Bombadil: The Reader

[Gwaihir the Windlord]

How embarassing, it appears that my post is the only fully argumentative and serious one in the entire thread. =/ [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] Still. Tom is not actually the reader, I think, as the theory seems to me almost totally baseless, but his 'gateway' quality remains. The fact that he doesn't appear to fit in with the rest of Tolkien's creation is refreshing. Interesting character too, isn't he?

Mmm, though I must say, whether Tolkien intended it or not, burrahobbit's Music-origin idea does seem to be able to just about cover him... perhaps this theme, i.e. of some sort of power in music, was simply one that recurred in Tolkien's mind. Some sort of fantastic idea that he was, well, fascinated with. But you know, even if we can explain him nicely with the Music theory -- I suppose in the Tolkien-created world he must have had some sort of origin -- he remains a 'refreshing' enigma, as he is strange, new and a singular case.

Although, maybe it would be better to leave Tom Bombadil as an engima, as that seems to have been Tolkien's intent.

Well, he really is an enigma whether he is discussed or not, isn't he?