Tom Bombadil

Tom Bombadil is one of my favorite Lord of the Rings characters. Here’s how cliffnotes.com describes him:

A nature spirit of the ancient world who helps Frodo in the Old Forest and on the Barrowdowns. The Ring has no effect on him. Other names: the Master, Eldest, Iarwain Ben-adar, Forn, Orald.

When Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin meet him, they are filled with wonder. Despite the fact that Tom is always singing happy songs and dancing around without a care in the world, he is a mysterious fellow.

Frodo asks him who he is. This is part of his response:

Don’t you know my name yet? That’s the only answer. Tell me, who are you, alone, yourself and nameless? But you are young and I am old? Eldest, that’s what I am. Mark my words, my friends:Tom was here before the river and the trees; Tom remembers the first raindrop and the first acorn. He made paths before the Big People, and saw the little People arriving. He was here before the Kings and the graves and the Barrow-wights. When the Elves passed westward, Tom was here already, before the seas were bent. He knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless – before the Dark Lord came from Outside.

Holy crap that is great writing! I think, like all music lovers and music scholars and historians and such believe about Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, etc – that they tapped into something that was close to the Divine – so to did Tolkien come very close to the Same.

If you want to start reading this series, I will buy you the first book. Call me.