Tom Bombadil . . .ah, if he had no other purpose in the story but for the dear old Professor to put in something to amuse his niece/grandchild/daughter/something or other childlike and female (as I've heard a rumour), well, he's given fans something to argue about ad nauseum.
It will always be a tentative belief of mine that Ben-Adur was one of the lesser Ainur who wandered Middle Earth before Arda was really begun as a project by the Powers. However, as to why the ring had no effect on him, I have a much more concrete theory.
From my (and my father, who is my fellow Tolkien-lover in my household of sceptics and cynics) readings of the text, it seems to me as if Ea has two very seperate "worlds". One is that which Men inhabit, the solid and textured world around us, the world of rocks and humans . . .and hobbits. The other is the "world" (if that is quite the word I'm looking for) of the Ainur and other spirits, wherein they do not wear their "garment" of humanoid form.
The entire theory is quite caught up quantum mechanics (numbers sets! one great ring, three elven rings, five Istari, seven dwarf rings, nine man rings . . .any physics students out there? ^^), but suffice it to say that these worlds used to lie perfectly side by side, but are now slipping apart. Witness the changing of the shape of the world when Numenor founders, and the retreat of the elves.
Now, the elves (I believe) exist in both worlds. This is born out by a comment of Frodo's after the Fords of Bruinen, when he asks Gandalf who the shining figure was and Gandalf tells him it was Glorfindel "as he appears on the other side" (I may be slightly misquoting). As a side note, I was quite pleased that they had Arwen glowing and shining when she first appeared to Frodo.
The fact that they exist on both sides is why they must withdraw, but I digress.
Following this, I don't believe that elves, wizards or other beings that inhabit both worlds would become "invisible" when they put on the ring. Humans and hobbits become so because they have nothing of that other world in them. The One Ring serves to act as a channel for the wearer, for both worlds. For a human or a hobbit, it simply transports them *entirely* into the Other World.
It's obvious that the lesser rings would have granted Bilbo invisibility, or Gandalf would have figured his ring for the One Ring quite a bit earlier. Yet Galadriel and Elrond bore rings of power, and did not become invisible. As did Gandalf. And, for that matter, Saruman---and, of course, Sauron.
Yet the Nine Riders did and were only truly visible to those who could see that elusive "other side" of existance.
Thus, Bombadil does not become invisible because he is already very grounded in that other world. He can see it and act upon it as he is; he need not be dragged into it as a human or a hobbit must.
I can't quite decide whether the dwarves inhabit both worlds or not, though. ^~ I lean towards the idea that they do, as they are said to have a "place set apart for them in the halls of Mandos", but I'm not entirely sure.
The ring has no power over Bombadil for the same reason it has little over Sam: what would they want with it, anyway? What good would it do them?
My thoughts on the subject. I believe I've been coherant. If not, I'll return and clarify.
[ May 23, 2002: Message edited by: Naaramare ]
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