[Mithadan]

Elrian - Thanks for defending my "honor". [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]

Kin-strife - Whoops. Sorry. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

Bombadil theories I have heard, Tom is:

1. An enigma (JRRT says this himself, but in an early draft in HoME, Tom is described as an "aborigine" - check the definition for additional cannon-fodder for arguments).

2. A Maia (if LoTR and the Sil. must be internally consistent, this is the only theory that really works).

3. Iluvatar (sorry, JRRT in Letters expressly says Iluvatar has never physically entered Arda).

4. Aule (the smith of the Valar now wanders in the woods singing nonsense songs and picking lilies? Not!).

5. Beren (there's some visceral appeal to this one, but Beren was mortal).

6. The embodied spirit of Arda/or of the Imperishable Fire (hard to disprove but not really consistent with the mythos).

7. The spirit of "unfallen" man (assumes a "fall" resulted in man's mortality which is likely not consistent with the mythos).

8. A repentant Witch-King (see the Tolkien Sarcasm page).

9. The spirit of the English countryside.

Theories I've not seen discussed, Tom is: one of the original firstborn Elves; Maglor; the real "Shepard of the Trees"; Peter Pan; Jim Morrison.

Tom REALLY is a doll which was the favorite toy of one of JRRT's kids, the subject of various bedtime tales, which he decided to work into the story.