Lord of the Rings: Every Theory About Who Tom Bombadil Is

Summary

• Tom Bombadil’s mysterious nature remains unexplained in Tolkien’s world, sparking various theories among fans.
• Theories suggest Tom could be a god-like figure, a Maia, a wizard, the embodiment of nature, or even Death.
• Some believe Tom Bombadil represents the reader or even J.R.R. Tolkien himself, adding a meta twist to the mystery.

There are a handful of Lord of the Rings theories that creatively answer the question, “Who is Tom Bombadil, really?” In a world of ever-hungry Hobbits, giant spiders, undead knight-kings, and immortal elves, Tom Bombadil is the strangest creature in Tolkien’s world. Indeed, over the years, the Lord of the Rings franchise continues to branch out into various new movies and series, including Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. However, even with this slew of new content, there haven’t been any clear-cut answers to questions surrounding what type of being Tom Bombadil is.

Most Lord of the Rings mysteries are explained in detail within the wider works of J.R.R. Tolkien. The origins of Shelob, the animosity between elves and dwarves, and the backstory of Sauron are all intricately detailed by Tolkien elsewhere in his canon. Sadly, an explanation regarding Tom Bombadil is nowhere to be found, and decades later, the jovial character remains an unknown entity in Middle-earth. Now, Old Tom’s appearance in The Rings of Power season 2 has brought this mystery back to the forefront—so what are the possible explanations?

Tom Bombadil Is God

Tom Bombadil Could Be Eru Ilúvatar

Though he’s not mentioned in The Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit, Tolkien’s world is presided over by a God known as Eru Ilúvatar. This primordial entity shares many traits with the monotheistic gods of the real world and was responsible for creating all life with the help of his first children, the Ainur. Predictably, Eru doesn’t involve himself in the day-to-day events of the world. Despite his omniscience, Eru only intervenes directly on a handful of occasions throughout Tolkien’s entire history – one example (potentially) being Gollum tripping in Mount Doom.

Since Tolkien’s Eru is as mysterious as Tom Bombadil, it’s only natural that fans would connect the two. Bombadil boasts seemingly unlimited power and a deep connection to nature. The character also aids Frodo without directly joining his quest, which fits Eru’s detached relationship with Middle-earth. Tom describes himself as the “eldest” who remembers the “first raindrop,” and the ancient elf Elrond labels him as “fatherless,” which some have interpreted as meaning he was the first being in existence – the fabled Eru.

Tolkien rejected the notion that Eru might have a physical presence in Middle-earth, but theories of Tom Bombadil’s divine nature have continued nonetheless.

Tom Bombadil Is One Of The Ainur

The Valar Were Known To Sometimes Dwell In Middle-earth

If Tom Bombadil isn’t Eru himself, he could be one of the Valar – who are to Eru what archangels are to God. The Valar dwells in the Undying Lands, watching over the world of men and taking action when necessary, and while Eru isn’t known to walk among his creations freely, the Valar certainly does. These beings loved their father’s creations, and gravitated towards a specific element of nature for which they were responsible. Some of the Ainur befriended elves in the distant past and took physical forms in order to approach the children of Eru.

Since Tom Bombadil’s power is restricted to the Old Forest, he could be a Valar, as both possess influence over aspects of nature. Some Valar are more proactive than others, which may explain Tom’s power being limited to his borders, and the Valar were also known to marry, which accounts for Goldberry’s presence better than if Tom were Eru.

Tom Bombadil Is A Maia

Many Maiar Of Lord Of The Rings Went Their Own Way

More likely than a Valar, Bombadil may also be a Maia – a less powerful being, comparable to an angel. Since the Maiar were far greater in number than the Valar, Bombadil could more easily escape to the Old Forest for a quiet life, and plenty of Maia were left unnamed by Tolkien, giving some narrative wiggle-room. Interestingly, Tom Bombadil’s powers appear somewhat similar to those of Melian, a Maia who featured in Tolkien’s The Silmarillion.

Sauron himself is a Maia, so Bombadil could have similarly taken a human-like form without being considered a human incarnation, like wizards. Still, this wouldn’t explain Bombadil’s neutrality. Additionally, Bombadil being a Maia would make him only as old as the rest of the Ainur, which, once again, doesn’t fit with his implied age in Lord of the Rings.

Tom Bombadil Is A Wizard

Tom Bombadil Could Be An Undocumented Istari

In The Lord of the Rings, a wizard is a Maia incarnated in human form. Tolkien’s known wizards are comprised of Gandalf, Saruman, Radagast and two Blue Wizards of Lord of the Rings, who are only mentioned in passing. Since Bombadil wears a blue coat and little is known about the movements of the blue wizards, some fans speculate that he could be one of these absent sorcerers in disguise, though this is highly unlikely due to Tom residing in Middle-earth long before the wizards arrived.

Bombadil could be another Maia-turned-wizard from an earlier age whose existence was not widely known.

Alternatively, Bombadil could be another Maia-turned-wizard from an earlier age whose existence was not widely known. With that said, Tom’s resistance to the Ring perhaps dispels any notion of him being a wizard. Both Gandalf and Saruman were tainted by Sauron’s influence, but Bombadil was unmoved by dark power, suggesting his true form ranks higher than a wizard. Tom Bombadil’s powers also seem to eclipse what the likes of Gandalf the Grey are capable of.

Tom Bombadil Is The Embodiment Of Middle-earth/Father Time

Tom Bombadil Could Be The Earth Itself

A more out-of-the-box theory suggests Tom Bombadil is a physical embodiment of the world itself. Tom’s abilities are primarily based around nature. The living world responds to Tom’s commands – a power even the Ainur don’t possess. Bombadil also remains neutral in the War of the Ring, and it could be said that his only concern is preserving the natural order. Just as the Earth itself has no bias regarding the beings that live on it, Bombadil takes no side in the War of the Ring and has no concern over good and evil.

A major clue in this theory comes during the Council of Elrond, as the concerned attendees contemplate using Tom as the Ring-bearer for the journey to Mordor. During the discussion, Galdor the elf states, “The p ower to defy our enemy is not in him, unless such power is in the earth itself,” which hints that Tom and nature are one and the same. For similar reasons, some have suggested Tom Bombadil could be the manifestation of time due to his carefree personality, immortality, and command of nature. The “eldest” and “fatherless” adjectives support this theory, as does Tom’s resistance to the One Ring.

Tom Bombadil Is The Song Of The Ainur

This Would Explain Tom Bombadil’s Love For Music

Tolkien’s Genesis story is told in The Silmarillion, in which Eru and his host create a piece of music that weaves the tapestry of all time and existence. It has been theorized that Tom Bombadil is the physical representation of this music in Middle-earth. This would make sense as Radagast the Brown already represents nature in Lord of the Rings. Moreover, Tom’s love of song is used as evidence in this argument, as the character exerts his power over other creatures through music, almost singing them into submission.

The song of creation simply is, with no will or mind of its own, merely flowing with the passage of existence.

If Tom were indeed the song of creation, this would effectively explain his status as the first ancient living being in a land full of ancient living beings. The song of creation simply is, with no will or mind of its own, merely flowing with the passage of existence. This perfectly describes Tom’s personality and his lack of interest in the battle between good and evil.

Tom Bombadil Is “The Reader”

Tom Bombadil Might Represent You & Me

One of the more meta-theories regarding Tom Bombadil is that he is “the reader” of Lord of the Rings. The Fellowship of the Ring‘s Tom Bombadil chapters move the tale of the One Ring from a light-hearted jaunt through a fantasy world to a more serious journey of death, darkness, and corruption. Tom’s magical house is the final refuge for Frodo and his fellow Hobbits before they reach Bree, and things get exponentially more serious. If Tom Bombadil were the reader, he might depict this very move from the childish to the mature.

Like the reader, Tom supports Frodo but can’t do his job for him and is limited to watching the events of Middle-earth from a place of relative safety, whether that be the Old Forest or a comfy chair in the 21st century. This idea makes the conversation at the Council of Elrond rather interesting as well. Gandalf and Elrond would have been discussing whether you, the reader, could save Middle-earth—it’s a very Neverending Story idea.

Tom Bombadil Is J.R.R. Tolkien

Tolkien May Have Placed Himself In Lord Of The Rings

Another meta Lord of the Rings theory is that Tom Bombadil represents Tolkien himself. This is similar to the idea that Old Tom is Eru since Tolkien is the out-of-world creator of Arda and Middle-earth. This would explain Bombadil’s ancient existence since the author is obviously older than his fictional work. What’s more, this would explain why Tolkien himself was resistant to providing any explanation for Bombadil’s identity—spilling the beans would ruin all the fun.

There are some problems with this theory, however, since Tolkien already has a place in his world.

There are some problems with this theory, however, since Tolkien already has a place in his world. The Lord of the Rings books are meant to be “found manuscripts.” Tolkien presents his work as if he isn’t the author but, instead, a linguist who translated ancient text found buried after centuries. It wouldn’t make much sense for the man who discovered these old histories to be a character within them. Still, it’s a fun theory to consider.

Tom Bombadil Is Death

Old Tom The Grim Reaper

The concept of death is neutral and indiscriminate, which is why the theory that Tom Bombadil is a physical manifestation of Death—a sort of reaper—has gained some traction. It makes sense that the One Ring would have no impact on such a being and that he would be unwilling to get involved in the battle of good and evil. What’s more, death has an intimate connection with the earth, considering the general circle of life.

Tolkien also called death the “Gift of Men” in his works, and it wasn’t considered a bad thing to the wise. Men were Ilúvatar’s favorites, and their deaths were seen as a way for their souls to join their creator, a privilege not extended to the immortal Elves. Additionally, after experiencing something like death, it makes sense that Gandalf would meet with Tom Bombadil as he did after the primary events of Lord of the Rings.

What happens to mortals after they die in
Lord of the Rings
remains a mystery, but it’s implied that they join their maker (aligning with the beliefs of most religions).

Tom Bombadil Is The Secret Fire

Tom Bombadil Could Be The Essence Of Life Itself

In Tolkien canon, the Secret Fire is a spark, created by Ilúvatar before even the Ainur, that gives life. It exists within the Void surrounding the universe, at the heart of the world, and within every living being. The Secret Fire is life, creation, death, soul, and everything, all at once. It’s this that the Dark Lord Melkor first coveted, and therefore, at the center of all conflict in The Lord of the Rings.

If Tom Bombadil were the physical representation of the Secret Fire, then this would once again explain how he could be the oldest thing in existence. It would also explain his neutrality since the Secret Fire is the force behind all living things, both good and evil. Of course, why there is a physical manifestation of the life force would still be unclear. Still, it’s fun to consider.

Tom Bombadil Is ‘The Hobbit’

Old Tom Might Represent Tolkien’s First Middle-Age Book

Another meta and somewhat stranger theory is that Tom Bombadil is a character that represents Tolkien’s The Hobbit. This was the legendary author’s first book set in Middle-earth and was published before Tolkien really knew just how far his legendarium would go. Originally, Bilbo’s ring was just a quirky, magical trinket—not a powerful and evil weapon of the Dark Lord. The Hobbit was a stand-alone story that evolved and grew into something grander and darker.

Tom Bombadil appears at a transitionary point in the Lord of the Rings books. Before and during Frodo’s time in the Old Forest, his story was similar to the tone and nature of Bilbo’s adventures in The Hobbit. However, things quickly got darker and more serious after. In this way, Bombadil represents the spirit of The Hobbit, and his remaining in the Old Forest, unwilling or able to leave, represents The Lord of the Rings’ departure from this innocent tale.

Tom Bombadil Is A Being Unto Himself

Tom Bombadil May Just Be Tom Bombadil

Despite the plethora of Tom Bombadil theories out there, it’s possible that there is no hidden identity behind the character – that Tom Bombadil is simply an entity unto himself, unlike anything else within Tolkien’s world. The great Elrond suggests as much when he refers to Tom as a “strange creature.” Elrond’s knowledge of the Ainur suggests he would’ve recognized Bombadil if he were one of them, so it’s strange that even the wise old elf can’t guess Bombadil’s nature.

The lack of a straight answer strongly suggests there is no answer.

Tolkien is known for his commitment to minute detail, from maps and family trees to languages and dates, so it’s odd that the nature of Tom Bombadil would go entirely unexplained in the iconic author’s canon. The lack of a straight answer strongly suggests there is no answer. Part of Tom Bombadil’s appeal in The Fellowship of the Ring is his irreverent, enigmatic nature, fading out of the story as easily as he slips in. With this in mind, Tom Bombadil is possibly an unexplained, inimitable curiosity in the Lord of the Rings world.