Now I'm starting to think that Tom Bombadil is Illuvatar Himself (creator of everything Middle-earth).
He said he came before everything, before Elves and Ents and before rivers and all.
The Ring of Power has no power over him.
He can see Frodo even he's wearing the Ring. Now Illuvatar made everything and everyone so of course he can see all his creations.
He tried to help them when things have gone to seem hopeless but still he let them do some things their own way. To think that the Hobbits cannot defend and save themselves against some forces of Evil because they themselves are not entirely sure of what's going on, and Gandalf wasn't with them, and the Fellowship wasn't formed yet, He was there to look over them before they went to Bree and met Aragorn.
Just like our own God. Nobody really knows who and what He is, or is He even real. No certain explanations about his identity just like Tom. God can see us through everything and there's no way that we can hide from him because he's the one who made us. I believe that He's always there to help us when all things goes weary and almost impossible to solve but still He lets us use our own instincts to do what we have to do about something else.
So yeah, it's just my opinion but I think Tom Bombadil is the almighty Illuvatar. 🙂
Sauron: Nice try but I must agree with Ush.
Who or what is Tom Bombadil is the great mistery remaining of Tolkien's world. For me it is a door open Tolkiens left for us. I read all the books to and tried to understand what he is. But no one has the right to be the owner of true about Tom.
Of course that each of us may have different oppinions, and mine it is that Tom Bombadil is the embodiment of the Spirit of Arda.
I repeat the advise of Ush to this site http://www.glyphweb.com/arda/
Search Bombadil and links about him.
🙂
Yeah, the Enclyclopia of Arda (http://www.glyphweb.com/arda/) has everything Middle-earth. I look things up constantly on it when I'm too lazy to go get the books.