Tom Bombadil

[Lenya]

Originally Posted by CrazySquirrel

Hey, haven't you heard that Tom was in fact the Witchking? And Goldberry was his secret mistress? He set her in the Old wood and came to her on vacations. It is all in crackpot theories something. can't find the link, sorry

Uhuh. Can't say I've heard that one before. Nnnope. I don't think so.

[Gordis]

Originally Posted by CrazySquirrel

Hey, haven't you heard that Tom was in fact the Witchking? And Goldberry was his secret mistress? He set her in the Old wood and came to her on vacations. It is all in crackpot theories something. can't find the link, sorry

Yes, that is a funny theory.
Here is the link
http://flyingmoose.org/tolksarc/theories/bombadil.htm

[strider8]

Originally Posted by CrazySquirrel

Hey, haven't you heard that Tom was in fact the Witchking? And Goldberry was his secret mistress? He set her in the Old wood and came to her on vacations. It is all in crackpot theories something. can't find the link, sorry

no,i have not heard about that.

[strider8]

Originally Posted by gordis

Yes, that is a funny theory.
Here is the link
http://flyingmoose.org/tolksarc/theories/bombadil.htm

Thats an ace site gordis,its almost as good as the moot but i think its to small.

[Gordis]

Originally Posted by strider8

Thats an ace site gordis,its almost as good as the moot but i think its to small.

Why don't you add some theories of your own? Could be a funny tread here.

Actually, re-reading the silly crackpot theory has set me thinking:

You remember the passage in LOTR, at Tom's house:

"At last Frodo spoke: ‘Did you hear me calling, Master, or was it just chance that brought you at that moment?’ Tom stirred like a man shaken out of a pleasant dream. ‘Eh, what?’ said he. ‘Did I hear you calling? Nay, I did not hear: I was busy singing. Just chance brought me then, if chance you call it. It was no plan of mine, though I was waiting for you. We heard news of you, and learned that you were wandering.

Who warned Tom of Frodo's approach? I have always thought it were either Gildor's elves or Old Maggot.

But there is a following passage in "The hunt for the Ring" in UT:

...The Black Captain did not know whether the Ring was still in the Shire; that he had to find out. ...Therefore he sent some of the Riders into the Shire, with orders to disperse while traversing it; and of these Khamûl was to find Hobbiton, where "Baggins" lived, according to Saruman's papers. But the Black Captain established a camp at Andrath, where the Greenway passed in a defile between the Barrow-downs and the South Downs; and from there some others were sent to watch and patrol the eastern borders, while he himself visited the Barrow-downs. In notes on the movements of the Black Riders at that time it is said that the Black Captain stayed there for some days, and the Barrow-wights were roused, and all things of evil spirit, hostile to Elves and Men, were on the watch with malice in the Old Forest and on the Barrow-downs.

So the Witch-King has been in Tom Bombadil's territory just prior to the coming of the hobbits. I don't think that Tom could have been unaware of it. But he seemed to do nothing to hinder the WK.
How do you think, has the WK met Tom personally? Perhaps they had a cup of tea together ?

And if Tom knew firsthand that the hobbits were "wanted", why did he allow them to travel by the Barrows alone? A bit careless, isn't he?

[Maerbenn]

Tolkien’s comment about Tom Bombadil being an enigma (The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, no. 144) could also be interpreted to mean that he was an enigma to other inhabitants of Middle-earth, but perhaps not to the Author himself.

[Gordis]

I agree that Tom was quite enigmatic creature. Moreover, he does not seem to be on any of the sides, neither good, nor evil.
And still I would like to know your opinion: has he met the Witch-King just before the arrival of the hobbits?

[Lenya]

No. The ring was not his business and neither was the Witchking. He wouldn't have bothered and I don't think the Witchking would approach Tom even if he had to - you saw how easily Tom defeated the other wights (can't remember the spelling). Tom is definately not in league with them.

[Gordis]

Originally Posted by Lenya

No. The ring was not his business and neither was the Witchking. He wouldn't have bothered and I don't think the Witchking would approach Tom even if he had to - you saw how easily Tom defeated the other wights (can't remember the spelling). Tom is definately not in league with them.

I didn't say he was in league with the nazgul. Definitely not. However, Tom seems so unconcerned with good and evil...so truely neutral. He let the evil wights live on his territory for half an age, though he could easily send them out. I would not be surprized if he had a nice chat with the Witchy, recalling good old times, but he definitely did not help him to catch the hobbits. On the other hand he has not hindered the Witch-King who was casting evil spells on his territory.

[Lenya]

Originally Posted by gordis

I didn't say he was in league with the nazgul. Definitely not. However, Tom seems so unconcerned with good and evil...so truely neutral. He let the evil wights live on his territory for half an age, though he could easily send them out. I would not be surprized if he had a nice chat with the Witchy, recalling good old times, but he definitely did not help him to catch the hobbits. On the other hand he has not hindered the Witch-King who was casting evil spells on his territory.

Oh, I missunderstood. But I still say he wouldn't bother to talk to the guy.

[Gordis]

Mmm, I don't know. Tom is a real chatterbox. Goldberry must be already sick of it. Maggot and hobbits are not that good to chat with, because being so young they can't contribute much to the talk about Angmar wars. Witchy on the other hand...

[Lenya]

Originally Posted by gordis

Mmm, I don't know. Tom is a real chatterbox. Goldberry must be already sick of it. Maggot and hobbits are not that good to chat with, because being so young they can't contribute much to the talk about Angmar wars. Witchy on the other hand...

... will probably considder destroying Tom, rather than chatting over a cup of tea

Stupid 90 seconds!

[Gordis]

Originally Posted by Lenya

... will probably considder destroying Tom, rather than chatting over a cup of tea

The WK needed information, so he could have enjoyed Tom's chat for a while...

[Olmer]

Originally Posted by gordis

The WK needed information, so he could have enjoyed Tom's chat for a while...

You are going ahead of me and already said what I was intending to say.
I think that the possibility of their meeting exist, because Bombadill accepts Good and Evil as two parts of the whole universe creation. Without Evil woun't be Good and vice - versa, and for him it doesn't make any difference: he drowe away Barrow-Wight and chided Old man Willow with the same good-natured acceptance, as he entertaned hobbits.
He was far from human-hobbits-elves strife, he did not see wrongdoing in Sauron's plots, so in my POW he would treat any creature, even very evil one, with the same friendliness.