Revealing Tom Bombadil

[Kaiserin]

I'm sure that a lot of you are still wondering about what and who Tom Bombadil is, and why he's even in the LOTR stories. I'd like to hear your own crazy explanations as to why Tolkien created and included such an odd character.

Just a note to remember -this thread is under "mirth" and I'm not really looking for a logical, analytiacal explanation, so thy smarter-than-thou image can put your references and quotations aside for a while smilies/smile.gif

Anyway, here are my thoughts:

1 - Tolkien needed a place to publish his silly-sounding songs.
2 - Bombadil is a symbol of the writer's uncle' wife's half-brother's longing for his lost childhood.
3- He was designed to discredit all things magical.

Let's hear your opinions...

[dancing spawn of ungoliant]

whoa, fun,fun,fun...let's see.
Bombadil's in the book 'cause Tolkien wanted some character to use yellow boots and he didn't want to humiliate any other character like that...

[Nilpaurion Felagund]

I've always wanted to tease ol' Tom..let's see...how about...someone needs to feed those silly hobbits! They'll starve in the middle of the Old Forest! Or maybe not. Maybe the silly songs thing is right. Some childish fantasy of Tolkien, I think. smilies/biggrin.gif

[Eruwen]

Who else could he get to prance around like a leprechaun while he hits trees and sings something about a merry dol? Oh, come on, even Pippin wouldn't do that.

[Lyta_Underhill]

Oh, come on, even Pippin wouldn't do that.
Give him a few pints and he just might! Maybe Tom is a projected figment of Pippin's alter ego...uh, ego! Or worse, maybe its one of the more embarrassing members of the Took family who actually beat the Bullroarer long ago but was exiled because of said silly yellow boots! smilies/biggrin.gif

Cheers,
Lyta

[Oddwen]

Yeah! Hobbits rarely, if ever wore boots, so they must've banished him from the Shire for that.

[Amarantha_Daisy]

Bombadil is a symbol of the writer's uncle' wife's half-brother's longing for his lost childhood.

smilies/biggrin.gif Oh, I definatly agree. Either that or he was a representation of the invisible friend that Tolkien had and never truely got rid of. smilies/wink.gif

Well, Tom could have also been put in there to introduce a fashion statement: Yellow boots, of course! I don't think they were ever too popular, so maybe Tolkien added Tom in there to make subliminal messages telling us to wear them... smilies/eek.gif Paranoia!

[the guy who be short]

Well, Tom could have also been put in there to introduce a fashion statement: Yellow boots, of course! I don't think they were ever too popular, so maybe Tolkien added Tom in there to make subliminal messages telling us to wear them... Paranoia!



You think Tolkien got rich writing books? The real money's in the boot business!

I think he wanted someone who looks like a walnut in there, but didn't want a talking walnut. Hey presto, Tom Bombadil was born!

[Morai]

Hm, I think Tolkien created Tom Bomadil for the sheer randomness. Really, Sings goofy songs, has yellow boots, talks and sings to trees, and has a sweet Wife named Goldberry.
That's random! I think if he lived in modern days, he'd reside in Oregon. (now nicknamed the tree-hugger state)

[Amarantha_Daisy]

Maybe Tolkien has split personality disorder, and Tom was just his other half... Dude, I wish my other half were like Tom Bombadil... smilies/cool.gif Don't we? Yes, we do...