Goodreads Choice Awards 2025
Mary Grace asked this question about The Lord of the Rings:
What is Tom Bombadil? Is he The Witch King, like the theory on dorkly.com says? Is he a demonic being, the most evil creature ever concieved, like another theory states? Or is he just a jolly old man? Honestly I don't know what to think of him. The Ring had no effect on him...and he saw Frodo wearing it...
Jingizu Now you ask a question for the ages! Nobody knows for sure who and what Tom Bombadil is. That he is good and not evil, is however the truth.

Tolkien sa…moreNow you ask a question for the ages! Nobody knows for sure who and what Tom Bombadil is. That he is good and not evil, is however the truth.

Tolkien said that there must always remain something unexplained in a good story, and Tom Bombadil is his unexplained part.

The most popular theory is that he is an avatar or physical form of the ultimate god Ilu. Or that he is a very powerful Maiar spirit.

Yet he is called Eldest, and Fatherless and that he will be last, as he was first.

So welcome to the Middle-Earth mystery! ;)(less)
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The Lord of the Rings
by J.R.R. Tolkien
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