 | |
| Chapter of The Fellowship of the Ring | |
| In the House of Tom Bombadil | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| Number | 7 |
| Synopsis | |
| Event | Frodo and company stay at the house of Tom Bombadil. |
| Date | 26-27 September 3018 |
| Location | The Old Forest |
| Navigation | |
| Preceded by | The Old Forest |
| Followed by | Fog on the Barrow-downs |
Old Tom Bombadil is a merry fellow;
Bright blue his jacket is, and his boots are yellow.
In the House of Tom Bombadil is the seventh chapter of the first book in The Fellowship of the Ring. The main characters are Tom Bombadil, Goldberry and Frodo Baggins in the company of Peregrin Took, Meriadoc Brandybuck and Samwise Gamgee.
The chapter tells of the Hobbits visit with Tom Bombadil and his wife Goldberry at their house, eating supper and speaking with them. They sleep comfortably, though each Hobbit except Sam has nightmares. The next day, Tom speaks about Old Man Willow and then demonstrates that he is unaffected by The One Ring. Tom teaches the Hobbits a rhyme to summon his help, after which they sleep again.
Central to the chapter are Tom’s connection to nature and his harmonious existence with it. Adding to this, the characters of Tom and Goldberry are shrouded in mystery, adding an element of enchantment to the story. This enchantment contrasts with the the Hobbits’ dreams, which reflect their fears and the challenges they will face on their journey.
Overview
The chapter begins where the preceding chapter ends.
Arrival and Welcome
The Hobbits entered Tom's house to find a fair woman with flowing, golden hair sitting at the far end of the room, surrounded by pots of water containing white water-lilies. She leapt up gracefully, introduced herself as Goldberry, and invited the Hobbits inside, to laugh and be merry. She closed the door behind them and bid the Hobbits to leave their fears outside. Frodo recognized her as a character in a song he'd once heard. Feeling as though under a powerful spell, he suddenly began to sing it:
O slender as a willow-wand! O clearer than clear water!
O reed by the living pool! Fair River-daughter!
O spring-time and summer-time, and spring again after!
O wind on the waterfall, and the leaves' laughter!
At this, Goldberry recognized Frodo as an Elf-friend and invited her guests to sit at the table as she prepared it for supper. The Hobbits heard Tom outside, tending to their ponies. Frodo asked Goldberry who Tom Bombadil was:
He is.
When Frodo pressed further, Goldberry elaborated that Tom is a "Master of wood, water, and hill", but added that the land does not "belong" to him. She explains that Tom does not wish to own anything, nor does he fear anything.
Tom then entered, wearing a crown of autumn leaves. He led the Hobbits into another room, where they found soft mattresses on the floor and four washing basins. After cleaning themselves, the Hobbits returned to the main hall and dined with Tom and Goldberry. The dinner was quite merry, and the Hobbits discovered to their surprise that it was easier for them to sing than to talk.
Strange Dreams
After the meal, the Hobbits sat in comfortable chairs in front of the fireplace. Goldberry bid them a good night's sleep, promising that no danger could enter the house. Tom sat with the Hobbits in silence until Frodo asked whether he'd heard Frodo's call for help. Tom answered negatively, chalking their encounter up to chance - though he added that he was expecting the Hobbits' arrival. He continued by singing a verse about his "errand" to collect water-lilies for Goldberry, which just so happened to lead him past the spot where the Hobbits were attacked by Old Man Willow.
Frodo asked Tom to explain what Old Man Willow is, but Merry and Pippin protested, refusing to hear of it until morning. Tom agreed with them and led the Hobbits to their guest-room, where they each fell asleep almost as soon as they lay down on their soft mattresses.
That night, each of the Hobbits had a strange dream, except for Sam who slept comfortably throughout.
Frodo dreamed of the moon rising over a circle of hills surrounding a plain, with a tall tower at its center. At the top of this tower stood a white-haired figure, and from the plain below came fell voices and the howls of wolves. The figure raised a staff and caused a bright flash. Suddenly, a mighty eagle swooped across the moon and snatched the figure from the tower, bearing it away as the voices below turned into wails. Frodo then heard the sound of hooves coming from the east, recognizing them as Black Riders. This woke him, and he lay in his bed wondering whether he had the courage to go on with his quest.
Pippin slept pleasantly for a while, but then dreamed that he'd awoken at sounds of branches tapping and scratching at the walls and windows. He suddenly felt as though he was once again inside Old Man Willow, who laughed at his misery. Pippin woke in a panic, quickly realizing that he was still in Tom's house. As he tried to get back to sleep, he imagined hearing a soft voice repeating to him what Tom and Goldberry had said earlier, about putting fears away and heeding no nightly noises.
Merry's dream began with the sounds of running water. At first a trickle, the water quickly began to pool around the house, to the point where Merry was sure that it would soon break through the windows and drown him. He sprung out of bed to realize it was only a dream. As he lay back down, he too heard a faint voice repeating Goldberry's assurance that nothing can enter Tom's house except the light of the moon and the stars.
Breakfast and Stories
All four Hobbits woke up together in the morning, to find Tom whistling and drawing the curtains. They got up, feeling refreshed despite their troubled sleep. Frodo and Pippin rushed to the windows to check for traces of the things they had dreamed, finding only a soothing morning landscape. Tom seemed to know of the Hobbits troubled sleep that night, but bid them to forget and come eat breakfast.
The Hobbits had breakfast alone. They saw rain outside and realized that they could not yet continue their journey, which came as a relief to Frodo. From far away, they could faintly hear Goldberry singing a song about the rain.
Tom returned from outside, appearing strangely untouched by the rain. He told the Hobbits that this is Goldberry's "washing day", and confirmed that they couldn't go on in this weather. Instead, he bid them sit and talk. He began by telling them marvelous stories about the natural world, occasionally singing, and even getting up and dancing.
Tom's stories included many references to Old Man Willow and The Old Forest. He described the Forest as ancient, and explained that its trees had dark hearts and a hatred for all walking beings. He said that Old Man Willow was particularly malicious, drawing power from the earth and spreading his influence over nearly all the trees in The Old Forest.
Tom then told the Hobbits about the history of the Barrow Downs, describing the wars that took place there and the kings that were buried with their riches inside great mounds. He explained that an evil spirit came from far away and awakened their bones, which have haunted the barrows ever since. The Hobbits were terrified by this story, suddenly remembering the dangers that lurked just outside of Tom's comfortable house.
Tom finally began speaking of truly ancient things, when only Elves roamed the lands of Middle-earth. As he spoke, he started nodding off, and it seemed to the Hobbits that time itself stood still. Frodo felt as though whole days were passing as he silently waited for Tom to wake, though he felt neither hunger nor want. Finally, at night-time, Frodo asked Tom who he was. Tom did not reply directly to the question, but claimed that he was there to see the first rain drop, the Elves' arrival, and even the coming of Sauron from "Outside".
Dinner and Questions
Goldberry appeared and announced that the rains had ended. Tom called the Hobbits to another meal and he and Goldberry performed an elaborate and flawless dance as they set the table. The Hobbits noticed that both Tom and Goldberry had changed their clothes, Tom wearing bright-blue and Goldberry wearing gleaming silver.
The Hobbits found themselves famished as they ate the best of the meals they had eaten in Tom's house so far. After dinner, Goldberry sang fantastic songs about pools of water and skies full of stars, enchanting the Hobbits, before bidding them farewell once again.
Tom began to ask the Hobbits many questions, though he already appeared to know much about their lives, their families, and the history of The Shire. He chalked much of this knowledge up to conversations he'd had with Farmer Maggot.
There's earth under his old feet, and clay on his fingers; wisdom in his bones, and both his eyes are open.
Tom seemed to have learned of Frodo's journey directly from Gildor Inglorion, whom the Hobbits had met a few days before. Under Tom's questioning, Frodo told all about Bilbo, and confided about his own hopes and fears. When Frodo mentioned the Black Riders, Tom suddenly asked to see The Ring, which Frodo handed to him without question.
Tom peered through the Ring, which seemed to grow larger in his hands. He put it on, and to the Hobbits' amazement, was wholly unaffected by it. He tossed the Ring into the air and it disappeared in a bright flash, distressing Frodo before Tom handed it back as though nothing had happened. Suspicious that some slight-of-hand may have occurred, Frodo found an opportunity to slip the Ring on his finger in order to test it. He was relieved to discover that he had turned invisible. Tom, however, appeared to see right through his invisibility, and bid him take off the Ring:
Hey! Come Frodo, there! Where be you a-going? Old Tom Bombadil's not as blind as that yet. Take off your golden ring! Your hand's more fair without it.
Departure Plans
Tom advised the Hobbits to leave early the next morning in order to make good use of the coming sunny weather. He told them not to go straight north from his house towards the East Road, but instead to go through the Barrow Downs.[notes 1]
He reassured them that they would be safe so long as they avoided any barrows and always passed them on the western side. For added safety, he also taught them a rhyme to summon his help:
Ho! Tom Bombadil, Tom Bombadillo!
By water, wood and hill, by the reed and willow,
By fire, sun and moon, harken now and hear us!
Come, Tom Bombadil, for our need is near us!
The Hobbits repeated the rhyme to show that they'd learnt it. Satisfied, Tom took the Hobbits back to their guest-room for one last night at his house.
Notes
References
- ↑ Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull (eds), The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion p. 141