Bombadil: One of the Blue Wizards?

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

Also, having finally acquired HOME #1, I recall that in the early drafts of LOTR, Farmer Maggott was to have been related to Bombadil in some way. That would have take away from Tom's singularity in the ME cosmology. . . .
Or, was Tom (with Goldberry too, perhaps) part of some other race that was largely unknown to Middle Earth's primary historians, the Eldar? It's possible, at least.

I'm also a recent (well, within the last two years) convert to the early HoMe books. BoLT, vol 1 has this early version of the Coming of the Valar. (And this is related to a paper I wrote last summer about the Bombadils.)

Originally Posted by BoLT, vol 1, p. 660

About them [ie, the Yavanna and Aule] fared a great host who are the sprites of trees and woods, of dale and forest and mountain-side, or those that sing amid the grass at morning and chant among the standing corn at eve. These are the Nermir and the Tavari, Nandini and Orossi, brownies, fays, pixies, leprawns, and what else are they not called, for their number is very great: yet must they not be confused with the Eldar, for they were born before the world and are older than its oldest, and are not of it, but laugh at it much, for had they not somewhat to do with its making, so that it is for the most part a play for them; but the Eldar are of the world and love it with a great and burning love, and are wistful in all their happiness for that reason.

Of this passage, Christopher Tolkien comments:

Originally Posted by Notes to the Coming of the Valar, BoLT, I, p. 80

Particularly interesting is the passage concering the host of lesser spirits who accompanied Aule andPalurien, from which one sees how old is the conception of the Eldar as quite dissimilar in essential nature from 'brownies, fays, pixies, leprawns', since the Eldar are 'of the world' and bound to it, whereas those others are beings from before the world's making. In the later work there is no trace of any such explanation of the 'pixie' element in the world's population: the Maiar are little referred to and certainly not said to include such beings as 'sing amid the grass at morning and chant among the standing corn at eve.'

It seems to me that Tom and Goldberry could very well be such as sing amid the grass (well, Tom sings amid the trees) and chant among the standing corn (Goldberry dances in the grass).

Christopher Tolkien does not say when Tolkien Sr. made the changes to the Silm material, but it certainly seems to me that there is much in the enigmatic Tom and Goldberry that fits this early concept of fays who existed before the world was made. That would certainly explain the point about Tom's age.

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Tolkien via Bethberry

About them [ie, the Yavanna and Aule] fared a great host who are the sprites of trees and woods, of dale and forest and mountain-side, or those that sing amid the grass at morning and chant among the standing corn at eve. These are the Nermir and the Tavari, Nandini and Orossi, brownies, fays, pixies, leprawns, and what else are they not called, for their number is very great: yet must they not be confused with the Eldar, for they were born before the world and are older than its oldest, and are not of it, but laugh at it much, for had they not somewhat to do with its making, so that it is for the most part a play for them; but the Eldar are of the world and love it with a great and burning love, and are wistful in all their happiness for that reason.

That's lovely (you can always encounter something in Tolkien that catches your eye differently...amazing) and makes me want to go and read this part through again for myself. And makes me think of certain folk songs, themselves based on folk tales, such as John Barleycorn - where the crop itself is personified. No doubting that Tolkien of course knew these songs and knew more than most about the old folktales, and genus loci.

There's an urge to try and explain/understand and categorise for Tolkien fans and it's just not possible when Tolkien threw in aspects that do not fit into any hierarchy. Makes me think of how there has always been a blurring of boundaries, certainly for the most ordinary of people, between the pre-Christian and the more modern world - the former being chaotic in nature, the latter more structured. That's reflected in what Tolkien wrote down, throwing us characters like Tom along with Elves, packaged (more or less neatly) into 'castes', and having to be taught their place in a world that also included Maiar and Ainur.

But anyway, I like to at least try to explain/understand, even if the urge to categorise is less strong for me These sprites of nature, and Tom himself, are all very fond of singing and chanting - and the world was created with Music. I have to think they have something to do with how the world was crafted, it's too nice an idea to ignore!

Amazing though...Tolkien's creation was a kind of Faerie, and within it, he created another Faerie...

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

That's lovely (you can always encounter something in Tolkien that catches your eye differently...amazing) and makes me want to go and read this part through again for myself. And makes me think of certain folk songs, themselves based on folk tales, such as John Barleycorn - where the crop itself is personified. No doubting that Tolkien of course knew these songs and knew more than most about the old folktales, and genus loci.

I've recently been reading on folk and fairy tales--the collection actually mentions Tolkien's essay OFS!--and am intrigued about just how much Tolkien knew but the ideas are still percolating (or perhaps I should say brewing).

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

But anyway, I like to at least try to explain/understand, even if the urge to categorise is less strong for me These sprites of nature, and Tom himself, are all very fond of singing and chanting - and the world was created with Music. I have to think they have something to do with how the world was crafted, it's too nice an idea to ignore!

It seems to me to offer an explanation of why the Ring has no effect on Tom. He "was" before the world began and before Melkor brought evil/discord into the music, so quite possibly Tom has no concept of evil. He just can't recognise it or appreciate it or understand it. He is pure innocence.

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

Amazing though...Tolkien's creation was a kind of Faerie, and within it, he created another Faerie...

Shhh! You must come and hear my paper. Or one of them at any rate.

[Lalwendë]

And look at the relationships he has with Old Man Willow and with Goldberry. OMW is really sinister and almost consumes the Hobbits, but is not treated as evil by Tom, just as a wild thing that needs singing to in order to be tamed. Goldberry is the daughter of the river and has to be brought offerings of water lillies to keep her content over the winter months. 'Evil' doesn't seem to figure in Tom's world, things just 'are'. That really is innocent.