Who or What is Tom Bombadil?

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by narfforc

Of course I am talking over a long period of time since the books were first published, Tom does get more attention than Goldberry and her mother. There is a fascination with people trying to figure out who or what he is, and completely forgetting the other two.

Well, it appears such people are in good company, for, after all, Gandalf appears to forget about Goldberry when he says at the end:

Originally Posted by Gandalf

But if you would know, I am turning aside soon. I am going to have a long talk with Bombadil: such a talk as I have not had in all my time. He is a moss-gatherer, and I have been a stone doomed to rolling. But my rolling days are ending, and now we shall have much to say to one another.

Of course, this could simply be Tolkien's attempt to try to integrate Bombadil a little more into the story. After all, he and Goldberry did get their own book, so to speak.

hmm. Maybe I should go back to my fey avatar which resembles the images on the cover of Tales from the Perilous Realm. hmm.