not know what Tom was and he intended that no one else knew either. In doing that, he guaranteed that his works will continue to be discussed for years to come just as we are right now.

That sounds exactly like something Tolkien would do. I personally think that Tom is Illuvatar, proudly relishing in the creation of his creations and just generally being (and enjoying it, of course). But I haven't read anything about it really, beyond what's in LotR on Bombadil and the Silmarillion about Illuvatar.