Wow! That's two fascinating essays,
Eonwe and
Curunir!
However:
Quote:
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I'm sure that Tom, if he wanted to could set his sights on all of Middle-Earth, and try to make that his land. He would probably be able to do this, and have all of Middle Earth at his beck and call. But this would go against the nature of tom himself, so this could never happen with him being the same Tom Bombadil. Failing that Tom could (with his immense power) make his land the greatest fortress in the world, and from there launch an attack on the rest of Middle-Earth, but again, that is not his character.
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I have a hard time picturing Tom doing anything of the sort, and not only because it would be out of character, but because I don't see Tom as powerful in this extroverted sense. Actually, to me most of his supposedly immense power looks more like immunity against (or perhaps simply indifference towards) other powers, whether it be Old Man Willow's, the Barrow Wight's or even Sauron's (manifest in the ring). Tom is the Master because he is, and remains in all situations, his own master, and thus cannot be mastered by others. Self-discipline indeed seems to be the key to his Mastership. Tom the zen-master... I rather like this idea!
Let's not forget, however, the other crucial aspect of his Mastership: not only were his songs stronger songs, but his boots also were faster!
