Tom Bomabadil - perhaps the greatest of the
many mysteries of Middle-earth. Today we are going to cover 5 of the most
popular theories on who or what is Tom Bombadil. This topic was recently chosen by my Patreon
supporters and is a common request on the channel, so I’m excited to dive in. First, let’s establish some of what we know
of Tom Bombadil from Tolkien’s text. We know the name Tom Bombadil is actually
the name which the Buckland hobbits know him by. And as with many names the Bucklanders use,
it is untranslatable. His other names, however, are translatable. The Elves and Dunedain call him by the Sindarin
name Iarwain Ben-adar which means “Oldest and Fatherless”, the literal translation
of “Iarwain” is “Old-young”. The Men of the Vales of Anduin and of Rohan
know him by the Rohirric name Orald which translates to “very ancient”. Among the Dwarves, he is known as Forn - now
in real world Old Norse this means “(belonging to) ancient (days)” So we obviously get a sense from his names
alone that Tom is very, very old. Just how old? Well, we need look no further than Tom’s
own words when the hobbits come to his home. ‘Who are you, Master?’ he asked. ‘Eh, what?’ said Tom sitting up, and his
eyes glinting in the gloom. ‘Don’t you know my name yet? That’s the only answer. Tell me, who are you, alone, yourself and
nameless? But you are young and I am old. Eldest, that’s what I am. Mark my words, my friends: Tom was here before
the river and the trees; Tom remembers the first raindrop and the first acorn. He made paths before the Big People, and saw
the little People arriving. He was here before the Kings and the graves
and the Barrow-wights. When the Elves passed westward, Tom was here
already, before the seas were bent. He knew the dark under the stars when it was
fearless – before the Dark Lord came from Outside.’ We also know that, while Tom’s nature is
a mystery, he wasn’t entirely sealed off from the world by any means. Tom knows Farmer Maggot, who he regards as
a person of more importance than the hobbits had imagined. ‘There’s earth under his old feet, and
clay on his fingers; wisdom in his bones, and both his eyes are open,’ We also know he had dealings with elves as
he had received word from Gildor concerning Frodo’s flight from the Shire before the
hobbits arrived in the Old Forest. Another important detail is that he is affected
by the ring differently than anyone we know of in Middle-earth - or rather that he isn’t
affected by it, as we see in the story… ‘Show me the precious Ring!’ he said suddenly
in the midst of the story: and Frodo, to his own astonishment, drew out the chain from
his pocket, and unfastening the Ring handed it at once to Tom. It seemed to grow larger as it lay for a moment
on his big brown-skinned hand. Then suddenly he put it to his eye and laughed. For a second the hobbits had a vision, both
comical and alarming, of his bright blue eye gleaming through a circle of gold. Then Tom put the Ring round the end of his
little finger and held it up to the candlelight. For a moment the hobbits noticed nothing strange
about this. Then they gasped. There was no sign of Tom disappearing! Tom laughed again, and then he spun the Ring
in the air – and it vanished with a flash. Frodo gave a cry – and Tom leaned forward
and handed it back to him with a smile. Shortly after this, Frodo decides to test
that the ring Tom gives him is in fact his own. As Frodo puts on the ring and disappears,
we learn something else about Tom - he can see it’s invisible wearer. Theory 1: Tom Bombadil is Eru Illuvatar
I’ll admit I really like this theory, even though I don’t think it likely. The idea that the creator of the universe
spends much of his days in the Old Forest, awaiting the remaking of the world, helping
a bit here and there, but generally letting history play out as it will is a fun one. Not to mention, it’s fun to think that as
Gandalf was likely resurrected by Eru himself, that Gandalf would have a revelation that
Eru was dwelling in Middle-earth this whole time - as Tom Bombadil. It certainly makes the fact that Gandalf spends
two years talking with Tom before sailing West even more interesting. ‘Fair lady!’ said Frodo again after a
while. ‘He is,’ said Goldberry, staying her swift
movements and smiling. Frodo looked at her questioningly. she answered, and her smile
faded. she added in a low voice, as if to herself. One connection here is Goldberry’s use of
the phrase “He is” in response to Frodo asking who Tom Bombadil is. In Christianity, God refers to himself as
“I am” - so the parallel is easy to draw. We also know the Christian faith has precedence
for God coming to the earth to live among its inhabitants. And with Tolkien being a devout catholic,
it’s not a stretch by any means. Now I could do a whole video on Tolkien, his
faith, allegory and inspiration, but The quickest and most direct way to disprove
this theory comes in Tolkien’s letter #181 where he states that there is no embodiment
of the One, of God, who is only directly accessible to the Valar. And while there’s other holes in this theory,
like Tom saying he is no weather-master - clearly Eru could control the weather if he wished
- and the elves of Rivendell stating that even Tom would eventually fall to Sauron - clearly
Eru himself would not fall to Sauron, even if the latter had the One Ring. He is simply beyond anything else in the universe. With these examples, combined with Tolkien’s
own declaration, we can safely disprove this theory. Theory 2: Tom Bombadil is one of the Valar
This is an interesting theory and another one that could explain why the Ring holds
no sway over Tom Bombadil. However, I think the more we look at the facts
surrounding Tom and the Valar, the quicker this argument falls apart. For one thing, we know all the Valar that
exist by name, so this would mean that, in order for Tom to be one of the Valar, he would
have to be one that we already know in disguise. As I looked online for theories, I found the
most common line of thought was that he could be Aule, which would make his wife Yavanna,
Goldberry. While Tom and Goldberry being valar would
also check out with the description of being Eldest and Fatherless, there’s not much
else that fits. For one, while Yavanna is the Vala of nature,
Aule is a smith and doesn’t come across as one as in-tune with nature as Tom Bombadil
seems to be. While being one of the valar would explain
why the ring has no sway over him, Tom also has no interest in it whatsoever. Gandalf describes this when Elrond, Gandalf,
and Erestor talk of the possibility of having Tom Bombadil take the ring himself... There’s a couple things here that I will
conclude this theory with - for one, the previously mentioned disinterest that Tom has for the
ring. If anyone would recognize what the one ring
was, it would surely be Aule - the smith of the Valar. Not only because of his skill, but also the
fact that Sauron was originally a maia that served him. Sauron likely learned much under Aule that
he would later twist into the creation of The One Ring. It should also be noted that Aule is the one
who sends Saruman to Middle-earth - I know, talk about going a big O-fer on your maiar
right? Still, he does this specifically to combat
the threat of Sauron. It’s hard to imagine a vala this invested
in defeating evil would vacation in Middle-earth, where he is totally disinterested in the Ruling
Ring on which the fate of the world hangs. He is far away. We could not now take it back to him, unguessed,
unmarked by any spy. What power still remains lies with us, here
in Imladris, or with Cirdan at the Havens, or in Lorien. But have they the strength, have we here the
strength to withstand the Enemy, the coming of Sauron at the last, when all else is overthrown?' 'I have not the strength,' said Elrond; 'neither
have they.' It’s hard to imagine a Vala like Aule, who
possesses the ring, which has no hold on him - would be unable to ward off Sauron - a Maia
- who did not have the ring. But Glorfindel, Galdor, and Elrond - all agree
that Bombadil, while he would last the longest, would fall to Sauron even if he possessed
the ring. Much of the same comes with any Vala that
you could place in Tom’s shoes. The other couple I came across for Tom and
Goldberry is Orome, the huntsman and his wife Vana - the younger sister of Yavanna, who
had influence with the flora and fauna of Middle-earth. Truly, this couple seems more natural a connection
than Aule and Yavanna, however, once again, we find contradicting personalities. While Orome is described as loving horses,
hounds and trees, he is also described as delighting in hunting monsters and evil creatures. He is also known for his terrible wrath. Tom Bombadil is anything but a vengeful monster
slayer, so once again, I think we can safely rule out jolly Tom being one of the Valar. Theory 3: Tom Bombadil is one of the Maiar Once again, we see a theory that initially holds some promise. The Maiar are more numerous and we know fewer
of them by name. Balrogs, for instance, were all maiar corrupted
by Melkor. So we have a bit of an opening for Tom being
some unknown or unnamed Maia. A maia living in Middle-earth has precedence
as well. It was Melian, the Maia, who was the Queen
of Doriath and wife of the elf King Thingol in the First Age. Melian protected the realm of Doriath with
a magical enchantment known as the Girdle of Melian. This has at least a small resemblance to the
effect that Tom Bombadil seemed to have over the land of his home in the Old Forest, over
which he is the master. However, this theory also falls apart as we
look at the other Maiar. For one - we go back to the point that the
ring has no effect whatsoever on Tom Bombadil. This is in stark contrast to other Maiar,
like Sauron, Saruman, and even Gandalf. Saruman comes to desire the ring and rule
over Middle-earth and Gandalf hints at what would happen should he take possession of
the ring and this is clearly not the case with Tom Bombadil. Another reason Tom being a Maia is unlikely
is the description of how long he has been around. Bombadil, eldest and fatherless, is said to
have been in Middle-earth even before the Dark Lord came from the Outside. The Dark Lord Tom is referring to here is
Morgoth. The Valar and Maiar - collectively known as
the Ainur, help Eru create the universe through their Music, so they would be first among
all of creation. However, we know from Tolkien’s texts, specifically
the Silmarillion, that the Valar were the first of Iluvatar’s creation to come to
Middle-earth. If Tom Bombadil - the first and eldest - was
in Middle-earth before the Dark Lord, who was a Vala, he couldn’t be one of the Maiar. Once again, we have a theory debunked. Theory 4: Tom Bombadil is the Music of the Ainur
This is a theory that really grew on me during This is a theory that really grew on me during my research. In my research, I came across a blog series
appropriately named “Who is Tom Bombadil” that did a lot to convince me of this. I’ll link it in the description if you’re
interested in taking a deep dive into this, but I’ll do my best to summarize here. It’s actually quite a genius theory. First, let's go just a bit deeper into the
Music of the Ainur. The Music of the Ainur takes place before
time begins, after Eru conceives the Valar and Maiar from his thought. These beings - collectively known as the Ainur
- are taught by Eru how to make music. Now we could spend an entire video - and likely
will someday on the Music, but long story short, the Ainur make their music - in which
Melkor sews discord - Through this Music, Eru creates Ea - the universe in which the
world of Arda exists - within the world of Arda, the land of Middle-earth exists. Now this theory goes that Tom Bombadil is
the incarnated spirit of the Music of the Ainur. According to the theorist, this explains why
Tom has the power in his voice to save the hobbits from Old Man Willow and the Barrow-wights. Both of these are examples of things created
in the music of the ainur - but corrupted by the discord of Melkor. Being the incarnation of the Music himself,
he knows the tunes that can confront and “correct” them. There’s also the fun connection that Tom
is constantly singing and even when he is speaking, much of his speech has a musical
or lyrical nature to it. Now, while Tom seems to have power over Old
Man Willow and the barrow-wights, he explicitly states he doesn’t have this power over the
Ringwraiths... Well, the theory has an explanation for that
as well. The theory says this is because Sauron is
a Maiar - being one of the Ainur, he is not bound to the Music he helped create. The Ringwraiths in turn get their power - and
their very essence - from Sauron himself and his ring. Now the Discord of Melkor is brings the thoughts
of the future Dark Lord into being and is in conflict with the rest of the Music of
the Ainur. In this way, Tom Bombadil can be in conflict
with the things of Melkor’s discord, but neither overpowers or defeats the other - they
merely compete with one another. Now, I know this would naturally bring the
objection - why doesn’t Tom take a more active roll in fighting the darkness if he
is capable of competing with it? Well, quite simply, Tom knows he doesn’t
have the power to defeat things of the Discord, however - he is also aware that there is an
end appointed to the Discord by Iluvatar. Bombadil, being Eldest and First, has seen
the first Dark Lord rise and fall - twice, he has seen the reshaping of the world, and
the coming of the second, lesser Dark Lord, who has to this point, fallen once before. While the stakes are high for those who have
shorter lifespans or are young by comparison - not just the mortals, but many elves as
well - in Tom’s view, Arda could be close to the Second Music of the Ainur - when the
Ainur, along with Elves and Men - will make a Music even greater than the first, with
everyone in harmony together, creating the world anew. Another area where the theory of Tom Bombadil
being the embodiment of the Music of the Ainur is a strength is the fact that he is Eldest
and how he could come before the Dark Lord came from the Outside. So, if Tom Bombadil is the embodiment of the
Music of the Ainur, he would have been created as the universe was created. The dark lord couldn’t have come to the
earth before said earth is created. Therefore, Tom could rightfully say he was
there before the Valar, which includes the first Dark Lord. Now I know this can be a bit more dense and
confusing theory, especially if you’re not familiar with the Music of the Ainur, so again,
if you’re interested, I highly suggest you check out the blog post, which I will leave
in the description below. As a fairly recent discovery for me, I really
enjoy this one, it makes a lot of sense and doesn’t have some of the bigger holes that
the previous theories have. It also has the added benefit that it could
explain another mysterious character in the same vein as Tom - Ungoliant, the ancestor
of Shelob. Regarding Ungoliant, the Silmarillion tells
us “The Eldar knew not whence she came; but some have said that in ages long before
she descended from the darkness about Arda.” So while she takes the form of a spider, she
is not simply a spider. In fact, it stands to reason with this theory
that Ungoliant could very well have been born of the Discord of Melkor. Like Tom, Ungoliant doesn’t overly take
sides. She assists Melkor in destroying the two trees,
but it’s not for the sake of fighting the Valar - it’s to quench her own thirst and
desire - she almost immediately turns on Melkor, who is rescued by his balrogs. Likewise, Tom doesn’t take a side per se,
though I believe his goodness leads him to save the hobbits twice. Neither of these characters takes a stand
on either side, but if they are born of the Music and the Discord respectively, the assistance
they lend makes a lot of sense. As much as I love this theory, I don’t think
we can bank on this being who Tom Bombadil actually is. When it comes down to it, I think the final theory is the most likely and what Tolkien himself would probably have us believe... Theory 5: Tom Bombadil is Tom Bombadil Now, this may seem like a bit of a cop-out, but
I truly think this is the most likely of all the theories. Quite simply, Tom Bombadil is a being unto
himself. He very well could have, and likely was, created
during the Music of the Ainur. Another thing we know about the music is that
it’s not the Ainur themselves who are doing the actual creating, but it is Eru who creates
through the use of the music. While Melkor sews discord and brings about
many things that cause evil and trouble down the road, even these are made to ultimately
fulfill the plan of Eru, which will eventually lead to the Second Music. All this to say, Eru, could very well have
created Tom Bombadil just as he is - with He is not there to combat anything or fight
anyone - he is just there to be master of his realm and tend to the work that he is
constantly referring to - though we don’t actually know for sure what it is. Oh, and sing….he’s definitely there to
sing. In the end, Tolkien intended Tom Bombadil
to be a mystery - and that is what he is. Arguably the greatest mystery in Middle-earth,
among some truly great mysteries. So what do you think? I want to hear your thoughts and theories! I could easily see myself making a future
video on a whole other batch of theories if we have enough new ones - or further thoughts
on the ones I presented here. As I’ve said many times, part of the reason
I love Middle-earth is because it hits this sweet spot where we know so much about it,
but there are still some great mysteries - much like our own world. In the end, it makes it all the more fun to
discuss and theorize together. So comment below with your thoughts on who
Tom Bombadil is. As always thank you so much to my Patreon
supporters who picked this topic, including wizard-level patrons: TomDaBombadil19, Skycarcass,
JudyiHopps, Jim Limber Davis, Smorzirk, and Matt Schultz Thanks so much for watching and we’ll see
you next time on Nerd of the Rings!
