Quote:
Originally Posted by Stoatly Grimes
(Though I did read an interesting theory recently - tongue-in-cheek of course - that Bombadil and the Witch-king are the same person)
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Bombadil and the WiKi as alter-egos? Let's do pros and cons, shall we?
Pros
1. They are never seen together (hmmm...very suspicious).
2. Although Bombadil's clothing is colorfully garish, it could well be hidden beneath the WiKi's black cloak (the yellow boots present a problem though).
3. Goldberry and Eowyn both had blonde hair (one considered him a lady-killer, the other was his killer-lady).
4. Both had power over evil spirits (in fact, both had an intimate knowledge of the Barrow Downs).
5.
Forn and
WiKi both have four letters, while WitchKing and Orald each have two syllables! It is almost cabalistic in a numerological sense.
6. Both the WitchKing and Bombadil may have been borrowed in part by Tolkien from ancient texts (Bombadil has affinities to Väinämöinen from the
Kalevala, and the WitchKing to the witch-king Þráinn, a draugr from the Icelandic saga
Hrómundar saga Gripssonar).
7. Both lived an extraordinarily long time (although no mention is made of either prior to the forging of the Rings).
8. Bombadil was rather animated and joking, while WiKi was wooden and devoid of humor (perhaps overcompensating, huh?).
9. Tom could see Frodo while he was wearing the Ring, as did the WiKi.
10. The WitchKing conducts an all-encompassing war that destroys the Dunedain in Eriador, but miraculously Tom and his forest are untouched!
Cons
1. There is really only one comment to be made here (aside from Gandalf going to have a long talk with Tom after the War of the Ring), that is -- Tom had the Ring in his grasp, played a parlor trick with it, then handed it back to Frodo and assured his safety thereafter.
Ah well, another perfectly good conspiracy theory down the drain.