We all know (or at least, some of you do) about the legendary Tom Bombadil, a most mysterious character in the Lord of the Rings universe. Just who is he, though? Just a simple man living in the wilderness with his wife Goldberry, or perhaps a being of immense power that not even the One Ring could affect?

What do you think?

He's an annoying character who only wants to sing, dance, eat, smoke and drink. I hated that part in the book .

We don't talk about him around these parts. They're listening, see.

I always thought of him as a Maiar personally.

My guess is that he's a Maia. He has to be of comparable power to Sauron after all, and given that Sauron is a Maia... also, there's really nothing in existence (that we know of based on The Silmarillion) which is on that power level other than the Ainur.

Ehhh, while that's the common guess, but in truth Tolkien never really tells us WHAT Tom is, but most (like you and I) tend to guess he's either Maiar of Ainur. I hate the mystery of it, but Tolkein never told a clear answer in any notes or interviews.

Maybe he's the anchor that keeps reality afloat? Maybe he's the equivalent to a dude who achieved CHIM?

I know, but he also never mentions anything other than an Ainu which could be as powerful as Bombadil. So we arrive at ainu by process of elimination.

Not to my knowledge of Tolkienian lore. Ea is maintained because in its core is the Flame Imperishable, sent there by Eru the One.

A mystery.

I'M BATMAN!..er..wrong story...

Mighty talos exist even in another universe!

We dont know, but one of the more interesting theories I've read discussed how Bombadil may be the personification of Arda itself, that is, a sort of "Father Nature" (explaining the seemingly unlimited nature of his capabilities). Another interesting theory was that he was the Spirit of the Music of the Ainur, sort of the incarnate spirit of the song used in Creation.

This is my opinion, he mentions being in Middle Earth before the 'dark lord' (Morgoth?) was. His presence also sort of explains why the eagles don't fly the ring into the volcano and the ents don't help at first (portraying the fickleness of nature), and if your into allegory unlike Tolkein, he could also be representative of nature's inability to defend itself against industry despite it's power.