The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum - View Single Post - Did Tom Bombadil remain in Middle-Earth after the Third Age?

Kalimac · 11-11-2002, 11:49 PM

Yay! A question which won't lead to bitter, unending arguments about what Tom actually WAS! (I hope). Go to the head of the class, Knight [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img].

Frankly it's hard to see Tom wanting to go, or even remembering to if he were told - can imagine him coming back after a three-day tramp through his little domain to find a note from Goldberry - "Tom, sorry, couldn't wait any longer. Boat leaving in 2 hours. Leftovers for dinner in the cool hollow underneath the waterfall. Recipe book next to canister of Kingsfoil. See you next life, Love, G."

Tom, as Gandalf says, is powerful is his own domain but never leaves it. The woods and the barrow-downs are his little kingdom (in a highly non-dictatorial way) and they seem to be pretty much the reason he exists - it's impossible to imagine Tom anywhere else (what would he DO in Rivendell, anyway? Not to mention the Undying Lands?). I've always had this vague and highly non-canonical idea that if Tom attempted to step outside the border of his country "Tom's country ends here, he can go no further" - he would vanish. Maybe that's just an extension of the feeling in the books that Tom simply can't contemplate going outside of his border, and functionally that's the same as not being able to do it.

So that's my $0.02. Who knows, maybe Tom is still wandering around out there somewhere (it's hard to see the Old Forest falling victim to development, somehow. It's probably located on unsaleable land, due to the perennial crankiness of Old Man Willow).

[ November 12, 2002: Message edited by: Kalimac ]

11-11-2002, 11:49 PM	#3
Kalimac Candle of the Marshes Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Flyover Country Posts: 780	Yay! A question which won't lead to bitter, unending arguments about what Tom actually WAS! (I hope). Go to the head of the class, Knight [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]. Frankly it's hard to see Tom wanting to go, or even remembering to if he were told - can imagine him coming back after a three-day tramp through his little domain to find a note from Goldberry - "Tom, sorry, couldn't wait any longer. Boat leaving in 2 hours. Leftovers for dinner in the cool hollow underneath the waterfall. Recipe book next to canister of Kingsfoil. See you next life, Love, G." Tom, as Gandalf says, is powerful is his own domain but never leaves it. The woods and the barrow-downs are his little kingdom (in a highly non-dictatorial way) and they seem to be pretty much the reason he exists - it's impossible to imagine Tom anywhere else (what would he DO in Rivendell, anyway? Not to mention the Undying Lands?). I've always had this vague and highly non-canonical idea that if Tom attempted to step outside the border of his country "Tom's country ends here, he can go no further" - he would vanish. Maybe that's just an extension of the feeling in the books that Tom simply can't contemplate going outside of his border, and functionally that's the same as not being able to do it. So that's my $0.02. Who knows, maybe Tom is still wandering around out there somewhere (it's hard to see the Old Forest falling victim to development, somehow. It's probably located on unsaleable land, due to the perennial crankiness of Old Man Willow). [ November 12, 2002: Message edited by: Kalimac ] __________________ Father, dear Father, if you see fit, We'll send my love to college for one year yet Tie blue ribbons all about his head, To let the ladies know that he's married.