From Tom Bombadil's house to the Road - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

The Mouth of Sauron · 03-02-2014, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

I'm fuzzy on the details right now, but I think that it was a very simple reason that as they were in the middle of the forest already, they did not see fit to return back and around. Firstly, that part of the forest is not that safe either. Secondly, they'd be wasting precious time, which the hobbits may not have noticed but Tom certainly did. Lastly, they entered the forest to lose the Nazgul. Tom also kept those in mind while the hobbits stayed with him, and he knew that they would be there as soon as the hobbits leave the forest, so might as well stay hidden and under that protection for as long as the route permits.

But Bombadil's house was OUTSIDE the Old Forest ?

William Cloud Hicklin · 03-02-2014, 09:47 PM

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line? Bree lay northeast of Tom's house.

Galadriel55 · 03-03-2014, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Mouth of Sauron

But Bombadil's house was OUTSIDE the Old Forest ?

More like in a clearing in the midst of it, as I imagined it. Once again, though, I'm fuzzy on the details of that trip, and perhaps the hobbits are too - with the tricksy trees and Withywindle, they were quite lost as well and had no sense of direction, so there's little we can tell for certain from their trip to his house. But considering that next to no mortals know about him, and even Elves don't really seem to be keeping in touch with him, his house is definitely well off the travel routes.

William Cloud Hicklin · 03-04-2014, 03:54 PM

"Then suddenly the trees came to an end and the mists were left behind. They stepped out of the Forest, and found a wide sweep of grass welling up before them... The grass under their feet was smooth and short, as if it had been mown or shaven. The eaves of the Forest behind them were clipped, and trim as a hedge. The path was now plain before them.....There was Tom Bombadil's house, up, down, under hill. Beyond it a steep shoulder of the land lay grey and bare, and beyond that the dark shapes of the Barrow-downs stalked away into the eastern night."

03-02-2014, 09:47 PM	#2
William Cloud Hicklin Loremaster of Annúminas Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 2,330	The shortest distance between two points is a straight line? Bree lay northeast of Tom's house. __________________ The entire plot of The Lord of the Rings could be said to turn on what Sauron didn’t know, and when he didn’t know it.

03-04-2014, 03:54 PM	#4
William Cloud Hicklin Loremaster of Annúminas Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 2,330	"Then suddenly the trees came to an end and the mists were left behind. They stepped out of the Forest, and found a wide sweep of grass welling up before them... The grass under their feet was smooth and short, as if it had been mown or shaven. The eaves of the Forest behind them were clipped, and trim as a hedge. The path was now plain before them.....There was Tom Bombadil's house, up, down, under hill. Beyond it a steep shoulder of the land lay grey and bare, and beyond that the dark shapes of the Barrow-downs stalked away into the eastern night." __________________ The entire plot of The Lord of the Rings could be said to turn on what Sauron didn’t know, and when he didn’t know it.