Movies - Tom Bombadil

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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 and power. The Ring has no power over him. He can see the Ring-bearer, who is invisible to most others, and is unaffected by wearing it himself.

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 in Jackson's adaptation, included in the extended edition DVD.

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 origins in the cosmology of Middle-earth have puzzled even erudite fans, as he is arguably the only character in Tolkien's entire legendarium 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 legendarium. 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, both Maiar, were clearly not immune. 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.

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