 “Before long, washed and refreshed, the hobbits were seated at the table, two on each side, while at either end sat Goldberry and the Master. It was a long and merry meal…” |
In the house of Tom Bombadil
Wow! Wow! WOW! Tom Bombadil!? I’m at a loss for words… so now I’m wracking my brain from my Silmarillion read last year trying to figure out if he’s a maiar or ainur that I’m familiar with.
He has to be at least a maiar…after all, he says when the Elves passed westward Tom was already here before the seas were bent. He was around before Men and Dwarves and come to think of it, his magic is in his singing. He and Goldberry are always singing, and singing is how Illuvatar through the Vala created the earth and all existence. I bet most people miss the profundity of this meeting.
The way he discovered Goldberry in the forest reminds me of Thingol and Melian, and Beren and Luthien. And to think that “Tom” (whatever his real name is) was there the whole time, throughout the whole Silmarillion and the ages of the Numenorians right up to the “present” is just incredible.
The ring has no power over him and he can see Frodo when he puts it on… ack! Frodo finally put on the ring!!
We’ll see how long it takes for his addiction to set in and what trouble it will cause him. And it’s pretty obvious that Frodo and the others are going to need to use that “summoning call” of Tom’s in the near future.
till next time,
mark-edmond
far(out)
