# LOTR speculation: The terrible secret of Tom Bombadil **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 23, 2013, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-speculation-the-terrible-secret-of-tom-bombadil/666980 "2013-08-23T16:32:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-speculation-the-terrible-secret-of-tom-bombadil/666980/41 "2013-08-27T04:04:47Z")
> [@aNewLeaf](#): > > I may hate the earlier movies a bit less now. Hey, me too! Very clever. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-speculation-the-terrible-secret-of-tom-bombadil/666980/42 "2013-08-27T19:18:34Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Treebeard is the “oldest creature under the Sun”, which I interpret to mean that he was the first creature to arise after the first sunrise. Which is impressive to us, but not actually all that big a deal in Middle-Earth as a whole: Galadriel and Cirdan certainly predate the Sun, as do Gandalf, Sauron, the Balrog, and all the rest of the Maia, and probably a great many other elves we know. > > Bombadil, however, is not “oldest under the Sun”; he’s just plain “oldest”, with no qualification. I’m not sure I agree. I mean, imagine I look around the room during an office party, and remark that I’m the oldest guy in the building – at which point you politely note that I’m obviously younger than my dear old dad standing over there in the corner – at which point I roll my eyes and say _aw, he doesn’t count; after all, he’s older than the building itself!_ That’d be more of a weird non sequitur and less of an actual point, right? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-speculation-the-terrible-secret-of-tom-bombadil/666980/43 "2013-08-27T19:32:59Z")
I can see what you’re saying, but it’s still true that Treebeard is younger than the Sun, Galadriel is older than it, and Treebeard is referred to, even by people who know Galadriel personally, as “the oldest under the Sun”. There’s got to be some way to reconcile that. ---
**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-speculation-the-terrible-secret-of-tom-bombadil/666980/44 "2013-08-28T03:45:55Z")
I always just figured that Tom was Mother Nature. Makes it easier for me at least to,slot him into the story. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-speculation-the-terrible-secret-of-tom-bombadil/666980/45 "2013-08-28T04:42:32Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > The analysis turns somewhat on the notion that Bombadil lives in a dangerous place filled with dangerous, evil things, so he must be eevil too. The counter to this is that Bombadil was so badass cool that he never even notices the dangerous nature of where he lives, because it’s not dangerous at all _to him_. So, he’s really Chuck Norris? ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-speculation-the-terrible-secret-of-tom-bombadil/666980/46 "2013-08-28T04:44:46Z")
> [@simster](#): > > So, he’s really Chuck Norris? Bombadil, Old Forest Ranger. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-speculation-the-terrible-secret-of-tom-bombadil/666980/47 "2013-08-28T09:35:25Z")
I could never memorize the emergency call he gave Frodo and the Hobbits. Anyone of you can? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-speculation-the-terrible-secret-of-tom-bombadil/666980/48 "2013-08-28T13:36:35Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > Bombadil, Old Forest Ranger. You should see his roundhouse kick when orcs come a-callin’! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-speculation-the-terrible-secret-of-tom-bombadil/666980.md?page=2)