*woohoo* someone agrees with me... ok, I mean what I found strange in his story was definetely Goldberry, somehow I found her a bit strange, but I really liked Tom Bombadil himself, he was mighty, but he didn't really show it and he didn't want to use his power. I really like that idea.

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He's so interesting - I don't how you don't like him!
Besides the fact he is happy about everything. But that's not a bad thing..

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going on a journey through my old claims

Yay, a thread about Bombadil! I don't dislike him, but I tend to skim over his chapter because nothing REALLY interesting happens and he's a bit weird. Personally, I find the fact that he rhymes a lot of his dialogue kind of annoying, and a little bit childish, but I think he would be a very interesting character to read up on.

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*agrees* I never said that I dislike him, he just seems a bit strange to me and his story is just... weird, what I like about him is that he is happy I don't think it's a bad thing.

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I guess my boys and I were struck by what happened with Tom Bombadil and the hobbits in the fog of the Barrow-Downs. It actually is pretty dramatic:

“Frodo fell forward over Merry and Merry’s face felt cold. All at once back into his mind, from which it had first disappeared with the first coming of the fog, came the memory of the house down under the hill, and of Tom singing. He remembered the rhyme that Tom had taught them. In a small desperate voice he began: Ho! Tom Bombadil! and with that name his voice seemed to grow strong: it had a full and lively sound, and the dark chamber echoed as if to drum and trumpet.

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!

There was a sudden deep silence in which Frodo could hear his heart beating. After a long slow moment he heard plain, but far away……an answering voice singing……”

This is really a powerful place in LotR because, when Frodo was at his wits end, he called to a power that was above him for help. Just like when they blew Queen Susan’s horn in The Chronicles of Narnia.

It is comforting to feel that we are not alone in life and that if we cry out in our need, help will come. I love the mystery of what JRR Tolkien is saying here. In the direful times in our lives, when we have exhausted the options, will we too get an answer when our small, desperate voices cry out in the darkness?

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"If you do not find a way, no one will."

Sinbearer, I'd never thought of it in that way before, but you make an excellent point. I think a major theme of all three books is power outside of self, and this is the first place that we see this happen.

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"...that kind of music in general turns my stomach. It's nice that they do have fans, though." -Nienor

Power outside of self... *contemplates* Yeah, that is an excellent way of describing it in terms of the whole story. How everything good in ME, high or low, works together for a cause. No matter what our position...Eru or Hobbit...we need each other.

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"If you do not find a way, no one will."

I like old tom . I thought he was pretty funny as well as wise. The songs are fun to sing. He just is one fun character.

I like Tom Bombadil. I wish he had been in the movie too

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Your beauty cascaded on me in this white night fantasy

I kinda like him. He wasn't a bad character.

Goldberry was cool, but Tom was kind of...creepy. It was nice that he rescued them, but...still.

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"What's so unusual about that, princess?" he asked quietly, " Do you know how your story ends?"
-Inkheart

I am a christian and proud of it, and I am the oldest of 7 kids, and proud of that too.

May I ask something? Why do you know that he is a Maia? How did you come to this conclusion?

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i liked tom bombadil, i think mainly because it was nice to have some 'comic relief' after pretty heavy events just before. it was nice to have a happy and jolly character around to brighten up the story a bit

I loved Tom Bombadil!! He is such a unique and awesome charater I love all his little songs and ryhmes The chapter with Tom is great too cause it gives you a small break from the Ring issue and it's just the Hobbits hanging out at his house and hearing stories and stuff before they delve back into peril and the quest. I also luv his pony Fatty Lumpkin lol wut an adorable name

I like what you said about a breaks in the peril of the quest Rosswen. Tom Bombadil, Rivendell and Lothlorien are definitely great breaks and give us a little while each time to soak up some, what was that you said? Oh yeah, some hanging out and stories and stuff....

...time to soak up some wisdom and joy and beauty.

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"If you do not find a way, no one will."