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Website homepage → Tolkien Forums → The Races of Arda → The Mystery of Tom Bombadil
 

Topic: The Mystery of Tom Bombadil

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Laurelin
Haldir of Lorien - Rank 6
Status: Offline
Posts: 824
Date: Oct 11, 2012
RE: Tom Bombadil
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Thanks, Bear!

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ArwenLegolas
Tom Bombadil
Status: Offline
Posts: 1873
Date: Nov 6, 2012
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Old Tom is little me, he too is an enigma

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Hey dol! merry dol! ring a dong dillo!
Ring a dong! hop along! fal lal the willow!
Tom Bom, Jolly Tom, Tom Bombadillo!
azaghal
Being lies with Eru - Rank 1
Status: Offline
Posts: 36
Date: Mar 10, 2014
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Just for fun, I want to run through some possible previous owner of the Broach that Tom gave to Goldberry:

- Aredhel Ar-Feiniel - Turgon's sister, she had wandered outside the gates of Gondolin and finally found and married Eol. She could have encountered Tom & Goldberry in her wanderings. She returned to, and eventually was slain in Gondolin. Since Gondolin was sacked by Morgoth's army and its treasures spread thoughtout the lands, her broach could have ended up anywhere. Please referance Gandalf's and Thorin's (and Bilbo's) swords being from Gondolin, found in Eriador, thousands of years later.

- Melian - The Maia lived in Doriath/Menegroth until the Dwarves slew Thingol, at which time she forsook Middle-Earth and returned to Valinor. Menegroth was sacked by the Dwarves and it's treasure scattered to the winds. I dont think it would be out of the question to think that Tom/Goldberry knew Melian.

- Morwen - In her youth she was indeed beautiful and before the occupation of Belariand would have had a few treasures. These would have been taken by the Easterlings that Morgoth allowed to rule and plunder the Edain. Could have been moved into Eriador over the years between her fall and the War of Wrath that sunk Beleriand below the waves.

- Lúthien Tinúviel - She spent time wandering her father's kingdom. Went on increadible adventures. see above for ways her jewelry could have been dispersed. very good possiblity that Tom/Goldberry visited with Melian (?Thingol?).  They also could have visited Beren & Luthien in Tol Galen before they passed into the West.

- Finduilas - after Nargothrond was sacked by orcs and Glaurung, she was taken by orcs and slain as she called for Turin. I am sure that after Glaurung was slain, Nargothrond was looted by Easterlings and others.


- OR! It could have just been one of the queens, princesses, or great ladies of the Edain after the Numenoreans came to their new found lands in Middle-Earth




-- Edited by azaghal on Monday 10th of March 2014 05:46:04 AM



-- Edited by azaghal on Tuesday 11th of March 2014 02:06:00 PM

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King Azaghal was I, Lord of Belegost.

Fought the father of dragons at great cost,

During the Battle of Unnumbered Tears,

Nearly killed the Great Worm of our fears,

I Stabbed my knife into Dread Glaurung,

Could be worse, I could be dragon dung.

 
Bear
Lord Elrond of Rivendell - Rank 9
Status: Offline
Posts: 2959
Date: Mar 11, 2014
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azaghal,

I like these speculations.
Each name suggested seems to trigger another chapter of its own ... and, for me, the encounter would be one of Tom having some form of interaction (or at least some observation) ... and that leaves me with a thought of the nature of Tom himself ...Valar perhaps ...High ranking Maia ...

Very interesting post! Well done!



-- Edited by Bear on Tuesday 11th of March 2014 05:26:44 AM

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Vocatus atque non vocatus, Deus aderit
Called or uncalled, God is present
azaghal
Being lies with Eru - Rank 1
Status: Offline
Posts: 36
Date: Mar 11, 2014
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Bear, Thank you VERY much for your feedback! I am kinda leaning towards Melian myself.



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King Azaghal was I, Lord of Belegost.

Fought the father of dragons at great cost,

During the Battle of Unnumbered Tears,

Nearly killed the Great Worm of our fears,

I Stabbed my knife into Dread Glaurung,

Could be worse, I could be dragon dung.

 
Lorelline
Being lies with Eru - Rank 1
Status: Offline
Posts: 383
Date: Mar 11, 2014
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I was wondering how Tom Bombadil was able to tell that the lady that wore the brooch was fair. Does that necessarily mean he has previously seen her, or is it something the brooch 'tells' him, much like the stones of Hollin 'spoke' to Legolas (and conceivably Gandalf) about the Elves that worked with them long ago. The phrase 'and we will not forget her' is interesting. Sounds like he is talking about someone he has not necessarily known in the past, but just came to know about; otherwise he already remembers her anyway. Although 'looked long at it, as if stirred by some memory' may point out he knew her but indeed forgot, and didn't want to forget her again (forgetting Luthien or Melian would be remarkable). Or simply has seen a thing like this brooch before...

Although this is just a short episode in the published version, in the draft it is 'we shall not forget them, the vanished folk, the old kings, the children, and the maidens, and all those who walked the earth when the world was young'. If the mysterious lady to whom the brooch belonged was still thought to be of that 'vanished folk' in the final version, the reference to children might indicate that she was human, as there seems to have been much fewer Elven children.

Sure enough, there can be multiple other interpretations. I just wouldn't think it was Aredhel's, the color (blue of many shades) seems not to fit well with her favorite white and silver - just an opinion.

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Lórellinë
Jaidoprism7
Guard of Armenelos - Rank 4
Status: Offline
Posts: 763
Date: Jul 20, 2014
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#1- About Tom Bombadil:

In Question #1, I state that Tom's name was given to him by the Bucklanders: This comes from a passage in the Preface in The Tolkien Reader which states: Nos 1 and 2 (which are the poems The Adventures of Tom Bombadil and Tom goes Boating), evidently come from Buckland. They show more knowledge of that country, and of the Dingle, the wooded valley of the Withywindle, than any Hobbits west of the Marish were likely to possess. They also show that the Bucklanders knew Bombadil,..." Here a foot note (#4) states: "Indeed they probably gave him this name )it is Bucklanish in form) to add to his many older ones." Then the Preface continues thus: "though, no doubt, they had as little understanding of his powers as the Shire-folk had of Gandalf's; both were regarded as benevolent persons, mysterious maybe and unpredictable, but nonetheless comic.



-- Edited by Jaidoprism7 on Sunday 20th of July 2014 12:47:14 AM



-- Edited by Jaidoprism7 on Thursday 24th of July 2014 12:45:09 AM

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Turinguy
Being lies with Eru - Rank 1
Status: Offline
Posts: 10
Date: Jan 11, 2017
The Mystery of Tom Bombadil
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Sindarin course? Where? I really want to speak it but I can't find a place to learn it.

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All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.
Turinguy
Being lies with Eru - Rank 1
Status: Offline
Posts: 10
Date: Jan 11, 2017
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I don't think that Niniel and Goldberry are the same person because Niniel would have died when she hit the water. Tom Bombadil also can't be Eru because then he would just kill Sauron without letting so many people die. If he is, and Niniel is Goldberry, that doesn't make sense because why would a god marry a mortal?

__________________
All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.
Turinguy
Being lies with Eru - Rank 1
Status: Offline
Posts: 10
Date: Jan 12, 2017
Permalink  

I don't know excactly what this means, but when Tom is scaring off the Barrow-Wight, this is what he says:
"Get out you old Wight! Vanish into the sunlight! / Shrivel like the cold mist, like the winds go wailing, / Out into the barren lands far beyond the mountains!" 

These mountains can't be the Misty Mountains, because the lands beyond them are the same as the lands in front of them. That leaves Mordor - but that isn't where they are from. But remember, Smeagol tells Frodo and Sam about lands beyond Mordor where the yellow face of the sun always shines, and there are dark people there - those people are probably the Barrow-Wights, and that is beyond Mordor, which is surrounded by mountains. This implies that he has been there before and knows what's there, but doesn't he stay near where he lives? Yes. Answer: he once lived there.



__________________
All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.
 
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