Peter Jackson’s critically acclaimed The Lord of the Rings trilogy has often been praised for its strong fidelity to the source material, but some notable creative liberties were exercised in the process. One of those is the choice to leave out Tom Bombadil, a key supporting figure in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings novels.
A mysterious character, Bombadil, lacks a proper backstory in Tolkien’s literature. Many aspects of his life remain unknown as well. The character does not fit perfectly into any of the categories of beings Tolkien created. He is different from the other Men, Dwarves, Elves, and Hobbits who reside in Middle-earth.
One of the most powerful inhabitants of the land, his powers suggest he could belong to the Valar or Maiar, but nothing is ever confirmed. Some scholars have suggested that he could be the spirit of a place, some form of a genius locus. Others have suggested that he is nothing and that he was simply unlucky enough to be created before Tolkien nailed all the characterizations for his universe. And the author never bothered to flesh him out later.
Who Really is Tom Bombadil?
Tom Bombadil is first mentioned in a 1934 poem called “The Adventures of Tom Bombadil”, published in The Oxford Magazine during the period when Tolkien was a professor at the University of Oxford. The poem features a few other The Lord of the Rings characters, including Goldberry (Bombadil’s future wife), Old Man Willow (the evil tree in his forest), and the Barrow-wight creatures, from whom he eventually rescues the Hobbits.
The poem describes Bombadil as a “merry fellow” with a powerful voice residing in a small valley close to the Withywindle River. He enjoys wandering and marveling at nature’s beauty. Several parties attempt to capture him and, at the end of the poem, he marries Goldberry, calling her “River Woman’s Daughter.”
Another poem, “Bombadil Goes Boating,” places the character in Middle-earth and follows him on a journey down the Withywindle to the Brandywine River, where the Hobbits reside at Hays-end. He describes them as “Little Folk I know there.” During his journey, he is challenged by numerous river residents, including birds and otters, but charms them with his voice.
In the novels, Bombadil first appears in The Fellowship of the Ring to help Frodo Baggins and his Hobbit companions on their quest to destroy the Ring. He shows up to rescue Merry and Pippin when they get trapped in the Old Forest by Old Man Willow, with Frodo and Sam crying for help. Bombadil frees them by singing Old Man Willow to sleep, then hosts them in his house, which later comes to be known as one of Frodo’s legendary five “Homely Houses.” Here, we also learn that the One Ring has no power over him. Before releasing the Hobbits, he teaches them a rhyme that they can use to summon him if they ever fall into trouble.
Tom Bombadil Was Omitted Because He Doesn’t Advance the Plot
Unfortunately, Bombadil was omitted from Peter Jackson’s adaptations, and so were the Old Forest, the adventures in Crickhollow, and the Barrow-downs. In a DVD commentary for The Fellowship of the Ring, Jackson explained that he and his co-writers felt that the character did little to advance the plot, and that including him would further bloat the already-long running time. Christopher Lee shed more light on this choice, explaining that the Bombadil scenes were omitted to create more time for Saruman’s capture of Gandalf.
Was this the right call? Fans of the literature must have been displeased, considering that Bombadil is one of the most likable characters on the pages. However, Tolkien should also be blamed for implying that the character wasn’t essential. In a famous response letter to a fan wondering about the character’s mystery, he described Bombadil as “just an invention” and “not an important person – to the narrative,” adding that “he represents something that I feel important, though I would not be prepared to analyze the feeling precisely.”
Another excerpt from The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien has the author saying that he included Bombadil in the books “because I had already ‘invented’ him independently” (in The Oxford Magazine stories), and wanted an adventure.” Tolkien revealed that he invented Tom Bombadil in memory of his children’s Dutch doll. Quite thoughtful!
Thankfully, Tom Bombadil Appears in a Few Other Adaptations
Peter Jackson might have neglected Tom Bombadil in the movies, but many other people recognize his brilliance and necessity. Outside the books, the character first appeared in the 1955–1956 BBC radio adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, voiced by the great Norman Shelley. Interestingly, Tolkien wasn’t impressed by Shelley’s performance, describing it as “dreadful.”
Bombadil would later appear in the 1979 Mind’s Eye recordings, the 1991 Russian adaptation of The Fellowship of the Ring, Khraniteli, and the 1993 Finnish miniseries Hobitit, and Season 2 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, portrayed by Rory Kinnear. His appearance in the Prime Video series has largely been seen as a move to appease book fans who had complained about the omission from the movies.
If you are a gamer, you can also meet Bombadil in the LEGO The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit video games, where he is a playable character. Because the games are direct adaptations of the Peter Jackson films rather than Tolkien’s novels, Bombadil has no impact on the main mission, but he later shows up as an unlockable character in the Middle-earth hub world to be used in free-play mode.
So, there’s clearly plenty of Bombadil adventures to enjoy. Make your pick!
