Goldberry: a relic of an earlier idea?

[Bêthberry]

Intriguing replies, Pitchwife and Morthoron. It is a pity the Downs moves so slowly these days, as it is difficult to give out rep points and be able to return to you both to rep your posts.

Of course there are dozens of mythological figures that provide some provenance for both Goldberry and Tom; however, the degree of similar characteristics between Tom and Vainamoienen in the Kalevala beg us to at least consider where Goldberry might fit in that similarity. Any similarity between Goldberry and Aino does not lie in specific details but in simply their relationship with their male counterparts. Both are tales of the relationship between male and female figures in mythology; it is the sexual tension that intriguingly suggests the provenance. Yes, Aino is told she must provide milk-pots and honey cake for this husband, which is Goldberry's domestic role, and her plaint is that she must marry this old man because of his power and a promise made by a male member of her family and leave her beloved first home. Aino's fate is the fate of many a woman who resisted forced marriage; there are a good many Christian saints who preferred their chastity to forced marriage and a relationship with other women. This is not the fate of Goldberry, but woven in the two tales is the relationship of the young girl with her mother and expectations of a girl leaving her family to marry. In both tales there is some play of sexual tension, with Goldberry initiating the relationship by pulling Tom into the water and then escaping, and then with Aino reappearing as the unusual salmon/perch/trout, only to escape again from the violence of the knife. Goldberry does not escape as Tom "caught her, held her fast! Water-rats went scuttering/reeds hissed, herons cried; and her heart was fluttering" (The Adventures of Tom Bombadil)

I don't push this comparison too far and like Morth's point that Tom and Goldberry should simply be seen as embodiments of wood and water, personifications of nature and a nod to so many mythological figures. Yet it strikes me that there is another similarity here, which shows Tolkien's desire to depict women satisfied with the social expectations of a woman in marriage. Eowyn forsakes her wishes for her own power and freedom from societal restraint and finds domestic success with Faramir. Tolkien replaces the violent sundering of Aino and Vainamoienen with a satisfying domestic relationship between Tom and Goldberry. After all, Tom recognises he has removed Goldberry from her childhood home and so brings her the beloved water lilies.

[Pitchwife]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

Intriguing replies, Pitchwife and Morthoron. It is a pity the Downs moves so slowly these days, as it is difficult to give out rep points and be able to return to you both to rep your posts.

I have a similar problem with you, Bb, but fortunately not with Morth and (if may be so bold?) Arv.

You raise some good points here. I'm not sure the River-woman meant to marry her daughter off to ol' Tom, but what do we know? In any case Tom and Väinämöinen are indeed similar in the power of their songs. It may be worth remembering that Joukahainen wagered and forfeited his sister, Aino, in a song contest with V.

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

Yet it strikes me that there is another similarity here, which shows Tolkien's desire to depict women satisfied with the social expectations of a woman in marriage. Eowyn forsakes her wishes for her own power and freedom from societal restraint and finds domestic success with Faramir. Tolkien replaces the violent sundering of Aino and Vainamoienen with a satisfying domestic relationship between Tom and Goldberry.

Indeed. Aredhel and Eöl come to mind as a case where the marriage was not so harmonic, her acquiescence forced, and the divorce disastrous.

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

After all, Tom recognises he has removed Goldberry from her childhood home and so brings her the beloved water lilies.

Oh yes! Nice touch!

[Priya]

Hi Arvegil145

About 7 years ago I put out an article on Goldberry. It was the result of an attempt to understand the etymology behind her name:

https://priyasethtolkienfan.wordpres.../10/goldberry/

I too felt water-lilies were crucial to ‘her story’. In particular - the ‘yellow’ water-lily. And so, using that as a basis I made an attempt to ‘reconstruct’ it using the Professor’s own philosophy:

“To me a name comes first, and the story follows”.

If your ever get to Part IV, The Creatures of the Earth plays a crucial part in my thoughts about nailing down her genus.

It’s been one of my better received articles with much positive feedback. Some members are aware of it. In any case, I recommend a re-read for those who took a look long ago, because I have added much new evidence over the years.