5 Mind-Blowing Theories About Tom Bombadil | Tolkien's Middle-earth Explained

Dive into 5 mind-blowing theories about Tom Bombadil, Tolkien's most enigmatic character. Uncover how these theories reshape our understanding of Middle-earth and The Lord of the Rings. From his true identity to his crucial role in Tolkien's universe, prepare to see Middle-earth in a whole new light.

[gamingchinchilla]

It truly saddens me knowing I'll never get to hear Robin Williams sing "HEY DOL MERRY DOL" while prancing about carrying water lilies to Goldberry and freeing halflings from evil trees.

[Phoenixesper]

Robbin williams as tom bombadill in the original LOTR movies would have been just perfect.

[brianofphobos]

To the end of his days Tolkien refused to disclose anything of Tom's nature. He said "Even in a fantasy world, some things must remain a mystery."

[jennifereastep]

Tom Bombadill was the physical embodiment of the world. He was nature incarnate. Never overly involving or concerning himself with anything as he always knew that, no matter what, nature always wins. Nature is the continuous flux of change in all things, nothing is as it once was, nor will it ever be the same as it is now..

[missmehigan]

You've put out one of the best overviews of this subject I've ever seen...and the graphics! Perfect! Thank you.

[lpluva]

If Tom was one of the unintended results of the song of the Ainur it would explain why song is how he expresses himself. Or in the way Ungoliant was a manifestation of the darkness or the un-light, perhaps she is in a way a shadow cast by the light of Tom, two sides of the same coin. He watched Aule build the mountains and carve the seas, maybe he is the personification of what Arda was before Melkor marred it. He can't really conceive of malice or deceit for the same reasons the naive Ainur released Melkor from his imprisonment. Which perhaps is also why the concept of power or dominion isn't in his mind. His concept of time is measured in eons, his concept of space is infinite and doesn't hinder him. Tom doesn't show up when Frodo sings his song because he has really good hearing and he's super fast, he appears to them as if space and time weren't things that he had to give thought to. So maybe he IS the natural world, he is everything, everywhere, all at once. He was born when time began and will pass on (not die) when all things end. Final thought: It's possible the moniker of "Oldest and fatherless" was just an expression, but Illuvitar means "father of all", so if the elves are correct (they hung with the gods so they should know) then Tom has always been. If he witnessed the first of everything, then maybe he is the pen and paper Tolkien wrote his stories on...So he really would have been present before all things, there was nothing, then there was something. So he's the Big Bang of the Tolkien Universe. That may be a stretch but it makes as much sense as anything else.

[Polydeykis]

Tom gives his commands through singing, just like Eru, when he created the cosmos with the "music"...This cannot be a coincidence

[toddkurzbard]

There is one certainty we know about Tom Bombadil:







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 stronger songs, and his feet are faster.

[QuantumShineAMAC]

That did always bug me that Tom Bombadil was omitted from the movies, but his saga would've added atleast another 12 hours to the storyline.

[markjardinez]

His elven name Iarwain Ben-adar means "Oldest and Fatherless", suggesting that he is not a Valar or Ainur who were brought to being by Eru Iluvatar.

He cannot be Eru Iluvatar either as the author said the deity will not have a personification in the story.

The only thing not created and is not Eru Iluvatar and was present before everything was made in the LOTR universe is the secret fire, the power of Eru Iluvatar of life and creation.

Tom may posibly be the personification of that power.

[leerubin]

Tom is Middle Earth. He was the embodiment of the song of creation. The ring is magic not of this world. It cannot affect Tom and interests him even less.

[ChewieBabyTW]

Cutting out Tom Bombadil from the movies was the most hurtful thing, truly one of my very favorite Characters because he provided light in a very dark setting in Middle Earth. He was....hope.

[emiltiwaz]

My theory: From the Ainulindale, Tom Bombadil is Ea, the World That Is. Ea is the Music of the Ainur to which Eru gave being. Thus, Tom's love for singing. From the Ainulindale and the Valaquenta: Eru sent the Flame Imperishable or the Secret Fire to dwell in the heart of Ea. Tom's great power is because, as the spirit of Ea, he has unlimited access to the Flame, which is Eru's creative power. My Tom Bombadil is Brian Blessed. But my other choices are Sir Derek Jacobi and Brian Cox. Rory Kinnear is a terrific actor and his take on TB is good but I still think he's TOO YOUNG for the part.

[Zorbatrog]

We don't need any special theories about him. He isn't anyone other that just who he appears to be. Tom is Tom. Tom isn't God. He is just an Ainu.

[baneAP]

He is what we call a Genius Loci, the spirit of the place. Personified,

[beecee]

actually the Nazgul can see Frodo when he puts The Ring on And this is a clue I think to Tom's nature. He can see the Material World and The Unseen World. He was there before Time according to his own words. And he controls creation through Song. That would suggest that he is a Vala. He is a Vala in disguise, in just the same way that Gandalf is a Maia in disguise.

[stevematthews]

I first read LOTR in the late 60s, and absolutely loved it. I also read Harvard Lampoons "Bored of the Rings", which a lot of people I knew that loved LOTR refused to read. Anyway, it cracked me up. Tom Bombadil became Tim Benzedrino ( "Hop a hill, Pop a pill, for old Tom Benzedrino"). His wife was named Hashberry, and the hobbits shared a very interesting meal with them - much disoriented hullucinations followed.
Anyway, I can understand Jackson leaving his character out of the film. Most people watching the films never read the books, and TB would have been a very confusing character at the very beginning of the story.

[deborahmertens]

This last theory makes Perfect Sense!! He’s like ‘Father Nature’! That’s most people likely why he chose Goldberry, the Riverwoman’s Daughter as his wife…because she is also a manifestation of Nature.
Well Done! ❤🔥Great Storytelling!!❤🔥
I look forward to your story about Glaurung!😁

[brandonmatt]

This was so helpful, I was lost on “tom bombadill” plus i really really enjoyed this story teller, & i loved the voice plus i was intrigued during the whole video so please keep them coming.

[joels]

Nothing that couldn’t utterly destroy Arda itself, posed a threat to Tom. Maybe Valar, like Aule or Utumno could be considered comparable in terms of power, Tom would be basically the essence of life in Arda. Anything that could grow would be under Tom’s sway as it were. He may find creatures like the Nazgûl or the Barrow-wights bothersome, but they could never be a threat to him. The one entity I think would bother/threaten Tom would have been Ungoliant. She being an entity outside of Arda, that wanted to consume life and light insatiably, she might have been a threat to all of life, aside from the Valar.

The Valar are all well accounted for during the First Age (which Tom existed in) and by time Valinor was physically removed from Arda, there’s no indication that any of them were lost and replaced Tom.