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Iarwain · 01-11-2003, 10:36 PM

Perhaps you should reopen this thread in the Novices Forum. However, I'll answer it anyway.

Tom Bombadil is an entity who lives in the Old Forest during the War of the Ring. According to other accounts: Elrond, Gildor, Gandalf; Tom has apparently always been around. His existence can be traced to the creation of Middle-Earth, or at least the awakening of the firstborn. Many people have debated the nature of Tom's spirit, whether he was Man, Maia, Eru incarnate, or Tolkien himself embodied in his works. You may choose any of these (or others) to believe, though there is more evidence to look at. Tom also has strange powers, or is an exceptance to certain bonds that are felt by the rest of Middle-Earth. For instance, Tom, who limits himself to wandering within certain bounds, is seemingly omnipotent within his land. Also, the ring has no power over Tom, and he is not subject to its temptation, nor its deciet. Tom is according to Elrond "Eldest and Fatherless" (thus his name Iarwain Ben-Adar), and none can trace the point in time where he came into the world. This seems to leave us with two choices for the kind of person which Tom is. He could either be Eru incarnate, and thus be omnipotent and ageless and not subject to others' power. Or Tom could be Tolkien's idea of himself as a character in Middle Earth. Thus, he would be omniscient (being the inventor of Middle-Earth), and not be subject to the deciet which the ring presents others. Personally, I hold to the idea that he is Eru incarnate, because it fits more with Tom's character than him being Tolkien, but that is me.

Rambling on about Myself,
Iarwain

01-11-2003, 10:36 PM	#2
Iarwain Pugnaciously Primordial Paradox Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Birnham Wood Posts: 800	Perhaps you should reopen this thread in the Novices Forum. However, I'll answer it anyway. Tom Bombadil is an entity who lives in the Old Forest during the War of the Ring. According to other accounts: Elrond, Gildor, Gandalf; Tom has apparently always been around. His existence can be traced to the creation of Middle-Earth, or at least the awakening of the firstborn. Many people have debated the nature of Tom's spirit, whether he was Man, Maia, Eru incarnate, or Tolkien himself embodied in his works. You may choose any of these (or others) to believe, though there is more evidence to look at. Tom also has strange powers, or is an exceptance to certain bonds that are felt by the rest of Middle-Earth. For instance, Tom, who limits himself to wandering within certain bounds, is seemingly omnipotent within his land. Also, the ring has no power over Tom, and he is not subject to its temptation, nor its deciet. Tom is according to Elrond "Eldest and Fatherless" (thus his name Iarwain Ben-Adar), and none can trace the point in time where he came into the world. This seems to leave us with two choices for the kind of person which Tom is. He could either be Eru incarnate, and thus be omnipotent and ageless and not subject to others' power. Or Tom could be Tolkien's idea of himself as a character in Middle Earth. Thus, he would be omniscient (being the inventor of Middle-Earth), and not be subject to the deciet which the ring presents others. Personally, I hold to the idea that he is Eru incarnate, because it fits more with Tom's character than him being Tolkien, but that is me. Rambling on about Myself, Iarwain __________________ "And what are oaths but words we say to God?"