Copy and paste Standard Bombadil explanation...
Ready. Go.
It's quite clear he is an enigma. He fits under no other title of the beings we are aware of. Tolkien made this quite clear in his letters.
"And even in a mythical Age there must be some enigmas, as there always are. Tom Bombadil is one (intentionally)."
(and later...)
"...he represents something that I feel important, though I would not be prepared to analyze the feeling precisely."
The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, No. 144
"...I kept him in, and as he was, because he represents certain things otherwise left out."
The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, No. 153
He cannot be Eru:
"There is no embodiment of the One, of God, who indeed remains remote, outside the World, and only directly accessible to the Valar or Rulers."
The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, No. 181
He cannot be a Maiar because all of the Maiar we are aware of in Middle Earth (Gandalf, Saruman, and Sauron, for example) are somehow under the influence of the ring, which has no effect on Bombadil whatsoever.
He cannot be a Valar, for Tolkien states in The Book of Lost Tales (Part One), that "Melko was there before them...", with "them" meaning the Valar.
Bombadil had been in Middle-earth since before Melkor's arrival, as stated by Bombadil himsefl in The Fellowship of the Ring:
"'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.'"
It also seems plain logical that if Bombadil was a Valar or Maiar, Gandalf, Saruman, etc. would recognize another of their race (Ainur).
Tom is Tom. It's not so hard, really.
If nothing else, this quote...
Quote:
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"And even in a mythical Age there must be some enigmas, as there always are. Tom Bombadil is one (intentionally)."
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...should remove all thoughts from your mind about Tom being anything but Tom, an entity.
[ June 18, 2002: Message edited by: Legalos ]