Who do you think Tom Bombadil really was - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Orald · 11-14-2000, 10:02 PM

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<img src="http://www.barrowdowns.com/images/posticons/sting.jpg" align=absmiddle> Tom Bombadil

I was researching this topic and i think i found some evidence that he was either an incarnation of Ea/arda or that he was something other than a maia or vala, but still sent to Ea by Eru. here are a few passages that kinda lead to this conclusion:

"'Eldest, that's what I am... Tom remembers the first raindrop and the first acorn... He knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless - before the Dark Lord came from Outside.'"
The Fellowship of the Ring I 7, In the House of Tom Bombadil

so obviosly he can't be a vala or a maia, since melkor was the first to enter into Ea of the ainur. as seen in this passage:

"Now swiftly as they fared, Melko was there before them..."
The Book of Lost Tales, Part I, III The Coming of the Valar and the Building of Valinor

"them..." refers to the vala in particular manwe and varda. those two just happened to be the first ainur besides melkor to enter into Ea. and my last quote from tolkien is this piece concerning the aratar:

"...in majesty they are peers, surpassing beyond compare all others, whether of the Valar and the Maiar, or of any other order that Ilúvatar has sent into Eä."
The Silmarillion, Valaquenta

"or of any other order that Iluvatar has sent into Ea."
is the key to what bombadil really is. but if he is that other order, then he isn't more powerful that the aratar, but maybe the maiar and some of the other valar.

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11-14-2000, 10:02 PM	#10
Orald Shadow of Malice Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: right behind you Posts: 843	<font face="Verdana"><table><TR><TD><FONT SIZE="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Pile o' Bones Posts: 20</TD><TD></TD></TR></TABLE> <img src="http://www.barrowdowns.com/images/posticons/sting.jpg" align=absmiddle> Tom Bombadil I was researching this topic and i think i found some evidence that he was either an incarnation of Ea/arda or that he was something other than a maia or vala, but still sent to Ea by Eru. here are a few passages that kinda lead to this conclusion: "'Eldest, that's what I am... Tom remembers the first raindrop and the first acorn... He knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless - before the Dark Lord came from Outside.'" The Fellowship of the Ring I 7, In the House of Tom Bombadil so obviosly he can't be a vala or a maia, since melkor was the first to enter into Ea of the ainur. as seen in this passage: "Now swiftly as they fared, Melko was there before them..." The Book of Lost Tales, Part I, III The Coming of the Valar and the Building of Valinor "them..." refers to the vala in particular manwe and varda. those two just happened to be the first ainur besides melkor to enter into Ea. and my last quote from tolkien is this piece concerning the aratar: "...in majesty they are peers, surpassing beyond compare all others, whether of the Valar and the Maiar, or of any other order that Ilúvatar has sent into Eä." The Silmarillion, Valaquenta "or of any other order that Iluvatar has sent into Ea." is the key to what bombadil really is. but if he is that other order, then he isn't more powerful that the aratar, but maybe the maiar and some of the other valar. </p>