Tom Bombadil
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Tom Bombadil first appears in JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings in Book One Chapter VI, The Old Forest, which can be seen as the first section of the adventure where the Fellowship of the Ring begins to gather, just after Frodo’s friends reveal they’ve been planning to go with him for some time, as it’s been obvious he’s leaving soon.
- Chapter VI, The Old Forest - SYNOPSIS
- Chapter VI, The Old Forest - WORDS
- Chapter VII, In the House of Tom Bombadil - SYNOPSIS
- Chapter VII, In the House of Tom Bombadil - WORDS
- Chapter VIII, Fog on the Barrow-downs - SYNOPSIS
- Chapter VIII, Fog on the Barrow-downs - WORDS
- The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, poems also included in Tales from the Perilous Realm
- Schedule Sketch
- Day 1: The Adventures of Tom Bombadil - we meet Tom in an oft-repeated description
- Day 2: The Adventures of Tom Bombadil - four encounters
- Day 3: The Adventures of Tom Bombadil - wooing & wedding Goldberry
- Day 4: The Old Forest - leaving Fredegar, to the edge of the Bonfire Glade
- Day 5: The Old Forest - from the Bonfire Glade to the view of the Withywindle valley (& a glimpse of the Downs)
- Day 6: The Old Forest - the maze and funnel to the path along the Withywindle
- Day 7: The Old Forest - trapped by Old Man Willow
- Day 8: The Old Forest - rescued!
- Day 9: The Old Forest - following Tom home
- Day 10: In the House of Tom Bombadil - meeting Goldberry
- Day 11: In the House of Tom Bombadil - who is Tom Bombadil?
- Day 12: In the House of Tom Bombadil - a long and merry meal
- Day 13: In the House of Tom Bombadil - after the first dinner
- Day 14: In the House of Tom Bombadil - nightmares
- Day 15: In the House of Tom Bombadil - Goldberry's washing day: a day for tales
- Day 16: In the House of Tom Bombadil - who are you, Master?
- Day 17: In the House of Tom Bombadil - dinner again; Tom and the Ring
- Day 18: In the House of Tom Bombadil - Tom's advice; learning a rhyme
- Day 19: Fog on the Barrow-downs - farewells, to the standing-stone
- Day 20: Fog on the Barrow-downs - separated and lost in the fog
- Day 21: Fog on the Barrow-downs - taken by a Barrow-wight
- Day 22: Fog on the Barrow-downs - Frodo strikes a brave blow and calls Tom
- Day 23: Fog on the Barrow-downs - awakened and back on the Road
- Day 24 (optional) Tom Bombadil discussed at the Council of Elrond
- References
- WITHE WYTHE WITHY - whence the idea to Wordle Bombadil arose
- First Draft Word List
Chapter VI, The Old Forest - SYNOPSIS
The four hobbits depart together, following MERRY through a BRICK tunnel under the HEDGE that marks the boundary of the SHIRE with the Old Forest, of which Merry says “Everything in it is very much more alive, more aware of what is going on […] than things are in the Shire. And the TREES do not like strangers.”
Following a TRAIL from the Bonfire GLADE they ascend through oppressive forest until they see a clear hilltop ahead, from which Merry points out the line of the WITHYwindle, the valley of which “is said to be the QUEERest part of the whole wood – the centre from which all the queerness comes, as it were.”
Struggling to head northward towards the East Road, deep FOLDS and undergrowth seemed always to force them to turn eastward and southward, until they finally entered a fold they could not escape, which became BOGGY with a BROOK trickling through a WEEDY bed and eventually a GLOOM-filled GULLY.
Suddenly emerging at the base of a CLIFF, they found a SUNNY wide SPACE of GRASS and REEDS by the BANKS of a dark lazy RIVER of BROWN WATER “bordered with ancient willows, arched over with willows, blocked with fallen willows, and flecked with thousands of faded willow-leaves.” It is of course the WITHYwindle.
Following the only possible path along the river, the hobbits come to a spot of thin SHADE in the heat of the day, where SLEEP begins to overtake them. “There now seemed hardly a sound in the air. The FLIES had stopped buzzing. Only a gentle noise on the edge of hearing, a soft fluttering as of a song half whispered, seemed to stir in the BOUGHs above. [Frodo] lifted his heavy eyes and saw leaning over him a huge willow-tree, old and HOARY.”
Sam is the only one who resists the SPELL and goes to gather the wandering ponies; upon returning with them he hears two sounds: a sPLASH and a “SNICK [like] a lock when a door quietly closes fast.”
He HAULS Frodo from the river shallows, where willow-ROOTS like “GNARLed dragonet[s]” had tipped him in and was holding him under.
Together they discover that Pippin has disappeared entirely inside the TRUNK of the great willow, the CRACK closing with the CLICK that Sam heard. And Merry is caught in a PINCH by the WAIST, with only his legs visible.
Frodo and Sam kindle a FLAME against the trunk, in a pile of TWIGS and STICKs, but Merry CRIES out from inside that the tree is saying it will squeeze him in two if they don’t put it out.
Into the desperate moment comes the SOUND of an approaching deep glad VOICE singing nonsense [NONCE SENSA/SENSE] “carelessly and happily” which BURSTs suddenly into a CLEAR song mentioning Tom Bombadil and Goldberry (RIVER-WOMAN’s daughter).
With a BOUND into view appears a figure with a long BROWN BEARD under APPLE-red CHEEKs creased with LAUGH-wrinkles, too large for a hobbit yet not quite as tall as one of the Big People, who soon identifies himself as none other than Tom Bombadil [TOMMY TOMBO BOMBE DILLY]. His battered hat [TOQUE] has a tall CROWN and he wears a blue jacket [AZURE or AZURY TUNIC] and yellow [JAUNE] BOOTS.
Tom KNOWS the TUNES of his country and has one for Old Man Willow. With his MOUTH CLOSE to the crack holding Merry he sings too low for Frodo and Sam to CATCH the WORDS, but they are effective. Soon after he SMOTE the willow a blow with his own branch both hobbits are free again, and Tom commands the tree to eat EARTH, DRINK WATER, and go back to SLEEP.
Tom bids them to follow him home, but he’s too QUICK for them to follow, calling back with one more HALLO for them to fear not any ALDER BLACK and to keep coming on until they see his open door and window PANES lit with candle LIGHT.
Just as WHITE MISTS rise like STEAM from the river and the TIRED hobbits feel as if they cannot WAKEN from a DREAM of "QUEER GNARLed and knobbly faces" hanging overhead, the forest comes to an end and a wide SWEEP of GRASS leads up a KNOLL from which they can see on a farther SLOPE the welcoming light of an open door.
A new CLEAR VOICE “as YOUNG and as ancient as Spring” FALLS “like silver to meet them.” This is Goldberry, the River-daughter singing away the WEARY hobbits’ FEARS and tiredness until they stand BATHEd only in golden LIGHT on the threshold of her home.
Willow Words
OSIER - several meanings related to basketry
SALIX LUTEA - yellow willow, almost certainly the species that crowds the Withywindle.
Chapter VI, The Old Forest - WORDS
Chapter VII, In the House of Tom Bombadil - SYNOPSIS
The hobbits meet Goldberry [GOLDS/Y BERRY] with long rippling yellow hair and wearing a gown GREEN as YOUNG REEDS and belt of gold shaped like a CHAIN of flag-lilies (FLEUR-de-lis). Around her FLOAT the water-lilies that Tom collected.
(Water lilies are of the genus Nymphaea: NYMPH AYAYA? and are often thought to be related to LOTUS though they’re not; a certain Egyptian WHITE LOTUS 🪷 is though: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nymphaea_lotus)
As they wait, entranced by Goldberry, they can hear Tom singing of himself repeatedly that he’s a MERRY FELLA, bright blue his jacket is, and his boots are yellow. Inquiring of her who Tom is, she answers at first simply “He is,” then continues to tell them he is master (NEVER OWNER though) of his country.
Tom arrives and Goldberry delicately suggests the guests are not quite ready for TABLE LADEN with CREAM and HONEY and BREAD. He bundles them off to CLEAN GRIMY HANDS, wash WEARY FACES, and get out of MUDDY CLOAKs.
They FEAST and find themselves singing more than talking, in SINGS SONGY TONES, until at last they settle around the hearth, enjoying the FIRE’S SWEET SMELL of APPLE wood. Golberry wishes them PEACE and bids them heed no NOISE through the NIGHT before she FLOWS off to her rest.
They’re all drowsy though, and learn little more than that Tom half expected them, having HEARD word of their “wandering,” and that Old Man Willow is a “mighty singer” (has a POWER VOICE maybe) and “it’s hard for little folk to escape his cunning MAZES.”
Frodo, Merry, and Pippin each have a disturbing or AWFUL DREAM or NIGHT MARES: Frodo of a STONE TOWER and BLACK RIDERs; Pippin of being trapped in the Willow’s TRUNK with its “CREAKing VOICE LAUGHing at him AGAIN”; and Merry of DROWNing in a “dark SHOREless pool.” Only “Sam SLEPT through the NIGHT in deep content, if logs are contented.”
The next morning they aWAKEN to cool air with a RAINY SMELL. Tom TEASEs them that “nought [AUGHT] WAKES hobbit-folk in the EARLY morning” [MORNS]. WATER DRIPS from the EAVES. They BREAK their fast listening to Tom clatter and putter about and the distant sound of Goldberry singing a SWEET (T)RAIN(S) SONG(S/Y). “Frodo was glad in his HEART, and BLESSed” the weather for the DELAY, for the “thought of GOING had been HEAVY upon him from the moment he AWOKE…”
Tom declares it a day for TALES. His VOICE OFTEN TURNS to SONG(S/Y) and he must ARISE and DANCE ABOUT as he explains the history and nature of the Old Forest and the dangerous and malicious PRIDE of the GREAT Willow.
Tom’s country extends eastwards to the BARROw DOWNS too, where STONE RINGS like TEETH STAND AMONG the GREEN HILLS and MOUNDs where treasure was PILED on the BIERS of dead KINGS and QUEENs whose BONES now walk as WIGHTs “with a CLINK of RINGS … and gold CHAINs in the wind.”
Tom talks back through time to the “ancient starlight, when only the [ELVEN]-SIRES were AWAKE.” The hobbits sit STILL, enCHANTed: “UNDER the SPELL of his WORDS… darkness had come… and all the sky was filled with the LIGHT of WHITE STARS.”
ASKED who he is, Tom says his name’s the only answer. He’s Eldest, ELDER than the RIVER and the TREES, reCALLS the FIRST rainDROPS and the FIRST ACORN, made PATHS before any other folk came to be in or passed through his country.
Goldberry returns; she and Tom WEAVE a DANCE ROUND ABOUT the TABLE with GREAT SPEED til it’s LADEN and candles BLAZE.
“AFTER they had EATEN, Goldberry sang many SONGS” until again she bids them good night and withdraws.
But Tom is wide awake this evening, and PLIED (or PLIES) them with questions, revealing in the process that he KNOWS and is KNOWN widely, from ELVES to SHIRE-folk, and KEEPS TRACK of the goings-on among his neighbors.
Suddenly Tom commands “Show me the precious Ring!” And “Frodo, to his own astonishment” DRAWS out the CHAIN, LOOSEs the Ring from it, and HANDS it “at once to Tom.”
The Ring HOLDS no [AUGHT] POWER over Tom; he doesn’t disappear from SIGHT when he puts it on, eliciting GASPS from the hobbits, and he toys with it like a COMIC UNCLE, peeping through it, making it vanish in a FLASH, then handing it back to Frodo with a SMILE.
Frodo WAITS a little then TESTS the Ring on his own finger. His companions can’t see him, but Tom does, saying “Old Tom Bombadil’s not as BLIND as that yet.” Looking directly at Frodo he bids him take off the Ring, and come back to sit and plan for their departure the next day.
He advises them to travel NORTH, to SKIRT the LOWER SLOPEs of the DOWNS, staying on GRASS and AVOIDing “old STONE [and] cold WIGHTs.” But should they STRAY he also TEACHes them a RHYME to summon him to their aid, before sending them off to bed.
Chapter VII, In the House of Tom Bombadil - WORDS
Chapter VIII, Fog on the Barrow-downs - SYNOPSIS
The hobbits head off up the hill behind Tom and Goldberry’s house; atop the hill she beckons them, “her hair … flying LOOSE, … caught the sun [and] SHONE and shimmered. A LIGHT like the GLINT of WATER on dewy GRASS FLASHed from UNDER her feet as she DANCEd.”
They have a CLEAR view of the way ahead; she bids them to SPEED NORTH with HASTE, and WATCHes as they descend the SLOPE to meet a rising SWEET SCENT of GREEN turf, losing sight of HOUSE and forest.
Stopping in a small hollow with a single standing STONE that provided some cool relief from the hot sun, the hobbits eat a noon meal and rest, but then WAKEN with a START “from a SLEEP they NEVER MEANT to take.”
Mist and fog and growing darkness now hide the way and make “THEIR GOING …very slow,” but they GUESS the direction toward the road as best they can and proceed in single file, Frodo leading, their “CLOAKs and HOODS [becoming] BEDEWed with grey DROPS.”
Passing suddenly between two looming STONEs “almost before he was AWARE” Frodo’s pony REARS and SNORTs, unseating him before vanishing into the GLOOM. Frodo thinks he’s HEARD the others’ CRIES but they’re cut SHORT. He tries to follow but it’s FULLY NIGHT and it SEEMS he can only CLIMB until he reaches the top of a RIDGE, WEARY, SWEATing yet CHILLed, and all ALONE.
Atop the ROUND hill, FAINT STARS appear and the mist has BEGUN to SHRED. A BLACK SHAPE LOOMS: “A GREAT BARROw STOOD THERE.” Frodo CRIED out AGAIN “WHERE are you?”, feeling ANGRY that his friends had not kept up, and trying to suppress his FEARS.
The cold deep VOICE that answers “Here!” is not theirs, and Frodo cannot move before a tall dark figure reaches out to SEIZE him with an “icy touch [that] FROZE his BONES.”
He comes to with no recollection but a SENSE of DREAD, soon knowing he’s been TAKEN by a BARROw-WIGHT and may already be UNDER a SPELL, LYING upon cold STONE.
With thoughts of the SHIRE and BILBO to STIFFen his SPINE, he turns to see in a pale GREEN LIGHT his THREE unconscious companions clad in WHITE with treasure piled around and RINGS and gold CHAINs on them, and laid across THEIR NECKS one long NAKED SWORD.
A “cold murmur” of a DREARy VOICE BEGAN a song and slowly it became CLEAR it was an incantation. A disembodied arm came into view, using its fingers to GROPE towards the hilt of the long sword.
Pushing down a wild urge to use the Ring to escape as the arm CREPT nearer, Frodo took up a SHORT SWORD and HEWED at the WRIST. The hand is SEVERed, the sword splinters, and the light vanishes as the SPELL CEASEs, replaced by a SNARLing NOISE.
All at once Frodo remembers the RHYME Tom had made sure to TEACH them, and he SINGS it with growing strength, almost immediately hearing an answering VOICE of the MERRY FELLA himself, Old Tom Bombadil, who ROLLS aside the STONEs blocking the entrance and CHANTs a song strong enough to banish the WIGHT and LEAVE the BARROw EMPTY.
Tom leaves the hobbits on the grass to recover as he gathers their ponies, calling them by NEWLY-GIVEN NAMES they NEVER YIELD again: SHARP-ears, Wise-nose, SWISH-tail, BUMP(S)kin and WHITE-SOCKS, returning with them and his own PON(E)Y FATTY LUMP(S)kin.
After a meal, Tom chooses from the treasure HOARD a BRO(o)CH for Goldberry and a KNIFE for each hobbit, long enough to be a SWORD for them, wrought of LIGHT METAL and aGLEAM with FIERY STONEs.
Tom escorts them the rest of the day NORTH finally to reach the Road AGAIN. The fear of the BLACK RIDERs rises, but Tom encourages them to ride on just four miles to the village of Bree, where they’ll find the sign of The Prancing Pony. Tom says farewell, bidding them to keep up a MERRY HEART.
Chapter VIII, Fog on the Barrow-downs - WORDS
The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, poems also included in Tales from the Perilous Realm
The poems are The Adventures of Tom Bombadil and Bombadil Goes Boating. In The Adventures of Tom Bombadil we meet merry fellow Tom and follow him as he encounters some of the same characters included in Lord of the Rings by the Hobbit. First of all Goldberry the River daughter. Then Willow Man. Also Brock the Badger and finally the Wight from the Barrows. All the encounters seem to involve Tom being grabbed, dragged and plunged, in the river, the roots of the Willow, the Badger’s sett and the barrow. Tom appears to save himself by the power of speech, urging the kidnappers to drink water and sleep.
But finally Tom himself grabs Goldberry and somehow a merry wedding is wrought out of the several kidnappings. Yes a bit shady in today’s world 😉
MERRY FELLA
AZURE or AZURY TUNIC
LEMON BOOTS
GREEN WAIST
SWANS PLUME
GOLDS BERRY
FINNY FISHY
DROWN TOQUE
SLEEP
OSIER SINGS
CRACK TIGHT SNICK
STIFF CROOK
DRINK WATER
SLEEP AGAIN
RAINY ROUND RINGS
BROCK SNOWY
CLEAN GRIMY
THORN ROSES
LAUGH
MOUND WIGHT
GRASS MOUND
STONE RINGS
SLEPT SNORE
DERRY MERRY
CATCH RIVER GOLDS
CREAM HONEY BREAD
WEEDY NEVER LOVER
MERRY UNION
SINGS LILTS CLASP
LAMPS TREAD REEDS
NEVER HEEDS KNOCK
DERRY MERRY
STICK OSIER
LEMON TRESS
The second Bombadil poem, Bombadil Goes Boating, follow a trip down the Withywindle to the Brandywine to meet Farmer Maggot for a merry night of drinking. Interestingly there are some meetings with birds, and otters which are somewhat violent, at least in speech. Tom gains a blue feather from the kingfisher. The ending is somewhat uncertain as far as Tom is concerned he seemingly walks back home after his meet with Farmer Maggot, leaving his cockle boat.
The Old Swan pulls the boat by its painter as otters, the kingfisher and the wren accompany it back to the Withywindle, sans oars, but Tom seems uninterested in the boat as it stays unclaimed in the small port/ landing (HYTHE).
BROWN BEECH
HAPPY BLOWN
WITHY WATER FANCY
PETIT BIRDS
GUESS NAMES
ROAST
CATCH FIRST
HURRY
SHAVE PATCH CREEK
BRAKE ALDER RIVER
SMELL WATER
COCKY LAUGH
KINGS FISHY
JEWEL BLUES PLUME
OTTER CHILD
SWANS ELVER ISLES
SNORT SNEER HUFFS
WITHY WEIRS
HYTHE GRIND WALLS
BOGIE
MOONY BEAMS
RUSHYLAMPS
WHEEL SLIDE
CATCH SNEAK
SHIRE STOUT
PENNY
MERRY TALES QUAFF
WHEAT TALES
DREAM
SOUND HEAVY PACES
Schedule Sketch
Day 1: The Adventures of Tom Bombadil - we meet Tom in an oft-repeated description
Old Tom Bombadil was a
MERRY FELLA;
bright blue his jacket was and his boots were yellow...
This poem that introduced Bombadil first appeared in the Oxford Magazine in 1933 or 1934; better known perhaps from a collection titled the same and published in 1962.
See posts & links: https://www.nytimes.com/shared/comment/4c5e0e
Day 2: The Adventures of Tom Bombadil - four encounters
The first part of the poem has Tom encountering three entities that all LoTR readers will remember, plus one more: a badger-BROCK
From the badger encounter: SNOWY forehead, GRIMY paws (PAUSE), UNDER BRIAR ROSES, EARTH(y) NOSES
None of the four can CATCH Tom, try as they might; he bids each of them to SLEEP as he makes his escape.
See posts & links:
https://www.nytimes.com/shared/comment/4c6de6
Day 3: The Adventures of Tom Bombadil - wooing & wedding Goldberry
The last part of the poem is a BRISK or BRIEF "COURTSHIP(S)" followed by the wedding of Tom and the RIVER-WOMAN's daughter.
Tom was praps emboldened by GOLD(S or Y)-BERRY's PRANK, when she pulled him under water; he returns to the pool and catches her in turn, "holds her fast," taking her home to be WOOED by TABLE LADEN with HONEY and CREAM.
They're wed garlanded with flowers & celebrated with SONGS and DANCE and attended or at least noted by all the creatures mentioned in the poem.
See posts & links:
https://www.nytimes.com/shared/comment/4c7ecn
Day 4: The Old Forest - leaving Fredegar, to the edge of the Bonfire Glade
up to Merry saying "'There is the Bonfire GLADE ... but the path to it seems to have moved away!'"
See posts & links:
https://www.nytimes.com/shared/comment/4c8d4s
Day 5: The Old Forest - from the Bonfire Glade to the view of the Withywindle valley (& a glimpse of the Downs)
From "The light grew clearer ..." to "the Barrow-downs had as sinister a reputation in hobbit-legend as the Forest itself."
The party travels through CLOSE WOODS from the glade. Frodo essays a hopeful song about "all woods there be must end at last" but it's as ill-received as Pippin's earlier plea to just let them pass.
They reach a hilltop island above the sea of trees, from which they can see the mist-filled valley of the WITHYwindle, "'said to be the QUEERest part of the whole wood...'" as Merry explains.
To the east, the BARROw-DOWNS can be glimpsed, which "CHEERed them greatly" as a "SIGHT of anything beyond the wood's borders" though they don't plan to go that way at all. NORTH is their intended direction, to regain the East Road.
See posts & links:
https://www.nytimes.com/shared/comment/4c93jl
Day 6: The Old Forest - the maze and funnel to the path along the Withywindle
from "At length they made up their minds to go on again..." to "... at these points there were tree-trunks or bundles of brushwood laid carefully across."
The hobbits try to go NORTH but are repeatedly forced to bear RIGHT and downwards until they find themselves in a GULLY too STEEP to escape.
Finally emerging into a wide sunny space where WOUND a path ALONG a lazy dark stream AMONG copious willows, Merry recognizes just where they are: this is the RIVER WITHYwindle.
See posts & links:
https://www.nytimes.com/shared/comment/4c9n6j
Day 7: The Old Forest - trapped by Old Man Willow
from "The hobbits began to feel very hot..." to Frodo crying for help and "He felt desperate: lost and witless."
The hobbits are lulled to sleep by the heat of the day and (though they don't know of him yet as such) Old Man Willow's song. Only Sam resists, and returns from gathering their ponies to hear a sPLASH and a SNICK, finding that Frodo is being held under water by GNARLed ROOTS, and Pippin and Merry are trapped by CRACKs in the great HOARY old willow's TRUNK that have closed on them.
Sam is able to free Frodo, but they are helpless against the ancient malevolent tree that has trapped their young friends. Frodo out of desperation runs up the path a d CRIES for help.
See posts & links:
https://www.nytimes.com/shared/comment/4ca6s4
Day 8: The Old Forest - rescued!
from "Suddenly he stopped. There was an answer, or so he thought..." to "A shudder ran through the tree from root to tip, and complete silence fell."
Into Frodo and Sam's desperate moment comes the SOUND of a VOICE singing nonsense [NONCE SENSA or SENSE] about some character named Tom Bombadil [TOMMY or TOMBO BOMBE DILLY] bringing lilies to his lady.
Hopping and dancing into view above the reeds first is a hat [TOQUE] with a tall CROWN and a long blue feather, then with a BOUND comes a fellow with a long BROWN BEARD and APPLE CHEEKs wearing a blue coat [AZURE or AZURY TUNIC] and yellow [LEMON or JAUNE] BOOTS.
Introducing himself as none other than Tom Bombadil, he sees their distress and tells them he can take care of Old Man Willow: he KNOWS the TUNE(S) for him. With his MOUTH CLOSE to the CRACK in the trunk he sings so low they cannot CATCH the WORDS, then SMOTE the willow with its own branch, commanding it to eat EARTH, DRINK WATER, and go back to SLEEP.
The cracks open, freeing the hobbits, then snap shut again. Into the silence the hobbits pour their THANKs!
See posts & links:
https://www.nytimes.com/shared/comment/4calsi
Day 9: The Old Forest - following Tom home
from "'Thank you!' said the hobbits..." to the chapter end
Tom tells the hobbits to follow him home QUICK as they're able, and disappears ahead of them up the path with his lilies. As his voice fades a last loud HALLO floats back to them, telling them to "Fear no ALDER BLACK! Heed no HOARY willow!" and to carry on until they see the window-PANES aLIGHT and twinkling yellow in the darkness.
Night falls quicky, and "WHITE MISTS began to rise and curl on the surface of the river" while "out of the very ground at their feet a shadowy STEAM arose and mingled with the swiftly falling dusk."
The TIRED hobbits stumble on feeling as if they cannot WAKEN from a DREAM of "QUEER GNARLed and knobbly faces that gloomed dark against the twilight," leering down at them from the woods.
Suddenly they emerged from the forest to see a wide SWEEP of smooth short GRASS and a clear path ahead leading up to the top of a KNOLL, and beyond, high up a further SLOPE, the twinkling lights of a house.
They hurry forward feeling less WEARY as their FEARS fall from them as they hear Tom's voice roll out his song to greet them.
"Then another CLEAR VOICE, as YOUNG and as ancient as Spring" FALLS "like silver to meet them." It's GOLD(S)BERRY, the River-daughter, singing a song of greeting until the hobbits stand on the threshold, BATHEd in the golden LIGHT streaming from inside.
See posts & links:
https://www.nytimes.com/shared/comment/4cbrg3
Day 10: In the House of Tom Bombadil - meeting Goldberry
to "'Sit now, and wait for the Master of the house! He will not be long. He is tending your tired beasts.'"
The hobbits enter Tom's house, lit by lanterns and candles, and see Goldberry for the first time: long yellow CURLS of hair, dressed in silver-GREEN with a belt of gold flag-lilies (FLEUR-de-lis) and pale blue forget-me-nots, surrounded by BOWLS of WHITE lilies (NYMPHaea [AYAYA] or LOTUS) "so that she seemed to be enthroned in the MIDST of a pool."
She is overwhelming, like an "elf-QUEEN clad in living flowers," and a little dramatic, spreading her arms across the closed door with her back to it, saying 'ENTER good GUESTs' and 'LAUGH and be MERRY!' and 'Let us shut out the night!' all in a few moments.
Frodo finds his tongue first. "'Fair lady Goldberry!' said Frodo at last, feeling his HEART MOVED with a joy that he did not understand. He stood as he had at times stood enCHANTed by fair ELVEN-VOICEs; but the SPELL that was now laid upon him was different: less keen and LOFTY was the delight, but deeper and nearer to mortal heart; marvellous and yet not strange."
He surprises himself by greeting her with an extemporaneous verse of awe and delight, ending in "O wind on the WATERfall, and the LEAVEs' laughter!"
To which Goldberry replies she did not know hobbits were so SWEET-tongued, but she sees by the LIGHT in Frodo's eyes and the ring in his voice that he is an elf-friend. She bids them sit and rest while waiting for Tom to finish tending their TIRED BEASTs.
See posts & links:
https://www.nytimes.com/shared/comment/4ccshn
Day 11: In the House of Tom Bombadil - who is Tom Bombadil?
from "The hobbits sat down gladly..." to "'Is the supper ready?'"
The hobbits sit and rest while Goldberry busies herself about the table. They can hear Tom singing mostly nonsense but "every now and again they caught, among many a 𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘭 and a 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘭 and a 𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘰 the repeated words:"
𝘖𝘭𝘥 𝘛𝘰𝘮 𝘉𝘰𝘮𝘣𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘭 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸;
𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘣𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘫𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸
Frodo screws up his courage to ask Goldberry: 'who is Tom Bombadil?'
'He is' she replies with a smile, then after a questioning look from Frodo she continues: 'He is, as you have seen him... He is Master of wood, water, and hill.'
Frodo goes on to ask if Tom is the OWNER of this strange land, and she says 'No indeed! ... all thngs growing or living in the land belong each to themselves. Tom Bombadil is the Master. No one has ever caught old Tom...'
In comes Tom sans hat, "his THICK BROWN hair ... CROWNed with autumn LEAVEs," laughing as he asks 'Is the TABLE LADEN? I see yellow CREAM and HONEYcomb... Is the supper READY?'
See posts & links:
https://www.nytimes.com/shared/comment/4cdkkp
Day 12: In the House of Tom Bombadil - a long and merry meal
from "'It is,' said Goldberry; 'but the guests perhaps are not?'..." to "The sound of her footsteps was like a stream falling gently away downhill over cool stones in the quiet of night."
The table is set, but the guests have had only a few moments, not enough, to fully prepare, as Goldberry gently reminds Tom.
A few minutes with hot and cold water to CLEAN GRIMY HANDS, wash WEARY FACES, and cast off MUDDY CLOAKs makes all the difference to prepare the travelers for a long and MERRY meal.
"The DRINK in their drinking-BOWLS seemed to be CLEAR cold WATER, yet it went to THEIR HEARTs like wine and set free their VOICEs. The GUESTs became suddenly AWARE that they were singing merrily, as if it was easier and more natural than talking."
Tom and Goldberry clear SWIFTly, commanding the hobbits to sit QUIET in CHAIRs set before the FIRE'S SWEET SMELL of APPLE-wood.
The lights are low, and Goldberry says goodnight: 'Have PEACE now until the morning! Heed no NIGHTly NOISEs!' She moves as water FLOWS, "with a glimmer and a rustle... like a stream falling gently away downhill over cool STONEs in the QUIET of NIGHT."
See posts & links:
https://www.nytimes.com/shared/comment/4ceee4
Day 13: In the House of Tom Bombadil - after the first dinner
from "Tom sat on a while beside them in silence..." to "They had hardly laid themselves on the deep beds and drawn the light covers over them before they were asleep."
They’re all drowsy after dinner, but the hobbits have many quesrions, and soon Frodo asks Tom if he heard them calling for help:
"Tom stirred like a man shaken out of a pleasant dream. ‘Eh, what?’ said he. ‘Did I hear you calling? Nay, I did not hear: I was busy singing. Just chance brought me then, if chance you call it. It was no plan of mine, though I was waiting for you. We HEARD news of you, and learned that you were wandering. We guessed you’d come ere long down to the water: all paths lead that way, down to Withy-windle. Old grey Willow-man, he’s a mighty singer [POWER VOICE]; and it’s hard for little folk to eSCAPE his cunning MAZES."
He goes on to tell them in song that he'd been on a regular errand to gather water lilies for Goldberry, from the deep pool far down Withywindle where he caught her for his BRIDE.
𝘉𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘨𝘰 𝘐 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳-𝘥𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳,
𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘎𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘴.
𝘚𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨!
They were LUCKY he says, because he won't go as far as Old Man Willow again this year...
...𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳-𝘥𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳
𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘺-𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳.
See posts & links:
https://www.nytimes.com/shared/comment/4cev2u
Day 14: In the House of Tom Bombadil - nightmares
from "In the dead night, Frodo lay in a dream without light..." to "As far as he could remember, Sam slept through the night..."
Frodo, Merry, and Pippin each have a disturbing or AWFUL DREAM or NIGHT MARES: Frodo of a STONE TOWER and BLACK RIDERs; Pippin of being trapped in the Willow’s TRUNK with its “CREAKing VOICE LAUGHing at him AGAIN”; and Merry of DROWNing in a “dark SHOREless pool.” Only “Sam SLEPT through the NIGHT in deep content, if logs are contented.”
See posts & links:
https://www.nytimes.com/shared/comment/4cffmh
Day 15: In the House of Tom Bombadil - Goldberry's washing day: a day for tales
from "They woke up, all four at once..." to "...darkness had come from East and West, and all the sky was filled with the light of white stars."
The next morning they aWAKEN to cool air with a RAINY SMELL. Tom TEASEs them that “nought [AUGHT] WAKES hobbit-folk in the EARLY morning” [MORNS]. WATER DRIPS from the EAVES. They BREAK their fast listening to Tom clatter and putter about and the distant sound of Goldberry singing a SWEET (T)RAIN(S) SONG(S/Y). “Frodo was glad in his HEART, and BLESSed” the weather for the DELAY, for the “thought of GOING had been HEAVY upon him from the moment he AWOKE…”
Tom declares it a day for TALES. His VOICE OFTEN TURNS to SONG(S/Y) and he must ARISE and DANCE ABOUT as he explains the history and nature of the Old Forest and the dangerous and malicious PRIDE of the GREAT Willow.
Tom’s country extends eastwards to the BARROw DOWNS too, where STONE RINGS like TEETH STAND AMONG the GREEN HILLS and MOUNDs where treasure was PILED on the BIERS of dead KINGS and QUEENs whose BONES now walk as WIGHTs “with a CLINK of RINGS … and gold CHAINs in the wind.”
Tom talks back through time to the “ancient starlight, when only the [ELVEN]-SIRES were AWAKE.” The hobbits sit STILL, enCHANTed: “UNDER the SPELL of his WORDS… darkness had come… and all the sky was filled with the LIGHT of WHITE STARS.”
See posts & links:
https://www.nytimes.com/shared/comment/4cg3k6
Day 16: In the House of Tom Bombadil - who are you, Master?
from "Whether the morning and evening of one day or of many days had passed..." to "...Tom was all in clean blue, blue as rain-washed forget-me-nots, and he had green stockings."
ASKED who he is, Tom says his name’s the only answer. He’s Eldest, ELDER than the RIVER and the TREES, reCALLS the FIRST rainDROPS and the FIRST ACORN, made PATHS before any other folk came to be in or passed through his country.
Goldberry returns; she and Tom WEAVE a DANCE ROUND ABOUT the TABLE with GREAT SPEED til it’s LADEN and candles BLAZE.
See posts & links:
https://www.nytimes.com/shared/comment/4cgqfi
Day 17: In the House of Tom Bombadil - dinner again; Tom and the Ring
from "It was a supper even better than before..." to "Frodo laughed... and taking off the Ring he came and sat down again."
“AFTER they had EATEN, Goldberry sang many SONGS” until again she bids them good night and withdraws.
But Tom is wide awake this evening, and PLIED (or PLIES) them with questions, revealing in the process that he KNOWS and is KNOWN widely, from ELVES to SHIRE-folk, and KEEPS TRACK of the goings-on among his neighbors.
Suddenly Tom commands “Show me the precious Ring!” And “Frodo, to his own astonishment” DRAWS out the CHAIN, LOOSEs the Ring from it, and HANDS it “at once to Tom.”
The Ring HOLDS no [AUGHT] POWER over Tom; he doesn’t disappear from SIGHT when he puts it on, eliciting GASPS from the hobbits, and he toys with it like a COMIC UNCLE, peeping through it, making it vanish in a FLASH, then handing it back to Frodo with a SMILE.
Frodo WAITS a little then TESTS the Ring on his own finger. His companions can’t see him, but Tom does, saying “Old Tom Bombadil’s not as BLIND as that yet.” Looking directly at Frodo he bids him take off the Ring, and come back to sit and plan for their departure the next day.
See posts & links:
https://www.nytimes.com/shared/comment/4chm5p
Day 18: In the House of Tom Bombadil - Tom's advice; learning a rhyme
from "Tom now told them that he reckoned the Sun would shine tomorrow..." to the chapter end.
Planning for their departure the next day, Tom advises the hobbits to travel NORTH: to SKIRT the LOWER SLOPEs of the DOWNS, staying on GRASS and AVOIDing “old STONE [and] cold WIGHTs.”
But should they STRAY he also TEACHes them a RHYME to summon him to their aid, before sending them off to bed.
See posts & links:
https://www.nytimes.com/shared/comment/4cid5c
Day 19: Fog on the Barrow-downs - farewells, to the standing-stone
to "Their ponies unburdened strayed upon the grass."
The hobbits head off up the hill behind Tom and Goldberry’s house; atop the hill she beckons them, “her hair … flying LOOSE, … caught the sun [and] SHONE and shimmered. A LIGHT like the GLINT of WATER on dewy GRASS FLASHed from UNDER her feet as she DANCEd.”
They have a CLEAR view of the way ahead; she bids them to SPEED NORTH with HASTE, and WATCHes as they descend the SLOPE to meet a rising SWEET SCENT of GREEN turf, losing sight of HOUSE and forest.
Stopping in a small hollow with a single standing STONE that provided some cool relief from the hot sun, the hobbits eat a noon meal and rest.
See posts & links:
https://www.nytimes.com/shared/comment/4cjer5
Day 20: Fog on the Barrow-downs - separated and lost in the fog
from "Riding over the hills, and eating their fill..." to "'Where are you?' he cried out miserably."
The hobbits WAKEN with a START “from a SLEEP they NEVER MEANT to take.”
Mist and fog and growing darkness now hide the way and make “THEIR GOING …very slow,” but they GUESS the direction toward the road as best they can and proceed in single file, Frodo leading, their “CLOAKs and HOODS [becoming] BEDEWed with grey DROPS.”
Passing suddenly between two looming STONEs “almost before he was AWARE” Frodo’s pony REARS and SNORTs, unseating him before vanishing into the GLOOM. Frodo thinks he’s HEARD the others’ CRIES but they’re cut SHORT. He tries to follow but it’s FULLY NIGHT and it SEEMS he can only CLIMB until he reaches the top of a RIDGE, WEARY, SWEATing yet CHILLed, and all ALONE.
Atop the ROUND hill, FAINT STARS appear and the mist has BEGUN to SHRED. A BLACK SHAPE LOOMS: “A GREAT BARROw STOOD THERE.” Frodo CRIED out AGAIN “WHERE are you?”, feeling ANGRY that his friends had not kept up, and trying to suppress his FEARS.
See posts & links:
https://www.nytimes.com/shared/comment/4cjs7r
Day 21: Fog on the Barrow-downs - taken by a Barrow-wight
from "There was no reply..." to "...across their three necks lay one long naked sword."
The cold deep VOICE that answers 'Here!' to Frodo's desperate 'Where are you?' is not his
companions, and Frodo cannot move before a tall dark figure reaches out to SEIZE him with an “icy touch [that] FROZE his BONES.”
He comes to with no recollection but a SENSE of DREAD, soon knowing he’s been TAKEN by a BARROw-WIGHT and may already be UNDER a SPELL, LYING upon cold STONE.
With thoughts of the SHIRE and BILBO to STIFFen his SPINE, he turns to see in a pale GREEN LIGHT his THREE unconscious companions clad in WHITE with treasure piled around and RINGS and gold CHAINs on them, and laid across THEIR NECKS one long NAKED SWORD.
See posts & links:
https://www.nytimes.com/shared/comment/4ckcqq
Day 22: Fog on the Barrow-downs - Frodo strikes a brave blow and calls Tom
from "Suddenly a song began..." to "'Come, friend Frodo!' said Tom. 'Let us get out on to clean grass! You must help me bear them.'"
A “cold murmur” of a DREARy VOICE BEGAN a song and slowly it became CLEAR it was an incantation. A disembodied arm came into view, using its fingers to GROPE towards the hilt of the long sword.
Pushing down a wild urge to use the Ring to escape as the arm CREPT nearer, Frodo took up a SHORT SWORD and HEWED at the WRIST. The hand is SEVERed, the sword splinters, and the light vanishes as the SPELL CEASEs, replaced by a SNARLing NOISE.
All at once Frodo remembers the RHYME Tom had made sure to TEACH them, and he SINGS it with growing strength, almost immediately hearing an answering VOICE of the MERRY FELLA himself, Old Tom Bombadil, who ROLLS aside the STONEs blocking the entrance and CHANTs a song strong enough to banish the WIGHT and LEAVE the BARROw EMPTY.
See posts & links:
https://www.nytimes.com/shared/comment/4ckpbi
Day 23: Fog on the Barrow-downs - awakened and back on the Road
from "Together they carried out Merry, Pippin, and Sam..." to the chapter end.
Tom leaves the hobbits on the grass to recover as he gathers their ponies, calling them by NEWLY-GIVEN NAMES they NEVER YIELD again: SHARP-ears, Wise-nose, SWISH-tail, BUMP(S)kin and WHITE-SOCKS, returning with them and his own PON(E)Y FATTY LUMP(S)kin.
After a meal, Tom chooses from the treasure HOARD a BRO(o)CH for Goldberry and a KNIFE for each hobbit, long enough to be a SWORD for them, wrought of LIGHT METAL and aGLEAM with FIERY STONEs.
Tom escorts them the rest of the day NORTH finally to reach the Road AGAIN. The fear of the BLACK RIDERs rises, but Tom encourages them to ride on just four miles to the village of Bree, where they’ll find the sign of The Prancing Pony. Tom says farewell, bidding them to keep up a MERRY HEART.
See posts & links:
https://www.nytimes.com/shared/comment/4clc35
Day 24 (optional) Tom Bombadil discussed at the Council of Elrond
In the chapter The Council of Elrond of LotR vol 1, the Tale of the Ring is recounted from its forging, by all those who had knowledge of it, and of Gollum. Gandalf spoke last, giving the final details of his imprisonment and escape from Orthanc, then said:
"‘Well, the Tale is now told, from first to last. Here we all are, and here is the Ring. But we have not yet come any nearer to our purpose.
'What shall we do with it?’
There was a silence. Then Elrond spoke again.
‘This is grievous news concerning Saruman’ he said, ‘for we trusted him and he is deep in our counsels. It is perilous to study too deeply the art of the Enemy, for good or for ill. But such falls and betrayals, alas, have happened before. Of the tales that we have heard this day the tale of Frodo was most strange to me. I have known few hobbits, save Bilbo here, and it seems to me that he is perhaps not so alone and singular as I had thought him. The world has changed much since I last was on the westward roads.
'The Barrow-wights we know by many names, and of the Old Forest many tales have been told: all that now remains is but an outlier of its northern march. Time was when a squirrel could go from tree to tree from what is now the Shire to Dunland, west of Isengard. In those lands I journeyed once, and many things wild and strange, I knew.
'But I had forgotten Bombadil, if indeed this is still the same that walked the woods and hills, and even then he was older than the old. That was not then his name. Iarwain Ben-Adar we called him, oldest and fatherless. But many another name has been given by other folk; Forn by the Dwarves, Orald by Northern Men and other names beside. He is a strange creature, but maybe I should have summoned him to our Council.’
‘He would not have come,’ said Gandalf.
‘Could we still not send messages to him, and obtain his help,’ asked Erestor. ‘It seems that he has a POWER even over the Ring.’
'No, I should not put it so,’ said Gandalf, ‘Say rather the Ring has no POWER over him. He is his own master. But he cannot ALTER the Ring itself, nor BREAK its POWER over others. And now he is withdrawn into a little land, within BOUNDs that he has set, though none can see them, waiting perhaps for a change of days, and he will not step beyond them.
‘But within those BOUNDs, nothing seems to dismay him’ said Erestor, ‘would he not take the Ring and keep it there for ever harmless?’
‘No,’ said Gandalf, 'not willingly. He might do so, if all the free folk of the world begged him to, but he would not understand the need. And if he were given the Ring, he would soon forget it or most likely THROW it away. Such things have no hold on his mind. He would be a most unsafe guardian, and that alone is answer enough.'
‘But in any case,’ said Glorfindel, ‘to send the Ring to him would only postpone the day of evil. He is far away. We could not now take it back to him, unguessed, unmarked by any spy. And even if we could, soon or late the Lord of the Rings would LEARN of its hiding PLACE and would bend all his POWER towards it. Could that POWER be defied by Bombadil alone? I think not. I THINK that in the end, if all else is conquered, Bombadil will fall, Last as he was FIRST; and then NIGHT will come.'
‘I know little of Iarwain save his name,’ said Galdor, ‘but Glorfindel, I think is right. POWER to defy our ENEMY is not in him, unless such POWER is in the EARTH itself. And yet we see that Sauron can torture and destroy the very hills. What POWER still remains lies with us, here in Imladris , or with Cirdan at the Havens, or in Lórien. But have they the strength, have we here the strength to withstand the ENEMY, the coming of Sauron at the last, when all else is overthrown?’ "
See posts & links:
https://www.nytimes.com/shared/comment/4cmgdn
References
https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Tom_Bombadil
https://whoistombombadil.blogspot.com/2013/01/tom-bombadil-as-music-of-ainur_9.html?m=1
https://tolkienessays.com/tom.html
WITHE WYTHE WITHY - whence the idea to Wordle Bombadil arose
https://www.nytimes.com/shared/comment/4beq6p?rsrc=cshare&smid=url-share
Me, to @Caroline etc.
“I did learn that WITHE goes back to Old English and means both to tie or bind with a flexible branch or bundle of branches (like willow) and those branches when used that way. WYTHE and WITHY also related and playable and all potentially useful!
PPS - Wasn’t Tom Bombadil related somehow to the river Withywindle (whose daughter is Goldberry) and on the banks of which Old Man Willow glowers. [Later: I believe that actually the Brandywine is Goldberry's mother-river, and she is the nymph of the Withywindle, its tributary. ] Can’t doubt that Tolkien bound Withywindle to the OG Willow-man entirely consciously by their names — how many more such little Easter eggs must there be to be found in his oeuvre? [there was also an Easter connection to WITHY IIRC but no time to dip back in to dredge that up now…]”
First Draft Word List
RIVER WITHY(windle)
TRAIL
HOARY TREES SONGS
WATER SLEEP
DREAM BATHE
TREES CRACK CLICK PINCH
ROOTS PLASH
TWIGS FLAME
HAPPY NONCE SENSA/SENSE SONGS
TOMMY TOMBO BOMBE DILLY
KNOWS TUNES
SINGS POWER VOICE
SONGS MUSIC
TREES FIGHT SLEEP
DRINK EARTH
BURST LAUGH
WHITE MISTS STEAM
LIGHT HOUSE GUEST
ELDER (eldest)
FIRST ACORN
MERRY FELLA
ROYAL AZURE or AZURY TUNIC (blue jacket)
TOQUE (tall hat, blue feather)
JAUNE (yellow) BOOTS
APPLE CHEEK
BROWN (hair, beard, skin)
WATER MUSIC
GOLD(S) BERRY
Daughter of the RIVER WOMAN
BARRO(w) DOWNS
WIGHT PERIL
BROKE SPELL HOARD
BARRO(w) BLADE
FATTY LUMPS (Fatty Lumpkin is Tom’s pony)