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Tom Bombadil

2025-08-31T11:59:34Z

Cmsg77: Changed Old Norse to Dalish for consistency with 'Rohanese'. No reason to use 'real world' language

{{disambig-more|Tom|[[Tom (disambiguation)]]}}
{{infobox character
| people=[[Tom Bombadil/Nature|Unknown]]
| image=John Howe - Tom Bombadil.jpg
| caption="Tom Bombadil" by [[John Howe]]
| name=Tom Bombadil
| pronun=
| othernames=''Iarwain Ben-adar'' ([[Sindarin|S]]) ''Orald'' ([[Rohan language|R]]) ''Forn'' ([[Dalish]])
| titles=The [[Eldest]], [[Master]]
| position=
| location=[[Underhill (house)|Underhill]], [[Old Forest]]
| affiliation=[[Forest-folk]]<ref>{{AB|2}}</ref>
| language=[[Westron]]
| birth=
| birthlocation=
| rule=
| death=
| deathlocation=
| age=
| notablefor=saving [[Frodo]], [[Sam]], [[Merry]] and [[Pippin]] from [[Old Man Willow]] and the [[Barrow-wights]]
| parentage=
| siblings=
| spouse=[[Goldberry]]
| children=
| race=[[Tom Bombadil/Nature|Unknown]]
| gender=Male
| height=Short
| hair=
| eyes=
| clothing=Blue jacket and hat, boots
| weapons=Song
| steed=[[Fatty Lumpkin]]
}}
{{quote|Eldest, that's what I am... Tom remembers the first raindrop and the first acorn... he knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless – before the Dark Lord came from Outside.|Tom Bombadil in ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'', "[[In the House of Tom Bombadil]]"}}

'''Tom Bombadil''' was an enigmatic figure who lived throughout the history of [[Arda]]. Living a short distance east of the [[Old Forest]], he seemed to possess unequaled power in the land around his dwelling. Although seemingly benevolent, he took no stance against the [[Dark Lord]]s.

==Appearance and traits==
{{quote|Old Tom Bombadil is a merry fellow; Bright blue his jacket is, and his boots are yellow.|Tom Bombadil}}

Tom looked like an old man who was taller and heavier than a [[Hobbits|Hobbit]], but not quite tall enough for a [[Men|man]].<ref name="OldF" />

His face was creased and red as a ripe apple with blue and bright eyes.<ref name="OldF" /> His hands were brown-skinned.<ref name="house" /> He had thick brown hair<ref name="house" /> and a long brown beard.<ref name="OldF" />

Tom wore a blue coat and an old tall hat with a long blue feather and yellow boots.<ref name="OldF" /> Earlier he wore a [[swans|swan]] feather, which he later replaced with a blue one from a [[kingfisher]].<ref>{{AB|2}}</ref>

He lived in a [[Underhill (house)|house]] just outside the eastern edge of the [[Old Forest]] by the river [[Withywindle]],<ref name="OldF" /> together with his lovely wife [[Goldberry]].<ref name="house" /> According to him<ref name="FR|Barrow">{{FR|Barrow}}</ref> and to [[Gandalf]] as well,<ref name="CoE" /> he would not leave his country. The only known location on the border of his country is where he makes that statement, on the south side of the [[East Road]], north of the [[Barrow-downs]] and about four miles northwest of [[Bree]]. His country must have included the Barrow-downs and the [[Old Forest]], and according to the poem "[[Bombadil Goes Boating]]," he visited villages in [[Buckland]] and [[Farmer Maggot]]'s farm in the [[Marish]], which would mean that his country included them as well.

The [[Bucklanders]] had little understanding of his powers and nature. They saw him as mysterious and unpredictable, but benevolent and comic, more or less as the [[Shire-folk]] thought of [[Gandalf]].<ref name="Adv" />

==History==
===Origins===
[[Image:Olanda Fong-Surdenas - Tom Bombadil.jpg|thumb|left|''Tom Bombadil'' by [[Olanda Fong-Surdenas]]]]
{{quote|He is a strange creature.|[[Elrond]], ''[[The Council of Elrond]]''}}
The origins and [[Tom Bombadil/Nature|nature of Tom Bombadil]] are unknown. He claims to have existed when the [[Morgoth|Dark Lord]] came "from the Outside",<ref name="house">{{FR|Bombadil}}</ref>{{rp|131}} perhaps meaning he was alive at least as far back as the [[Spring of Arda]].<ref>{{RS|Tom}}, p. 122</ref> Bombadil calls himself the "Eldest", [[Glorfindel]] calls him the "First", and his Sindarin name ''Iarwain Ben-adar'' means "Oldest and fatherless."

His role and nature in the [[Elder Days]] and later is unknown. He was in Arda "before the river and the trees" and before the first rain. He "made paths" before the [[Great March]] of the [[Eldar]], and saw the [[Middle Men]] and their [[Barrow Downs|tombs]]. He witnessed the [[Changing of the World]], the reducing of the great forests that covered all [[Middle-earth]], the arrival of the [[Exiles of Númenor]] and of the [[Barrow-wights]].<ref name="house" /><ref name="CoE" />

The nature of his interactions with the outside world is unclear. He had contact with the [[Bucklanders]] throughout the [[Third Age]].<ref name="Adv" /> He was familiar with Frodo, his companions and their families when they visit him. He attributed most of this knowledge to [[Farmer Maggot]].<ref name="house" /> He had names among the Elves, Dwarves and Northern Men. [[Elrond]] knew of him when he ventured in his lands. However, most of the [[Council of Elrond]] were unfamiliar with him, and Elrond admitted to having forgotten about him from long ago.<ref name="CoE" /><ref name="Adv">{{AB|Preface}}</ref>

===War of the Ring===
[[Image:Ted Nasmith - The Willow Man is Tamed.jpg|thumb|''The Willow Man is Tamed'' by [[Ted Nasmith]]]]
On [[26 September]], {{TA|3018}}, he encountered [[travellers|four hobbits]] while he was searching for water-lilies for his wife. Two of those Hobbits, [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]] and [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]], had been captured by [[Old Man Willow]]. Tom, who was the master of the Old Forest, rescued them, and took all four of them to his house.<ref name="OldF">{{FR|Forest}}</ref>

The four hobbits stayed two nights, and he told them many tales and songs. With cunning questions, he made [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] tell him of the [[The One Ring|Ring]]. When Tom tried it on, nothing happened, but he then took it off and flipped it in the air and made the ring itself disappear, showing that indeed within his realm Tom was master. However, when Frodo put the ring on, Tom could still see him. He bade the Hobbit to come back and sit down; his hand was fairer without the ring.

Before his guests went to sleep, Tom warned them of the [[Barrow-downs]], and advised them to pass any barrow on the western side. He also taught them a song, should they come to peril.<ref name="house" />{{rp|134}}

And they did come to peril. Tom chased off a [[Barrow-wights|wight]] with song, and broke the spells on the barrow in which the four hobbits were captured. While he sent the Hobbits to calm down, he went for provisions. He also brought the ponies that had belonged to Merry. After that, he broke the spells of the barrow. From the barrow's mighty hoard, he took a blue-jewelled brooch for Goldberry (probably belonging to the spouse of the [[last prince of Cardolan]] he seemingly met long ago),<ref>{{HM|RC}}, "Fog on the Barrow-downs", pp. 146-7</ref><ref>{{RS|Wight}}, p. 127-8</ref> and gave a [[Daggers of Westernesse|dagger]] to each of the hobbits. He then advised them to make for ''[[The Prancing Pony]]'' in [[Bree]].<ref name="FR|Barrow" />

The peril of the hobbits was not over; an attack on their lives was carried out, and their ponies were set loose. The ponies apparently remembered the care they were given in the house of Tom Bombadil, and returned to stay beside Tom's own pony, [[Fatty Lumpkin]]. He returned them to [[Barliman Butterbur]], the proprietor of ''The Prancing Pony''. Since he had paid eighteen pence as compensation for the loss, he was now the owner of five fine ponies.<ref>{{FR|Knife}}</ref>

As he was merry and benevolent, some of the [[Free Peoples]] considered him a potential ally against [[Sauron]] during the [[War of the Ring]]. [[Elrond]] and [[Erestor]] considered that he should be present at the [[Council of Elrond]]. However, according to [[Gandalf]], Tom Bombadil was perhaps not fully aware of the struggle of Light and Darkness and could not prove useful to their causes.<ref name="CoE" />

After the [[fall of Sauron]] at the end of the War, the [[Travelers]] returned to the Shire, but Gandalf left them and went to talk to Tom.<ref>{{RK|Homeward}}</ref>{{rp|996}}

Eventually the defeat of Sauron the victory of the [[West]] allowed Tom to continue and "survive" in the [[later Ages]].<ref>{{L|144}}</ref>

===Legacy===
Tom Bombadil’s existence passed into Hobbit lore and was referenced in poems such as ''[[The Adventures of Tom Bombadil]]'' and ''[[Bombadil Goes Boating]]''. The Hobbit, [[Samwise Gamgee]], based and modeled his protagonist in ''[[The Stone Troll]]'', [[Tom (The Stone Troll)|Tom]], after Bombadil, considering that Sam composed the poem soon after their meeting.<ref name="RF">{{HM|Guide}}, p. 385</ref> In the poem, Tom encounters an old [[Stone-trolls|troll]], gnawing for years on the shinbone of Tim, his [[Unusual words|nuncle]], and Tom demands for the troll to let it down.<ref>{{FR|I12}}</ref><ref>{{AB|7}}</ref> It is likely that Tim was only an invention by Sam rather than actually being Tom Bombadil's nuncle.<ref name="RF" />

==Other names==
He also went by other names:
*To the [[Elves]] and [[Dúnedain]], he was known with the [[Sindarin]] name '''''[[iaur|Iar]][[gwain|wain]] [[penadar|Ben-adar]]''''', which translates to "Oldest and Fatherless".<ref name="CoE">{{FR|Council}}</ref> ''Iarwain'' literally means "Old-young"<ref>''[[The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion]]'' p. 128; quoting an unpublished letter by Tolkien</ref>
*To the [[Northmen]]<ref name="CoE" /> (perhaps specifically the [[Rohirrim]]) he was known with the [[Rohanese]] name '''''Orald'''''.<ref name="CoE" /> This is an [[Old English]] word meaning "very ancient.<ref name="nomen">{{HM|N}}, p. 761</ref>
*The Dwarves knew him as '''''Forn'''''. This too is a reference to his age: it is [[North Germanic languages|Old Norse]] for "(belonging to) ancient (days)".<ref name="nomen" /><ref group="note">In some imprints of ''[[The History of Middle-earth Index]]'', this name was accidentally spelled with a "P" as the first letter: {{HM|IX}}, "Tom Bombadil (VII)", p. 435</ref>

==Etymology==
''Bombadil'' is said to be a [[Bucklandish]] name, added by Hobbit chroniclers to his many older ones. It is, like many names of the [[Bucklanders]], untranslatable.<ref name="Adv" />

[[Paula Marmor]] notes that ''bobadil'' is an archaic word meaning "braggart", as seen in the character "Captain Bobadill" in the English play ''[[Wikipedia:Every Man in His Humour|Every Man in His Humour]]''. Because of its Bucklandish form, ''[[An Introduction to Elvish]]'' lists the name ''Bombadil'' under the "[[Celtic]]-sounding names". However, it is said that the word derives from '''[[Wikipedia:Boabdil|Boabdil]]''', the Spaniard name of [[Wikipedia:Muhammad XII of Granada|'''Abu Abdillah''' Muhammad XII]], the last Moorish ruler of Granada.<ref>{{HM|IE}}, Giving of Names</ref>

==Inspiration==
Tom Bombadil was inspired primarily from a [[Wikipedia:Peg wooden doll|dutch doll]] Tolkien's child(ren) toyed with.<ref name="intro" /> The doll had a feathered hat. One time they found it in the lavatory, being stuffed there by little [[John Tolkien]], who perhaps didn't like it much.<ref>{{HM|Bio}}, p. 165</ref>

Tolkien began (probably in the 1920s) writing a story entitled ''Tom Bombadil'' set during the reign of "King Bonhedig" in the British prehistory, far before any recorded events or invasions. The protagonist Tombombadil is mentioned as one of the oldest inhabitants of Bonhedig's kingdom, which spanned many miles on either side of the Thames. Only the 3 opening paragraphs survive of the shortly-abandoned, story, and the fragment ends at the description of Tombombadil who "wore a tall hat with a blue feather; his jacket was blue, and his boots were yellow".<ref>{{AB|Prose}}</ref>

Around the 1930s or earlier Tolkien wrote a poem about some Tom Bombadil rowing down a River, a poem which Tolkien later identified as his "germ of Tom Bombadil".<ref>{{RS|1VT}}</ref> Later in [[1934]] he put him into [[The Adventures of Tom Bombadil (poem)|a poem]], again described according to the appearance of the aforementioned doll (something that he did with other toys of his children, like [[Rover]]).<ref name="intro">{{AB|Intro}}</ref> At one time he described him as a "spirit of the (vanishing) [[Oxford]] and Berkshire countryside"<ref name="L19">{{L|19}}</ref>

When asked to make a sequel for ''[[The Hobbit]]'', Tolkien briefly considered making that figure of his poem the central character.<ref name="L19" /> Although it didn't happen, he eventually [[The Old Forest|appeared]] in the narrative as a supporting character. Tolkien wrote Bombadil as a direct contrast to the artistry and (sub)creative force of the [[Elves]]; whereas they seek to create, devise, alter and control, Bombadil only observes and contemplates the world outside him and takes joy in it. He is the fearless theoretical study of the world, and history.<ref name="coghill">[[Letter to Nevill Coghill]] (Excerpt reproduced [http://wayneandchristina.wordpress.com/2014/12/30/tom-bombadil-addenda-corrigenda/ here])</ref>

Justin Noetzel in his paper "Beorn and Tom Bombadil: Mythology, Narrative, and The Most (Non) Essential Characters in Middle-earth", suggests an association of Tom Bombadil with the [[Wikipedia:Celtic Otherworld|Celtic Otherworld]] and tales of the [[Wikipedia:Tuatha Dé Danann|Tuatha Dé Danann]].<ref>{{webcite|author=[[John D. Rateliff]]|articleurl=http://sacnoths.blogspot.se/2013/03/valparaiso-day-three.html|articlename=Valparaiso, Day Three|dated=12 March 2013|website=Sac|accessed=14 March 2013}}</ref>

David Elton Gay compares Tom to the demigod [[Wikipedia:Väinämöinen|Väinämöinen]] from the ''[[Kalevala]]'': both are extremely old and powerful immortal figures who express their power in rhymes, and both have control over their small forested country.<ref>Gay, David Elton (2004). Chance, Jane (ed.). ''J.R.R. Tolkien and the Kalevala. Tolkien and the invention of myth : a reader''. University Press of Kentucky. pp. 295–304.</ref>

==Outside the legendarium==
In addition to the aforementioned earlier works written independently to the [[Legendarium]], a figure that hints at Bombadil appears in the much later poem ''[[Once upon a Time]]''. Tolkien wrote it around [[1964]] and reused the names of "Tom" and "Goldberry" (although the epithet "Bombadil" is not mentioned, the association can be made as he appears with Goldberry). Hammond & Scull note that in this poem Tom appears less omnipotent; while he is known to talk to all creatures, who always obey him, the mysterious ''[[lintips]]'' are the only ones who refuse to talk to him and hide away.<ref>{{AB|Once}}, p. 283</ref> No specific events are mentioned that can connect it to Tom Bombadil or the legendarium of Arda.

==Portrayal in adaptations==
Because he is left out of the three major adaptations ([[The Lord of the Rings (1978 film)|Ralph Bakshi]], [[The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series)|BBC's 1981 series]] and [[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring|Peter Jackson's]]), Tom Bombadil's main role (providing the [[Daggers of Westernesse|Barrow-blades]]) is omitted. He does have several appearances in other adaptations, though.

===Tom Bombadil in adaptations===
<gallery mode="traditional" widths="200" heights="150">
File:War in Middle Earth - Tom Bombadil.png|''[[J.R.R. Tolkien's War in Middle Earth]]''
File:Hobitit - Tom Bombadillo.png|Esko Hukkanen in ''[[Hobitit]]''
File:The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game - Tom Bombadil, The Master.jpg|''[[The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game]]''
File:The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring (video game) - Tom Bombadil.JPG|[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (video game)|''The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring'' (video game)]]
File:BFME2 - Tom Bombadil 03.jpg|''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II]]''
File:The Lord of the Rings Online - Tom Bombadil.jpg|''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]''
File:Tom Bombadil in Rings of Power.jpeg|[[Rory Michael Kinnear]] as Tom Bombadil in [[Rhûn]] within [[The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power]]
</gallery>
'''1955: ''[[The Lord of the Rings (1956 radio series)|BBC Radio's The Lord of the Rings]]'':'''
:[[Norman Shelley]] voiced Bombadil, and Tolkien thought his portrayal "dreadful". [[Goldberry]] was portrayed as his daughter, rather than his wife.<ref>{{L|175}}</ref>

'''1979: [[The Lord of the Rings (1979 radio series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (1979 radio series)]]:'''
:In this series, Tom was voiced by [[Bernard Mayes]]. Like Norman Shelley before him, he also voiced [[Gandalf]].

'''1988: ''[[J.R.R. Tolkien's War in Middle Earth]]'':'''
:Tom Bombadil can be found outside his house in the Old Forest.

'''1990: ''[[J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Vol. I (1990 video game)|J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Vol. I]]'':'''
:Tom Bombadil rescues the party from the Willow Man, and provides information, supplies, shelter, and side-quests for the party. He later rescues the party from the Barrow Wights, and very briefly joins as a temporary playable character while inside the barrow. His role runs almost directly parallel to the original, with some related passages of ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'' quoted directly. However, [[Goldberry]]'s role is significantly changed to provide a quest for the party.

'''1992: [[Der Herr der Ringe (1992 German radio series)|''Der Herr der Ringe'' (1992 German radio series)]]:'''
:Tom Bombadil is played by Peter Ehrlich.

'''1992: [[Tales from the Perilous Realm (1992 radio series)|''Tales from the Perilous Realm'' (1992 radio series)]]:'''
:When he adapted the 1981 [[The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series)|radio series]], [[Brian Sibley]] deeply regretted cutting Bombadil from the radio series.<ref>[[Brian Sibley]], ''[http://briansibleytheworks.blogspot.com/2008/01/this-page-is-still-under-construction_23.html The Ring Goes Ever On]''</ref> When he made ''[[Tales from the Perilous Realm]]'' into a radio series, he decided to change the section "[[The Adventures of Tom Bombadil]]". Rather than several (unadaptable) Hobbitish poems, Sibley adapted the chapters from ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]''. Bombadil is voiced by [[Ian Hogg]].

'''1993: ''[[Hobitit]]'':'''
:Tom Bombadil is portrayed by Esko Hukkanen. It is the only screen adaptation that featured him before 2024.

'''2001-2007: ''[[The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game]]'':'''
:Although Tom Bombadil does not appear in [[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' film series]], Decipher produced a card for the character. He was portrayed by Harry Weller-Chew.

'''2001–present: ''[[The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game]]'':'''
:Despite not appearing in the films the game is based on, Tom Bombadil and Goldberry were given several models by [[Games Workshop]], which has held rights for tabletop games since 1980.

'''2001: [[Pán prsteňov (2001-2003 Slovak radio series)|''Pán prsteňov'' (2001-2003 Slovak radio series)]]:'''
:The voice of Tom Bombadil is provided by Milan Lasica. He appears in the final third of the first episode, helping the four hobbits with Old Man Willow, guiding them to his house and taking them in as his guests for the night, along with his wife Goldberry. After they depart and get lost on the Barrow Downs, he once again aids in their rescue, and provides them with barrow-blades from the barrow of the defeated barrow-wight.

'''2002: [[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (video game)|''The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring'' (video game)]]:'''
:[[Daran Norris]] portrayed Bombadil with a Scottish accent. His role is much like that in the book, and as one of the few characters in this video game, he keeps most of his songs.

'''2002: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers]]'':'''
:In the [[The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (extended edition)|extended edition]], some of Bombadil's poems are transferred to [[Treebeard]], and so is his encounter with [[Old Man Willow]].

'''2006: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II]]'':'''
:Bombadil is a summonable power. Once summoned, he can plow through enemy lines. His most powerful weapon is a "Sonic Song". As soon as [[Electronic Arts|EA]] secured the rights to the books, it was decided that Tom Bombadil should be in it; his appearance is kept close to his description in the book.<ref>[http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/battleformiddleearth2/news.html?sid=6139678 The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II Q&A - Enter Tom Bombadil], [http://www.gamespot.com/ GameSpot.com]</ref>

'''2007: ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]'':'''
:Tom can be found either inside or outside his house in the Old Forest. He helps the player track down crebain scouts possessing important information, and later arrives to rescue the player from the Barrow-Downs when (s)he gets himself in more than (s)he is prepared for, much like the Hobbits in the Book. He later aids the player against agents of the Barrow-downs when the latter attempts to corrupt Old Man Willow with a [[Morgul-blade]].

'''2012: ''[[Lego The Lord of the Rings: The Video Game]]'':'''
:Bombadil is a playable character. He uses a trowel as a weapon and for digging in certain spots. Tom can be found in his house on the road to the north of [[Bucklebury Ferry]] in the forested area between [[Bree]] and the Shire. It is unclear if this forest is meant to be the Old Forest or not; it is in the right location, but the game never specifically names it and its physical appearance does not fit the book's description.

'''2014: ''[[Lego The Hobbit: The Video Game]]'':'''
:Bombadil also appears as a playable character, and again wields a trowel. This time, Tom is found in a forest southwest of Bree, near a house atop a hill (likely his house in the Old Forest).

'''2024: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power]]'':'''
:Tom Bombadil will be portrayed by [[Rory Michael Kinnear]], whose headwear and outfit was made by costume designer Luca Mosca to look similar to J.R.R. Tolkien's description of Tom Bombadil. The production designer of the show, [[Kristian Milstead]], incorporated a star map on the ceiling of Tom's cottage to imply that Bombadil "has been watching the constellations for signs—and for the Stranger’s arrival", thereby connecting Tom to the larger story. The showrunners mention that they have given him a second home besides [[Underhill (house)|Underhill]] which he uses as a "summer cottage" on the outskirts of the once "green and beautiful" [[Rhûn]] "which...now is...a dead wasteland". At the time of the show, Bombadil "has gone out to...Rhûn...to see what's happened" to the region in order to prevent the desolation from spreading westwards.<ref>{{webcite|author=Anthony Breznican|articleurl=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/tom-bombadil-the-rings-of-power-first-look|articlename=Tom Bombadil Finally Steps Forth in ''The Rings of Power'' - An Exclusive First Look|dated=29 May 2024|website=[https://www.vanityfair.com Vanity Fair]|accessed=29 May 2024}}</ref>

===Collectibles===
In [[April]] [[2008]], [[Gentle Giant]] released the Tom Bombadil Mini Bust.

==See also==
*'''[[Tom Bombadil/Nature|The Nature of Tom Bombadil]]'''

==External links==
*[http://www.glyphweb.com/arda/t/tombombadil.html Entry in the Encyclopedia of Arda] (a concise overview of the discussion)
*[http://middle-earth.xenite.org/2012/08/27/count-count-weigh-divide/ Count, Count, Weigh, Divide] by [[Michael Martinez]] (discusses Tom Bombadil's moral aspects at length)
*[http://www.whoistombombadil.blogspot.com/2013/01/tom-bombadil-as-music-of-ainur_9.html Tom as the Music of the Ainur] discusses the major theories of Tom's origins and proposes a new theory.
*[http://www.cas.unt.edu/~hargrove/tombomb.html Who Is Tom Bombadil?] (an essay by Gene Hargrove)

{{references|notes}}
{{ringbearers}}
[[Category:Characters in The Lord of the Rings]]
[[Category:Enigmas]]
[[Category:First Age characters]]
[[Category:Forest-folk]]
[[Category:Second Age characters]]
[[Category:Spirits]]
[[Category:Third Age characters]]
[[de:Tom Bombadil]]
[[fr:encyclo/personnages/tom bombadil]]
[[fi:Tom Bombadil]]

Talk:Tom Bombadil

2025-08-31T11:49:13Z

Cmsg77: /* Forn is not Khuzdul */ Reply

I know Tolkien states that there must be some mystery in any mythology, and the origin of Tom Bombadil is one of them, but I would still like to know the opinions of everyone on this matter. As for me, it seems probable that he is one of the Maia, for he does say that he remembers when the elves travelled west. {{unsigned|Aragorn47}}
:He also says that he "knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless — before the Dark Lord came from Outside.". So he was in Arda before even the Ainur. This means he simply can't be categorised. I think, "cosmologically" speaking Tom is a fundamental part of Arda and the Music of the Ainur.--[[User:Aule the Smith|Aule the Smith]] 10:28, 10 February 2008 (EST)
::I agree with Aüle on this. Tolkien knew his own world so well that he just had to have some mystery. It seems clear to me that he is not of the Maiar because he remembers Melkor's coming. I believe he (along with Goldberry) is some kind of nature spirit. [[User:Ingwe|Ingwe]] 12:06, 10 February 2008 (EST)

::I agree with the final part of the theories which want Tom to be some kind of soul-less sprite, of different nature than the divine forces of Good and Evil and I wanted to expand it if there wasn't that in-use tag. Can we edit yet? [[User:Sage|Sage]] 08:39, 31 July 2008 (EDT)

:::I planned to write something on the whole enigma part, but if you want to do it, go ahead. The "claimed" template was originally devised so that when someone is making large edits to an article, they don't get an edit conflict because someone else wanted to correct a typo. -- [[User:Ederchil|Ederchil]] 09:07, 31 July 2008 (EDT)

::::My preferred solution to the enigma of Tom is that he is the author incarnate, the creator of the legendarium who has taken bodily form to enter and live inside his own creation. In other words, he is Tolkien himself. This interpretation is consistent with most of the textual references, and flows naturally from Tolkien's strong Christian beliefs. As the creator he is of course older than anything in his created world, and because he actually has an existence outside his creation in a wholly different dimension the powerful evils of Middle Earth do not hold sway over him. Finally, the author of a story generally tries to let his characters run their own lives and make their own decisions, rather then forcing them to act according to his own wishes. This explains why Bombadil chooses to live an isolated life, away from and unconcerned with all the important persons and events of Middle-earth, and can not be relied upon as the solution to the problem of the One Ring.{{unsigned|Faded Glory}}
:::::I have heard a similar explanation that says that Tom is "the reader of the book himself". I don't really understand these theories, however they are not actually an "in-universe" solution to the enigma but rather "behind the scenes" literary analyses. So even if we suppose that Tom is actually the author/the reader/Tolkien's son's toy doll, the in-universe enigma remains... [[User:Sage|Sage]] 06:14, 17 November 2008 (UTC)

==Forn is not Khuzdul==

Wanted to get some agreement in this before editing.

The info box for the article suggests that Forn is the name of Tom Bombadil in Khuzdul. As far as I am aware (and it is of course hard to rule out all possible references) this is nowhere attested; rather, it is stated that this is his name among the dwarves. It also seems unlikely to be Khuzdul, as the name is an old Norse word, meaning ancient.

As we know, Tolkien translates mannish languages into English and associated Germanic tongues. Languages like Quenya, Sindarin and Khuzdul go untranslated. There is very little attested in any of the original mannish tongues due to this translation convention, with only some proper names and the snippets from the Notion Club Papers to go on for Adunaic, for instance.

Much as Westron is translated into modern English, and the related but ancient language of the Rohirrim into Old English, so the languages of the men of the North such as Dale are translated into other Germanic languages such as old Norse and this is taken to be the explanation for the Norse names of the dwarfs, these being not their unrevealed Khuzdul names, but rather their outer names in mannish tongues for conversation with men and elves. For that reason, I think we can be confident that Forn is a translation of an unknown Kuzdul element, meaning ancient into a northern mannish tongue. The element Gamil is a candidate, as it is conjectured to mean Old, though this is probably an adjectival form.

I suppose one could go further and state that Orald is not his Rohirric name for the same reason, but within the translation convention, it is. The point is that even within the translation convention, I believe that Forn is Bombadil's 'outer' name among the dwarves, rather than his Khuzdul name. [[User:Cmsg77|Cmsg77]] ([[User talk:Cmsg77|talk]]) 18:29, 30 August 2025 (UTC)

:I disagree with the decision by a recent editor to give Forn as Old Norse, when Orald is given as Rohanese. Either Forn is Dalish (with an understanding that Dalish is translated to Old Norse, much as Rohanese is translated to Old Mercian), or Orald is Old Mercian. Either they should both be described by their translated languages, or neither should.
:My position is that it is nonsensical to claim that Tom has a name in ON our OE, because he does not exist in primary reality. [[User:Cmsg77|Cmsg77]] ([[User talk:Cmsg77|talk]]) 11:49, 31 August 2025 (UTC)

Tom Bombadil

2025-08-30T21:04:43Z

Cmsg77: Changing "Forn" from Khuzdul to Dalish, as it is an old Norse term for Ancient. Dalish was used by the Dwarves in dealings with Men and Elves, and is translated to Old Norse in the published works. Original Khuzdul root unattested, but possible Gimil=old.

{{disambig-more|Tom|[[Tom (disambiguation)]]}}
{{infobox character
| people=[[Tom Bombadil/Nature|Unknown]]
| image=John Howe - Tom Bombadil.jpg
| caption="Tom Bombadil" by [[John Howe]]
| name=Tom Bombadil
| pronun=
| othernames=''Iarwain Ben-adar'' ([[Sindarin|S]]) ''Orald'' ([[Rohan language|R]]) ''Forn'' ([[Dalish]] name among the [[Dwarves]] corresponding to an unattested [[Khuzdul]] root)
| titles=The [[Eldest]], [[Master]]
| position=
| location=[[Underhill (house)|Underhill]], [[Old Forest]]
| affiliation=[[Forest-folk]]<ref>{{AB|2}}</ref>
| language=[[Westron]]
| birth=
| birthlocation=
| rule=
| death=
| deathlocation=
| age=
| notablefor=saving [[Frodo]], [[Sam]], [[Merry]] and [[Pippin]] from [[Old Man Willow]] and the [[Barrow-wights]]
| parentage=
| siblings=
| spouse=[[Goldberry]]
| children=
| race=[[Tom Bombadil/Nature|Unknown]]
| gender=Male
| height=Short
| hair=
| eyes=
| clothing=Blue jacket and hat, boots
| weapons=Song
| steed=[[Fatty Lumpkin]]
}}
{{quote|Eldest, that's what I am... Tom remembers the first raindrop and the first acorn... he knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless – before the Dark Lord came from Outside.|Tom Bombadil in ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'', "[[In the House of Tom Bombadil]]"}}

'''Tom Bombadil''' was an enigmatic figure who lived throughout the history of [[Arda]]. Living a short distance east of the [[Old Forest]], he seemed to possess unequaled power in the land around his dwelling. Although seemingly benevolent, he took no stance against the [[Dark Lord]]s.

==Appearance and traits==
{{quote|Old Tom Bombadil is a merry fellow; Bright blue his jacket is, and his boots are yellow.|Tom Bombadil}}

Tom looked like an old man who was taller and heavier than a [[Hobbits|Hobbit]], but not quite tall enough for a [[Men|man]].<ref name="OldF" />

His face was creased and red as a ripe apple with blue and bright eyes.<ref name="OldF" /> His hands were brown-skinned.<ref name="house" /> He had thick brown hair<ref name="house" /> and a long brown beard.<ref name="OldF" />

Tom wore a blue coat and an old tall hat with a long blue feather and yellow boots.<ref name="OldF" /> Earlier he wore a [[swans|swan]] feather, which he later replaced with a blue one from a [[kingfisher]].<ref>{{AB|2}}</ref>

He lived in a [[Underhill (house)|house]] just outside the eastern edge of the [[Old Forest]] by the river [[Withywindle]],<ref name="OldF" /> together with his lovely wife [[Goldberry]].<ref name="house" /> According to him<ref name="FR|Barrow">{{FR|Barrow}}</ref> and to [[Gandalf]] as well,<ref name="CoE" /> he would not leave his country. The only known location on the border of his country is where he makes that statement, on the south side of the [[East Road]], north of the [[Barrow-downs]] and about four miles northwest of [[Bree]]. His country must have included the Barrow-downs and the [[Old Forest]], and according to the poem "[[Bombadil Goes Boating]]," he visited villages in [[Buckland]] and [[Farmer Maggot]]'s farm in the [[Marish]], which would mean that his country included them as well.

The [[Bucklanders]] had little understanding of his powers and nature. They saw him as mysterious and unpredictable, but benevolent and comic, more or less as the [[Shire-folk]] thought of [[Gandalf]].<ref name="Adv" />

==History==
===Origins===
[[Image:Olanda Fong-Surdenas - Tom Bombadil.jpg|thumb|left|''Tom Bombadil'' by [[Olanda Fong-Surdenas]]]]
{{quote|He is a strange creature.|[[Elrond]], ''[[The Council of Elrond]]''}}
The origins and [[Tom Bombadil/Nature|nature of Tom Bombadil]] are unknown. He claims to have existed when the [[Morgoth|Dark Lord]] came "from the Outside",<ref name="house">{{FR|Bombadil}}</ref>{{rp|131}} perhaps meaning he was alive at least as far back as the [[Spring of Arda]].<ref>{{RS|Tom}}, p. 122</ref> Bombadil calls himself the "Eldest", [[Glorfindel]] calls him the "First", and his Sindarin name ''Iarwain Ben-adar'' means "Oldest and fatherless."

His role and nature in the [[Elder Days]] and later is unknown. He was in Arda "before the river and the trees" and before the first rain. He "made paths" before the [[Great March]] of the [[Eldar]], and saw the [[Middle Men]] and their [[Barrow Downs|tombs]]. He witnessed the [[Changing of the World]], the reducing of the great forests that covered all [[Middle-earth]], the arrival of the [[Exiles of Númenor]] and of the [[Barrow-wights]].<ref name="house" /><ref name="CoE" />

The nature of his interactions with the outside world is unclear. He had contact with the [[Bucklanders]] throughout the [[Third Age]].<ref name="Adv" /> He was familiar with Frodo, his companions and their families when they visit him. He attributed most of this knowledge to [[Farmer Maggot]].<ref name="house" /> He had names among the Elves, Dwarves and Northern Men. [[Elrond]] knew of him when he ventured in his lands. However, most of the [[Council of Elrond]] were unfamiliar with him, and Elrond admitted to having forgotten about him from long ago.<ref name="CoE" /><ref name="Adv">{{AB|Preface}}</ref>

===War of the Ring===
[[Image:Ted Nasmith - The Willow Man is Tamed.jpg|thumb|''The Willow Man is Tamed'' by [[Ted Nasmith]]]]
On [[26 September]], {{TA|3018}}, he encountered [[travellers|four hobbits]] while he was searching for water-lilies for his wife. Two of those Hobbits, [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]] and [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]], had been captured by [[Old Man Willow]]. Tom, who was the master of the Old Forest, rescued them, and took all four of them to his house.<ref name="OldF">{{FR|Forest}}</ref>

The four hobbits stayed two nights, and he told them many tales and songs. With cunning questions, he made [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] tell him of the [[The One Ring|Ring]]. When Tom tried it on, nothing happened, but he then took it off and flipped it in the air and made the ring itself disappear, showing that indeed within his realm Tom was master. However, when Frodo put the ring on, Tom could still see him. He bade the Hobbit to come back and sit down; his hand was fairer without the ring.

Before his guests went to sleep, Tom warned them of the [[Barrow-downs]], and advised them to pass any barrow on the western side. He also taught them a song, should they come to peril.<ref name="house" />{{rp|134}}

And they did come to peril. Tom chased off a [[Barrow-wights|wight]] with song, and broke the spells on the barrow in which the four hobbits were captured. While he sent the Hobbits to calm down, he went for provisions. He also brought the ponies that had belonged to Merry. After that, he broke the spells of the barrow. From the barrow's mighty hoard, he took a blue-jewelled brooch for Goldberry (probably belonging to the spouse of the [[last prince of Cardolan]] he seemingly met long ago),<ref>{{HM|RC}}, "Fog on the Barrow-downs", pp. 146-7</ref><ref>{{RS|Wight}}, p. 127-8</ref> and gave a [[Daggers of Westernesse|dagger]] to each of the hobbits. He then advised them to make for ''[[The Prancing Pony]]'' in [[Bree]].<ref name="FR|Barrow" />

The peril of the hobbits was not over; an attack on their lives was carried out, and their ponies were set loose. The ponies apparently remembered the care they were given in the house of Tom Bombadil, and returned to stay beside Tom's own pony, [[Fatty Lumpkin]]. He returned them to [[Barliman Butterbur]], the proprietor of ''The Prancing Pony''. Since he had paid eighteen pence as compensation for the loss, he was now the owner of five fine ponies.<ref>{{FR|Knife}}</ref>

As he was merry and benevolent, some of the [[Free Peoples]] considered him a potential ally against [[Sauron]] during the [[War of the Ring]]. [[Elrond]] and [[Erestor]] considered that he should be present at the [[Council of Elrond]]. However, according to [[Gandalf]], Tom Bombadil was perhaps not fully aware of the struggle of Light and Darkness and could not prove useful to their causes.<ref name="CoE" />

After the [[fall of Sauron]] at the end of the War, the [[Travelers]] returned to the Shire, but Gandalf left them and went to talk to Tom.<ref>{{RK|Homeward}}</ref>{{rp|996}}

Eventually the defeat of Sauron the victory of the [[West]] allowed Tom to continue and "survive" in the [[later Ages]].<ref>{{L|144}}</ref>

===Legacy===
Tom Bombadil’s existence passed into Hobbit lore and was referenced in poems such as ''[[The Adventures of Tom Bombadil]]'' and ''[[Bombadil Goes Boating]]''. The Hobbit, [[Samwise Gamgee]], based and modeled his protagonist in ''[[The Stone Troll]]'', [[Tom (The Stone Troll)|Tom]], after Bombadil, considering that Sam composed the poem soon after their meeting.<ref name="RF">{{HM|Guide}}, p. 385</ref> In the poem, Tom encounters an old [[Stone-trolls|troll]], gnawing for years on the shinbone of Tim, his [[Unusual words|nuncle]], and Tom demands for the troll to let it down.<ref>{{FR|I12}}</ref><ref>{{AB|7}}</ref> It is likely that Tim was only an invention by Sam rather than actually being Tom Bombadil's nuncle.<ref name="RF" />

==Other names==
He also went by other names:
*To the [[Elves]] and [[Dúnedain]], he was known with the [[Sindarin]] name '''''[[iaur|Iar]][[gwain|wain]] [[penadar|Ben-adar]]''''', which translates to "Oldest and Fatherless".<ref name="CoE">{{FR|Council}}</ref> ''Iarwain'' literally means "Old-young"<ref>''[[The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion]]'' p. 128; quoting an unpublished letter by Tolkien</ref>
*To the [[Northmen]]<ref name="CoE" /> (perhaps specifically the [[Rohirrim]]) he was known with the [[Rohanese]] name '''''Orald'''''.<ref name="CoE" /> This is an [[Old English]] word meaning "very ancient.<ref name="nomen">{{HM|N}}, p. 761</ref>
*The Dwarves knew him as '''''Forn'''''. This too is a reference to his age: it is [[North Germanic languages|Old Norse]] for "(belonging to) ancient (days)".<ref name="nomen" /><ref group="note">In some imprints of ''[[The History of Middle-earth Index]]'', this name was accidentally spelled with a "P" as the first letter: {{HM|IX}}, "Tom Bombadil (VII)", p. 435</ref>

==Etymology==
''Bombadil'' is said to be a [[Bucklandish]] name, added by Hobbit chroniclers to his many older ones. It is, like many names of the [[Bucklanders]], untranslatable.<ref name="Adv" />

[[Paula Marmor]] notes that ''bobadil'' is an archaic word meaning "braggart", as seen in the character "Captain Bobadill" in the English play ''[[Wikipedia:Every Man in His Humour|Every Man in His Humour]]''. Because of its Bucklandish form, ''[[An Introduction to Elvish]]'' lists the name ''Bombadil'' under the "[[Celtic]]-sounding names". However, it is said that the word derives from '''[[Wikipedia:Boabdil|Boabdil]]''', the Spaniard name of [[Wikipedia:Muhammad XII of Granada|'''Abu Abdillah''' Muhammad XII]], the last Moorish ruler of Granada.<ref>{{HM|IE}}, Giving of Names</ref>

==Inspiration==
Tom Bombadil was inspired primarily from a [[Wikipedia:Peg wooden doll|dutch doll]] Tolkien's child(ren) toyed with.<ref name="intro" /> The doll had a feathered hat. One time they found it in the lavatory, being stuffed there by little [[John Tolkien]], who perhaps didn't like it much.<ref>{{HM|Bio}}, p. 165</ref>

Tolkien began (probably in the 1920s) writing a story entitled ''Tom Bombadil'' set during the reign of "King Bonhedig" in the British prehistory, far before any recorded events or invasions. The protagonist Tombombadil is mentioned as one of the oldest inhabitants of Bonhedig's kingdom, which spanned many miles on either side of the Thames. Only the 3 opening paragraphs survive of the shortly-abandoned, story, and the fragment ends at the description of Tombombadil who "wore a tall hat with a blue feather; his jacket was blue, and his boots were yellow".<ref>{{AB|Prose}}</ref>

Around the 1930s or earlier Tolkien wrote a poem about some Tom Bombadil rowing down a River, a poem which Tolkien later identified as his "germ of Tom Bombadil".<ref>{{RS|1VT}}</ref> Later in [[1934]] he put him into [[The Adventures of Tom Bombadil (poem)|a poem]], again described according to the appearance of the aforementioned doll (something that he did with other toys of his children, like [[Rover]]).<ref name="intro">{{AB|Intro}}</ref> At one time he described him as a "spirit of the (vanishing) [[Oxford]] and Berkshire countryside"<ref name="L19">{{L|19}}</ref>

When asked to make a sequel for ''[[The Hobbit]]'', Tolkien briefly considered making that figure of his poem the central character.<ref name="L19" /> Although it didn't happen, he eventually [[The Old Forest|appeared]] in the narrative as a supporting character. Tolkien wrote Bombadil as a direct contrast to the artistry and (sub)creative force of the [[Elves]]; whereas they seek to create, devise, alter and control, Bombadil only observes and contemplates the world outside him and takes joy in it. He is the fearless theoretical study of the world, and history.<ref name="coghill">[[Letter to Nevill Coghill]] (Excerpt reproduced [http://wayneandchristina.wordpress.com/2014/12/30/tom-bombadil-addenda-corrigenda/ here])</ref>

Justin Noetzel in his paper "Beorn and Tom Bombadil: Mythology, Narrative, and The Most (Non) Essential Characters in Middle-earth", suggests an association of Tom Bombadil with the [[Wikipedia:Celtic Otherworld|Celtic Otherworld]] and tales of the [[Wikipedia:Tuatha Dé Danann|Tuatha Dé Danann]].<ref>{{webcite|author=[[John D. Rateliff]]|articleurl=http://sacnoths.blogspot.se/2013/03/valparaiso-day-three.html|articlename=Valparaiso, Day Three|dated=12 March 2013|website=Sac|accessed=14 March 2013}}</ref>

David Elton Gay compares Tom to the demigod [[Wikipedia:Väinämöinen|Väinämöinen]] from the ''[[Kalevala]]'': both are extremely old and powerful immortal figures who express their power in rhymes, and both have control over their small forested country.<ref>Gay, David Elton (2004). Chance, Jane (ed.). ''J.R.R. Tolkien and the Kalevala. Tolkien and the invention of myth : a reader''. University Press of Kentucky. pp. 295–304.</ref>

==Outside the legendarium==
In addition to the aforementioned earlier works written independently to the [[Legendarium]], a figure that hints at Bombadil appears in the much later poem ''[[Once upon a Time]]''. Tolkien wrote it around [[1964]] and reused the names of "Tom" and "Goldberry" (although the epithet "Bombadil" is not mentioned, the association can be made as he appears with Goldberry). Hammond & Scull note that in this poem Tom appears less omnipotent; while he is known to talk to all creatures, who always obey him, the mysterious ''[[lintips]]'' are the only ones who refuse to talk to him and hide away.<ref>{{AB|Once}}, p. 283</ref> No specific events are mentioned that can connect it to Tom Bombadil or the legendarium of Arda.

==Portrayal in adaptations==
Because he is left out of the three major adaptations ([[The Lord of the Rings (1978 film)|Ralph Bakshi]], [[The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series)|BBC's 1981 series]] and [[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring|Peter Jackson's]]), Tom Bombadil's main role (providing the [[Daggers of Westernesse|Barrow-blades]]) is omitted. He does have several appearances in other adaptations, though.

===Tom Bombadil in adaptations===
<gallery mode="traditional" widths="200" heights="150">
File:War in Middle Earth - Tom Bombadil.png|''[[J.R.R. Tolkien's War in Middle Earth]]''
File:Hobitit - Tom Bombadillo.png|Esko Hukkanen in ''[[Hobitit]]''
File:The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game - Tom Bombadil, The Master.jpg|''[[The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game]]''
File:The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring (video game) - Tom Bombadil.JPG|[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (video game)|''The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring'' (video game)]]
File:BFME2 - Tom Bombadil 03.jpg|''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II]]''
File:The Lord of the Rings Online - Tom Bombadil.jpg|''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]''
File:Tom Bombadil in Rings of Power.jpeg|[[Rory Michael Kinnear]] as Tom Bombadil in [[Rhûn]] within [[The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power]]
</gallery>
'''1955: ''[[The Lord of the Rings (1956 radio series)|BBC Radio's The Lord of the Rings]]'':'''
:[[Norman Shelley]] voiced Bombadil, and Tolkien thought his portrayal "dreadful". [[Goldberry]] was portrayed as his daughter, rather than his wife.<ref>{{L|175}}</ref>

'''1979: [[The Lord of the Rings (1979 radio series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (1979 radio series)]]:'''
:In this series, Tom was voiced by [[Bernard Mayes]]. Like Norman Shelley before him, he also voiced [[Gandalf]].

'''1988: ''[[J.R.R. Tolkien's War in Middle Earth]]'':'''
:Tom Bombadil can be found outside his house in the Old Forest.

'''1990: ''[[J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Vol. I (1990 video game)|J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Vol. I]]'':'''
:Tom Bombadil rescues the party from the Willow Man, and provides information, supplies, shelter, and side-quests for the party. He later rescues the party from the Barrow Wights, and very briefly joins as a temporary playable character while inside the barrow. His role runs almost directly parallel to the original, with some related passages of ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'' quoted directly. However, [[Goldberry]]'s role is significantly changed to provide a quest for the party.

'''1992: [[Der Herr der Ringe (1992 German radio series)|''Der Herr der Ringe'' (1992 German radio series)]]:'''
:Tom Bombadil is played by Peter Ehrlich.

'''1992: [[Tales from the Perilous Realm (1992 radio series)|''Tales from the Perilous Realm'' (1992 radio series)]]:'''
:When he adapted the 1981 [[The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series)|radio series]], [[Brian Sibley]] deeply regretted cutting Bombadil from the radio series.<ref>[[Brian Sibley]], ''[http://briansibleytheworks.blogspot.com/2008/01/this-page-is-still-under-construction_23.html The Ring Goes Ever On]''</ref> When he made ''[[Tales from the Perilous Realm]]'' into a radio series, he decided to change the section "[[The Adventures of Tom Bombadil]]". Rather than several (unadaptable) Hobbitish poems, Sibley adapted the chapters from ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]''. Bombadil is voiced by [[Ian Hogg]].

'''1993: ''[[Hobitit]]'':'''
:Tom Bombadil is portrayed by Esko Hukkanen. It is the only screen adaptation that featured him before 2024.

'''2001-2007: ''[[The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game]]'':'''
:Although Tom Bombadil does not appear in [[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' film series]], Decipher produced a card for the character. He was portrayed by Harry Weller-Chew.

'''2001–present: ''[[The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game]]'':'''
:Despite not appearing in the films the game is based on, Tom Bombadil and Goldberry were given several models by [[Games Workshop]], which has held rights for tabletop games since 1980.

'''2001: [[Pán prsteňov (2001-2003 Slovak radio series)|''Pán prsteňov'' (2001-2003 Slovak radio series)]]:'''
:The voice of Tom Bombadil is provided by Milan Lasica. He appears in the final third of the first episode, helping the four hobbits with Old Man Willow, guiding them to his house and taking them in as his guests for the night, along with his wife Goldberry. After they depart and get lost on the Barrow Downs, he once again aids in their rescue, and provides them with barrow-blades from the barrow of the defeated barrow-wight.

'''2002: [[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (video game)|''The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring'' (video game)]]:'''
:[[Daran Norris]] portrayed Bombadil with a Scottish accent. His role is much like that in the book, and as one of the few characters in this video game, he keeps most of his songs.

'''2002: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers]]'':'''
:In the [[The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (extended edition)|extended edition]], some of Bombadil's poems are transferred to [[Treebeard]], and so is his encounter with [[Old Man Willow]].

'''2006: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II]]'':'''
:Bombadil is a summonable power. Once summoned, he can plow through enemy lines. His most powerful weapon is a "Sonic Song". As soon as [[Electronic Arts|EA]] secured the rights to the books, it was decided that Tom Bombadil should be in it; his appearance is kept close to his description in the book.<ref>[http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/battleformiddleearth2/news.html?sid=6139678 The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II Q&A - Enter Tom Bombadil], [http://www.gamespot.com/ GameSpot.com]</ref>

'''2007: ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]'':'''
:Tom can be found either inside or outside his house in the Old Forest. He helps the player track down crebain scouts possessing important information, and later arrives to rescue the player from the Barrow-Downs when (s)he gets himself in more than (s)he is prepared for, much like the Hobbits in the Book. He later aids the player against agents of the Barrow-downs when the latter attempts to corrupt Old Man Willow with a [[Morgul-blade]].

'''2012: ''[[Lego The Lord of the Rings: The Video Game]]'':'''
:Bombadil is a playable character. He uses a trowel as a weapon and for digging in certain spots. Tom can be found in his house on the road to the north of [[Bucklebury Ferry]] in the forested area between [[Bree]] and the Shire. It is unclear if this forest is meant to be the Old Forest or not; it is in the right location, but the game never specifically names it and its physical appearance does not fit the book's description.

'''2014: ''[[Lego The Hobbit: The Video Game]]'':'''
:Bombadil also appears as a playable character, and again wields a trowel. This time, Tom is found in a forest southwest of Bree, near a house atop a hill (likely his house in the Old Forest).

'''2024: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power]]'':'''
:Tom Bombadil will be portrayed by [[Rory Michael Kinnear]], whose headwear and outfit was made by costume designer Luca Mosca to look similar to J.R.R. Tolkien's description of Tom Bombadil. The production designer of the show, [[Kristian Milstead]], incorporated a star map on the ceiling of Tom's cottage to imply that Bombadil "has been watching the constellations for signs—and for the Stranger’s arrival", thereby connecting Tom to the larger story. The showrunners mention that they have given him a second home besides [[Underhill (house)|Underhill]] which he uses as a "summer cottage" on the outskirts of the once "green and beautiful" [[Rhûn]] "which...now is...a dead wasteland". At the time of the show, Bombadil "has gone out to...Rhûn...to see what's happened" to the region in order to prevent the desolation from spreading westwards.<ref>{{webcite|author=Anthony Breznican|articleurl=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/tom-bombadil-the-rings-of-power-first-look|articlename=Tom Bombadil Finally Steps Forth in ''The Rings of Power'' - An Exclusive First Look|dated=29 May 2024|website=[https://www.vanityfair.com Vanity Fair]|accessed=29 May 2024}}</ref>

===Collectibles===
In [[April]] [[2008]], [[Gentle Giant]] released the Tom Bombadil Mini Bust.

==See also==
*'''[[Tom Bombadil/Nature|The Nature of Tom Bombadil]]'''

==External links==
*[http://www.glyphweb.com/arda/t/tombombadil.html Entry in the Encyclopedia of Arda] (a concise overview of the discussion)
*[http://middle-earth.xenite.org/2012/08/27/count-count-weigh-divide/ Count, Count, Weigh, Divide] by [[Michael Martinez]] (discusses Tom Bombadil's moral aspects at length)
*[http://www.whoistombombadil.blogspot.com/2013/01/tom-bombadil-as-music-of-ainur_9.html Tom as the Music of the Ainur] discusses the major theories of Tom's origins and proposes a new theory.
*[http://www.cas.unt.edu/~hargrove/tombomb.html Who Is Tom Bombadil?] (an essay by Gene Hargrove)

{{references|notes}}
{{ringbearers}}
[[Category:Characters in The Lord of the Rings]]
[[Category:Enigmas]]
[[Category:First Age characters]]
[[Category:Forest-folk]]
[[Category:Second Age characters]]
[[Category:Spirits]]
[[Category:Third Age characters]]
[[de:Tom Bombadil]]
[[fr:encyclo/personnages/tom bombadil]]
[[fi:Tom Bombadil]]

Tom Bombadil

2025-08-30T20:57:09Z

Cmsg77:

{{disambig-more|Tom|[[Tom (disambiguation)]]}}
{{infobox character
| people=[[Tom Bombadil/Nature|Unknown]]
| image=John Howe - Tom Bombadil.jpg
| caption="Tom Bombadil" by [[John Howe]]
| name=Tom Bombadil
| pronun=
| othernames=''Iarwain Ben-adar'' ([[Sindarin|S]]) ''Orald'' ([[Rohan language|R]]) ''Forn'' (Used among the [[Dwarves]] in [[Languages|Mannish languages]] from an unattested [[Khuzdul]] root)
| titles=The [[Eldest]], [[Master]]
| position=
| location=[[Underhill (house)|Underhill]], [[Old Forest]]
| affiliation=[[Forest-folk]]<ref>{{AB|2}}</ref>
| language=[[Westron]]
| birth=
| birthlocation=
| rule=
| death=
| deathlocation=
| age=
| notablefor=saving [[Frodo]], [[Sam]], [[Merry]] and [[Pippin]] from [[Old Man Willow]] and the [[Barrow-wights]]
| parentage=
| siblings=
| spouse=[[Goldberry]]
| children=
| race=[[Tom Bombadil/Nature|Unknown]]
| gender=Male
| height=Short
| hair=
| eyes=
| clothing=Blue jacket and hat, boots
| weapons=Song
| steed=[[Fatty Lumpkin]]
}}
{{quote|Eldest, that's what I am... Tom remembers the first raindrop and the first acorn... he knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless – before the Dark Lord came from Outside.|Tom Bombadil in ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'', "[[In the House of Tom Bombadil]]"}}

'''Tom Bombadil''' was an enigmatic figure who lived throughout the history of [[Arda]]. Living a short distance east of the [[Old Forest]], he seemed to possess unequaled power in the land around his dwelling. Although seemingly benevolent, he took no stance against the [[Dark Lord]]s.

==Appearance and traits==
{{quote|Old Tom Bombadil is a merry fellow; Bright blue his jacket is, and his boots are yellow.|Tom Bombadil}}

Tom looked like an old man who was taller and heavier than a [[Hobbits|Hobbit]], but not quite tall enough for a [[Men|man]].<ref name="OldF" />

His face was creased and red as a ripe apple with blue and bright eyes.<ref name="OldF" /> His hands were brown-skinned.<ref name="house" /> He had thick brown hair<ref name="house" /> and a long brown beard.<ref name="OldF" />

Tom wore a blue coat and an old tall hat with a long blue feather and yellow boots.<ref name="OldF" /> Earlier he wore a [[swans|swan]] feather, which he later replaced with a blue one from a [[kingfisher]].<ref>{{AB|2}}</ref>

He lived in a [[Underhill (house)|house]] just outside the eastern edge of the [[Old Forest]] by the river [[Withywindle]],<ref name="OldF" /> together with his lovely wife [[Goldberry]].<ref name="house" /> According to him<ref name="FR|Barrow">{{FR|Barrow}}</ref> and to [[Gandalf]] as well,<ref name="CoE" /> he would not leave his country. The only known location on the border of his country is where he makes that statement, on the south side of the [[East Road]], north of the [[Barrow-downs]] and about four miles northwest of [[Bree]]. His country must have included the Barrow-downs and the [[Old Forest]], and according to the poem "[[Bombadil Goes Boating]]," he visited villages in [[Buckland]] and [[Farmer Maggot]]'s farm in the [[Marish]], which would mean that his country included them as well.

The [[Bucklanders]] had little understanding of his powers and nature. They saw him as mysterious and unpredictable, but benevolent and comic, more or less as the [[Shire-folk]] thought of [[Gandalf]].<ref name="Adv" />

==History==
===Origins===
[[Image:Olanda Fong-Surdenas - Tom Bombadil.jpg|thumb|left|''Tom Bombadil'' by [[Olanda Fong-Surdenas]]]]
{{quote|He is a strange creature.|[[Elrond]], ''[[The Council of Elrond]]''}}
The origins and [[Tom Bombadil/Nature|nature of Tom Bombadil]] are unknown. He claims to have existed when the [[Morgoth|Dark Lord]] came "from the Outside",<ref name="house">{{FR|Bombadil}}</ref>{{rp|131}} perhaps meaning he was alive at least as far back as the [[Spring of Arda]].<ref>{{RS|Tom}}, p. 122</ref> Bombadil calls himself the "Eldest", [[Glorfindel]] calls him the "First", and his Sindarin name ''Iarwain Ben-adar'' means "Oldest and fatherless."

His role and nature in the [[Elder Days]] and later is unknown. He was in Arda "before the river and the trees" and before the first rain. He "made paths" before the [[Great March]] of the [[Eldar]], and saw the [[Middle Men]] and their [[Barrow Downs|tombs]]. He witnessed the [[Changing of the World]], the reducing of the great forests that covered all [[Middle-earth]], the arrival of the [[Exiles of Númenor]] and of the [[Barrow-wights]].<ref name="house" /><ref name="CoE" />

The nature of his interactions with the outside world is unclear. He had contact with the [[Bucklanders]] throughout the [[Third Age]].<ref name="Adv" /> He was familiar with Frodo, his companions and their families when they visit him. He attributed most of this knowledge to [[Farmer Maggot]].<ref name="house" /> He had names among the Elves, Dwarves and Northern Men. [[Elrond]] knew of him when he ventured in his lands. However, most of the [[Council of Elrond]] were unfamiliar with him, and Elrond admitted to having forgotten about him from long ago.<ref name="CoE" /><ref name="Adv">{{AB|Preface}}</ref>

===War of the Ring===
[[Image:Ted Nasmith - The Willow Man is Tamed.jpg|thumb|''The Willow Man is Tamed'' by [[Ted Nasmith]]]]
On [[26 September]], {{TA|3018}}, he encountered [[travellers|four hobbits]] while he was searching for water-lilies for his wife. Two of those Hobbits, [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]] and [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]], had been captured by [[Old Man Willow]]. Tom, who was the master of the Old Forest, rescued them, and took all four of them to his house.<ref name="OldF">{{FR|Forest}}</ref>

The four hobbits stayed two nights, and he told them many tales and songs. With cunning questions, he made [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] tell him of the [[The One Ring|Ring]]. When Tom tried it on, nothing happened, but he then took it off and flipped it in the air and made the ring itself disappear, showing that indeed within his realm Tom was master. However, when Frodo put the ring on, Tom could still see him. He bade the Hobbit to come back and sit down; his hand was fairer without the ring.

Before his guests went to sleep, Tom warned them of the [[Barrow-downs]], and advised them to pass any barrow on the western side. He also taught them a song, should they come to peril.<ref name="house" />{{rp|134}}

And they did come to peril. Tom chased off a [[Barrow-wights|wight]] with song, and broke the spells on the barrow in which the four hobbits were captured. While he sent the Hobbits to calm down, he went for provisions. He also brought the ponies that had belonged to Merry. After that, he broke the spells of the barrow. From the barrow's mighty hoard, he took a blue-jewelled brooch for Goldberry (probably belonging to the spouse of the [[last prince of Cardolan]] he seemingly met long ago),<ref>{{HM|RC}}, "Fog on the Barrow-downs", pp. 146-7</ref><ref>{{RS|Wight}}, p. 127-8</ref> and gave a [[Daggers of Westernesse|dagger]] to each of the hobbits. He then advised them to make for ''[[The Prancing Pony]]'' in [[Bree]].<ref name="FR|Barrow" />

The peril of the hobbits was not over; an attack on their lives was carried out, and their ponies were set loose. The ponies apparently remembered the care they were given in the house of Tom Bombadil, and returned to stay beside Tom's own pony, [[Fatty Lumpkin]]. He returned them to [[Barliman Butterbur]], the proprietor of ''The Prancing Pony''. Since he had paid eighteen pence as compensation for the loss, he was now the owner of five fine ponies.<ref>{{FR|Knife}}</ref>

As he was merry and benevolent, some of the [[Free Peoples]] considered him a potential ally against [[Sauron]] during the [[War of the Ring]]. [[Elrond]] and [[Erestor]] considered that he should be present at the [[Council of Elrond]]. However, according to [[Gandalf]], Tom Bombadil was perhaps not fully aware of the struggle of Light and Darkness and could not prove useful to their causes.<ref name="CoE" />

After the [[fall of Sauron]] at the end of the War, the [[Travelers]] returned to the Shire, but Gandalf left them and went to talk to Tom.<ref>{{RK|Homeward}}</ref>{{rp|996}}

Eventually the defeat of Sauron the victory of the [[West]] allowed Tom to continue and "survive" in the [[later Ages]].<ref>{{L|144}}</ref>

===Legacy===
Tom Bombadil’s existence passed into Hobbit lore and was referenced in poems such as ''[[The Adventures of Tom Bombadil]]'' and ''[[Bombadil Goes Boating]]''. The Hobbit, [[Samwise Gamgee]], based and modeled his protagonist in ''[[The Stone Troll]]'', [[Tom (The Stone Troll)|Tom]], after Bombadil, considering that Sam composed the poem soon after their meeting.<ref name="RF">{{HM|Guide}}, p. 385</ref> In the poem, Tom encounters an old [[Stone-trolls|troll]], gnawing for years on the shinbone of Tim, his [[Unusual words|nuncle]], and Tom demands for the troll to let it down.<ref>{{FR|I12}}</ref><ref>{{AB|7}}</ref> It is likely that Tim was only an invention by Sam rather than actually being Tom Bombadil's nuncle.<ref name="RF" />

==Other names==
He also went by other names:
*To the [[Elves]] and [[Dúnedain]], he was known with the [[Sindarin]] name '''''[[iaur|Iar]][[gwain|wain]] [[penadar|Ben-adar]]''''', which translates to "Oldest and Fatherless".<ref name="CoE">{{FR|Council}}</ref> ''Iarwain'' literally means "Old-young"<ref>''[[The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion]]'' p. 128; quoting an unpublished letter by Tolkien</ref>
*To the [[Northmen]]<ref name="CoE" /> (perhaps specifically the [[Rohirrim]]) he was known with the [[Rohanese]] name '''''Orald'''''.<ref name="CoE" /> This is an [[Old English]] word meaning "very ancient.<ref name="nomen">{{HM|N}}, p. 761</ref>
*The Dwarves knew him as '''''Forn'''''. This too is a reference to his age: it is [[North Germanic languages|Old Norse]] for "(belonging to) ancient (days)".<ref name="nomen" /><ref group="note">In some imprints of ''[[The History of Middle-earth Index]]'', this name was accidentally spelled with a "P" as the first letter: {{HM|IX}}, "Tom Bombadil (VII)", p. 435</ref>

==Etymology==
''Bombadil'' is said to be a [[Bucklandish]] name, added by Hobbit chroniclers to his many older ones. It is, like many names of the [[Bucklanders]], untranslatable.<ref name="Adv" />

[[Paula Marmor]] notes that ''bobadil'' is an archaic word meaning "braggart", as seen in the character "Captain Bobadill" in the English play ''[[Wikipedia:Every Man in His Humour|Every Man in His Humour]]''. Because of its Bucklandish form, ''[[An Introduction to Elvish]]'' lists the name ''Bombadil'' under the "[[Celtic]]-sounding names". However, it is said that the word derives from '''[[Wikipedia:Boabdil|Boabdil]]''', the Spaniard name of [[Wikipedia:Muhammad XII of Granada|'''Abu Abdillah''' Muhammad XII]], the last Moorish ruler of Granada.<ref>{{HM|IE}}, Giving of Names</ref>

==Inspiration==
Tom Bombadil was inspired primarily from a [[Wikipedia:Peg wooden doll|dutch doll]] Tolkien's child(ren) toyed with.<ref name="intro" /> The doll had a feathered hat. One time they found it in the lavatory, being stuffed there by little [[John Tolkien]], who perhaps didn't like it much.<ref>{{HM|Bio}}, p. 165</ref>

Tolkien began (probably in the 1920s) writing a story entitled ''Tom Bombadil'' set during the reign of "King Bonhedig" in the British prehistory, far before any recorded events or invasions. The protagonist Tombombadil is mentioned as one of the oldest inhabitants of Bonhedig's kingdom, which spanned many miles on either side of the Thames. Only the 3 opening paragraphs survive of the shortly-abandoned, story, and the fragment ends at the description of Tombombadil who "wore a tall hat with a blue feather; his jacket was blue, and his boots were yellow".<ref>{{AB|Prose}}</ref>

Around the 1930s or earlier Tolkien wrote a poem about some Tom Bombadil rowing down a River, a poem which Tolkien later identified as his "germ of Tom Bombadil".<ref>{{RS|1VT}}</ref> Later in [[1934]] he put him into [[The Adventures of Tom Bombadil (poem)|a poem]], again described according to the appearance of the aforementioned doll (something that he did with other toys of his children, like [[Rover]]).<ref name="intro">{{AB|Intro}}</ref> At one time he described him as a "spirit of the (vanishing) [[Oxford]] and Berkshire countryside"<ref name="L19">{{L|19}}</ref>

When asked to make a sequel for ''[[The Hobbit]]'', Tolkien briefly considered making that figure of his poem the central character.<ref name="L19" /> Although it didn't happen, he eventually [[The Old Forest|appeared]] in the narrative as a supporting character. Tolkien wrote Bombadil as a direct contrast to the artistry and (sub)creative force of the [[Elves]]; whereas they seek to create, devise, alter and control, Bombadil only observes and contemplates the world outside him and takes joy in it. He is the fearless theoretical study of the world, and history.<ref name="coghill">[[Letter to Nevill Coghill]] (Excerpt reproduced [http://wayneandchristina.wordpress.com/2014/12/30/tom-bombadil-addenda-corrigenda/ here])</ref>

Justin Noetzel in his paper "Beorn and Tom Bombadil: Mythology, Narrative, and The Most (Non) Essential Characters in Middle-earth", suggests an association of Tom Bombadil with the [[Wikipedia:Celtic Otherworld|Celtic Otherworld]] and tales of the [[Wikipedia:Tuatha Dé Danann|Tuatha Dé Danann]].<ref>{{webcite|author=[[John D. Rateliff]]|articleurl=http://sacnoths.blogspot.se/2013/03/valparaiso-day-three.html|articlename=Valparaiso, Day Three|dated=12 March 2013|website=Sac|accessed=14 March 2013}}</ref>

David Elton Gay compares Tom to the demigod [[Wikipedia:Väinämöinen|Väinämöinen]] from the ''[[Kalevala]]'': both are extremely old and powerful immortal figures who express their power in rhymes, and both have control over their small forested country.<ref>Gay, David Elton (2004). Chance, Jane (ed.). ''J.R.R. Tolkien and the Kalevala. Tolkien and the invention of myth : a reader''. University Press of Kentucky. pp. 295–304.</ref>

==Outside the legendarium==
In addition to the aforementioned earlier works written independently to the [[Legendarium]], a figure that hints at Bombadil appears in the much later poem ''[[Once upon a Time]]''. Tolkien wrote it around [[1964]] and reused the names of "Tom" and "Goldberry" (although the epithet "Bombadil" is not mentioned, the association can be made as he appears with Goldberry). Hammond & Scull note that in this poem Tom appears less omnipotent; while he is known to talk to all creatures, who always obey him, the mysterious ''[[lintips]]'' are the only ones who refuse to talk to him and hide away.<ref>{{AB|Once}}, p. 283</ref> No specific events are mentioned that can connect it to Tom Bombadil or the legendarium of Arda.

==Portrayal in adaptations==
Because he is left out of the three major adaptations ([[The Lord of the Rings (1978 film)|Ralph Bakshi]], [[The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series)|BBC's 1981 series]] and [[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring|Peter Jackson's]]), Tom Bombadil's main role (providing the [[Daggers of Westernesse|Barrow-blades]]) is omitted. He does have several appearances in other adaptations, though.

===Tom Bombadil in adaptations===
<gallery mode="traditional" widths="200" heights="150">
File:War in Middle Earth - Tom Bombadil.png|''[[J.R.R. Tolkien's War in Middle Earth]]''
File:Hobitit - Tom Bombadillo.png|Esko Hukkanen in ''[[Hobitit]]''
File:The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game - Tom Bombadil, The Master.jpg|''[[The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game]]''
File:The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring (video game) - Tom Bombadil.JPG|[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (video game)|''The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring'' (video game)]]
File:BFME2 - Tom Bombadil 03.jpg|''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II]]''
File:The Lord of the Rings Online - Tom Bombadil.jpg|''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]''
File:Tom Bombadil in Rings of Power.jpeg|[[Rory Michael Kinnear]] as Tom Bombadil in [[Rhûn]] within [[The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power]]
</gallery>
'''1955: ''[[The Lord of the Rings (1956 radio series)|BBC Radio's The Lord of the Rings]]'':'''
:[[Norman Shelley]] voiced Bombadil, and Tolkien thought his portrayal "dreadful". [[Goldberry]] was portrayed as his daughter, rather than his wife.<ref>{{L|175}}</ref>

'''1979: [[The Lord of the Rings (1979 radio series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (1979 radio series)]]:'''
:In this series, Tom was voiced by [[Bernard Mayes]]. Like Norman Shelley before him, he also voiced [[Gandalf]].

'''1988: ''[[J.R.R. Tolkien's War in Middle Earth]]'':'''
:Tom Bombadil can be found outside his house in the Old Forest.

'''1990: ''[[J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Vol. I (1990 video game)|J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Vol. I]]'':'''
:Tom Bombadil rescues the party from the Willow Man, and provides information, supplies, shelter, and side-quests for the party. He later rescues the party from the Barrow Wights, and very briefly joins as a temporary playable character while inside the barrow. His role runs almost directly parallel to the original, with some related passages of ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'' quoted directly. However, [[Goldberry]]'s role is significantly changed to provide a quest for the party.

'''1992: [[Der Herr der Ringe (1992 German radio series)|''Der Herr der Ringe'' (1992 German radio series)]]:'''
:Tom Bombadil is played by Peter Ehrlich.

'''1992: [[Tales from the Perilous Realm (1992 radio series)|''Tales from the Perilous Realm'' (1992 radio series)]]:'''
:When he adapted the 1981 [[The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series)|radio series]], [[Brian Sibley]] deeply regretted cutting Bombadil from the radio series.<ref>[[Brian Sibley]], ''[http://briansibleytheworks.blogspot.com/2008/01/this-page-is-still-under-construction_23.html The Ring Goes Ever On]''</ref> When he made ''[[Tales from the Perilous Realm]]'' into a radio series, he decided to change the section "[[The Adventures of Tom Bombadil]]". Rather than several (unadaptable) Hobbitish poems, Sibley adapted the chapters from ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]''. Bombadil is voiced by [[Ian Hogg]].

'''1993: ''[[Hobitit]]'':'''
:Tom Bombadil is portrayed by Esko Hukkanen. It is the only screen adaptation that featured him before 2024.

'''2001-2007: ''[[The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game]]'':'''
:Although Tom Bombadil does not appear in [[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' film series]], Decipher produced a card for the character. He was portrayed by Harry Weller-Chew.

'''2001–present: ''[[The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game]]'':'''
:Despite not appearing in the films the game is based on, Tom Bombadil and Goldberry were given several models by [[Games Workshop]], which has held rights for tabletop games since 1980.

'''2001: [[Pán prsteňov (2001-2003 Slovak radio series)|''Pán prsteňov'' (2001-2003 Slovak radio series)]]:'''
:The voice of Tom Bombadil is provided by Milan Lasica. He appears in the final third of the first episode, helping the four hobbits with Old Man Willow, guiding them to his house and taking them in as his guests for the night, along with his wife Goldberry. After they depart and get lost on the Barrow Downs, he once again aids in their rescue, and provides them with barrow-blades from the barrow of the defeated barrow-wight.

'''2002: [[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (video game)|''The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring'' (video game)]]:'''
:[[Daran Norris]] portrayed Bombadil with a Scottish accent. His role is much like that in the book, and as one of the few characters in this video game, he keeps most of his songs.

'''2002: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers]]'':'''
:In the [[The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (extended edition)|extended edition]], some of Bombadil's poems are transferred to [[Treebeard]], and so is his encounter with [[Old Man Willow]].

'''2006: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II]]'':'''
:Bombadil is a summonable power. Once summoned, he can plow through enemy lines. His most powerful weapon is a "Sonic Song". As soon as [[Electronic Arts|EA]] secured the rights to the books, it was decided that Tom Bombadil should be in it; his appearance is kept close to his description in the book.<ref>[http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/battleformiddleearth2/news.html?sid=6139678 The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II Q&A - Enter Tom Bombadil], [http://www.gamespot.com/ GameSpot.com]</ref>

'''2007: ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]'':'''
:Tom can be found either inside or outside his house in the Old Forest. He helps the player track down crebain scouts possessing important information, and later arrives to rescue the player from the Barrow-Downs when (s)he gets himself in more than (s)he is prepared for, much like the Hobbits in the Book. He later aids the player against agents of the Barrow-downs when the latter attempts to corrupt Old Man Willow with a [[Morgul-blade]].

'''2012: ''[[Lego The Lord of the Rings: The Video Game]]'':'''
:Bombadil is a playable character. He uses a trowel as a weapon and for digging in certain spots. Tom can be found in his house on the road to the north of [[Bucklebury Ferry]] in the forested area between [[Bree]] and the Shire. It is unclear if this forest is meant to be the Old Forest or not; it is in the right location, but the game never specifically names it and its physical appearance does not fit the book's description.

'''2014: ''[[Lego The Hobbit: The Video Game]]'':'''
:Bombadil also appears as a playable character, and again wields a trowel. This time, Tom is found in a forest southwest of Bree, near a house atop a hill (likely his house in the Old Forest).

'''2024: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power]]'':'''
:Tom Bombadil will be portrayed by [[Rory Michael Kinnear]], whose headwear and outfit was made by costume designer Luca Mosca to look similar to J.R.R. Tolkien's description of Tom Bombadil. The production designer of the show, [[Kristian Milstead]], incorporated a star map on the ceiling of Tom's cottage to imply that Bombadil "has been watching the constellations for signs—and for the Stranger’s arrival", thereby connecting Tom to the larger story. The showrunners mention that they have given him a second home besides [[Underhill (house)|Underhill]] which he uses as a "summer cottage" on the outskirts of the once "green and beautiful" [[Rhûn]] "which...now is...a dead wasteland". At the time of the show, Bombadil "has gone out to...Rhûn...to see what's happened" to the region in order to prevent the desolation from spreading westwards.<ref>{{webcite|author=Anthony Breznican|articleurl=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/tom-bombadil-the-rings-of-power-first-look|articlename=Tom Bombadil Finally Steps Forth in ''The Rings of Power'' - An Exclusive First Look|dated=29 May 2024|website=[https://www.vanityfair.com Vanity Fair]|accessed=29 May 2024}}</ref>

===Collectibles===
In [[April]] [[2008]], [[Gentle Giant]] released the Tom Bombadil Mini Bust.

==See also==
*'''[[Tom Bombadil/Nature|The Nature of Tom Bombadil]]'''

==External links==
*[http://www.glyphweb.com/arda/t/tombombadil.html Entry in the Encyclopedia of Arda] (a concise overview of the discussion)
*[http://middle-earth.xenite.org/2012/08/27/count-count-weigh-divide/ Count, Count, Weigh, Divide] by [[Michael Martinez]] (discusses Tom Bombadil's moral aspects at length)
*[http://www.whoistombombadil.blogspot.com/2013/01/tom-bombadil-as-music-of-ainur_9.html Tom as the Music of the Ainur] discusses the major theories of Tom's origins and proposes a new theory.
*[http://www.cas.unt.edu/~hargrove/tombomb.html Who Is Tom Bombadil?] (an essay by Gene Hargrove)

{{references|notes}}
{{ringbearers}}
[[Category:Characters in The Lord of the Rings]]
[[Category:Enigmas]]
[[Category:First Age characters]]
[[Category:Forest-folk]]
[[Category:Second Age characters]]
[[Category:Spirits]]
[[Category:Third Age characters]]
[[de:Tom Bombadil]]
[[fr:encyclo/personnages/tom bombadil]]
[[fi:Tom Bombadil]]

Talk:Tom Bombadil

2025-08-30T18:29:24Z

Cmsg77: /* Forn is not Khuzdul */ new section

I know Tolkien states that there must be some mystery in any mythology, and the origin of Tom Bombadil is one of them, but I would still like to know the opinions of everyone on this matter. As for me, it seems probable that he is one of the Maia, for he does say that he remembers when the elves travelled west. {{unsigned|Aragorn47}}
:He also says that he "knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless — before the Dark Lord came from Outside.". So he was in Arda before even the Ainur. This means he simply can't be categorised. I think, "cosmologically" speaking Tom is a fundamental part of Arda and the Music of the Ainur.--[[User:Aule the Smith|Aule the Smith]] 10:28, 10 February 2008 (EST)
::I agree with Aüle on this. Tolkien knew his own world so well that he just had to have some mystery. It seems clear to me that he is not of the Maiar because he remembers Melkor's coming. I believe he (along with Goldberry) is some kind of nature spirit. [[User:Ingwe|Ingwe]] 12:06, 10 February 2008 (EST)

::I agree with the final part of the theories which want Tom to be some kind of soul-less sprite, of different nature than the divine forces of Good and Evil and I wanted to expand it if there wasn't that in-use tag. Can we edit yet? [[User:Sage|Sage]] 08:39, 31 July 2008 (EDT)

:::I planned to write something on the whole enigma part, but if you want to do it, go ahead. The "claimed" template was originally devised so that when someone is making large edits to an article, they don't get an edit conflict because someone else wanted to correct a typo. -- [[User:Ederchil|Ederchil]] 09:07, 31 July 2008 (EDT)

::::My preferred solution to the enigma of Tom is that he is the author incarnate, the creator of the legendarium who has taken bodily form to enter and live inside his own creation. In other words, he is Tolkien himself. This interpretation is consistent with most of the textual references, and flows naturally from Tolkien's strong Christian beliefs. As the creator he is of course older than anything in his created world, and because he actually has an existence outside his creation in a wholly different dimension the powerful evils of Middle Earth do not hold sway over him. Finally, the author of a story generally tries to let his characters run their own lives and make their own decisions, rather then forcing them to act according to his own wishes. This explains why Bombadil chooses to live an isolated life, away from and unconcerned with all the important persons and events of Middle-earth, and can not be relied upon as the solution to the problem of the One Ring.{{unsigned|Faded Glory}}
:::::I have heard a similar explanation that says that Tom is "the reader of the book himself". I don't really understand these theories, however they are not actually an "in-universe" solution to the enigma but rather "behind the scenes" literary analyses. So even if we suppose that Tom is actually the author/the reader/Tolkien's son's toy doll, the in-universe enigma remains... [[User:Sage|Sage]] 06:14, 17 November 2008 (UTC)

== Forn is not Khuzdul ==

Wanted to get some agreement in this before editing.

The info box for the article suggests that Forn is the name of Tom Bombadil in Khuzdul. As far as I am aware (and it is of course hard to rule out all possible references) this is nowhere attested; rather, it is stated that this is his name among the dwarves. It also seems unlikely to be Khuzdul, as the name is an old Norse word, meaning ancient.

As we know, Tolkien translates mannish languages into English and associated Germanic tongues. Languages like Quenya, Sindarin and Khuzdul go untranslated. There is very little attested in any of the original mannish tongues due to this translation convention, with only some proper names and the snippets from the Notion Club Papers to go on for Adunaic, for instance.

Much as Westron is translated into modern English, and the related but ancient language of the Rohirrim into Old English, so the languages of the men of the North such as Dale are translated into other Germanic languages such as old Norse and this is taken to be the explanation for the Norse names of the dwarfs, these being not their unrevealed Khuzdul names, but rather their outer names in mannish tongues for conversation with men and elves. For that reason, I think we can be confident that Forn is a translation of an unknown Kuzdul element, meaning ancient into a northern mannish tongue. The element Gamil is a candidate, as it is conjectured to mean Old, though this is probably an adjectival form.

I suppose one could go further and state that Orald is not his Rohirric name for the same reason, but within the translation convention, it is. The point is that even within the translation convention, I believe that Forn is Bombadil's 'outer' name among the dwarves, rather than his Khuzdul name. [[User:Cmsg77|Cmsg77]] ([[User talk:Cmsg77|talk]]) 18:29, 30 August 2025 (UTC)