Tom Bombadil

Tom Bombadil
Gender Male Race Unknown Region Bree-land Area Old Forest Location Tom Bombadil's House Map Ref [32.7S, 57.3W]

Description

Tom Bombadil dwells in the Old Forest of Bree-land and is found in- or outside his house where he lives with his wife Goldberry, the River-daughter.

His origin and nature are unknown even to the Wise. On the surface, he seems like a Man, but shorter. He is jovial and sings often, and he describes himself thus in verse:

Old Tom Bombadil is a merry fellow;

Bright blue his jacket is, and his boots are yellow.

He is clearly not really a Man, since he may be the oldest living thing in the world. He claims to be the eldest, and to remember the first raindrop and the first acorn, and the darkness under the stars before Morgoth came. He is "the Master" of the small realm around his house, encompassing the Old Forest and the Barrow-downs. This does not mean the land belongs to him, but that he has nothing to fear from anything within his boundaries. He is unaffected by the One Ring, but that does not mean that he has power over it, but rather it has no power over him. It is hypothesized that if Sauron conquered the world, Tom Bombadil would be the last to fall, but fall he would.

The name "Tom Bombadil" is what he is called by the Hobbits of Buckland. Other cultures know him by other names. To the Elves and Dúnedain he is Iarwain Ben-adar, "Oldest and Fatherless", literally "Old-young Without-father". Among Dwarves and Men of the North he is called Forn and Orald, both meaning "Ancient" in the languages of the Men of the North and the Vales of Anduin.

This ancient being must have travelled far to be known by so many, but now he has settled down with his wife Goldberry in the Old Forest, and does not go beyond the bounds within which he is "Master". Earlier in the Third Age, however, a sister of Goldberry was corrupted by the blood spilled in her spring in the wars between Arthedain and Rhudaur. He charged soldiers of Arthedain with saving this River-maid. They failed to act on this, for which Bombadil cursed them to remain in the world as half-dead until Naruhel, the Red-maid, as she is now known, is redeemed or destroyed.

Abilities

 Hope (+8)

Quest Involvement

• [18] Volume I, Book 1, Chapter 8: Master of the Wood
• [18] Volume I, Book 1, Chapter 9: Lilies for the River-daughter
• [19] Volume I, Book 1, Chapter 10: Into the Barrow-downs
• [21] Volume I, Book 1, Chapter 11: Othrongroth
• [21] Volume I, Book 1, Instance: Othrongroth
• [21] Volume I, Book 1, Chapter 12: The Black Rider's Designs
• [18] Marigold -- Episodic Content
• [19] Defying Description -- Episodic Content
• [22] Synonyms for Spooky -- Episodic Content

Quotes

"Hey dol merry dol wither are you going? Tramping in the forest lands and through the rivers flowing!"