Opinions/Theories about the Nature and State of Bomadil (Tom)

[Radagast]

I did a search on this and it returned nothing and I noticed that most of the posts on LotR Books don't seem to be discussing much to do with the actual books (no criticism intended there).
So, I started this to hear the many varying opinions that my fellow Mooters may hold on the enigma of Tom Bombadil. Bring forth your obscure theories!

Okay, to get the ball rolling here's my thoughts on old Tom.

Tom is one of the oldest if not the oldest on Middle Earth. Tom remarks:

'But you are young and I am old. Eldest, that's what I am. Mark my words, my young friends: Tom was here before the river and the trees; Tom remembers the first 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 graves and barrow-wights. When the Elves passed westward Tom was here already, before the seas were bent. He knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless- before the Dark Lord came from Outside.'

Tom is called Iarwain Ben-adar which means "old and without father" by the Elves.
'Without father' rules out the possibility of him being mortal and he is certainly not an elf. Seeing things as early as he did (acorn raindrop etc) probably implies that he was present at the creation of the world or was himself, one of the first things to be created.
Which opens up the possibility that Tom may be a Maia, of course it also opens the possibility of him being a Valar but that is also extremely unlikely from reading the Silmarillion.

Those are my thoughts so far but no doubt I'll be enlightened as to what other Mooters think?

[Christiana]

I read a magnificant essay in another thread about this.

[Radagast]

Hmm is no one really interested?

[Lizra]

ha ha, I honestly don't think he "fits in". I didn't when I first read it, use to joke about the guy. He sure is neat tho! I'm no scholar, I just read LoTR and the Hobbit for pleasure. Someone could write a new ending where Bombadil was involved. :D

[Comic Book Guy]

ha ha, I honestly don't think he "fits in". I didn't when I first read it, use to joke about the guy. He sure is neat tho! I'm no scholar, I just read LoTR and the Hobbit for pleasure. Someone could write a new ending where Bombadil was involved.

He is in a way, Gandalf visits Bombadil before leaving Middle-Earth with the Hobbits being disapointed that they didn't get to see him.

Anybody ever heard of the Bombadil/Witch King theory? It's a great theory.

[Tar-Elendil]

any theory is better than the one about tulkas-tom.

[Comic Book Guy]

Bombadil/Witch King Theory

1. We never hear of Tom at all during the whole of the First Age. The Nine Rings aren't forged until the Second Age. QED.

2. You never see the two of them together.

3. In the first part of Fellowship of the Ring, the Nazgul are sent to the Shire to look for the wandering Baggins. Interestingly, Tom says to Frodo at the dinner-table: "...I was waiting for you. We heard news of you, and learned that you were wandering... But Tom had an errand there, that he dared not hinder" (Fellowship p.137 hardback, emphasis mine: note the fear Tom has of his master, Sauron!).

4. In Tom's questioning of the Hobbits, JRRT notes that "there was a glint in his eyes when he heard of the Riders." (Fellowship p. 144) I think he was concerned that his double-life might have been noticed. Interestingly, Tom immediately changes the subject of conversation!
Furthermore, the One Ring had no effect on Tom - which seems consistent with Tolkien's observations about how the Nazgul would have handled the same priceless object (Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, #246): "They were... in no way deceived as to the real lordship of the Ring."

5. It's also interesting to note that Tom could see Frodo clearly while Frodo was wearing the Ring (Fellowship p. 144 hardback) - just as the Witch-king could see Frodo clearly while he was wearing the Ring at Weathertop! (Fellowship p. 208 hardback)

6. Perhaps most damning, however, is the incident with the Barrow-wights (Fellowship pp. 151-155), where Tom - with nothing more than a few simple words (p. 154) - commands the Barrow-wight to leave. And it does, without argument. Why would the Wight be so completely under Tom's control? Because in his alternate guise as the Witch-king of Angmar, Tom ordered the Wight to inhabit the barrow in the first place! Turning to Return of the King, Appendix A, p. 321, "evil spirits out of Angmar... entered into the deserted mounds and dwelt there." Obviously the Witch-king was reponsible for sending the wights there; just as obviously, the Witch-king (disguised as Tom) would be capable of ordering them to leave!
(This is related to another passage, which has since been brought to my attention. On Fellowship page 158 hardback, Tom is guiding the Hobbits back towards the Road when he gazes towards the borders of Cardolan. "Tom said that it had once been the boundary of a kingdom, but a very long time ago. He seemed to remember something sad about it, and would not say much." Since Tom, as the Witch-king, was the one who destroyed the kingdom of Cardolan, it's little wonder that he wouldn't say much about his involvement. Perhaps his remembering "something sad" reveals some remorse at being the instrument of Cardolan's destruction...?)

...Yep: I think we have an airtight case here. :)

...It's worth noting that, after the Witch-king was dead, Gandalf said he was "going to have a long talk with Bombadil" (Return of the King, p. 275). Curiously, he never tells anyone about the meeting later... and he's right there at the Grey Havens at the end of the book, undelayed it seems by long conversation. I think we can therefore theorize that Gandalf made it to the Old Forest, but that Tom (once the so-called "Witch-king" had died) was nowhere to be found!

...Of course, all this brings up the curiosity of motive. What would make the Witch-King of Angmar sport such a double identity? I suppose that the Witch-king, once of proud Numenorean ancestry, felt trapped by the guise of evil which Sauron had tricked him into, and in the fullness of time forged this alternate identity for himself so that he could occasionally feel happy, helpful, noble, and more at one with himself and his lineage. The situation is perhaps analagous to a crossdresser who, feeling trapped in a man's body, would occasionally assume the identity of a woman. It therefore makes sense that the Witch-king's other identity would be so peculiarly enigmatic, and perhaps sheds light on JRRT's observation in Letters #144: "And even in a mythical Age there must be some enigmas, as there always are. Tom Bombadil is one (intentionally)."

...Who else would be aware of Tom's double-life, I wonder? Since Tom repeatedly claims to have been around "before the river and the trees", and indeed even claims to be older than the Ents (Fellowship p. 142), surely the eldest of the Elves would know he was lying. Elrond plays along with Tom in public, being kind enough not to reveal his secret, but also seems to know that Tom and the Witch-king are one and the same; hence his refusal to give the Ring to Tom for safekeeping (Fellowship p. 278-9): "Power to defy the Enemy is not in him."

[Tar-Elendil]

my theory:
he is a crazy maiar.

[BeardofPants]

He seems more powerful than a "mere" maiar... But I guess it's possible...

Could he be one of the Istari? *thinks* No... I guess not. Gandalf would know who he was then... Um...

Could he be an unmentioned Ainur? Aaaarrggh... :confused:

[Tar-Elendil]

tom wears bue doesnt he? mebbe hes one of the blue istari?:P

[Christiana]

I think that he is Aule.

[Comic Book Guy]

If Nolendil was here, he'd say Tom's a Knee Walking Turkey, or whatever.

I think that he is Aule.

Aule wasn't a controlling person but a creating person, when he created the dwarves he "Desired no lordship". Bombadil always says that he is the master.

Alatar and Pallando went into the lands east of Mordor.

[azalea]

So would Goldberry be the Witch King's secret mistress?:)

[galadriel88]

Interesting theories, esp. the Witch King one. Me? I just think he's a really cool guy who goes around singing all the time. :D

[emplynx]

Originally posted by Comic Book Guy
If Nolendil was here, he'd say Tom's a Knee Walking Turkey, or whatever.

One of the many inside jokes I have been left out of.

[Tar-Elendil]

Alatar and Pallando went into the lands east of Mordor.
and? they could have returned once upon a time:P
i dont see any similarities between Aule and Tom.

[Andúril]

No. Aule could have opened his can-o-whoopass on Sauron, his old padawan...

[Jador]

I believe that Tom must be a Miar,to have been there before even Melkor,he must also have had some power to survive the first war's in which the earth was boken and re-shaped.
I think he's a good guy! Another thought,what about Goldberry,if she is the daughter of the river,then what does that make her,a Miar also?
To be honest,they are both enigma's,and we will probebly never understand Tolkien's plan for them(If indeed he had one)

[Comic Book Guy]

and? they could have returned once upon a time:P


Tolkien said in a letter

They went as Emissaries to distant regions, East and South, dar out of Numenorian Range... I suspect that they were founders or begginners of secret cults that outlasted the fall of Sauron

This means they would be occupied by their cults at the War of the Ring.

[Christiana]

Hey guys, I just got Creatures of Tolkien,& it says in there He was a very strange and merry spirit...Always singing or speaking in rhymes,he seemed a nonsensical and eccentric being, yet he was absolute master of the Old Forrest...,and no evil within the World was strong enough to touch him in his realm.
and also...other spirits...lived within the Old Forest.One of these was the River-woman of the Windywithle,and another was her daughter Goldberry...
Hows that:D

[Lizra]

Well, a merry spirit, and the witch king!? Jekyll and Hyde maybe, I don't know, I don't think so :) Turkey Walker's more like it :D

[Elfhelm]

My theory is that this writer wanted to make a sequel to his children's book and proposed to his editor that he include the character from a children's rhyme he had made up years before for his children. (He wrote something like this in a letter: "Do you think old Bombadil, the spirit of the Oxford countryside, would make a good character for my book?")

The Bombadil character was based on this doll one of the boys got from an elder aunt and another of the boys tried to flush down the toilet. The writer made up the rhyme to cheer up the young lad. In the rhyme, this oddly dressed doll explored some of the places this writer took his children on the weekends, like Wayland's Smithy and the surrounding forest. Scary places for children, but the singing of the doll character makes it safe.

So for his sequel, he at first was going to have the little character from the first children's story get married and have a son who inherited the tricky little ring he had found, but the darn character just couldn't bring himself to let a woman into his tidy little world. So he adopted this tike, gave him his posessions, and went back to the "last homely home". (Note, this writer had an earlier character who went to some cottage and lived with the little people and listened to their stories, which he never published, so it was a simple device to have the previous character do it instead.)

So the new character and a group of his pals have to get away from some weird dark riders who sniff the air looking for the original character's treasure. They decide to go where these Riders least expect them to go, into the realm of this children's poem from ten years before. Then the writer gets to re-use the characters and settings of the children's poem. This also buys the writer time to think up how exactly he wants the sequel to develop.

Soon, the old stories from the Cottage are beginning to merge into the plot of the new book. The Riders become the nine kings, and the neat little trick ring becomes the One Ring, and, by the time they leave the Old Forest and seek the old grey wizard at the agreed-upon meeting place, all the plot is clear in the writer's mind. It has changed from a children's book to a book for adults.

But there's one thing - the characters from the children's poem don't fit into the stories from the Cottage, which is now the real history of the world. But he doesn't mind. It was fun to write (or re-write), so he leaves them in.

The sequel becomes greater than the original, stretches over six books, published as three, and is called one of the masterpieces of the twentieth century. Over the years people point out this inconguity about the children's poem character, and the writer just says something like, "Don't you think in fantasy that some things don't have to make sense?" And every theory put forth by every fan in any letter, that he is a secret Maiar, etc, is dismissed by the writer.

And secretly, as fans continue to argue about the true nature of this being, the writer would smile and be glad that he created an enigma that would keep his books on people's minds. Because, if people think long enough and hard enough about Tom Bombadil, someday they might GET what the writer was saying with him. Just think about the phrase Goldberry says, "He just IS!" He lives in the moment. Who he WAS is irrelevant to the story.

But who he really WAS is a character from a previous unpublished piece that got to participate in an epic because the writer liked him.

That's my theory. :)

[Comic Book Guy]

Hows that

Uneffective and wrong, as it's not Tolkien canon.

[Tar-Elendil]

This means they would be occupied by their cults at the War of the Ring
thats an assumtion. he didnt cleary say if they returned towards the west in that era or not.

[Comic Book Guy]

Tom said

"'When the Elves passed westward, Tom was here already...'"

'here' meaning the Old Forest, not Valinor, incidently it tells that Tom Bombadil was always there.

[Cirdan]

If the is a "double identity" then why not Gandalf as Tom Bombadil?

They are never seen together.

Gandalf, when visiting Tom B. after the war, goes alone,; he may be going home to pick up a few things.

Gandalf enjoyed the Hobbits and spent a good deal of time with them. Maybe like Aule, he created the hobbits, and used the old forest to be near them without being discovered, so he could move about freely.

The witchking theory doesn't work as he could have easily taken the ring and walked away from the unarmed hobbits.

[BeardofPants]

Originally posted by Cirdan
If the is a "double identity" then why not Gandalf as Tom Bombadil?


'Cept for the fact that they look completely different...

[Tar-Elendil]

yea..but neither does the witch king and tom..
the witch king doesnt look like anything..hes invisible

[Cirdan]

Originally posted by BeardofPants


'Cept for the fact that they look completely different...

Yep, for the Maia the body is just a shell...

As for what I really think, I agree with the Tolkien being sentimental about the Tom B. character and liking the role he plays in LotR. He's an anomaly, because the author can defy his self created reality. We've been spoiled by his deep histories and backround work, so we expect that there should be a answer for everything. It is a good thing that he broke the ridged framework of his complex world once in a while.

[Tar-Elendil]

mebbe he did for years and years later people could discuss Tom Bombadil on the internet?:rolleyes: :P

[Fat middle]

i don't want to open a new thread about Bombadill, so i'm putting here my question:

has anybody read something about the background of Tom's names such as Forn or Orald?

most names in Tolkien have meaning links with other words...

[Gildor]

I read in a Tolkien biography that Tolkien put
Bombadil and Treebeard into the story to please his children. They had requested Bombadil because Tolkien used to tell them stories about him and Treebeard because one of the boys thought it would be neat to have a talking tree.

He does add an air of mystery, but he seems wholesome to me, not at all like a witchking.

Maybe he is a representation of innocence and Edenic bliss.

[Elfhelm]

You know, Gildor. I think you have a point there. Which biography? :)

[Gildor]

I think it came out of one I ordered for my Junior High students called, Tolkien, Master Storyteller, but it could have been in a magazine article. I'll look for it. At school anytime anyone finds an article about Tolkien, Chesterton, or Lewis, they bring it to me. This year seems to have been a great one for Tolkien articles...thanks to the movie.

[Finmandos]

One of the best theories I've heard is that hes Tolkien. The Ring doesn't affect him ( he made it up after all), he never really takes part in the story, he commands Old Man Willow and the Barrow-wights (They're his creations)... Theres some other stuff I don't remember from our pre-movie discussions.

[ringbearer]

I like bmilder's theory, that Tom is Iluvitar...which is kind-of like him being Tolkien. See this thread (http://www.tolkientrail.com/entmoot/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1824)

[Gildor]

I was wrong. The biography I was thinking of--JRR Tolkien, Mythmaker, doesn't discuss TB or TB--(Treebeard or Tom Bombadil)so it must have been from a magazine article. In any event, it appears that the author was off base with his/her assumptions. I checked out a book of Tolkiens letters, read it, tried to find support for the theory, and gave up. T. does say a lot about the nature of the two TBs and why he put them in, but nothing about pleasing his children. Oh well, it was a good theory. "Excuse me for posting without checking my facts," Gildor said, and looked somewhat abashed.

[Aragorn_iz_cool]

Tolkine said the Illuvater never appered in ME.

[Khamûl]

"Tell me, if my asking does not seem foolish, who is Tom Bombadil?"

"He is," said Goldberry...


My opinions about Tom might be posted later if I feel like it.;)

[Khadrane]

I read an interesting theory about Tom representing the reader. I think you can find it at http://www.tolkien.cro.net/else/bbeier.html

I hope that works right.

[Khamûl]

That's an interesting theory. It also tries to answer the "Who's Oldest in Middle-Earth" question.Treebeard can be the oldest living thing while Tom is truly "oldest and fatherless," but only if Tom is not alive. Since he's there anyway, dancing around and singing to beat the band, we should rephrase that a bit: Tom does not live in Middle Earth, though he has a house there.I like the last line.:D

As I said earlier, my opinions are coming soon.

[Radagast The Brown]

Maybe bombadil was Radagast The Brown? He looked like Tom Bombadil in purpose and save people from death lots of times - and did his mission that he got from the Valar? and maybe Goldberry was Saruman, no, one of the Istari from the east? :eek: :eek: :eek:

and maybe not.

[Christiana]

Actually,Galadriels older than Treebeard, she just wasnt on Middle Earth the whole time.

[Ñólendil]

What is Tom Bombadil?

Do Elves have pointed ears?

Do Balrogs have wings?

These are some of the questions we need to gather into a pile, throw into a rocket ship and send it smack-dead into the fiery Sun.

Jesus, Moses, Muhammad and Buddha.

[Well if I'm going to use someone's name in vain I ought at least to be inclusive.]

[Christiana]

Originally posted by Ñólendil

Do Elves have pointed ears?

yes.

Originally posted by Ñólendil

Do Balrogs have wings?

no.

[Radagast The Brown]

originally posted by Christina
no.I think yes, but we won't argue on this subject now, but I do agree with Nolendil.

[Khamûl]

Originally posted by Ñólendil
What is Tom Bombadil?

Do Elves have pointed ears?

Do Balrogs have wings?

These are some of the questions we need to gather into a pile, throw into a rocket ship and send it smack-dead into the fiery Sun.How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie pop?:D

Back on the subject: I'm now in the process of reading the Silmarillion, and I'm kind of leaning toward the theory that Tom is Aulë.

[Cirdan]

Originally posted by Ñólendil
What is Tom Bombadil?

Do Elves have pointed ears?

Do Balrogs have wings?

These are some of the questions we need to gather into a pile, throw into a rocket ship and send it smack-dead into the fiery Sun.



Nope, the Sun is too close. A distant galaxy, please. One with a huge black hole in the center; the ultimate target that would destroy them forever.

Maybe a new rule to the new rules. Top ten dead mules that shall not be beaten here.

[Christiana]

What the...

[Cirdan]

Originally posted by Christiana
What the...

do a search on "Balrog wings" and count the threads....

[Khamûl]

Originally posted by Christiana
What the... Perhaps you mean the "beating dead mules" thing. It's a saying that means that you keep talking about long-debated and unanswerable questions, or questions that have already been answered and things that have been decided. It's related to "running something into the ground", if you've heard that one. I've never heard of beating a dead mule. Horses, maybe, but not mules. Interesting.:D

[Play Girl]

Well I always wondered if Tom had a belly button?
luv
Play Girl
xxx

[osszie]

Tom is often seen as an enigma - and of course proof of Tolkiens own thoughts are very scanty

We know that Tolkien "borrowed" from many existing mythologies and I think that Bombadil is another case of this, the oldest beliefs that of elemental power

Tom is Tolkiens version of the earth elemental

Goldberry, water of course

Sauron, fire

As to air? Gwahir possibly? Not sure on that one

As for either (the so called 5th element) the ring seems to cover that

[Christiana]

hmmm,the Ainur were made from the flame inperishible.The eagles were Mandos's messengers.

[Khadrane]

How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie pop?
I swear, someday I'm going to figure that out.

[samwiselvr2008]

about the tom bombadil/Witch King's thery, tom would have taken the Ring if he was evil!

now you gonna say that Frodo is evil arn't you:confused:

[Comic Book Guy]

now you gonna say that Frodo is evil arn't you

Yes.

[Ñólendil]

The eagles were Mandos's messengers.

You mean Manwe.

[Christiana]

Gak!!!curse the letter "M" u can view other mixups of that in "thranduil the greedy.

[Erendis]

As for why Tom cannot be Aulë: at the Council of Elrond, Glorfindel states that:
Could that power be defied by Bombadil alone? I think not. How could Aulë, a Vala not be able to defy a Maia?

As for why Bombadil can't be the Witch-King, the Witch-King is a Ringwraith. And we all know that Ringwraiths are not visible. But Tom is visible. And just because the ring hadno effect on him doesn't mean he was teh Witch-King either because the ring did have an effect on him. It controlled him (the Nine were under the one). And next, why did Tom help the Hobbits and not take the ring if he was the Witch-King? And as for "they are never seen together"-- Denethor and Frodo are never seen together. Does that make them one and the same? Don't think so.

Tom cannot be a Maiar because the ring effects them. Even the most powerful. Look at Sauron! And Saruman! And this is teh reason that Gandalf will not take the ring-- it will effect him!

Ha can't be one of the Blue Istari because:
1) the Blue Istari have no names in Middle-earth (their names in Valinor are Pallando and Alatar)
2)The Blue Istari travelled into teh east with Saruman but never returned--Tolkien stated this himself in The Unfinished Tales.
3)The Istari are Maiar

He is not Illuvatar because:


There is no 'embodiment' of the Creator in this story or mythology.

The One does not physically inhabit any part of Ea. .

So, wondering who I think Tom is then? I know he is an enigma, but we can always speculate. I read an interesting theory on a discussion board that came up with this (I'm arguing this person's theory just as they did...word for word...):

Tom is. (It'll make more sense later)

He knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless - before the Dark Lord came from Outside.

And when did the Dark Lord (Melkor) come?

Melkor too was there from the first

So Morgoth came in right away-- was the of first ones in.

What else was there before th Valar?


But when the Valar Entered into Eä they were at first astounded and at a loss, for it was as if naught was yet made which they had seen in vision, and all was but on pointto begin and yet unshaped, and it was dark.

Nothing except for Eä.

How can Tom manage to be around before the Dark Lord when the Dark Lord was the first thing into Eä?

I would say, now, that it is because Tom is Eä, or at least an embodiment thereof.


Power to defy our Enemy is not in [Tom], unless such power is in the Earth itself.

Eä: The World, the material Universe; Eä, meaning in Elvish 'It is'

Tom is.

Once again, the theory is not mine.

[The Ringbearer]

I always thought that he was Tolkien's version of Father Time. Well......a very eccentric, happy-go-lucky Father Time who "just wants to.......SING!"

It sounds like Tolkien wanted to keep us guessing about Tom. Maybe Tom was Aule's son or something.:D I don't think we are supposed to figure this out......:rolleyes:

[The Ringbearer]

Oh. I forgot the strange dress code. :D

[Entlover]

Originally posted by Khamûl
"
My opinions about Tom might be posted later if I feel like it.;)

Of course, we all know that Khamul is the 2nd Nazgul's given name. Are you really Tom B also?

[Ñólendil]

Aule's son! Now I have heard everything! The Valar did not have children. The only Ainur who had or could have had children were those who assumed a physical embodiment, either given to them or of their own will, whereby they would become subject to the hardships endured by Men, Elves and other Races. Ungoliant and Melian are two examples of Maiar who assumed long-term bodily form and had children. The Istari were given such forms in the Second and Third Ages, but if anyone of them had children it is not recorded by Tolkien. None none of the Valar ever assumed these kinds of forms, except for fallen Morgoth.

In any event the Elves knew Tom as Benadar, which means "Fatherless".

[Khamûl]

Originally posted by Entlover


Of course, we all know that Khamul is the 2nd Nazgul's given name. Are you really Tom B also? Yes I am. My cover is blown and the mystery is finally solved. How on earth did you figure it out? I was careful to cover my tracks. But see, what you don't know is that there are other Tom Bombadils out there. They all are claiming to be Tom too. You never know, you might be living right beside a Tom. In fact, it's all part of our diabolical plan to stop the debate once and for all (and take over the world while we're at it). Just remember... trust no one.:D



I'm so full of crap.:p

[TinuvielChild]

I really liked Erendis's theory (all right, the one he/she/it posted. Erendis claims it is not his/her/its personal theory, but I still like it. Apologies to Erendis; I don't know whether you're male, female, or neuter, as you haven't been here very long), and I suppose I could go along with the one someone posted a while back about Gandalf being Tom. Was that Khamul who posted that one?

[Erendis]

For anyone who cares-- I am a female. :)

The theory, by the way, is by someone named BurraHobbit on another discussion board.

[TinuvielChild]

Okay. So the theory that Erendis posted, which she got from someone called BurraHobbit on another board, is one that I can agree with. :)

[Archbob the Elder]

Has anyone read or even seen the book "The adventures of Tom Bombadil"?

[samwiselvr2008]

Originally posted by Archbob the Elder
Has anyone read or even seen the book "The adventures of Tom Bombadil"?

i haven't, but i would like to read it! maybe you should check the library!:rolleyes:

[Archbob the Elder]

On the back cover of the Simirillian, it states that tolkien did write such a book, never seen it though, in any bookstore or library.

[BeardofPants]

It was one of Tolkien's earlier works. I'm not sure how you'd go about procuring a copy, but I would suggest the library. Or perhaps amazon.

[cassiopeia]

The advertures of Tom Bombadil is a collection of poems by hobbits isn't it? Actually I think Bilbo wrote some of them. I have seen it at my library, I will borrow it one of these days.:)

[samwiselvr2008]

i don't think that it is at my library, because i think that i allready checked out all of the tolkien books, but i'll get my mommy to check b/c she works right next to the library!

[Urksnik the Sleek]

I too agree with Erendis (I saw burrahobbit's argument too, but you posted before I could get there).
I've got a copy of The adventures of Tom Bombadil somewhere, it comes in a dual book with Farmer Giles of Ham, so you might have better look searching under that name, although it may be out of print.

[BeardofPants]

For gods sake, use inter-branch loaning. If good ol' backwards NZ has this function, then you guys should. :p

[cassiopeia]

Ahh, libraries are great arn't they? The only JJRT book I have is the LOTR, the rest I borrow from the library. I have now put on hold the history of middle earth. They have the adventures of tom at my crap library, so other libraries should have them too.

[gimli7410]

i love the library:D

[Khadrane]

I like the theory Erendis posted too.

Oh yeah, another reason Tom can't be the Witch-King is because he said he wasn't master of the riders out of the Black Land.

[The Lady of Ithilien]

You never know, you might be living right beside a Tom. Well, for a couple of weeks I was, but then I had him neutered and now my cat's just a mellow little fluff ball.

Sorry. Couldn't resist that. ;)

I love the Witch King theory, and the four elements theory is one I've never heard before (wouldn't Gandalf be "air," as he never settled in one place?), but my favorite is the "Tom is the reader" theory. That business about the reader being the only one besides Tom who was present in the room and could see Frodo wearing the Ring.... And in "The Old Forest" in Fellowship of the Ring, there's another mention of a gate when the hobbits come upon the Withywindle:After stumbling along for some way along the stream, they came quite suddenly out of the gloom. As if through a gate they saw the sunlight before them...Hmmmm......

[Insidious Rex]

Tom was a childs doll. *dives behind the bushes before anyone notices who said that*

[Lizra]

Burrahobbit made a post longer than six sarcastic words! ;)

Did you all read Micheal Martinez's Suite 101 article, "Love in the Trees"? He made a post about it a few days back on the Middle Earth Forum. There is a link to a very nice article about Tom B and the Ents. Check it out! :)