this post was submitted on 13 Aug 2023
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He is not a hobbit, neither a man, but what is he? Is he a dwarf? A wizard? A god? Something else entirely?

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The Legendarium represents the cultural perspective of the Noldor and the Men who adopted much of their cultural tradition. It's not an objective history, and some things that exist in the world, such as Tom Bombadil and Ungoliant, aren't really accounted for by the Noldor cosmology, even though these beings are known to them.

Similarly, Morgoth isn't just an Elvish version of Satan, he's Satan himself as the Elves understood him - with the implication that Satan is just the same being, viewed through the Abrahamic tradition.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

One thing I like a lot about LotR is that it's incredibly detailed and thorough, but there are still some things that simply exist regardless. In a world where magic is real, it wouldn't make sense if everything had an explanation.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

He's old, very old

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Tom Bombadil was basically JRR Tolkien's id. the-more-you-know

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

I always thought tom is the embodiment of nature itself. Basically if nature was a man.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago
[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

When I read about him, the first thing that came to mind is the concept of the "original man" from Manichaeism. However, the Lord of the Rings, being a trilogy that owes itself to Catholicism, would rule anything relating to Manichaeism out as a correct interpretation.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

My opinion: mostly obnoxious and good he was left out of the movie.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago
[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

He's a character in the best story ever written...

My Immortal!

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The most boring part of the book…in my opinion.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That's not Tom. That's the forest

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Yeah, that’s fair.

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