What connection between Goldberry and Ulmo?

[Ibrîniðilpathânezel]

Just to further muddy the waters, I came across an interesting little item in the notorious Letter 210 to Forrest J. Ackerman, in which Tolkien gives rather detailed commentary on "Mr. Zimmerman's" script treatment of LotR for a proposed film version, back in June of 1958 (one would love to see the exact script that provoked this commentary; it sounds like it would've been a real hoot to read):

The first paragraph misrepresents Tom Bombadil. He is not the owner of the woods; and he would never make any such threat.

'Old scamp!' This is a good example of the general tendency that I find in Z to reduce and lower the tone towards that of a more childish fairy-tale. The expression does not agree with the tone of Bombadil's long later talk; and though that is cut, there is no need for its indications to be disregarded.

I am sorry, but I think the manner of the introduction of Goldberry is silly, and on a par with 'old scamp.' It also has no warrant in my tale. We are not in 'fairy-land', but in a real river-lands in autumn. Goldberry represents the actual seasonal changes in such lands. [emphasis mine] Personally I think she had far better disappear than make a meaningless appearance.

If Goldberry is meant to represent seasonal changes, than this, I think, would argue for her being (if she is indeed a Maia in any way) descended of Yavanna, or possibly Vana or Orome, not Ulmo. Granted, we do know of Maiar who served more than one of the Valar (Melian and Olorin, most notably), so it would not be inconceivable that if she were indeed a Maia (or descended from one), the affiliation would be to, say, Yavanna and Ulmo, if one wishes to pursue a possible connection to the latter.

Still thinking about it...

[denethorthefirst]

I do not think that Goldberry is an Ainu (or one of the Ealar, for that matter, i.e. a naturally discarnate being), because it is stated that she has a mother (the "River-Woman"). My Head-Canon is that Goldberry is, like Luthien, the offspring of a Maia and an Elf. The "River-Woman" could be a female Maia of Ulmo that resided in that region of Eriador just as the Elves were passing through during the Great Journey or maybe she accompanied the Journey. Just like Melian with Thingol this unnamed River-Maia then fell in love with an Elf, incarnated herself for him and gave birth to Goldberry. What happened next is anybodies guess: maybe they both moved on after they grew weary of Middle-Earth or they got killed during the events of the First Age, either by one of the many of Melkors free roaming Monsters, or by the Creatures and Orks that fled Angband after its destruction and passed through Eriador on their way to the East. Whatever happened to the parents, in the end Goldberry fell in love with Bombadil and stayed with him.