That moment when you realize that Tom Bombadil is ‘older than old’ simply because the character was developed before the story of middle earth itself XD.
I wonder if Mr. Tolkien would take offense to questioning whether he's inspired by, or even synonymous with, Jolly Ol' Saint Nick? Or "Santy Claus," for the layman.
I can assure you that Tom Bombadil is doing exceedingly well and has been enjoying his life together with Goldberry in the woods. But he thanks you for asking and hopes that you too are doing well!
I have heard it explained this way: Tom Bombadil is a reminder that nature and the natural world are bigger and more eternal than men, dwarves, elves, orca and trolls. Regardless of how the war of the ring comes out nature will continue as it will. I think it’s a reminder from the author that despite the urgency of the story, the natural world will continue. I think Bombadil is meant to help us keep things in perspective.
I mean yes and no. The Ents were caretakers of nature yet sided with and aided the Fellowship because they knew if Sauron got his way, nature would be destroyed. Could also be said of Radaghast the Brown. Immortal miar that he was, rarely left his home in the woods and would have stayed there doing nothing much but again, he understood Sauron was a threat to nature, so aided Gandalf behind the scenes. So I agree with In Deep Geek's view on the character. Tom Bombadil simply exists in the moment and it's not more complicated than that.
Its Eru Illuvatar and later Tolkien thought it would be Heresy since the incarnation of God in the world is Jesus so he retconned him on one of his letters "hes not God brah"
I personally think he represents more of a power nihilistic character. He asserts no value to doing/using things and thus creating order/chaos, but just buddhisticly accept things as they are and enjoying what he can with an open mind. The curiosity of a child, paired with strong abstinence of interference, so no rigour to dissect things to understand them, just understand by observation. Just an Eye of Sauron without gazing for power, or a king looking for peace, war or another order. He is just gazing and vibing, and thus resonating with life, that's it .
Tom bombadil is the Avatar of the music of the Ainur. that's why he can say he was there before anything else in Middle Earth. He's always singing, and his power is revealed in verse and Rhyme.
Yes, but some hypothesise that Tom could represent a direct manifestation of the music itself, not what the music created, similar to how some might see Ungoliant as a direct manifestation of the discord, as opposed to the evil that the discord would later lead to.
I see Bombadil as Tolkien's homage to the countryside, his rose-tinted belief in the simple life of the past. He is the epitome of the very best of us when we leave the world alone to shine in its own glory, unaltered by the hand of man.
My implicit take on Tom Bombadill is that he is an ideal or principle, perhaps the opposite of Ungoliant. Both are living manifestations of an ideals. One of the void, darkness, greed and gluttony/hinger. The other of joy, delight, contentedness, and singing.
Opposite of Sauron, perhaps, rather than Ungoliant. Sauron was explained on this channel as the embodiment of control: his desire for order took him over and consumed him. Bombadil is the exact opposite of that.
@@guyrixon5406I think Ungoliant is more fitting, it is a lack of greed, the lack of having for having's sake, the focus of the natural over unnatural. Not tyranny vs freedom, but fullness over void.
Ungoliant is also rather fitting as they have just as mysterious origins as Bombadil. One is tempted to think they may be opposites that opposed eachother even before and beyond the world of arda.
@@stuartl7761 Agree with the idea that Bombadil and Ungoliant are opposites and yet similar. They both represent something deeper and more mysterious than any other named character. Sauron is not the opposite to Bombadil because Sauron is a known quantity, we know his origins, his history and his ultimate fate. We also know that the opposite of Sauron is really Gandalf, Tolkien makes it pretty clear that Maiar who emulated Sauron fell, and those that went the opposite direction succeeded and he did that via Gandalf and Saruman chiefly.
So - in this explanation- Bombadil is something like a fully enlightened Buddha. Beyond desire, simply enjoying existence in a sort of benign compassion.
He’s more like the western view of contentedness and joy. Not beyond or past desires as in enlightenment or nirvana, but content enjoyment in the simple desires of life.
Yes, that's what I see him as too. I think that's the kind of idea JRRT had in mind, even though he probably didn't know what an enlightened Buddha is.
While it is a shame we don’t ever get to see him in film form- in a way, I feel that is a great positive. I fear *all* directors would do him little justice, and would present him as something either heavily inaccurate, or embarrassingly misinterpreted.
@@Bhez7 And Jackson turned Gimli into the comic relief, quite the opposite of his role in the books. I'm used to it now but at first it annoyed me. Lol.
From my perspective, as I read the various books, he came off to me as the essence of Whimsy. He did because he desired to, but without goal or malice.
Ever since I first read LOTR when I was a tyke, I've always had, wordlessly, in the back of my mind, "What would Bombadil do?". It's helped me immensely at just being content with where I am and who I am.
Best take I've ever heard on this enigma. The framing of LOTR as "two factions, one good one evil, seeking control" and TB as a being uninterested in control, is brilliant.
Its Eru Illuvatar and later Tolkien thought it would be Heresy since the incarnation of God in the world is Jesus so he retconned him on one of his letters "hes not God brah"
900 year old Yoda and ancient Tom Bombadil would understand each other very well. They both giggle and are beyond the drama bubble.....living embodiments of enlightenment.
Notice everything that crosses your path. If they have need, help them to the best of your ability. And _never_ forget to enjoy your path as often as you can.
I like, "everything" rather than, "everyone". I do not understand why someone would arrogantly and ignorantly kill a spider rather than simply letting them outdoors. Help them to the best of your ability.
@@randomgrinn Thanks, I was deliberate in my word selection. I'm happy to coexist with all the creatures I run across and I leave them be. If necessary I do what I can to make their lives easier, I'm a sucker for feeding them in particular. I'm lucky to live where I now do (south central Oregon, near Ashland) in a small city with lots of native wildlife. We have beautiful red-striped garter snakes in our backyard, and I've trained our cats (who only go out on leashes or static leads) that our snake buddies are not prey. Our second youngest enjoys lying down near one of their nests just to watch them, and I have more than occasionally watched snakes slither around him hunting with no fear or concern. I use an old fashioned push mower and walk the yard before cutting the grass so I don't endanger them unnecessarily. I leave a couple of large dandelion patches spring to summer so our pollinators have a little something before everything really blooms. At our last place we had a wasp nest in the backyard. In the spring I'd put out sugar water with shredded meat in it to feed them in their early developmental stage. The nest endured about 12 years until the big apian die-off hit; in all that time not once was any person or pet stung, they were quite tame when simply left alone. I've found that in most cases people are easy. Almost all simply want their existence acknowledged, even something as simple as a wave and a smile, a pleasant greeting, whatever is appropriate, goes miles. Apologies for going on and on. Thank you again for sharing your thoughts. 😁
@@randomgrinn Ah, irony: if you 'let' a house-spider outdoors, you've ignorantly killed it as surely as if you stepped on it, and pat yourself on the back for your benevolence.
@@as3609That's major false equivalence. "House spiders" don't exist. Just a spider in a House. 😂 How can you rationalize its not benevolence by allowing it to live further? Because it will die eventually? EVERYTHING THAT EVER LIVED WILL DIE. Period. No exceptions. While the person doesn't deserve sainthood for it, calling it malevolence or as you put it IRONY is also ignorant. Ye all moral RUclips crusader.
I guess I missed the old video, but I've been binging everything and was literally wondering, just yesterday, where he was! I watched the movies before I read the Lord of the Rings. I absolutely fell in love with the book through Tom. I've read that he is the physical representation of the world itself. "Old Tom Bombadil is a merry fellow, Bright blue his jacket is, and his boots are yellow. None has ever caught him yet, for Tom, he is the master: His songs are the stronger songs, and his feet are faster."
I’m a Bombadil fan. He’s a wonderful oasis of comfort in a perilous story, which is the musical nature of Tolkien’s storytelling - tension and release, over and over. Danger is followed by temporary sanctuary, which is an opportunity for character development, followed by danger, and rest. Wonderful.
After Goldberry replied "He is" to Frodo when he asked her who Tom is, she gave some further details: "He is, as you have seen him,’ she said in answer to his look. ‘He is the Master of wood, water, and hill.’ Frodo then asked: "Then all this strange land belongs to him?" "No indeed!" she answered, and her smile faded. "That would indeed be a burden,’ she added in a low voice, as if to herself. ‘The trees and the grasses and all things growing or living in the land belong each to themselves. Tom Bombadil is the Master. No one has ever caught old Tom walking in the forest, wading in the water, leaping on the hill-tops under light and shadow. He has no fear. Tom Bombadil is master."
It's kind of curious, Tolkien's insistence on this 'master' moniker. Its a funny word, seemingly most European languages have a similar word whether Germanic or Romance... But Tolkien generally doesn't like words from Latin... not sure what the significance might be, except [Mag-yos] might go all the way back to PIE
a silly thought just popped up while watching the video, Gandalf bringing Pipe Weed to the undying lands, and becoming a farmer of sorts just to have a good smoke here and there.
It's hinted that Samwise might have been permitted to go West as a Ring-Bearer, I'm sure he'd be happy to help out. You can imagine the two of them and Yavanna having a grand old time, it'd be a fitting retirement for him.
Brian Blessed was exactly my dream-cast actor for Bombadil for a long time! Of course, he's too old now to play the role, except as a voice actor, I suppose. In any case, the 'casting game' tells us more about the people playing the game (us) and how we see the characters than it tells us about the characters. Other people imagined Robin Williams in the role, for example.
@@rcrawford42 Have you ever seen Robin Williams in a drama role? Goofiness was only part of his performer persona, and he well understood the characters he played.
This is the video that made me subscribe to you. You have a deep, emotional understanding of Tolkien's work I'm not sure I'd ever seen before in people analyzing it. It's humbling and beautiful. Tom Bombadil is a wonderful reminder of the kind and humble values that Tolkien wanted to convey with characters like the hobbits and so many people caught up in the intense romance of the good vs evil story miss for the trees.
Thank you for enriching my experience of this world of Tolkien Robert. Been a pleasure reacquainting myself with Middle Earth after many years away, helped along by your thoughtful commentary
What a good elaboration on this enigmatic character! I once came across someone’s idea that Tom might be an Ainu governing Time. While time can’t be governed, I think, Tom might well be a spirit representing it in the world of perpetual change. Immanuel Kant has pointed that we perceive the torrent of our sensations as changes happening in time. We, on the other hand, cannot perceive time itself. To keep our thoughts consistent with our perceptions, we have to imagine something that remains itself while undergoing change. We attribute our sensations to objects, but things themselves aren’t eternal, they also form and come to end in time. This is why we have to imagine some universal substance, matter, that fills in space and undergoes endless changes in time, forming into objects in countless situations and interactions. This idea that time needs a “representative”, someone who is always there to validate our knowledge, self-awareness, common sense, goes very well with the image of Tom. He is fatherless, he knows and reflects on everything that happens but also lives a life of day-to-day routine and loves it. Routine is the basis of reality for a sentient life - a foundation for those imaginary worlds we live in. I would imagine Tom being an Ainu: time is a dimension of the Music of Eru. This is why Tom is so powerful and why he is seemingly connected to the Undying lands more that anyone else in Middle Earth. But he is neither a Vala nor a Maia. Vallar and Maiar are shaping the world of Arda, while Tom is there to perceive and remember all that happens while living through his routine. At the start he was probably an Ainu who was most selfless in dedicating himself to the Music of Eru. And that’s why Olorin, the Maia of Wisdom (and Compassion) needs to speak to him upon completing his quest in the region of passing time - before returning to the Undying Lands.
In my humble opinion, Tom Bombadil represents the people reading the stories of Tolkien's works. We are experiencing and "living" in that world as we read it but we are not physically affected by it (i.e. we are also "outside" of it).
I’ve always thought of Bombadill and Ungoliant the spider as opposite ideas personified. He is content, joyful, and at peace. She is never satiated, greedy, and a void of emptiness.
@@Nathan-vt1jz That makes a lot of sense. I never thought of it that way, but I thought that Tom really is something similar to Ungoliant. Something, or someone not created by Eru and Ainur. Another creature of the void, just like Ungoliant and other beings older than age we don't hear much about. It's just that they are different in what they do, Ungoliant was dark, evil, angry and Tom joyful and enjoying the moment. I've thought that there probably are many more of these "spirits" if you can call them that way, both good and bad and that they just do not feel the need to interfere much with the world as it is. In the end, Ungoliant was never heard of after she fled, but she still is somewhere. Gandalf also mentioned "tunnels by beings older than the age" beneath Moria and from what I understood, these would have been scary enough to have Gandalf and Durin's Bane just flee without fighting each other and I don't think he was referring to Ungoliant herself. The watcher is rumored to be one of these as well I believe. It always left me wondering, how many of these good spirits are there and where they are, what do they do.
He can not be beyond Eru. He is the source of all. There might be a pre-creation, as hinted. Older and fouler things than orcs at the root of the world - and maybe some better than we know. A hidden part of the Music, maybe Eru’s own, and the Ainur know nothing of it.
I like to think that when Gandalf showed up at Tom's place, Tom already had a chair and a pipe ready for him... and they mostly sat in silence for a few months, occasionally commenting on something, before parting ways. They both seem the sort to just enjoy quiet company. Gandalf was only ever active as he was because of his job. I think it's obvious why he loved the shire: That's the place Gandalf wanted to live and exist in. A place to observe and enjoy the world around. Tom was everything Gandalf aspired to be. Certainly not his power, but what he WAS: Relaxation and enjoyment of life.
Bombadil the kind of guy you only find when you are not looking for him. I imagine Gandalf searching, giving up and then realising he is right behind him
What a nice interpretation, thank you. We all have to have some Tom Bombadil in our heart, and live becomes easier. Being in a Tom Bombadil mood even let us recognize the meaning and purpose of life itself: Just be (and enjoy).
As a child I hated Tom Bombadil. The idea of so much power and not putting it to any use. Then, as I have got older and more powerful, I have realised that power to change things is dangerous to execute, because even doing something righteous often stirs up much greater things in opposition, which in the end make the original intent pointless. Now, in my final years, I feel closer and closer to Tom. It is very rare that I intervene in the World beyond my garden, and when I do it is with the humility of knowing whatever I do could end up undoing itself. "Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing." Macbeth
I like to think that if Ungoliant was the manifestation of the void and darkness then perhaps Tom is the manifestation of Arda and the light. It would explain how he came to-be seemingly when Arda did, why his only concern is for the natural world, and why he expresses himself through song. His melody is an echo of the Ainur, a song that will only end after the Dagor Dagorath, which I imagine he will be witness too. It feels true to me and it's a nice thought so I'm going with it.
This is how I think of it too. It explains a lot about his character and why things like the ring don't matter to him, they're so insignificant compared to the song of creation. The ring can't change the song, but the song can't just unmake the ring(as an object created through discord sewn into the song itself), so it's a sort of limbo where the ring can never be safe with him but has no power over him.
The Tom Bombadil segments are so vividly described in the book that I often forget they aren't part of most adaptations. I do think the segments are essential to the pacing of themes of the books. The only reason I don't mind their omission in the Peter Jackson adaptation is because that adaptation in general veers away from the themes and pacing that make Bombadil so essential in the books.
I like the notion of Tom Bombadil being a scribbled comment in the margins - an alternate reality mirror of what it would be to not even care about power at all...
I didn't pay much heed to Tom Bombadil when I first read the books. As you say, he comes across like the odd man out, like a foreign object, not even really a deus ex macchina. Knowing what I know now, I'd say he is the quintessential indifferent, insouciant overwhelming force. Unstoppable force were he aroused, yet also the immovable object in a whirling maelstrom of war and power struggle. The pillar of the hope that there is one small bit of the world unfazed by the overwhelming power of the enemy, that would remain when all else fails. In that sense, Tom Bombadil represents the hope for salvation, for the greater good that lives deep inside all of us. Maybe those who speculate he could be an incarnation of Manwe aren't far off.
You have interesting thoughts - but I remember Gandalfs guess. About how if all else failed, Bombadil would fall, Last as he was First, then, the Darkness. I always figured Olorin knew more than he was letting on.
@@hoodatdondar2664 I guess it all depends at which level along, if not in the ranks of Ainur, Maiar and other races you want to place Tom Bombadil. Given the respect Gandalf has for him, we at least have to assume he is of equal standing to a Maiar, if he isn't secretly one of the Ainur, or, as some have speculated, an aspect of Eru Iluvatar himself. One might speculate that in the end, all that exists, i.e. everything but Eru Iluvatar would perish, and he would start a new song. And who could say exactly what Gandalf meant by those cryptic words? Would Tom fall last, because he would be the last to go down fighting, or would he simply chose to cease to exist, disgusted by a world no longer worth existing in?
With "Great Power comes Great Responsibility" Uncle Ben would say. "And with Supreme Power comes the ability to Ignore Responsibility, unless I choose otherwise" seems to be Old Tom's response. I LOVE this guy! The one character in Tolkien's Legendarium I'm truly envious of. Not because I would shirk responsibility, as even Tom comes to the aid of those who need it but because there is pretty much nothing out there that could threaten me. To go through life with a smile on my lips, a twinkle in my eye and a song in my heart, that is a peaceful existence I could subscribe to. :)
Before he created Dragon Ball, Akira Toriyama was most famous for a manga called Dr. Slump which featured a little robotic girl named Arale. Arale makes a cameo and participates in the story of Dragon Ball. She is just a fun nod to the author's previous work. I see Bombadil as the same. He's a nod to Tolkiens early poems and stories he told his family. If I wrote my kids some stories about their stuffed animals and then went on to become a famous author, and I included their animals in one of my stories for fun, I'd find it ironic if my fans wrote lengthy essays about how these stuffed animals represented God or were angels or something. I don't think this is any more complex than that.
The part of Tom Bombadil in the story (Book 1, chapters 6-8) always feels to me like a higher kind of fantasy. When proceeding to the next chapter and connecting back to the main plot in Bree, it feels like waking up from a dream, even though the 'adventure' continues. It's amazing how Tolkien can make a fantasy world inside a fantasy world.
5:55 its pretty clear to me that Tolkien is playing a joke on us! Its his first character, for sure he would be the eldest! I think he is just making a cameo in The Lord of the Rings, kinda like Arale in Dragon Ball
Dear sir, having read the tetralogy for the first time 50 years ago (I have reread it more than once since then and plan to go through the four books yet again), plus being a Shakespearean Thespian and Voice Actor, I believe I'm qualified to remark your wonderful reading of the text for this video, with a musical lilt that makes it really come to life. I believe that congratulations are in order.
I think being a WWI veteran and seeing the depths of cruilty to fellow humans Tom represents the peace and harmony that world war survivors aspire to. After living through an experience of ultimate darkness Tom represents transcending beyond desire and finding total acceptance, never living outside the immediate moment and experiencing appreciation when its a moment that feels good. Nothing bothers or concerns Tom, he doesnt worry about the future nor dwell on the past. Although he is an outlyer in the story's theme, i really apprechite him. He is a love letter to peace and harmony from a world war survivor ❤
In all my years of loving the Legendarium and pondering the enigma of Bombadil, this is perhaps the most satisfying exploration of the character I’ve heard. Thanks for sharing these thoughts!
This is my take too: he is the personification of Arda unmarred by Melkor's corrupting influence. It's why he can command the barrow wight to leave the barrows or make Old Man Willow release the Hobbits and go to sleep - he has the power to set things back to their "right" state. It's also why the Ring has no power over him. It is his nature to be uncorrupted.
The films, in my opinion, did not work perfectly well without Tom's presence. He's a kind of 5th dimensional, mystical character, an antithesis of the ring itself, who hopefully will play a powerful role in future versions of TLOTRs .. stellar work Robert, thanks!
@@prosiescoteau2152 They worked in the main. Jackson had the sense to follow Tolkiens creative lead, and created something astonishing. The few flaws don’t change that.
I love the fact that Tolkien was writing about Tom well before he wrote anything about middle-earth, and he expresses that he has been around “since the beginning of time”.
Someone made a AI animated slide show about alternate actors for LOTR, and while most of it was whimsy there was one that stuck out that seemed so apt it made me cry. Robin Williams as Tom Bombadil.
The fact Tom Bombadil videos get so many views shows how much we want to see him in adaptations, I think. Personally, I loved him in The Battle for Middle-earth 2 video game.
The Old Forest and Tom's house are my favorite part of the early Lord of The Rings Online story quests. That and Weathertop. But meeting Tom and Goldberry in-game for thr first time is one of my fondest memories of playing that game.
I still feel the films suffer for the lack of Bombadil. The old forest, Bombadil, and the Barrow Downs show us the lack of understanding of the hobbits of the world immediately outside their bounds, the dangers therein, the unknown saviors (which later we learn include the Dunedain), the rich history of the surrounding lands, yet another escape from Sauron’s minions, and the discovery of the blade of Westerness that will end the life of Armor’s greatest foe - the Witch King of Angmar. None of it detracts from the story or violates the Disney rule of serving the greater story. I find speculation of him being Eru Illuvatar the most disturbing as it feels contrived and doesn’t match with Gandalfs ascendancy to the White after his downfall in Moria after which he presumably meets with Eru and is sent back with his power upgraded.
It is all very well to say that Tom is a comment or plot device employed by Tolkien to express some idea about nature and being at peace with the natural world. However, that leaves Tom as a loose end and most people like things to fit. No random elements, please. Therefore, in the spirit of making things fit, I will give my theory about Tom. Tom, and Goldberry, are both members of the Maiar. There are more Maiar than just the wizards, Sauron and Balrogs in Middle-Earth. Tom is a servant of Yavanna. He entered Middle-Earth very early, when the Valar was first forming it and its lifeforms. The reason that he “remembers the first acorn” is because he helped Yavanna to plant it. He was in Middle-Earth before the Elves awakened. When he says that he was there “before Melkor entered the World”, this is a reference to Melkor’s second entrance. Melkor was expelled from the World, for a while, but then managed to re-enter the World and stage his attack on the Two Trees. Tom’s comment means that he was already in Middle-Earth prior to the attack on the Two Trees, not that he pre-exists Melkor himself. Yavanna left Tom behind in Middle-Earth to keep an eye on the natural World. That is Tom’s duty rather than the contest between Good and Evil. Thus, we see Tom’s power over “Old Man Willow”, and other natural lifeforms, via the power of Yavanna. That is also why the ring does not affect Tom. He has no lust for power (that is simply not his duty) therefore, the ring can’t gain any hold over him. However, as Gandalf says, he cannot break the power of the ring over others. Just himself. He is his own master. Goldberry’s mission is similar. She is a servant of Ulmo (she is the River-Daughter) and her mission is to keep an eye on the rivers and streams of Middle-Earth for her master Ulmo. Both Tom and Goldberry had been in Middle-Earth for ages prior to their meeting up with each other. No doubt, they missed the company of other members of the Maiar. Therefore, it is not surprising that they formed a bond and union when they met each other in Middle-Earth. Note that the above concept fits Tom and Goldberry, very neatly, within the World of Middle-Earth. They are no longer “loose ends” which I find very satisfying.
It fits most things, and is a serious theory. In it, no Maia has a duty to lust for power, but some succumb. Sauron and Saruman are two of those we know who succumbed. Why does Tom not, then? He is a Maia, too, in this theory. He is to watch over nature, but how does that make him immune? I note he has the power to command Old Man Willow; that seems like something the ring could use.
@@hoodatdondar2664 Tom is immune for a couple of reasons. One, his duty to watch over nature leaves him unconcerned about the battle for good versus evil. He is, in a way, "above" that struggle and, so, is above any lust for power. In addition, Tom's long service in Middle-Earth has given him a very "long-term" perspective. He has seen kingdoms come and go many times. He is likely, in fact, the oldest being, living continuously, in Middle-Earth. This long-term perspective also puts Tom above the lust for power. A lust for power is the lever that the Ring uses to control people. Gandalf said as much when he refused to take the Ring for himself. Gandalf would want to use the Power of the Ring for Good. But, any lust for power, even to do good, puts one under the control of the Ring. Tom is, absolutely, free of any lust for power. Even to do Good. His duty is not Good versus Evil. It is to protect and nourish nature. So, with no lust for power as a lever, the Ring is powerless over Tom. That is the source of his immunity.
This seems plausible. I would add, I think the videos conclusion, is correct also. Tolkien wanted an enigma, in his world', to help people understand to live their own life, perhaps get married to a soulmate, and not be distracted on what are usually petty concerns (the One Ring was serious though), and thus Tom was important to appreciate.
Could be. I think if Tolkien were alive today and saw your explanation, he might nod and say "Plausible. Very plausible." Then go back to smoking his pipe.
Amazing! Tom Bombadil is known as “eldest” because he predates much of Tolkien’s mythos, having been conceived before the creation of Arda, the Valar, and perhaps even Eru himself. He stands apart as the oldest of Tolkien’s characters in Arda, not because he belongs to it, but because he hails from a different realm-a universe Tolkien had written about long before. Though Tom does not truly belong to Arda, he cherishes it and finds joy in living there. His presence feels somewhat out of place, as if he exists outside the boundaries of the story itself. Tom is, undeniably, simply Tom. In this way, I believe he serves as a subtle reflection of Tolkien’s own creative essence-a character rooted in a broader, more personal literary world.
@@davidjones5269 aka God. but tolkien regretted it and thought it would be heresy against jesus (the only incarnation of God in the Bible) and retconned his idea on one of his letters
Thank you for this vid! I learned a bit I didn't know! I haven't read any of the letters, but I do own The Adventures of Tom Bombadil. Not that that book is any help in answering any questions, but it's still a delight.
I think he was one of the Ainur who happened upon Arda. Very early he found his valley, fell in love with Goldberry, and managed to protect his valley from the first destruction and thereby won her hand 🤷🏻♂️
Sounds like Tom is the spirit of play, something we all have done. Unfortunately, many have forgotten how important play is to the creation of our own story.
To me, I theorise Tom represents the feeling of nostalgia. As we strive through our passage of time on this earth dealing with the good and evil that presents itself, I guess many of us also yearns for nostalgic moments in our lives. It is not significant in our daily grind, but important enough to shape our thoughts of deep desire. As we age many desire to marry and have kids, maybe to recreate our childhood nostalgia. The one ring corrupts most who wears it, as it represents many people's real desire of power in life, the desire of getting that dream job, promotion, body, partner, house etc. However there is one desire that is stronger than the one ring, and that is nostalgia. Tolkien is probably trying to say that through Tom. His strongest desire above fortune and fame, is his desire to relive his nostalgic moments in younger years by the country side. It is quite poetic. I guess in our last breadth on earth, our thoughts will travel to that nostalgic place, and that is powerful.
This is a revised and updated version of a video first published in March 2020
We need a Farmer Maggot video, even if it's only a short 👍🏻 That dude is pretty awesome
thought it was
I'm so glad it's back
I was just like "wait... I watched this a while ago 🤨🤔"
What a completely delightful assessment of Tom's "meaning." I needed this today.
That moment when you realize that Tom Bombadil is ‘older than old’ simply because the character was developed before the story of middle earth itself XD.
He was there singing before the vala sung the universe into being !
Buddy, your narration is so pleasing. Your tone of voice, your vocabulary and intonation... it's all spot on!
Hard agree
@@AlistairFairweather Indubitably!
jolly good show tip o the mornin
Get a room! 😂 jk
Its an AI voice you can find online.
He's a merry fellow.
Bright blue his jacket is;
And his boots are yellow.
I wonder if Mr. Tolkien would take offense to questioning whether he's inspired by, or even synonymous with, Jolly Ol' Saint Nick? Or "Santy Claus," for the layman.
Hi fol, merry dol, ring a ding a fucking dillo
Tom Bombadilo Bombadilo.🎶🎵
Top Chap.
Everyone always asks; "Who is Tom Bombadil?", never "How is Tom Bombadil?"
Jolly no doubt
or "Why is Tom Bombadil?"
Everybody always TALKS about Tom Bombadil, but nobody does anything about Him🤷🏼♂️. 🤓😎✌🏼🇬🇧
"WHAT is Tim Benzedrine?"
I can assure you that Tom Bombadil is doing exceedingly well and has been enjoying his life together with Goldberry in the woods. But he thanks you for asking and hopes that you too are doing well!
I have heard it explained this way: Tom Bombadil is a reminder that nature and the natural world are bigger and more eternal than men, dwarves, elves, orca and trolls. Regardless of how the war of the ring comes out nature will continue as it will. I think it’s a reminder from the author that despite the urgency of the story, the natural world will continue. I think Bombadil is meant to help us keep things in perspective.
I mean yes and no. The Ents were caretakers of nature yet sided with and aided the Fellowship because they knew if Sauron got his way, nature would be destroyed. Could also be said of Radaghast the Brown. Immortal miar that he was, rarely left his home in the woods and would have stayed there doing nothing much but again, he understood Sauron was a threat to nature, so aided Gandalf behind the scenes.
So I agree with In Deep Geek's view on the character. Tom Bombadil simply exists in the moment and it's not more complicated than that.
Its Eru Illuvatar and later Tolkien thought it would be Heresy since the incarnation of God in the world is Jesus so he retconned him on one of his letters "hes not God brah"
I personally think he represents more of a power nihilistic character. He asserts no value to doing/using things and thus creating order/chaos, but just buddhisticly accept things as they are and enjoying what he can with an open mind. The curiosity of a child, paired with strong abstinence of interference, so no rigour to dissect things to understand them, just understand by observation. Just an Eye of Sauron without gazing for power, or a king looking for peace, war or another order. He is just gazing and vibing, and thus resonating with life, that's it .
Hear Hear.
Bigger then orca? Dang Ive seen orca and they are quite big.
Tom bombadil is the Avatar of the music of the Ainur.
that's why he can say he was there before anything else in Middle Earth.
He's always singing, and his power is revealed in verse and Rhyme.
🎯
Isn't everything a product/result of the music of the Ainur?
Yes, but some hypothesise that Tom could represent a direct manifestation of the music itself, not what the music created, similar to how some might see Ungoliant as a direct manifestation of the discord, as opposed to the evil that the discord would later lead to.
That’s been my general sense of Bombadil.
That’s a fun theory.
I see Bombadil as Tolkien's homage to the countryside, his rose-tinted belief in the simple life of the past. He is the epitome of the very best of us when we leave the world alone to shine in its own glory, unaltered by the hand of man.
My implicit take on Tom Bombadill is that he is an ideal or principle, perhaps the opposite of Ungoliant. Both are living manifestations of an ideals. One of the void, darkness, greed and gluttony/hinger. The other of joy, delight, contentedness, and singing.
Opposite of Sauron, perhaps, rather than Ungoliant. Sauron was explained on this channel as the embodiment of control: his desire for order took him over and consumed him. Bombadil is the exact opposite of that.
@@guyrixon5406I think Ungoliant is more fitting, it is a lack of greed, the lack of having for having's sake, the focus of the natural over unnatural. Not tyranny vs freedom, but fullness over void.
Ungoliant is also rather fitting as they have just as mysterious origins as Bombadil. One is tempted to think they may be opposites that opposed eachother even before and beyond the world of arda.
@@stuartl7761 Agree with the idea that Bombadil and Ungoliant are opposites and yet similar. They both represent something deeper and more mysterious than any other named character.
Sauron is not the opposite to Bombadil because Sauron is a known quantity, we know his origins, his history and his ultimate fate. We also know that the opposite of Sauron is really Gandalf, Tolkien makes it pretty clear that Maiar who emulated Sauron fell, and those that went the opposite direction succeeded and he did that via Gandalf and Saruman chiefly.
So - in this explanation- Bombadil is something like a fully enlightened Buddha. Beyond desire, simply enjoying existence in a sort of benign compassion.
He’s more like the western view of contentedness and joy. Not beyond or past desires as in enlightenment or nirvana, but content enjoyment in the simple desires of life.
Yes, that's what I see him as too. I think that's the kind of idea JRRT had in mind, even though he probably didn't know what an enlightened Buddha is.
@@fransmith3255The man was an Oxford scholar and professor, I'm certain he had an understanding of Buddhism and it's central tenets.
@@CB-ke7eq He might have. I don't know. But Buddhism was not exactly generally well known about at all in the west at that time.
@@fransmith3255 Riiiight.
While it is a shame we don’t ever get to see him in film form- in a way, I feel that is a great positive. I fear *all* directors would do him little justice, and would present him as something either heavily inaccurate, or embarrassingly misinterpreted.
Just look at what they did to Radagast in the Hobbit
@@Bhez7
And Jackson turned Gimli into the comic relief, quite the opposite of his role in the books. I'm used to it now but at first it annoyed me. Lol.
Amazon is preparing to ruin him in the second season of The Rings of Power
Rings of power 😐
I agree but he's going to be in Rings of Power played as an Irish leprechaun.
From my perspective, as I read the various books, he came off to me as the essence of Whimsy. He did because he desired to, but without goal or malice.
He is middle earth...
Ever since I first read LOTR when I was a tyke, I've always had, wordlessly, in the back of my mind, "What would Bombadil do?". It's helped me immensely at just being content with where I am and who I am.
Sounds like a Buddha
Best take I've ever heard on this enigma. The framing of LOTR as "two factions, one good one evil, seeking control" and TB as a being uninterested in control, is brilliant.
Tom Bombadil, just seems like 'Brother Nature' to me. The Green Man of the Woods is maybe the inspiration for this character. 😊
Its Eru Illuvatar and later Tolkien thought it would be Heresy since the incarnation of God in the world is Jesus so he retconned him on one of his letters "hes not God brah"
900 year old Yoda and ancient Tom Bombadil would understand each other very well. They both giggle and are beyond the drama bubble.....living embodiments of enlightenment.
Agreed
Notice everything that crosses your path. If they have need, help them to the best of your ability. And _never_ forget to enjoy your path as often as you can.
I like, "everything" rather than, "everyone". I do not understand why someone would arrogantly and ignorantly kill a spider rather than simply letting them outdoors. Help them to the best of your ability.
@@randomgrinn Thanks, I was deliberate in my word selection. I'm happy to coexist with all the creatures I run across and I leave them be. If necessary I do what I can to make their lives easier, I'm a sucker for feeding them in particular.
I'm lucky to live where I now do (south central Oregon, near Ashland) in a small city with lots of native wildlife. We have beautiful red-striped garter snakes in our backyard, and I've trained our cats (who only go out on leashes or static leads) that our snake buddies are not prey. Our second youngest enjoys lying down near one of their nests just to watch them, and I have more than occasionally watched snakes slither around him hunting with no fear or concern. I use an old fashioned push mower and walk the yard before cutting the grass so I don't endanger them unnecessarily.
I leave a couple of large dandelion patches spring to summer so our pollinators have a little something before everything really blooms.
At our last place we had a wasp nest in the backyard. In the spring I'd put out sugar water with shredded meat in it to feed them in their early developmental stage. The nest endured about 12 years until the big apian die-off hit; in all that time not once was any person or pet stung, they were quite tame when simply left alone.
I've found that in most cases people are easy. Almost all simply want their existence acknowledged, even something as simple as a wave and a smile, a pleasant greeting, whatever is appropriate, goes miles.
Apologies for going on and on. Thank you again for sharing your thoughts. 😁
@@randomgrinn Ah, irony: if you 'let' a house-spider outdoors, you've ignorantly killed it as surely as if you stepped on it, and pat yourself on the back for your benevolence.
@@as3609That's major false equivalence. "House spiders" don't exist. Just a spider in a House. 😂
How can you rationalize its not benevolence by allowing it to live further? Because it will die eventually? EVERYTHING THAT EVER LIVED WILL DIE. Period. No exceptions. While the person doesn't deserve sainthood for it, calling it malevolence or as you put it IRONY is also ignorant. Ye all moral RUclips crusader.
I guess I missed the old video, but I've been binging everything and was literally wondering, just yesterday, where he was!
I watched the movies before I read the Lord of the Rings. I absolutely fell in love with the book through Tom.
I've read that he is the physical representation of the world itself.
"Old Tom Bombadil is a merry fellow, Bright blue his jacket is, and his boots are yellow. None has ever caught him yet, for Tom, he is the master: His songs are the stronger songs, and his feet are faster."
One of the best if not the best explanation of who or what Tom Bombadil is meant to be by Tolkien. Thank you!
Man, among many excellent analyses, this one of yours stands tall among them.
I’m a Bombadil fan. He’s a wonderful oasis of comfort in a perilous story, which is the musical nature of Tolkien’s storytelling - tension and release, over and over. Danger is followed by temporary sanctuary, which is an opportunity for character development, followed by danger, and rest. Wonderful.
After Goldberry replied "He is" to Frodo when he asked her who Tom is, she gave some further details:
"He is, as you have seen him,’ she said in answer to his look. ‘He is the Master of wood, water, and hill.’
Frodo then asked:
"Then all this strange land belongs to him?"
"No indeed!" she answered, and her smile faded. "That would indeed be a burden,’ she added in a low voice, as if to herself. ‘The trees and the grasses and all things growing or living in the land belong each to themselves. Tom Bombadil is the Master. No one has ever caught old Tom walking in the forest, wading in the water, leaping on the hill-tops under light and shadow. He has no fear. Tom Bombadil is master."
It's kind of curious, Tolkien's insistence on this 'master' moniker. Its a funny word, seemingly most European languages have a similar word whether Germanic or Romance... But Tolkien generally doesn't like words from Latin... not sure what the significance might be, except [Mag-yos] might go all the way back to PIE
a silly thought just popped up while watching the video, Gandalf bringing Pipe Weed to the undying lands, and becoming a farmer of sorts just to have a good smoke here and there.
It's hinted that Samwise might have been permitted to go West as a Ring-Bearer, I'm sure he'd be happy to help out. You can imagine the two of them and Yavanna having a grand old time, it'd be a fitting retirement for him.
Thanks for making these Robert. Brilliant insight into LoTRs
I'm glad they ommited him from the movie, but also I'd love to see him be played by Brian Blessed
Indeed Brian Blessed just is
You’ll get to see him shamed in august.
Brian Blessed was exactly my dream-cast actor for Bombadil for a long time! Of course, he's too old now to play the role, except as a voice actor, I suppose. In any case, the 'casting game' tells us more about the people playing the game (us) and how we see the characters than it tells us about the characters. Other people imagined Robin Williams in the role, for example.
Turn Tom into the Genie from Aladdin? No thanks.
@@rcrawford42 Have you ever seen Robin Williams in a drama role? Goofiness was only part of his performer persona, and he well understood the characters he played.
Hey! Tom Bombadil, Tom Bombadillo... through wood and...something I read the books in HS, 2000-2004. Love that guy!!
His pants need oxi-clean and his socks are yellow?
Old Tom Bombadil, Tom Bombadillo
He hangs out with Goldberry underneath a willow
“Why do we leave the ring with Tom Bombadil?”
“I mean, sure, he seems immune to the Ring, but can you really expect him to keep track of it?”
that last picture where we see Sam, a sword in each fist, railing against the darkness is the absolute peak of inspiration
This is the video that made me subscribe to you. You have a deep, emotional understanding of Tolkien's work I'm not sure I'd ever seen before in people analyzing it. It's humbling and beautiful. Tom Bombadil is a wonderful reminder of the kind and humble values that Tolkien wanted to convey with characters like the hobbits and so many people caught up in the intense romance of the good vs evil story miss for the trees.
Thank you for enriching my experience of this world of Tolkien Robert. Been a pleasure reacquainting myself with Middle Earth after many years away, helped along by your thoughtful commentary
What a good elaboration on this enigmatic character!
I once came across someone’s idea that Tom might be an Ainu governing Time. While time can’t be governed, I think, Tom might well be a spirit representing it in the world of perpetual change.
Immanuel Kant has pointed that we perceive the torrent of our sensations as changes happening in time. We, on the other hand, cannot perceive time itself. To keep our thoughts consistent with our perceptions, we have to imagine something that remains itself while undergoing change. We attribute our sensations to objects, but things themselves aren’t eternal, they also form and come to end in time. This is why we have to imagine some universal substance, matter, that fills in space and undergoes endless changes in time, forming into objects in countless situations and interactions.
This idea that time needs a “representative”, someone who is always there to validate our knowledge, self-awareness, common sense, goes very well with the image of Tom. He is fatherless, he knows and reflects on everything that happens but also lives a life of day-to-day routine and loves it. Routine is the basis of reality for a sentient life - a foundation for those imaginary worlds we live in.
I would imagine Tom being an Ainu: time is a dimension of the Music of Eru. This is why Tom is so powerful and why he is seemingly connected to the Undying lands more that anyone else in Middle Earth. But he is neither a Vala nor a Maia. Vallar and Maiar are shaping the world of Arda, while Tom is there to perceive and remember all that happens while living through his routine.
At the start he was probably an Ainu who was most selfless in dedicating himself to the Music of Eru.
And that’s why Olorin, the Maia of Wisdom (and Compassion) needs to speak to him upon completing his quest in the region of passing time - before returning to the Undying Lands.
As my father once said, "He is the embodiment of the world's joy."
In my humble opinion, Tom Bombadil represents the people reading the stories of Tolkien's works. We are experiencing and "living" in that world as we read it but we are not physically affected by it (i.e. we are also "outside" of it).
Tom Bombadil is the light by which to measure the darkness.
🧀
I’ve always thought of Bombadill and Ungoliant the spider as opposite ideas personified. He is content, joyful, and at peace. She is never satiated, greedy, and a void of emptiness.
@@Nathan-vt1jz That makes a lot of sense. I never thought of it that way, but I thought that Tom really is something similar to Ungoliant. Something, or someone not created by Eru and Ainur. Another creature of the void, just like Ungoliant and other beings older than age we don't hear much about. It's just that they are different in what they do, Ungoliant was dark, evil, angry and Tom joyful and enjoying the moment. I've thought that there probably are many more of these "spirits" if you can call them that way, both good and bad and that they just do not feel the need to interfere much with the world as it is. In the end, Ungoliant was never heard of after she fled, but she still is somewhere. Gandalf also mentioned "tunnels by beings older than the age" beneath Moria and from what I understood, these would have been scary enough to have Gandalf and Durin's Bane just flee without fighting each other and I don't think he was referring to Ungoliant herself. The watcher is rumored to be one of these as well I believe.
It always left me wondering, how many of these good spirits are there and where they are, what do they do.
wrong! Tom Bombadil is beyond light and darkness.
He can not be beyond Eru. He is the source of all.
There might be a pre-creation, as hinted. Older and fouler things than orcs at the root of the world - and maybe some better than we know. A hidden part of the Music, maybe Eru’s own, and the Ainur know nothing of it.
have you ever considered making this into a podcast? man, i would love to listen to this as a podcast.
I like to think that when Gandalf showed up at Tom's place, Tom already had a chair and a pipe ready for him... and they mostly sat in silence for a few months, occasionally commenting on something, before parting ways. They both seem the sort to just enjoy quiet company. Gandalf was only ever active as he was because of his job. I think it's obvious why he loved the shire: That's the place Gandalf wanted to live and exist in. A place to observe and enjoy the world around. Tom was everything Gandalf aspired to be. Certainly not his power, but what he WAS: Relaxation and enjoyment of life.
The few words Tom said to Gandalf, were carefully considered for a few thousand years ... Then...
Gandalf, just sitting there in a Valinor temp agency waiting for his number to come up.
Bombadil the kind of guy you only find when you are not looking for him. I imagine Gandalf searching, giving up and then realising he is right behind him
BEST video I've seen on Tom Bombadil. Well done!
Tom Bombadil is Switzerland. While everyone is away fighting he's chilling.
F switzerland.
What a nice interpretation, thank you. We all have to have some Tom Bombadil in our heart, and live becomes easier. Being in a Tom Bombadil mood even let us recognize the meaning and purpose of life itself: Just be (and enjoy).
How interesting is this wonderful character. This is great information, thank you Robert.
Tom teaches me things about myself. thanks Bombadil and Deep geek
As a child I hated Tom Bombadil. The idea of so much power and not putting it to any use. Then, as I have got older and more powerful, I have realised that power to change things is dangerous to execute, because even doing something righteous often stirs up much greater things in opposition, which in the end make the original intent pointless. Now, in my final years, I feel closer and closer to Tom. It is very rare that I intervene in the World beyond my garden, and when I do it is with the humility of knowing whatever I do could end up undoing itself.
"Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing."
Macbeth
Superb script! Made my heart glow-merry-dol!
I like to think that if Ungoliant was the manifestation of the void and darkness then perhaps Tom is the manifestation of Arda and the light. It would explain how he came to-be seemingly when Arda did, why his only concern is for the natural world, and why he expresses himself through song. His melody is an echo of the Ainur, a song that will only end after the Dagor Dagorath, which I imagine he will be witness too. It feels true to me and it's a nice thought so I'm going with it.
This is how I think of it too.
It explains a lot about his character and why things like the ring don't matter to him, they're so insignificant compared to the song of creation.
The ring can't change the song, but the song can't just unmake the ring(as an object created through discord sewn into the song itself), so it's a sort of limbo where the ring can never be safe with him but has no power over him.
Yep, the difference between doing and being. I feel it is very important nowadays, and a very actual topic. For those that can afford it.
The Tom Bombadil segments are so vividly described in the book that I often forget they aren't part of most adaptations. I do think the segments are essential to the pacing of themes of the books. The only reason I don't mind their omission in the Peter Jackson adaptation is because that adaptation in general veers away from the themes and pacing that make Bombadil so essential in the books.
Thankyou.. absolutey brilliant the way you have described these ingenious writtings from the great Tolkien himself.
I like the notion of Tom Bombadil being a scribbled comment in the margins - an alternate reality mirror of what it would be to not even care about power at all...
A masterful analysis, Robert. Bravo!
He reminds me of the ghost of Christmas present. He is a stout, hearty fellow who lives only in the moment.
Love it. Always like Bombadil as being a man apart. Like middle C or a clicked finger, just is. Many thanks!
He is a merry fellow
Bright blue his jacket is
And his boots are yellow
Worf in Star Trek: I am not a Merry Man.
His songs are stronger songs, and his feet are faster.
One of your more brilliant presentations. Well done, Robert!
I didn't pay much heed to Tom Bombadil when I first read the books. As you say, he comes across like the odd man out, like a foreign object, not even really a deus ex macchina. Knowing what I know now, I'd say he is the quintessential indifferent, insouciant overwhelming force. Unstoppable force were he aroused, yet also the immovable object in a whirling maelstrom of war and power struggle. The pillar of the hope that there is one small bit of the world unfazed by the overwhelming power of the enemy, that would remain when all else fails. In that sense, Tom Bombadil represents the hope for salvation, for the greater good that lives deep inside all of us. Maybe those who speculate he could be an incarnation of Manwe aren't far off.
You have interesting thoughts - but I remember Gandalfs guess.
About how if all else failed, Bombadil would fall, Last as he was First, then, the Darkness.
I always figured Olorin knew more than he was letting on.
@@hoodatdondar2664 I guess it all depends at which level along, if not in the ranks of Ainur, Maiar and other races you want to place Tom Bombadil. Given the respect Gandalf has for him, we at least have to assume he is of equal standing to a Maiar, if he isn't secretly one of the Ainur, or, as some have speculated, an aspect of Eru Iluvatar himself. One might speculate that in the end, all that exists, i.e. everything but Eru Iluvatar would perish, and he would start a new song. And who could say exactly what Gandalf meant by those cryptic words? Would Tom fall last, because he would be the last to go down fighting, or would he simply chose to cease to exist, disgusted by a world no longer worth existing in?
With "Great Power comes Great Responsibility" Uncle Ben would say.
"And with Supreme Power comes the ability to Ignore Responsibility, unless I choose otherwise" seems to be Old Tom's response.
I LOVE this guy! The one character in Tolkien's Legendarium I'm truly envious of. Not because I would shirk responsibility, as even Tom comes to the aid of those who need it but because there is pretty much nothing out there that could threaten me. To go through life with a smile on my lips, a twinkle in my eye and a song in my heart, that is a peaceful existence I could subscribe to. :)
Bombadil is a vibe.
Tom Bom-brat-dil
@@jjwubs1638 Reported.
Thanks for the reminder, Robert! I didn't realize I needed to hear that today. ❤
Before he created Dragon Ball, Akira Toriyama was most famous for a manga called Dr. Slump which featured a little robotic girl named Arale. Arale makes a cameo and participates in the story of Dragon Ball. She is just a fun nod to the author's previous work.
I see Bombadil as the same. He's a nod to Tolkiens early poems and stories he told his family. If I wrote my kids some stories about their stuffed animals and then went on to become a famous author, and I included their animals in one of my stories for fun, I'd find it ironic if my fans wrote lengthy essays about how these stuffed animals represented God or were angels or something. I don't think this is any more complex than that.
A gag character
Unaffected by the established rules of the universe, they happened to be in
Can even bend and break those rules
But he's more important than that, because of what he represents. This video beautifully explains that
The part of Tom Bombadil in the story (Book 1, chapters 6-8) always feels to me like a higher kind of fantasy. When proceeding to the next chapter and connecting back to the main plot in Bree, it feels like waking up from a dream, even though the 'adventure' continues. It's amazing how Tolkien can make a fantasy world inside a fantasy world.
5:55 its pretty clear to me that Tolkien is playing a joke on us! Its his first character, for sure he would be the eldest! I think he is just making a cameo in The Lord of the Rings, kinda like Arale in Dragon Ball
This is the most valuable video I've watched this week. Thank you :) 👍
can you imagine robin Williams playing tom bombadil. that would have been a perfect addition to the trilogy
Great idea!
I'm sad to hear that as today it's impossible.
I feel like he would have portrayed the essence of the character as well as can be but I think it may have been too distracting
@@gutocracker don’t remind me, robin is the rare actor I actually got sad about his passing
Absolutely perfect casting
Thank you for this. I just read his chapter and it really helped frame him in my mind.
Tom Bombadil is the best version of ourselves...
Dear sir, having read the tetralogy for the first time 50 years ago (I have reread it more than once since then and plan to go through the four books yet again), plus being a Shakespearean Thespian and Voice Actor, I believe I'm qualified to remark your wonderful reading of the text for this video, with a musical lilt that makes it really come to life. I believe that congratulations are in order.
I think being a WWI veteran and seeing the depths of cruilty to fellow humans Tom represents the peace and harmony that world war survivors aspire to. After living through an experience of ultimate darkness Tom represents transcending beyond desire and finding total acceptance, never living outside the immediate moment and experiencing appreciation when its a moment that feels good. Nothing bothers or concerns Tom, he doesnt worry about the future nor dwell on the past.
Although he is an outlyer in the story's theme, i really apprechite him. He is a love letter to peace and harmony from a world war survivor ❤
In all my years of loving the Legendarium and pondering the enigma of Bombadil, this is perhaps the most satisfying exploration of the character I’ve heard. Thanks for sharing these thoughts!
The Avatar of Arda.
This is my take too: he is the personification of Arda unmarred by Melkor's corrupting influence.
It's why he can command the barrow wight to leave the barrows or make Old Man Willow release the Hobbits and go to sleep - he has the power to set things back to their "right" state.
It's also why the Ring has no power over him. It is his nature to be uncorrupted.
Tom Bombadil, being of joy and symbol of life simples beauties. What a gorgeous idea he is...
The films, in my opinion, did not work perfectly well without Tom's presence. He's a kind of 5th dimensional, mystical character, an antithesis of the ring itself, who hopefully will play a powerful role in future versions of TLOTRs .. stellar work Robert, thanks!
> The films, in my opinion, did not work
They won 17 Academy Awards and made $3 billion dollars...
@@prosiescoteau2152 They worked in the main. Jackson had the sense to follow Tolkiens creative lead, and created something astonishing. The few flaws don’t change that.
I love the fact that Tolkien was writing about Tom well before he wrote anything about middle-earth, and he expresses that he has been around “since the beginning of time”.
That they left him out of the movies is a disgrace.
They really couldn't put him in without creating a lot of unnecessary confusion
No it's not. It's an obvious and correct move.
One of my favorite videos from this channel. Really great stuff.
Someone made a AI animated slide show about alternate actors for LOTR, and while most of it was whimsy there was one that stuck out that seemed so apt it made me cry.
Robin Williams as Tom Bombadil.
That made you cry? Are you 6?
@@K4inan That's a weird thing to take the time to type out.
Definitely better than my initial pick, Joe Pesci
Oh. Oh my 😢
@@K4inan This is not a merry fellow
This is by far the best exploration of Tom Bombadil that I've seen on facebook. Well done, In Deep Geek.
Tom Bombadil is actually me. Tom Bombadil is you too. The real lesson is the Tom Bombadil's we made along the way.
The fact Tom Bombadil videos get so many views shows how much we want to see him in adaptations, I think. Personally, I loved him in The Battle for Middle-earth 2 video game.
A merry fellow.
The Old Forest and Tom's house are my favorite part of the early Lord of The Rings Online story quests. That and Weathertop. But meeting Tom and Goldberry in-game for thr first time is one of my fondest memories of playing that game.
Why is Tom Bombadil?
This is the video I've been wanting to see get remade!
I like to believe (despite Tolkien's letter) that Tom is Eru Iluvatar.
What a thoughtful, beautiful video. Thank you.
I still feel the films suffer for the lack of Bombadil. The old forest, Bombadil, and the Barrow Downs show us the lack of understanding of the hobbits of the world immediately outside their bounds, the dangers therein, the unknown saviors (which later we learn include the Dunedain), the rich history of the surrounding lands, yet another escape from Sauron’s minions, and the discovery of the blade of Westerness that will end the life of Armor’s greatest foe - the Witch King of Angmar. None of it detracts from the story or violates the Disney rule of serving the greater story. I find speculation of him being Eru Illuvatar the most disturbing as it feels contrived and doesn’t match with Gandalfs ascendancy to the White after his downfall in Moria after which he presumably meets with Eru and is sent back with his power upgraded.
If we all, in book and real life, took Tom's attitude, what a wonderful place this life would be.
It is all very well to say that Tom is a comment or plot device employed by Tolkien to express some idea about nature and being at peace with the natural world. However, that leaves Tom as a loose end and most people like things to fit. No random elements, please. Therefore, in the spirit of making things fit, I will give my theory about Tom. Tom, and Goldberry, are both members of the Maiar. There are more Maiar than just the wizards, Sauron and Balrogs in Middle-Earth. Tom is a servant of Yavanna. He entered Middle-Earth very early, when the Valar was first forming it and its lifeforms. The reason that he “remembers the first acorn” is because he helped Yavanna to plant it. He was in Middle-Earth before the Elves awakened. When he says that he was there “before Melkor entered the World”, this is a reference to Melkor’s second entrance. Melkor was expelled from the World, for a while, but then managed to re-enter the World and stage his attack on the Two Trees. Tom’s comment means that he was already in Middle-Earth prior to the attack on the Two Trees, not that he pre-exists Melkor himself. Yavanna left Tom behind in Middle-Earth to keep an eye on the natural World. That is Tom’s duty rather than the contest between Good and Evil. Thus, we see Tom’s power over “Old Man Willow”, and other natural lifeforms, via the power of Yavanna. That is also why the ring does not affect Tom. He has no lust for power (that is simply not his duty) therefore, the ring can’t gain any hold over him. However, as Gandalf says, he cannot break the power of the ring over others. Just himself. He is his own master. Goldberry’s mission is similar. She is a servant of Ulmo (she is the River-Daughter) and her mission is to keep an eye on the rivers and streams of Middle-Earth for her master Ulmo. Both Tom and Goldberry had been in Middle-Earth for ages prior to their meeting up with each other. No doubt, they missed the company of other members of the Maiar. Therefore, it is not surprising that they formed a bond and union when they met each other in Middle-Earth. Note that the above concept fits Tom and Goldberry, very neatly, within the World of Middle-Earth. They are no longer “loose ends” which I find very satisfying.
It fits most things, and is a serious theory.
In it, no Maia has a duty to lust for power, but some succumb. Sauron and Saruman are two of those we know who succumbed.
Why does Tom not, then? He is a Maia, too, in this theory. He is to watch over nature, but how does that make him immune? I note he has the power to command Old Man Willow; that seems like something the ring could use.
@@hoodatdondar2664 Tom is immune for a couple of reasons. One, his duty to watch over nature leaves him unconcerned about the battle for good versus evil. He is, in a way, "above" that struggle and, so, is above any lust for power. In addition, Tom's long service in Middle-Earth has given him a very "long-term" perspective. He has seen kingdoms come and go many times. He is likely, in fact, the oldest being, living continuously, in Middle-Earth. This long-term perspective also puts Tom above the lust for power. A lust for power is the lever that the Ring uses to control people. Gandalf said as much when he refused to take the Ring for himself. Gandalf would want to use the Power of the Ring for Good. But, any lust for power, even to do good, puts one under the control of the Ring. Tom is, absolutely, free of any lust for power. Even to do Good. His duty is not Good versus Evil. It is to protect and nourish nature. So, with no lust for power as a lever, the Ring is powerless over Tom. That is the source of his immunity.
That satisfies me.
This seems plausible. I would add, I think the videos conclusion, is correct also. Tolkien wanted an enigma, in his world', to help people understand to live their own life, perhaps get married to a soulmate, and not be distracted on what are usually petty concerns (the One Ring was serious though), and thus Tom was important to appreciate.
Could be. I think if Tolkien were alive today and saw your explanation, he might nod and say "Plausible. Very plausible." Then go back to smoking his pipe.
Amazing! Tom Bombadil is known as “eldest” because he predates much of Tolkien’s mythos, having been conceived before the creation of Arda, the Valar, and perhaps even Eru himself. He stands apart as the oldest of Tolkien’s characters in Arda, not because he belongs to it, but because he hails from a different realm-a universe Tolkien had written about long before. Though Tom does not truly belong to Arda, he cherishes it and finds joy in living there. His presence feels somewhat out of place, as if he exists outside the boundaries of the story itself. Tom is, undeniably, simply Tom. In this way, I believe he serves as a subtle reflection of Tolkien’s own creative essence-a character rooted in a broader, more personal literary world.
Tom Bombadil is.
That’s it. Complete sentence. He simply is.
He's also first
in the bible that refers to God.
@@davidjones5269 aka God. but tolkien regretted it and thought it would be heresy against jesus (the only incarnation of God in the Bible) and retconned his idea on one of his letters
This song actually gave me hope for the rest of the show & seasons hope this is setting up Gandalf as epic character
"Petty squabbles like the War of the One Ring". Ah yes. Many much more important things going on.
Great explanation about Tom Bombadil. Thanks!
Tom is Peter Jackson and Goldberry is Fran.
Thank you for this vid! I learned a bit I didn't know! I haven't read any of the letters, but I do own The Adventures of Tom Bombadil. Not that that book is any help in answering any questions, but it's still a delight.
I think he was one of the Ainur who happened upon Arda. Very early he found his valley, fell in love with Goldberry, and managed to protect his valley from the first destruction and thereby won her hand 🤷🏻♂️
Other than "author avatar" this is my favorite headcanon.
I disagree.
@@JohnyG29👍🏻
Sounds like Tom is the spirit of play, something we all have done. Unfortunately, many have forgotten how important play is to the creation of our own story.
Robin Williams would have played a perfect Tom Bombadil. Change my mind...😊
Robin Williams would have to ditch 95% of his energy to play Bombadil.
I got a strong Narcissus and Goldmund vibe by the end of your narrative. Tom being Narcissus to Gandalf the rolling stone, Goldmund.
Who is Tom Bombadil? Nobody, everybody, it doesn't matter. JRR Tolkien trolling us for 70 years. 😂
So wonderful and refreshing.
To me, I theorise Tom represents the feeling of nostalgia. As we strive through our passage of time on this earth dealing with the good and evil that presents itself, I guess many of us also yearns for nostalgic moments in our lives. It is not significant in our daily grind, but important enough to shape our thoughts of deep desire. As we age many desire to marry and have kids, maybe to recreate our childhood nostalgia. The one ring corrupts most who wears it, as it represents many people's real desire of power in life, the desire of getting that dream job, promotion, body, partner, house etc. However there is one desire that is stronger than the one ring, and that is nostalgia. Tolkien is probably trying to say that through Tom. His strongest desire above fortune and fame, is his desire to relive his nostalgic moments in younger years by the country side. It is quite poetic. I guess in our last breadth on earth, our thoughts will travel to that nostalgic place, and that is powerful.
Tom Bombadil proves you can be both Knowledgeable & simple, a happy carefree soul!