On Thu, 3 Jan 2002, Doug wrote: > As for Bombadil, I could find no direct references in the > Simarillion. At the Council of Elrond Gorfindel says (while > discussing the disposition of the ring) "I think that in the end, if > all else is conquereed, Bombadil will fall, Last as he was First; > and then night will come."
I did some googling last night, and I found two theories about Tom's origin, neither conclusive. Also, one web site quoted a letter of Tolkien's which says regarding Tom that even in an age of fantasy, there have to be some enigmas, so perhaps there is no correct interpretation. #1 Tom Bombadil is a maia, rather like the Istari, but one that confines itself to the appreciation of nature's beauty and has no desire to control it (which lack of desire explains his invulnerability to the Ring). Goldberry, too, would be a maia. #2 Tom is a kind of nature spirit, a kind of being Tolkien never explicitly defined for Middle-Earth. But there's some speculation that the original song of creation still echoes in the water and land of earth, and Tom's existence is the product of this residual echo, explaining why he interacts with everything through song. Sauron's ravaging of the earth can harm him, but nothing made by him can exert direct control over Tom. If you type "Tom Bombadil" into a search engine, you'll probably find lots of web pages of people who have researched the question. But as nearly as I could tell, there aren't any definitive answers. Marvin Long Austin, Texas
