The Adventures of Tom Bombadil

[Thanos]

Hi there... new kid on the block.

I wanted to get some more information on Tom Bombadill's origins and adventures. I've been told the Silmarillion is the best source for that, but I've since learned there actually is a book called the Adventures of Tom Bombadill. Would that be better to start (I'll end up with both at some point, I'm sure).

Comments please!

[UngattTrunn475]

I would start with The Silmarillion, and then to the other book. The other book probably has more info, so if you read them vice verca, you have to read all the stuff you already know.

[Anduril]

I've been gathering info about Tom, Thanos (It's a nice theme to discuss), and I sincerely hope this can help...

[Lillyaundra]

Welcome!! that is a good site Anduril posted.

[Kelkorian]

Anduril, I wouldn't really call that "gathering information", I would call that "going into The Encyclopedia of Arda (http://www.glyphweb.com/arda/default.htm) and clicking 'Tom Bombadil'"

Next time you use other people's information atleast give them the credit they deserve...

[Thanos]

Since originally starting this thread, I've followed several links and gotten some answers about ol' Tom. Thanks for all the participation.

[Úlairi]

"The Adventures of Tom Bombadil" is a great read and it is all about Tom Bombadil, hence the title.

[Beleg Strongbow]

Originally posted by Ulairi
"The Adventures of Tom Bombadil" is a great read and it is all about Tom Bombadil, hence the title.


Yes and there have been many many threads on him, if they still exist im sure they'd have good info in them 2.

[Camille]

of what is this book about?? The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, I would like to know please :D, I have looked for it but could not find it.

[Úlairi]

I have skim-read it, it is just all about Bombadil, that's all.

[Elfarmari]

Is it about Bombadil in ME, or some other unrelated world?

[Úlairi]

It's ME.

[Camille]

I guess there is no answer there about were Bombadil came from....

[Úlairi]

I debated this with Grond. Check out the 'Who is the Oldest' thread in 'The Lord of the Rings' Forum. It was quite interesting.

[Úlairi]

Really Walter? I'm thoroughly interested to hear what you got in the mail today!!! :p

[Úlairi]

I wasn't being literal Walter.

[Popqueen62]

that was a very weird book. Very well written poetry though.

[Popqueen62]

okay, someone had to read this book besides me! I mean, there has to be some fanatic whose read like almost every book of his.

[Maeglin]

nope, sorry, never even heard of that one.

[The Tall Hobbit]

The Adventures of Tom Bombadil is a collection of 16 poems by Tolkien.

several of these poems are reprinted from LOTR.

[Beorn]

Yes, it's very interesting. Although most of the adventures don't use terms used in M-e, most of them are similar. I really should reread them :o

[The Tall Hobbit]

The 16 poems which make up this brief work are:

1. The Adventures of Tom Bombadil

2. Bombadil Goes Boating

3. Errantry

4. Little Princess Mee

5. The Man in the Moon Stayed Up Too Late

6. The Man in the Moon Came Down too Soon

7. The Stone Troll

8. Perry the Winkle

9. The Mewlips

10. Oliphaunt

11. Fastitocalon

12. The Cat

13. Shadow Bride

14. The Hoard

15. The Sea Bell

16. The Last Ship

[The Tall Hobbit]

The Adventures of Tom Bombadil (as an independant book) is currenty out of print, but it can still be obtained as part of The Tolkien Reader.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0345345061/ref=lib_dp_TFCV/002-4981451-3305607?v=glance&vi=reader#reader-link

[Pale King]

One of the main draws in the Adventures of Tom Bombadil for me is how Tolkien presents them as a collection gathered from various sources and how as such he claims not to know the author for many of them. This is in line with how he presented The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings as retellings of old tales rather than a fictional book written in the 20th century. I think that this approach adds loads to the enjoyment of the poems. I like the way that a couple of the rustic style ones are thought to have possibly been written by Sam for example.

Onother nice touch (is it in the Princess Mee one?, its been a long time) is the symetry. A symetry of sentence structure and shape reading up and down the page while the poem describes the symetry of dancing with the reflection. Really really clever:)

[elf boy]

Hmmm, I have been looking for the book, but i can only find really expensive copies... Is this the only place ya can find out anything else about bombadil other than LOTR?

[Rogue666666]

I've seen the book, AND I'm a big Tolkien fan, but poetry, even in the LOTR trilogy never thrilled me. I don't think that I'd purchase a book JUST because its written by Tolkien.

Especially when its full of poetry.


:)

[Eledhwen]

I loved this book! It gives a history of Goldberry, links Tom with Farmer Maggott, and a couple of the poems have found their way into Lord of the Rings. The Last Ship is lovely poesy (I like that word), it's like the 'Grey Havens' of the book.

[klugiglugus]

I read that, was a bit kookey...

I think it was written by Tolkien's son...:)

[33Peregrin]

I got it from the library the other day, and started it. It seems very good so far. Currently I am rereading LOTR, the Silmarillion, The Letters of JRRT, and The Adventures, so it may be a while. I have a big problem with reading too many things at once.
I kind of am a freak who has to read everything by him. Not for long, I hope.

[Bombadillo]

I read a few poems of this book, and the rhitm is so great, you can just get lost in some of them...

is the man in the moon came down one night not a regular existing poem? I know it is mentioned for a part in lotr but in normal american or british stories?

[FoolOfATook]

If I had my copy of HoMe VI with me, I could relate Christopher Tolkien's extensive explanation of the history of the poem, but as I don't, I can only say that it's based on a nursery rhyme...

[Frodorocks]

There was this one song (can't remember the name) where the music made me think of the Princess Mee poem for some reason. That was a weird book, but a good one.:)

[Maerbenn]

Perhaps the story isn't that interesting, but hardcore fans get to know things like:


the correct spelling for Serni (a river in Gondor) is Sernui
Elanor had a daughter named Fíriel
the tower of Dol Amroth was called Tirith Aear
the correct identity of the seven rivers
additional villages in Buckland and their names
Elvish dwellings near Edhellond
Edhellond was active in the Second Age with Elves sailing for Valinor from it
first hint of a story untold from the at the time unpublished Silmarillion (the revised edition of The Adventures of Tom Bombadil came out in 1962) concerning Túrin and Mîm
a more actualized history and a sense of history of the Red Book by the marginalia poems presented

The Adventures of Tom Bombadil should be considered an additional Appendix of The Lord of the Rings.

[MATTMAN]

I have been looking for the The Adventures of Tom Bombadil and would like to buy it. The problem is, if I do find it the price is crazy. Is there a web site that has the entire text on it.
thanks

[FoolOfATook]

I have been looking for the The Adventures of Tom Bombadil and would like to buy it. The problem is, if I do find it the price is crazy. Is there a web site that has the entire text on it.

I'm not sure if you've found it yet, but for the record, The Adventures of Tom Bombadil can be found in The Tolkien Reader or Tales From The Perilous Realm, both of which are currently in print in paperback. There are also text files of Bombadil circulating around the internet, and in peer-to-peer networks like KaZaA.

[Eledhwen]

Originally posted by Maerbenn
Perhaps the story isn't that interesting, but hardcore fans get to know things like:


the correct spelling for Serni (a river in Gondor) is Sernui
Elanor had a daughter named Fíriel
the tower of Dol Amroth was called Tirith Aear
the correct identity of the seven rivers
additional villages in Buckland and their names
Elvish dwellings near Edhellond
Edhellond was active in the Second Age with Eves sailing for Valinor from it
first hint of a story untold from the at the time unpublished Silmarillion (the revised edition of The Adventures of Tom Bombadil came out in 1962) concerning Túrin and Mîm
a more actualized history and a sense of history of the Red Book by the marginalia poems presented

The Adventures of Tom Bombadil should be considered an additional Appendix of The Lord of the Rings. Quite! Though it depends what you need in a story for it to be 'interesting'. TB is Not only great and varied poetry, but more Middle Earth. A treasure.