Who do you think Tom Bombadil really was

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Originally Posted by Inziladun

You wouldn't know that by reading through The Movies here.

You obviously haven't read through the Sequence-by-Sequence threads.

Really, in the end it must be down to conjecture and personal interpretation, or the question would likely have been resolved to the satisfaction of most long ago.

Where's the fun in the known?

Personally, I don't care much for 'enigmas', even in books. I like to be able to categorize things and make them fit in the world they inhabit. I know it can't always be done, but that doesn't stop me trying.

The world must be a scary place for you.

But that said, in order to boost my own theory, I must lay waste to the others.

Tom cannot be an Ent, as his speech is much faster than that of any Ent, even Quickbeam. Goldberry is not an Entwife, as she's more into water sports than gardening (though if Tom has the last surviving Entwife around, I can see why he's hidden himself from the others).

Tom is jolly, silly and wears a hat, and these aren't Ent traits either. So Tom is not an Ent. Next...