I thought Tom also put on the ring and did not become invisible. Indeed the Ring didn’t stir his interest barely at all (while most every other creature in Middle Earth would fall over themselves trying to get it). He seemed completely immune to the power the Ring exerted. Been awhile though so I might have that wrong and be conflating it with something else.
Another unsubstantiated distant memory I have is that Tom Bombadil is the oldest living thing in Middle Earth with what’s her name (Shelob?..been too long since I read these) being second oldest (I won’t say more to avoid a spoiler…third book/movie stuff).
Treebeard is the oldest living creature. Shelob’s pretty durn close. IIRC, the dwarves were created before the Ents, but have gone through several generations at the time of LOTR.
Hold it, hold it. Treebeard and Galadriel have to fight over who technically is the oldest person in Middle-Earth. Treebeard technically could have been created earlier but was he wasn’t allowed to live (like the dwarves) until quite some time after. Treebeard mentions there are some who are in his age range, but they’ll have the same problem. Galadriel was around before the First Age began and as far as I can tell only Cirdan, Glorfindel, and Celeborn might be as old, though I suspect that she is the eldest since she gets the earliest mentions. So, if we count point of creation Treebeard but if we count point of actually being alive Galadriel.
Dwarves, FWIW, as a race have about six hours or so on the ents, but it’s likely Treebeard is a first generation ent while countless generations of dwarves have gone past.
Shelob is right out since Galadriel was around when Shelob’s mother destroyed the trees and then went off to make baby giant killer spiders.
Tom Bombadil… well… he shouldn’t count since we can’t even classify him propperly.
Bombadil and Treebeard are both named Eldest in LoTR. Tolkien doesn’t seem to justify this inconsistency anywhere.
Tolkien has also speculated that Bombadil is a Maia (angelic spirit below rank of Vala; Sauron, Gandalf, and the Balrogs are all Maiar) who’s “gone native”.
Actually Bombadil would be older then Treebeard. Treebeard said that their were trees older then him, right? Wasn’t it also said that Bombadil was there to see the first rain; if it does say that, then Bombadil would be older because No rain=no trees.
Simple - he’s the consistent obstacle to me finishing the books. I always put FOTR down in annoyance when I get to reading his section, and I never seem to pick it up again…
Hmm.
Didn’t advance the plot?
Say, might I be able, then, to just skip the part of the book with him in it, picking it up after the Hobbits leave him, without missing anything significant?
The author, in my opinion, was laughing at his own story when he created Tom Bombadil. I’m guessing his wife was the inspiration.
Tom’s just a man. Doing his manly thing. And he’s got a gal that many would love to have, but they can’t seem to get themselves over themselves, so she’s not interested. But she sure does like ol Tom.
You’re hung on Tom Bombadil because you live in fantasy more often than not. Tom is an insult to society and you’re smiling and nodding, never knowing that YOU are the REAL joke in the story.
I like old Tom. I bet he’s a blast to get drunk with.
I don’t think he would have been Tulkas. TB had a lot of magic at his command, but physically he didn’t seem to have any supernormal strength. Remember, after rescuing the hobbits from the barrow wight, he needed help lifting Merry and Pippin (I think), who were still unconscious, out of the barrow.
If it really came down to Galadriel and Treebeard having to duke it out, who would win? A fun thought. What other Tolkien 1 on 1 matchups would be fun to watch? Arwen vs. Eowyn? Bilbo vs. 'the ‘ol Gaffer’?
Galadriel’s old, but she ain’t that old. She was born in Valinor. Cirdan was one of the elves who awoke at Cuivienen. Maybe the oldest surviving elf in middle-earth. Of the named elves, I think only Olwë and Ingwë and his sister Indis are of the same age, and possibly, Mahtan, Fëanor’s father-in-law.
Anyone else know of any other Cuivinien-born elves who survived to the 4th age?
You might want to at least read chapter 8. The songs are shorter and not so silly, you learn a little about the history of Middle-Earth and it does relate to something that happens much later in the book.
After seeing the Two Towers movie, I imagine it would go something like this:
Treebeard - I’m the oldest living being in Middle Earth?
Galadriel - No moss-breath, I am!
Treebeard (steps on her) - Well I am now b*****!
